of the lieutenant, of whose demeanor, during his abode there, I shall next speak, by the true information of some credible persons that have observed his deportment. He was not only frequent and fervent in, and at his orisous in his own chamber, where he spent the greatest part of the morning at his private meditations, but very careful and observant at the week day's service, at the chapel; but especially on the Lord's Day he came duly, and prostrated himself devoutly on his knees, giving great attention both to the service and sermon; and taking special notice of some particular psalms that were sung before the parson went up into the pulpit, especially the second part of the three and thirtieth psalm, the second part of the forty-ninth, and the first part of the hundred and fortieth, which are worthy any man's reading, being so aptly picked out for that purpose, he called the clerk unto him, and courteously demanded of him, Whether he happened on them by accident, or had called them out by his own conceit? The plain old man ingenuously confessed unto him, That he chose them out purposely to put him in mind of his present estate; at the which he modestly smiling, made him no further answer, but departed towards his lodging. Further, he was heard to say, that, if ever God delivered him from that present durance, and that the King would restore him to his pristine dignities, he would much improve that place, meaning the church, in remembrance that he had been there a prisoner. It is also reported, that a gentleman of quality coming to the Tower to give him a visit, and, asking his grace how it fared with him at that present; he made him answer, I thank God I am well, for it hath pleased his sacred Majesty, my Sovereign, to provide for me an honourable and convenient lodging, where I have good and wholesome fare, and where, notwithstanding all my troubles and tribulations, I never yet broke an hour of my usual and contented sleep. And the morning when the late Earl of Strafford passed by his lodging, as he was led to the place of execution, and moved his hat unto him, then standing, and looking out of his window, he held up his hands and eyes towards heaven, without speaking any thing audible to the observers, as if he prayed earnestly, and inwardly, for the salvation of his soul, &c. He was observed also sometimes to speak those words of the psalmist, Psalm lxxxii. ver. 6, 7. I have said, ye are gods, and children of the Most High, but ye shall die as men, and ye princes fall like others, &c.

POSTSCRIPT.

AII, bishops! Where's your power you brag'd of late
Was unremoveable? Where's that glorious state
You pray'd in? Are your pompous mitres, copes,
Thus quickly chang'd for halberts, if not ropes?
What! has the blue-head Scot thus turn'd the game,
That what before was glory, now's your shame?

Can Lesley's regiment thus wheel about,
The brigade of our clergy? Put to rout
Our bishops, deans, and doctors; not a man,
Amongst so vast a multitude, that can,
With all their titles, dignities, withstand
The Switzish-Scottish elderships command?
Has Calvin's doctrine puzzled all your choir,
Silenc'd your organs, and yourselves with fear?
Can neither Laud's, nor Wren's, strong canons make
Stiff Henderson subscribe; nor yet to quake
At the report? What! Were they not of strength?
Or naught❜ly cast? Or did they fail in length?
Invent some stratagem, employ your brains,
And answer the pure challenger with strains
Of primitive doctrine; that the world may see
The apostolick warrant for the prelacy.
Employ your chaplains pens, and muster all
The stalls of prebends; for the time doth call,
And waits an answer: Give some living to
Some scholar, that this venturous task shall do.
The cause concerns you nearly: Will ye not
Now vindicate the quarrel with the Scot?
Why did ye enter in the lists, and mould
Your canons to dismount Geneva's hold?
Ye did begin the counter-march, and would
Ye thus fly off again, if that ye could?

The Exonian prelate hath twice given a charge,
One jesuit hath given fire unto 't at large;
Both miss'd the mark, march on, and quickly mine
Yourselves, and prove your prelacy divine.
Where are your chaplains, all so far renown'd,
Who for your cause, the like could not be found?
They have great skill in cringing, bowing, writing,
Let's see their weapons, and their skill in fighting;
Produce their argʻments for such store of wealth,
Gotton by simony, base usury, and stealth.
Let's know your tenure, by what right ye hold
Such store of livings? And yet starve the fold.
Do not delude us longer with such toys,
More fit for mimick apes, or slaves, or boys:
Now speak, or never, else you will be thought
To be Rome's calves, far better fed than taught,

SIR THOMAS ROE'S SPEECH *

IN PARLIAMENT.

WHEREIN HE SHEWETH

The Cause of the Decay of Coin and Trade in this Land,

ESPECIALLY

OF MERCHANTS TRADE.

And also propoundeth a way to the House, how they may be increased.

Printed in the year, 1641. Quarto, containing twelve pages.

IT is a general opinion, that the trade of England was never greater, and it may be true, that if it be so, yet it will not absolutely conclude, that the kingdom doth increase in riches, for the trade may be very abundant, and yet, by consumption and importance of more than is expected, the stock may waste.

The balance would be a true solution of the question, if it could "be rightly had; but, by reason it must be made up by a medium of the books of rates, it will be very uncertain.

Therefore we must seek another rule, that is more sensible, upon which we may all judge, and that may be by the plenty or scarcity of money; for it is a true rule, if money increase, the kingdom doth gain by trade; if it be scarce, it loseth.

Let us therefore consider; first, whether our gold and silver be not decreased, and then by what means it is drained; and lastly, how it may be prevented, and what remedies are applicable to effect it.

It is out of doubt our gold is gone to travel without license, that is visible beyond seas, and every receiver of sums of money must find it privately; and I fear the same of silver, for observing the species of late coining many half crowns were stamped, which are no more to be seen, and by this measure, I conclude the kingdom grows poor.

The causes of this decay of money may be many, it may be stolen out for profit, going much higher beyond seas, especially in France and Holland.

Much hath been drawn away by the stranger upon fears of our

This is the 156th number in the Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library.

troubles, of which I have experience by exchanges, and exchanges are the great mystery, especially such as are used as a trade, and governed by bankers who make many returns in a year, and gain by every one, more than the interest of a year; and the greatest danger to a state is, when money is made merchandise, which should be but the measure thereof.

And here I will propose a problem, whether it were profitable to a kingdom or not, that the stranger for many years had a great stock, here at interest, and still hath some; I confess it hath supplied the necessities of merchants, and helped to drive trade. But my quere is this, suppose the first principal were truly brought in by the stranger, yet doubling every ten years, what becomes of the increase? have they not lived by our trade, and the merchant-adventurers, and soaked the kingdom of as many times principal, as they have practised this usury many times ten years, and in the end drawn or carried all away? This is a point to a state very considerable.

Much coin hath been drawn away, without doubt, by the French, who have brought in wares of little bulk, perhaps without custom, but of dear price, and, having turned it into gold, have returned without investing any part thereof; and such petty merchants cannot be reached by the statute of employments.

Another cause of scarcity of coin, may be the over-strict rule of the uncurrentness of any good coin, and that it must be sold here, as bullion; in that case, what stranger will bring in money? Whereas, if every good species be current, according to this allay, and weight in proportion to our coin, or rather a little higher, it will draw, namely, money by degrees into England; as lower grounds do water from higher, though they see not the channels: And we see France, Holland, and Germany admit all good coins, though foreign, for and above their intrinsick value.

But I will end this search, by proposing some general remedies; for I do now but make essays, and give occasion to more subtle and particular disquisitions:

1. To the first leak of stealing away coin, I would make it felony by an act; for, if a man may justly suffer death for robbing of a private man, I see no injustice nor cruelty to inflict the same punishment upon him that robs a kingdom.

2. That the neighbour princes and states do cry up our money, and so entice it from us. This, in my judgment, ought to be provided for by our treaties, which was the old way, especially of commerce, by agreeing and publishing of placarts, according to a true par: For that prince, that will make a treaty of commerce, doth it for the use of the commodity; which, certainly, I would deny any prince, that would not consent to keep monies even, by their true values; at least, that would set a higher price upon our money, than the King hath done; and if our coin did either keep beyond the seas, the English value, or were bullion and uncurrent, the stronger should have as little of our money, as we have of theirs.

How to recover the stranger's money drawn away, sinee our troubles, is a hard endeavour, and can no ways be brought to pass, but by peace and trade; and the resolution of this will fall into the general remedy, which I shall propose.

The pedling French trade must be met with, by diligent search, at the landing of these creamers, what they bring in, and by suffering none of them to pass any goods by private warrants; but that, according as they shall be valued, they give bond to invest it in English commodities, natural or naturalised, and that with surety: Nay, in this case, not to allow them exchange by bills; for it will not hurt the commonwealth, if, by any rigour, they were beaten out of their private toyish traffick.

I shall not doubt to offend any but the mint, which may be recompensed to his Majesty, in his customs, if money be plentiful; for all goods will follow money. If I did propose the currentness of all goods, and great species of foreign coins, for their true intrinsick value, according to the pay with ours; and if I say a little higher, according to occasions, keeping our own coin pure and constant to be cried down, as much under, according to occasions, I think it will be a policy both reasonable and profitable, by experience tried in

other states.

But, leaving these empirical practices, I come now to the great and infallible rule and remedy, which is, in plain English, to settle and assure the ground of trade upon staple-commodities; which, like the lady of Whitsontide to her pipe money, will dance after that; for, as merchandise doth follow money, so doth money, commodity.

I said at first, it was a general opinion, that trade never flourished more than now, and it may be so; but we must consider this be not accidental and changeable, and depending more upon the iniquity or misery of the times, than upon our own foundation and industry; and, if that be so, then it is no sure ground for a state to rely upon; for if the causes change, the effects will follow.

Now it is true, that our great trade depends upon the troubles of our neighbours, and we enjoy almost the trade of christendom; but, if a peace happen betwixt France, Spain, and the United Provinces, all these will share what we now possess alone; and therefore we must provide for that day, for nothing stands secure but upon its own foundation.

To make, then, our own trade secure, we must consider our own staple commodities, whereof wool is the chiefest, and seek the way to both, to keep up the price at home, and the estimation of all commodities made of that, and to be vented abroad.

Some other helps we have, as tin, lead, and such like; but I dare confidently affirm, that nothing exported, of our own growth, hath balanced our riotous consumption at home, but those foreign commodities, which I call naturalised, that is, that surplus of our East-India trade, which being brought home in greater quantities, than are spent within the kingdom, are exported again, and become in value and use as natural commodities; and therefore, by the way, I hold it absolutely necessary to maintain that