dwerpe and the Netherlandes were saved
from the Inquisition. And in the ende of the 45th article of the same
discourse, also, he setteth down by particuler accompte howe the subjectes
of the same Emperour in the Netherlandes dyd gaine yerely onely by the
woll and wollen clothe that came eche yere oute of England, almoste
vi.C.M. (M234) I say almoste sixe hundreth thousande poundes sterling,
besides the gaines they had for sondry other thinges, that were of
marvelous somes.

Nowe if her Majestie take these westerne discoveries in hande, and plante
there, yt is like that in shorte time wee shall vente as greate a masse of
clothe yn those partes as ever wee did in the Netherlandes, and in tyme
moche more; which was the opinion of that excellent man, Mr Roberte
Thorne, extante in printe in the laste leafe savinge one of his discourse
to Doctor Lea,(65) ambassador for King Henry the Eighte, in Spaine, with
Charles the Emperour, whose wordes are these: And althoughe (saieth he)
wee wente not into the said ilandes of spicerye, for that they are the
Emperours or Kinges of Portingale, wee shoulde by the way, and comynge
once to the lyne equinoctiall, finde landes no lesse riche of golde and
spicerie, as all other landes are under the said lyne equinoctiall; and
also shoulde, yf wee may passe under the northe, enjoye the navigation of
all Tartarye, which should be no lesse profitable to our comodities of
clothe, then those spiceries to the Emperour and Kinge of Portingale.

This beinge soe, yt commeth to passe, that whatsoever clothe wee shall
vente on the tracte of that firme, or in the ilandes of the same, or in
other landes, ilandes, and territories beyonde, be they within the circle
articke or withoute, all these clothes, I say, are to passe oute of this
realme full wroughte by our naturall subjectes in all degrees of labour.
And if it come aboute in tyme that wee shall vente that masse there that
wee vented in the Base Countries, which is hoped by greate reason, then
shall alt that clothe passe oute of this realme in all degrees of labour
full wroughte by the poore natural subjectes of this realme, like as the
quantitie of our clothe dothe passe that goeth hence to Russia, Barbarie,
Turkye, Persia, &c. And then consequently it followeth, that the like
nomber of people alleaged to the Emperour shal be sett on worke in England
of our poore sujectes more then hath bene; and so her Majestie shall not
be troubled with the piteful