The Causes of the Decay of Trade in the Merchandize of England.
The Moneyes of Christendome, which have their ebbing and flowing, doe shew their operation upon commodities, making by Plenty, the price thereof deare, or by Scarcity better cheape.
And on the Contrary, by exchange we finde that plenty of money maketh a Low exchange; and the price of monyes to fall in exchange: and that Scarcity of money maketh a fhigh exchange, and the price to rise, overruling both the price of moneys and Commodities, which beeing observed by the great exchangers or Bankerers; caused them to invent all the means to compasse the fame, and to rule the course thereof at their pleasure, having the maine sea of exchange, wherein the exchange of England runneth like a River or Branche, and is overruled by the generall Currant; which may be prevented: for we have the head of exchange of 20 shillings Starlin for the places where most of our Commodities are sold, which will command all the parts & members of the body of Traffique, and procure plenty of money, whereby the other cuases of the want of monyes in England (as the waste of the treasure and the like;) will not be so sensible as now they are, especially when needfull Commodities of Trade, shal be imported from some places, which shall supply (as in times past)the exportation of much money, when the Commodities of Russia, being Tallow, Waxe, Hides, retransported into France and Spaine, did by exchange furnish the Realme with Wines, Corints, Raisons and the like Commodities.
The Want of Money there, is the first cause of the Decay of Trade, for without money, commodities are out of request. And when they fall againe into Permutation or Barter, Traffique is subject to the necessity of Merchants, which tendeth to the destruction of ne commonweale, and to the inriching of an other.