_EDWARD SEYMOUR_,
SPEAKER of the Right Honourable House of COMMONS; Treasurer of His
Majesties Royal Navy, and one of His Majesties most Honourable Privy
_COUNCEL_.
For me to speak of the Nobility and Worth of your Ancestors, and the
Noble Family (most Honoured Sir) would be but as an Eclipse of the Sun
by the Moon, which is the Planet that moves in the lowest Orbe, but
laying a side all such thoughts, the Occasion of the Dedication of this
ensuing Treatise to your Honour, is,
First, for that you are signally Elected to be the _Speaker_ of the
Honourable the House of _Commons_, the Representative of the Kingdome,
wherein such Lawes are framed and setled, as are conducible to the
Weal, Honour, and Safety thereof.
2. Because your Honours Abilities are so publiquely manifest, as that
you are likewise singled out to be one of his Majesties most Honourable
Privy Councel.
3. And that which doth very much move me hereto is, because your
converse hath been much in, and about the Counties of _Devon._
_Summerset_, and _Wilts._ where the Trade of Clothing is very much
used, and therefore it may in all reason be deemed, that your Honours
knowledge of (and acquaintance with) Clothiers and their Imployments is
more than ordinary.
Sir the great Ambition I have to manifest my Loyalty to the King,
and my zeal to serve the Countrey, puts me upon these endeavours,
to discover not only the advantages by our Manufactures, and the
disadvantages to the Kingdome by the cessation thereof, but also the
great Fraud; and Abuses in the Out-Ports by the Custome-Officers, which
when reduced and brought into a better Method, by those cheif Officers
that are concerned therein, I hope it may prove a good Balsome to heal
our wounds, and a Cordial to our drooping spirits.
It is well known that the improvement of our Manufactures in this
Nation hath a communicative influence upon thousand of young and old
people; yea many that are now idle and loose people, have been more
numerously imploy’d formerly, than now they are, by reason of the decay
of Trade, which if it should thus continue, or grow worse, might be a
great means to depopulate the Nation, and to draw great burdens upon
many Parishes for the maintenance of their Poor, but if not timely
prevented, will cause the Trade to be driven by Foreigners, and so
exceedingly cause an abatement of Rents among us.
Sir, your publique Imployment, your generous and Courteous Deportment,
give me confidence to Dedicate these Rude and Unpolisht lines to your
view, because I know, you have Ability to judge, and Charity to pardon
the _Errata’s_ that you may find therein.
When I did first set Pen to Paper about this matter, I found my self
in a Labyrinth, and there might have suffered, had not my Education as
a Clothier given me a glimmering light to extricate my self. And yet
when I had purchased my Enlargement, by my strict enquiery into those
Mysteries, I had a great dispute with my self, whether I should put
my Abortive thoughts into Print or no, but more respecting the common
good, than my private Reputation, I resolved rather to make my wishes
publique, than to bury them in Oblivion.
Now Sir, it is not only a pleasant study for Statesmen to promote
the Publike good, but the only way to true and lasting Honour, and
Happiness; and that these poor Endeavours of mine may attain that
good effect to the King and Countrey, as I really design; (aiming at
no other,) I earnestly beg of God to direct you for the Improvement
of them, in your publique imployments, which may (like the Rain from
Heaven) break open the Springs of Trade in our dry and thirsty Land, to
revive and refresh the same, and by so doing, Sir, you will not only
do eminent service to the King, great kindness to your Countrey, but
also oblige all people to pray for your happiness both in this world,
and that which is to come, for the which also most earnestly praies,
Your Honours most humble,
and most devoted
Servant,
_JOSEPH TREVERS_.