13. The King of Denmark at his Wardhouse in the sound , hath for every Licence a Doller , and for the Seale and Rose , a Noble of every Ship , and for every Last of Herrings being 12. Barrels , a Doller .

14. The Duke of Medina Sidonia in Spain , hath his greatest Revenues out of the Taxes lay'd on Fishermen .

15. All Princes of Italy bordering upon the Seas , Receive a proportion of like benifit .

16. And the Hollanders themselves Impose Taxes on the Fish taken by their Fishermen in our Seas .

But I shall keep my self neare home , and within the Soveraignty of our own Seas , which our Antient Monarchs of Britain , even from the first Memory that we can have of them , were always most carefull to preserve ; for First , the Antient Britains admitted very few or no strangers at all into their Service at Sea , least turning Renegadoes , they might upon occasion lay them open to the Incursions of their Neighbours the Gaules , by discovering to them the manner of their Shipping , which they kept as a very great secret : and therefore when Julius Caesar came with an intention first of all to invade this Island ; Gaul , though very near and in sight of it , could not supply him with any that could give him a certaine Intelligence of the Place , or which way , unless in Vessels of his own , or a few passage Boats used by Traders to get thether : But these were Countermanded by a great Strength at Sea , which the Britains were Masters of ; Shipps of a good Bulk , and serviceable in that Age for fight ; which they continually employed to Round the Island and scoure the seas , which course the Romans , after they once came to be setled in the Isle , put in practice , and after something a better method ; finding here such Timber as they could not be provided with for that use in any other part of their Empire .

After the Romans ; Edgar King of the Saxons continually kept in readiness a Navy of 400 Ships , which being divided into 4 severall fleets , did every year after Easter , take their Course to the 4 quarters of England , where they remained to Guard and scower the Seas , until the Winter following .

After Edgar , then Etheldred , for defence of the British Seas and Kingdom , caused of every 310 hides of Land a Ship to be built ; which all meeting at Sandwich made the greatest Navy that ever this Kingdom set forth to Sea .

After him , Canutus the Dane Maintained a mighty Fleet of Ships , for the safety of the Seas and Kingdome ; and so the succeeding Kings to William the Conqueror : I might instance in severall of our Kings of later Ages , who to maintain the Rights and Priviledges of the Seas , have set forth Mighty Fleets , and by force kept off the Hollanders and other Nations , till they by the increase of their Shipping have grown to that greatness both in Riches and strength , that they think they may doe any thing , and for some time have usurpt that right which undoubtedly belongs to his Sacred Majesty .

I might here enter upon the praise of the great use of Shipping , and the farr greater advantage that comes to a Nation thereby , of what importance it is to any People , both for encrease of their Riches and Wealth , Maintainance of their Peace and to make them formidable to those that are round about them : But I shall forbear , only thus much , it cannot but be infinitely more to us of this Island , then to any other Nation in Europe ; Nature haveing given us the Sea for our bounds , which we can neither Pass nor Defend , but by the Convenience of Shipping ; Adding to this the great love his Majesty hath to Navigation , and his promoting all kind of Industry that may conduce to the securing of this Nation from all assaults that way , there is none of his Loyall Subjects but think themselves bound , as much as their Talent and Capacity will amount to , some one way , some another , to advance so Noble a Design . For my own part , till an opportunitie offers of serving his Majesty upon that Element abroad , I shall indeavour what lies in my power for preparing something in order to it upon the Land at home ; and shall hence take the occasion to Discourse of that great foundation of all Shipping ; Tymber , chiefly the Oak : None therefore can be ignorant of the great Wasts committed in this Nation , of all sorts of Timber and especially of this , which in the space of 100 years , but much more within these 30 years ; so that his Majesty's Forrests , that have most abounded with the best Materials in the World for Shipping , are very much impoverished and Decayed : Partly therefore upon the Reasons before mentioned , as a good Subject , and partly out of my duty , having had Imployment as a sworn Officer in one of his Majesties Forrests , and at present dwelling on the Borders thereof , and thereby better able to see and judge the Wasts that have been Committed : In Order to the preserving and increasing of this so necessary a Materiall , I Humbly Propose ;

First , That there be speciall care taken for the Preservation of all such Timber as shall yet be found standing and Growing .

2. That there be provision made for the Planting of young Timber Trees , in such wast places of the Kingdom as are capable to produce them .

3. That no Person , whether of the Nobility or private Gentlemen , be permitted to Cut down , Grub or stock up any Timber Trees or Woods of Timber under full growth , or at the growth of 9 foot in the girt or Compass which is 3 foot Diameter ; For in the Parish where I dwell , there hath been 5 several falls of Timber Trees , the most of them Oaks , sould by private Gentlemen within this 7 years , whereof the greatest grown Oak was not above 12 Inches at the Lower or Butt End , if hewed by square , but the most part of them not above 8.

4. That all Owners of Woods be injoyned at the time and season of their Cutting or felling the Under Woods , to leave standing and growing 20 of the best thriving young Trees , in each or every acre of Wood so cut or felled , if there be not so many already standing and Growing at the time of Cutting , and those to be preserved until they be of growth as aforesaid ; for all Woods have Univesally Received a Mortal Blow within the space of 30 years , notwithstanding there is a statute for the Preservation and Maintainance of the same , Made the 35 Henry 8 , and the 1. Elizabeth . That at every fall of Timber there should be 12 storers or standils left and growing upon an acre or every acre of Land so felled ; Now if the King and Kingdom were so sensible of the want of Timber in those daies , being 116 years since ; much more may we now ; therefore it is a thing to be regarded and of great Concernment , for the abuses of Woods are Infinite and intollerable , notwithstanding the words of the Statute : Indeed I have seen in many places at the falls , where they have lest the number of Standils and more ; But instead of them , have cut down those that were Reserved before ; and at the next fall , even they escaped not , only a new race of young standils were left againe in their steads , to answer the bare word of the Statute , and not the true meaning of it , which by this shift is very much abused ; therefore if Provision be not made to prevent that , and to put the true intention of the Statute in more force , there can be no encrease of Timber trees expected .

5. Sith Timber and timber Trees by due observation are found to decay very fast , it behoveth every good husband not only to Maintain and preserve such trees as remain , and so by the Statute to be set out , but voluntarily to Plant more , and because there is such a universal inclination to hurle down , it were expedient , that since Wit and Providence will not , Authority should Constrain some men , as well Lords as Tenants , to Plant , set or sowe , with Acorns , Ashen-keyes , Beechmast &c. For every hundred Acres of Land one acre : Or to Plant the said Acre with sets or Plants , and to preserve and keep the same until they come to full growth as aforesaid ; Now although in former Ages , when England was overgrowne with Woods ; The Felling , Grubbing , of Stocing up of Trees did prove a great benefit to the Nation , by making room for Men , Corn , and Cattle ; Yet moderation is now more necessary , for the too much overthrowing of Timber-trees , and stocking up Woods , hath brought a great scarcity of that Necessary Commodity ; and if for the over-greedy use and advantage , though but small at the present , there be no regard of future occasions , there will follow Extream want , for there are many necessaries which without Fireing are of little use , and Corn will require Mils to grinde , if all were Meddow and Pasture the Life of Cattle , then Arable Land the Life of Men were dead ; when for one commodities sake , another is abandon'd by some private men , less expedient for the Publick Weale , it must of Necessity be destructive , and much it is to be lamented that the Devastation of Woods , threatens a grievous weakening to this Kingdome ; such a pestilent heat , issueth out of the many forges and furnaces for the making of Iron , as hath Devoured many Famous Woods , and by credible report there hath been lately in Sussex above 130. Hammers and Furnaces for Iron , the hammers and furnaces spending each of them in every 24. hours three or 4 loade of Charcole more or less , which in a yeare , amounteth unto an infinite quantitie , but because for lack of Water in the summer to blow their Bellowes all of them cannot worke the whole year , we cannot give an account so Exactly , yet a probable Estimate we may make how many load of Coale , all the said Hammers and Furnaces may expend in one yeare : and to that end We shall suppose , that one time with another they may all worke two third parts of the year , which is 243 Dayes 8 howrs : Each day containing 24 hours or day and Night ; and because all Hammers and furnaces spend not a like quantity of Coale , we shall therefore take or compute the least or smallest Number for all , which is 3 loade of Coale in 24 houres for each furnace and Hammer ; Then there is spent in the 243 Dayes 8 houres : 1460 Load by one furnace and Hammer , which amounts unto for the 130 Hammers and furnaces , 94900 Load in one yeare ; Now if there were so many loade spent in one County , it is an unknown quantity that hath been spent throughout England ; and besides this great Consumption of Wood in making Iron , there have been many Glasse-houses which were likewise great spenders , so that if there be not a restraint layd on all Hammers and furnaces to provide other fireing , and not Wood or Charcole , England will soone find a wofull want of that Commoditie , and be sensible of that great Evill , wilfull Waste , without any care taken either to preserve or Maintain a stock of Wood by new Planting ; for there are too too many that except against Planting , Objecting that it will prejudice the poor , by Diminishing Corne and Cattle : to which is answered , that the greatest part of Woodland now in England , is overgrowne with Dwarfe trees , shrubs , Bushes and such like Incombrances which are of small benefit , either to the Poore or Rich , Corne or Cattle ; of which Woods if there were but a third part cleansed or cleared by grubbing or stocking up those incumbrances , and good Plants planted for Timber Trees and Woods for fireing , one Acre of the said Wood-Land would produce more Timber to the worth of it , and Wood for fireing then 10 Acres of the said Land doth at present ; and then if the other 2 thirds be likewise Cleared , the Land will breed and feed 5 times as many Cattle as now it doth ; How then are the Poore hindred or Impoverished ; but Secondly , if the one half of all Meadow , Pasture , and Arable Lands now in use and Tillage throughout England , were Improved by good Husbandry , Watering , Draining , Dunging , Marling , Liming , Sanding , Devonshiring and such like helpes ; ( Also by considering the Constitution of the Ground , Whether best for Meadow , Pasture , or Plow , and what Corne or Graine will best Thrive in such and such grounds ; for that there is a naturall affinity or Enmity between graines and ground , Experience doth teach ; where there is a Mutuall agreement between Seed and ground the Increase hath been an hundred for one ; and on the contrary scarcely the seed again that was sowed , although the Land may be in strength ; Also considering the Clime wherein the Land lyeth , thereby to order your Husbandry Early or late in the year . ) This performed , the one half of the Land in England as was said before , will produce double the quantity of Corne , that the whole which is now in Tillage doth , as also Breed and feed many more Cattle ; And Consequently England will maintain above Double the Number of People in a better Condition by the encrease of Trading ; which will encrease his Majesties Revenues , and be more strength and safety to the Kingdome ; for it is the greedy Covetousness of most men , Especially Farmers , to have much Land in their Occupation , when they cannot well manure the fourth part , but wear out the strength and Heart thereof with the Sythe and Plow ; for Meadow Land will require soyling or Dunging as well as Arable ; Now if Land that have been improved as Arable , Meadow and Pasture , may be yet improv'd higher , much more may those Lands that were never improved , admit of it ; which are many waste Lands in Common throughout England : We shall instance in one County for all ; which is that of Surrey ; wherein there are many Thousand Acres of Land , overgrown with Shrubs , Bushes , Heath , ●●urs , Goss , Whinnes , and such like , All which if they were st●ckt up , the Land Hackt and burnt in the place , and the ashes well spread all over the ground , every Acre of Land thus husbanded would be worth 10. Acres as it now is ; But because there are severall hundred families of Poor People that have a livelyhood therefrom , it is my great Designe , That they should have the chief benefit by this Improvement : We shall speak more particularly to the several parts as followeth : The Land being thus Cleansed by Devonshiring as is before explained ; In the second place , all those Lands that lye wet by reason of Inundation of Water or Land Springs , &c. would be layed dry by Drayning . Thirdly the said Lands that were Drayn'd , and also other Lands , except Arable , would be watered or overflowed again at pleasure , as the Land may require , considering the season of the year , either with water springing or running from or out of Rocks or Hills of Chalk , Marle , Allom , or such like Mines , or from hills of arable land ; for great Rains will wash down the Dung or soyl therefrom , and much enrich those grounds it runs into . Let no man spare charges according to his abilities in improving his Land ; for I have known many men undone by building stately Houses , and others by neglecting their Lands ; but did never know or hear of any that was undone by improving his Lands . Fourthly , this performed , we will suppose the fourth part of the whole Land to be one inclosure , and the same plowed and sowed with Corn ; and that every poor Borderer that hath right of Common have 4 or 5 Acres more or less , as the said Common doth extend in largeness , and the number of the Poor belonging thereunto ; and those Acres to be set out by Mears or Bound-stones . Fifthly , another fourth part to be planted with Seed or Plants for Under-woods , only allowing 7 or 8 Plants in each or every Acre of Land to grow for Timber-trees , or one Acre out of every ten Acres to be planted only with Timber-trees , allowing 40 Trees in each Acre ; for the Poor must have Houses to dwell in , as well as Bread and Firing . Sixthly , the other two fourth parts , or the one half of the whole Land to be reserved for Meadow and Pasture , and be in Common as the other Lands . This said half being well ordered , will breed and keep twice as many Cattel as the whole Land did before it was improved : And wherein now is the Poor wronged by planting Woods , if Lands were thus improved ? for those that have right of Common will have much more Pasture , and provision is made for more Wood. And that there may be a greater improvement of all and every part of the said Lands , my advice is ; first that the Arable Land after 2 or 3 years Crops of Corn at the most , be well manured with Dung , Lime , Marle , Chalk , or such like helps ; and then plowed and sowed again : Secondly , that the Pasture Land be either Marled or soyled with good Dung , and plowed and sowed with Clover , Treafoil , Centfoil , or some other seed for Grass , and this to be performed presently after the burning of the Earth ; for Pasture Land being once in heart will encrease by Cattle feeding thereon : The richer the Land is the more Cattle it will keep ; and the greater number of Cattle , the greater quantity of Soil or Dung comes from them ; also the often or much feeding and treading on the land will both sweeten the Grass and destroy the Moss which poor grounds are subject to , and all manner of Weeds : for in green paths that are often trodden , nor Weeds nor Moss grow ; and Cattle will feed on such paths or places rather than on any other part of the field ; so that there is no better Husbandry to kill Weeds and Moss than to inrich the Land , and keep the Grass short or low by Cattle constantly feeding thereon . Thirdly , that the Woodland be planted with the seed or Plants of the Ash-tree , Chesnut , Hasle-nut , Alder or Withey , because they are the quickest growing plants , and will produce the greatest quantity of wood , good for fireing and other necessary uses , as Hoops Hop-poles , &c. But where the Land is wet or moorish , and cannot be drayned or layed dry ; in those places Alder and Withey are the best thriving Plants or Wood , and in the wettest parts of all , Osiers or Alders : Those Lands that are planted for Timber-trees , as Oak , Ash , Beech , Elme , may be made use of by feeding Cattle , so that they are kept from cropping and rubbing against the trees while they are young ; but if the Land be delved or plowed and sowed with Corn , then it must be well soiled with good Dung ; for else the Plow will impoverish the Ground and starve the Trees . Now for the carrying on so good and necessary a Work , if the Rich will lend their Purses , and the Poor their utmost labours and industry , God will second all with such an increase , that the monies may be returned again with interest , and the Poor plentifully provided for : And as it is my great request to God that there might not be one Family in England want bread , so , if it lay in my power , every foot of land in England should be improved that is capable of improvement ; for one foot square of good land may produce a quarter of a pint of Wheat , which comes to by the Acre , there being 43560 square foot , 170 Bushels 5 quarts : yet he that is ingenious will not deny but that there may be a Liquor prepared wherein to steep or soke Corn , that it being after set or sown , may bring forth or produce above 100 for one , so likewise Earth may be enriched to produce the like increase ; yea , wonderful Crops beyond ordinary sence and reason : therefore all hidden benefits must be sought ; for ignorance and idleness are alwayes enemies to thrist . And those that are studious in natural causes , know that by the exhalation of the earth , the moistness , richness and fatness of the earth and soil is drawn forth , therefore the careful Husbandman will not spread his Dung in the heat or middle of the Summer , except he cover it with earth by delving or plowing . Now this richness of the earth or soyl is by the heat of the Sun drawn forth and rarified into air ; and by reason of the coldness of the air the same is condensed into water , and becomes Clouds ; which said water so condensed is powred down again either into the Seas to refresh and feed the Creatures therein , or on certain Lands ; and all this done by the wise Disposer , who in exchange rains down cold , thin and barren waters as a token of his displeasure , or else withholds the Rain ; for earth is nothing else but thickned and hardned water ; water thickned air , air subtilized water , water liquified earth . But now because these wast lands over-grown with Ling , Heath , Furres , Bushes , Shrubs , and such like , are for the most part poor Clays or Sands ; in some places mixed with Gravel , therefore to all those who are resolved to be industrious , and whom it hath pleased God to place upon such barren Earths , my advice is , that after the land is cleansed according to former directions , and also well plowed and hacked : If it be a simple Clay , or mixt with other Earths , and the Clay most predominant , and the Sea be not too far , that they thence fetch good store of the salt Sand , and with it cover their ground , allowing at least 200 Bushels for each or every Acre ; after the land is thus sanded , then bestow about 70 Bushels of Lime , or else 100 Cartload of the best and fattest Marle on every Acre so sanded , and putting thereto 50 or 60 Cartload of good Dung likewise to every Acre ; then having well spread and mixed these several Manures , that they plow over the land again , and after it is well hackt with a pair of strong iron Harrows , goe over the ground , tearing that which was plowed and hackt into smaller pieces , which will not only mix the several Manures with the clay , but also raise and increase good store of mould . If the land lie so far remote from the Sea , that to fetch this salt sand will not equal the cost , in such cases they may lay other earth , or the best and richest fresh sand , only adding a greater quantity ; for of this sand every Acre of land will require at least 100 Cartload ; and likewise they must add a greater quantity of Lime and Dung , also 100 Cartload of Marle or Chalk . Now the Wheat seed-time being at hand , they must plow up their ground again , and prepare the seed as followeth : Make a strong Brine of Bay-salt and water , put your Wheat therein , the quantity you intend to sow the next day , letting it so lye ten or twelve hours , then drain the brine from it , and having a Tub or Chest or such like , put the said Wheat therein with good store of the best lime , stir and mix them well together , and then sow the Wheat thus limed . Now as soon as the Land is sowed , forthwith cover the seed very close by well harrowing it , and no doubt with the blessing of God , you will have a plentiful increase , so that one years Crop of Wheat will pay all charges with interest . But if the Land you would improve be a barren sand , then being cleansed , plowed , and hacked as was the clay , you shall lay or bestow 200 Cartload of the best slimy or fattest Marle or Mame on each or every Acre of Land ; and if you be near the Sea , then lay 50 or 60 bushel of salt sand on each Acre ; for fresh sand availeth little on this kind of land : but if you cannot come by salt sand , then on every Acre of land you may lay 60 or 70 bushels of lime , also 100 Cartload of good chalk : All this being performed , add a good quantity of dung : you need not fear laying too much at the first dressing on poor Land ; but if you cannot get any perfect and rich Marle or Mame , then may you lay a good quantity of rich Clay , or instead of Clay a rich Lome , or which is better , the Earth called Fullers Earth ; then plow sow and harrow in the seed as you have been directed , that all the manures may be well mixed . For as in Medicinal compositions , if the ingredients be confusedly cast one upon another without care of mixture , melting or dissolving , there will be but a corrupt and ill compounded Receipt ; so he that dresseth and manureth his ground , and doth not by hacking , plowing and harrowing mix the earth and the soil perfectly well together , he shall seldom find profit from his seed . Now the causes of the unfruitfulness of barren Clayes are from their cold and binding nature , whereby they stifle and choak any thing that grows within them , and will not give them liberty to sprout ; or if it do , yet the cold presently starves the root , and makes the stem utterly unable to bring forth fruit ▪ the mixture of the sand takes away the toughness and opens the pores of the earth or clay ; the lime and salt bring heat , the dung comfort and liberty ; so likewise all barren sands are loose and light , therefore their unfruitfulness ariseth from these two causes ; First by reason of their porishness or hollowness , and much rain or wet weather washeth quite away or down into the earth , deeper than the roots of the corn and grass , all the goodness , heat and fatness which should nourish that which groweth therein ; and although such Land be well soiled with dung , yet it will not last above one Crop of Corn or two at the most . Secondly , what the Rain leaves , the Sun by his heat draws forth out of the Earth from the roots of Corn and Grass . Now Marle is not only an enemy to all Weeds , but giveth a general virtue to all Corn and Grass , and by its glutinous substance being incorporated with the sand , closes the hollows and porousness thereof , so that what ever Soyl or Manure be layd thereon , it will last many years , and aboundantly increase that which was planted , set , or sowed therein : And if the said Marle be layed on Meadow or Pasture , the land will be much enriched , and may so continue some hundred years : And as the the Marle likewise the Clay , Lome , or Fullers earth will worke the like Effect on Arable land , yet not to so good purpose as the Marle ; Now although Dung be most proper for Pasture land , yet Marle is of speciall Use and much differs from Dung in one particular , for Dung spends it self upwards , and although it lie deep within the Earth , yet the vertue will Ascend , and if it lie upon the ground in Summer , it will grow light and spungy , whereby the goodness is drawn forth or consumed by the heat of the Sun , but it is the Nature of Marle to work downewardes into the Earth , and it is dissolved only by Frost ; therefore the best season to lay it on the Land is about Michaelmas , that so the Winter following may break and melt all the Stones or Cloats , and being thus broken , the Rain will help to wash the same into the Earth ; now although Naturally sandy Earth is hott , yet these barren sands by reason of their poverty , are very cold , therefore Lime and Salt are of great use , and to good purpose laid on them and mixed together ; wherefore you must not forget to steep all seed except Rye , in brine as before mentioned , but you are to take notice , that Oates will not require or endure so long to lye in steep as the other Grain ; Now to give a tast of the sweetness which Labour and industry brings unto such as take pleasure therein ; We shall suppose these barren Earths before mentioned , were not worth above 2 shillings the Acre yearly Rent before they were improved , and the charges of improving may come to twelve pounds the Acre , which is tenn pounds more then the fee simple of the Land is worth ; One Crop of Wheat , if God bless the Increase , will sufficiently pay all the charges with Interest ; Then likewise may you receive two years crops more of Wheat , and 5 or 6 Crops without intermission eitheir of Rye , Barly , Pease , Beanes , or Oates , and be at no more charges about the Land then once Plowing and Harrowing , seed , salt and lime to steep the seed ; Now as salt is a great destroyer of all Weeds , so likewise it is of great strength and vertue , for the bettering all manner of Arable Land , and a great Nourisher of seed in the Ground , if moderately used , like Blood in the Body of man , which carrieth the vital heat and is in taste salt , as being a nourisher and maintainer of all the inward faculties ; now after 7 or 8 years sowing with Corne the said Land may be worth aboue twenty shillings the Acre yearly rent to lye for meadow or Pasture .