in Religion; Taxes; Alteration of Lawes and Customes; Breaking of Priviledges; Generall Oppression; Advancement of unworthy persons; Strangers; Dearths; Disbanded Souldiers; Factions growne desperate; And whatsoever in offending People ioyneth and knitteth them in a Common Cause.
For[1] the Remedies; There may be some generall Preservatives, whereof wee will speake; As for the iust[2] Cure, it must answer to the Particular Disease; And so be left to Counsell rather then Rule.
The first Remedy or prevention is to remove by all meanes possible that materiall Cause[3] of Sedition, wherof we spake; which is Want and Poverty in the Estate.[4] To which purpose serveth the Opening and well Ballancing of Trade; The Cherishing[5] of Manufactures; the Banishing of Idlenesse; the Repressing of waste and Excesse by Sumptuary Lawes; the Improvement and Husbanding[6] of the Soyle; the Regulating of Prices of things vendible; the Moderating of Taxes and Tributes; And the like. Generally, it is to be foreseene[7] that the Population of a Kingdome, (especially if it be not mowen downe by warrs) doe not exceed the Stock[8] of the Kingdome, which should maintaine them. Neither is the Population to be reckoned onely by number; For a smaller Number, that spend more and earne lesse, doe weare out an Estate sooner then a greater Number, that live lower[9] and gather more. Therefore the Multiplying of Nobilitie and other Degrees of Qualitie,[10] in an over Proportion to the Common People, doth speedily bring a State to Necessitie; And so doth likewise an overgrowne Clergie, For they bring nothing to the Stocke; And in like manner, when more are bred Schollers then Preferments can take off.[11]
It is likewise to be remembred that, for as much as the increase of any Estate[12] must be upon[13] the Forrainer, (for
