englands vvay to vvin vvealth, and to employ ships and marriners: or, a plaine description of what great profite, it will bring vnto the common-wealth of england, by the erecting, building, and aduenturing of busses, to sea, a fishing with a true relation of the inestimable wealth that is yearely taken out of his maiesties seas, by the hollanders, by their great numbers of busses, pinkes, and line-boates: and also a discourse of the sea-coast townes of england, and the most fit and commodious places, and harbours that wee haue for busses, and of the small number of our fishermen, and also the true valuation, and whole charge, of building, and furnishing, to sea, busses, and pinks, after the holland manner. by tobias gentleman, fisherman and marriner. gentleman, tobias. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) englands vvay to vvin vvealth, and to employ ships and marriners: or, a plaine description of what great profite, it will bring vnto the common-wealth of england, by the erecting, building, and aduenturing of busses, to sea, a fishing with a true relation of the inestimable wealth that is yearely taken out of his maiesties seas, by the hollanders, by their great numbers of busses, pinkes, and line-boates: and also a discourse of the sea-coast townes of england, and the most fit and commodious places, and harbours that wee haue for busses, and of the small number of our fishermen, and also the true valuation, and whole charge, of building, and furnishing, to sea, busses, and pinks, after the holland manner. by tobias gentleman, fisherman and marriner. gentleman, tobias. united provinces of the netherlands. staten generaal. proceedings. ?- - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed [by nicholas okes] for nathaniel butter, london : . printer's name from stc. 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readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng fisheries -- great britain -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jennifer kietzman sampled and proofread - jennifer kietzman text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion englands vvay to vvin wealth , and to employ ships and marriners : or , a plaine description what great profite , it will bring vnto the common-wealth of england , by the erecting , building , and aduenturing of busses , to sea , a fishing . with a true relation of the inestimable wealth that is yearely taken out of his maiesties seas , by the hollanders , by their great numbers of busses , pinkes , and line-boates : and also a discourse of the sea-coast townes of england , and the most fit and commodious places , and harbours that wee haue for busses , and of the small number of our fishermen , and also the true valuation , and whole charge , of building , and furnishing , to sea , busses , and pinks , after the holland manner . by tobias gentleman , fisherman and marriner . london printed for nathaniel butter . . to the right noble , learned , and trvely honorable , henry , lord howard , earle of northhampton , baron of marnhill , constable of the castle of douer , lord warden , chancellour and admirall of the cinque ports , lord priuy seale , knight of the most noble order of the ●arter , and one of his maiesties most honourable priuy councell . right honovrable , seeing that by nature our country challengeth a greater interest in vs , then our parents , friends , or children can , and that we ought for preseruation thereof , oppose our liues vnto the greatest dangers : it is the part of euery natiue to endeauor something to the aduancement and profite thereof , and not to affect ●t , for that wee possesse in it , but to loue it for it selfe , as being the common mother and nourisher of vs all . for mine owne part , albeit my short fadome can compasse no such great designe as i desire , yet from a willing minde ( as hee that offerd his hands full of water to great artaxerxes ) i am bold to present this project of my honest and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; beseeching your l. whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truely enobled you , to take the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your protection : and prefer it to the 〈◊〉 of our most royall soueraigne , recommending the good effecting thereof to his gracious fauor and ●rtherance . doubtlesse : your ●tions and endeauours hauing all bene full of virtue and goodnesse , are not the least preuailing motiues whereby his maiesty hath so endeered you vnto him . in this then you shall not thinke your selfe disparaged , the matter being both honest and commendable , and in true valew of as great substance , as the offer of sebastian cabota , to king henry the seuenth , for the discouery of the west indies . humbly at your lordships commandement , tobias gentleman . englands way to win wealth , and to im ploy ships and marriners ▪ noble brittaines , for as much as it hath pleased the almighty god to make vs a happy nation , by blessing and enriching this noble kingdome with the sweete dew of his heauenly word , truely and plentifully preached amongst vs ; and also in cytuating our country in a most 〈◊〉 clymate , & stored with many rich & 〈◊〉 treasures for our 〈◊〉 , which also yeeldeth in aboundance all things necessary , ●o that wee doe not onely excel other nations in strength & courage , but also a● other kingdomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are by our english 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & cherished . it seemeth 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of ●ur gracious god , hath 〈◊〉 vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gemme vnto himse● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 country with the plenteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 of vs frō the whole continent 〈◊〉 the rest of the inferiour world , by our rich and commodious element of water , which in due seasons yeeldeth to vs in aboundance . for altho●gh o●r champion soile , by the 〈◊〉 of the husbandman , be plentifull vnto vs : yet doth these watry regions and dominions yeeld yearely , great variety of all kind of most whole●ome and 〈◊〉 fishes : so that it may seeme 〈◊〉 and ●table , and hard to determine , 〈◊〉 of his maiesties dominions of the land or seas , bee richest . my selfe being the most 〈◊〉 of all , in that i am no sholler , but borne a fishermans sonne by the sea-side , and spending my youthfull time at sea about ●isher affaires , whereby now i am more skilfull in nets , lines , and hookes , then in rethoricke , logicke , or learned bookes : yet in those fewe which i haue read , besides the instinct of nature , which maketh me to know that euery one should endeuour himselfe the best he is able to be beneficiall & profitable to the kingdome & common-wealth wherein hee is borne , which was a forceable motiue to incite me to thinke of this present discourse , the penning whereof was thus occasioned . it was my fortune , some two yeares past , to bee sent for into the company of one maister iohn ke●mar , who is a man very well deseruing of his country , and hee knowing me to haue experience in fisher affaires , demanded of me the charge both of busses and line-boates , after the hollanders fashion , and shewed vnto mee some few notes that hee had gathered and gotten from other men of my trade , which hee seemed greatly to esteeme of : for that himselfe was altogether vnexperimented in such businesse , and further , i deliuered to him certaine principall notes which hee seemed greatly to esteeme ; for that hee said that hee did mind to shew them vnto the right honourable counsell , whereupon i entred into the cogitation of writing this true relation out of my owne experience and knowledge , touching the inestimable summes of money taken yearely for fish and herrings out of his maiesties seas by strangers , whereby they haue not onely maintained their warres many yeares against the spaniard , both by land & sea , he being one of the great monarkes of the world , and at length , they haue not onely wearied him in the wars , and brought him to good termes & reasonable composition ; but also it is most apparant not withstanding the huge charge of their warres so long continued , which would haue made any other nation poore and beggarly , they to the contrary are growne exceeding rich and strong in fortified townes and beautifull buildings , in pl●ty of money and gold , in trade and trafficke with all other nations , and haue so increased and multiplied their shipping and marriners , that all other nations and countries in the world doe admire them . moreouer , whereas one hauen in one of their townes did in former times containe their ships and shipping with infinite cost , now they haue cut out two hauens more to a towne , and at this present , are all three hauens scarce sufficient with roome enough to containe their ships and shipping , and by reason of their industrious fisher-trade , not one of their people are idle , nor none seene to begge amongst them , except they bee some of our owne english nation . and what their chiefest tr●de is , or their principall gold-mine , is well knowne to all merchants that haue vsed those parts , and to my selfe and all fishermen ; namely that his ma●ies seas is their chie●st , principall , and onely rich treasury , whereby they 〈◊〉 so long time maintained their warres , and haue so greatly prospered , and enriched themselues . if that their little countrey of the vnited prouinces can doe this , as it is most manifest before our eyes they do , then what may we his maiesties subiects doe , if this trade of fishing were once erected among vs , wee hauing in our 〈◊〉 coun●ies sufficient store of all necessaries to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . for the hollanders haue nothing growing in their owne land for that bu●esse , but they are compelled to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their wood ▪ tymber , and planke , wherwith they build , & make all their ships of , out of diuers countries , and their iron out of other 〈◊〉 ▪ their 〈◊〉 & cordig● out of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ their hoopes and barrell-boords out of norway & sprucia , their bread-corne out of poland , & east parts , their mault , 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 d●inke from england , & also all their fish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we●lth out of his maiesties s●s . the which they doe transport vnto the foresaid 〈◊〉 , & 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 , the 〈◊〉 commodities , whereby their ships and marriners are set on worke , and continually multiplied , and into their countries is plentifull store of money and gold daily brought , onely for the sailes of fish and herrings . and their countrey being , as it were , a small plot of ground in comparison of great brittaine , for two of his maiesties counties , suffolke and norfolke , do equall , if not exceed , in spaciousness ▪ all their prouinces , & yet it is mani●t , that for shipping and 〈◊〉 ●ring men , all england , scotland , france and 〈◊〉 , ●or quantity of shipping and fisher men cannot make so great a number . howsoeuer this may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto many that doe not know it ; yet doe i assure my selfe , that a great number besides my selfe know i 〈◊〉 nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 . wherefore seeing the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busines by the busses , 〈◊〉 , or ●ships , by 〈◊〉 of this profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trade , which will bring plen● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●iesties 〈◊〉 , and be 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 good of the common-wealth , in setting of many thousands of poore people on wor● , 〈◊〉 now 〈◊〉 not how to 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the increasing of shippes and 〈◊〉 - men , which shall bee imployed about the taking of fish & 〈◊〉 out of his 〈◊〉 own 〈◊〉 , as also ●or the imploying of ships , and 〈◊〉 of m●riners , for the 〈◊〉 o● 〈◊〉 kingdome ag●inst all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and for the enriching of merchants with transportation of fish and herrings into other countries ; and also for the bringing in of gold , and money , which now is growne but scarce , by reason that the dutch and hollanders haue so long time beene suffered to carry away our money and best gold for fish and herrings , taken out of his maiesties owne streames , which his maiesties owne subiects do want ( and still are like to doe ) if that they bee not forbidden for bringing vs of fish and herrings : and this worthy common-wealthes businesse of busses fostered and furthered by his maiesties honorable councell , and the worshipfull and wealthy subiects , by putting too of their helping aduentures now at the first : for that those that bee now the fisher-men , of themselues , be not able to beginne . those poore boates and sorry nets that our ●ishermen of england now haue , are all their chiefest wealthes , but were their ability better , they would soone be imploying themselues : for that it is certaine that all the fisher-men of england do reioyce now at the very name and newes of building of busses , with a most ioyfull applaud , praying to god to further it for : what great profite and pleasure it will b●ing they doe well vnderstand , and i will hereafter declare . first , i shall not neede to proue that it is lawfull for vs that bee his maiesties owne subiects to take with all dilligence the blessings that almighty god doe yeerely send vnto vs at their due times and seasons , and which doe offer themselues freely and aboundantly to vs , in our owne seas and nigh our owne sho●s . s●ondly , to proue that it is feacible for vs : for what can bee more plaine then that we see daily done before our eyes by the hollanders , that haue nothing that they vse growing in their owne land , but are constrained to fetch all out of other countries ; whereas we haue all things that shall bee vsed about that businesse growing at home in our owne land , pitch and tarre onely excepted . thirdly , to proue it will bee profitable , no man need ●o doubt , for that we 〈◊〉 the hollanders haue long 〈◊〉 their warres , and are neuerthelesse growne exceeding ●ich , which are things to be admited , in so much that themselues do call it , their chiefest trade , and principall gold-mine , whereby many thousands of their people of trades and occupations , bee set on worke , well maintained , and do prosper . these be the hollanders owne words in a dutch proclamation , and translated into english , and the coppy of that proclamation is her● annexed vnto the end of my booke . and shall wee neglect so great blessings : o slothfull england and carelesse countrimen , looke but on these fellowes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 call the plumpe hollanders , be hold their dilligence in fishing , and our owne carelesse negligence . in the midst of the month of may doth the industrious hollanders beginne to make ready their bu●es and fisher fleetes , and by the first of their iune , are they yeerly ready , and s●ne to saile out of the 〈◊〉 , the 〈◊〉 , and the vly , a thousand 〈◊〉 together for to catch 〈◊〉 in the north seas . sixe hundred of these fisher-ships , and more , bee great bu●s some sixe score tunnes , most of them 〈◊〉 a hundredth tunnes and the rest three score and fifty tunnes , the biggest of them hauing foure and twenty men , some twenty men , and some eighteene and sixteene men a peece , so that their cannot bee in this fleete of people no lesse then twenty thousand sailors . these hauing with them bread , butter , and holland-cheese , for their prouision , do daily ly get their other diet out of his maiesties seas , besides the lading of this fleete three times a p●ce , commonly before s. andrew with herrings , which being sold by them , but at the rate of ten pound the last , fl●te vnto much more then the summe of one million of pounds sterling onely by this fleete of busses yearely : no king vpon the earth did yet euer see such a fleete of his owne subiects at any time , and yet this fleete is there , and then , yearely to bee seene : a most worthy sight it were , if they were my owne country-men , yet haue i taken pleasure in being amongst them , to behold the neatnesse of their ships and fisher-men , how euery man knoweth his owneplace , and all labouring merily together , whereby the poorest sort of themselues , their wiues , and children be well maintained , & no want seene amongst thē . and thus north-west and by north hence along they steere , then being the very heart of summer , and the very yoalke of all the yeare , sayiing vntill they do come vnto the i le of shotland , which is his maiesties dominions , and with these gallant fleete of busses , there haue bene seene twenty , thirty , and forty ships of warre to waft and gaurd them from being pillaged and taken by their enemies , and dun● kars : but now the warres be ended , they do saue that great charge , for they haue not now aboue foure or sixe to looke vnto them for being spoyled by rouers and pirates . now if that it happen that they haue so good a winde to be at shotland before the . day of their iune as most commonly they haue , then do they put all into shotland , nigh swinbornehead , into a sownd called braceies sownd , and there they frolicke it on land , vntill that they haue sucked out all the marrow of the mault , and good scotsh-ale , which is the best liquor that the iland doth affoord : but the . day of iune being once come , then away all of them go , for that is the first day , by their owne law , before which time they must not lay a net , for vntill then the herrings be not in season , nor fit to be taken to be salted . from this place , being nigh two hundred leagues from yermouth , do they now first begin to fish , & they do neuer leaue the skoales of herrings , but come along amongst them , following the herrings as they do come , fiue hundred miles in length , and lading their ships twice or thrice , before they come to yermouth , with the principall and best herrings , and sending them away by the marchant ships that cōmeth vnto them , that bringeth them victuals , barrels , and more salt , and nets if that they do need any , the which ships that buyeth their herrings , they do call herring-yagers , and these yagers carry them & ●ell them in the east countries , some to reuell , and to rie , and some so far as the narue , and russey , stockhollume in sweathen , quinsbrough , danske and eluinge , and all poland , sprucia , and pomerland , letto , burnt-hollume , stateen , lubicke and youtland , and denmarke . returning hemp , flax , cordige , cables , and iron , corne , sope-ashes , wax , weinskot , clapholt , pitch , tarre , mastes , and spruce-deales , & hoopes , and barrel-boords , & plenty of siluer and gold onely for their procedue of herrings . now besides this great fleete of the busses the hollanders haue a huge number more of smaller burthen onely for to take herrings also , and these be of the burthen , from fifty tunnes vnto thirty tunnes , and twenty tunnes ; the greatest of them hauing twelue men a peece , and the smallest eight and nine men a peece , and these are vessels of diuers fashions , and not like vnto the busses , yet go they onely for herrings in the season , and they bee called some of them , sword-pinks , flat-bottomes , holland-toads , crabskuits , and yeuers , and all these , or the most part doe goe to shot-land , but these haue no yagers come vnto them but they go themselues home when they be laden , or else vnto the best market : there haue bene seene and numbred of busses , and these , in braces sound , and going out to sea , and at sea in sight , at one time , two thousand sailes besides them that were at sea without sight , which could not be numbred . it is bartholmew-tide yearely before that they be come from shotland , with the herrings so high as yermouth , and all those herrings that they doe catch in yermouth seas ●rom bartholmew-tide vntill s. andrew the worst that be the roope-sicke herrings that will not serue to make barreld herrings by their owne law , they must not bring home into holland , wherefore they doe sell them for ready money , or gold , vnto the yermouth-men , that be no fisher-men but merchants and ingrosers of great quantities of herrings , if that by any meanes they can get them , so that the hollanders be very welcome guests vnto the yermothian herring-buyers , and the hollanders doe call them their hostes , and they doe yearely carry away from yermouth many a thousand pound , as it is wel known but ; these hollanders with their ladings of the best , which they make their best brand herrings to serue for lenton store , they send some for burdeaux , some for r●chell , nantes , morliax , and s. mallaus , cane in normandy , roan , paris , ameance , and all pickardy , and callice , and they doe returne from these places , wines , salt , fethers , rossin , woad , normandy canuise , and dowlas cloth , and money , and french crownes , but out of all the arch-dukes countries they returne nothing from thence but ready mony , in my owne knowledge , and their ready payment was all double iacobuses , english twenty shilling peeces . i haue seene more there in one day : then euer i did in london at any time , for at ostend , newport , and dunkirke , where and when the holland pinks commeth in , there daily the merchants , that be but women , but not such women as the fish-wiues of billinsgare , for these netherland women do lade away many waggons with fresh fish daily , some for bridges , and some for brussels , iper , dixmew , and rissels , and at sasse , by gant. i haue seene these women merchants haue had their apornes full of nothing but english iacobuses , to make all their payment of , and such heapes and budget-fuls in the counting-houses of the fish-brokers , which made me much to wonder how they should come by them ; and also i know that capons are not so deerely sold by the poulters in gratious streete in london , as fresh fish is sold by the hollanders , in all those romaine catholicke , and papisticall countries . and whereas i haue made but a true relation of their fleetes of busses , and onely the herring-fishermen that be on his maiesties seas from iune vntill nouember , i will here also set downe the fishermen that all the yeare long , in the seasons , do fish for cod and linges continually , going and returning laden with barreld fish . and these be pinks and wel-boats of the burthen of fourty tunnes , and the smallest thirty tunnes , and these haue some twelue men a peece , one with another , and their is of this sort of fisher-boates , beginning at vlushing , camefere , surwick-sea , the mase , the tessell , & the fly , and the other sandy ilands , about fiue hundred or sixe hundred saile , which all the yeare long are fishing for cod , whereof they do make their barreld fish , which they do transport in summer into the east parts , but in winter all france is serued by them , and all the archdukes countries before spoken of , both of barreld fish , and fresh fish , which they of purpose do keepe aliue in their boates in wells ; and to vs heere in england for loue of our strong beare , they bring vs barreld fish in winter , and carry away our money and gold euery day in great quantities . besides all these pinks and wel boats , the hollanders haue continually in the season , an other fleete of fisher-man , at the north-east head of shotland which be of an other quality , and there is more then two hundred of these , and these be called fly-boats , and these do ride at ankor all the season at shotland , in the fishing grounds , and they haue small boats within them which be like vnto cobles , the which they do put out to lay & hale their lines & hookes , whereby they do take great store of lings , the which they do not barrell , but splet them and salt them in the ships bulke , and these they fell commonly for foure and fiue pounds the hundreth , and these go by the name of holland-lings , but they are taken out of his m●iesties seas , and were shotland lings before they tooke them there , and for these lings they do carry away aboundance of englands best money daily . now hauing declared according vnto truth , the numbers of their fishermen of holland , for 〈◊〉 vpon his maiesties seas , and also of their pinks , and wel-boates , and their courses for taking , and venting and selling of their barreld fish , and fresh-fish and also of their flie-boates at the north-east head of shotland , for shotland-lings : i thinke it now best , truely to shew the true number of our english fishermen , and how they do imploy themselues all the yeare long , first beginning at colchester nigh the mouth of the theames and so proceed northward . i can scarce affoord these men of that water the name of fishermen , for that their chiefest trade is dreggin of oisters ; yet haue they in the summer some eight or ten boates in the north-seas for cods , which if that they happen to spend all their salt , and to speed well , they may get some twenty pound in a summer cleere : but heere by the way , i will make knowne a great abuse that is offered to the common-wealth , and especially to all the herring fishermen of england , onely by those men of colchester water . for these men from s. andrew vntill candlemas , & some times longer , do set forth stale-boates , amongst the sands , in the theames mouth , for to take sprats , with great stale-nets , with a great poake , and they standing in the swinn● or the kings channell on the backe of the gunfleate , they do there take in steed of sprats , infinite thousands of yong herrings , smaller then sprats , and not good to be eaten , for one sprat is better worth then twenty of those bleakes , or yong herrings , but because they do fill the bushell at billingsgate where they do sell them for sprats , the which , if that they were let liue , would all be at midsummer a fat summer full he●ring , and a pecke is sometime there sold for . pence which number of herrings at midsummer , would make a barrell of summerherrings , worth . or . shillings . if that rhey could take the sprats it were good , for they be good victuals for the citty , but for euery cart-load or bushell of sprats , they take a hundred cart-loads , or bushels of these yong herrings , which be the very spawnes of the skoales of the herrings that commeth from shotland euery summer , and when as they come into yermouth seas yearely about s. luke , and sometimes before , if that it do blow a hard easterly wind , do alwaies at that season become roope-sicke and do spawne and become shotten betwixt wintertonnesse , and o●fordnesse , and those frey of that spawne , those yong little creatures , by the wisedome of the great creator , seeketh into the shoare , and shallow places , there to be norished , and also into the theames mouth into the sweetest waters ; for that the water nigh the shoare , and in the theames mouth is not so brine salt , as it is farther of into the deepe water , where these bleakes yearely seeking to be nourished , they be alway at that season taken and destroyed : but if that these men will needs vse their stale-boates and nets , let them go where the good sprats be , they must then stand at orfordnesse , and in donwich-bay , where there be cellent sprats , and for the good of all the herring-fishermen of england , i wish that they might be prohibited to sell that which is not wholesome to be eaten , which is as much as to sell hemlocks for perseneps . the next to colchester , is harwich water , a royall harbour , and a propper towne , fit for the vse of busses , no place in all holland comparable , for their is both land and strand and dry beach enough for foure hundreth saile , but the chiefest trade of the inhabitants of this place , is with caruiles for new-castle coales , but they haue three or foure ships yearely that they do send to isle-land for cod and lings , from march vntill september , and some yeares they get , and some times loose , but if that they had but once the trade of busses , this would soone be a fine place . but those caruiles and ships which they now haue be all their chiefest wealth . sixe miles vp harwich water stands ipswich , which is a gallant towne , and rich ; this towne is such a place for the busses , as in all england and holland i know no place so conuenient : first it is the best place in all england for the building of busses , both for the plenty of timber and planke , and excellent workemen for making of ships , there is more there , then there is in sixe of the best townes in all england : secondly , it is a principall place for good huswiues , for spinning of yarne , for the making of pouldauice , for there is the best that is made : which towne with the vse of making of twine , will soone be the best place of all england for to prouide nets for the busses . it is also a most conuenient place for the wintering of the busses , for that all the shoares of that riuer is altgether oose and soft ground , fit for them to lye on in winter . also the lpswich men be the chiefest marchant aduenturers of all england for all the east-lands , for the suffolke cloathes : and they haue their factors lying all the yeare long in all those places where the hollanders do vent their herrings , and where the best price and saile is continually . and although that yet there bee no fisher-men , yet haue they store of sea-faring men , and for maisters for the busses they may haue enow from yermouth and sowld and the sea coast townes downe their riuer , from nacton , and chimton , holbroke , shotly , and cowlnes , they may get men that will soone be good fishermen with but a little vse , for vnderstand thus much , that there is a kind of emulation in holland betweene the fishermen that goeth to sea in pinks and line-boats , winter and summer , and those fishermen that goeth in the busses , for they in the pinkes make a skorne of them in the busses , & do call them koe-milkens , or cow-milkers , for in deed the most part of them be men of occupations in winter , or else country-men , and do milke the cowes themselues , and make all the holland cheese , when they be at home . this place is also most conuenient for the erecting of salt-pans , for the making of salt vpon salt , for that the harbour is so good that at all times ships may come vnto them with salt from mayo , or spanish salt to make the brine or pickell , and also the caruiles from new-castle with coales , for the boyling of it at the cheapest rates at any time , may come thither . to the north-east of this place , three or foure leagues is orford-hauen , and the townes of orford and alborough especially , be many good fishermen , and there is belonging to those townes some forty or fifty north sea boates , that yeerely goeth to sea , hauing seuen men a peece , and ten or twelue island barkes , which sometimes get something , and sometime little or nothing ; if that these mens wealth were in busses and nets , and had but once the trade , they would put downe the hollander , for they be great plyers of any voiage that they do vndertake . about three leagues to the northward is sowld-hauen , and in the townes of sowld , donwich , and walderswicke be a very good breed of fishermen , and there is belonging vnto those three townes , of north-sea boates some . saile , and of island barkes some fifty saile , which yearely they send for god and lings to island : this towne of sowld , of a sea coast towne , is the most beneficiall vnto his maiesty of all the townes in england , by reason all their trade is vnto island for lings , and his maiesties seriant cater hath yearely gratis , out of euery ship and barke , one hundreth of the choysest and fairest lings , which be worth more then ten pound the hundred , and they call them composition fish : but these men of this place , are greatly hindred , and in a manner vndone , by reason of their hauen is so bad , and in a manner often stopped vp with beach and chingle-stone , that the winde and the ●ide and the sea do beate thether , so that many time , in the season , when they be ready to go to sea , they can not get out when time is to go to sea , neither can they get in when they returne from sea , but oftentimes do 〈◊〉 away their goods and themselues : this hauen if that it had but a south peire built of timber , would be a far better h●uen then yermouth ha●n , with one quarter of the cost that hath bene bestowed on yermouth hauen , they be now suiters vnto his maiestie , god grant they may speed , for it is pittifull the trouble and damage , that all the men of these three townes do daily sustaine by their naughty harbour . to the north-ward of sowld-hauen , three leagues is kirkley and layestof decayed townes , they haue sixe or seuen north-sea boates , but them of layestof make benefite yearely of buying of herrings of the hollanders , for likewise these hollanders be hosted with the layestof men , as they be with the yermothians . to the north-ward . leagues is the towne of great yermouth , very beautifully builded , vpon a very pleasant and sandy plaine of three mile in length , this towne is a place of great resort of all the herring fishermen of england , for thether do resortall the fishermen of the cinque ports , and all the rest of the west countrimen of england , as far as burport and l●ne in dorcetshire , and those herrings that they do take they do not barrell , because their boates be but small things , but they sell all vnto the yermouth herring-buyers for ready mony , and also the fishermen of the north-countries beyond scarborough and robin-hoods bay and some as far as the bishopricke of durham do thether resort yearely , in poore little boates called fiue men cobbles , & all the herrings that they do take they do sell fresh vnto the yermouth-men to make red herrings . also to yermouth doth daily come in to the hauen , vp to the key , all or the most part of the great fleet of hollanders , which before i made relation of , that go in the swoard-pinks , holland-toads , crabskuits , walnut-shels , and great and small yeuers , . and . saile at one time together , and all their herings that they do bring in , they do sell them all for readdy mony to the yermouth men : and also the french men of pickardy * some hundred saile of them at a time do come thither , and all , the herrings they catch they sell fresh vnto these herring-mongers of yermouth for ready gold ; so that it amonnteth vnto a great sum of mony , that the hollanders & frenchmē do cary away , from yermouth , yearely , into holland and france , which mony doth neuer come againe into england : this towne is very well gouerned by wise and ciuell magistrates , and good orders carefully obserued for the mainetenance of their hauen and corporation , and this towne , by reason of the cituation , and the frech riuers that belongeth to it : one vp to the citty of norwich , and another that runneth far vp into suffolke , a butter and cheese country , about b●nga and betkels ; and a third that runneth far vp into ●legg , a corne country , by reason whereof this towne of yermouth is alwaies well serued with all kind of prouision at all times plentifully , at good and cheape rates , whereby they of the towne do relieue the strangers , and also do benefite themselues : to this towne belongeth some twenty island barkes , which yearely they do send for cods and lings , and some hundreth and fifty saile of north-sea boates , they make a shift to liue , but if that they had the vse of busses , and also barreld fish , they would excell all england and holland , for they be the onely fishermen for north-seas , and also the best for the handling of their fish that be in all this land . the herring buyer of yermouth doth pro●ite more then doth the fishermen of yermouth , by reason of the resort of the hollanders , for that they are suffered to sell all their roope-sicke herrings at yermouth , to the merchants there , and also the barreld fish that the flemmings do bring in winter to london , do also gale them , but for that our fishermen may , if they please , make barreld fish themselues , and therefore i will not mone them . the merchant herring-buyer of yermouth that hath a stocke of his owne , so long as hee can make his gaines so certaine with buying of roope-sicke herrings of the hollanders , will neuer lay out his mony to build or set forth busses , and the fisher-men be now so poore , by reason that they onely do beare the whole charge of that costly hauen ; the merchant herring-buyers being not at any charge thereof , but all that great cost commeth out of the fishermens labours , for the maintenance of that wodden hauen , which amounteth to some fiue hundred pound a yeare , and some yeares more : so that though they be willing , yet there ability will not suffer them to do it , ●either can they forbeare their mony for to aduenture their ●gs into the east countries where the best sailes alwaies be . to the north ▪ wards of yermonth eight leagues , are the townes of blakney and wels , good harbours and 〈◊〉 for busses , and they haue good store of fishermen , and these townes haue some twenty saile of barkes , that they do ye●ely send vnto island ; but these townes be greatly deca●ed , to that they haue bene in the times passed , the which places , if that they had but . busses belonging to them , would soone grow rich townes in short time . then is there lin a propper gallant towne ▪ for sea-faring men , and for men for island ; this is a rich towne , and they haue some twenty saile of island ships , that they yearely send for cods and lings , and i am in hope to see them fall to the vse of busses as soone as any men . to the northward is boston , a propper towne , and like vnto holland soyle for low grounds and sands comming in , but yet there is but few fishermen , but it is a most fit place for busses , if that they had but once the taste of them they would soone finde good liking . next to 〈◊〉 some . leagues to the northward , is the great riuer of humber , wherein there is hull , a very proper towne of saylors and shipping , but there be but few fishermen but it is a most conuenient place for to aduenture busses . there is also grimsbey , paul , and pat●ington : in all these places now there is great store of poore and idle people , that know not how to liue , and the most of all these places be decayed , and the best of them all grow worse and worse , which with the vse of busses would soone grow rich merchant-townes as is in holland , for 〈◊〉 these places would be transported out of the east-lands all manner of commodities , for the vse of busses , and houses , and worke-yards erected for coopers , and rope-makers , & great numbers of ne●akers , and with the recourse of the ships that shall bring salt and other commodities , & ships that shall lade away their herrings and fish , these places will soone become populous , and mony stirring plentifull in these places returned for the procedue of fish and herrings which places now bee exceeding poore and beggarly . in all these fisher townes that i haue before named , as colchester , harwith , orford , alborough , donwich , wa●derswicke , sowld , yermouth , blackney , wels , lin , boston , and hul : these be all the chiefest townes , and all that vseth the north-seas in summer and all these townes it is well knowne be ●inated . in all these townes i know to be o — o island barkes , and o — o north-sea boates , and all these fishermen hauing o — o men a peece , amounteth to the summe of o — o. but admit that there is in all the west country of england of fisher-boats , tag and rag , that bringeth home all fresh fish , which seldome or neuer vseth any salt : say that they haue o — o men a peece , which make the summe of o — o in all england ; but in all these i haue not reckoned the fishermen , mackrel-catchers , nor the cobble-men of the north-country , which hauing o — o men a peece , commeth to so ●ny men in all england . but so many in all england , and i haue truely shewed before , that the hollander hath in one fleete of busses twenty thousand fishermen , besides all them that goeth in the sword pinks , flat ▪ bottomes , carbl kuits , walnut-shels , and great yeuers , wherein there is not lesse then . more , and all these are onely for to catch herrings in the north seas . besides all them that goeth in the flye-boates , for shotland lings , and the pinks for barreld fish , and trammell boates , which commeth vnto . more . so that it is most true , that as they haue the summe of o — o fishermen more then their is in all this land : and by reason of there busses , and pinks , and fishermen that set their merchant ships on worke , as that they haue 〈◊〉 fishermen more then we haue , so haue they o — o and o — o ships & marriners more then we . now in our summe of o — o fishermen , let vs see what vent haue we for our fish into other countries , and what commodites and coine is brought into this kingdome , and what ships are set on worke by them , whereby marriners are bred , or imployed , not one : it's pittifull . for when our fishermen commeth home , the first voyage ●rom the north-seas , they goe either to london , ipswich , yermouth , lin , hull , or scarbrough , and there they do sell at good ●ates , the first voyage , but the second voyage , because that they which be now the fishermen haue not yet the right vse of making of barreld fish wherewith they might serue france , as doth the hollanders , they be now constrained to sell in england , for that it is staple fish , and not being barreld the french will not buy it . but if that our fishermen had but once the vse of pinks and line-boats , and barreld fish , then they might serue france as well as the hollanders , which by this new trade of busses being once erected , and pinks , and line-boats , after the holland manner , there will be fishermen ●now to manage the pinks for barreld fish , from nouember vnto the beginning of may , onely the most part of those men that shall be maintained by the busses , for that when the busses do leaue worke , in the winter their men shall haue employment , by the pinks , for barreld fish , which men , now , do little or nothing , for this last winter at yermouth , there was three hundreth idle men that could get nothing to do , liuing very poore for lacke of imployment , which most gladly would haue gone to sea in pinks , if there had bene any for them to go in . and whereas i before said , that there was not one ship set on work by our fishermen , there may be obiected against me this . that there doth euery yeare commonly lade at yermouth . or . london ships for the streights , which is sometimes true , & the yermouth men themselues do yearely send . or . ships to bourdeaux , and . or . boates laden with herrings to roan , or to nance , or s. mallaus , whereby there is returned , salt , wines , normandy canuice , whereby the king hath some custome , but there is no mony returned into england for these herrings , which cost the yermothians ready gold before that they had them of the hollanders , and frenchmen , to lade these ships , and therefore i may boldly say not one . and this last yeare , now , the hollanders themselues haue also gotten that trade , for there did lade twelue sailes of holland ships with red herrings at yermo● , for 〈◊〉 , ligorne , genoa , and marsellis , and 〈◊〉 , most of them being laden by the english merchants , so that if this be suffered , the english owners of ships shall haue but small imployment for theirs . now to shew truely , what the whole charge of a busse will be , with all her furniture , as masts , sailes , ankors , 〈◊〉 , and with all her fishers implements , and 〈◊〉 , at the first prouided all new , is a great charge , she being betweene . or . last , will 〈◊〉 some fiue hundred pound . by the grace of god the ship or busse will continue twenty yeare with small cost and reparations , but the yearely slite and weare of her tackell , and war-ropes , and ne●s will cost some eighty pounds . and the whole charge for the keeping of her at sea for the whole summer , or three voiages , for the filling of a hundred last of caske , or barrels . . last of barrels — . a huudreth last of barrels , filled and sold at . pounds the last commeth to one thousand pound . for salt . months — .   beere . moneths — .   for bread . months — .   baken and butter — .   for pease . months — .   for billet . months — . herrings . li. for mens wages . m. . the whole charge . — — — — — — . gotten . . heere plainly appeareth that there is gotten . pounds 〈◊〉 one summer , whereout if that you do deduct one hundreth pounds for the weare of the ship , and the reparations of her nets against the next summer , yet still there is . pounds remaining for cleare gaines , by one busse , in one yeare . the hollanders do make the profite of their busses so certaine , that they do lay out their owne childrens mony , giuen them by their deceased friends in aduenturing in the busses , and also there is in holland a treasury for orphants , opened and layd out in aduenturing in the busses . the hollanders do make both a profitable , and a pleasant trade of this summer fishing , for there was one of them , that hauing a gallant great new busse of his owne , and he hauing a daughter married vnto one which was his mate in the bu●e , and the owner that was maister of this busse did take his wife with him aboord , and his mate his wife , and so they did set saile for the north ▪ seas , with the two women with them , the mother and the daughter , where hauing a faire wind , and being fishing in the north-seas , they had soone filled their busse with herrings , and a herring yager commeth vnto them , and brings them gold and fresh supplies , and copeth with them , and taketh in their herrings for ready mony and deliuereth them more barrels and salt , and away goeth the yager for the first market into sprucia , and still is the busse fishing at sea , & soone after againe , was full laden , and boone home , but then another yager commeth vnto him as did the former , & deliuering them more prouision of barrels and salt , and ready mony and bid them fare-well , and still lyeth at sea with the mother and daughter so long and not very long , before they had againe all their barrels full , and then they sailed home into ▪ holland , with the two women , and the busse laden with herrings , and a thousand pounds of ready mony . if that any man ●hould make any question of the truth of this , it will be v●ry credibly approued by diuerse of good credite that be now in the citty of london . now to shew the charge of a pinke of eighteene or tweene last , the pinke being builded new , and all things new vnto her , will not cost two hundred and sixty pounds , with all her lines , hookes , and all her fisher appurrenances . and . last of barrels will cost — — . fiue weyes of salt vpon salt — — . for beere and caske — — — . for bread — — — — — . for butter — — — — — . for the petty tally — — — — . for mens wages for mo . m. & all toge : ▪ .   — — —   . fifteene last of barreld fish at . pound , and . shillings the last , which is but . shillings the barrell amounteth vnto two hundreth and sixteene pounds , whereout if that you do deduct fifty and seuen pounds , for the charge of setting her to sea , their is still resting one hundreth fifty and eight pounds cleere gaines , by one pinke , with fifteene last of fish for two months . wherefore , seeing the profite so plainely , and by the grace of god so certaine , both by the busses and line-boates , whereby the hollanders haue so long gained by , let all noble worshipsull , and wealthy subiects , put too their aduenturing and helping hands , for the speedy lanching , and floating forward of this great good common-wealth businesse , for the strengthening of his maiesties dominions , with two principall pillars , which is , with plenty of coine brought in for fish , and herrings from other nations , and also for the increasing of marriners against all forraigne inuasions , and also for the bettering of trades and occupations , and setting of thousands of poore and idle people on worke , which now know not how to liue , which by this trade of the busses shall be imployed , as daily we see is done before our eyes by the hollanders . and as alwaies it hath bene seene , that those that be now the fishermen of england , haue bene alwaies found to be sufficient to serue his maiesties ships in former time , when their haue bene employment , which fellowes , by this new trade of building , and setting forth busses will be greatly multiplyed and encreased in this land ; which fellowes , as we see the hollanders , being well-fed in fisher affaires , and strong and lustier then the sailors that vse the long southerne voyages , that sometimes are greatly surfeited , and hunger-pined ▪ but these couragious , yong , lusty , fed-strong yonkers , that shall qe bred in the busses , when his maiesty shall haue haue occasion for their seruice in warre , against the enemy , will be fellowes for the nonce , and will shew themselues right english , and will put more strength to an iron crow , at a peece of great ordinance in trauersing of a cannon , or culuering , with the direction of the experimented maister gunner , then two or three of the fore-named surfeited sailors , and in distresse of winde growne sea , and fowle winters weather , for flying forward to their labour , for pulling in a tops●ile , or a spret saile , or shaking of a bonnet in a dark night , for wet and cold can not make them shrinke nor staine , that the north-seas , and the busses , and pinks haue dy●d in graine , for such purposes . and whosoeuer shall go to sea , for captaine to command in marshall affaires , or take charge for maister in trade of merchandize , ( as in times past i haue done both ) will make choice of these fellowes , for i haue seene their resolution , in the face of their enemy , when they haue b●●● l●g●●menta , and frolicke , and as forward as about their ordinary labours , or businesse . and when his maiesty shall haue occasion and imployment for the furnishing of his nauy there will be no want of maisters , pilots , commanders , and sufficient directors of a course , and keeping of computation , but now there is a pittifull want of sufficient good men . to do the offices and labours before spoken of , all which , these men of the busses and pinks , will worthily supply . and to the art of sayling they may happily 〈◊〉 , for 〈◊〉 it hath beene com● seene , that those men , that haue beene brought vp , in their youth , in fishery , haue des●ued as well as any in the land for artificiall sayling ; for at this time is practised all the proiections of circular and mathematicall skales and arithmeticall sayling , by diuers of the yong men of the sea-coast townes , euen as commonly amongst them as amongst the themse● . besides all the hollanders before spoken of , the frenchmen of pickardy haue also a hundred saile of fishermen , onely for herrings , on his maiesties seas euery yeare , in the summer season , and they bee almost like vnto the busses , but they haue not any yagers that commeth vnto them , but they do lade themselues , and returne home twice euery yeare , and finde great profite by their making but of two voyages euery summer season . and it is much to bee lamented , that wee hauing such a plentifull countrey , and such 〈◊〉 of able and idle people , that not one of his maiesties subiects , are there to be se●ne all the whole summer , to fish , or to take one herring : but onely the north-sea boats of the sea-coast townes , that goeth to take cods , they do take so many as they do need to baite their hookes and no more . we are daily skorned by these hollands , for being so negligent of our profite , and carelesse of our fishing , and they do daily floute vs that be the poore fishermen of england , to our faces at sea , calling to vs and saying , ya english , ya zall , or cud scoue dragien , which in english is this : yon english , we will make you glad for to weare our old shoes . and likewise the french-men they say we are apish , for that we do still imitate them in all needlesse and fantasticall iagges and fashions , as it is most true indeed , for that they haue no fashion amongst them in apparell , nor lace , points , gloues , hilts , nor garters , euen from the spangled shoe-lachet , vnto the spangled hat , and hat-band , be it neuer so idle , and costly , but after that we do once get it , it is far bettered by our nation . wherefore , seeing that we can excell all other nations , wastfully , to spend mony , let vs , in one thing , learne of other nations , to get thousands out of his maiesties sea , and to make a generall profite 〈◊〉 the benefites that al mighty god do●h yearely send vnto vs , in far more greater aboundance then the fruite of our trees , which although they be more chargeable in the gathering together , yet is the profite far more greater , vnto this kingdome , and common wealth of all his maiesties subiects , increasing the wealth of the aduenturers ; as also for the enriching of merchants , and maintaining of trades occupations , and employing of ships , and encreasing of marriners , which now do but little or nothing : as also for the setting of poore and idle people on worke , which now know not how to liue , and to teach many a tall fellow to know the propper names of the ropes , in a ship , and to hale the 〈◊〉 that now for lacke of employment many such , by the inconuenience of idle liuing , are compelled to end their daies , with a rope by an vntimely death , which by the employment of the busses might be well a●oyded , and they in time become right honest feruiceable and trusty subi●cts . here since my booke came to the 〈◊〉 , i haue bene credibly certified , by * men of good worth ( being 〈◊〉 ) that since christmas last , vnto this day , there hath bene paid to the hollanders , here in london , onely for b●rreld fish , and holland lings , the summe of twelue thousand pound . and 〈◊〉 of all , if that there be any of the worshipfull aduenturers , that would haue any di● for the building of these busses , or fisherships , because i know that the ship● of england , be not yet skilfull in this matter , wherefore if that any shall bee pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to me , i will bee willing to giue them directions , and pl●ine proiections , and g●icall demonstrations for the right building of them , both for length , bredth , and depth , and also for their mould vnder water , and also for the 〈◊〉 of their roomes , and the laying of their g● , * according to the hollanders fashion , any man shall heare of me at m. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a stationers shop at saint 〈◊〉 g● in p● charch-yard : farewell this 〈◊〉 . of february . finis . the states proclamation , translated out of dutch. the ●ates 〈◊〉 of the united pro● of the low 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all those that shall see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these presents 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 let to 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 it is ●ell 〈◊〉 , that the great ●ing , and 〈◊〉 of he●gs is the chiefest trade , and 〈◊〉 - mine of these united 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many thousands of 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , trades and 〈◊〉 , are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worke , well maintained , and 〈◊〉 ; e●ally the sailing and 〈◊〉 , as 〈◊〉 ●thin , as without these 〈◊〉 , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great esteemation : moreouer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of ●ey , with the increase of the 〈◊〉 ●yes , ●stomes , and 〈◊〉 of these countries are augmented thereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and for asmuch as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good orders conseruing the 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , and beneficial vttering of the said 〈◊〉 , to the end to preserue and maintaine the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trade , in the united prouinces ; which trade , by 〈◊〉 encounters , of some that seeke their owne ga● , is enuied , in respect of the great good it bringeth to the united 〈◊〉 : and ●e are informed that a new deuise is put in practise to the pr● of the trade , to transpor● out of the united countries , into other countries , staues for herring-barrels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and ha●●ing barrels , put into other ba●els , and nets : to crosse the good orders and pollicy here intended to them of these 〈◊〉 , for the catching , salting , and selling the ●ings , dressed in other contries , after the order of these countries , whereby this chiefe trade should be decaied here , and the ●habitants of these countries damnified , if that we make not pro●on , in time against such practises , therefore ●ee , after nature iudgement , and deliberation haue forbidden and interdicted , and by these presents do forbid and interdict , all , and 〈◊〉 one , as well home-borne and inhabitants , as strangers frequenting these parts , to take vp any herring-barrels , or halfe ones prepared , or any kinde of nets ▪ in any ship , towne or hauen , of the vnited prouinces , to be sent into other countries , or places , vpon paine of confiscation of the same , and the ship also wherein they shall be found , besides a penalty of 〈◊〉 . of netherlandish 〈◊〉 royals , for the 〈◊〉 time , and for the second time aboue 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 , & . of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 , and for the third time , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and goods , and . of the said 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 , & corporal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and penalties , shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 third 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 third part to the poore , and one third part of the 〈◊〉 , where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be demanded : and not onely they shall 〈◊〉 this penalty , which after shall be taken with the deed , but they also , that within one yeare after the deed shall bee con●ted , and that 〈◊〉 may pretend ignorance , and that this order may be in all places duely obserued , and the offendors punished according to justice , wee will and require , our deere and welbeloued estates , gouernours , deputies of the councell , and the estates of the 〈◊〉 prouinces of gilderland , and the county of satfill 〈◊〉 ho● , 〈◊〉 freesland , zeland , vtricts , f●d , 〈◊〉 , the towne of groyning , and the 〈◊〉 places , and to all justices and officers , that they cause to bee published in all places , and 〈◊〉 , where the vsuall proclamation and publication is made ; 〈◊〉 do charge also the chancellors , and prouinciall co●cell , and the counsell of the admiralty , the aduo● , and the 〈◊〉 generall , and all other officers . judges , and justices of these vnited prouinces , and to all generall colonies admirals and uice-admirals , captaines , officers , and commanders , to performe , and cause to be performed , this order and commandement ; and to proceed , and cause to be proceeded against the offendors , without grace fauour , dissimulation , or composition : because we haue found it necessary , for the good , and benefite , of the said united prouinces , dated in hage this . of july . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e shotland is the greatest ile of all the orcades , & lyeth in the heighth of . degrees of northerly latitude . i haue seen● a small haddocke sold there for two ●hillings sixe pence : and a turbut for a iacobus . this towne is a most fit and conuenient place to make a staple towne for corne , for all england , for the returne and saile of the 〈◊〉 herring from 〈◊〉 , and poland . donwich in ancient times , ha●h bene the seate of the kings of the east angles , but now all ruined . my father liued in 〈◊〉 towne 〈◊〉 hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of age , and gaue these composition lings seuenty yeeres , 〈◊〉 fohre 〈◊〉 , viz k. 〈◊〉 , q. mary , q. ●lizabeth , and vntill the 〈◊〉 yeare of the raigne of our most 〈◊〉 soueraigne , which 〈◊〉 to much more then one thousand pound , f●r one man of that towne . in all his maiesties kingdomes not any towne comparable vnto it for braue buildings . * and norman●y . 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 ▪ and 〈◊〉 . yermouth hauen is the onely refuge , in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether , for all the fishermen of the cinque ports , and all other that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 timper , against the violence of the 〈◊〉 sea ▪ it is now in great danger to come to ruine , if they haue not help in time . i 〈◊〉 pardon , for that i omit the particular numbers and 〈◊〉 summe , which i could heere 〈◊〉 downe , if i were commanded . no more english , but two small shippes , this yeare lad●d there . note heere how the hollanders employ themselues and th●r ships , fi●st in taking of the 〈◊〉 quick , and yet are not content but catch them againe 〈◊〉 they bee dead , and doe 〈◊〉 both their ships and marriners on worke , and english ships 〈◊〉 vp a rotting . if any will know . all the perticulars of weyes of salt , or barrels of beere , or ●dreths of biskets , i will willingly resolue them , but here is all the whole charge , and with the most . and i haue rated the herrings but at . pound the last , which is with the least , for they bee commonlysoid by the hollanders at danske , for . and . pounds the last . ready 〈◊〉 or tallyes , which are as bils of exchange to bee paid at first sight . it is not vnknowne , that this last yeare there was a generall presse along the coast of england , frō hull in yorkeshire vnto s. michaels mo●nt in corne-wall , onely for sailors , to furnish but . shippes , for the wafting ouer of the count pallatine , and his most noble princes , but . leagues . some of these be . and . score tunnes the burthen . the hollanders do yearely take so many , as they do make more th●n two millions of pound sterling . and wee his maiesties subiects doe take no more then doe . baite our hookes . the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : the sea 〈◊〉 the gallowes refuse none . * 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , m. 〈◊〉 to● , ●nd 〈◊〉 others of the company of fishmongers . * and for prouiding of their cordige , and nets , after the most ●est & cheapest rates . a proposal for encouraging of persons to subscribe towards a common stock of ... for the erecting and managing of a trade by a general fishery to be with all possible moral security of a great gain to the adventurers, and of no less honour and advantage to the publick, and is a benefit not to be attained by any other methods, as is strongly presumed from arguments that have all the appearing force of demonstration. chamberlen, hugh. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a proposal for encouraging of persons to subscribe towards a common stock of ... for the erecting and managing of a trade by a general fishery to be with all possible moral security of a great gain to the adventurers, and of no less honour and advantage to the publick, and is a benefit not to be attained by any other methods, as is strongly presumed from arguments that have all the appearing force of demonstration. chamberlen, hugh. thomas, dalby, sir. [ ] p. s.n., [london? : ?] caption title. by hugh chamberlen and sir dalby thomas. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng fisheries -- england -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a proposal for encouraging of persons , to subscribe towards a common stock of _____ for the erecting and managing of a trade by a general fishery , to be with all possible moral security , of great gain to the adventurers , and of no less honour and advantage to the publick , and is a benefit not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attained by any other methods , as is strongly presumed from arguments that have all the appearing force of demonstration . it is proposed . . that an act may pass to enable such as are willing to settle lands , for the annual payment of money , for a fund , for the said fishery . . that the settlement be after this manner ( viz. ) about l. per annum rack rent , or about l. per annum ground rent , or rent charge , to pay l. per annum free of all deductions . . that these settlements , may be made as farr , as for payment ; of per annum , and no farther . . that each payment of l. per annum ( and so pro rato ) be continued till l. be payed , which will be in about years . . that each subsciber , for instance , of l. annual payment , shall receive l. within . or . years , or sooner for his own particular use , to dispose of as he pleases . . that he shall have l. more in stock , and shares in the said trade ▪ of which one half he may sell , and transferr at pleasure , for the admission of money'd men , and rendering the undertaking more perfectly national , by encrease of sharers ; but the other half must be annext to the land , as an improvement to his estate thus settled , and for the benefit of the heir , and an additional strength to the fund . . that the remaining l. of each l. raised by such settlements , out of the l. per annum ( for years ) is to support the charges of the mint which will be very great , hereafter mentioned , and to answer contingencies . . that certain persons be incorporated , with necessary powers , priviledges ▪ and clauses , for a general fishery , but so as not to be exclusive to any , save in the manner of raising of the fund , or stock . . that the fund of this fishery , be raised by applying thereunto l. of each such l. as aforesaid . . that such fund be never drawn out of the stock , but the profit of the sharers to arise by dividends of real profit . . that with this fund , there be so much real estate purchased , as that the revenue may defray all the certain and accidental charges of this corporation . . that a mint or office be erected by parliament , and placed in certain persons ▪ to that end incorporated , and their successors , distinct from the fishery , and from time to time accomptable to parliment . . that this mint have power , upon the settlements , and subscriptions as before , to form , frame , or coin , land money by bills , tickets , or tallies of credit in proportion to such settlements . . that these bills of credit , being founded upon land ▪ and supported by law , may be made current in all manner of payments , and to all manner of purposes . . that the mint do issue of these tickets , two fifths to the proprietor of the land , two fifths to the fishery , and retain the remaining fifth , to support its own charge &c. . that the several annual payments of the lands so settled as before , be made only in these tickets , & not in other money , and be payed into the mint , from whence issued , and cancelled yearly as brought in . . that the annual payments to this establishment commence , from the th of march , next after the intire payment to each subscriber of his respective quota as before . by this means country gentlemen may have the benefit of trade , without skill or trouble , and a stock provided for them also , with the probable encrease of above l. per ann. as an addition to their present l. per annum . to prove the premises practicable , it is to be consider'd . . that no nation can have too much money : because , as money encreaseth , so do the uses of it , for plenty of money raiseth the price of land , in rent and purchase . the worth of land encreaseth the expences of landlords , who are the first persons to be considered in every country , because , lords of the soil , landlords expences augment trade , and trade money . this appears in comparing england , and holland , with scotland and ireland , the lands of which last ( though of a fruitfull soil ) yield not near so much money per ann. per acre , as lands here in england , or in holland , because they have but little money , and high interest , never above half a million in coin. plenty of money encreaseth the number of people , by encrease of business , and that makes consumption , of which , there can be no end , if there be the means , for five men can consume , if they have the means , more than five hundred that have it not ; which likewise further appears by the rich in england , and holland , and the poor in scotland , and izeland . . that this nation hath by far too small a quantity of money . this cannot be denied , for taxes are paid with difficulty : many good works ( acknowledged to be so ) lye unattempted : and land , and most of our native product fall in value .. note , that money , whilst hoarded , is of no more benefit to the nation , than when in the mine . . that tickets , tallies , or bills of exchange , upon a sound fund , are equal , if not superior , in use and value to the best money of gold and silver . this appears by the long practice of tallies , and the late borrowing orders , and merchants , and bankers bills , which last , notwithstanding their uncertain fund , and frequent failure , do , for the conveniency of trade , currently pass for money ; for none would give money for their bills , if they were not judged better , or at least as good . and the only reason why such common credit is not at present as current as money , and as willingly received , is , because the fund is not so well known ; and because a twenty pound bill cannot be divided into smaller sums ; for if it could , there is no doubt , but it would be as current , for they who scruple not the credit of a twenty pound bill , would never boggle at the same credit for a five-shilling bill , if worth the writing : so that bills are not received , as is generally imagined , because they can have money for them , but they are turn'd into money , because they cannot be divided , as small occasions require , or because the fund is unknown , or not lasting . that the tickets hereunder proposed , will be for the payment of great sums , and then the present gold and silver will the better supply smaller payments . . that that fund is sufficient for the credit current upon it , which is able to call it all back within the limited time ; and if we have land security settled by parliament , to pay every bill in time , none can be a looser by receiving them , being till then current . . that a mortgage deed , were there a register , would be as transferable as gold and silver in trade , and in use and value by much preferable to money , or bankers bills , for none now refuse the assignment of a good mortgage , that have money enough , and want it not for smaller sums ; but it would be much better , if transfer'd without charge and formalities . that the tickets of credit intended to be proposed , are to be as registred mortgages by a publick sanction , and as transferable as money without charge or trouble , and less subject to be counterfeited . that such a fund settled by act of parliament , upon the estates of such private persons as are willing to be engaged , cannot , till all the tickets charged upon them are paid off , be alter'd by any change of government , or future parliaments , without a total dissolution of all titles ; this being a private contract , confirm'd by a publick act , upon particular estates , for payment of tickets dispersed amongst the people in general . the advantages of this proposal are , briefly , to the church , by augmenting of tythes . to the king by encrease of customs , and excise , and shares in the stock ▪ to the government , by the loan of a million upon this tax at per cent. and and so from time to time for three or four years , if there be occasion . to the nation by an enlarged trade , and encrease of people in general , and seamen in particular . to the lords , gentry , and other free-holders by this enhauncing the value of their estates both by fine or in-come , rent , purchase , and trade . to the judges and lawyers , by settling of titles . to the people in general , by improving their respective trades and dealings , and enabling them to pay their taxes ; and by adding in a manner , so many new estates to the nation equal to land. and all this without the least dammage to any . a short account of the causes of the miscarriages of former attempts , for a fishing trade , and of the manner , of preventing the like for the future , by the following method . vast summs of money have been expended , endeavouring to erect and establish a fishery , so as to make it a national good , as well as gainful to the adventurers . these endeavours have been hitherto vain , being as often defeated as attempted . nor can the like design , on the same basis , ever in future times , but find an equal disappointment ; and that for the following reasons , viz. . because the constant , beside contingent charges of a company ( as hitherto founded ) is and must necessarily be a very great expence and burthen to the stock or fund : and yet the profit hazardous and uncertain . . for that we are to contend for the exporting , which is the grand and national trade , with those more experienced than our selves , those that can build , and sail cheaper , that pay less interest , and are content with less profit . . those that can carry their fish cheaper to a forraign market , will sell to profit ; while others , hoping for a time to answer the cost , keep their commodity till it perishes and is lost . . that the knowing and skilful men in a company , ( perceiving early that the trade will not turn to account ) sell out at the best rate they can : to whom ignorant men succeding , perfect , and hasten the ruin of it . but now , the present intended stock obviates all these inconveniences , and settles , and secures a certain advantage . for a considerable part of this fishery stock is to be laid out in purchasing wharfes , keys , yards , building warehouses , &c , buying so much land as to raise an annual income to defray the certain charge of the company , as salaryes , &c ▪ and to build and fit out a certain number of busses and ships yearly . whereby ▪ a fishery may be for ever certainly supported ; gaining considerably , with but ordinary fortune ; and being able with ease to extricate it self from all the usual losses and difficulties in trade . for all the fish they catch will ( in a manner ) be clear profit ; and should they catch none ( which is a supposition not to be supposed ) yet can they loose little or nothing . the salaryes by this company may be so considerable , as to be a fair encouragement , for men of sense and estates , to give their time and application to it . it s humbly desired , that every member of the house of commons will be pleased to read , and consider this proposal ; so that , if it be advantageous to the nation it may not be lost , and that they may be able to argue for it or against it , as in their wisdoms may seem meet : for the method of this proposal being new to gentlemen , some parts at first may appear strange , which upon a second and third reading , and discourse with the proposers , it s hoped will obviate most of their obiections . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e vid. v. . v. . a defence of paul bassano the suruiuing patentee for the importation of fresh salmons and lobsters, &c. by a new inuention, which hee most humbly submitteth to this honorable house of parliament. bassano, paul. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc . estc s ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a defence of paul bassano the suruiuing patentee for the importation of fresh salmons and lobsters, &c. by a new inuention, which hee most humbly submitteth to this honorable house of parliament. bassano, paul. england and wales. parliament. , [ ] p. s.n., [london : ] caption title. place and date of imprint suggested by stc ( nd ed.). imperfect: p. [ ] at end slightly faded. reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng lobster industry -- england -- patents. fisheries -- england -- patents. patents -- england. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - celeste ng sampled and proofread - celeste ng text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion ❧ a defence of paul bassano the suruiuing patentee , for the importation of fresh salmons and lobsters , &c. by a new inuention , which hee most humbly submitteth to this honorable house of parliament . . it is a new inuention amongst the english heere , to bring lobsters aliue in ships by sea from forraigne seas , and streames ; although the dutchmen who are forrainers can doe the same . and howsoeuer he a little before the patent did sell some lobsters to the fishmongers here , yet did not they know the secret of his inuentiō how they were taken , how preserued & fed , and the art how they were brought ; for euery wel-boate will not bring them , nor is there yet any shipwright in england that knowes how to make a well for that purpose without particuler instruction . nor did euer the fishmongers , or any other before the patent , bring any lobsters by this or any other inuention aliue , by sea from any forraine parts . so there is no question of the newnesse of the inuention : but whether it be the only inuention of the patentees , or of the stranger . and who ought in our common-weale to bee preferred , they or wee . but the now opposers did neuer buy of the stranger , nor bring any lobsters by sea , by this or any other inuention , before the patent . . that the flemming was the first inuentor of bringing lobsters aliue by sea wee deny not : but that hee was the inuentor of those thinges for our good wee deny . and contrariwise affirme , that by the authority of this patent , wee haue turned this inuention which they deuised for their good , to the good of our common-wealth . for when the patentees vpon their owne aduenture had imployed ships to sea , and from remote coasts had brought lobsters by english-men to london , by the secret of this new inuention : . then did they inuent how to preuent the extreame exaction wherewith the dutch-men circumuented and brought the english into thraldome . . how also to preuent and suppresse the exaction , which those few fishmongers ( who bought the commodity of the dutch ) did make vpon the company of fishmongers , and so consequently vpon the subiect . . how to make the dutchman a seruant , who before was a master , and to keepe him within the compasse of reasonable gaine , that our nation might haue the better penyworth . . how to haue the commodity solde cheaper , without any exaction vpon aduantage of scarcity . . how to bring them more certainly then they were before . . in more continued plenty . . and better conditioned , and preserued in reputation good and marchantable , which before was oftentimes bad and naught , euen to the loathing of the same , and the subiect defrauded and cousened . . how the eater thereof becomes more content . . how to raise the little benefite that is gotten ( in respect of the good which ariseth ) out of the strangers purse , not our countrymens , and yet our nation to reape a setled benefit hereby . . how to preserue ( at our charge ) our bullion and coyne in our kingdome , which was , and otherwise would bee subiect to bee embazeled by the dutchman ; two or three thousand pounds in a yeare , being disbursed to them for this commodity . . how to encrease our nauigation and nauigators , and to weede out the dutchmen by degrees , as by encouragement of gayne wee can strengthen our owne nation , ( knowing the secret of this inuention now as well as they ) or at the least to make the other our seruant at a more reasonable price , then wee can possibly effect the same . . wherein none are restrained that had a benefit before . . the retayler hath more gayne , and the buyer better content . . former partiality is auoyded , and the commodity is distributed equally to the company of fishmongers , aswell poore as rich . . the patentees haue beene at more charges , for the good of the common-weale to bring these thinges to passe , then yet they haue receiued . . and the opposers are few ; but there is a generall assent that this patent may stand . so as in conclusion , all things are carried in an euen ballance , whereby all parties receiue encouragement in their labours ; and this common-weale the benefit , since this pattent was graunted , which by no other meanes can be effected . and this pattent as it hath been gouerned , hath procured a commodity to this common-weale and no discommodity ; but if any be , it is to the stranger whose exaction is preuented , and not to vs. and yet though he doth not attaine to the height of his expectation , he rests contented , because he hath no better remedy , so long as this pattent is in force , and dayly makes sute to be imployed . and herein the patentees doe not stand alone to iustifie themselues , but the master and company of fishmongers vsing the trade , doe generally affirme and know the same : onely some few contradicters , who ( wanting experience , or for other priuate respects ) doe oppose the same . neither can the opposers denie it , were they particularly examined and deposed to the questions aboue-said . this pattent also vpon former opposition hath beene generally approued by the whole company of fishmongers . and confirmed by the lords of the counsaile , with this testimony by them added , that it deserueth to be continued and countenanced by our state and kingdome . and whereas it hath beene obiected that we would by vertue of this patent , seaze vpon the lobsters of any other of our country-men that should bring them from other parts , our desire is so much for the good of the common-weale , to encourage our owne nation , as we are ready and willing to giue free way ( notwithstanding the pattent ) to any of our country-men that wil vndertake it and performe it accordingly , better then now it is . onely we ( for that purpose ) will , as wee doe , by vertue of this pattent keepe off the stranger from exacting vpon our nation . and now we most humbly submit it to your honourable consideration , who speakes most for the good of the common-weale , either the opposers , or the affirmers . and whether , this pattent not being mannaged , ( as some others haue bin ) to the preiudice of any but to defend vs from the exaction of the stranger , and for the generall good of all : and these particulars being proued , your graue iudgements shall hold the same worthy your fauours , and to be continued and countenanced for the good of the common-weale . for they desire not if it be not found good for the state and kingdome , that it doe continue . onely they humbly desire it would please this honourable house to call before you , or some committee for that purpose , the master and company of fishmongers vsing this trade , and ( if these reasons seeme of any importance ) to make tryall thereby of the truth of that which we haue affirmed . so as the substance of the premises is this . . the exaction of the dutch is preuented . . the exaction of the fishmongers also vpon their company . . the dutch-man is made our seruant . . the commodity is solde better cheape . . it comes more certaine . . in more continued plenty . . better conditioned . . the eater is more content . . the benefit is made from the stranger not our nation . . our bullion is preserued . . our nauigation encreased . . none restrayned that had benefit before . . the retayler hath more gaine . . former partiality is auoyded . . the patentees haue beene at more charge then profit . . the opposers are but few , the assent is generall . . the whole company of fishmongers haue approued the pattent vpon opposition . . it hath bin confirmed by the lords of the counsaile . . free liberty is giuen to any of our nation to bring lobsters frō other parts . . it stands with the pollicie of this state , by this pattent , to preserue our nation from the exaction of the dutch , which otherwise cannot be done . and all is humbly submitted to the pleasure of this house . of these in order . the proofes . . the exaction of the dutch preuented . for whereas before the patent , by degrees they raised the lobsters . shillings in a hundreth , we haue brought them back . shillings in abatement of the price ; and by degrees would haue brought them lower : for they would not stand to the casualty of the market when they came , but be sure of their money before they went , howsoeuer the market fell out here . . the exaction of the fishmongers vpon their company auoyded . for whereas they who bought the ships ladings of the dutch in grosse , did retayle them at . . and . pound the hundreth ; they are now neuer solde aboue . pound : and if they bee small , they haue two or three hundred for one . . to make the dutchman a seruant . for now wee know the inuention : if hee will not goe for reasonable gayne , wee can set others on worke , and none can draw him from vs by proffer of greater gayne . . the commodity better cheape . for the fishmongers buy them at . pound the hundreth , whereas before they haue beene solde for . pound : and this is caused also by the dayly comming of them , and the orderly vsage thereof , as the fishmongers themselues will iustifie . . it comes more certaine . because wee make the dutch all become partners , though wee doe employ . ships , for none may goe before or behinde another , but . of them shall helpe to lade and furnish away the . th : so as by that meanes wee haue euery day a ship ready to come away , if the winde serue from that place , whereas otherwise if euery man should lade himselfe , they would be a fortnight or three weekes before they could bee prouided of a fraight to defray their charges , and so sometimes they would come altogether vpon a cluster , and be spoyled before they could be vented , and some whiles none in a fortnight or in a month together , whereas now they are heere euery day during the season , the winde seruing . . the plenty is greater . for wee haue that dayly by this order , which before wee had but once in a fortnight or in a month : and then . ships might happen to come together , and sometimes but one , which confusednes caused a scarcity afterwards . . better conditioned . which must needs follow , because they now in two or three dayes lade a ship , all helping together being partners , and they are brought away more speedily , which must needes come better , then when euery one lading for himselfe , is two or three weekes lading his boate , by which meanes some are spoyled and dead whilst the rest are taking . . the eater is more content . which followes by the former reasons ; for the goodnes , certainty , and cheapnes being approued , he is encouraged to eate them . . the benefit is raised from the stranger not our subiects . for wee haue brought him downe from his former exaction , to a lower price , from whence ariseth the profit that is made , and yet they are solde cheaper to the fishmonger . . our coyne and bullion is preserued in our kingdome . for wee hyre one of their owne nation heere to giue them bils of exchange to receiue their money in their owne countrey out of his estate there , and so they receiue nothing from vs but paper . . nauigation is increased . because wee hauing learn'd the secret of this inuention , haue imployed our owne countrymen , and still doe , in ships bought by our selues , wherein wee haue lost two ships at sea among the rockes in the aduenture : and doe offer our nation for their encouragement . shillings more in a hundreth , then the strangers hath for lobsters , and by degrees as we can increase our owne nation , doe intend to weed out the dutchmen . but all cannot be done vpon the sodaine : for if wee barre the dutchmen before we haue increased our owne countrymen to serue the turne , then would these opposers complaine much more that the market is not serued ; and wee doe the rather a while forbeare , because of the vncertainty of the patent : for if we should build . ships our selues ( as wee imploy no lesse for this seruice ) it would bee a great preiudice and losse to haue them lye vpon our hands . but wee will vndertake , if wee may haue the fauour of our state to our patent , to weede out the dutch quite within three or foure yeares , and to plant our owne nation wholly in the trade , as wee haue begun already , if it shall so seeme good to this hon : assembly . neither is there any hope to encrease our nauigation in this kinde , but by vertue of this pattent . for otherwise were the dutch-man at liberty , as he was before : hee would first weary our nation in vnder-selling them , and when the trade were come into his owne hands , exact vpon them infinitely by degrees at his pleasure as he did before , which he will effect by these meanes . first , he is more industrious , and liues more hardly then our men . and next . he can haue money in his country at . or . pound in the hundreth : so as if he make but ten pound in the hundreth , he is a great gayner . whereas with vs money is at ten pound , and we shall be loosers ( regarding our hazard of ships and goods ) if wee make not . pound in the hundreth . and thus will he vndermine vs , and then make his owne price as afore-said . . none are restrayned that had any benefit before . these fewe opposers neuer had any trading as afore-said . but for those fishmongers who bought lobsters of the dutch-men , the patentees were so ready to auoyde any cause of grieuance , as they did graunt the one halfe of the benefit of the said pattent to them , so as they rest well contented , though it abridge them of their former gaine , because of the good to the common-weale , and that by experience they doe finde the confusion that was before : the good order that is now , and what thraldome they should fall into hereafter , in respect of the enuie of some , if this pattent were put downe , as also the master and whole company in generall will not denie . . the retayler hath more gaine , because that which was wont to come monethly , comes now dayly , and because they are solde to him cheaper , and better as afore-said : so the eater being encouraged to buy , they sell the more , and neuer loose by them , being now good , which they often did when they were bad . . former partiality is auoyded : for whereas before the fishmonger who bought a ship of lobsters of the dutch , if there were profit to be gotten thereby , would sell them to none but to his particular friends by hundreths , who traded with him for other commodities , so as the poorer sort could sildome or neuer get any , but to their losse in a glutt . now they are made out by lesser parcels , equally , and so distributed to poore as well as rich : they haue them without money , and pay not till they haue made their profit , and sometimes neuer pay . the other points , are sufficiently explaned in the former discourse , and therefore to auoyde prolixity omitted here . onely this we are bold to adde , that the patentees haue also in this graunt a priuiledge , for bringing salmons fresh and vnsalted by a new inuention ( wherein though they did not vndertake so much ) yet haue they by their inuention brought salmons aliue from scotland to england in the hottest and most vnseasonable times of the yeare : and for a sample and testimony thereof , presented one aliue to the lord mayor of london that then was : which neuer any english man or other did before . yet seeing our pattent hath beene dayly opposed by some vaine-glorious , or enuious spirits of the fishmongers , and threatned to be throwne downe ; we haue forborne to put the same in further practise , least wee should with the bee , gather honey for drones to sucke , till wee see how this kingdome will cherish our good endeauours for the common-weale , as the lords of the counsell haue done already . for it stands with the pollicie of all states and kingdomes , to support and countenance new inuentions with most fauourable constructions , when they tend and are imployed to the good of the weale publike , and to the hurt of none . as this pattent is mannaged . an answer to diuers fayned surmises and obiections made against this pattent . . obiect . that it is not the inue●tion of the pa●entees : but some fishmongers maintayned two boates along the coasts of england , and the dutch brought them by the same inuention from the holy ilands two or three yeares before the pattent . resp . that this is a new inuention 〈◊〉 , for it was neuer knowne or practised by any nation till two or three yeares before the pattent . it is not denied that the dutch did bring this inuention first to light . but for two boates pretended to be imployed by fishmongers vpon the english coast two or three years before the pattent ; it is not affirmed by the pattent that the patentees were the onely inuentors , and if he that had such skil● , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a priuiledge , no doubt but he should haue been embraced , but he is dead and was a poore man ( no fishmonger ) & learnt it of the dutch. 〈◊〉 we are , these few opposers neuer knew nor practised any such inuention before the pattent , and that the patentees knew not at that time any such man , nor learned any such skill of him . but the patentees are the first that euer brought this inuention to perfection , and setled the gouernment thereof for the good of this kingdome . and for any english man who can i●stly pretend skill in this inuention , or will imploy himselfe ; we will willingly giue way to him to traffick to places formerly traded to by the english , and will giue him more by a crowne , or an angell in the hundreth of lobsters then the stranger hath of vs for his encouragement . though the opinion of master atturney generall that last was , certified to the lords of the counsell ; is , that it is no trade vnlesse it were of seauen yeares continuance before the pattent . . obiect . that two fishmongers were imprisoned by the now lord chancellour for opposing the pattentees , and driuen from their trade . resp . these men were no traders with the dutch , or otherwise venturers for lobsters before the pattent : but setting themselues against the pattent ; they bought some lobsters of the dutch , who came stragling from their fellowes , with a polliticke purpose to breake the good order which was begun for the good of the common-weale , and thereby to bring all to confusion againe . a complaint being thereof made to the lord chancellour ; vpon due consideration of their bad in●ention , and examination of the matter , ( they being refractory and refusing obedience to the pattent ) his lordship committed them , and vpon their submission released them againe . and the most worthy of them was afterwards so farre respected by the patentees , as he was accepted to be a partner with them to his good content . and that this was iust , and a fault in the opposers , appeares in this , for that vpon like complaint made to the counsell table , by the same men and others , their lordships ( notwithstanding ) confirmed the pattent against their opposition , seeing the same to be conuenient and good for the common-weale . . obiect . that the dutchmen brought lobsters in such plenty before the patent , as they solde them for . pound and . shillings the hundreth . resp . this is most false , for the dutchmen would neuer goe but he would be sure of his price before he came hither , which was . pound -shillings the hundreth : and if then when they were bad and naught , they were rarely solde at . pound , it was to the fishmongers great losse , and discouragement to the eater for euer buying the commodity againe . but when they were good and scarcer , they were solde for . pound the hundreth to the fishmonger , but much more to the subiect , which was a great exaction : and now they are neuer solde aboue . pound , which is the lowest price they were solde for at any time before , ( vnlesse it were to great losse ) and they haue two or . hundreth for one if they bee small . so as one hundreth at . pound , in such manner deliuered good and sweet , is better then a hundreth that are starke naught at . pound , whereby the subiect is but deceiued , and brought to a loathing of the commodity . . obiect . there are many lobsters now solde by the fishmongers which are extreame bad and naught . resp . it is very true ; but these are such dead lobsters as are brought by marriners from newcastle , ready sodden , which seldome or neuer come good . but those that come by this inuention are deliuered sweet and marchantable . . obiect . the lobsters are kept at quinborough , to the great losse of the flemming and spoyle of the commodity . resp . this is a most false suggestion . for there is no comparison of them that dye there and of those that dyed heare before the patent : for if at any time they stay there , they are kept for preseruation in their owne element the sea , and so fed . whereas being taken out before they are ready to be spent , they are out of their element , and kept in ware-houses ( which must needes be worse ) foure or . dayes together , where they pine away , dye , and corrupt infinitely to the detestation of the commodity : but from quinborough they are brought aliue , and if any doe pine there , they are cast away at the strangers charge ; the rather because there shall be no scandall vpon the commodity , nor offence thereby to the eye , stomack , or purse here . for we doe not suffer any that are bad to come hither . nor is there any aduantage by vs made in this vpon the subiect , for the price is neuer raysed : so as the opposers haue rather cause to giue vs thanks for our care , then thus to requite vs with false aspersions , if either they remembred what hath beene heretofore , or vnderstood what would follow . but nothing will serue their turne but a dissolution , though themselues who are most forward to oppose ( were the pattent dissolued ) would soonest finde and feele the smart . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e that the inuention is new. the benefit therof to the common-wealth . to the king and both houses of parliament in parliament assembled watson, s. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing w a estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) to the king and both houses of parliament in parliament assembled watson, s. sheet ([ ] p.) printed by h. brugis, [london] : in the year . place of publication from wing. signed at end: s. watson. a petition to encourage the fishing industry. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library, oxford. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng fisheries -- england -- early works to . fishing -- england -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - paul schaffner sampled and proofread - paul schaffner text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to the king and both houses of parliament in parliament assembled . the proposal contained in this paper is ( with submission ) conceived of general advantage to the kingdom , and thereby sufficiently recommended to obtain admission to present it self before you , whose providence and justice secure the proposer of a readiness to embrace and promote whatever may improve the welfare of the publick : 't is his part to make the proposal appear of advantage to your common-interest , wherein the welfare of the publick consists . the proposal . that an act of parliament may pass for building and fitting out with expedition a fleet of busses of about tuns burthens a piece , to be imploy'd in fishing for herrings , cod and ling , in his majesties seas ; and profits to be disposed for the increasing of the said fishing-vessels to the number of or thereabouts , as it will be thought necessary ; and after the paying of publick debts , and the defraying of all necessary charges , the property of the said fleet to be setled in the crown . the advantages . a fleet of two thousand busses will imploy yearly at sea , at men to a busse men ! besides at least more at land in the service of the fleet : it will save the kingdom l. per annum paid yearly to the dutch for fish taken by them in his majesties seas , and sold to the english — besides as much more in taxes to the poor . the first year the said busses sails , may ( with god's blessing ) defray the whole charge of building , tackle , victualling , fitting out , officers and seamens wages for that year , with an everplus of l. s. d and will every year after , communibus annis , as long as the fleet lasts , yield his majesty the clear profit of at least l. s. d. which is demonstrated as followeth :   l. s. d. l. s. d. fish usually taken in busses of tuns , communibus annis , is at least herrings last worth de claro at least     . . . cod worth de claro at least     ling worth de claro at least     the charge of a busse tuns the first year ( ready to be demonstrated ) will not exceed building , and fitting for sail . . . victualling , and furnishing with lasting and wasting commodities officers , and seamen's wages . remains profit de claro each busse . which for busses for the first year will be clear profit . profit of each busse after the first year as above .       charge of fitting , victualling , sallaries and wages .       profit de claro of each busse .       which from busses will amount to per annum . this fleet will be a nursery of seamen , no less necessary than useful for asserting his majesties dominion of the seas , and the rights of his crown , in regulating trade , against the encroachments of strangers . the profits of this fleet will lessen the necessity of taxes for support of the government , and will improve the value of land , and the wealth of the nation by saving pound now yearly exported by the hollanders for fish bought of them , and by the importation of coyn from abroad by vent of fish , taken and sold by his majesties subjects ; the monopoly of fish taken by the hollander in his majesties seas , being one main support of that government . as to men and materia's for the fleet , there will be sufficient of both , unless money be wanting to carry on the design . . the interest of the king doth concern every particular person , his undertaking of it is for every man's advantage ; whatsoever he gets thereby saves the nation so much in their purses : for if the king gains as much by this as will maintain his crown and dignity , his majesty may in time come to have the less need of parliamentary-taxes . he may also alleviate his customs as low as any nation whatsoever , which will bring the trade of holland , &c. into this kingdom , invite all ingenuous manufactors into the nation , as well as rich men into this kingdom , and the rest of his majesties dominions , and also will preserve the peace of this nation from being disturbed and violated more than private persons or corporative bodies will or can do in their undertaking of it , who cannot protect the fishing-fleet from the attemps and injury of strangers , and may be apt upon evill instigations and discontents to strenghthen either domestick or forreign enemies with their power both of thi●●i●● and m●● 〈◊〉 by 〈…〉 〈…〉 less probable grounds of advantage than here are proposed , it had lost to that crown , as it did to this and to the french , the first discovery of the mynes in the indies ; but this is addressed to his majesty and his parliament , for raising six hundred thousand pounds , whereof one hundred thousand pounds to be imploy'd for docks , and for store-houses and wharfs , adjoyning one to the other , that the goods may be convey'd from the wharfs to the store-houses , without the charge of carting ( which said sum will be demonstrated an ample fund ) to carry on and compleat this design worthy their encouragement , and reserved by providence ( after the weak essays of former times ) to be perfected under the auspicious government of the best of princes , and wisest of parliaments , who cannot neither want either power or will to compleat what appears so clearly and eminently advantagious for the publick good and the interest of the kingdom , and in order thereto raise the fund proposed , and to secure the imployment of it to the use it is designed for . . the proposers are ready when commanded to demonstrate at large the facility of bringing the design to effect , the probability and greatness of its advantages when effected , and the necessity of it in order to any considerable improvement of the wealth , strength and honour of the nation : and as to the objection , they doubt not but to clear all can made against it , except that of the want of six hundred thousand pounds to carry on the work ; yet they conceive they have already removed this objection , by having demonstrated the return of this fund with so great an encrease into the publick coffers , and presented that demonstration to them who have power to give and lay out the money proposed , but cannot lay it out to better advantage , for improving their and their posterities safety , honour and wealth , than by bringing to perfection this design , which is not the project of a privat-brain , but an enterprize of publick good , approved by queen elizabeth , and upon solemn and mature deliberation , embraced and encouraged by king james , king charles the first , and his now majesty , and their several privy-counsels , and furthered by several grants under the great-seal of england , in the respective reigns of the princes last mentioned ; and by this present parliament by a vote of the honourable house of commons february : that a bill should be brought in for encouragement of the fishery . s. watson . s. watson . printed by h. brugis in the year . licensed march the . ro. l'estrange . a vindication of a national-fishery wherein is asserted that the glory, wealth, strength, safety, and happiness of this kingdom, with the flourishing of trade, and growth of navigation, as also the employing of the poor of this realm, doth depend (under god) upon a national-fishery : and all the general, vulgar, (tho' erroneous) objections against encouraging the fishery of england, answer'd, and confuted : to which is added the sovreignty of british-seas. gander, joseph. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a vindication of a national-fishery wherein is asserted that the glory, wealth, strength, safety, and happiness of this kingdom, with the flourishing of trade, and growth of navigation, as also the employing of the poor of this realm, doth depend (under god) upon a national-fishery : and all the general, vulgar, (tho' erroneous) objections against encouraging the fishery of england, answer'd, and confuted : to which is added the sovreignty of british-seas. gander, joseph. gander, joseph. sovereignty of the british-seas asserted. [ ], p. printed for f. coggan ..., london : mdcxcix [ ] "epistle dedicatory" signed: joseph gander. "sovereignty of the british-seas asserted"-- p. - . reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng fisheries -- economic aspects -- great britain -- early works to . fisheries -- economic aspects -- netherlands -- early works to . maritime law -- great britain -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a vindication of a national-fishery : wherein is asserted , that the glory , wealth , strength , safety , and happiness of this kingdom ; with the flourishing of trade , and growth of navigation : as also the employing the poor of this realm , doth depend ( under god ) upon a national-fishery . and all the general , vulgar , ( tho' erroneous ) objections against encouraging the fishery of england , answer'd , and confuted . to which is added , the sovereignty of the british-seas . england's a perfect world ; 't has indies two : correct your maps ; the fishery ▪ is peru. london : printed for f. coggan , in the inner temple lane. mdcxcix . to the most noble and mighty prince , thomas duke of leeds , marqvess of carmarthen , earl of danby , viscount latimore , baron osbourne of kiveton , lord president of his majesty's most honourable privy-council ; lord lieutenant of york-shire , governour of kingston upon hull , and knight of the most noble order of the garter . may it please your grace , the great applause you have so deservedly meritted , hath encouraged me to dedicate this small epitomy to your honour ; and not knowing any man , that can with more lively colours represent this important affair to the wisdom of the nation , i lay it at your lordship's feet , as an undertaking , ( which if your grace be pleased to espouse , for the good of the kingdom ) you will thereby add another trophy to your former atchievements ; and the glory of the action will be recorded to all posterity : for upon a national-fishery , under god , doth depend the safety , honour , and happiness of this kingdom , the flourishing of trade , and the supporting of credit , as in the sequel of my discourse , i hope , i have made appear . my lord , this age gives us too many examples , of discouraging ingenuity ; many excellent qualities lying often hid under humble looks , and mean habits , which soon are discountenanc'd , and suppress'd by insulting greatness and popular opulancy : but you have shewed by the constant example of your actions , that you have agreed with seneca , in his renowned maxim ; that sola virtus vera nobilitas , when so many others , are blinded with their absurd vanity and airy greatness . but you have rendred your self a true patriot to your country ; and therefore i most humbly implore this book may be sheltred under the wings of your graces protection : who am , right honourable and renowned sir , your graces most humble and most obedient servant , joseph gander . to the barons of the cinque-ports , and the members of parliament for the coasting-towns and burroughs of the kingdom of england . honoured and worthy senators , the cinque-ports of this kingdom , having signalized their loyalty and valour by sea , in several expeditions , for the glory of the king 's , honour of their country , and safety of the realm , our preceding kings confirmed several dignities on them , and amongst the rest , made their members of parliament barons , as an encouragement to navigation , and their prowess . and gave them the honour of supporting the canopy over his head at his coronation ; as is supposed by way of similitude : that whereas they had defended , supported , and maintained his honour by their courage against his enemies by sea , he gave them the honour to support the canopy over his head ; as a mark of honour to them , and his acknowledgement of the greatness of their service . and many coasting-towns and burroughs , have from time to time , been endowed with great priviledges , some of them remaining to this day ; as a mark of honour , by several kings , to encourage navigation ; from whence originally , we have beyond all dispute , arrived to the knowledge we are now attained to in marine affairs ▪ but now most of those towns and burroughs ( that formerly flourished by their fishing ) are reduced to miserable poverty , and thousands of families ruined for want of the fishery . and the gentlemen who have estates in those places , or near the coast , are exceedingly impair'd . of which calamity , king henry the th had undoubtedly a fore-sight of , as appears by the sratute of of his reign , 't is there thus inserted ; because the english fishermen dwelling on the sea coasts , did leave off their trade of fishing in our seas , and went the half seas over ; and thereupon they did buy fish of pickards , flemmings , normands and zealanders , by reason whereof , many incommodities did grow to the realm , viz. the decay of the wealth and prosperity , as well of the cinque-ports , and members of the same , as of other coasting-towns by the sea-side , which were builded , and inhabited by great multitudes of people , by reason of using , and exercising the feat , and craft of fishing . secondly , the decay of a great number of boats and ships . and thirdly , the decay of many good mariners , both able in body , by their diligence , labour , and continual exercise of fishing ; and expert by reason thereof , in the knowledge of our sea-coasts , as well within the realm , as in other parts beyond the seas . it was therefore enacted , that no manner of persons , english denizons , or strangers , at that time , or any time after , should buy any fish of any foreigners in the said ports of flanders , zealand , pickardy , or france , or upon the sea between shoar and shoar . this shews what great care our former kings , and parliaments have taken to preserve the nursery for sea-faring men , for the defence of the kingdom , and for the preservation of our coasting towns , &c. and , have therefore thought fit in all humility to dedicate this book to you , as before-mentioned . if my sincere intentions to serve the kingdom , have its desired success , i have my wish , who am your most humble and most obedient servant , j. gander . a vindication of a national fishery , &c. by the benign goodness of god , and by the wise conduct of our king , and the admirable wisdom , and prudent care of our sage senatours at home : england , after a tedious and chargeable war , hath obtained an honourable peace . and the sword being now sheathed ; his majesty in his most gracious speech to both houses of parliament , hath declared his royal inclination , for the preservation of the saftety , honour , and happiness of the kingdom , &c. so that it is not to be doubted but that the genius of our government , will make it the chiefest of their care , to settle the affairs of trade , upon the most firmest foundation , for the publick good of our nation . for the most destructive consumption that can happen to a kingdom , and the only nurse of idleness and beggary , is want of trade ; whereas on the contrary , increase of trade , encourageth labour , art and invention , and enricheth the common-weal . and beyond all dispute , the fishery of england , is the main trade of this kingdom , rightly managed ; the good patriots of our country are to weigh the matter : and it is so comprehensive a blessing , that were those advantages but industriously improved , that providence hath bestowed on this island , we might consequently be the most flourishing people in the whole world , both by sea and land. and seeing by the decay of the fishing trade , we have lain open to france , and holland , by neglecting our own preservation , and ill management of the fishery amongst our selves , it may be supposed , it is high time to look to it . but whether this great loss to the kingdom hath been occasioned by our wilful , or inadvertised neglect : i shall not determine ; and hope it will speedily be taken into the consideration of the most judicious patriots of our countrey . and then we shall draw back the trade from foreign nations , and employ our own people . the great and weighty question upon this point of trade to be considered , is : whether it is not the general interest of england , to revive and encourage a national fishery , it being the main pillar of the trade of this nation ; and humbly offer my weak opinion of the necessity of it ; for england being situated in the very jaws of neptune , by her commodious harbours , rivers and bays , &c. must be defended by shipping ; and she is the best accommodated with sea-ports of any place in christendom , and stands fairest to be lords of the sea of any people in the world. this kingdom being an island comparatively , were it , not for that isthmus or neck of land to the north , that joyns it to scotland . it must be universally allow'd , that her floating castles must defend her from all foreign invasions or incursions . and since she is obliged to defend her self by naval-force . it should be considered how that must be maintain'd and preserved : for , without those bul-warks , the kingdom , and consequently the rest of the dominions must be in a few years , in a very deplorable condition . and nothing is more certain than , that it is the sea enricheth the land , which is confirmed by the great advantages of getting treasure , by navigation both at home and abroad ; as is manifested by the grandeur that merchants generally live in , in england , holland , france , &c. history gives a very satisfactory account of this truth ; how the venetians have arrived to that greatness they now live in by navigation , and by their naval force , claim a prerogative of the adriatick sea. and also , to what greatness hath the french king attained to by navigation in a few years , that he gives laws in the mediteranean sea. and the hollanders by their navigation are grown , as opulent ( almost ) if not altogether , as any people in the world. but in queen elizabeths reign of blessed memory , england gave so fatal an overthrow to the spanish armado in anno , that she was the terror of the whole universe , by being so potent by sea ; and after her majesties success of that famous victory , she was as much aggrandized by foreign princes , for her conquest , as she would undoubtedly have been despised , had she been overcome . but how england has declined since her reign , for want of the fishery for nursery for sea-faring men , is obvious to the whole world. woful experience tells us , how much our neighbours have grown upon us ; by this neglect of ours , by the wealth they have got within this forty or fifty years ; and also by their daily increase of of shipping . and for want of true telescope to see clearly how this national fishery may be preserv'd and maintain'd , we are and have been many years , in the dark . it is not only the fish that we loose , and the impoverishing the coasting towns , and burroughs , the only loss that this nation sustains ; but for want of a prudent method to manage this fishery . we have only the colour for a nursery for seamen , which will not breed a tenth part of the men we have occasion for in time war , as we are an island . further , the hollanders and french , finds these advantages ( by encouraging of the fishery's , that they do not only get wealth , but it inures their men to the hardship of the sea , and makes them skilful in handling their tackling in pilotage and navigation . ) so that they know our own coasts , shoals and harbours , better than we do . but the antient britains permitted none to fish on our coasts , or in our seas , nor any to sail into the island , without their leave , and those only merchants ; nor would not permit any foreigner to view or sound their sea-coasts , which was undoubedly a great security to them , and encouragement to their pilots ; but now , 't is observable , that the hollanders seldom make use of english pilots , to come into any of our harbours ; and if they have occasion to man out a fleet of men of war , 't is but making a draught out of the fishery , and they are put on board their own climate . whereas , to the great detriment of this nation , and loss of our men ; when we have occasion to man the royal navy , we are forc'd to press tag , rag , and bob-tail , a parcell of lowsy vagrants and vagabonds , that have not prowess to make them soldiers , nor genius to make them mariners ; and while they are in harbour , eat up the nations provision : and when they come to be roll'd and toss'd by the waves at sea , they are as sick as so many dogs , and infect great numbers of sea-faring-men , * by which great inconveniecy , renders them more fit for an hospital , than a fighting navy ; as is seen in time of war , and our sea commanders the daily witness of this calamity . and it cannot be deny'd , but that it was the fishery of england , that supplied queen elizabeths navy with seamen , and made her so potent , to give so fatal an overthrow to the spaniards , that , that one blow was so great a loss , that they will never retrieve it , nor be able to oppose us either by sea or land. and her clemency to the hollanders , in giving them permission to fish on our coasts , was the very first foundation that they laid , to raise themselves to their present grandeur , and by the wealth they have got , and shipping , by their breeding of sea-faring men , they are rendred very formidable at sea. it is worth the while , saith the reverend mr. cambden , to observe what an extraordinary gain the hollanders , and zealanders , do make by fishing on the english seas , ‡ having first obtained leave from the castle of scarbourough ; for the english have ever granted them leave to fish , reserving always the honour and the priviledge to themselves ; but through negligence resigning the profit unto strangers , 't is almost incredible , saith he , what a vast sum of money the hollanders do make by this fishing upon our coast . and in edward the fourth's reign , * he ordered commanders with a naval power , to protect and guard the fisher-men upon the coasts of norfolk , and suffolk , and the charges of the guard were defrayed by the fishermen ; the english nation were ever in past ages renowned for sea-affairs , in all countries near the seas ; and they had also a numerous navy , that the people of all countries esteemed , and call'd the king of england , king and sovereign of the seas . and why england should not now insist upon the sovereignty of the british seas , as in former times , seems very wonderful ! but some people may say , that in case this fishery were encouraged , it may be a means to prevent eating so much flesh , as we do now in england : and so consequently , be very prejudicial to our landed-men , and bring the rents of the farms lower . but this with submission , is a very erroneous notion . for example : the fish that may or should be caught in the british seas , is not intended to be eat in england , and perhaps not one huudredth part of it , but to be sold at foreign markets ; as in due time shall be observed . and to make it appear , that if a national fishery be encouraged , it will cause a greater consumption of flesh than is now in england , and consequently , rather encrease than diminish the rents of our landed gentlemen , and in few years might double the rents , as the fishery flourished , and our trade encrease both at home , and abroad . i humbly offer these reasons ; first , our coasting towns , bouroughs and villages adjacent , that formerly had their dependance on the fishery , are reduced to so great poverty , for want of being employ'd , that they are now constrain'd to feed upon coarse-bread , butter , cheese , milk , turnips , carrots , or on such roots and herbs , as they can get : whereas if they were employed in this fishery , they would then have money to go to market , and buy flesh , as their ancestors did before them , for themselves , and families : and i suppose there is not any man , but what is sensible that the english naturally loving flesh , the meanest man or woman in the kingdom would have roast and boyl'd meat for themselves and families , as well as their landlords , if their purses would bear it . so that then there would be a greater consumption of flesh than there is now , not only in our coasting towns , &c. but in all probability , through the whole kingdom , when once we flourish in this fishery . this great and glorious undertaking will not only enrich us , but employ thousands of people that are now so miserable poor , that they gradually starve for want of having this encouragement . and what is worthy your particular notice , it would prevent abundance of sea-faring men from going into foreign service in times of peace , for want of employment at home ; many of them leaving their wives and children to be maintained by the parish , which undoubtedly is a great grievance to the respective parishes , and a burthen to the inhabitants . and this fishery would not only preserve thousands of families from starving , but then they would wear better cloaths , and promote our woollen manufactury ; for 't is only poverty makes people wear rags ; and being disheartned , it oftentimes prevents their devotion . and it will also prevent a great many inconveniencies , that now attend this nation , for want of being employed . for example : there would not be so many vagrants and vagabonds , nor so many people that take illegal courses ; as thieving , robbing , &c. to the ruine of themselves and others . nor so many export our corn , nor carry our wooll unwrought out of the kingdom , if they were employed another way . this fishery would also employ abundance at land , so well as by sea ; as clerks , accomptants , ware-house and store-keepers , and the like , and great numbers of artists and tradesmen : so that then there would be provision for a great many men , that go crawling about the streets , like so many snails , for want of employ , that have been well educated . besides , 't is an universal maxim , that idleness is the root of all evil ; and a great many people fear starving more than hanging , as is seen almost every session , or assizes ; for let the judge enquire of the criminals , what induced them to take the lewd courses they are indicted , or arraigned for , the general reply , is want. further , it is supposed by all that have travelled , in the low-countries , that where one male-factor is executed in holland or in france , there is above one hundred in england ; and the only reason that can be given , why there are so few in holland and france , and so many executed in england , is , that they take care to employ their subjects ; and those that are uncapable by age , or any other infirmity for labour , are provided for , by allowing them a competent maintenance to live on ; ( but 't is the fishery of england , that employs and enricheth them . ) and the hollanders themselves will boast , that god blesseth them in their tradring , and defends them from their enemies , for being so good to the poor . and it is a confirmation of the sacred writ , that he that considereth the indigent , the lord will remember him in the day of his tribulation . and what a great glory will it be to the king and kingdom , to preserve so many thousand subjects , that are now involv'd in such miserable necessity , that in all probability they must perish , if this method be not speedily taken . and since his majesty has been instrumental in delivering these kingdoms from slavery , and popery , &c. 't is to be supposed that he will also make it his chiefest care , to preserve his subjects from destruction ( that have so bravely ventur'd their lives , both by sea and land ; and have paid their money with so much chearfulness to carry on the war. and have so long languished under their afflictions . ) and he * having maugred all opposition , both at home and abroad , it now remains , that he attacks himself , that his goodness and greatness , may vye with each other , by enquiring , b what is to be done to retrieve them from their withering calamity . and 't is believed by all well-wishers to the welfare of these kingdoms , that his majesty will sign all those acts , that shall be for his glory , the senatours honour , and the preserving so well as enriching of his subjects . when he shall be advised to it by his parliament , in whom he has so great confidence , as he hath often declared for the good of his people , in his most gracious speech to both houses of parliament , which are too tedious here to insert . and having made the proud lillies of france stoop to him , and recovered the principality of orange , he will now assume his trident. and to emulate his royal predecessor , william the i. conquerour of england , who , after being possessed of the kingdom , took a view of it in a royal progress , and then did see there was an incumbent necessity to defend this realm by shipping ( altho' he set fire of his own fleet at his landing , to let his men know his intentions : aut caesar aut nullus . ) whereupon he demolished several villages in hampshire , and there planted a large forrest of oaks , c which to this day is call'd new forrest , it being above two and twenty miles in length , and eleven miles over . this shews what care our ancestors from time to time , have taken to secure this island by navigation , and for providing ships of force , as well as for commerce ; the one to enrich , the other to defend , as well our trading by sea ) as the island from invasion . for there is no dominion that can expect to flourish in trade , or be enriched by commerce , if they do not secure themselves by force , either by sea or land , as opportunity offers , or the necessity requires . 't is undoubtedly the interest of the nation to stand as well upon their guard in times of peace , as in war ; that they may give no opportunity to an enemy to surprise us , by sea , or land. and since there is so great a necessity for the defence of the nation , to support our navgation by this fishery , certainly our senatours will take care that the grandeur of these glorious kingdoms shall not be ecclipsed by the growing greatness of our neighbours , who have , and still do encroach upon the sovereignty of the british seas , which is the only diadem of the imperial crown of these dominions ; and the port cullizes and guard of the realm . but the fishery , if encouraged , will be for the good of the kingdom in general , from the king to the peasant ( or meanest subject ) and in some measure take off the burthen of the taxes this nation hath so long struggl'd under ; and not only make the exchequer the greatest bank in the world , but oblige the treasure of the east and west-indies , comparatively , to meet in our streets ; and also preserve a perpetual union amongst the subjects of england , let them be never so retrogade in their opinion , as to their profession of religion . and this happy union will prevent all intestine commotions ; and bid defiance to all foreign invasions , or incursions . and it cannot be denied , but that england had formerly the richest fishery in the world ; when we maintain'd the sovereignty of the british seas ; and by computation , had above fishing ships ; and had it been encourag'd , by a reasonable . increase , we must have had now , between and fishing ships ; and nothing can be more true , than that the fishery of england , is the main pillar of the trade and defence of this nation . and it will not only raise the naval force of england , but by its growth and flourishing , be a curb , to keep under the growing power of the french and hollanders , and bring in great treasure to the kingdom , as aforesaid . and further , if this nursery for seamen were encouraged , the merchants would never want men to carry their ships to sea , nor be in danger of having their men press'd in time of war ( which is a great detriment to our trade , and loss to the king and kingdom ) for then we should have sea-faring men , and mariners enough , to serve the kingdom . and in regard that some people may say that there will not be constant employ for our seamen in the fishery in times of peace ; and so prevent their going into foreign service for want of employ at home : i have particulariz'd the respective seasons for fishing , throughout the year , in the british seas . of the miraculous treasure of the british seas . the coast of great-britain doth produce a continual harvest of profit and benefit to all that do fish there ; and such shoals and multitude of fishes are offer'd to the takers , that it makes an admiration to those that are employ'd among them . the summer ▪ fishing for herrings , beginneth about midsummer , lasteth some part of august . the winter fishing for herring , from september , to the middle of november ; both which extend from bonghoness in scotland , to the river thames mouth , being a run of above a hundred leagues . the fishing for cod , at allum by , whirlington , and white-haven , near the coast of lancashire , from easter till whitsuntide . the fishing for hake , at aberdenie , abveswitch , and other places between wales and ireland , from whitsuntide , to st. james-tide . the fishing for cod and ling , about padstow , within the land ; and of severn , from christmas to midlent . the fishing for cod on the west part of ireland , frequented by those of biscay , and portugal , from the beginning of april until the end of june . the fishing for cod and ling on the north and north-east of ireland , from michaelmas to christmas . the fishing for pilchers on the west-coast of england , from st. james tide until michaelmas . the fishing for cod and ling , upon the north east of england , from easter to midsummer . the fishing of great staple-ling , and many other sorts of fish lying about the island of scotland , and in the several parts of the british seas all the year long . in september , not many years since , upon the coast of devonshire near minegal , five hundred tun of fish were taken in one day . and about the same time , three thousand pounds worth of fish , in one day were taken at st. ives in cornwal , by small boats. our five men boats and cobles , adventuring in a calm , to launch out amongst the hollands busses , not far from robinhood's bay , returned to whitby , full freighted with herrings , and reported that they had seen some of those busses take ten , twenty , and twenty four lasts at a draught of herring , and returned into their own country with forty , fifty , and a hundred lastes of herring in one buss . our fleet of colliers , not many years since , returning from newcastle , laden with coals , about the wells , near flamborough head , and scarborough , met with such multitudes of cod , ling , and herring , that one among the rest , with certain ship hooks , and other like instruments , drew up as much cod , and ling , in a little time , as sold for well nigh as much as her whole lading of coals . and many hundred of ships might have been laden in two days , and two nights . now what great inconveniency and detriment is this to the english nation ; that we do not encourage a national fishery , that we may retrieve those great advantages , that we have so long taken no notice of , in regard we can employ our seamen throughout the whole annual ? and out of which wonderful affluence and abundance of fish , swarming in our seas ; that we may the better perceive the infinite gain , which foreign nations make : i will especially insist upon the fishing of the hollanders on our coasts ; and thereby shew , how by this means principally they have risen , to the greatness of their present grandeur : . in shipping . . in mariners . . in trade , at home and abroad . . in towns and fortifications . . in power at home and abroad . . in publick revenue . . in private wealth . . in all manner of provisions , and stores of things necessary for the preservation of mankind , and munitions of war. encrease shipping . besides seven hundred strand boats , four hundred evars , and four hundred sullits , drivers , and tod-boats , wherewith the hollanders fish upon our coasts , every one of these employing another ship , to fetch salt , and carry the fish into other countries , being in all three thousand sail ▪ maintaining and setting on work , at least twelve thousand persons ; fishers , tradesmen , women and children . they have above ( as it is supposed ) one hundred doyer-boats , of one hundred and fifty tuns apiece , or thereabouts , seven hundred pinks and well-boats , from sixty to one hundred tuns burthen , which altogether fish upon the coast of england , and scotland , for cod and ling only . and each of these employ another vessel , for providing salt , and transporting of their fish , making in all , one thousand six hundred ships ; which maintain and employ persons of all sorts , four thousand at least ▪ for the herring season , they have one thousand six hundred busses at the least , all of them fishing only on our coast , from bonghoness in scotland , to the mouth of the thames . and every one maketh work for three other ships , to attend her ; the one to bring salt from foreign parts ; another to carry the said salt and cask to the busses , and to bring back their herring , and the third to transport the herring into foreign markets ; so that the total number of ships and busses , plying the herring-fare , is six thousand four hundred ships ; where every buss , one with another , employs forty men , mariners and fishers within her own hold ; and rest , ten men apiece , which amounteth to one hundred twelve thousand fishers and mariners . all which maintain double , if not treble so many tradesmen , women , and children by land. besides , they have generally four hundred vessels at least , that take herring at yarmouth , and there sell them for ready-money ; so that the hollanders ( besides three hundred ships , beforementioned , fising upon their own coasts or shoars : have at least four thousand eight hundred ships , onely maintain'd by the seas of great-britain . and to this number , they undoubtedly add every day ; although their countrey neither affords victuals , nor materials , nor merchandize to set them forth . yet by the great advantages that they have got by fishing on our coast , they abound in every thing that is fit for the use of mankind . encrease of mariners . the number of ships , fishing on our coasts , as being aforesaid , four thousand eight hundred , if we allow but twenty persons to every ship , one with another , the total of mariners and fishers amounteth to one hundred sixty eight thousand , out of which number they daily furnish their ships , to the east and west-indies , to the meditereanean , and for their grand fleet of men of war ; for by this means they are not only enabled to brook the seas and know the use of their tackles and compass , but are likewise instructed in the knowledge of navigation and pilotage , insomuch , that from hence their greatest navigators have had their educations and knowledge of the seas . encrease of trade . by reason of those multitude of ships and mariners , they have extended their trade to all parts of the world , exporting for the most part , in all their voyages , our herrings , and other fish , which they catch upon our coasts , or in the british seas , for the maintenance of the same . in exchange whereof they return these several commodities from other countries : from the southern parts , as france , spain , and portugal ; for our herrings , and other fish , they return oyls , wines , pruens , honey , woolls , leather , with store of coin in specie . from the streights ; velvets , sattins , and all sorts of silks , aloms , currants , oyls , and all grocery-ware , with much money . from the east-countries for our herrings , and other french , and italian commodities , before returned , they bring home corn , wax , flax , hemp , pitch , tarr , soap-ashes , iron , copper , steel , clap-board , wain-scot , timber , deal-board , dollars , &c. from germany , for herrings and other salt fish , iron , mill-stones , rhenish-wines , plate-buttons for armour , with other munition , too tedious to insert ; silks , velvets and rushes fustians , baratees , and such like frankford commodities ; with store of rix dollars . from brabant and flanders : they return for the most part ready-money , with some tapestries , and some other commodities ; and some of our herrings are carried so far as brassil . and that which is more strange , and to our great dishonour , they have generally four hundred ships , which fish in sight of yarmouth , and vend the herrings in england , and make us pay ready-money for our own fish . sir josiah child in his discourse of trade , in the end of his preface , is pleased to say , that he hath exposed his conceptions to the publick censure , with an assurance , that they will be received and honoured with a publick sanction , and past into laws ; and thus begins his book . the prodigious increase of the netherlands in their domestick and forreign trade , riches , and multitude of shipping , is the envy of the present , and may be the wonder of future generations . here he sets out the riches of holland , and backs it on with an addition , in several subsequent expressions in his book : they are sampsons , and goliah's , in trade : sons of anach ; men of renown , masters of the field ; like a prevailing army that scorns to build castles and fortresses , to secure themselves as we do by act of our navigation ; and to advance their glory herein , he tells us , that we are but dwarfs , and pigmies , in stocks and experience , &c. but he takes no notice that they have attained to their greatness by fishing on our coasts ; and that we were the sampson's and goliah's in queen elizabeths reign , and they the pigmies , as shall be made appear more at large . and the honoured author goes further on in his preface , and tells us , that were they freed from the french fears , they would be worse than task-masters over us in trade , considering their treasure . that the trade of the english nation is in a very bad circumstances , is plainly seen by all thinking men ; and since it is practical among kings and princes , and sates , to joyn one with another ( or enter into a confederacy ) to oppose a king , or prince , that is growing too great , that if they do not endeavour to suppress him , it may be a means to lie open to them whenever he intends to make an invasion or incursion into their dominions , or invade their territories . and whether it is not now high time , considering those vast improvements of the hollanders and french , to depress the growing greatness of our neighbours , must be left to the great wisdom of our senatours ; and also , whether a longer continuance of their fishing on our coasts will not be a further encouragement to their encroachments , and our own title , as to the antient sovereignty of the british seas ? by this their large extent of trade , they are become citizens of the whole world , whereby they have so enlarged their towns , that most of them within this hundred years , are full as big again as they were before ; as amsterdam , rotterdam , dort , middleburgh , &c. having been twice enlarged , their streets and buildings are orderly set forth , that for beauty and strength , they may compare with any other cities in the world ; upon which they bestow infinite sums of money ; all this originally flowing from the bounty of the british seas , from whence by their labour and industry , they derive the beginning of all that wealth and greatness ; and particularly for the havens of the aforesaid towns , whereof some of them cost forty , fifty , or an hundred thousand pounds : their fortifications , both for number and strength , ( upon which they have bestowed innumerable sums of money ) as well upon their frontiers , as ports , and may vye with any people in the world. encrease of power abroad . such being the number of the ships and mariners , and so great their trade , occasioned principally by their fishing , they have not only strengthned , and fortified themselves at home , and to repel all foreign invasions ; but have likewise stretched their power to the east and west indies , and in many places thereof , they are lords of the sea-coasts ; and have likewise fortified upon the main : and more than this , all the neighbouring princes , in their differences by reason of this their greatness at sea , are glad to have them of their party , as was exemplified , when the wars were between the danes and the swedes , the hollanders were for the king of denmark , and lent him vantrump to be his admiral , who had the success of sinking the swedish admiral , and overthrew the swedish fleet. this is a confirmation how much they are in esteem for their strength at sea , and that one would think ought to be a president for england , to preserve our naval-force . encrease of publick revenue . moreover ; how mightily the publick revenue , and custom of that state is increased by their fishing on our coasts , may appear in this ; that above forty years since , over and above the customs of other merchandize , excises , licenses , waftage and lastage , there was paid to the states for custom of herring , and other salt fish , above five hundred thousand pounds in one year , besides the tenth fish , and cask paid , and for waftage , which cometh to at least as much more , among the hollanders only : whereto the tenth of other nations being added , it amounteth to a far greater sum. we are likewise to understand that great part of their fish that they take out of our seas upon our coasts , is sold in other countries for ready money , and they generally import from foreign countries , of the finest gold and silver ; coming home , recoin it of a baser allay under their own stamp , by which means they exceedingly augment their publick treasure . observation . so that if england would encourage this national fishery , we should heap the same advantages ; ( the allay of the coin only excepted , ) which we cannot permit in england . encrease of private wealth . as touching their private wealth ; if we consider the abounding stores of herrings , and other fish by them taken on our coasts , and the usual prices that they are sold for ; as also the multitude of tradesmen and handicrafts men , that by reason of this their fishing , are daily set on work , we must needs conclude , that the gain and profit thereof , made by private men , must of necessity be exceeding great ; as by observing the particulars following , will appear ; by dunkirk spoyling and burning the busses of holland , and setting great ransom upon their fishermen , enforced them to compound for great sums of money ; that they might fish quietly for one year ; whereupon the next year after the fishermen agreed amongst themselves to pay to the states of holland a dollar , for every last of herring , towards the maintenance of certain ships of war , to secure them in their fishing on our coasts , they having obtained liberty from england for the same ; by reason whereof there was a record kept of the several lasts of herrings that year , and it appeared thereby , that in one half year they had taken thirty thousand lasts of herrings , which at twenty pound per last , amounteth to three millions six hundred thousand pounds , at sixteen , twenty , and thirty , pounds a last , as they are ordinarily sold ( according as they pick them ) and then transported into other countries , it cometh at least to five millions , whereunto , if we add the herrings taken by other nations ; as france , lubeck , hamborough , bremen , biscay , portugal , spain , &c. which for the most part fish in our seas ; together with cod , ling , hake , and other fish , and taken by the hollanders upon the british coasts , all the year long , the total will modestly and evidently arise to above ten millions . per annum . but admit it did amount to but five millions ; what a vast loss is it for our nation to sustain ? the great trade of fishing , employing so many ships at sea , must likewise maintain an innumerable number of tradesmen and artists by land ; as spinners , hemp-winders to cables , cordage , yarn , twine for nets and lines ; weavers , to make sail-cloths , cesive , packers , tollers , dressers , and cowchers , to sort and make the herrings lawful merchandize ; tanners , to tan their sails and nets ; coopers , to make cask , block , and boultmakers for ships , keelmen , and labourers for carrying and removing their fish : sawyers for planks , carpenters , shipwrights , smiths , carmen , boatmen , brewers , bakers , and a great number of others , whereof many are maimed persons , and unfit to be otherwise employed , children and families ; and further , every man and maid-servant having any poor stock , may venture the same in their fishing-voyages , which affords them ordinarily , great increase , and is duly paid according to the proportion of their gain . encrease of provision . and further it is well known , that holland it self , only doth afford a few hops , madders , butter and cheese , and yet aboundeth in a very bountiful manner , ( by reason of this art of fishing ) in all kind of provision , so well for life as commerce ; as in beef , mutton , veal , corn , &c. in cloths and leather , and wines , silks , spices ; and for to defend themselves by sea , they have pitch , tarr , cordage , and timber , iron , steel , cannon , and all manner of small arms , for the service of their land forces . of all which they have not only enough to supply themselves , but from their magazines , are able to furnish their neighbouring countries . and if this fishery is not encouraged , it must certainly redound to the ignominy of the english nation , to permit strangers to fish on our seas , and impoverish our selves to make them rich ; insomuch that for want of encouraging this fishery , above two hundred towns , burroughs and villages are ruin'd ( that formerly were enriched by fishing ) and the inhabitants reduced to miserable want. whereas on the contrary , by our sedulous endeavouring to make use of this great blessing , we might in a few years , repair the decayed towns , and the losses of this kingdom ; and not only prevent the destruction of thousands of families , and grow so potent by sea , that none durst oppose us . and beyond all dispute , had our ancestors ( in the reign of queen elizabeth ) been told that either the french or hollanders , should ever have been so powerful by sea , as to appear with that naval force as they have done on our seas , they would have thought they had been the greatest lyars and impostors in the world , which is now too manifestly known , not only to this kingdom , but to the whole universe . and how can it be supposed , that we shall be able to defend our selves against any invasion or incursion , that a foreign enemy may make , unless we preserve the foundation of those floating castles that must secure the island ? which without controversie is a national-fishery . when 't is daily visible that the french and hollanders had never attained to that force by sea , they are now arrived to , if it had not been encouraged by this neglect of ours ; which in all probability may prove the giving the sword out of our own power , and to the last degree prove fatal to the english nation , if not speedily prevented . and since god and nature hath offered so great a treasure , and lays it at our own doors ; should we not be exceedingly to blame , if we do not accept of such a wonderful blessing , which no people in the world but our selves can boast of , to enjoy in so bountiful a manner as this is bestowed on us ? the right method to be taken to retrieve and secure our priviledges , ought to be the great and speedy care of the best patriot of our country ; i might give here many reasons for defending the right of the fishery to our own subjects , as upon the reason of justice , prudence and interest , and the right of our sovereignty of the british seas , admits of no dispute . some men may say , that it is not a proper time to insist upon , or dispute the sovereignty of the british seas . for these reasons . first , the king is a hollander born. secondly , that he hath an estate and revenues in holland . thirdly , if the states of holland had not assisted his majesty with their navy and army , in his expedition against king james , he would not have succeeded in his design . fourthly , that the states of holland may insist , that if they had not assisted england in the distress they were involved in king james's reign , they had not been delivered from tyranny and popery , &c. in answer to these objections , i humbly offer these considerations . as to the first , it is true , the king was born in holland , and by the mothers side english , but now his majesty is espoused to england by his coronation oath , and therefore , according to the sacred writ , will ( no doubt ) cleave unto his wife . and let some mens mistakes be what they will ▪ he must undoubtedly have a greater esteem for the english and for england , that hath crowned him with the imperial diadem of these kingdoms and dominions , than for the hollanders , if once they should oppose the sovereignty of the british seas , which is now his right , as hath been acknowledged by hugo grotius , upon the innaugaration of king james the first of england , he rendreth this magnificent character of him . tria sceptra profundi in magne cojere ducem ; which is , that the rights of english , scottish , and irish seas , are united under one scepter , neither is he satisfied with this bare profession , but he goes on , sume animos à rege tuo , quis det jura mari ; which is , take courage from the king , who giveth laws to the sea : and in the same book , in contemplation of so great a power , he concludeeth . finis hic est qui fine caret , &c. that is , this is an end beyond an end , a bound that knoweth no bound ; a bound which even the wind and the waves must submit unto ; this is the acknowledgment of hugo grotius himself , that before he had disowned the sovereignty of the british seas in his mare liberum . as to the second objection . the king is not unsensible , that his revenues in england doth far exceed those of holland , and the only way to secure his interest there , must be by dint of sword , for without that , he had never regained the principality of orange ; and it cannot be supposed that his majesty should value these kingdoms and dominons at so slender a rate , as to lie open to a foreign enemy for want of encouraging a national-fishery , which will be for his glory , the honour of the kingdom , and the publick good in general ; when he is convinced it is to be done , and thereby secures the interest and safety of his dominions , both at home and abroad . as to the third objection . 't is allowed , the states of holland did assist his majesty with their navy and army ; and in answer to this , the king knows it may be proved from undeniable record ; that if queen elizabeth ( of blessed memory ) had not assisted the states both by sea and land , when they first revolted from the king of spain , they would never been freed from the spanish yoke , nor a free state ; and further , for her majestie 's assistance , offer'd her the sovereignty of the netherlands , in consiederation of her royal bounty , and goodness to them , after she had sent threescore thousand pounds , upon on the account of sir thomas gresham , in anno , one thousand five hundred seventy and two ; so that it is supposed that not only the king but all christendom knows , that the hollanders owe their ab-origine , and the greatness they are now attained to , from england : so this is but one service done for another . as to the fourth objection . beyond all dispute the king and kingdom hath taken care to pay the hollanders , all the charges they were at for the navy and army . but it cannot be supposed that they would quit their pretensions to the sovereignty of the british seas , which is the main pillar of the nation . as in the preamble , of an act of parliament made in the . year of the reign of king charles the second , it is thus inserted . that the wealth , honour and safety of this realm ; as well for the maintainance of trade , and encouragement of navigation , as in many other respects , doth in a high degree depend on the fishery . and should god almighty , out of his infinite mercy and goodness , inspire the king and senatours , to revive and promote this national-fishery ; it would be such a comfort in danger to this nation , as the honey sampson found in the lyons jaws : and not onely the coasting towns , burroughs and adjacent villages , be enriched thereby ; but the king and kingdom in general , would find the sweetness of it . for did we but secure the sovereignty of the british seas , it would not only make the whole world stand in awe of us , but court us to buy our fish . for without , it is impossible the east and northern countries should subsist , and in many other places , herrings are every days meat , winter and summer , as well to draw on drink , as to satisfie hunger and in many places , the greatest part of the year , they are scarce to be had ; for soon after michaelmas , the sound is frozen , so that no herrings can be transported thither ; and france , spain , italy , and the rest of the catholick countries , could not keep lent ( without our fish ) which next to their own salvation , they tender most dear , in obedience to the command of the church of rome . 't is observable , that the hollanders make it their business to infect the people of england , that we cannot make the advantage of the fishery as they do ; and therefore it will be convenient to remove all the vulgar objections : some will have it that we want men , and others , that our men will never take to it . as to the first , i answer , that we have men enough , but they are idle and live upon the publick , without making any return of their labour , but let these people be employ'd in the fishery , and they protected by an act of parliament , we shall soon have enough , and to spare ; and it is a great happiness to this kingdom , that we can employ our sea-faring men in times of peace , and 't is so great a blessing , that no nation in the world has the like opportunity of employing and enriching themselves . the second ( exception or ) objection is ; that the genius of this nation will never endure the hardships of this employment . to which i answer , that the english do run greater hazards , and suffer greater hardships in their long , tedious , and unhealthy voyages ; as to the east and the west-indies , and the turkey voyages , where many men are lost , by reason of the heat of the climate , want of provisions and water , which in the fishery , there is none of these inconveniences to attend them , they being so often in and out of port ; and as to labour , the working of a mine is far beyond that of fishing , where the men sometimes work up to the middle in water . — but to come nearer to the point , the english is so far from having an aversion against fishing , that they apply themselves to it ; for example , after harvest is in , and the herring-season comes on , the country fellows and boys do go to the coasting towns , to be hired into the fishery ; and do generally take such a liking to it , that after or voyages they very rarely return to their rural employment , but take to the sea altogether . and further , i cannot imagine what hardships the hollanders can undergo in the fishing , more than the english are willing to do ; this is another objection . but this , beyond all dispute , is a very erroneous notion ; for the herring fishing in the english seas begins in june , and goes out in november ; and that for the first four months , it is the best time for profit , pleasure , and fair-weather ; for we seldom look out after the herring fishing till september , and so continue to the end of november , which is the most tempestuous season in the whole annual ; and then in january , we fit out for the north seas , and spend the remaining part of winter in all extremities of cold and hardship ; this is enough to satisfie , that we are able to undergo as much hardships as the hollanders . but however , i 'le strain this point a little further ; suppose that the winter fishing would be too hard for us , what excuse can we have for not makeing our improvements on the summer fishing , which is more advantageous abundantly ; another objection is , that the hollanders can fare harder than the english , in their course feeding , and great stress is laid upon this ; and that an english man will never be able to live on so sparing a diet as they do . now if it were so , and that an english diet could not be had , and that a dutch diet would not serve us ; but that is not our condition : for he that cannot brook with the one may have the other ; and i am induced to believe that pork , pease , and beef , are much better and more strengthening , than roots and cabbage , for the hollanders victualling is the same with ours , for beer , biscuite , butter , cheese ; all which we can provide our selves with , much cheaper than they : and to make good the defect of their ordinary provisions , they drink a great deal more brandy than the english do ; so then to take one thing with another , we victual with good provisions , as cheap or cheaper than they do . but besides the very suggestion of leaving a good diet , to go to a bad , is a very great error ; for the countrey men that enter themselves on board the fishery , fare far better at sea than they did at land ; for besides their general victualling , which they carry with them to sea , they feed upon the fish they catch , which for variety , being fresh taken , is a treat , to what a person of quality has at his table a shoar ; and of pitiful weak men at land , in a voyage or two , become stout , hearty , and healthful men. there are two more wolves in the way ; first , that our herrings are in no esteem abroad , because we have not the right way to cure them . secondly , we shall never make nothing on 't , for the hollanders will under-sell us , for freighting cheaper , and consequently beat us out of the trade . in answer to which ; first , there are two ways of curing the herrings , the one at sea , where they are gipp'd , immediately upon their taking , and barrell'd ; the other at land , where they are gipp'd , and pack'd some days after they are taken ; these we call shoar-made-herrings , and we know very well , that one barrel of the other for goodness , is worth one hundred of these ; and that they will never take their pickle kindly , unless their throats be cut , as soon as they are caught ; so that it is a great error to take a shoar-made-herring , for a tryal of skill in curing ; but for those that are made at sea , they are made as good , and as much in esteem abroad as any of the hollanders herrings , and they have been frequently sold in the east-country for four pounds a barrel ; and i could wish we were no more to blame , for not taking them than curing them ; but admit we did not know how to cure them ; i hope 't is not impossible for the english to learn. secondly , the other notion is , that the hollanders will beat us off of our trade ; this is as erroneous as the rest , and of no force at all against the fishery , or it is much more force against the merchant , and the newcastle trade ; for this lies under our noses , and more in our conveniency than any body 's else . and to neglect our fishing upon this consideration , is to quit all navigation , and leave our selves to the mercy of the hollanders , or to be made a prey to any that will attack us . and then to fear we shall want vent , is to imagine that the people will leave off eating , and a great part of the tradeing world is yet unserv'd with fish , and it never could be made appear that our herrings lay upon our hands for want of a market . and since all these objections are sufficiently answer'd , there is nothing wanting , but assuming our antient right , and taking possession of the fishery . and notwithstanding it is so apparently made appear , that this national fishery will redound so much to the glory of the king , honour of our senatours assembled in parliament , and welfare of the kingdom in general . we will suppose for argument sake 't is all but wast-paper . but here is the question to be put to the king and kingdom in general , if the growing greatness of the french and hollanders , has so much increased within this thirty or forty years last past , and still continue in the increasing of sea-faring men , mariners , and their naval force ; what will become of england in ten or twenty years ; when in all probability , they may be so potent ( unless a speedy check is put to their carrier ) that we shall not be able to oppose them ? and 't is an universal maxim , that the forces of potentates at sea : sont des marques de grandeur d'estat , saith a french author ; whosoever commands the sea , commands the trade of the world : he that commands the trade , commands the wealth of the world , and consequently the world it self . again ; as he that is master of a field , is said to be master of every town , when it shall please him ; so he that is master of the sea , may in some sort , be said , to be master of every countrey , at least of such as are bordering on the sea ; for he is ▪ at liberty to begin , and end war where , when , and upon what terms he pleaseth , and extend his conquests even to the antipodes . and england being encompassed with the sea , as aforesaid , and abounding in commodious and excellent havens bayes and ports , it excels for safety and security ( which is no small praise ) all the neighbouring countries in europe , if not all in the world , and needs not fear any neighbouring nation , but only that which grows potent in shipping ; for they onely can deprive us of our main security ; and if an island can make us as the continent . and if this nation is once over power'd at sea , we must expect to be the most miserable people in the vniverse , having for so many generations last past , lorded it over the whole world by sea ; that the very name of the english struck a terror into all those that durst oppose them . when william the first , subdued the realm , conquerour of england that was an easy fall ; it proving only prejudicial to some particular families ; and he residing in the kingdom , took all the care imaginable to preserve this nation , as already has been said , by his planting of a new-forrest with oaks , to his perpetual glory . but if once the naval power of england be overcome by the french or hollanders ; ( according to all human probability ) it must prove a fatal overthrow , so far as they can reach with fire and sword , being spurr'd on by ambition , and avarice , revenge and interest ; and then we should find the english saying to be too true ; that the french and hollanders are like fire and water ; good servants but bad masters . and it is most certain , that there is no other way to maintain the glory and grandeur of this kingdom but by raising a national-fishery ; which rightly understood , is the primum mobile of the nation ; 't is the only palladium of this realm , without which , 't is impossible to preserve , or revive the former glory of our ancestors , and secure the sovereignty of the british seas , and enrich the kingdom by navigation . the sovereignty of the british-seas , asserted . england hath claimed a prerogative of the british seas time out of mind ; and amongst our former and ancient kings , king edgar was very potent , who possessing an absolute dominion of the seas , sailed round about it every year , and secured it with a constant guard , as it is recorded ; and what dominion king edgar had , as absolute lord of the sea , appears in these words ; i edgar king of england , and of all the islands , and of the ocean lying round about britain , and of all the nations that are included within the circuit thereof , supream lord and governour ; do render thanks to almighty god my king , who hath enlarged my empire , and exalted it above the royal estate of my progenitors , who altho they arrived to the monarchy of all england ; ever since athelstan , yet the divine goodness hath favoured me to subdue all the kings of the islands , in the ocean , with their most stout and mighty kings , even as far as norway , and the greatest part of ireland ; together with their most famous city of dublin . so far edgar . and after him , king conutus left a testimony of his sovereignty over the sea ; in this expression ; thou o sea art mine , &c. and from the testimony of the saxons , and the danes , we shall descend to the government of the normans , whereby many notable and clear proofs we shall find , as may be gathered out of that breviary of england , called dooms-day : rot. par. hen. . . edw. . . rich. . the tribute called danegelt , was paid in the time of the english saxons , which amounted to four shillings upon every hide of land , for the defending the dominion by sea. roger hoverden asserteth it was paid until the reign of king stephen ; and in the parliament records of king richard the second , it is observable that a custom was imposed upon every thing that passed thro' the northern admiralty ; that is , from the , thames along the eastern-shoar of england , towards the north-east , for the maintaining a guard for the seas . and this was not imposed only upon the english , but also upon all the ships of foreigners , paying at the rate of six pence a tun that passed by ; such ships only excepted that brought merchandize out of flanders to london . rot. par. rich. . part . act . seld. mare clausum , page . rot. fran. . hen. . rot. fran. . hen. . rot. par. edw. and it appeareth by publick records , containing divers main points , touching which , the judges of the land were to be consulted for the good of the common wealth ; that the kings sea dominion ▪ which they called , the antient superiority of the sea , was a matter beyond all contradiction amongst all lawyers of that age , and asserted by the determinations and customs of the law of the land ; and by express words of the writs and forms of the actions themselves . and this truth was not only comfirmed by the laws , but by our medals : there hath been a piece of gold very often coyned by our kings , called a rose noble , which was stamped on the one side of it , a ship floating in the sea , and a king armed with a sword and a shield , sitting in the ship it self , as in a throne ; to set forth the representation of the english king by sea. the first author hereof , was edward the third ; when he guarded his own seas with a potent navy , consisting of eleven hundred ships , at which time as at others , he marched victoriously thro' france . but of all that has been said , there can hardly be alledged a more convincing argument to prove the truth of all that hitherto hath been spoken , than the acknowledgment of the sea dominion of the kings of england ; when the agreement was made by edward the first of england , and phillip the fair of france ; reyner grimhald was then admiral of the french navy , intercepted and spoyled on the english seas , the goods of many merchants that were sailing to flanders , as well english as others , and was not contented with the depredation of their goods , but he imprisoned their persons , and delivered them up to the officers of the king of france . and in a very insolent manner , justified his actions in writing , as done by authority of the king his master's commission . this being alledged to be done to the great damage and prejudice of the king of england ; the prelates , peers , and the rest of the nation , exhibited a bill against reyner grimbald , and managed by the procurators on the behalf of the prelates , peers , and of the cities and towns through out england ; and also of the whole kingdom of england in general ; and by and with the authority , as is supposed , of the estates assembled in parliament ; with those were joyned procurators of most nations bordering upon the sea , throughout europe , viz. the genoeses . the catalonians . the spainards . the almayns . the zealanders . the hollanders . the freezlanders . the danes . the norwegians . the hamburghers and all these instituted a complaint against reyner grimbald , who was admiral of the french navy , in the time of the war , between philip king of france , and guy earl of flanders ; and all these complainants in their bill , do joyntly affirm , that the king of england and his predecessors , have time out of mind , and without controversie , enjoyed the sovereignty and dominion of the english seas , and the isles belonging to the same , by right of the realm of england ; that is to say , by prescribing laws , statutes , and prohibition of arms and of ships , otherwise furnished , than with such necessaries and commodities as belong to merchants , &c. also , that they have had , and have the sovereign guard hereof , with all manner of cognizance and jurisdiction , doing right and justice , according to the said laws , ordinances , and prohibitions ; and in all other matters which may concern the exercise of sovereign dominion in the said places . this is the declarations of the nations aforemention'd , and they did declare he was lord of the sea , &c. this is cited out of the parliament records ; and they did declare an acknowledgment of the sea dominion of our kings , made by those foreign and neighbour nations , who were most concern'd in the business , to the glory of our kings of england . mr. hitchcock , in the reign of queen elizabeth , presented a book to the parliament , concerning the commodity of fishing ; that the hollanders , and zealanders , every year towards the latter end of summer , do send out four or five hundred vessels , called busses , to fish for herrings in our eastern seas ; but before they fish , they ask leave of starbourough ; these were the words : care was also taken in king james the first of englands reign ; that no foreigner should fish on the english or irish seas , without leave first obtained ; and every year at the least , this leave was renewed from commissioners , for that purpose , appointed at london . and the kings of france have desired leave of the kings of england , for a certain time to fish on our seas , only for fish for his houshould , and obliged themselves in articles , that none of the fish , that was taken in the british seas should be exposed to sale in any market . in the seventh year of the reign of king james the first , the sovereignty of the british seas was strenuously asserted by proclamation ; and all persons excluded from the use of the seas upon our coasts , without particular licence ; the grounds whereof , you have here set down in the proclamation it self . a proclamation . touching fishing . james by the grace of god , king of great-britain , france and ireland , defender of the faith , &c. to all and singular persons to whom it may appertain , greeting . although we do sufficiently know by our experience , in the office of regal dignity ( in which by the favour of almighty god we have been placed and exercised these many years ) as also by the observation , which we have made of other christian princes exemplary actions how far the absoluteness of sovereign power extendeth it self ; and that in regard thereof , we need not yield account to any person ( under god , ) for any action of ours , which is lawfully grounded upon that just prerogative ; yet such hath ever been and shall be our care and desire , to give satisfaction to our neighbour princes and freinds in any action which may have the least relation to their subjects and estates ; as we have thought good ( by way of premonition ) to declare to them , and to whomsoever it may appertain , as followeth . whereas we have been contented since our coming to the crown , to tolerate an indifferent and promiscuous kind of liberty to all our friends whatsoever , to fish within our streams , and upon any of our coasts of great britain , ireland , and other adjacent islands , so far forth , as the permission or use thereof might not redound to the impeachment of our prerogative royal , nor to the hurt and damage of our loving subjects ; whose preservation and flourishing estate we hold our self principally bound to advance before all worldly respects : so finding that our continuance therein hath not only given occasion of over-great encroachments upon our regalities , or rather questioning our right ; but hath been a means of daily wrongs to our own people that exercise the trade of fishing , as ( either by the multitude of strangers , which do pre-ocupy those places , or by the injuries that they receive commonly at their hands . ) our subjects are constrain'd to abandon their fishing , or at least , are become so discouraged in the same , as they hold it better for them to betake themselves to some other course of living ; whereby , not only divers of our coast towns are much decayed , but the number of mariners daily diminish , which is a matter of great consequence to our estates , considering how much the strength thereof consisteth in the power of shipping , and use of navigation ; we have thought it now both just and necessary ( in respect that we are now by gods favour linealy and lawfully possess'd as well of the islands of great britain and ireland , and the rest of the isles adjacent ) to bethink our selves of good lawful means to prevent those inconveniences , and many others depending upon the same . in consideration whereof , as we are desirous that the world may take notice , that we have no intention to deny our neighbours the allies those fruits and benefits of peace and friendship , which may justly be expected at our hands in honour and reason , or are afforded by other princes in the point of commerce , and exchange of those things which may not prove prejudicial to them : so , because some such convenient order may be taken in this matter , as may sufficiently provide for these important considerations , which do depend thereupon ; we have resolved first , to give notice to all the world , that our express pleasure is , that from the beginning of the month of august next coming , no person of what nation or quality soever , being not our natural born subjects ▪ be permitted to fish on any of our coasts and seas , of great britain , ireland ▪ and the rest of the isles adjacent , where most usually heretofore any fishing hath been , until they have orderly demanded and obtained licenses from us , or such of our commissioners as we have authorised in that behalf , viz. at london , for our realms of england and ireland ; and at edenburgh ▪ for our realm of scotland ; which licenses our intention is , shall be yearly demanded , for so many vessels and ships , and the tunnage thereof , as shall intend to fish for that whole year , or any part thereof , upon any of our coasts and seas , as aforesaid , upon the pain of such chastisement as shall be fit to be inflicted on such offenders . given at our palace at westminster , the th of may , in the th year of our reign of great britain , anno dom ' . notwithstanding this proclamation , the netherlanders still proceeded in the way of their encroachment upon the seas , thro' the whole reign of king james , and were at length so bold as to contest with him , and quarrel his majesty out of his rights , pretending ( because of the long connivance of queen elizabeth ) that they had of their own a right , of immemorial possession . and in king charles the i's reign , a proclamation was published , for restraint of fishing upon his seas and coasts , without license , dated the th day of may , in the th year of his reign . this proclamation being set forth in the year , serv'd to speak the intent of those naval preparations , made in the year ; which were so numerous and well provided , that our netherland neighbours , were apprehensive of some great design in hand , for the interest of england by sea. as i might shew at large ( if it were requisite ) by certain papers of a publick character yet in being . but there is one which may serve instead of all ; and it is a very ingenious letter of secretary cokes , that was written to sir william boswell , the king 's resident , then at the hague ; the original whereof is still reserved among the publick papers : in which letter he sets forth , the grounds and reason of preparing that royal and gallant navy ; with the king's resolution to maintain the right derived from his royal progenitors , in the dominion of the british seas ; and therefore i here render a true copy of it , so far as concerns this business , as most pertinent to our purpose . sir , by your letters , and otherwise , i perceive many jealousies and discourses are raised upon the preparations of his majesty's fleet , which is now in such forwardness , that we doubt not but within this month , it will appear at sea. it is therefore expedient , both for your satisfaction and direction , to inform you particularly , what was the occasion , and what is his majesty's intention in this affair : first , we hold it a principle , not to be denied ( as it may be prov'd from undeniable record ) that the king of great britain , is a monarch at land and sea , to the full extent of his dominions ; and that it concerneth him , as much to maintain his sovereignty in thebritish seas , as within his three kingdoms ; because without * that , these cannot be kept safe ; nor he preserve his honour and due respect with other nations . but commanding the sea , he may cause his neighbours , and all countries , to stand upon their guard , whensoever he thinks fit . and this cannot be doubted , that whosoever will encroach upon him by sea , will do it also by land , when they see their time . to such presumption , mare liberum , gave the first warning-piece , which must be answer'd with a defence of mare clausum ; not so much by discourse , as by the lowder language of a powerful navy ; to be better understood , when over-strain'd patience seeth no hope of preserving her right by other means . the degrees by which his majesty's dominion at sea , hath of latter years been impeached , and then question'd , are as considerable as notorious . first , to cherish , and as it were , to nourish our unthankful neighbours , we gave them leave to gather wealth and strength upon our coasts , in our ports , by our trade , and by our people : then they were glad to invite our merchants residence , with what priviledges they would desire . then they offer'd us the sovereignty of their estates ; and then they su'd for license to fish upon our coasts , and obtained it under the great seal of scotland , which now they suppress . and when thus by leave , or by connivance , they had possess'd themselves of our fishings , not only in scotland , but in ireland and england ; and by our staple , had raised a great stock of trade , by these means they so increased their shipping and power at sea , that now they endure not to be kept at any distance : nay , they are grown to that confidence , to keep guards upon our seas , and then project an office and company of assurance , for the advancement of trade ; and withal prohibit us free commerce within our seas , and take our ships and goods , if we conform not to their placarts . what insolences and cruelties they have committed against us heretofore in ireland , in greenland , and in the indies , is too well known to all the world. in all which , tho' our sufferings , and their wrongs , may seem forgotten ; yet the great interest of his majesty's honour , is still the same , and will refesh their memories , as there shall be cause . for tho' charity must remit wrongs done to private men ; yet the reflection upon the publick may make it a greater charity to do justice on crying crimes . all this notwithstanding , you are to conceive , that the work of this fleet , is revenge , or execution of justice for these great offences past , but chiefly for the future , to stop the violent current of that presumption , whereby the men of war , and free-booters of all nations ( abusing the favour of his majesty's peaceable and most gracious government ) whereby he hath permitted all his friends and allies , to make use of his sea-ports , at a reasonable and free manner , according to his treaties ) have taken upon them the boldness , not only to come confidently at all times into all his ports and rivers , but to convey their merchant ships so high as his chief city , and then to cast anchor close upon his magazines ; and to contemn the commands of his officers , when they have required a further distance . but which is more intolarable , have assaulted and taken one another within his majesties * chamber , and within his rivers ; to the scorn and contempt of his dominon and power ; and this being of late years an ordinary practice , which we have endeavoured in vain to reform by the way of justice and treaties , the world , i think , will be satisfied , that we have reason to look about us . and no wise man will doubt , but it is high time to put our selves in this equipage upon the seas ; and not to suffer that stage of action to be taken from us , for want of our appearance . so you see the general ground upon which our counsel stands ; in particular , you may take notice , and publish as cause requires ; that his majesty by his fleet intendeth not a rupture with any prince or state , nor to infringe any point of his treaties , but resolveth to continue , and maintain that happy peace wherewith god hath blessed his kingdom , and to which all his actions and negotiations have hitherto tended , as by your own instructions , you may finally understand . but withal considering , that peace must be maintain'd by the arm of power , which only keeps down war by keeping up dominion ; his majesty thus provoked , finds it necessary for his own defence and safety , to re-assume and keep his antient and undoubted right , in the dominion of these seas , and to suffer no other prince or state to encroach upon him , thereby assuming to themselves or their admirals any sovereign command ; but to force them to perform due homage to his admirals and ships , and to pay them acknowledgments , as in former times they did . he will also set open ▪ and protect the free trade , both of his subjects , and allies , and give them such safe conducts and convoy , as they shall reasonably require . he will suffer no other fleets , nor men of war , to keep any guard upon these seas , or there to offer violence , to take prizes , or booties , or to give interruption to any lawful intercourse . in a word ; his majesty is resolved , as to do no wrong , so to do justice both to his subjects and friends , within the limits of his seas . and this is the real and royal design of his fleet , whereof you may give notice , as you find occasion , to our good neighbours in those parts , that no vmbrage may be taken of any hostile act , or purpose to their prejudice in any kind ; so wishing you all health and happiness , i rest your assured friend and servant . john coke . so what has been said is sufficient to prove the undisputable titles of the kings of england's sovereignty over the british seas ; and the necessity of maintaining and defending it : the conclvsion . to conclude , that by which hath been undeniably asserted , it doth evidently appear , that the kings of england ( by immemorable prescription , continual usage and possession ; and also by the acknowledgment of all the kings , princes , and states of christendom , and the laws of this kingdom , ) have always held the sovereign propriety of the british seas . — and his majesty by right of his sovereignty hath supream commands , and iurisdiction over the passage of his seas , and fishing therein beyond all contradiction . * and considering the nutural sight of these our seas , that interpose themselves between the great northern commerce , and that of the whole world ; and also , that of the east , west and southern climates ; and with all , the vast treasure that is got by fishing in them daily . it cannot therefore be doubted but his majesty , by reason of his great wisdom and virtue , and his admirable valour ; and the diligent care of his faithful and loyal subjects , may without injustice to any prince or state , be made the greatest monarch for wealth and command in the world ; and his people the most opulent flourishing of any in the universe . and the sovereignty of the seas being the most precious jewel of his imperial crown ; ( and next under god ) the principal means of our wealth , and safety ; all true english men , are bound by all possible means of honour and industry , to preserve it with the utmost hazard of their lives and fortunes . thus you see , what wonderful advantages may redound to the felicity and glory of this nation , if god gives us hearts and resolutions to vindicate those rights which are most impiously and injuriously invaded by our neighbours . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e vid ▪ seld. mare clausum . . * and many dies . ‡ rich. . fitz herbert . tit. protection . . * rob. belknap , an eminent judg in his tim . affirmed , ● that the sea is subject to the king , as a part of this kingdom , or of the patrimony of the crown . ☞ object . ☞ ☞ * the king b the kingdom would promote trade ☜ c all intended for building men of war , as a guard to the kingdom . and if we had the mines of mexico and peru , in this kingdom , unless they were secured by force of arms , they would undoubtedly lie open to any that would invade us . ☞ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ observ . note , that we might make the same advantages of our fish abroad , did we encourage this national-fishery . ☞ note , if this national fishery were encouraged , there would undoubtedly acrue to the crown , above l ▪ per annum . ☞ observ . ☞ hugo grotius lib. . lib. . notes for div a -e guil. malmesb . lib. . cap. . am. part . page . vide edw. coke , part . fol. . and in con ▪ littleton ▪ sect. . fol. . note , p. . remark . rot. par. . edw. . membran . . ☞ ☞ * * ☞ * the downs . white-hall , april . . our style . * and for these reasons , stand the fairest of any people in the world , to be lords of the seas , and give : laws to the whole world by our naval-force ▪ right trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. vvhereas our royal father of blessed memory, did in the year . constitute and establish a society of fishers, ... england and wales. sovereign ( - : charles ii) this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason .f. [ ]). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing c thomason .f. [ ] estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; : f [ ]) right trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. vvhereas our royal father of blessed memory, did in the year . constitute and establish a society of fishers, ... england and wales. sovereign ( - : charles ii) england and wales. privy council. city of london (england). lord mayor. sheet ([ ] p.) printed for jane bourne, at the sounth-entrance [sic] of the royal fxchange [sic], london : [ ] imprint date from wing. dated at end: given at our court at whitehall this . day of july, in the twelfth year of our raign [i.e. ]. addressed at end: to our right trusty and well-beloved, the lord mayor of our city of london, to be communicated to the court of aldermen. annotation on thomason copy: "july ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng fish trade -- england -- london -- early works to . public welfare -- england -- london -- early works to . fisheries -- england -- early works to . a r (thomason .f. [ ]). civilwar no charles r. right trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. vvhereas our royal father of blessed memory, did in the year . constitute a england and wales. sovereign a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion royal blazon or coat of arms c r honi soit qvi mal y pense diev et mon droit charles r. right trusty and well-beloved , we greet you well . vvhereas our royal father of blessed memory , did in the year . constitute and establish a society of fishers , and declared that he was resolved by all good occasions favourably to assist , and graciously accept the forwardness of all those that should express their zeal to his majesties service in so general and publick an undertaking , it being then resolved and concluded by his majesty , that it was very honorable and necessary for this kingdom . now that the true managing and most advantageous prosecution thereof , is by experience discovered by philip late earl of pembroke and mountgomery and his associates , who did cause sundry fishing vessels to be provided and built , which imployed many families in making of nets and other provisions ( one vessel imploying families in work ) besides the breeding of country youths to be made serviceable marriners in short time , as by the book called the royal hering buss fishings presented unto us doth plainly appear . and whereas we are informed that the nation doth abound with great numbers of poor families and vagrants , who for want of imployment are like to perish , unless some speedy care be taken for their relief : and that the several wards and suburbs of this our city of london and hamlets adjacent , are burthened with multitudes of poor people , not only which are born in the said places , but such as come out of sundry countries to seek relief : for redress whereof , we do hereby recommend unto the care of you our lord mayor of the said city , to advise with each alderman , and cause his ward-moote inquest to give in a particular of all the poor inhabitants within his ward what their employment is , and how many are without employment , and present the same to the rest of the inhabitants in his ward with a copy thereof , and excite them to a free subscription for raising a stock to buy hemp and clapboards to make hering fishing-nets , and barrells for the furnishing and fitting out of one busse or fishing vessel to belong to the said ward , which will give all the poor and vagrants employment , the said ward husbanding the same to their best advantage . the which vve shall in like manner recommend to all the counties , cities and towns within our dominions , whereby to make it a national employment for the general good , and will give all fitting assistance unto the undertakers for their encouragement . that so when provisions shall be made ready and store-houses built in commodious places about the river of thames , ( where breaches have been made ) and the like , in the several ports , magazines may be fitted with nets , caske , salt and all things in readiness , the busses may all go forth to our island of sheetland as their rendezvous to keep together in their fishing according to certain orders prescribed in the aforesaid book . and to take that priviledge of the fishing grounds which belongs to us before all nations whatsoever . and so we bid you heartily farewell . given at our court at whitehall this . day of july , in the twelfth year of our raign . by his majesties command . ed. nicholas . to our right trusty and well-beloved , the lord mayor of our city of london , to be communicated to the court of aldermen . london : printed for jane bourne , at the sounth-entrance of the royal exchange . to the high court of parliament of england, scotland, and ireland the humble petition of richard ford, nathaniel manton, and thomas papillon, of london, merchants. ford, richard, sir, d. . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason .f. [ ]). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing f thomason .f. [ ] estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; : f [ ]) to the high court of parliament of england, scotland, and ireland the humble petition of richard ford, nathaniel manton, and thomas papillon, of london, merchants. ford, richard, sir, d. . manton, nathaniel. papillon, thomas, - . sheet ([ ] p.) s.n., [london : ] imprint from wing. annotation on thomason copy: "decemb ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng whaling -- early works to . fisheries -- england -- early works to . a r (thomason .f. [ ]). civilwar no to the high court of parliament of england, scotland, and ireland: the humble petition of richard ford, nathaniel manton, and thomas papill ford, richard, sir a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to the high court of parliament of england , scotland , and ireland : the humble petition of richard ford , nathaniel manton , and thomas papillon , of london , merchants . sheweth , that your petitioners taking notice that the fishing ships lately returned from greenland , had taken onely two whales , whose oyle and finnes are but a drop to that ocean which the necessary occasions of this common-wealth require : your petioners presumed that this honourable house , would for this season suspend that law which prohibites the importation of those commodities from forraign parts ; and in confidence thereof did presently cause to be bought in holland , a very large quantitie of oyle and finnes , earnestly awaiting the resolution of this honourable house thereupon : and in the mean time having an offer made them by one thomas may , agent for major john harris , of a certain licence , which they both pretended the said harris had obtained from his highness , the lord protectour and his honourable councell , for the free importing of tunns of whale oyle and whale finnes by him or his assignes , they did pay unto the said harris l . upon the exhibiting and assignment of the said licence before the commissioners of the customes : and did thereupon give order to their factors in holland ; presently to lade for this port of london tunns of oyle , and tunns of whale finnes , and for the port of hull one other hundred tunns of whale oyle , in confidence that they should enjoy the benefit of the said licence . but your petitioners have since understood and are satisfied , that the said pretended licence was never signed by his highness , but forged by the said harris and his complices ; and the said harris notwithstanding his highness order to apprehend him , being fled and escaped with the said money , your petitioners are in apparent danger , not onely to lose the said l . which they have paid , but also to their utter ruine to incurre the penaltie of the law upon all that very considerable quantitie of oyle , and whale finnes aforesaid , when they shall arrive , of which they are in dayly , expectation , and therefore do humbly pray , in regard that they cannot seasonably countermand their orders , that it may please this honourable house , to take their sad condition so farre into your gracious consideration , as to afford them such relief and protection for their said goods against the rigor of the law , as to your wisedomes shall be found most agreeable to equitie , and the pressing exigencie of their case , that they and theirs may not at once be ruined in their innocencie , by the wretched circumvention of so notorious an impostor . and your petitioners shall ever pray , &c. a discourse of the fishery briefly laying open, not only the advantages, and facility of the undertaking, but likewise the absolute necessity of it, in order to the well-being, both of king, and people : asserted, and vindicated from all materiall objections / by r. l'estrange. l'estrange, roger, sir, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing l estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a discourse of the fishery briefly laying open, not only the advantages, and facility of the undertaking, but likewise the absolute necessity of it, in order to the well-being, both of king, and people : asserted, and vindicated from all materiall objections / by r. l'estrange. l'estrange, roger, sir, - . [ ], p. printed for henry brome ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng fisheries -- england. herring fisheries. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - melanie sanders sampled and proofread - melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discourse of the fishery . briefly laying open , not only the advantages , and facility of the vndertaking , but likewise the absolute necessity of it ; in order to the well-being , both of king , and people . asserted , and vindicated from all materiall objections . by r. l' estrange . london , printed for henry brome at the gun in s. pauls-church-yard , at the west end , . a discourse upon the fishery . being to treat of the fishery , and more particularly of the herring-fishing though i reckon upon the cod and ling-fishing also in the gross , i have diligently perused , extracted , and digested whatever i could meet with upon that subject , and i finde that my discourse will fall under these . propositions . i. that it is of great , and certain advantage . ii. that it lies fairer for the subjects of his majesty of great brittain , then for the hollanders . iii. that if it be encouraged , and established , it will prove the foundation of an ample , and lasting revenue to the crown , and ofwealth , andprosperity to the nation . nay , if it should turn to loss , in stead of profit , it wonld still abundantly answer the expence , in the consequences ; being an undertaking , not only of common benefit , but ( as the case stands ) of absolute necessity , to the safety , and well-being both of king andpeople ; §. . the fishery is of great , and certain advantage . touching the advantages of the fishery ; i presume there will be no dispute , since it is granted on all hands , that the dutch are beholding to it for the rise , and support of their greatness ; for their reputation abroad , and for their strength at home : insomuch that the herring , cod , and ling taken in his majesties seas , by the dutch , and other strangers , are valued communibus annis , at no lesse then ten millions of pounds sterling ; which computation has been often published , and constantly received for current , without contradiction . §. . the fishery lies fairer for the subjects of his majesty of great britain , then for the hollanders . as the fishery is very considerable , so it lyes much fairer for us , then for them , in regard that we have many advantages toward it , which the dutch want , and that we hardly want any thing which they have ; save only industry , which may be easily promoted by good order , and discipline . first , we have the fish upon our coasts , ( i might have said upon our shoars ) where in case of storm , vnlading , taking in provisions , or the like ; it is seldom above or hours work ( and most commonly not so much ) to recover a harbour , and without any losse of time , to refitt , and put to sea again ; whereas the dutch have usually some leagues to sayl before they come to their fishing ; and there they lie at the mercy of the winds , for want of a port to friend : and in case of unlading , they have as far back again ; which takes up a great deal of time , hinders their business , and endangers the loss of their markets . it is true , that they have their yagers many times , to take off their fish at sea , and refurnish them with cask , and other necessaryes ; but if it happens to be a rowling sea , they must ly still , and wait for a calm ; whereas with us that are in harbour , the work of unlading , repacking , and sending our fish away to the first market , goes on in all weathers . so that in respect of the nearnesse of the fishing , we have much the better of them : and no lesse , in the commodiousnesse of our ports and crecks to receive the busses upon all occasions . as to the charge of a fishing vessell , with her furniture , tackle , salt , cask and victualls ; there is hardly any thing that belongs to it , except pitch and tarr , which we have not of our own growth , whereas the dutch have little of the●r own towards it , but cheese and butter , which is cheaper with us too then with them. now if the fishery be so profitable , and lie so open to us , that we may master it with lesse expence , difficulty , or hazzard then the dutch , it is our own fault if we do not improve it to the greatest temporal blessing ( perchance ) that providence ever bestowed upon any people . some indeed will have it that we want men ; others , that our men will never take to it . to the first , i answer ( under favour ) that we have men enough , but they are idle , and live upon the publick ( to the shame of the government ) without any return of labour and industry for their bread ; let but these people be set at work upon the fishery , and we shall have hands to spare . the second exception is a contemplation at large , viz. that the genius of this nation will never endure the hardships of that employment ▪ to which i reply , that the english do daily run greater hazards , and suffer greater hardships in other voyages , then they do in this ; and that they are , in very many cases , inured to harder labour : for certainly the working of a mine is incomparably beyond that of a busse . but to come to the very point it self , so farre are the english from an aversion to the fishery , that they do apply themselves to it ; as yarmouth , and scarborough , and indeed the whole coast will bear me witness ; for so soon as ever harvest is over ( where the herring-season comes on ) the boys , and country fellows presently flock to the coast , to be hired into the fishing , and upon tryal , find it so much to their liking , that after the second voyage there is not one of twenty of them but takes up at sea for good and all , without ever returning to his former condition . to make it yet clearer , it will not be amiss to take this generall objection to peices , and distinctly to examine the severall difficultyes that occurr under the notion of hardships . for to say that the english will never do any thing but where they may ly warm , and dry ; fill their bellyes , and take their ease ; and that the hollanders will endure . hardships better then the english , will never carry the question : but i would fain know what sort of hardship it is ( conducing to this affair ) wherein the dutch go beyond us. are they hardyer to encounter the dangers of the seas ? in this poynt , we may appeal to every days experience , and leave the whole world to judge betwixt us . is it the hardship of lying exposed to cold blasts , and storms ? herein lyes a mistake , which i must confess has gain'd some credit , and it is worth the while to set it right . be it known then , that the herring-sishing in his majesties seas , begins in june , and goes out in november : and that for the first . moneths , ( which is the best time both for profit and ▪ fair weather ) we never so much as look after it , but fall in upon the winter fishing , from september , to the end of november , which is the most tempe●tuous season of the whole year . and then in january , we fit out for the north-seas , and spend the remainder of the winter in all extremities of cold and hardship . this is enough to satisfie any man , that our skins are as good proof against winde and weather as theirs . but i will put it yet further , by supposing that the winter-fishing would be too hard for us ; what excuse have we now for not making our best of the summer-fishing , which is far the more gainful of the two ? and truly the hardship of course-feeding , does not amount to much neither , though i know great stresse is layd upon it , how pittyfully their people fare ; and that an english body will never be able to live upon a dutch diet. if so it were , that an english diet could not be had , and that a dutch one would not serve the turn ; it were something ; but that is not our case ; for here , he that cannot feed upon the one , may have the other : and i am perswaded , that the work will go on with pease and bacon , every jot as well as with roots and cabbidge ; not but that the english can bring their stomacks down too upon any honourable occasion , to the grossest food imaginable ; as has been often seen among the besieged in our late troubles : but they are too generous , to mortifie their carcases , purely to save their purses ; which in this particular , is the only ground of exception ; it will augment the charge that is to say , whereas a holland-buss , after their way of victualling , clears about a l . a year , an english buss will not clear above l . according to ours : which l . difference i do only admit for quiet sake , and to shorten the dispute ; as being the most that any man can pretend to ; and more too , in plain terms , then the matter will bear . for the dutch-victualling is the same with ours , so far as to beer , biscuyte , butter and cheese ; all which we can lay in much cheaper then they : so that 't is but adding the charge of pease and bacon , which ( to take it at the worst ) comes but to some or l . more , and then discounting for the other victualls which it saves ; for the difference of prizes ; and for the brandy , which their people drink more then ours , and there 's the accompt . besides that the very supposall of passing from a good diet to a bad , is a great errour , for the countrey-men that put themselves into the fishing , fare incomparably better at sea , then ever they did at land ; for beside the ordinary provision which they carry to sea , they feed upon the fish they catch ; which for variety and delicacy , ( being fresh taken ) is a treat , beyond what is to be had at any noblemans table ashoar : and improves them at such a rate , that of pittifull weaklings at land , they come in a voyage or two to be hearty , stout , and healthfull persons . there is another objection raysed from the strictnesse of the states government ; ( where people must either work , or starve ) which says , that the hardshipps of the fishery are so great , that if it were not barely to keep life and soul together , no body would meddle with it , and that their fishery is meerly supply'd cut of such a sort of people . my answer is , first , that the foundation is a mistake , for it is already made plain , that there are no such terrible hardshipps . secondly , for argument sake , i will take all for granted , as well the hardshipps themselves , as the necessiryes that make people undergo them ; let it but be agreed , that by the force of those necessities , the thing is done at last . for then , by a stronger reason it may be done by us , who have ten men for their one , that have nothing to live upon but their labour : persons that are ready to starve for want of work , when the nation is almost undone for want of people . there are yet two lions more in the way ; st . our herrings are in no esteem abroad , because we have not the right way of curing them . ly , we shall never make any thing on 't , for the dutch will under-sell us , by freighting cheaper ; and consequently beat us on t of the trade , for want of vent . to which in order . st . there are two wayes of cuting herring ; the one , at sea ; where they are gipp'd , immediately upon the taking , and so barrel'd up : the other , at land , where they are gipp'd , and pack'd , some dayes after they are taken , these we call shore-made herrings and we know before hand , that one barrell of the other , ( for goodness ) is worth a hundred of these ; and that they will never take their pickle kindly , unless their throtes be cutt as soon as they are caught . so that it is a great errour , to take a shore-made herring for a tryal of our skill of curing . but for those we make at sea , they are as good , and as well esteemed abroad , as any dutch herrings whatsoever : and this very year , above barrells were sold into the east-countrey out of one small vessell of ours at near l . a barrell . i wish we were not more to blame for not taking them , then for not curing them . but what if really we could not cure them ? is it impossible to learn ? ly the other suggestion , that the dutch will beat us out of our trade , is either of no force at all against the fishery , or it is much more forcible against the merchant , and the collier ; for this trade lies under our noses , and more in our power then any other : and to discourage our fishing upon this consideration , is all one , as to bid us quitt all navigation whatsoever , and leave our selves at the hollanders mercy ; or in effect , for a prey to all comers . and then to fear the want of vent , is to imagine that people will leave eating : for a great part of the trading world lyes yet unserv'd : neither can any man shew me that ever our herring lay upon our hands , for want of a market . enough is sayd st . to shew the advantages of the fishery . and ly . that we may easily master it , if we please . it remains now that we take possession of it , and apply the profit to our selves . §. . if the fishery be encouraged , and established , it will prove the foundation of an ample , and lasting revenue to the crown , and of wealth and prosperity to the nation . nay , if it should turn to loss , instead of profit , it would still abundantly answer the expence , in the consequences ; being an undertaking , not only of common benefit , but ( as the case stands ) of absolute necessity , to the safety , and well-being both of king and people ; it is but reason , that publique works should receive publike encouragement ; and that where both prince and people are to partake of the benefit ; they should likewise joyn in the furtherance of the thing . of such a quality is this work . no sickly project upon a ramble we know not whither , to hunt for we know not what ; but a sober and simple plot upon a treasure that lyes at our very feet : a treasure , of more value to us then both the indies , and yet we will not so much as stoop to take it up . the encouragement here intended , is the raising of a sum of money for a fond , as a necessary preparatory toward the perfecting of the work : which may be done either by lone , contribution , or tax . hitchcock computes upon . l. to be furnished by . persons out of every county , at . l. a man , reckoning south-wales for one county , & north-wales for another , ( which is no great matter . ) and many other contrivances there are ; but this poynt may be cut short : for , upon good security there will be no difficulty of procuring mony. contribution would be an easy way ; & certainly do a great deal in the business ; if the people might but be secured from the fate of their last benevolence in this kinde , which never came to any thing , and there is a good part of it remaining in the collectors hands to this very day , unaccounted for . many wayes might be found out for their satisfaction , but none perhaps more agreeable then depositing of the stock in the chamber of london . a generall tax would do the deed at a blow ; nay a particular imposition , to introduce it by degrees ; ( as in case of the algier duty for the redemtion of slaves ; the cole-tax , for the rebuilding of churches ) would sufficiently answer my purpose . monyes being raysed and deposited toward a stock , we come now to consider where , and how to employ them . the first thing to be done may be the resolving upon so many staples ; and then to fall to work upon creeks , wharfs , docks , store-houses , tan-houses , work-houses , granaryes , brew-houses , and other conveniences for the service : and at the same time , the poor may be set to work upon spinning , making of nets , and ropes , and the like ; that the fishing tew , and the other provisions , may go on hand in hand together . by this method , the designe may be very fairly advanced with a matter of forty or fifty thousand pounds , leaving the charge of the vessells to come after , when there shall be accommodations fit to entertain and receive them , the reasons of my proposing it thus by halves , are these ; st . there is no need of buying vessells till we know how to dispose of them , ( though an eye may be had in the interim , to the saving , and setting apart for this use , of such ships as may possibly fall in by the by , ) ly . the expence will be lighter , and so more easily compassed . and lastly , ( which is the main point of all ) it will be a great encouragement to a further supply toward the charge of the vessells themselves ( which is next to be considered ) when the people shall see that we are in earnest , and half through the work already . the charge of a herring-busse , of . tun , new from the stocks , and furnished at all points for the fishery ; together with victualls , & wages for one whole year ; may be rated at l . which being divided into parts . i make accompt that the vessell her self with her cock-boat , mastes , sayle , yards , cables , anchors , and other trim to fit her for the sea , will make about one moiety : so that new busses , rigg'd and fitted as aforesaid , will come to about l . ( or at second hand perhaps , l . cheaper ; ) which expense , with ordinary successe , will be cleared the first year ; and money toward a stock over and above . it were better if there were more , but rather then fail , i would content my self for a beginning , even with a fourth part of these : but be they more , or sewer , i would have all the vessells advanced upon the kings accompt ; and have the remaining charge of netts , rope , line , cask , salt , victualls ( and in short , of all fishing-tew , aud provisions ) to be born upon adventure , according to common practise in those cases , for the ease of his majesty and the encouragement of the people . this will be better understood by a word or two concerning the methodes in the menage of the fishery . the profit of a herring-busse is divided into so many shares , whereof there go about thirds to the adventures , and the rest to the vessell . the netts , and fishing-geare ; the master , and his mate , with the saylers , fishermen , and the vessell it selfe , are in upon the adventure of no purchase , no pay. the ships provisions of victuall , salt and cask , are furnished upon adventure too , with the advantage it may be , of per cent for their comodities in peace , and twice as much in times of war , above the price of the market , but with this difference , that this last adventure is to be payd off upon the return , before the dividend : without pretending to any other intereit in the profit of the voyage . so that his majesty shall not need to be one penny more out of purse , then for the vessell ; as aforesayd : save only the shipps part toward the wages of or land-men ; which is so inconsiderable , that after two voyages , they themselves will deal no longer for wages , but serve upon adventure . this is the very track of the affayr , and by this method is retrenched almost the one half of the present charge of the fishery ; the work made easy , and profitable , in common , both to king , and people . the proportion of saylers , and fishers , for busses will be , or men , which will be supply'd from our coasts without any difficulty : and these busses will train up yearly , at least landmen for sea ●ervice . and then for money , certainly it will never be wanting ; when so small a matter may advance so great a work . what were it for the clergy to make his majesty , a present of . busses in kinde ; and delivered without any further trouble , into his own ports ? which undoubtedly they would never stick at . a matter of or . of those noble persons , upon whom his majesty hath showred down his graces , and bountyes ; what were it for them to furnish as many more ( which in pure honour , and gratitude , they would never refuse ? the city of london would undoubtedly come in for their quota too ; not only in acknowledgment of the honours , and priviledges they have received from the crown , but in pursuance of their wonted munificence in favour of all publique undertakings . so that there remains but busses more to be furnished from the whole nation beside , to make up the number ; which comes to little more , then a vessell a country , one county with another . this way would carry the businesse through , and leave no objection behinde , of any possibility of ill-husbanding , or misapplying the monyes ; when , the respective contributers themselves shall have the manage , and ordering of their own proportions . this may suffice for an encouragement to the fishery ; and there wants little now toward the establishment of it , but the setling , and setting apart , by act of parliament , of a certain revenue for the repairing of creeks , wharfs , houses , and vessells , belonging thereunto ; to be vested in the king , and his heirs for ever ; to the ends and purposes aforesaid . in persuance of my assertion , i am now to make good , that the fishery being duly encouraged , and established , will prove the foundation of an ample , and lasting revenue to the crown , and of wealth , and prosperity to the nation . upon the kings providing busses , and the settling of a matter of l . a year for reparations , and supplies , in manner as is heretofore exprest ; there will accrue to his majesty a third part of the profits of the fishery , in the right of the vessells ; which , upon a very reasonable and hopefull improvement , will amount to a million and a half , yearly ; and remain to the cr●wn for ever . this is it which i call the foundation of an ample , and lasting revenue ; and which i look upon as a treasury , that will much more then answer all his majesties navall expenses whatsoever . to say nothing of what will be advanced in his customes , by commedities . imported for our fish , in return . and i may very well reckon upon it also , as a foundation of wealth , and prosperity to the nation ; for i cannot cast my eye upon any sort or condition of people , that is not the better for it , and the community most of all . st . it will bring all other commodities in upon the truck ; which we now pay ready mony for ; to an inestimable value . ly . it will ease this kingdom at least l . a year , in the very tax to the poor , by employing all sorts of people , and turning the great burthen of this land , into an equall benefit : which will be in some measure a repeopling of us too , by adding so many lost hands to the service of the publique . ly . a full fishery , in this one year ; would have saved the city of london , and the dependencyes upon the river of thames , near half a million perchance , in the price of cole ; for there would never have wanted ●eamen , to carry on the war , and the colliery together . it would be endlesse to run through all the particulars ; how it begets commerce ; fills his majesties coffers ; peoples his dominions ; and consequently raises the price of land ; enriches the merchant , both by expertation , and importation ; and the trades-man , by setting all hands to work : for it is remarkable , that l . adventure in the fishery , employs more people , then l . in any other trade whatsoever , clothing excepted . it excites industry , and clears us of loyterers , and beggars . insomuch , that ordinary servants make themselves fortunes , by working of netts , at spare hours , and adventuring them in the fishery . let it not be imagin'd that i speak all this without book , for i have my calculation of the profit of it , and other advantages , from sir walter rawleigh , sr. john burrowes , and many other learned , and experienced authors , who computed the yearly value , at above ten millions , when the dutch had not half the number of busses which now they have . bur be the profit more or lesse , rather then differ upon that point , we 'l cast all our millions into the sea again , and yet set up the fishery , though we should trade to losse : for it seems to me , of so absolute a necessity to this nation , that ( humanely speaking ) we cannot well , or long subsist without it . if we let our navigation fall , we are lost ; and how to support , and supply it , without the fishery , i do not comprehend ; the man of war , and merchant-man , consume ▪ seamen , and i●reed . none . the collier brings up , now and then an : apprentice , but still spends more then he makes . the only ( and the common ) nursery of seamen is the fishery ; where euery busse brings up ( it may be ) . . or . . new men every year ; so that our fishery is just as necessary to our navigation , as our navigation . is to our safety , and well-being . and it is well enough observed , that all princes and states , are stronger or weaker , at sea , according to the measures of their fishery . nor is it only for the number of seamen that we are indebted to the fishery , but for the value of them also , for there never were braver officers in the world , then those that have been trayn'd up in that school , as any man that desires to be better informed , may easily satisfie himself . nay , if they were only to be employ'd as pilots , their services would more then countervail the charge : for their busynesse lyes where our dangenlyes : they know all the rocks and shelves ; and there 's no coasting without them . how many brave shipps have we stranded , for want of a pittyfull fisherman abord , to forewarn us of the danger ? yes , and i have heard it . confidently sayd , that even since this last war with the dutch , a great part of his majestyes fleet royall had like to have perished upon the same score . neither can we pretend so much as to pilot a great shipp out of the river , without a fisherman . as we can do nothing at sea without the fishery , so i am afraid we shall make as ill shift at land , for we have a bold coast , and for want of people upon it , to defend it , we ly open to a thousand mischiefs . the fishery will relieve us in this too ; by planting a trade there , which will draw on commerce , and consequently repeople and strengthen us . if it be asked me , how we have done for seamen all this while ? i answer , that we have done for seamen , as some people do for mony ; that have but a thousand pound in the world , and play away five hundred of it in a night : we spend upon the main stock , and it will never hold out . it has been our fishery ( even poor as it is ) that has supported us all this while , and when that dyes , a man may foretell without the help of an oracle , that the glory of england will not long out-live it . when i speak of the fishery , i desire to be understood of the fishery in general , and of god , and ling , as well as herring ; which is esteemed to be well nigh as gainful too as the other . there is not any subject perhaps that has been more labour'd , and to lesse purpose then this , and the reason possibly may be , that we have only taken a prospect of the pecuniary advantages of it , which we may live without , and given no heed at all to that consideration of state , which makes it of absolute necessity to our preservation . to contract all in a word ; if any man shall say , that i have over-rated the fishery , and the influence it would have upon the prosperity of this kingdom , let them reply upon sir walter rawleigh , sir john burrowes , and other persons of note , who have study'd the poynt and made a particular deduction of the value of it . or if i have not sufficiently proved , that it lyes fayrer for us , then for the dutch ; or not fully answered all materiall objections to the contrary , i shall be glad to be better instructed . or ( the profit apart ) if we can ever be either happy , or safe , without navigation : or maintain that navigation without a fishery ; and manage it without pilots . if this may be done , i say , all 's well : but if not ; i may then conclude that the fishery is of an absolute , and undispensable necessity , to the well-being , both of king , and people . finis .