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A DISCOURSE OF SEA-PORTS*;

PRINCIPALLY OF THE PORT AND HAVEN OF DOVER:

WRITTEN BY SIR WALTER RALEIGH,

AND ADDRESSED TO QUEEN ELISABETH.

With useful Remarks, &c. on that Subject, by Command of his late Majesty King Charles the Second. Never before made publick. Printed in 1700. Quarto, containing twenty Pages.

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To the Right Honourable the Earl of Rumney, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, &c.

THE

MY LORD,

HE publisher of this discourse has no other motive of his address to your Lordship, than that the design may receive protection from some powerful hand, by which, being sheltered in its infancy from the blasts of malevolence (which will blow from more corners than one) it may have leave to strike root, and grow to strength enough to be able to stand alone. The subject matter seems to belong to your Lordship, in propriety, as you are Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports; and the patronage of so noble and national a project could be claimed no where so rightfully as from your Lordship, who being equally great by birth, power, the favour of your prince, and the love of your country, I could not withstand the justice of making this oblation of my duty and good wishes to your Lordship, by thus tendering it to your election to be the father and protector of so needful and magnificent a work, abounding in publick honour, safety, and emolument, whereby you may consign your name to posterity, by a monument more durable, and of greater dignity than the records and patents of your ancestors, or the statues of antiquity.

The manuscript fell casually into my hands during the last session of Parliament, which being relished by such worthy members of that honourable body as I had an opportunity to impart it to, I thought I could not do a more grateful office to my country, than to be the means of its publication, for which freedom I ask the author's pardon, as I do your Lordship's for the presumption of this dedication; who am,

Your Lordship's most humble and dutiful servant.

A brief Discourse, declaring how honourable and profitable to your most Excellent Majesty, and how necessary and commodious for your Realm, the making of Dover Haven shall be, and in what sort, *This is the 69th number in the catalogue of pamphlets in the Harleian library.

what least Charges in greatest Perfection the same may be accom plished.

THERE is no one thing, most renowned sovereign, of greater necessity to maintain the honour and safety of this your Majesty's realm, than by all convenient means to increase navigation, shipping, and mariners, these being a strength in time of war; and in time of peace, members most profitable and commodious.

But this can neither be had, increased, nor maintained, if, first, sure harbours be not provided, as a safe receptacle to receive and guard them from storms, enemies, &c.

This hath moved that industrious nation of the Low Countries in Holland, Zealand, and Flanders, where, by reason of their sandy coast, though God hath scarcely in any place allowed them any good havens natural, yet, seeing the necessity and commodity of harbours, they have, without regard of any charges or travel, with infinite expences, made many havens artificial, even in such places as nature denied them all the hopes of help; whereby we see they have drawn such intercourse and traffick, both of foreign nations for merchandise, and also by their industry for fishing, that in few years (almost in our age) they have been able to build a number of most sumptuous, rich, and beautiful cities, furnished the coast with a great number of ships and mariners, and are become the most populous and rich nation the sun did ever shine on; and not only the sea coasts, but also the inland countries, by quick vent of their commodities, do participate of the same benefit and felicity: and such their charges, on havens and harbours bestowed, do yield them the fruit of riches, wealth, and commodity most plentiful throughout their whole dominion.

But contrary-wise, with us this last Parliament, lamentable relation hath been made of the great decay of mariners and fishermen, to the number of many hundred sail upon our coast of England, even in this age, and within memory; and also of the present poverty, and desolate habitations of many frontier towns.

Whereby it plainly appeareth, that as the excessive expence of the Low Countries, bestowed on havens, hath not impoverished, but the clean contrary, greatly inriched them by incomparable wealth and treasure, with numbers of rich, fair, and populous towns; so our sparing mind, or rather greedy getting, gaining, and inriching land from your majesty's havens, and navigable channels, hath utterly destroyed and spoiled many good havens by nature left us, and thereby wrought very beggary, misery, and desolation in these your frontier towns.

And, if we search the very cause of the flourishing state of London, which almost alone in quantity, people, and wealth in this age is so increased; and, contrary-wise of the poverty, or rather beggary and decay of Winchelsea, Rye, Rumney, Hide, Cover, and many other poor towns, we shall find the decay of these havens, and preservation of the Thames, the only or chief occasion.

Hereby sufficiently appeareth how incomparable jewels havens and sure harbours are for gaining, maintaining, and increasing people, wealth, and commodity in any realm.

And no lesser strength and security do they bring in time of war, as well by the multitude of mariners (a most serviceable people) and shipping, which they breed, as also the inhabitation of the frontiers.

But, in the whole circuit of your Majesty's famous island, there is not any one either in respect of security and defence, or of traffick or intercourse, more convenient, needful, or rather of necessity to be regarded than this of Dover, situate on a promontory next fronting a puissant foreign king, and in the very streight passage and intercourse of almost all the shipping of Christendom. And, if that our renowned king, your Majesty's father, of famous memory, Henry the Eighth in his time, found how necessary it was to make a haven at Dover (when Sandwich, Rye, Camber, and others were good havens, and Calais also then in his possession) and yet spared not to bestow, of his own treasure, so great a mass in building of that pier, which then secured a probable mean to perform the same: how much more is the same now needful, or rather of necessity (those good havens being extremely decayed) no safe harbour being left in all the coast almost between Portsmouth and Yarmouth; seeing the same also may be performed without the expence of your Majesty's private treasure, the present gift of Parliament considered, and their ready wills so plainly discovered, to supply whatever charge shall be needful, whensoever by your gracious providence they shall see the realm armed with such a shield, and endowed with so great a jewel.

The commodities that thereby both to your Majesty and realm shall ensue, are,

First, a place of refuge and sure safeguard to all merchants, your majesty's subjects, who passing from London, and all other the east and north parts of England, to France, Spain, Barbary, the Levant, the islands, or other parts south, or west of the world, for want of harbour at Dover, either going forth or returning, shall be inforced to ride it out in open road, to their great peril; or, in time of war, for want of such succour, to throw themselves on the contrary coast into the arms of their enemies.

For all other strangers, your Majesty's friends, that pass the sea from Hamburgh, Dantzick, Lubeck, Embden, Scotland, Denmark, or any parts of the Low Countries, to any parts of the world, south and south west (whereof there are daily great numbers) or of Spain, Portugal, France, or Italy, bound northward, either to London, or any of the northern provinces, both passing and repassing, they must of necessity touch, as it were, upon this promontory; and, upon any change of wind, or fear of the enemy, for sure refuge, will most willingly and thankfully embrace so sweet and safe a sanctuary.

No promontory, town, or haven of Christendom, is so placed

by nature and situation, both to gratify friends and annoy enemies, as this your Majesty's town of Dover.

No place or town of Christendom is so settled to receive and deliver intelligence for all matters and actions in Europe, from time to time.

No town of all the Low Countries, though by their industry they have a great number excessive populous, fair, and rich, is by nature so settled, either to allure intercourse by sea, or train inhabitants by land, to make it great, fair, rich, and populous.

For alluring intercourse by sea, there is already sufficient said. By land, it hath better air and water, two chief elements, than all the rich towns in Holland and Zealand.

For fire, the country round about is far better wooded than theirs, and the whole shire wherein it standeth, and round about the town itself, the soil is so well sorted for arable and pasture of all sorts, for marsh and meadows sufficiently furnished, as heart of man cannot wish or desire it better.

A quarry of stone at hand sufficient to build both town and haven in a most sufficient, large, and beautiful manner. There wanteth nothing by land, sea, or air that can be wished. And, if those industrious people of the Low Countries had in all their provinces such a seat with like commodities, they would make it a spectacle to the world without respect of charge whatsoever.

There wanteth nothing but a harbour, which when compassed, all other parts of peopling, wealth, and strength will follow of itself.

A marvellous number of poor people both by this work, till the haven is made, and after by the shipping, fishing, &c. will be employed, who now for want of work are whipped, marked, and hanged.

The quick uttering of commodities, which always followeth by increase of intercourse, will cause all the coast and shire to be notably manured and peopled, not with poor, idle, but painful, industrious, and rich persons, a great ornament and commodity in peace, and sure defence in war, the same being the frontier nearest coast to a most dangerous, puissant, active, and aspiring neighbour.

The increase of navigation, fishing, and traffick that hereby will grow, and the great wealth and commodity thereof arising, will not be contained in one shire alone, but poured forth into all parts of the realm, to the great relief of the poor, and contentation of all degrees, increasing of arts and occupations, a pattern whereof we may behold even in our next neighbours the Low-Countries; not feigned in imagination, but actually by them put in execution; and great shame it were for us, to despair attaining that, which we see others our neighbours have atchieved before us.

As the whole realm in general, so your Majesty also in respect of your particular revenue shall reap great profit by increase of subsidies, which always will grow greater, together with the wealth of the land, besides the increase of customs, and such other

revenues as shall be there made of the soil there gained from the

seas.

The shire of Kent, being within few years grown marvellous industrious in tilling and manuring their grounds, when they shall see so convenient a port to vend their superfluous commodities, will not only increase in wealth and people, but also yield to your Majesty's coffers, for transportation of their excise in wheat, barley, and beer, great increase of revenues; and all other shires, taking example by them, will likewise grow in labour, industry, wealth, and people.

There can be no pitch, tar, masts, cables, or other tackle for shipping, passed from Dantzick, Denmark, or other northern parts to France, Spain, or Italy, but your Majesty, having a strong hand of shipping at Dover, may command for money the choice thereof before any king in Christendom in time of peace; and in time of war thereby also disable enemies and content friends; besides the infinite commodity that may happily grow to the whole nation in general, and to your Majesty's coffers also by a staple, that, in time, with good policy may be erected there, to serve both south and north countries with their mutual commodities.

In time of war, how dangerous attempts may be made with small frigates of fire, or otherwise, to indanger your Majesty's navy where it now lieth, with hope sufficient to escape and return again, before any shipping can be made out of the Thames to rescue or revenge, the expertest soldiers and seamen best know. But this harbour being made and furnished with good shipping, as always it will be, no such attempt will ever be made, the enemy being assured, however the wind blows, upon any alarm either from London or Dover, to be surprised, and no hope left to

escape.

Your Majesty, having shipping at Dover, may also upon all suddenness, with lesser charge, set forth to scour the seas of pirates, whereby your navy of merchants will marvellously increase and flourish, both in the great strength and wealth of the realm, and to the great increase of your Majesty's customs.

In like sort, your fishing-navies may be maintained and protected from pilfering pirates, or other violence of strangers, and thereby reap the benefit of your seas; whereby our strength by sea will marvellously increase, and great number of poor people be employed, as well on land, in knitting nets, and making and mending both ships and tackle, as also in getting of fish, a food greatly to relieve the poverty of the realm, and excessively to increase your Majesty's revenue, by custom of such commodities, as shall be brought in abundantly for exchanging of those our fish,

The fishing-navies being, by this means, both protected and greatly increased, all laws for punishment, and taxes for relieving idle and poor people, will then cease; for there shall be no person, for age or sickness, almost so impotent, but shall find hereby some trade, whereby to get their living; as, by example of the LowCountries, we may plainly behold.

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