The request and suite of a true-hearted Englishman

THE CAMDEN MISCELLANY,

VOLUMi: Till -I OOND:

ooim

ACCOUNT OF UN I Xl'ENSES OF JOHN OF BRABANT AND
IIKNKY AND THOMAS OF LANCASTER,

HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNT OF THE PRINCESS ELI/ \ .51-2.

Till: REQUEST AND SUITE OF A TRUE IIliM; I ! D KM.LISH-
MAN, WRITTEN BY WILLIAM CHOLMKLKY, 1553.

DISCOVERY OF THE JESUITS' COLLEGE AT CLERKENWELL
IN MARCH 1627-8.

TRELAWNY PAPERS.

AUTOBIO<;KAPIIY OF WILLIAM TASWELL, D.D.

I.FN s«»rlh.iv.
M.DCOC.L.1U.

*. ;nciiOL« AKD BOJI, rmimc«»,
r ARM AMRKT rnucicr.

[NO. LV.]

COUNCIL

or

Til i: CAMDLN B0< I I.TY

THE VEAK IK

TIII: I;K;IIT n<>\. LORD BRAYBRCX \.

WILLIAM IIKNIIY BLAAUW, ESQ. M.A. F.S.A.
.lol LY BRUCE, ESQ. Treas. BJL
.in 1 1\ PAYNE COLLIER, ES<; \. 7'rr<,**r,r.

C. PURTOX COOPER, ESQ. Q.C^ D.C.I I - \

WILLIAM DUKIIANT COOPEB

;«>\ CORKEY, I 5Q. M.I:
WILLIAM IMCIIAIM) DKAKL.

sin iir.Miv ELLIS, BLtt, r.i \

r.DWAiM) FOBS, \.

TIII: REV, JOSEPH HI \

TIIK KKV. LAMBERT II. LAKKIN(.. M A.
PETKI5 LEVE8QUE, ESQ. I vA.
I KKDERIC OUVI5V. \

TIIK K'I\ II<)\. l.«)|;i) Vise*.
WILLIAM .1. TIIOMS KS(i

TIIR REQUEST AND SUITK

OF A

I I! IK- II i:\RTED ENGLISHMAN.

\VIMT I

WILLIAM CHOLMELET,

LONDYNKB,
IN TIIK VKAK 1553.

i:i>m-l> Klto.M TIIK oRK.INAL MS.

IN Illl I II1RARY OF THE FACULTY OF ADVOCATES OF EDINBURGH,

BY

W. .1. THOMS, I.S. A.

I'KINi IKIV

M.IHTCM.IH.

INTRODUCTION.

Tin t.. II. .wing curious Tractate will, it is believed, be I-
• •••n-iderahK- interest, not only from the i>eculiar doctrines of
political economy advanced by the writer, and from the arguments
by which In- endeavours to establish his views, but also from the
picture which he exhil.its of our commercial relations with the great
mart in the Low Countries and elsewhere, of the condition of our
mercantile marine, and of the manner in which, at the time when he
wrote— the close of the reign of Edward the Sixth,— our coasts
\\. •!••• ti>heil. not by ourselves, but by our neighbours (see p. 14).
It is now printed for the first time from a MS. voluii:
12 mo. written on vellum in black letter, and apparently in
the hand of "William Cholmeley, Londyner," the author. I
volume is preserved in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates of
KilinlmnJi. It lias been well bound, and is still in good con-
dition, though the gilding has faded. The MS. undoubtedly at
MM time belonged to Edward the Sixth,* as the Royal anus with
the initial E. on one side and R. on the other are stamped on
hoards, with scriptural sentences above and below. Thus the one
-id.- has "AN IDLE OR DISCEITFULLE HANDE M

* The Member of the Camden Society to whom the Council are indebted for calling
their att. nri-.M to this volume, spoke of it as having been addressed to, and having been
the property, of Queen Elizabeth. The date, however, and the •eetion at p. 13 of the
•• King's Majestic," shows that it was addressed to Edward the Sixth. »,,,l ,|,, initial K.

• >n tin- I'lii'lmi; ivfVrs to that sovereign.

1X INTRODUCTION

thru the arms, and below, •• li\ i A DIJ.H.I.M IIAM» MAKI.IM
i:^< HE. — PROVERB. 10." And the other "No MAN I.-H.HII 11 v
• VMH.E AND PVTTETH IT" — then the arms ; then— " IN A JM:IV\
PLA< I M.I i MM: VNDER A r,\ -11 u.U — LvCE, 11."

I low this volume passed from the library of the sovereign cannot
now be ascertained ; but it has been in possession of the Faculty of
Advocates for nearly a century and a half, as is proved by the

In I lowing inscription written on the back of the ti

I >. (iulielmus Black wood, Mercator Kdinburgensis, hunc lihrum
r.il'liotheae Facultatis qua? Kdinl.nrgi est, donavit 22 April. 1705."

Ih. xiLr,,:,tiMv « (iulielmus Blackwood" is at the bottom of the
page, and there is no doul.t the inscription is in his handwriting.
It is not unlikely that he may have been a relative of Sir Robert
I'.laeUood, \\ho was IWost ..!' K-linlmrirh 1711-12.

HM Discourse itself contains nothing to identify the writer
beyond his name— William ( l.olmeley ; the addition, which tells us
that lu'wasa"Londyner;" and the passage (|». 19) where he speaks
of hiniM If as being "a grower and one that telleth spyces," Upon
these hint-. I have been enabled by the assistance <>t m\ friend Mr.
Corner, F.S.A. to i.lmtity him with a William Cholmeley, of
Lot n Ion, grocer, whose will, dated 28th May, 1554, was proved in
the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, on the 20th of June in the
same year. It is a small fact, but strongly corroborative of their
identity, that, as in his Tract he calls himself simply •• L«m.l\
so in hi- will, instead of adopting the usual form of the time and
railing himself " Citizen and Grocer of London," he merely describes
himself as William ('holmeley. ••!' London, Grocer.

r.\ this will, whirh it \\ill he observed wa> • -1 and proved

ini: the fii*st hall «if the Near t<illo\\iiiLr that in whieh tlu- !

INTRODUCTION. T

printed was composed, he appoint- his wife Agnes and hi- sons
ll'iiry ( 'liohnrlry and William Cholmeley executor-. ' >hn

Ki\er-, grocer, overseer. II iis one moiety of his estate it)

his wife, and the other moiety to his two sons, and his small gold
chain to Uivers his overseer. There is no mention in it of his
place of residence, or even of the parish or district of London in
which he resided. It was probably in the suburbs, as, upon
reference to the hooks of the Grocers' Company, he does not appear
to have been a memher, although hi- -«»ns Henry and William both
: the t'ormer having been one of the wardens of the Com-
pany in \") Ifi. and the latter having been admitted to the freedom as
apprentice of Kdinund Style (an alderman) mi the 21st June, 1.536.

Poor Cholmeley speaks of himself (p. 4) as "being no man of
great substance," which is confirmed by Ins will, for his legacies
were few and small, — twenty shillings each to three persons ; and,
although he must have been an old man, the same document shows
n- that he was still in trade, inasmuch as in it he releases William
ree, his apprentice, from the rest of his term of sen!

The woollen manufacture, as the early staple of England, was at
all periods the subject of frequent legislative enactment, and we may
prol.ahly find the occasion of Cholmeley writing the present tract in
the great interest which was felt in the wool trade in his time, as is
shown by the fact that in addition to what he calls the king's "gratious
la.-t Acte," namely, the 5th and 6th of Edward VI., entitled, "An
Acte for the Meterage of Wollen Clothe," by the 14th Section of
which it is enacted that Mayors, &c, of London and other cities
shall appoint "searchers of cloths who may examine the same as
to the drexinir, dyeing, and pressing thereof," the wool trade was

VI !NTi:"l> « I ION.

the subject not only of several other Acts * passed during the short
reign \th I M ward, but was moreover the occasion of differ-

ences between the two Houses ; for, on the " Bill for the True
Making of Broad Cloth " being read in the House of Lords on the
5th April, certain doubts being found in the same, several Lords
were appointed to meet with some of the Lower House for tlu-ir
full instruction th. ivin. A Bill for making broad cloth in cities and
towns was also read the third time on the 29th of March t'oll.m in-
an.l rejected.

WILLIAM ,T. THOMS.

* 8 and 4 Kdw. VI. rap. 2, an AeU for th* tm« Making of wolten dotbw. 5 and «
Edw. VI. cap. 7. an Act* lymfoing* U* tjmm of tmjiua* and ^iliny of wootlo. Ibid.
«p. 8, an Act* lymitti»c« what |«WM ihaU WMT« or »ak* brod* «oO«i doth*.
7 Edw. VI. rap. 8, an Act for the true fulling and thicking of ospa. Ibid. cap. 9t
an Aoto for the true making* of white playn* •tuiflitoi and pjBMd whit* *jyighte» in
Devon and Cornwall.

REQUEST AND SUITE, &c.

moved by the instinrt «.f nature, moost dreade Sove-
raigne, to wish good unto this my naturall contrey, I have sundrye
tyine* consvdeivd tin- • fondly MIK! ryehe commodities wh.-rwith
Ahm'irhtie Maker of all tilings hathe so abundantly blessed this
littell corner of tin- earth.

And fyndiiu: the same to be so nedeftill to man's beyng, that for
the nerr^itie of tlu-ni no nation maye lacke them; and so
that for the goodlynes of them all nations be desyrous of them. I
was occasioned greatly to lament that eyther for lacke of thinges
thernnto lielono-vng, eyther for lacke of studious desyre of the
knowK-dire to do thynges perfectly and well, or else for lacke of
wytti> apt to receyve tlu* knowledge of such thynges, we were not
a!>le to adde that jK-rtection to our commodities which nature hath
leite t«> l»e tiny shed by arte.

11 «.it when I consydered how the unsercliaUe ] »urpose of Grod hath,
by the laekc- of necessarie commodities, dryveii all tlu- nations of the
earth to seke cue upon another, and therby to be knyt togither in
amitye and love, 1 thought, that as this realme lacketh (and that
naturally) thynges neee-sirily re.piired to tli rini: of oure

foniuioditie<. it myiiht also Ix? a thyng naturall to the English
nation, to be so imperfect of wytt that we coulde never be able to
attayne to the knowledge of true and perfect workemanshyp, because
God woulde dry ve u^ therKy to Mitler other nations to have a coni-
moditie by makyng oure commodities perfect

Which my conjecture semed to me so muche the more probable,
for that it hath ben attempt* -d at sundry tymes, and that by the high
SOC. B

2 Mil REQUEST AND 81 III

powers of this rcalme, to have that thing well and perfectly done by
i iglyshe nation, for the accomplishing wherof nothing is wantyng,
savynge only the knowledge to use those thinges aryght wh»
it is done; and yet to this daye it coulde never be brought to passe.
This, notwithstandyng I have conceyved a better « >\ in\ • >n of God's
mercy full ky mines towardis us I . men, tlien tliat the inhabilitie

of oure wyttes shuld be the cause that we attayne not to this know-
ledge; and do rather ascrybe it to oure beastly blyndnesse, \\ hi.-h
\\ \ 11 imt sutli-r us to searche for that knowledge \vhirh oure wyttes
are able enough to attayne, as experience teacheth us in suche of

tli1' l<M'ri\>li** i . . i ? i < ' 1 1 .* i -» 1 1 . i \ • ' * ' I'M* ' •* 1 1 \ i"'iit BHflBMflVWfl t * * I!M* vtii'l\t*
of musycke, or any other the liberal! artis.

lam per>ua.l\<l th. H..IV that G«nl hath not enryched us with
commodities \\hirh we can not through the weakenes of oure wittis
make l.ut rath, r, we beynge beastly niynded, and sek\ni:

togayn. iimrh l.\ <I«.\ML'«' lutl.-, r\rry man sekcyng his owne pry-
vate rniiiim>.iiti.-, \\ith-.ut ivpirde of the weale puliliki*, do not «lili-
gendy a|'j.!\.- <>uiv pnxl w>tti* t«» the serchyng «n. -nl know-

ledge, but to the inventyng of subtyle dysceyte (wherin we excel! al
.-th.-r nations), to our pryvate avancement. l.ut the decaye of the
puhlycke weale of oure contrey.

For as God hath enryched us with woulle, leade, lether, and
tynne, so hath he enryched other contreyes with other commodities
\vhirh we may in nowyse lacke. And yet he hath not denied to
an\ *>t those nations the power of reasone, wherby they maye be
aMe t-» makf thos,- tlu-yr ouiuiHKlities so perfect by workemnnship,
that tht-N iu><lc H..IH- ••!' nun- h«-ljH- in the doyng therof. So in l\k«-
maner God hath n.-t iryven us woulle in such goodly plentye, and so
fyne, to make us sheperdes only and merchauntis of woule, den\ inir
UN ii isone to worke the same in cloth and cappis, as

t\ m -1\ , 1 1 uly. and perfectly, as any other nations shal be able to doe,

It is oure gredye desyre of gettyng pryvate commoditie therfore
that causeth us falsely to accuse the ahnynhtii makrr of all mankynde
..»' iiiLfr:»titU'l«' towardes us, affirmyng that he hath denyed us the

• •I \ I 1:1 I. II \i: I l.h l.N<.l.l Hll.M \v

aptnesse to conccyvc knowledge, wher as no nation un<k>r the heaven
is more houndi- to give Go<! thank<-> in tin'- iM-h.-dt.- • are,

I tin it;. iv, a- nn«- to \\\\t)m God hath gyven leaste knowledge,
lia\.- att.-mptrd to play tin- | •• David, to take awaye

Ilie rebuke of mj oootreymeBy and to be r.-\«-nLr«-«l UJH.H them that
faU-U li:t\.- ivporti-d that nun- most lovyng Father and mercyfull
Lordehath dealt most un! md UIMWIVN fully with usEnglyahe

men, denying unto us the t hinge which In- hath graunted to all
niankynde l»y nature, that i>, the aptnesse of wytt to be perfect
w<.rk«-inc-n.

Ami l>eeau$e that ainonge oure commodities ther is none more
nrdrtiill to be wrought 1>\ us Englyshemen tlu-n \vmilK-, t'«>r;i>inu«-li
as <.t' it :in- made booth cl«»tli and rapj'k \\hich every man muste
iircrssarily \vean-, I ha\e att.-inj.ti'(l t<» have the same wroughte and
d\ »-d witliin tin's realme by Englyslu nn n, as substantyally*-, truly,
and prrteetly well, as ever it was, is, or can be done in Flanders or
in France, or any ntlu-r parte of all the whole wurlde.

And because the p-eate^t dilh'eultie, and only harde poynte of this
inyne attempted entiTprysi-, eonsisteth in the true and perfecte dying
of cloth and eappis with wodde and mader; I thought good to trye
first what myght be done therin, not douKtyn^ t«» l»ryn_ir all thinges
easyly to pas-., it I mi^hte once atta\iu to the knowledge of the

hardest poynt.

And to atchyve this my first purposed enterpryse, I sent to
Anwarpe, and there procured for wages a man \}>crt in the

feate of dyinge, and wyllinge to ser\e in ICnglande, so that he
ni\ Ljht >u-tayiu- no losse nor displeasure, if for lack tter good

for that purpose lie c-otild not perfurme the thinge that I requyred;
for tlie dyars of Englande ha\e ra\ sod a foule slaunder UJK>U the
faiutniM- ri\er ot Temys, and all other waters of this your majesties
realme. atlvrinynir that the water them!' wyll imt serve to dye sub-
stancMall, true, and perfect colours withall, whear as no water in the
whole worlde serveth lu-tti-r t'nr the purjK)se, then my workeman
hath trved the %\ater «>t' 'l\-me.«> t

4 TliE REQUEST AND 81 III

To take awayc this let of this workman's connyng, I my
(beinge no man of great substance, and yet able to sustayne so
muche losse if it had so chaunced) toke the whole adventure in
hande, determinyng to put in hasarde so muche for the wealth of my
conti

And Mi>tc vneyng no losse by the firste adventure, but enjoyng a
sufficient gayne, I conditioned with my sayde workeman for the
terme of x yeres, makyng a dyar of your majesties boroughe of
Sonthxvarke (who hath al maner implement to dying belongyng)
halfe partnar with me duryng the tyme of the covenauntc mad*
my uotkcinan, because that of my svlfe I am not able (nevther hath
it been my bryngyng up) to furnishe a dye house with all thinges

tln-ivtn I M -Linux n;.'.

Tims have my partnar and I occupyed togyther the space of three
yeres last past, either for us gayneing clearly by yere one hundred
morkes at the least u|Nin the only dyinge of carsayes, broade clothes,
:iu.l rapj.k att.-r the maner of the dyinge in Frannoe and Flound-
ers; which workemanship 1.x my workeman done, and by the
wearying trycd, is founde to be as good, snbshmcisU, true, and
perfect as any that hath ben or is d\«-d in the realrae of France,
Anwar] >, or any other place beyonde the seas ; which thynge must

n.',li> !••• \,-rv lM-iirtiriall t«. in-' .in 1 in\ j-.ir::i.ir. t-r • 1:111. !i a- th«T
is limn- in all this ivaline that doeth or can do the tiling but only
oure only workeman and suche as have or shall learne it at his
hand.-, xxhi.-h can be none but suche as we must nedis have great
commoditie by.

Notwithstanding, I for my parte, nothyng regardynge the pryvate
gayne that .U-th and myght growe to me warde by the meane of the
singularitie of the feate, used by none otlier in all this rcalmr, }>m
l-\ UK* and niv partnar; have thought it my duitic to make the
thin^o knowen to your inajrxti,-. that by thatlvise of your most
I-...M. .!•..!-!.• « otinsellours your auctoride myght make the feate common
to all x.'iir In \t-ini: ami taythtull subjectes, not milv thodyarsof the
citie of London, luit of all other cities and t.-uiu- in al \«»ur majesties

OF A I 1:1 I 11 \i:i i h UKILl -lll.M \ V 0

dominions, to the greate honoure of this realm.- in tip- ahandonyng
of all de006jtfbl] coloiiivs, ami takyng away tin- i , r h" and shame
of the Englysh nation, \vhi« -h i^ jvconued to be so grose wytted that
they be not able to attayne to the knowledge of the perfect worke-
manship of their owneoommoditieij to the full contentat ion of your
i nan -tic and of your nobles, who are or shall be delyted in the wear-
.• of true and perfect good cloth tivwly dyed at a reasonable
I »ry re, rejecting all vjiyne and unprofital.le -ilkes which at this daye
•re al to excessyve a pryce; and to tin- incomparable commoditie of
tlii- your majesties reahiie and sul.j. •< -tes in that bchalfe, wherby the
same inaye in tyine he enryehed with infinite treasure, a< t'-Tthuith
1 >luill declare.

I \ rst, it may pleas your majestic to understande that yerelye
ther is caryed out of this realme by En^rlyvhe merchauntes and
stra\ u_n'. •!•- to the nuinher of one hundreth and tyl'tye thousande
l.n.a.le clothes at the least, undyedand undressed.

Secondly, that the same be all wrought in Flaunders, Holland*-,
Brabant, Xealande, Eastlande, and Doucheland, to the settyng at
\\niko of two hundreth tlmusande persons and above.

Thyrdly, that upon every of the sayde clothes is gayned by the
cloth workars and dyars towanli^ their 1\ \eini; and sustentadon at
y« least xxs. which aniounteth to the summe of jc. lm. [>oundis by the
\eiv, lu-iydes the ^ax ne that ryseth u(H>ii the utteraunce of so much
\\<>;i«!c, inathcr. alluuie, and other t hinges as necessarily apperta\ iieth
to the dyiiiLie and dressyng of those clothes.

Fourthly, that our marchauntis do by martyng in Anwarp spende
yerely in j»ackehoiise ronies, in chambers, and oftynge with expenses
i n j ( » 1 1 r 1 1 ey i i ige to and fro, y« summe of xxij m poundis, wluch summe
hcinge added to the former summe of jc. lm. j>oundes, aniounteth to
j' l\\ij'» li. whic-li might growe of the laboure of youre majesties
subjectis by true and perfect dying and dressyng of cloth, if the same
were done within your realine, if the Englysh nation helde their
inarte within your majesties sayd realme of Englande,

Fyftly, and laste, it may please your majestic to understande, that

f» III I. REQUEST AND 81 I II

the martynge of oure niarchauntis of Anwarp is the drawing thyther
of the whole worlde of marchauntis \\hirh an- in number even xx*
tymes so many as our niarchauntis be, and spende xztt tymee so
murhe as oure marchauntis do, whi« h i- iiijc xlm 1L to the greate
enrich vng of those contreys; which great commoditie, or at the
least waye the greatest part therof, shulde be ours, it Our marchauntis
helde tlier mart within this real me ; for all marchanntis of this part
<>t' tli«- \\Mi-l.li- il.M- :m<l must i.t' nocessitie seke our cloth as the chepe
marchaundice that marchaundizeth in all quarters of the worlde as
well as golde and s\ 1\ • T <1<>.

(•tit nowe me thyncketh I see a whole legion of marchauntis,
dyars, and drapers of this realme of England (even utter enemies to
the weale publicke of the same) bendyng them selves agaynst myne
enterprise, who (no dought) wyll brynge in a whole sea of objections
agaynst that which I have wrytten, wherfore I have thought it mete
that I :m-u< T to suche theyr objections as seame to have in them
shewe of trueth, to then tent that \..ur majestic maye under-
standc that I have not rashely enterprised to geve your majestie
information in tli. -• tliinj.- \\ithout consideryng what wylbe sayde
tn th. them that feare the losse of a singular commo-

ditii>, \\ hen publyke weale shalbe advanced.

The tvrst objection : —

t \ rste standeth forth the drapar, and he objccteth for his

j.art.- -;i\iii::.-. < Mir 1 '.n-1 \ -Inn. n BSJB(H live the Klemmv^ll aii-1

Freiuh l.larke Ivkc as the Frenchmen and Flemmynges, wher-
fore we must nedis have them dyed beyounde the seas.

The seconde objection : —

Then steppeth forth the dyar, and sayth that the water of England
\\ \ 11 not M T\e to dye those coullors withall.

The thyrde objection : —

Then sayth the marchauntman, if we shulde not carie oure clothe
beyonde the seas undressed and nndyed we shulde not hold our
mart th.-r, an-1 tlu-n hnwi- shulde our navye be mayntayned?

OF A 11:11 II \i: I I i. I .N<;LYSIIEM \\. 7

The fourth objection: —

A«rayiK», another ohjecteth an<l sayth. If we ^hulde n«.t haw- oun-
m;irt l.e\un.le the seas, ami let them have our doth undreasyd and
und\«-d. they WMulde make doth tlu'iu selves; so shoulde we be in a
fanv worst- takyn^ then nowe, ffor then we sbonlde have no utter-
aunce of OUT cloth at all.

The ffyfte objection : —

Another sayth, that dyinge wasteth much wode, and we have
scarsitie of \vode alredye, and nede not to have all oure cloth dyed
at \\li.mir t«> make our wode more scant, as it must nedes do.

The syxte objection : —

And yet another, how were it possible that we shulde be able to
brynir this tiling- to pa»e, M-unre we must nedis have boeth worke-
meii and >tutfe to \vorla- \vithall from them, that woulde nit
>].* -ude -irate treasure then we shulde be able to do it.

The <eventh objection: —

And yet one more objecteth. sayin<_re. wliat if the Spaniardis
^lioulde stay ther oyles, as they have of late stayed theyr alume, so
that none mvLrht passe but ufK)ii lycence, how shouldc- \\v then have
oyles to -worke oure woules withall?

Hi-re is an heape of objections. But if it shall j •lease your
niaji'stii' to marke howe I have learned by expi-ryi-nce to answer
tlu'in, I do not doiiLiht l>ut it >hal Ixj a matter for \"iir Lrrace to laugh
at. to eonsyder ho\v the<e men, hlynded with a present ; »m-

moditie, do bende them selves to brynir muni themselves and theyr
;-itie an universall decaye and utter de-tructi<»n.

Firste, where- the draper sayeth that oure contivyincii can not dye
the Kleimnyshe and Frenclie colours; his mean\Tiii i^ that they can
not dye it so mnche for his protyt : for if these coulours were com-
inonly in this realme. then collide not the draper sell that yarde of
;iche or Flemmy^h Uacke for iiijli. or more money, which
standeth hyin not in xx8., as I am able to prove that they do nowe.
And yet ther ohifction i- true; our contrey men can not dye those
x aiyirht. Hut what may a man conclude iijmii this propo-

8 ! III. i:i Q1 I -I VNI> SlITK

-itinn? It -<-m«'th thar th«- <lrapar woulclc conclu.h- thus:
contivyiiH'ii cannot dye the Flemmysh ainl Kivnrh colours; ergo,
it \\viv imt good, or it is not possible t'«>r them to learne. Hut a
logitianwyllmiirluili' thus: Ergo, it were good that they «li«l by some
meane learne it, for these colours are necessary for the Englysh
nation. But our drapar seeth no farthar then his present commo-
clitic; ho sivth not that theexcessyve pryce of his fyne Markr shall
dryve nn-n rath«-r t<» \\.-aiv \<-l\.-t and worsted of Saynt Thomas, or
sylkes of Italy and Spayne, then so muche over bye his goal ed
No, he seeth not how his presente commoditie spryngeth of the
presente discommoditie of his ncyghbours and contreymen, and that
h. .l.M-th -nil riMjH.vcrysh his contreymen ami enryche the stranng-
ers; whirh must nedis, at the hist, decay tl whom the drapar

h\ in --It.- hath hi- cnmin<Nlitu\ — and wher is matter drapar then?
Thus your maj.-ti.' may peneyve after what sorte the drapar, havyng
respecte to his present i-nuuiuxlitie, doeth all that in hyin lyetli to
] Hi II upnii hymselfe, and all other his contreymen, an universal! decay
ami ili-trurtinii.

Tli. -n where the dyar saytli that tlie waters of this contrey wyll
imt serve to set su.li, ml,.ur-. it |r.M-t«<leth not of knowledge, as it
appeareth by that my workeman hath and doeth with the water of
1 1 1 unis set as good colours as ever wer sett in Flaunders or Fraunce.
Hut th< \ UMIIM. i at the water should not serve, becau^

wer not good theyr ignoraunce to be knowen, and the great gyle
uttered, wluMl>\ th< y also have a pryvate commoditie, in that they
havr a^ iiuu-h iiiniiyc for a false colour as they shulde have then for
atrur .-..I, .ur.-. They \vnuld imt IK- lx.uu<U> to the degrees of wodde, as
tin- dyars ar at Anwarp, and be in otli« vs. They would not

that in. -u -Imul.l kimwe the first degree of wodde that apperteyneth
to a blacke, nor the seconde, tliurde, nor fourth degree ; they woulde
not that men shulde be so wyse to understande, whan they go to see
or bye a pece of cloth, to know what wodde and liowe much, or what
Mate was i-ut thn-oii: II«H\ it i> imt rnnvriiynit t'..r tin- .1\ aix imr yrt
for the drapars pmtitti- that we Englyshmen shulde be so skylfull,

•>l \ I 1:1 I. II \i: I u» KM.M -III.M \s. 9

for that the L-M w-.dde that our dvars occupye is masteryngeas they
terme it, and that is the blacke panne of rynes, burkes, galles,
(•"pp.'ivs, afterwarde floryslu-d up with a shewe of disceytftill brasell,
wherhy they take great hyre for slender coste. But now matter
dyar. -upp..synj: to take me in great advantage as a lyar, wy 11 stoutly
say e t h a 1 1 h ey do wodde aJ 1 theyr clothes that serve for blacke. Indede
for the !_rivater part-' I Lrr:mnt they so do, but as the Englvshe
pn.verhe o-oeth, "as goo<l omf auliut. as never the better," for
that they geve suche wodde for a blacke as scantly wyll serve for a
grene or tawny; gevyni: the t'oiule drapar for iiij'1 in wodde that is
not worth j'1, an<l suche as when mader cannot serve to make it a

treu. Lr 1. and j>erfecte blacke, but rather a redd, it i^ then <-a-r

into tin' lilacke pan, and there fynished. Thus and for theire occa-
-ion* the dvarsaith, that tin* water will not serve, because they would
not have it MTTO, respectyngonly ther «. \vne i»resent commoditic, not
nofjdtf] MI: that theyr contreymen that be thus desceyved by them
shall at the la-t tall to wearyng of cheper coullours ; suche lyke as
they have ahvdye done, not only to the utter decaye of all dying in
this reahne, but also to the great diftacyng of oure owne oommoditic
by wearyng of cloth, for at this daye no man almost wyll meddle
with any coullours of clothe touchinge wodde and mader, unlesse it
l>eare tlu- name ot' Krenche or Flaunder> dye: so that partly by that
so manye as be able to live a cloth dyed in Fluunders or Fraunce,
w\Il not medle with any cloth that is dyed within this realme. This
nniNt nedis (in tyine) hryn^i' an universall decaye u]».in the dyars, as
a just jila^*1 for that the\, re^pectynir their pryvatc and present
cominoditie only, cannot se their owne dei-aye. which is evi-n at
hande. It were to longe to declare to your majestie all the igno-
rance of this sorte of people, which causeth them to destroy not only
that wodde, alluni, and mailer which they bestowe ii]N»n the cloth that
they wodde, but also washe awavc and poure downe the tjutters, well
nii»<t as inuehe good stuffe as they cast awaye upon the cloth, and all
is because they knowe not ( neyther will they learne) to order it
aright ; wheras my for^ayle workenian, as one !•• the nature of

CAMP. -

10 I H K REQUEST AND SUITE

thinges wherwith he workcth, bcstowcth all upon the cloth, and
maketh a true, even, and perfccte colour, without any waste of
stuffe, or dysceyte of any desceytful thinges; which ouredyars in no
wyse can doe; and all thcisc colours can my workeman doe, w hit -h
the dyars of Englande cannot doe, out of whight wolen clothes and
carseys, as fyrst grenes, tawneys, blewes, sadde or light, mourrey,
browne blews, and sadde or light blackes, or othere whatsoever to
wodde and madcr appertayneth.

Now, for the man) mint man's objection, wherin he demaundeth
how oure navye shoulde be mayntayned, if we shouldc dresse and
dye our cloth at home, and not holde our mart in some foren con-
trey. I saye, and ejiperyeDce shall prove it, that oure navye should
be better mayntayned then it is nowe; for how is it Holland, Seallaml,
an 1 Maunders have so great a multitude of great hulkes and shi|>|* ?
an- tin -\ M. .t maintayned by the menes of the mart at Anwa
the mar. 'haunt man saycth, what speake you of a marte at Anwarpe
and a mart at London? do ye loke to have all this parte of tlu-
worlde to come to your marte in Englande, as they doe to Anwarpe?
Naye, it will not )*•; in<Ktk- I woulde not wysbe so manye, Hut I
nm rJL'l.t -uiv that of all quarters some woulde seke us, and that so
many as we shoulde desyre ; for with what wy 11 the I taJ vans passo
l.r\ , .un.l tin in into Turky, Constantinople, Alexandria, and other
farre contreys and cyties, to fetche sylkis, spyces, drugget, jewellis,
currantes, gallis, malmesey (here brewydd), golde, and suche lyke,
l.ut NN ith cl»th ? yea, with Iji-lyshe cloth. And they be no longer
marchauntis then tin -y ha\ .• clothe to travel! wit hall as marchauntis.
\\h« rwith wyll the Easterlyngis marchaundizc, trucke, and bvi the
commodities of r«l< rlande, Russlande, Sweaneland, Pomerlande,
Toterlandc, and suche other farre contreys passynge to Rye and
Revell tliat waye eastwarde ; as masts, waynescote, lump, pytche,
tarre, ashes, wax, ftl< \, «-..j.jK»r, yron, and come, which commeth so
]»li'ntuously oute of Pollande? but i-vi-n with Elnglyshe cloth. \Vher-
withall wyll tho Spaniardis and Portugalles trafFycke into Calicute,
into Affirica, Barbaria, > ;i, into the vies of Canaryn. into

OF A I 1:1 I. 11 \i:i 1.1. i.MiLYSHKMA.V 11

Perew, Brasilia, and man m ilandis and contreys, to fetch

sugar, spices, wodd, bra&sell (a fauls colour), golde, and other com-

lities? even with Kn^lv-li.- d.,th, a> tin- ehyffyst and best mar-
ehanndie.-, that marchaundi/eth t<> them as well as golde and d
(« .r they are not so madde to carry coyne unto these straunge nations
t'"r M mngethyngesas we do. Wherwithall woulde the colde and
large contreys of Doutchlande, Almayne, and Hungary e cloth them-
sc -Ives, and consume the commodities which they make, as ffustians
and many other, if they shulde not have oure Englyshe cloth? W i
fore it i-; • -\ \dent that all such as must necessarilye be inarchamitis
into all then OQOtNJI \N\11 M-ke oure clodi in Englande, as they do
nowe in Flanndcrs, and as they have done in tymes past in SeaLuide,
Callk I»r\.lires, and Englande. And so shall oure navy be as well
ma\ ntaviH •< I l»y them as the navye of the emperour's lande is nowe, by
into all partes of the worlde with marchaundyce; yea, and
oure own shippes shal be hyred to brynge whome to us all suche
commoditi< > a> \\c shall desyre to have, boeth to sadsfye oure selves
and < »ther contn-ys also, to the great enrychinge of the kyngis maiestie,
by his custome, and also by his welthy commons; whoe must nedis
be welthy, by niakynir the uttermost of their owne commoditie at the
handes of straungers, without anye losse sustayned by adventure, and

yvynge all foren commodides also by the one halfe better cheep
without adventure, then they do nowe, takyng upon them all the ad-
venture, and levynge all theyr gaynes upon ther neyghbours at home,
to whome they make sale of such vayne thinges as they brynge us
t'mm beyounde the seas; for they sell oure Englyshe cloth as good
cheep in Anwarp and in Spayne at tliis daye as ever they dyd, and
so have they done all this tyme of the dearth of cloth here, and paye
double for all thinges that they bryng us thense. So that the clothe
which they carrye outewyll not answer in valew those thinges which
are yerely l.roiiLrht into this realme, for oure clothe is soldo to
the straungers at his olde pryce ; but the marchandice that commeth
in is doubled. As if the valew of all thinges that come into the
realine in one yere did iji tymes past amount to ccccm u. the same

12 I HI. !:».«,'! Ml AND M 1 I \.

is solde to us uowe at l>CCCm B. or rather xe m IJ. Oure niarchauntis
therfbre are dryven to cary oute all thinges that may be made
marchaundice. And wher all wyll not serve, menye must nedes be
dysbursed and convayed hence. And be it presupposed, that in one
yere they disburse but 1 m u over and besydes the valew of the cloth
and other marchauii'lirc that is carryed from hense in x yeres, this
amounteth to v« m B, which is no small sura of monye. Neyther is it
any inn \a\ !<• though all our olde angellesbe flowen into F launders
and Fraunce, and oure newe sufleranfees sent after, with all oure fyne
sylver, but he olde and newe, seynge ther must so mucbe goe yerely.
And yet I durst be bolde to save (if the truetli wer knowen as it
doeth partly appeare) that within these xij. yeres last past this reahne
hath ben robbed of a thousande thouaande, and two hundreth thou-
sande powndis, and rather more, And this thinge can never be
ivni.-oSr.l. uul.-M • th.- I'ji.'l^h n. iti- .11 \\ith.lra\\r th.-r m.irt tn-iu
Flaunders, for oure martyng there hath drawne thy ther such a neat
of niarchauntis, and hath so enryched them with oure cominodites,
that th. \ a iv able and doe knytt tliemselves in such companyes,
contractis, counters, and felowshipps, tlmt so longe as they maye have
<>ur doth 1 >n>ught to them they doe and wyll make us seke them,
and give them oure clothes at ther owne pryce, and give them ther

O\MI»- a>k\i)L''' t.T \\hat lOtft^ f.inin.Nliti,- U f. U- lia-1 ..{ thrr> tii.-n-;

oure niarchauntis therfbre that alledge the decaye of oure navye, are
but blyiuled with pre»t»nt commoditie which they have by sellynge
the marchaundice tliat they brynge home at to excessyfe a pryce,
and by byeing and conveyghing oure fyne golde and sylver, which
must nedis in tyme be the utter decay of the whole reahne, and con-
sequently of the marchauntis themselves also; but if so nnulu-
monye as the reahne is yerely robbed of were yerely bestowed upon
seamen, I dout not but we shoulde have as man ye of your majes-
ties subjectis fysliing in your streames as be now of Hollanders,
Sealande men, and Flemmyngis; and at manye takynge fyahe
upon your majesties coostisof Irelande as there be nowe Spaniardis.
So that oure navye nedeth not decaye by withdrawing the mart from

< .1 \ I IM I. II \l: I l.l> I.V.I.^III M VS. 13

An\\arp'-. r»ut one lett amoii . that oure marchauntis feare

thev should be to seke, and be set to a M<-\\<- h-s^m, it' they «}iouM<-
levethcr olde marte to\\n»- aii'l s.-akea newe, which they canneyth* r
alow nor seke, because of the present gayne, which they now gredely
follow.

Well, M..\\ let us goe to tlie fourth dkjiri&m, which maye seme to
ryse upon the answer to the thyrde. If we call home oure mart
(sayth one) other nation- \\ \ 11 make doth themselves, and then what
shall \\e doe with oure mart at home. 1 <_rraunt they wvll make
rloth, and th»-v d.-r make clntli, yes, even as good as any is maul

lan.le: l.ut not \\itlmut KnL'lv-he u«»ul. No, neyther can all

other nation> make tlu- xxxth part so muclie as tin- worlde requyreth

and IK ( e>s\tie mu-t nedis have, excepte they have oure Englysh

woules. Smhe is oure plentye and fyennes of woule, and theyr

itie and Lir«>-eiie-.

l>ut what shall we saye to the fyfte objection, wherin it is sayde
that we must have al things to this workeman-hipp heloncring, and
\\orkriiHMi also from thorn that would spende great treasure of monye;
yea, 1 think and heleve v. mvll\(»nsof golde rather then we should
be able to doe it, or brynge this enterpryce to pass ; and therefore it
is not jM.x.vhle for us to bryng it to effect 1 an->wi r, that it i> verye
tiueth, \\e niu>t nedis have oure wodde out of Fraunce, oure mat her
out of Flaunders, and oure alliiiu out of Spayne, And at the t
we must have workemen out of some of the ysr («»n t re \ s to teach oure
workcMiieu the teate. But after that oure men be instructed what
lu-de we any of ther workemen? But if we dyd nede them coulde
welackethem? No, noe ; when the\ shall not have our cloth to
worke, they wylbe glad to be ryd of ther people that lyve by
the working of it, and the workmen as gladde to be ryd of ther contrey
to be there wheure they myght worke and lyve. But then they
woulde kepe from us wodde, mader, and allum. How doe the
Spaniardis and Flemmynges kepe tlieyr allum and mader from the
Frenchmen in this tyme of tlu-yr wars? I am sure the Frenche
men sende not theyr clothe into 1 launders to be dyed there. The

1 I I III Mi -I III

conimnditie of a contrey is lyke the water of a great ryver, and as
t IP- v that stop the course of a ryver, and wyll suffer no man to fetche
of the water from them, shall hun> more discommoditie by the kepying
of the water tin n others can have by the lackeof it, and yet in short
tyme it wyll breake from them, magre theyr headdis, and so they
that lacked it a why le shall have the more plentye of it ; even so, they
that shall kepe the conimoditie of theyr contrey from them that have
the thing that it serveth for, shall at the laste (yea and that within
short space) be glad to let it have the ryght course, and content
themselves to be marchauntis to those places where the utteraunce
of theyr commodities lyeth moost best But now mister objector
wyll saye that I have made a good symilitude agaynst my seMe ; for
if we stop oure cloth and woule a whyle, we shalbe glad to let
the Flemmynges have it agayne. It is true, so long as we are not
perfectc workemaneshippe, we shall never have the utteraunce of
halfe the cloth that oure woule wyll make ; but if oure workman-
shi|ip were once perfect, we coulde not have so muche woule grow-
Yin-r in Knglandft as wr m\ht utter in cloth. And I am sure it
is no male sum <*t m»\\\- that is bestowed yerely in Flaundcrs
coloured cloth, in Frcnche ,l\«i cappis, in hattis, and Spayniahe
folds, only to be worne in Englande (settyng a worke all nations, but
ours kepyng in ydlenes,) which should not node if our «1\ r \\rrc as
perfect as theyrs, for we have the princyi«dl, which is fyne woule,
\\ithout \\hirh theyr coloure is to smalle purpose to marchaundice.
I graunt we shouMr tor a tyme have a sharpe oooflycte with those
stoute cnynies \\ home we have with oure commodities and treasure
enryched. But those souldiours are not worthy prayse that wyll
ti.r "iic sharp assalt of theyr cnimyes gyve over ther hold.
will tlu'v that rntrii.li- to kepe a fort gyve it over so longe as they
k 1 10 wo them selves to be strong enough, and to have sufficient
vitayles to kepe the holde longer thm tlu-yr onemyes shal be to con*
tynew the sydge. We might well suffer lack of thinges belongyng
to pleasure (for a time), but of thingis necessarye to lyveing, at
meat, drinkc, and doth, we shall have plentye longer then the

• •I A 11:1 I 1 1 \ UTED ENOLY8HEM 15

M' inmyngis shalbe able to kepc from us theyr mader or any thinge
(IN of theyrs, unlesse we would suffer oure grounde to lye untylled,
and l<»ke to lyve lykc idle lu^kis, as everye man (welmoost) woulde
do at this daye, and as a great many are dryven to doe, by the
reasone that oure marchauntis carry e away oure commodities un-
wrought, \\ li'Teupon oure people shoulde be set on worke. And
to have abundaunce of the best commoditi*- (which is woule), a
greate part of oure necessarye tyllage is turned to pasture, so
that \\heu reasonable wetheryng fayleth us we are dryven to
]>n> vvde corne out of forren contreys, to our great discommo-
ditie and dMionoure of this realme, the grounde whereof is most
fert\le and apt for tillage; and this thinge must nedes be a
decaye at the laste, as it partly appeared! ; for imt\\ith>tandyng
the sca^.nal >lc wctheryiur that we have hadde these late yeres, yet
doeth <jrayne and all t Hindis nourished by tyllage, (that is to say,
licnnvs, capons, and all other pultrye, great yne, and thyngis

belongyng to housewifery,) holde sty 11 an unreasonable pryce. It is
playne, therefore, that theise objectours have an yeie only to their
pre-M-nt coramoditie, nothing what distruction it bryngeth to theyr
contrey. And styll they harp on this one strynge — How can it
come to passe, we are not able to con ma- it ? It is treuth we are
not, unlesse we abate of oure pleasures, and content oureselves for a
tyme with necessaryes. But it' the marchauntis of London, which
are the diet!', and other abrode, woulde take as great travell and
byde as great adventure to profvte theyr contrey, by inayn.-tayning
tlu-yr contreyincu in workc, ami uttc-ryu^ thvu^i-5 wrought by them,
as they doe in carving away the tiling that shoulde be wrought by
tlu-ui, and in bryngynge tryfelyng thynges nothynge profitable to
theyr coutivymc-n, but hurtfull, mayntayning the hole worlde of
w..rki-t'..lkc : then should we see that they coulde fynd the means to
coinpasse not only this smalle matter, but manye other. And if the
drapars, dyars, and doihoworken were as wyllyng to bestow monye
in the advauuceynir of the publicke weale as they are in feastynge in
tlieyr halli< at the chosinge new \\ardyns, and tryumphyiii: when an

16 nil. i:ujlTE8T AM- Mil I

heade «.tl\, . i- .,t tin- eytie < haunceth to be one of theyr companye,
then coulde they save somwhat towards the compassynge of this
matter. 1 in re is no doubt, moost dreade soverayne, that if every
man were wyllyng, the matter woulde be foiinde lyght ynough, for
nothynge is harde to diem that be wyllvnge.

To the syxt objection (which is, that dyinge wasteth much wode)
I answere thus : it wasteth muche wode in verve dede, but
\\ \ II not destroye so much wode these hundreth yercs as the unsal-
able desyre of pasture for sheep and cattell hath caused to be stocked
up by the rods within these xxx" yeres laste paste, contrarye to the
lawes of this realme. Well, that answer satisfieth not ; wherfore I
save that we have plentye of sea cole in many partes of this realme,
so that \\e III.IN in m<>ost partis of this realme have them to serve our
turn.- in ilvinge as well as tin- Fl.-nmini-i* have, and as good cheape,
t<>r they 1 .lime and occupy e none other fuell then coles that are
dyggeil nut ..ft!:.- L'n-un.le. l\ke as our smythes doe. Oure dying
>re sli,,iiM riot be wastfull to oure wodis, but rather a pre-

MT\.-\nLr. 1'V -ta\ini: tli.- \e\\ea-t--ll Ootjl at h.-iii.-. t«-r then -h«.ul.l.-

oure dyars that do nowe wast mueh \\.-l-- in -lyinge disceytrul
(olnuns l>urn< i,.. u ,H!O at all, and yet shoulde they dye as true and
perfect conlonrs, and to them more benefytt.

To the seventh and laste objection I save (as the* Kn-l \ Oi proverbe

<MMII. -tin • It th.- -k\.' fall u.-xl,:ill tak.- many larkk" It isathynge

nnich tobefeariil ti ^ anianlis u ill not utter suche commodities

jpfOWynjre in theyr o>n1 -HUM n»ili^ lyve by, without the

UK.- \\herut' the\ ran not have such forren commodities as

they iiui-te noli- have. Ami tliou^h it were to be feared, yet nede

;m . ti.r \\hen they can have none of oure doth in Flaun-

w \ 11 the\ not IT\ nn u> o\ los to have oure cloth at oure handis,

as \\rll a- thev Miller u- t«> ha\e it now without oure eoinm.Mlitie

made perfect, halfe wrought and lialfe unwrought ? But I thynke it

sh ul do be a great deal more for mire j.rofite, it' they did not only

restrayne theyr oyles aiul alluin, but all theyr other wares also,

which are Kut trvflea, and things holongyng to lycorou*

OF A Tit IT: I! \i: I ED BVOL1 -HIM \\. 17

meter for children then rea^.nahle JH-..J,I.. .-it th:it pryCC, Yea, I

\\ mildo wvsh that tin- pr\ m of all tin- SptOBttfdtt f i vflyng wares were
enliaiinee I i kfaa \ale\\ that they be at, though they be

in \er\e fade :it 10 • • pn-e. alln-dy, that no wyse nation

wonlde bye to many of them as \\edoe, at so unreasonahle p:

lint it thev \\er revsed to \. t\ni'-- thi> unreasonahle \>\.

then we vliniilde leaiMe \v\tte, ami Ffnde ft HI M at home,

:m«l not ahyde so great adventure in can-vim: onto so good commo-
dities to hr\ni: lioim- trvHcs, with as great dauiiLri r. n«'t only by sea
hnt al>o thon- l»v n^tra\nt ot't'«.rn-n prynce& And vet the pry re of
tlm- is metely \vi-ll (.•nhaunn-d, as I (be^-nge a grosser, and

one that x'llrth ipjoes) am wt-11 al»lo to declare. As fyrst
\viiiit to he soldo tin- \\' the j.ounde, DOW solde at ii'r the pounde.
The -- . hirli ( in t\ nn- that I have

kiiowne) \\ore boughte for vjs viij'1 tlio hundreth. and iny^ht be
rotavlod fur i! the jiounde. to a pvat Iv\in;j\ and are i;..\\ solde to
n- I'm- x\i\ and can not be retavled undi-r ij': ol». tho pounde. The

ir that I have kn<>\\ ne at iiij'1 tlie li. i- n..\\e at \iiij'1. The ahnons
at xvnf the hundreth within those tiv, !-ut n«'\\e at Iiij' iiijd.

\\ liite xtjie at x\iip, now at xliif, 8tC. \''. I ho alluin somt \ineat

\ iij'1 the hiindroth. nowe at x\\/ viij'l. ( hie wont to be solde
ix11 or x" the tuniio. now i< soldc- tor xxiiij". I ' . vine at xviij"

iiundroth, now at xlviij*. Mace> t'or vk the li.

ponnde. Fyggifl at xx'l the tapnot. noue at iiijs. And so of all
other, as woll in hole as in part, toadbyng >pvot-r\. And a- it is in

CS6B, 90 i- it in -\lLe-. M> in wvnes, which do n> more hurt then

•d, in Ivnneii cloth, throddi-, and all other thin-i- \ .tany

(-uche as ho profitable) nn^lit be made in tho roahne. it' bonswifrye
dvd ilorishe ain(»n-e us. And a -reate manve were hotter spared
then hoiiirht, and vet \ ilioin at an oxoessyve pryce, by

rea>oiio that W6 Nke them M> ^redely. Uut this «>l»jector snyth that
I kn«»w not what I save, in that I alHnne nun- f inerchaun-

dicc to be one greal cau-o of tlu' onhauncod pri
clianiio (sayth he i i\ the OMU-O. l.y the nieaiiex ,,f t _: of onre

« \M!>. * " • I'

I III lil.'.l I. -I \M> -I III

. linK-ilr tin- exehaunge doeth hurte soine\\hat ; as to save in

hundivth \\\". I. ut thexalting of marchanndio
contr. TV huiidrethrc. at iiich mbhytli tin* ivaluie

of all oure guide and svl\ <T. and w\ll d<*-. if remedy be not
vyded, I" ge and hurt that every man feleth in \.

nesse of them. Hut \\h.-.. l,,keth well aln.nt hyin shall fynde that
evyn in Spayne, and in tin- -n-at mart towne «>i Anwarp, all wares
an- di-an-r nc»\\ by dohle, and in most wares b\ tn -hyll pryse*. then
they were \ j . -r \ij yeres past And this can not be by thexchaunge,
^ h< M they receyve oure cloth (<>r ther wares at the same prjrce and
\..I.-\\ t<> th. -in that th.-y had them in t vines past It i- tlu- compa-
ny e» and tf]li>\v>lii|»ps of inan-hauntis of Anwarpe, with ther great
•locker and Mihstaunro ol n ..... •. • . knowvn«« \- :••'!. d OOM BMC!
rhauntis and nation how to leade them, uh<> an- theare confederated
and In-nt agayn t the ICnglysh nation, intondyngto make us pay well
(as we doe in dede unreason man\ toldc babies that we

t them, and »o to force us to sekr UJN.II thmi to takr --ni
(\\lii<-li thi-v \\oulde sew to u« for it' \M- \\milde once be wysej^
and to conveygh oure fyne gold and -\1\. r ont of this realme to

rlirin thryr o\\ne aakyng for tl»'\r pyniu-s, tlie^T paynted
pajH-rs, h,ad rl..thrs for woinm. \\ith ton- >levw and nivki rcliefes,
glasses. h..l.).i-v horses, babies for oure children, and a thousuulr
siirh likr thingis, which all we uixjjit ^rll tn|-lHarr. Yea and a
great d< ah ..t <>ur \ll>es also, and other thinp-s which we ha\« in
high . n. s.i that it' \\.- \\ouldi- n trayne tlie>T vanities, and

take no more at ther handis then we have nede of, oure cummo-
ditii •> i l'i-\ n_ir \\ r..n_i;ht \\ithin this reahne) woulde be of vnlew sufti-
cii-nt to answere all that we >honldi- nrtK- to bve «.t' other nations,
and to bring in onrs, and Iwsydis great treasure of gold and s\ l\n-
agayne, wherot' they ha\e now, and also have caused us to robbe
oure selves to ennrhe tlu-m, t(» tlie great enpoverish \ 1 1 _
majesti j«...re eominons, and greater dishonour of the whole nation
I in. M. Su|.|M,>yng that it slialbe verye n-«|iii>ith and
i'\|»edycnt to worke all Uieisi» or an\e part of the pi\-in\>M> in moost

19

mer, that no nation • -. or I.,- of . oim-.-ll in any the

Le devyscd pur|M)-e>, lea-t they knowyn^r tin-rot' \se mi^ht be

MM! onl\ piv\enfd I. lit aNo moehe li\nd«-ivd. tor they \\oiilde wrasteU

no douht, and seke man\e meanes, and that by all extremyties,
then th \ \\oulde receyve so great a foyle, and so moehe to be hyn-

deivd in the\ r common \\ealt!i.

Tim- ha\e I, ( accord \ HIT to m\ hoiindeii dnetie. ) declared to your
maje-tie what it hath pleased ( lod to bryng to passe l»y inyne advcn-
ture and diligent tra\ell, tni-tynir that your maje-tie, (tenderyng the
puhlicke weale ot' thi^ voiir realme, and -eyn^e th- Me state

that \oiir -ii re l,rou!_rht into l.y the meanes that th

commodities wher upon they >houlde he -et on work- ryed be-

\oimde the seas unWIOUght, and the >ame lievnir '•'•' \otir majesties
auetoritie -tayed at home in tin- realme and perfectly wrought by
yourc' majesties -ulijectis, tin- irreat mi>ery -honlde he remedied and
great wealth hron^ht into this realme airax ne. ) \\ \ 11 use your aueto-
ritie in coimnaundyng the Lorde mayor of the ( itie of London, with
hi- brethren the Aldermen, upon the losse of their auetoritie and
office, under your ^ration- majestic, to see that in the Citie of Lon-
don all mailer of cloth he trm-lv and perfectly d\cd. after the mailer
of Anwarp, which i> the jn-t ende and l\m\t of tiv\\th in that be-
halfe. And that no cloth l.c -uttered to be solde in the citie th./
disceytfully d\ed, wherof the citie tloueth, notwith>tandiii«r your
:iou- ki-t Acte, and the -civlicr- ap|N)yiited tor the same. And
that no cloth d\ed heyoimde the >ea- he -uttered to l.c -olde within

the Citie of London upon the losse of the same.

This they may doe by procuring out ot' Maunders iij or iiij
workemeiu honest and expart in the teate of dyin-e. which they
may doe with -mall chai'ire. For the \\orkemen wil he «_rladde to

-er\ e tor \\' marki- a piece 1>\ \ •, . at the moost, and to

teach our contivvmeii for the <ame nun:

i'his charge will not he so «:reat in the whole as the hxldvnge of
one corner of the hospitalli* hath lu-ne, which never the le»e they
lull ii'«nllv ha\e tin\>hed. Ajid \ et it \\yll be a greater, and a in

20 in - 1 \ \ i >

certayne aii'l «lur:i'.l«- foundation ..t ivli.-f tor the poor*, then many
surh hoxpJtnllU can I..-, and *h:dl be a greater •!<••! : for if

it be c-haritie to sucker a thousande, it is greater chari tie to sucker
iii:iM\ thousandis,evi-na hundn-th thousandisor two, by the advaunc-
yngof tru«- dyinge and dressing of rloth, true dyinge and mak\n_r
of cappis, which now are mad<- in ntln-r contreys, 1 -'.mite

in us but only t<>r the dye. And because the conunoditie of profyt
•Od gayiif rhi< ;';. j-.ir: •;. •• • t" t '.•• •!;. .H ~. • '. ••::..-. --r!.. \~-. an i tofm

(as loth as they be to hnv<> it l.r..ti-jljt to passe), it were convenient
that these companies slmuMt- U» at all the chargis ; as well of the
provydyng of workemen, as for the mayntaynyng certavnt- honest
searchearsy — men >k\ hull in tin- .••,ul..ur-. of cloth, to make weekly
diligent search t<>r th-- true execution ..t the premisses. And the
charge to be geven them also ujH.n t!i«- l..s«,. ,,{ th,-\ r 1\ U«rties and
fredom for «

Thus nil- T\n<r my simple lalwiurs and travel! in this I.
N.-ur n:<,< ti . I it in ytte my selte to your majestic to be an i nst ru-
in.-iit in all that I an<l my workman can doe towardes the accom-
pliabing of toil m- «1. -\rnl purpose, which 1 «!«H- not dmil •
yonr majestie wyll by your auctorytie brynge to passe, to the glorye
-ti. N hartie rejoycing, and great wealth of your
poore subject]*. Th.- kyng of all kyngis, the gyveare of all thingis,
thi^ wvl in \oitr heart, and grain it that \.»u mavr 1\\-- in
good healtli t.. r.-x-n.- «.%•• -r us your majesties subjectis, and s«-
ehyMiviis' eliyldren, and thi^ your realme, in as inurhe wealth as

have sene it.

1 1.
Y«ur majesties taythtull and ..I..--;' t.

WILLIAM ( H()LMi:i , ...

PROTFRBKS. '20.— A K vim tluU nvttrth on the throne of judgement, and loknh well
•bout hyra. dnrreth away all IMJ||.

Anno D'ni 1

Till-: DISCOVER?

OF THE

JITS' COLLEGE AT CLERKENWBLL

IN M.\l;< II K.-J7-8:

AND A LETTER FOUND IN TIIKIK HofSE,

(AS ASSERT KD,)
mui.i in. ro mi i \TIII it m roi \T BRCXBLLES.

r.niTKD BY

GOUGH NICHOLS. l.S.A

Boom v.

M.DOOC.LJI.