To the Right Honourable the Lords and COMMONS IN THE High Court of PARLAMENT now assembled.

PArdon me Right Honourable, if amongst your other more serious present affaires, I presume to dedicate to your acceptance and perusall this short discourse of forraigne Traffike: It hath ever beene accounted a branch of Englands Royall Stem, and a commoditie, that for many yeares, hath brought a wonderfull Revenue to Englands diadem; It now presseth to your presence as an agrieved weight, laden with many fetters, imposed thereon by the covetousnesse of some, and by the Envyers of our prosperous Traffike, yet seeing that like religious Pilots you guide the helme of our Kingdome with your hand, whilst your eyes are fixed on heaven, taking from thence the conduct of your earthly directions, it hopes by that your good and gracious aspect to be now freed from them all, and florish againe in its first lustre. It is now about forty yeares since it began to be ingrafted in our English Climate, and ever since found our soyle proper for its further grouth, but if it find not your Honors favourable protection and future cherishing, a few yeares more may see it withred and reduced to its first nothing. I dare not undertake in this discourse to demonstrate the burthens that cloggeth it in this Kingdome, the severall Societies of incorporated Merchants of the Citie of London being called before you, will best particularise the same, onely I have labour’d to shew, what may best gaine it in those parts of this Kingdome where it is wanting, and augment that portion thereof in those places where it is settled already. Let not then, Right Honorable, so excellent a Jem, and so hitherto profitable and eminent a revenew, for want of a little of your helpe, die in your dayes, nor yet perish in our age, but release it from those subtle Gives, that cunningly have been intruded upon its liberties, and goes about to kill the root thereof, decking it once againe as primarily, with some of those lasting and beautiful immunities that can and may make it live longer, and spred it selfe much fairer, that the times to come may deservedly attribute to your names and memory that splendor & glory it shall obtain by your benignity, so shall the King, our gracious Soveraigne, have just cause to commend your care for your preserving to Himselfe and Kingdome, this so noble a Royalty, your Honours be justly applauded for imploying your industrious hands and heads in pruning, and lopping the disordered branches of so excellent a graft, and the Merchants of this Kingdome that have hitherto sowne in Expectation, live in hope to reape a fruitfull crop of their forraigne adventures, and hartily pray for the good successe of all your other weighty affaires, and amongst the rest, so shall ever ascend the devout Orisons of