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M A T T H E W VV R E N, D. D.
within a Year or two before, whereof Mr. Bridge carried the one awayWith him into Holland ; the other ceased by the Lecturer’s returninghome to his Cure at Stalham, whereof he was Vicar; and never did anyof the City so much as crave an Allowance from this Defendant for others intheir Places. At Northwaljham also he confirmed a Lecture; and one atWimondham ; and erected another at Eajlharling ; and permitted one at Mey-hold, although they never craved his episcopal Leave for the fame.
He further &zn\eth,ihoxDaniel Sunning, Michael MetcaJ, and the rest in thisArticle named, or any other of his Majesty’s Subjects, to the Number of 3000,did remove into the Parts beyond the Seas by reason of any Thing done bythis Defendant. And he humbly prayetb, that it may be consider’d, that thehumour of separating themselves from the Church of England into foreignParts is of a much higher Growth than since Anno 1636. And that out ofthese Dioceses where they could have no Pretence of vigorous Persecutions, theyWent so plentifully, as that the two chief Colonies in New England , long sincetook the Titles of Plymouth and Bojlon. And thither, into New England, ofthole which are named in this Article, went Fra?ici$ Lawes a poor and meanWeaver, John Dicks a poor Joiner, Nicholas Busby a poor Weaver, MichaelMetcalf, and Nicholas his Son, a Dornix Weaver (of some Estate, he only)but he was call’d in question for some Words against the King, and so stiptaway. John Durant is supposed to be the same with John Berant, he apoor Weaver that went into the Low-Countries, and thither went Richard Cooka Draper newly set up, that kept but one Apprentice.
And this Defendant further denieth, that the Departure into Holland of such3 s used the Trades of Manufactures in Wool, did either begin with the Year1636, at which Time this Defendant’s Visitation of the Diocese of Norwichwas held ; or that it did end with the Year 1637. at which Time this Defen-dant was translated from that Diocese. For they began to repair to Rotterdamand Amhcim, and other Places there anno 1633, and so also anno 1638,they went thither in great Abundance. So that out of one Port in that Dio-cese in anno 1635, there went one hundred and forty six Persons j and in anno1638, one hundred and fifty Persons: whereas out of the fame Port in amis1636, and 1637, there went in all not above one hundred Persons. And outof another 1 ort in the lame Diocese, from Michaelmas 1637, to Annunciation1638, there went but one hundred and ten Persons ; whereas in the next halfYear (which was after this Defendant had left the See) there went above twohundred and thirty Persons.
This Defendant therefore humbly conceiveth, that the chiefest Cause of theirDeparture, was the small Wages which was given to the poor Workmen,whereby the Work-masters grew rich, but the Workmen were kept very poor.And then that occasioning the slight and ill making of those Manufactures, theHollanders desirous to learn the Trade, as well for their own Advantage as*or the better making of the Commodities, did for a Time invite our Peoplethither, by giving much greater Wages for Work than was given here: soyiat it was generally reported in Norwich that they could have 1 $s. in HoPan d for that Work, which here yeilded not ion To which is to be addedalso, that in the Year 1636. the Danger of the Plague in London stopt theWeekly Intercourse of Stuffs and other Commodities from Norwich , andthereby Men forbore a great while to set so many on work as before they had
0ne j when the weekly Return was open. And so that forced the Poor toc ° m plain, and to go seek the means of living abroad.
-And for Proof whereof he humbly offereth, that whereas often Complaints? ^is matter were brought untothe Council-board, that the Trade was carriedlnt0 Holland, and many things were prayed for the remedying of the fame, yet
Dd it