Chap. XX.: The way to bring England to be contented with as little profit in the Fishing-Trade as Holland.

BUT I am not willing to believe, That this Disability is perpetual, nor to give such discouragement to my Country; and therefore I do believe, we may come to have our share in the Fishing-Trade; only first, we must be able to catch and cure the Edition: current; Page: [(617)] Herrings as cheap, and to sell them for as little profit as they do in Holland.

That we may sell for as little profit; our Fisher-men must not be at more contingent charge or hazard; they must not be invited from the Fishing Trade to other more profitable ways; our plenty of Money must be as great as it is in Holland.

Our Busses and all other Ships might be registred; by this many Controversies wou’d be prevented;Registers and Law-Merchant. for a more easie and speedy Determination of others, a Law-Merchant might be erected. The Forms of Tryals in other cases might continue still the same without any Alteration; but these are not thought altogether so convenient for this purpose. Perhaps if this were done, our Fishing-Trade wou’d not be carried on with any more contingent charge or hazard.

That no Man might reject the small gain that is made of Fishing,Corporations in Trade hurtful. for the greater profit of any other Trade; all our Trades both foreign and domestick, might be driven with the greatest freedom, Corporations and other Restraints might be destroy’d; consequently, so many wou’d be trading one against another; all kinds of Trade wou’d be driven so very close, till at last no Man in England wou’d be able to gain more by any other way, than every Man in Holland does by that of Fishing; then certainly, no Man wou’d reject the small profit that is made of Fishing, for the hopes of greater profit by any other Trade.

By such an universal Freedom of Trade, our Superfluities wou’d be multiply’d,Free-Trade the way to increase our Money. our exportations wou’d be enlarg’d, our Bullion wou’d be increas’d, and the more Money wou’d be still imploy’d in Trade. The profit of this wou’d be run as low as the present Interest of Money; and still as Money shou’d be drawn out of Trade to purchase Lands or lye at Edition: current; Page: [(618)] Interest, the Value of those wou’d rise, Interest wou’d fall, Men wou’d be forc’d to trade on for little gain. When Interest shall be the same, when the profit of Trade shall be no greater than it is in Holland, our plenty of Money must be as great.

And thus, when our hazard in Trade shall be no greater, when we shall be able to make no greater profit by any other Trade, when our plenty of Money shall be as great, we shall be content to afford our Herrings for as little profit as does content the Dutch.