their defects, and force them to it by compulfion. But (I hope) there fhall be no fuch caufe in points fo reafonable to encrease your Majefty's revenue, wherein I fet down divers means for your gracious felf to make "choice of, either all or part, at your pleasure, and to put it in execution by fuch decrees and conditions as 66 your great wisdom hall think fit in abufes of this << nature. "Imprimis, The first courfe or means intended to "encrease your Majefty's revenue or profits withall, is "of greatest confequence; and I call it a Decima, "being fo term'd in Italy, where in fome parts it is "in ufe, importing the tenth part of all subjects estates, to be paid at a yearly rent to their prince; and as "well monied men in towns as landed men in the coun"tries, their value and estate esteemed juftly as it is "to the true value (though with reafon), and this paid "yearly in money; which courfe applied in England "for your Majefty's fervice, may serve instead of subfidies and fifteens and fuch like; which in this case are fit to be released for the subjects benefit and content, in recompence of the faid Decima, which will "yield your Majefty in certainty, more than they did cafually, by 500 thousand of pounds per ann. at the "leaft. "Item, That when your Majefty hath gotten money "into your hands by fome courfes to be fet down, it would be a profitable courfe to increase your Entrato, to buy ❝out all estates and leases upon your own lands in fuch «fort as they be made no loofers; whereby having your "lands free, and renting it out to the true value, as it "is most in ufe, and not employed, as heretofore, at an "old rent and small fines, you may then rent it out for "at least four or five times more money then the old rent "comes unto; fo as if your Majefty's lands be already but .60,000 per ann. by this courfe it will be aug❝mented at the leaft to £.200,000 per ann. and to buy ❝out the tenants estates will come to a small matter by "the course to make them no loofers, confidering the "gains they have already made upon the land. And "this is the rather to be done, and the prefent course "changed, because it hath been a custom used meerly to cozen the King. EC KK 2 Item, 66 " Item, Whereas moft princes do receive the benefit "of falt in their own hands as a matter of great profit, because they rein it at the lowest price poffible, and "vent it with double gain yearly, the fame course used "by your Majefty were worth at least £. 150,000 per It is used likewife, in other parts, that all weights ❝ and measures of the land, either in private houses, fhops, "or public markets, fhould be viewed to be juft, and "fealed once a-year, paying to the prince for it; which in << ann. England, applied to your Majefty, with order to pay "6d. for the fealing of each faid weight or measure, "would yield near L. 60,000 per ann. "item, Though all countrys pay a gabella for tranf"portation of cloth, and fo likewife in England, yet in "Spain there is impoft upon the wooll, which in England "is fo great benefit and wealth to the sheep-mafters, as "they may well pay you 5 per cent. of the true value of the fheering, which I conceive may be worth £. 140,000 #c per ann. “Item, Whereas the lawyers fees and gains in Eng"land be exceffive, to your subjects prejudice, it were "better for your Majefty to make use thereof, and to "impose upon all causes sentenced with the party, to pay £5 per cent. of the true value that the caufe hath "gained him; and, for recompence thereof, to limit all "lawyers fees and gettings, whereby the fubject shall "fave more in fees and charge then he giveth to your Majefty in the gabella; which I believe may be worth, "one year with another, L. 50,000. "Item, Whereas the inns and victualling-houses in "England are more chargeable to travellers then in "other countries, it were good for your Majefty to limit "them to a certain ordinary, and raise befides a large impofition, as is ufed in Tufcany and other parts; that is, by prohibiting all inns and victualling-houses but "fuch as fhall pay it; and to impofe upon the chief inns "and taverns to pay 10l. per ann. to your Majefty, and "the worfe 51. per ann. and all alehouses 20s. per ann. 66 more or lefs, as they are in cuftom of all forts: there "are fo many in England, as this impoft may well yield "£. 100,000 per ann. to your Majesty. "Item, In Tufcany and other parts there is a gabella "of all cattle or flesh and horfes fold in markets, paying << 3 or 41. per cent. what they are fold for; which, by "conjecture, may be worth in England £.2,000,000 "per ann. ufing the like cuftom upon the flesh and "other victuals, bread excepted; and for this cause all "Alefh, fish, and victuals, at the market to be pur"chafed and fold by weight, whereby the fubject faveth "more in not being cozened than the impoft importeth ❝them. "In Tuscany is ufed a taxation of 71. per cent. upon "all alienations of lands, to the true value; as also 71. per cent. upon all dowaries or marriage-monies: the "like, if it be juftly used in England, were worth at "least £.200,000 per ann. with many other taxations ❝of meale, and upon all merchandize within all towns, as "well as port-towns, which here I omit, with divers "others, as not fo fit for England; and in fatisfaction of "the subjects for thefe taxes, your Majefty may be pleafed "to release them of wardships, and to enjoy all their "eftates at 18 years old, and in the mean time their "profits to be preferved to their own benefit: and also " in forfeitures of eftates by condeinnation, your Majesty may release the fubject as not to take the forfeiture "of their lands, but only their goods (high treafon only "excepted); and to allow the counfell of lawyers in cafe "of life and death, as also not to be condemned without "two witneffes, with fuch like benefit; which importeth "much more than their goods and all their taxations "named can prejudice them. "Item, That if fome of the former taxations be used "in Ireland and Scotland, as may be eafily brought about "by the firft example thereof ufed in England, may very "well be made to encrease your revenue there more then "it is, £.200,000 per ann. "Item, All offices in the land, great and fmall, in your "Majesty's grant, may be granted with condition to pay you a part yearly, according to the value. This, in "time, as I conceive, may be worth £. 100,000 per ann. "adding alfo notaries, attornies, and fuch like, to pay fome "proportion yearly towards it, for being allowed by your Majefty to practise, and prohibiting else any to practise "in fuch places. "Item, To reduce your Majefty's household to board wages as most other servants do, referving fome five ❝ tables. KK 3 "tables. This will fave your Majefty .60,000 per ann "and ease greatly your fubjects, befides, both in carriage "and provifion; which is a good reason that your Ma "jefty in honor might do it. Item, I know one affured course in your Majesty's "navy which may fave at leaft .40,000 per ann. which, "requiring a whole difcourfe by itself, I omit, only "promife to do it whenfoever you command it. Whereas "your Majefty's laws do command the ftrict keeping of "fafting-days, you may also prohibit those days, and give "liberty to eat eggs, cheefe, and meat only to fuch as are contented to pay per ann. for the liberty to "eat them, and * per ann. The employment of this << may be for the defence of the land, in maintaining the "navy, garrifons, and fuch like; much after the fathion "of the Crufade in Spain, as your Majefty knoweth, "being first begun there under the pretence to defend the "land against the Moores: and this fame ufed in England as aforefaid, may very well yield, one year with another, because it is at £100,000, without diftafte to any, every one's choice to give or not. "Laftly, I have a courfe upon Catholics, and very "fafe for your Majefty, being with their good liking, "as might be wrought to yield you prefently at leaft "£.2,000,000 per ann. by raising a certain value upon "their lands, and fome other impofitions: which re❝quiring a large difcourfe by itself, I will omit it here, fetting it down in my inftructions. It will fave your Majefty at the leaft L.200,000 per ann. to make it "pain of death and confifcation of goods and lands for " any of the officers to cozen you, which now is much "to be feared they do, or else they could not be so rich; " and herein to allow a fourth part benefit to them that «fhall find out cozenage. Here is not meant officers of ftate, as the Lord Treasurer, &c. being officers of "the Crown. The fum of all this account amounteth "unto £2,000,000 per ann. and suppose it be but one million and a half, as affured your Majefty may make "by those courfes fet down, yet it is much more than I promised in my Letter for your Majefty's fervice Here fome words feem wanting in the MS. " befides befides fome fums of money in present by the courses "following: "Imprimis, The princes marrying, to make all the "earls in England grandies of Spain and principie, with "fuch priviledges, and to pay 20,000 l. a-piece for it; 6C as alfo to make them feodaries of the towns belong to "their earldoms, if they will pay for it befides, as they do to the King of Spain in the kingdom of Naples; "and likewise barons to be made earls, and peers, to pay 1000l. a-piece: I think it might yield 20,000l. and "oblige them more fure to his Majesty. "Fourthly, to make choice of 200 of the richest men "in England in estate that be not noblemen, and make "them titular, as it is used in Naples, and paying for it, "viz. a duke 30,000l. a marquis 15,000l. an earl "10,000l. a baron or viscount 5,000l. It is to be under"ftood, that ancient nobility of barons made earls are to "precede these as peers, though these be made marquiffes and dukes. This may raife a million of pounds and << more unto your Majefty. To make gent. of law qua"lities, franks and rich farmers efquires to precede them, "will yield your Majefty also a great fum of money in "present. "I know another course to yield your Majefty at least "300,000l. in money, which as yet the time ferveth not "to discover, until your Majefty refolve to proceed in "fome of the former courfes, which till then I omit. Other courfes alfo that may make prefent money I "shall study for your Majesty's fervice, and as I find them "out acquaint you withall, "Laftly, To conclude all thefe difcourfes by the ap"plication of this course used for your profit, that it is not "only the means to make you the richest king that ever "England had, but also the fafety there of augmented, "thereby to be moft fecure. Befides what is fhewed in "the first part of this discourse, I mean by occafion of "this taxation and raifing of monies, your Majefty fhall "have cause and means to employ, in all places of the "land, fo many officers and minifters to be obliged unto <c you for their own good and intereft, as nothing can be "attempted against your perfon and royal ftate over the "land, but fome of these fhall in all probability have means to find it out and hinder it. Befides, this courfe KK 4 "will |
