Preface, The Answere. (2)

The timber, Plancke, and other materialls, for making of shipping, is exceedinglie Wasted, and made dearer, by the building of so many great Shippes, as are yearely sent to Trade in the East-Indies; and yet the State hath no vse of any of them vpon occasion. For either they are not here; or else they come home verie weake, and vnseruiceable.

THis East-India Trade seemeth to bee borne and brought vp an Vnthrift, for it wasteth and consumeth all; Neither doth it good to any.

But the Obiection in some part is very weake: and in the rest it is mistaken.

The 1. part concerneth the folly of the Obiection.For first, concerning the weaknesse thereof; would men haue vs to keepe our woods and goodly trees to looke vpon? they might as well forbid the working of our woolls, & sending forth our cloth to forraine parts; for both are meanes alike to procure the necessarie wares, which this Kingdome wanteth. Doe they not know that trees doe liue and grow; and being great, they haue a time to dye and rot, if oportunity make no better vse of them; and what more noble or profitable vse then goodly ships for Trade and warre? are they not our barns for wealth and plenty, seruing as walles and Bulwarkes for our peace and happinesse? Do not their yearely buildings maintaine many hundred poore people, and greatly increase the number of those Artesmen which are so needfull for this common wealth?

The prouidence of the East-India company for Timber & Planke.And is not all this good performed also (with great prouidence) by bringing in yearely store of Timber, and other prouisions from Ireland? Why then, where is the great wast and dearnesse? I am sure, the East-India Company findes it not; for whereas they do onely buy their prouisions in Hampshire, Essex, Kent, and Barkeshire, in all which places they now may haue both Timber, Planks, Sheathing boards, Trenalls, and the like, both for goodnesse and price, as cheape (yea better cheape) than they haue beene this fifteene yeares;The East-India Trade hath not indeared the materialls which serue to make shippes. and likewise in all that course of time their bookes doe plainely shew that those wares haue neuer varied much; for if they haue risen any smal matter in one yeare they haue fallen as much the next. And yet I pray you obserue (besides the East-India Companies buildings) the many goodly shippes, which are daily made for other priuate Merchants (such as England neuer had before:) and that which is most remarkable, is, the continuall late buildings of his Maiestie, thereby yearely adding more strength and glory of great Ships to his Royall and matchlesse Nauy; so that heere we see this supposed wast and want is not considerable.

Yea but, say they, the East-India shippes are neuer here, to serue the Kingdome vpon occasion:The 2. part sheweth the mistaking in the Obiection. Or if they be at home, they are weake, and vnfit for seruice.

In trade of Merchandize our Ships must goe and come, they are not made to stay at home; yet neuerthelesse, the East-India company are well prepared at all times, to serue his Maiestie, and his Kingdomes, with many warlike prouisions,The warlike prouision which the East-India Company keepe in store. which they alwayes keepe in store; such as Timber, Planks, Iron-workes, Masts, Cordage, Anchors, Caske, Ordinance, Powder, Shot, Victualls ready packed, Wine, Sider, and a world of other things, fitting the present building, repairing and dispatch of Shippes to Sea: as may be plentifully seene in their yardes and storehouses at Deptforde, and more especially in those at Blackewall; which are growne so famous, that they are daily visited & viewed by strangers, as well Embassadors,His Maiesties strength in the East-India Companie alone. as others; to their great admiration of his Maiesties strength, & glory, in one onely Company of his Merchants, able at short warning to set forth a fleet of Ships of great force & power.

For it is well knowne to all men who please truely to be informed, That the East-India Company (besides their fleete of Shippes, going and comming, & also abiding in the Indies) are continually building, repairing, rigging, victualling, and furnishing to Sea, with all prouision needefull for such a long voyage, some 7. or 8. great shippes yearely; which are to bee seene at an Anchor in the Riuer of Thames in a great forwardnes some 5. or 6. moneths together, before they commonly depart for the Indies, which is about the moneth of March: & they are no sooner got off from the coast of England, but shortly after, is the season of our ships to returne from the Indies; who come not home so weake as some would haue them; for how often hath experience beene made of our shippes which haue performed two or three seuerall voyages to the East-Indies?The shippes which returne from the East-Indies home, may be repayred in a very short time. Yet at their returne, they haue beene indocked, new trimmed and lanched out againe, fitted for the like voyages, in lesse then two moneths. But it will be needles to spend any more time in shewing the errors of this 2. Obiection: therefore I will rather come to the handling of that which followeth,