The GOLDEN FLEECE Defended; OR Reasons against the Company of Merchant Adventurers; Humbly offered to the consideration of the Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS.  
1. IT taketh away the NATIVE LIBERTY of every man; in the principal commodity of the NATION: It being the birthright of every man to be alike free to transport, that, or any other Commodity, into what parts beyond the seas seemeth most advantageous unto him.  
2. It abridgeth the FREEDOM, of every FREEMAN of the CITY of LONDON, every Freeman by the Charter of the City being free to transport, or import any Commodity, not prohibited by Law.  
3. It tendeth to the discouragement of CLOTHIERS, whose markets and sale of their clothes, are restrained to a few Merchants, (in comparison of what they would be if trade were free) and who, by their orders, and times of shipping (shipping together in one or two ships) have power to use the Clothiers (especially the younger, and inferior traders) how they please to work them into necessities, and so to what rates and conditions they will, and in conclusion, quite weary them out of all trade.  
4. It tendeth to the discouragement, and impoverishing of all WEAVERS, CLOTHIERS and DYERS, in that the oppressions, and necessities of the Clothier, fall upon the Weavers, Clothworkers, and all whom they employ: also the Mercharts' being but few, employ few workmen, and use such as they do employ at their pleasure; and wherein also the Wool-masters are not a little concerned.  
5. It tendeth to the abatement of Merchants: 

(1) because they take but few Apprentices:  
(2) because they take such only, whose friends give great sums of money with them; and are provided of great stocks, who having served their times, more like unto Gentlemen then according to the ancient, provident, discipline of Apprentices of London, finding the Companies Order to be scanty in allowances of trade to young men, and their freedom in respect of Oaths, and Stints, and Brokes, to be indeed but as a bondage, many of them engage not at all in trade, but live upon usury, or spend their times in unprositable ways.    
6. It keepeth down and oppresseth the inferior Members of the Corporation: 

(1) Because the old, and great traders, are allowed the largists' Stints, or to transport the greater number of clothes, whereby they have the greater command over the Clothier, and all workmen.  
(2) Because a great part of the trade is driven by cloth of known marks much desired beyond the seas; all which the great traders get into their hands, and will sell them sometimes for loss rather than an inferior trader shall sell them to profit, if at any time he get them, which is almost a thing impossible.  
(3) The inferior trader with his small portion, meanly qualified, is nevertheless constrained to pay the same impositions to the Company, the same Custom to the State, to ship when the great traders shippeth; to stay until the great traders great quantities are up; if he happen to be the last (as having need to lengthen out the time upon which he buyeth most of his goods) he is many times shut out, and then no remedy till next shipping without incurring great broke.  
(4) When his small parcel is come to the Mart towns, he must show his goods, only when the great ones show theirs; if they cannot give the same time upon sale, or at the same rates (though they have little choice of known ware to invite) their goods will be blown upon, and their time will eat them out; if they do sell at the same rate of profit per cent. they sell so little, that it amounts to nothing; whilst the other sells so much, so speedily, hath so much command of monies at low rates (Chamber Money) that at low profit per cent. in a short time he gets to an Alderman's estate, whilst the others are worn to nothing; and yet upon a pretence, both of profit and honour, he must not carry his goods from the Mart town, though indeed it be as bad in point of honour, whether the English Nation, or the staple commodity, English cloth, or English Merchants be considered, there being not more pelting, and abject fawning in Birching Lane after Customers, then is commonly used by Merchants in humouring their buyers, and grocers in Rotterdam; and nothing but snarling, and backbiting, circumvention, partiality and injustice, to be found in their judicial proceed, either there, at Hamborow, or London: By all which it followeth, the Company tendeth to make some few men extreme rich, to breed prodigal servants, leading a dance of pride and prodigality, to all other tradesmens servants, as their Masters do unto other tradesmen, striving who shall exceed in fashions, diet, housing, and householdstuff, in so much as a common Citizen is (in these times) more like a Noble man or Gentleman, and the ancient moderation of the City quite lost, whereas were trade free there would be in lieu of these few rich men, a multitude of plaineable traders, that upon public occasions of State, would from a plentiful hand fill the public treasury, and that freely too, their interest being common freedom, subsisting by the lawful protection of the Commons of England; whilft the others, out of their great estates, disburse sparingly, disputingly, if not grumblingly: And no marvel, for their interest is Prerogative, subsisting by Arbitrary and purchased grants, not by lawful authority, which is easily discerned by their fines, for when by their wealth, and the folly of the choosers, they are any of them, put into any Office of trust, or Magistracy, they ever favour those that adhere all to Arbitrary Government, and discourage and discountenance such as adhere to common freedom, and equal Government; and (if throughly sought into) this will be found the principal spring & Original of the late Rmonestrance, called by some The City's Remonstrance; and of the perverse disputing spirit that hath lately appeared towards the House of Commons; such a chain of mischiefs necessarily depend upon this one evil in trade.    
7. It tendeth to the deshonour of God, and the wounding of conscience by the commonness of unreasonable Oaths, and the too too lamentable and frequent breach of them.  
8. It tendeth to the destruction of Clothing in this Nation, 

(1) Because through the discouragements aforesaid, many Clothiers and other workmen have forsaken the Land, and set up Cloth-making in divers parts beyond the seas.  
(2) Because the trade of cloth being confined to one or two Mart towns only, and not dispersed into every haven and creek (as it would be were it free) there is an un●●served liberty taken to bring into the Netherlands great quantities of our English wools, and Fuller's earth; the great Merchants in their Mart towns nothing at all regarding it, whereby cloth in these times, and of late is made in abundance, and if not well looked unto, in time, will utterly exhaust the woollen, or clothing trade quite from us; and it will nebe so well looked unto, by any Law or provision, as by the dispersing of the Trade into every place (which freedom will occasion) where every trader for his own profit, and livelihood, will be necessitated to look to it, and by all means to restrain it.    
9 It tendeth to the discouragement of Seamen. 

(1) By restraining them from dealing in any woollen commodities for their own accounts though never so little.  
(2) In that they make very few voyages in the year, and make use of none but such as will submit to their Orders.    
10. It tendeth to the vexation of most of the good Towns beyond the seas, and to alienate their hearts from the English, taking great offence and scorn, that for the English cloth they must be compelled to fetch what they use, only from one Town in their own Country, at great charge and trouble, which otherwise would be brought home to them, and every town might have an equal share of the benefit of the entertainment and expenses of English Merchants. And for this cause also, they choose to make use of the cloth that is made in their own Country, rather than to submit to such inconveniences.  
11. It much alienateth the hearts of a numerous people, both in Cities and all Countries from the PARLIAMENT, being much grieved that their known liberties of trade wherein they are so universally concerned, should from time to time be bought and sold for money, and that they could never yet obtain a complete remedy therein, though often and earnestly Petitioned for; whereas were this trade once set absolutely free, the joy of the people in general, both Seamen and Land-men, would be excessive, and their thankfulness so great that they would think nothing too precious to be spent in defence of that authority that should show so much regard unto their welfare and happiness.  
FINIS.