Of Comerce. SECT. IX.

WHen these Gods saw Mankinds simplicity
Wander with Beasts, as fellows in Creation
To both their thirsts alike the water free,
Acorns their food, Earth bed and habitation,
They take compassion, and from Heaven sent
Their spirits, who did handicrafts invent.

Which mysteries the slownes of mans wit,
In many years could else not have attain'd,
That as men grew, so they might learn to fit
Nature with Art, to be by them maintain'd;
And on the earth find hearbs for food and health,
As well as underneath it, Mines for wealth.

To which end Ceres down to Sicil came
And spread her fruitful Art of sowing grain,
As Bacchus taught the Naxians how to frame
The Grape for Wine; and Pallas shew'd the vein
Of planting Olives, which do bear her name,
A Goddess Motherless, born of his brain,
That over all the other Gods did raign.

Which wisdome likewise first taught men to hide
Their naked skin, that bears no native wooll;
And by chaste Pallas did reveal beside,
How from the Worm of silken riches full,
The peoples hands might work choice Robes for Kings,
Which since the pride of man, in Common brings.

Again, when Mankind was thus finely taught
To use the Earth, with all that on it grew,
Instantly Vulcan, through her bowels sought
For precious Mettals, then to People new;
Helping this common Dame of ours the Earth,
By many Midwives, unto many births.

Lastly, lest one Clime should abound, and burst
Starving the rest, which of their store had need;
This active Pallas likewise was the first
That found, and gave these moving Bridges speed
As well to import, as to carry forth,
From Zone, to Zone all Richesses of worth.

And of her loving Father did obtain
Castor and Pollux, as two saving lights.
To calme the storms, which hidden do remain
In furrows of the Oceans face, who spites
To have his deep complexion without leave
Plough'd up by those, that venture to deceive.

Thus did these Gods, ore great to doubt the might
Of all the World, though pride and wealth they knew
Apt to conspire against the ways of right,
In hope to make Soveraignity still new;
Yet suffer men to grow in wealth and pride,
As helps not to unite them, but divide.

Whence in the world they publisht, that each Zone
Created needful was of neighbor climes;
And (for they must corrupt that needed none)
God made them subject, both to want, and times;
That Art and Nature changing each with other,
Might nurse all Nations like a common Mother.

For long ere Jove, slye Mercury enjoyn'd
By the advantage of his Golden tongue,
To fashion grounds, from whence arts might be coyn'd,
To leave the weak, and qualifie the strong,
With an attentive sweet obedience,
Helping his reason, to command his sence.

Long, as I said, ere this felicity
Did these ingenious Goddesses descend;
And in that Golden times simplicity,
As unto need, and not excesses friend,
So finely Art, and Nature mixe in one,
As made Pow'r rich with more then was her own.

Thus see we in this native Image-light
No lack where Art and Nature joyned be;
Who therefore will in idleness delight,
And make not doing his felicity,
As earth by him turns wilderness again
So nature in him rusts for lack of pain.

Labor and care then must familiar be,
Thorough the vigor of mens education
To give mankind against necessity
Protection, in some honest occupation,
And all grow undertakers, not a drone,
Both ignorance and idleness unknown.

To which end pow'r must nurseries erect,
And those Trades cherish which use many hands,
Yet such as more by pains then skill'd effect,
And so by spirits, more then vigor stand;
Whereby each creature may it self sustain,
And who excel add honor to their gain.

For traffick is a quintescence confected
Of mixt complexions, in all living creatures:
The miracles of which may be collected
Out of those fine webs which on natures features
Art works to make men rich that are not good;
A Base, whereon all governments have stood.

Venice, that famous Merchant Common-wealth
Raised her rich magnificence by Trade,
Of Coasts, Towns, Creeks, erst refuges for stealth,
Along the midland sea she Suburbs made;
Spices of AEgypt, Barbaries fine Gold;
All Works of Syria her Marts bought and sold.

A City, till the Indian Trade was known,
That did like Europes Exchequer fill and spread,
Adding more Provinces unto her own,
By Mines of Money with her Traffick fed,
Then martial Philip had subdu'd in Greece,
Or he whose Art brought home the Golden Fleece.

Wherefore with curious prospect these proud Kings
Ought to survey the Commerce of their Land,
New Trades and Staples still establishing,
So to improve the work of every hand,
As each may thrive, and by exchange, the Throne
Grow rich indeed, because not rich alone.

Whose misteries, though tearm'd Mechanical,
Yet feed pow'rs Triumphs, nurse necessity
By venting, changing, raising, letting fall,
Framing works both for use and vanity
In mutual traffick, which, while Marts stand fair,
Make natures wealth, as free as is her air.

To ballance these by equal weights or measure,
The Audit of our own must be the guide
As what for use, for honour, gain or pleasure.
At home now is, or else might be supply'd:
The rest so by exchange to rise or fall,
As while none loose, we yet may gain by all.

For as in Leagues of States, when either might
Advantages of times, words, humours, wit
Unequally have lost, or gotten right,
This surfet ever brings disease with it;
Which (like a Torrent) fails not to break out,
Leaving with loss of faith both States in doubt.

So when these little limbs of great estates
By craft become on either side opprest,
Can Wit bind Pow'r with her deceiving rates,
Or hatch her Cuckoes in the Eagles nest?
No; Marts and Trades, which natures standards be
Straight find, and break this inequality.

Thus did the Hanse's sometimes Tyrannise
The Northern Princes in their infancy
Of Trade and Commerce, till with time grown wise,
Kings saw how Crowns deceiv'd with homage be;
Which once discern'd, these Contracts won by stealth,
Can never stand to harm a Common-wealth.

Now under Merchant, Miner, Clothier, Plough,
Are all these Arts and Mysteries contain'd,
Which out of each do teach our Princes how
Their pomp in war and peace may be maintain'd;
As in whose Choice, Use, Government, and Measure,
Though Bullion wants, yet States recover Treasure.

All which rich Mines, made for the good of all,
Are yet abus'd by short breath'd wits that will
The price and true encouragements let fail
Of Industry; and excellence in skill;
Hoping through ignorance, deceit, and stealth,
While they loose Art and Credit, to get wealth.

The cure of which contagious disease
Rests only in the pow'r of Government,
That must with real Arts her people raise;
Not'marre her Markets to give fraud a vent,
And can almost as well make flesh and blood,
As Artisans, that shall be true, and good.

For though each vice brings for her occupation,
Wherein Earth yields the matter, Art the Forme,
To make gain infinite by transmutation,
Since Forms redoubled, triple gains return;
It being fatal to refined sin,
By staining manners to bring profit in.

Yet must there be a kind of faith preserv'd
Even in the Commerce of the vanity,
That with true Arts their Markets may be serv'd,
And credit kept to keep them great and free;
Weight, number, measure truly joyn'd in one,
By Trade with all States to enrich our own.

Among which mass of Arts, if one too much
Draw up, then Traffick stands, and Realms grow poor;
Whereas in States well temper'd to be rich,
Arts be the men's, and Men the Princes are;
Form, Matter, Trade, so working every where,
As Goverment may find her riches there.

Then must the supream pow'r, this wakeful spirit
Observe proportion in her industry,
Never her own from traffick, disinherit,
But keep exchange in due equality,
Not bringing home more then she carries forth,
Nor buying toys, with things of Staple worth,

But work her matter with her home-born hands,
And to that use fetch forraign matters too,
Buying for toys the wealth of other Lands,
To gun by all the good or ill they do;
Keep up the Bullion, for it doth entice,
Yet not transport it, for 'tis prejudice.

Wherein wise Princes ought to imitate
The Saracens inriching-industry,
Who AEgypts wealth brought to their barren state,
Enticing vice by far-fetcht vanity;
And for their Ostridge feathers, toys of pride,
Get Staple wealth from all the world beside.

Which as a watch word, shews pow'r may impose,
With less hurt on the Commerce of delight,
For there by dearness, what can credit lose,
Where fancies value is so infinite,
As wealth and reason judge not, but devise
To serve her both with Objects and with Eyes?

Thus the Sabeans heapt up mass of Treasure,
By venting Incense unto every Nation,
Aswel for superstition as for pleasure;
Thus Syria got by Balsam estimation,
And Milions brought by Custom to the Jew;
Wealth kept for him that their State overthrew.

Hence trains the Hollander his little Child,
To work toys for the vanity of us,
And in exchange our Cloth to them we yield;
Wise men and fools, even serve each other thus,
The standard of the whole world being seen
To furnish hers, by carriage out and in.

Now though wise Kings do by advantage play
With other States, by setting Tax on toyes,
Which, if Leagues do permit, they justly may,
As punishment for that vice which destroys;
Of real things yet must they careful be,
Here and abroad to keep them custome free.

Providing Cloth and Food no burthen bear,
Then equally distributing of Trade,
So as no one rule, what we Eat or Wear,
Or any Town the Gulf of all be made;
For though from few wealth soon be had & known,
And still the rich kept servile by their own.

Yet no one City rich, or Exchequer full
Gives States such Credit, Strength or Reputation,
As that foreseeing long breath'd wisdom will,
Which, by a well-disposing of Creation,
Breeds universal wealth, gives all content,
Is both the Mine and Scale of Government.

Admit again the Holland industry
Lay Tax on Victual, spare their Merchandise;
Yet is it not ground for a Monarchy,
To view his own frame with Democrate eyes;
Since Soveraign Pow'r in One, and Many plac't
From divers lights, must divers shadows cast.

Do we not see the fertile soyls decay'd
And Eastern Cities by the Tiranny
Of that great Lord, who his vast wealth allay'd
By bringing all those Cities into three?
Which three prove greedy ill digesting wombs,
Not Treasuries of wealth, but rather Tombs.

And while the forraign Gulfs I thus discribe,
My wish is that I may not seem to stain
Some ore-Swoln City of the Albian-tribe,
Which starving many, smother'd doth remain,
And yet will not be cured of this grief,
By yielding to the neighbor Towns relief.

Moreover, fix and Marshal in such wise
Pow'r Commerce must, of strangers with her own,
As neither may the other Tyrannize,
But live like Twins out of one body grown;
The strangers ships not banisht, nor their ware,
Which double Custome brings, and gages are.

No Monopolies suffered in the Land,
All interpoling practices withstood,
In Merchant Laws, a constant gentle hand
Imposing, parallel'd with letting blood;
The Bullion not enhanced nor embased,
The Forrainers not dandled nor disgraced.

Lastly, she labor must to draw her Marts
Within her Ports, and so the strangers wealth,
Framing such Laws and Rates for forrain parts,
As publick Commerce may be kept in health;
Their Goods as pawns, their Industry as vents
To multiply our Traffick, Shipping, Rents.

Which may be done in any great Estate,
Whose native Riches others do exceed
In real worth, and thereby may give rate
And draw home forrain States by gain or need;
But where this wants, there Treaty must supply,
Farming our neighbors wares to work this by.

So had that Worthy, Great and Maiden Queen,
If she had liv'd, brought home that staple wealth
Of the Muscovian Empire to have been
Conjoyn'd with hers, for either Countreys health;
He selling his here dearer then elsewhere,
She fixing by them both a Staple here,

And when these had been Stapled here together,
The Silks and Riches of all other parts,
Must needs have follow'd these great Standards hither,
With such as live by Commerce or by Arts;
A work already by experience known,
Trade having staid or chang'd with ours alone.

And though the stranger rarely will commit
His ship and ware to Island Princes States,
Yet if he wealth or freedom find with it,
Fear of Imbargo it easily abates;
Since by the present gain, if evil come,
He hath to buy, or bear out heavy doom.

Therefore let Thrones, whose States have seas to friend
Study by Trade to make her Navies great;
As glorious Engines, when they will offend,
Magnificent Theaters when they Treat,
Bridges that will transport, and moving Tow'rs,
To carry in and out Triumphing Pow'rs.

Under which safe, yet moving poliey,
Did Finite Athens make the Infinite
Forces of Xerxes out of Greece to fly;
Lepanto likewise proves the Christians Might
Able by sea to shake the Turkish pow'r,
Where his Land-Armies all the World devour.

England, this little, yet much envy'd Isle,
By spreading Fame and Power many ways.
Admit the World at her Land-Conquests smile,
Yet is her Greatness reverenc'd by seas;
The Ocean being to her both a Wall,
And Engine to revenge her wrongs withall.

To which end Kings must strive to add a spirit
Unto the Mariner, in war and peace,
A Minister of use and double merit,
Train'd without charge, to travel without cease;
Pow'r hath no Nobler, nor yet surer way
Then that by which both save and get they may.

Now though this course of traffick may appear
To multiply strange shipping, not our own,
Yet in the practice all States find it cleer,
That still by traffick Mariners have grown;
As ships by Manufactures multiply,
And where good ships be us'd, Vents cannot dye.

Instance of both the Netherlanders be,
Who have encreast their Shipping with their Marts,
Adding to each by that fair industry
Of manufactures, many forming Arts,
By wealth and concourse of all other nations,
Even in war, grown rich with reputation.

And though of Staple riches they have none,
By nature in their native Countrey bred,
To sway or to induce more then their own,
Yet are they by these Arts established;
Merchant and Mars his well mixt policy
Of all Exchanges grown the Nursery.

Whereby they want no Bullion, Cloth, or Food,
Lut with the Surplus, when need is, supply'd,
Enrich themselves, raise Custome, yet do good
To all their Limbs, amongst whom they divide
Here Law, there Court, here one Trade, there another,
Lest any should engross to hurt their Mother.

Again, Thrones must, by regal providence,
Govern that much us'd unknown mystery,
And costless Model of intelligence;
Exchange the Type of Merchants policy,
Whereby he raiseth or lets fall all things;
And, though inferiour, binds and looseth Kings.

By which large providence of Government,
Both over native, and the forrain wealth,
None shall be over-strain'd or discontent,
But from the heart each Limb receive his health;
The Crown reliev'd without restraint or craving,
By Tributes for our safety, of our saving.

In all which fair particulars recited.
Pow'r shall concurrence and assistance find
From every subject, with self-ends invited,
To improve Arts, Earth, men in every kind,
Making the Harvest great, the Labor small,
By doing all things with the help of all.

Now, if against these Noble Mines of wealth,
Any from forrain strains of Tiranny,
With colour to keep all degrees in health,
Would bind or limit this prosperity,
As nursing pride and luxury in one,
Vices that easily climb up to a Throne;

And out of these false grounds make pow'r conceive
Poverty to be the best end of subjection,
Let him, to judge how much these mists deceive,
First, put himself in poverties protection,
And he shall find all wisdoms that suppress,
Still by misforming, make their own forms less.

For every open heart knows riches be
The safest gages to keep men in peace,
Whose natures cannot rest in misery,
No more then flesh can, till her anguish cease;
So that who over slaves do tyrannize
By choice, are neither truly great nor wise.

Therefore proud Princes ever must propound
That Royal and ingenious design
Of making all men rich, not minute bound,
And to the same end, study to refine
Nurseries for Traffick, Mysteries and Art,
To furnish equal wealth in every part,

For poor then, tell me, how can Scepters be
When all their Subjects shall in wealth abound?
Or how, not great in Fame and Majesty
When strangers help to frame our traffick sound?
And so make people strengths unto their King,
Who, without these moulds, charge and danger bring.

Besides, severely here may Laws proceed
Against the drone, the vagrant, or the thief,
Where occupations doe supply mens need,
And labor give each family relief;
Lastly, how can mens spirits mutiny here,
Where each mans private, to himself is deer?