The prodigious increase of the Netherlanders in their domestick
and forreign Trade, Riches, and multitude of Shipping, is the
envy of the present, and may be the wonder of all future
Generations: And yet the means whereby they have thus advanced
themselves, are sufficiently obvious, and in a great measure
imitable by most other Nations, but more easily by us of this
Kingdom of England, which I shall endeavour to demonstrate in the
following discourse.
Some of the said means by which they have advanced their
Trade, and thereby improved their Estates, are these following:
First, They have in their greatest Councils of State and War, trading Merchants that have lived abroad in most parts of the World; who have not onely the Theoretical Knowledge, but the Practical Experience of Trade, by whom Laws and Orders are contrived, and Peaces with forreign Princes projected, to the great advantage of their Trade.
Secondly, Their Law of Gavel-kind, whereby all their Children
possess an equal share of their Fathers Estates after their
decease,and so are not left to wrastle with the world in their
youth, with inconsiderable assistance of fortune, as most of our
youngest Sons of Gentlemen in England are, who are bound
Apprentices to Merchants.
Thirdly, Their exact making of all their Native Commodities, and packing of their Herrings, Codfish, and all other Commodities, which they send abroad in great quantities; the consequence whereof is, That the repute of their said Commodities abroad continues alwyas good, and the Buyers will accept of them by the marks, without opening; whereas the Fish which our English make in Newfound-Land and New-England,a nd Herrings at Yarmouth, often prove false and deceitfully made, and our Pilchards from the West Country false packed; seldom containing the quantity for which the Hogsheads are marked in which they are packed.
And in England the attempts which our fore-fathers made for
Regulating of Manufactures, when left to the Execution of some
particular person, in a short time resolved but into a Tax upon
the Commodity, without respect to the goodness thereof; as most
notoriously appears in the business of the AULNAGE, which
doubtless our Predecessors intended for a scrutiny in o the
goodness of the Commodity; and to that purpose a Seal was
invented, as a signal that the Commodity was made according to
the Statutes, which Seals it is said, may now be bought by
Thousands, and put upon what the Buyers please.
Fourthly, Their giving great incouragement and immunities to
the Inventors of New Manufactures, and the Discoverers of any New
Mysteries in Trade, and to those that shall bring the Commodities
of other Nations first in use and practise amongst them; for
which the Author never goes without his due Reward allowed him at
the Publique Charge.
Fifthly, Their contriving and building of great Ships to sail
with small charge, not above one third of what we are at, for
Ships of the same Burthen in England; and compelling their said
Ships (being of small force) to sail always in Fleets, to which
in all times of danger they allow Convoy.
Sixthly, Their parsimonious and thrifty Living, which is so
extraordinary, that a Merchant of one hundred thousand pound
estate with them, will scarce spend so much per annum, as one of
fifteen hundred pounds Estate in London.