their turnes doo come about, I will not let to leaue some further
remembrance. She hath likewise thrée notable gallies: the Spéed well,
the Trie right, and the Blacke gallie, with the sight whereof and rest
of the nauie roiall, it is incredible to saie how greatlie hir grace
is delighted: and not without great cause (I saie) sith by their
meanes hir coasts are kept in quiet, and sundrie forren enimies put
backe, which otherwise would inuade vs. The number of those that serue
for burden with the other, whereof I haue made mention alreadie, and
whose vse is dailie séene, as occasion serueth, in time of the warres,
is to mée vtterlie vnknowne. Yet if the report of one record be anie
thing at all to be credited, there are 135 ships that exceed 500 tun,
topmen vnder 100 and aboue fortie 656: hoies 100: but of hulkes,
catches, fisherboats, and craiers, it lieth not in me to deliuer the
iust account, sith they are hardlie to come by. Of these also there
are some of the quéenes maiesties subiects that haue two or three,
some foure or six, and (as I heard of late) one man whose name I
suppresse for modesties sake, hath bene knowne long since to haue had
sixtéene or seuentéene, and emploied them wholie to the wafting in and
out of our merchants, whereby he hath reaped no small commoditie and
gaine. I might take occasion to tell of the notable and difficult
voiages made into strange countries by Englishmen, and of their dailie
successe there: but as these things are nothing incident to my
purpose, so I surcease to speake of them. Onelie this will I ad, to
the end all men shall vnderstand somewhat of the great masses of
treasure dailie emploied vpon our nauie, how there are few of those
ships, of the first and second sort, that being apparelled and made
readie to sale, are not woorth one thousand pounds, or thrée thousand
ducats at the least, if they should presentlie be sold. What shall we
thinke then of the greater, but especiallie of the nauie roiall, of
which some one vessell is woorth two of the other, as the shipwrights
haue often told me? It is possible that some couetous person hearing
this report, will either not credit it at all, or suppose monie so
emploied to be nothing profitable to the queenes coffers: as a good
husband said once when he hard there should be prouision made for
armor, wishing the quéenes monie to be rather laid out to some
spéedier returne of gaine vnto hir grace, bicause the realme (saith
he) is in case good enough, and so peraduenture he thought. But if as
by store of armour for the defense of the countrie, he had likewise
vnderstanded that the good kéeping of the sea, is the safegard of our
land, he would haue altered his censure, and soone giuen ouer his
iudgement. For in times past, when our nation made small account of
nauigation, how soone did the Romans, then the Saxons, & last of all
the Danes inuade this Iland? whose crueltie in the end inforced our
countrimen, as it were euen against their wils, to prouide for ships
from other places, and build at home of their owne, whereby their
enimies were oftentimes distressed. But most of all were the Normans
therein to be commended. For in a short processe of time after the
conquest of this Iland, and good consideration had for the well
kéeping of the same, they supposed nothing more commodious for the
defense of the countrie, than the maintenance of a strong nauie, which
they spéedilie prouided, mainteined, and thereby reaped in the end
their wished securitie, wherewith before their times this Iland was
neuer acquainted. Before the comming of the Romans, I doo not read
that we had anie ships at all, except a few made of wicker and couered
with buffle hides, like vnto the which there are some to be seene at
this present in Scotland (as I heare) although there be a little (I
wote not well what) difference betwéene them. Of the same also Solinus
speaketh, so far as I remember: neuerthelesse it may be gathered by
his words, how the vpper parts of them aboue the water onelie were
[Sidenote: The Britons fasted all the while they were
at the sea in these ships.]
framed of the said wickers, and that the Britons did vse to fast all
the whiles they went to the sea in them: but whether it were doone for
policie or superstition, as yet I doo not read.
In the beginning of the Saxons regiment we had some ships also, but as
their number and mould was litle and nothing to the purpose, so Egbert
was the first prince that euer throughlie began to know this
necessitie of a nauie, and vse the seruice thereof in the defense of
his countrie. After him also other princes, as Alfred, Edgar,
Ethelred, &c: indeuoured more and more to store themselues at the full
with ships of all quantities, but chieflie Edgar, for he prouided a
nauie of 1600 aliàs 3600 saile, which he diuided into foure parts, and
sent them to abide vpon foure sundrie coasts of the land to keepe the
same from pirats. Next vnto him (and worthie to be remembred) is
Etheldred, who made a law, that euerie man holding 310 hidelands,
should find a ship furnished to serue him in the warres. Howbeit, and
as I said before, when all their nauie was at the greatest, it was not
comparable for force and sure building, to that which afterward the
Normans prouided; neither that of the Normans anie thing like to the
same that is to be séene now in these our daies. For the iourneies
also of our ships, you shall vnderstand, that a well builded vessell
will run or saile commonlie thrée hundred leagues or nine hundred
miles in a wéeke, or peraduenture some will go 2200 leagues in six
wéekes and an halfe. And suerlie, if their lading be readie against
they come thither, there will be of them that will be here, at the
west Indies, & home againe in twelue or thirteene wéekes from
Colchester; although the said Indies be eight hundred leagues from the
cape or point of Cornewall, as I haue beene informed. This also I
vnderstand by report of some trauellers, that if anie of our vessels
happen to make a voiage to Hispaniola or new Spaine, called in time
past Quinquezia and Haiti, and lieth betwéene the north tropike and
the equator, after they haue once touched at the Canaries, (which are
eight daies sailing or two hundred and fiftie leages from S. Lucas de
Barameda in Spaine) they will be there in thirtie or fourtie daies, &
home againe in Cornewall in other eight wéekes, which is a goodlie
matter, beside the safetie and quietnesse in the passage. But more of
this elsewhere.
OF FAIRES AND MARKETS.
CHAP. XVIII.
There are (as I take it) few great townes in England, that haue not
their wéekelie markets, one or more granted from the prince, in which
all maner of prouision for houshold is to be bought and sold, for ease
and benefit of the countrie round about. Wherby as it c[=o]meth to
passe that no buier shall make anie great iourneie in the purueiance
of his necessities: so no occupier shall haue occasion to trauell far
off with his commodities, except it be to séeke for the highest
prices, which commonlie are néere vnto great cities, where round and
spéediest vtterance is alwaies to be had. And as these haue béene in
times past erected for the benefit of the realme, so are they in many
places too too much abused: for the reliefe and ease of the buier is
not so much intended in them, as the benefit of the seller. Neither
are the magistrats for the most part (as men loth to displease their
neighbours for their one yeares dignitie) so carefull in their
offices, as of right and dutie they should bée. For in most of these
markets neither assises of bread nor orders for goodnesse and
swéetnesse of graine, and other commodities that are brought thither
to be sold, are anie whit looked vnto; but ech one suffered to sell or
set vp what and how himselfe listeth: & this is one euident cause of
dearth and scarsitie in time of great abundance.
I could (if I would) exemplifie in manie, but I will touch no one
particularlie, sith it is rare to sée in anie countrie towne (as I
said) the assise of bread well kept according to the statute. And yet
if anie countrie baker happen to come in among them on the market daie
with bread of better quantitie, they find fault by and by with one
thing or another in his stuffe; whereby the honest poore man, whome
the law of nations doo commend, for that he indeuoureth to liue by
anie lawfull meanes, is driuen awaie, and no more to come there vpon
some round penaltie, by vertue of their priuileges. Howbeit though
they are so nice in the proportion of their bread, yet in lieu of the
same, there is such headie ale & béere in most of them, as for the
mightinesse thereof among such as séeke it out, is commonlie called
huffecap, the mad dog, father whoresonne, angels food, dragons milke,
go by the wall, stride wide, and lift leg, &c. And this is more to be
noted, that when one of late fell by Gods prouidence into a troubled
c[=o]science, after he had considered well of his reachlesse life, and
dangerous estate: another thinking belike to change his colour and not
his mind, caried him straightwaie to the strongest ale, as to the next
physician. It is incredible to saie how our maltbugs lug at this
liquor, euen as pigs should lie in a row, lugging at their dames
teats, till they lie still againe, and be not able to wag. Neither did
Romulus and Remus sucke their shee woolfe or shéepheards wife Lupa,
with such eger and sharpe deuotion, as these men hale at hufcap, till
they be red as cockes, & litle wiser than their combs. But how am I
fallen from the market into the alehouse? In returning therefore vnto
my purpose, I find that in corne great abuse is dailie suffered, to
the great preiudice of the towne and countrie, especiallie the poore
artificer and householder, which tilleth no land, but laboring all the
wéeke to buie a bushell or two of graine on the market daie, can there
haue none for his monie: bicause bodgers, loders, and common carriers
of corne doo not onlie buie vp all, but giue aboue the price, to be
serued of great quantities. Shall I go anie further? Well I will saie
yet a little more, and somewhat by mine owne experience.
At Michaelmasse time poore men must make monie of their graine, that
they may paie their rents. So long then as the poore man hath to sell,
rich men will bring out none, but rather buie vp that which the poore
bring, vnder pretense of seed corne, or alteration of graine, although
they bring none of their owne, bicause one wheat often sowen without
change of séed, will soone decaie and be conuerted into darnell. For
this cause therefore they must needs buie in the markets, though they
be twentie miles off and where they be not knowne, promising there if
they happen to be espied (which God wot is verie seldome) to send so
much to their next market, to be performed I wot not when.
If this shift serue not (neither dooth the fox vse alwaies one tracke
for feare of a snare) they will compound with some one of the towne
where the market is holden, who for a pot of hufcap or merie go downe,
will not let to buie it for them, and that in his owne name. Or else
[Sidenote: Suborned bodgers.]
they wage one poore man or other, to become a bodger, and thereto get
him a licence vpon some forged surmise, which being doone, they will
féed him with monie, to buie for them till he hath filled their lofts,
and then if he can doo any good for himselfe so it is, if not, they
will giue him somewhat for his paines at this time, & reserue him for
an other yeare. How manie of the like prouiders stumble vpon blind
créekes at the sea coast, I wote not well; but that some haue so doone
and yet doo vnder other mens wings, the case is too too plaine. But
[Sidenote: Bodgers licenced.]
who dare find fault with them, when they haue once a licence? yea
though it be but to serue a meane gentlemans house with corne, who
hath cast vp all his tillage, bicause he boasteth how he can buie his
graine in the market better cheape, than he can sow his land, as the
rich grasier often dooth also vpon the like deuise, bicause grasing
requireth a smaller household and lesse attendance and charge. If anie
man come to buie a bushell or two for his expenses vnto the market
crosse, answer is made; Forsooth here was one euen now that bad me
monie for it, and I hope he will haue it. And to saie the truth, these
bodgers are faire chapmen, for there are no more words with them, but
Let me see it, what shall I giue you, knit it vp, I will haue it, go
carie it to such a chamber, and if you bring in twentie seme more in
the weeke daie to such an Inne or sollar where I laie my corne, I will
haue it and giue you pence or more in euerie bushell for six wéekes
day of paiment than an other will. Thus the bodgers beare awaie all,
so that the poore artificer and labourer cannot make his prouision in
the markets, sith they will hardlie now a daies sell by the bushell,
nor breake their measure; and so much the rather, for that the buier
will looke (as they saie) for so much ouer measure in a bushell as the
bodger will doo in a quarter. Naie the poore man cannot oft get anie
of the farmer at home, bicause he prouideth altogither to serue the
bodger, or hath an hope grounded vpon a greedie and insatiable desire
of gaine, that the sale will be better in the market: so that he must
giue two pence or a groate more in a bushell at his house than the
last market craued, or else go without it, and sléepe with an hungrie
bellie. Of the common carriage of corne ouer vnto the parts beyond the
seas I speake not; or at the leastwise if I should, I could not touch
it alone but néeds must ioine other prouision withall, whereby not
onelie our fréends abroad, but also manie of our aduersaries and
countriemen the papists are abundantlie relieued (as the report goeth)
but sith I sée it not, I will not so trust mine eares as to write it
for a truth. But to returne to our markets againe.
By this time the poore occupier hath all sold his crop for néed of
monie, being readie peraduenture to buie againe yer long. And now is
the whole sale of corne in the great occupiers hands, who hitherto
haue threshed little or none of their owne, but bought vp of other
men, so much as they could come by. Hencefoorth also they begin to
sell, not by the quarter or load at the first, for marring the market,
but by the bushell or two, or an horsseload at the most, therby to be
séene to keepe the crosse, either for a shew, or to make men eger to
buie, and so as they may haue it for monie, not to regard what they
paie. And thus corne waxeth deere, but it will be déerer the next
market daie. It is possible also that they mislike the price in the
beginning for the whole yeare insuing, as men supposing that corne
will be litle worth for this, & of better price in the next yeare. For
they haue certeine superstitious obseruations, whereby they will giue
a gesse at the sale of corne for the yeare following. And our
countriemen doo vse commonlie for barleie where I dwell, to iudge
after the price at Baldocke vpon S. Matthewes daie, and for wheat as
it is sold in séed time. They take in like sort experiment by sight of
the first flockes of cranes that flée southward in winter, the age of
the moone in the beginning of Ianuarie, & such other apish toies, as
by laieng twelue cornes vpon the hot hearth for the twelue moneths,
&c: whereby they shew themselues to be scant good christians, but what
care they so they may come by monie? Herevpon also will they thresh
out thrée parts of the old corne, toward the latter end of the summer,
when new commeth apace to hand, and cast the same in the fourth
vnthreshed, where it shall lie vntill the next spring, or peraduenture
till it must and putrifie. Certes it is not deintie to sée mustie
corne in manie of our great markets of England, which these great
occupiers bring foorth when they can kéepe it no longer. But as they
are inforced oftentimes vpon this one occasion somwhat to abate the
price, so a plague is not seldome ingendred thereby among the poorer
sort that of necessitie must buie the same, wherby manie thousands of
all degrees are consumed, of whose deaths (in mine opinion) these
farmers are not vnguiltie. But to proceed. If they laie not vp their
graine or wheat in this maner, they haue yet another policie, whereby
they will séeme to haue but small store left in their barnes: for else
they will gird their sheues by the band, and stacke it vp of new in
lesse roome, to the end it may not onlie séeme lesse in quantitie, but
also giue place to the corne that is yet to come into the barne, or
growing in the field. If there happen to be such plentie in the market
on anie market daie, that they cannot sell at their own price, then
will they set it vp in some fréends house, against an other or the
third daie, & not bring it foorth till they like of the sale. If they
sell anie at home, beside harder measure, it shall be déerer to the
poore man that bieth it by two pence or a groat in a bushell than they
may sell it in the market. But as these things are worthie redresse,
so I wish that God would once open their eies that deale thus, to sée
their owne errours: for as yet some of them little care how manie
poore men suffer extremitie, so that they may fill their purses, and
carie awaie the gaine.
It is a world also to sée how most places of the realme are pestered
with purueiours, who take vp egs, butter, chéese, pigs, capons, hens,
chickens, hogs, bakon, &c: in one market, vnder pretense of their
commissions, & suffer their wiues to sell the same in another, or to
pulters of London. If these chapmen be absent but two or thrée market
daies, then we may perfectlie sée these wares to be more reasonablie
sold, and therevnto the crosses sufficientlie furnished of all things.
In like sort, since the number of buttermen haue so much increased,
and since they trauell in such wise, that they come to mens houses for
their butter faster than they can make it; it is almost incredible to
see how the price of butter is augmented: whereas when the owners were
inforced to bring it to the market townes, & fewer of these butter
buiers were stirring, our butter was scarslie woorth eighteene pence
the gallon, that now is worth thrée shillings foure pence, & perhaps
fiue shillings. Wherby also I gather that the maintenance of a
superfluous number of dealers in most trades, tillage alwaies
excepted, is one of the greatest causes why the prices of things
become excessiue: for one of them doo c[=o]monlie vse to out bid
another. And whilest our countrie commodities are commonlie bought and
sold at our priuate houses, I neuer looke to sée this enormitie
redressed, or the markets well furnished.
I could saie more, but this is euen inough, & more peraduenture than I
shall be well thanked for: yet true it is though some thinke it no
trespasse. This moreouer is to be lamented, that one generall measure
is not in vse throughout all England, but euerie market towne hath in
maner a seuerall bushell, and the lesser it be, the more sellers it
draweth to resort vnto the same. Such also is the couetousnesse of
manie clearkes of the market, that in taking view of measures, they
will alwaie so prouide, that one and the same bushell shall be either
too big or too little at their next comming, and yet not depart
without a fee at the first: so that what by their mending at one time
and empairing the same at another, the countrie is greatlie charged,
and few iust measures to be had in anie stéed. It is oft found
likewise, that diuerse vnconscionable dealers haue one measure to sell
by, & another to buie withall, the like is also in weights and yet all
sealed and bronded. Wherefore it were verie good that these two were
reduced vnto one standard, that is, one bushell, one pound, one
quarter, one hundred, one tale, one number: so should things in time
fall into better order, and fewer causes of contention be mooued in
this land. Of the complaint of such poore tenants as paie rent corne
vnto their landlords, I speake not, who are often dealt withall very
hardlie. For beside that in the measuring of ten quarters, for the
most part they lose one through the iniquitie of the bushell (such is
the gréedinesse of the appointed receiuers thereof) fault is found
also with the goodnesse and cleannesse of the graine. Wherby some
péece of monie must néeds passe vnto their purses to stop their mouths
withall, or else my lord will not like of the corne; Thou art worthie
to loose thy lease, &c. Or if it be cheaper in the market, than the
rate allowed for it is in their rents, then must they paie monie and
no corne, which is no small extremitie. And thereby we may see how
each one of vs indeuoureth to fléece and eat vp another.
Another thing there is in our markets worthie to be looked vnto, and
that is the recariage of graine from the same into lofts and sollars,
of which before I gaue some intimation: wherefore if it were ordered,
that euerie seller should make his market by an houre, or else the
bailie, or clearke of the said market to make sale therof according to
his discretion, without libertie to the farmer to set vp their corne
in houses and chambers, I am persuaded that the prices of our graine
would soone be abated. Againe, if it were enacted that each one should
kéepe his next market with his graine, and not to run six, eight, ten,
fouretéene, or twentie miles from home to sell his corne, where he
dooth find the highest price, and therby leaueth his neighbours
vnfurnished, I doo not thinke but that our markets would be farre
better serued than at this present they are. Finallie if mens barns
might be indifferentlie viewed immediatlie after haruest, and a note
gathered by an estimat, and kept by some appointed & trustie person
for that purpose, we should haue much more plentie of corne in our
towne crosses than as yet is commonlie seene: bicause each one hideth
and hoordeth what he may vpon purpose either that it will be déerer,
or that he shall haue some priuie veine by bodgers, who doo
accustomablie so deale, that the sea dooth load awaie no small part
thereof into other countries & our enimies, to the great hinderance of
our common-wealth at home, and more likelie yet to be, except some
remedie be found. But what doo I talke of these things, or desire the
suppression of bodgers being a minister? Certes I may speake of them
right well, as féeling the harme in that I am a buier, neuerthelesse I
speake generallie in ech of them.
To conclude therefore, in our markets all things are to be sold
necessarie for mans vse, and there is our prouision made commonlie for
all the wéeke insuing. Therefore as there are no great townes without
one weekelie market at the least, so there are verie few of them that
haue not one or two faires or more within the compasse of the yeare
assigned vnto them by the prince. And albeit that some of them are not
much better than Lowse faire or the common kirkemesses beyond the sea,
yet there are diuerse not inferiour to the greatest marts in Europe,
as Sturbridge faire neere to Cambridge, Bristow faire, Bartholomew
faire at London, Lin mart, Cold faire at Newport pond for cattell, and
diuerse other, all which or at leastwise the greatest part of them (to
the end I may with the more ease to the reader and lesse trauell to my
selfe fulfill my taske in their recitall) I haue set downe, according
to the names of the moneths wherein they are holden, at the end of
this booke, where you shall find them at large, as I borowed the same
from I. Stow, and the reports of others.
OF PARKES AND WARRENS.
CHAP. XIX.