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ANNALS

OP

COMMERCE,

MANUFACTURES, FISHERIES, AND NAVIGATION,

WITH

BRIEF NOTICES OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES CONNECTED WITH THEM.

CONTAIVLVQ tltL

COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS

Of THE

BHITISF EMPIRE AND OTHER COUNTRIES,
WITH A LARGE APPENDIX,

101VTAI\ING

CBSONOIOfil, Al. Tinii;. OF THl %0\TKT.W^, or F.I HOPF
TAPIK. OF rllK ALTEMATlOMt OF MONtV IN KXCili.ND AND
tCO'll.AND,

A rHRONoior;i<Ai, tahik of rnr pr.cf.s of toh-., Ac and

IMTEI KlVfiDOM OFUREAl BRITAIN AND IREIANU i

MITll A GEVFRAL CIIKONOLOGIC A I, INDVX.

■i"f -^tutioit Vurt commstd I'rvvi Ihf muKi ii,ith„,.r,. /\ ■ • i it-

tSf. tSt'.

Kj/ /).ir//) MACPIIEJISOK.

VOL. I.

I'll! .\ Till) FOR

LONDON;

-iN., Fo.! MUXDELL AND SON, KDINBUUO.l.
ISOj.

I

.'111
V. I

m«nBfii«s, raiH-riB ■* auMBfii. ard ion.

TO

CHARLES GRANT Esq. M. P. Chairman,
GEORGE SMITH Esq. M. P. Deputy Chairman.

SirFRANCTS BARfXG Uatt. M. P.

JACOB B(WAXQ(,'LT Esq.

JOSEPH COTTON l-iq.

WfLLIAM DLTAYNES Esq. M. P.

SIMON FRASEREsq.

JOIJN HUDLESTON Esq. I>I. P

Sir HUGH INGLLS Bart. M. P.

PAUL LE MESUHrEREsq.

Sir STEPHEN LUSHINGTON Bart.

M. P.
JOHN MANSHrP Esq.
Sir THEOPHILUS METCALFE Bart.

CffARLES I\riLLS Esq. M. P.
THOMA.S PARRY Esq.
EDWARD PARRY Esq.
RICHARD CHICHELEY PLOWDENT
i;sq.

THOMAS REID Esq.

ABRAHAM RODAitTS Esq. M. P

JOHN ROBi.IlTS Esq.

GEORGE WOODJOHC THELLUS-

SON Esq. M. P.
ROBERT THORNTON Esq. M. P..
WJLJJAIM THORNTON Esq.
SWENY TOONE Es'^.

ALP

THE HONOURABLE COURT Oh fJlRECTORS
OF THE UNITED COMP.INY OF MERCHANTS OF ENGLAND TRADLNG

TO THE EAST INDIES,

the moft illuftrious and moft flouriftiing commercial affociation
that ever exifted in any age or country j

whofe extenfive commerce conneds the interefts of the eafteni
and wcftcrn extremities of the world j

whofe fleets, luurc numerous and powerful than thofe of many
fovercgn princes, proted their pretlous cargoes from the attacks of
hoftile fquadrons ;

whofe fplcndid. achievements and vaft territories in India rank
them among the greateft fovereigns of Afia ;

and whofe noble encouragement of literature and fcience have
raifed the mercantile chai-adcr to the highcft degree of exaltation
and dignity ;

THE ANNALS OF COMMERCE, MANUFACTURES, FISHERIES

AND NAVIGATION.
are moft refpedfully dedicated

by

their moft bedient

and very humble fervanc,
» DAVID MACI'HERSON:

PREFACE.

Jf it were poffible that the importance of the fubjea could be equal-
ed by the merit of the compofition, there would be few works fc
well deferring the attention of a Britilli reader as the Annals of com-
merce.

Wherever commerce has flourifhed. the people have enjoyed gen-
eral plenty and happinefs, civiUzation, urbanity, and a compara-
tively-wclUrdered government, fecuring the liberty and property
ot the fubjca. have been its conftant attendants. Ariftotle that
great mafter of politics, fays that the conftitution of the comm'ercial
republic of Carthage was one of the moft perfed in the world And
we may be allowed, with no fmall degree of fatisfadion. to add that
our own commercial ifland has long been confidered i^ Euroie a

llLfbX'r^' " '"' ^^^"^^^ ^""^ property cou/m;^

But. though commerce is univerfally knov n to be the chief fource
of the profperity and alfo the power, of theBritifh empire, no Bri
xfh workjiluftrative of its progrefs ever appeared, till Mr Ande
Ton pubhlhed h. Bi/^oncI a., chronological dedual.n of t,e ^^r
.^j^^ wherem he has traced its progre. from the cLion !,Z
world to he commencement of the reign of his present Majeftv •

i::l t '^I'r '^^"^'^^^^^ approbation by ,L^Tli
greateft authors who have written fmcc it appeared.

a z.

IV

PREFACE.

Mr. Anderfon appears to have bcftowed many years of his long
hfc in collcding matrerials for his work. He conlukcd a great num-
ber of hooks and pamphlets on commercial a,id politico-commcrcial
fubjecns : and from them, making fome (though perhaps not fuf-
ficient) allowance for the partiality of controverfial writers, he
chiefly drew his materials for the history of the fixteenth and feven-
teenth centuries. But for at lead half a century preceding the com-
mencement of the prefent reign he is an original author, relating
from his own knowlege and obffervatioii, the commercial tranfac-
tions of the Britifh empire, with which he had every opportunity
of being well acquainted, and in which he was in fome degree
engaged, having been in the fervice of the South-fea company, I be-
lieve, above forty years. Hence we find, he is quite at home in the
affairs of that company, and particularly in the very extraordinary
tranfaaions of the year 1720, his account of which will ever be
confidered as the ftandard hiftory of that noted jera of frantic ava-
rice and blind infatuation.

If he had been equally accurate in the early part of his work, the
tafk of a fucceeding writer would have been liule more than mciely
to continue tlic narrative from his conclufion. But unfortunately
he trulled to tranflators and other modern writers, and thcfb fome-
timcs not very properly chofen. His negleft of the anticnt hif-
torians of Greece and Rome, and of the valuable hiftorians of the
middle ages (whom the fupercilious ignorance of grammarians calls
barbarous), and the want of fome public records not attainable in his
time, have betrayed him into innumerable errors and omiflions.
Hence it is neceflary to compofe the hiftory of the early ages en-
tirely anew : and I have ventured to take upon myfelf the arduous
tafk of giving an authentic chronologi -al narrative of the progrefs of
commerce, manufactures, fiHieries, and navigation, from the earliefl
accounts to the difcoveiy of America in the year 1492.

PREEACI. ^

In preparing the moft valuable part of Mr. Anderfon'a work for
ihc prefs. I have preferved all his has, and the moft of his reraarki ;
though fome of them arc didated by the narrow-fpirited jealoufy
of commerce, which in his time palled for patriotifm. But I have
cancelled many repetitions, and the frequent notices of prices, and
the diminutions of money, with the attendant calculation* of the
difference of the cxpcnfc of living in antient and modern times, an
objea almoft as fallacious as the meafurcment of a fliadow ; inftead
of which, I have given in the Appendix a chronological view of tlic
fcveral diminutions of the money of England and Scotland, and a
chronological ferics of the prices of corn and other neceffary articles,
both in the perfpicuous and comprehenfive form of tables, from the
infpeaion of which the reader can obtain a pretty clear idea of the
depretiation of money ; for that is what we mean, when wc talk of
the mcrcafed price of living: and he will need no commentary to
fhow him the difference between the numerical expenditure of mo-
dern times and that of any particular time in by-paft ages.

The only other alterations I have made confiil in pruning rhe
fupcrfluu,e« of d.clion ; fubftitt^ting mod.rn words and phrafes (as

17 M . T ' "'•" '"" coxnpofition) for obfolete ones,
which Mr. Anderlon appears to have ufcd more than any of lul
contemporaries who have come within my obfcrvation ; and throw-
ing down to the bottom of the page many fentence, and paragraphs
ituted"'''''"' "°'"' ^i^^r.^ith his narrative is frequently ob-

The additions made by myfelf in this portion of the work are
prefented m the form of notes,, wjthtl.e letter M ASjoined to each
<u them.

Frorn what has been faid the reader will perceive that the com-
mercial tranfadions from the year 1492 to ,760 ftand on the au-

▼i

PREFACE.

thority of Mr. Anderfon and thoie whom he has followed. But for
the long period preceding 1492, and alfo for the Hiort, but very
eventful and important, period between 1760 and 1801, I ftand
folely and entirely refponfible.

I flatter myfclf that my labour has not been entirely unfucccfsful
in tracing the progrefs of the very important trade of the wcftern
world with India, the moll antient commercial intercourfe between
lar-diftant nations of which we have any knowlege, from the
carlieft dawn of hiftoric information, appearing in the books of
Mofes and other authentic writers, to its prefent fplendour and mag-
nitude, under the diredlion of the greatefl and raoft illuftrious com-
pany that ever was affociated for commercial purpofes fincc the
creation of the world. And I truft tliat the feveral lights 1 have
brought to bear upon this great objc<5l have produced an authentic
dedudion of its progrefs, as perfpicuous as my materials would
enable me to give, and as connected and circumftantial as the plan
and limits of my work would permit.

This commerce was conducted in the earlieft agp« by the South
Arabians, a people apparently more enlightened by fcientc and com-
merce than any nation fituated farther weft, unlefs the Phoenicians
may be placed on a level with them.*

The commerce next in importance, and apparently alfo in order
of time, was that of the Phcenicians and their colonies, particularly
their illuftrious colony of Carthage, and that of Gadir (or Cadiz),
with which is connedled the earlieft commercial hiftory (and indeed
notice of any kind) of our own Britifti iflands. Unfortunately the

* The extenfive aftive commerce and voyages afcribed to the antient Egyptians are merelv
the creation of modem fancy, as I have, I truft, fulficicntly dcraonftr»ted in the note in p. 13 of
ihe firil volume. ^

I

PREFACS.

vii

moft of the information we have refpcaing thefe anticnt commer-
cial ftates it derived from their enemies. From thefe perverted
fountains of intelligence I have endeavoured to collet every notice
concerning them worth preferving : but every judicious reader will
be inclined to believe that their charaaer for commercial integrity,
fciencc, and literature, was much higher than the malevolent ac-
counts of fuch writers rcprefent it. and that they were much more
enlightened than any other people bordering on the Mediterranean
fea.

The commerce of Carthage, and alfo that of Corinth, a trading
city of Greece, were abolifhed by the Romans, the general enemies
of commerce*: and. indeed, it may be obfervcd, that as the Roman
empire increafed, ^e commerce of the we ftern world decreafea. with
the fmgle exception of an enlarged demand for Oriental luxuries. Of
this Oriental trade we happily poffefs a defcription, k^ a for accur-
acy and minutcnefs of detail may almoft rival -. modern official ac
count; and I have the fatisfartion of now giving the firft complete
abftraa of this prctious monument of commercial antiquity that
has ai,pcared In the Englifli language. As the Roman empire de-
clmed, the Oriental trade, fupported merely by the redundant opu-
lence of Rome, gradually decayed ; and in the fixth century we find
the intercourfc with India turned into a new channel. During the
many dark ages, which fuccecdcd the fubverfion of the Weftern em-
pire, the faculties of the human mind were debafcd by the grolTeft
ignorance ; and literature, fcience. and commerce, were negleded
or forgotten in the weftern parts of the world, till the Saracens, and
fome of the cities of Italy and the neighbouring countries, began to

• Notwithftanding the auticommercial fpirit. fo evident i„ the aaions and writiag, of the Ro-
mans even when tl>ey were comparatively civilized, they have been reprefented as a commercial
people from the very co-.:m,encemcnt of their republic, by a writer or. commerce, who Us
ftrangely had the good fortune to be followed and quoted, as if he were an authentic hiftorian.

I

Tffi

FRiPAet:

pay fotoie attetttion to them. The Ipirit of commerce hftemardg
arofc in the Netherlands and fotoe of the cities of Germany; and,
. after making fome ftay in Portugal, has fettled in om- own fea-girt
country, I hope, never to depart. But the principles of commerce
were not at all known in this country till of late, as will appear
from innumerable fads and laws to be found in this work. An
accurate record of fuch fads and laws is eifentially ncceflary to the
enlightened merchant, the political economift, and the philofophic
legjflator, who may defire to form plans of commercial policy, ad-
vantageous to the nation at large, as well as to the individual merch-
ants and manufadlurers.

^Ks agriculture is the foundation, fo are manufadures and fifher-
i^s the pillars, and navigation the wings, of commerce. Agriculture
does not come within the plan of this work : and it may be fufficl-
ent to obferve, that nations merely agricultural, or agricultural and
paftoral, may indeed poflefs a fufficiency of food, and fome rude
kind of clothing ; but they mufl be indebted to their more indull
trious neighbours for manufaduring, and alfo bringing to them,
every article of comfort and enjoyment, the purchafc of which, by
bartering their corn and cattle for them, neceffarily produces the
firft rudiments of a paffive trade.

'Of We k(ariufal£!toes ©rtlie ahtients, if we' except the fingle ar-
ticle of filk, which was introduced in Greece in the fixth century,
we have very Icanty information. Of the important woolen manu-
fodure^ of the Netherlands, Catalonia, Italy, and afterwards of our
own country, and alfo of the trade in wool, I have endeavoured to
give a clear and true account, in order to furnifh an antidote to the
mifreprefentations of fome who have written upon that fubjedl
without regarding anthorities, as was, and is, cuftomary in writing
to ferve particular purpofes. The other principal articles of Britifli

PREFACB«

IX

manufadure have alfo been auended to, in proportion to their iin,
portance, or the means of obtaining information reibedinK their
progrefs. °

The irnportant bufineli of the filhery. that great fource of opu-
cnce and naval power, ia traced from the earlieft ages. Whether
the Arab.ans faltcd any of the fifl> they caught by the net hooks
&c. njenfoned in the Book of Job, we are not informed. L from
Herodotus the fiuher of Grecian hiftory. we know that 1, we"
cured w.th fait in Egypt about ,3^0 years before the Chrittian
«a; and we ftnd other notices of a trade in fait fift among feveral
of the ant.ent n«.ons. We alfo find that the trade in fait LrinK
and other fait fill, was an objefl of confiderable importance ilfirft
am ana the other weftem parts of Europe long before the a.= of
.he Flem.(h curer, Beukelens, who is generalfy fuppoftd totJe
.n^enuj the art of curing herrings. The many laws for the prom"
t.on of ,h.s great national objeft, and the progrefs of thfcSrf
branches of the f^ery. are carefully and authentLlly detatd.

fidraWe°ext"en?tr "TT "" ''""'^ ''^ '"""^^ '° "^ "n.

m:tit:r;he mr; rrnfZX™" '° -\ - '- -

progrefs of that mo.,a,uableart.frorheri;tuTe::^^^^^^^^^^^^
h.gh degree of perfeffion. in which it may be faid. almoft w^^hou
any ftretch of veracity, that the powers of t,,o humln mind" :„"
beyond the.r hm.ts, and give life to a machine compofed of timrer
and canvafs. And as wariike velTels are or it le,fl T ,
proteflors of commerce, I have noted mal of th '"

and revolutions of maritime warfare Z] I'l^^TZ":
clear explanation of the arrangement of the tires nf I '

^aliiesof theantients. that pL.in, dlirnf i^T^X":^

PREFACS.

pi

antient hlftory, for which I with pleafure acknowlege myfelf in-
debted to my worthy and refpedable friend General Melville.

The progrefs of the fciences of aftronomy and geography, which
are the very eyes of navigation, and without which no diftant voy-
age can be perfbnned, is well worthy of being noted : and arithmetic,
book-keeping, geometry, and the mechanic arts, alfo merit our
attention. In fuch a work as this there ought to be at lead fomc
brief remembrance of thofe friends of mankind, whofe ingenuity,
fludy, or patriotic exertions, have added to the comfort and happi-
nefs of life, have procured for their country valuable branches of
trade, have abridged the labour and expense of manufactures and
carriage, or have lefTened the dangers of navigation. The fuperior
importance of commerce and the peaceful arts is now known all-over
Europe ; men begin to be efteemed rather for utility than for un-
meaning names or titles ; and we may hope that the time is not
very diftant, in which the names of Arkwright, Wedgwood, Brind-
ley, Harrifon, and other friends of mankind, will ftand higher in
the temple of Fame than thofe of Alexander, Csefar, Zingis-khan,
Timour, and other fuch deftroyers, who have hitherto cngroffed the
admiration of the world.* Not very long ago thofe who were con-
fidered as the firft people in the community would have been afliamed
to be fuppofcd to know any thing of commerce or manufaclures. But
we now fee men of fortune and title atSlively concerned in com-

* ' Mira human! hi-i-enii pefte, fanguinem ct cides condere annalibus juv.it, ut fcelera hominum
« nofcantur mundi ipfius ignaiis.' [P/m. Mijl. nal. L. ii, c. 9.] But this perverfion of rcafon was
not confined to tlie Romans, whofe trade was war : the hiftori&ns or chroniclers of Venice, Ge-
noa, and Pifa, communities profclTcdly commercial, have been carried away with the current of
applaufe bellowed upon military athievements, and have expatiated upon them, while they have
almoft entirely negle6kcd the more valuable hillory of the commerce, by which their fmall dates
were exalted during fome ages to a proud pre-eminence over the empires and kingdoms of Eu-
rope. 5

PREFACE.

ii

merce, mines, coal-works, falc-works, Ume-works. canals, and vari-
ous branches of manufadural induftry, as well as in agriculture.

As I wifhed to write an ufeful, rather than a large, book. 1 have
been careful not to load and obfcure the pages with the verbofity
and peculiarity of language, which are thought necefTary in ads of
parliament, treaties, and other public papers. But I have given a
concife abridgement of fuch of them as are connedcd with com-
merce, which in moft cafes will be fufficient ; and where it is not,
recourfe can be had to the originals.

All the official accounts are arranged in the perfpicuous and com-
prehenfive form of tables. Thofe of the impoits and exports are
conftruaed fo as to fliow the whole trade with each country by
adding the amount of England and Scotland. And, in order to
avoid large folding tables and an uneceffary multitude of figures, I
have left it to the reader to make the additions when neceffary, and
alfo to ftrike the balance of trade with any particular country.

I have been fparing of remarks, and have advanced no dogmatic
opinions, nor any theories whatfoever. My readers will in general
be more capable than myfelf of perceiving the caufes and confe-
quences of events and laws : and with the recital of thefe only the
book is fufficiently voluminous.

In order to preferve the narrative from being interrupted by ar-
gumentative or difputable matter, I have thrown all critical difquili-
tions, and alfo many illuftrations and proofs, into the notes. Thefe
fome readers may chufe to overlook, while others will think them
the moft valuable part of the work : and I i.m ready to acknowlege,
that fome of them have coft me more labour in refearch than many
pages of the text. But, if they fhall be inftrumental in correding

b2

xii

PREFACE.

mifreprefentation, cftablifhing troth, and banifhing at ieaft fomc
falfchoods from the page of hiftory, I ih.All not think my labour ill
beflowed.

1

f!

The chronology of the fovercJgns of Europe, ananged in one table
in the Appendix, inftead of the tables given by Mr. Anderfon for
every century, fliows what princes vrcec contemporaries ; and it will
fometimes be found ufeful in fettling the dates of events recorded
as having taken place in fuch a year of a king's reiga.

The chronological table of the alterations of money in England,
and Scotland, and the chronological table of prices, will be found ex-
ceedingly ufeful to thofe who may have occafion to appretiate the
real value of money at any particular time, which may be done with
tolerable exadnefs by calculating, from the inf' edion of the two
tables, the quantity of filver any article was fold for at the time re-
quired.

^i

The commercial and manufadural gazetteer, if it could be made
more complete, would prefent a pleafmg pidure of the induilry of
the whole united kingdom. Imperfea as it muft ncceflarily be,
from the narrow bounds alTigned to it, but Hill more from the im-
pofTibility of obtaining fufficient and fatisfadory information upon
fubjeds, which the generality of writers, even the mod minute top-
ographers fcarcely excepted, .think either unworthy of their notice
or not within the fphere of their obfervation, ic is much better than
none : and it may perhaps ftimulate fome pcrfon duely qualified to
appropriate a larger work to a fubjecl i'o important and interelling.
Such accounts, drawn up at intervals of about half a century, would
ihow the migrations of trade and manufactures, the rife of induf-
trious towns, the decline of others not poflelTing fufficient accommod-
ation of harbours, inland navigation, fuel, milWlreams, &c. and the

PREFACE,

XlU

fiuauations to which all fublunary things are liable. Many fuch
changes appear in companng this brief ikctch with the few fimilar
notices of earlier times to be found difperfed in other works, parti-
culary in Dodncy's Preceptor, pubUflied in the year 1748, and fonie
topographical notices m Mr. Andcrfon^- work.

As a large book is little better than a chaos, or mine, of material,
without the help of a copious Index, I have endeavoured to make
that wh,ch IS fubjoined to this work as comprehenfive. and at the
fame time as concife, as poffible : and I have followed Mr. Anderfon's
plan in giving the date of every article.

The au,I,e„„c.ty of antiem hiftory rcfts «tircly „po„ the evid.

ZolTr""""; "I'"" 0"ly be eftablifted, to the fatisfa^
fon of a j«d,c,ous reader, hy referring to the original author.. This
I have conftantly done: and I have not loaded the work ^ith u„!
..ecefl-ary quotations from their followers , for a thoufand follower,
of an ongmal author add nothing to the value of his evidence, though
an ftentafous ddpla, of their names nuy give a writer a great re.
putauon for erudmon m the opinion of many reader. : but I w.ft
for no falfe reput.t on of that or any other kinl I W no .how
ever, been negledful of the works of later and modern hi orZ
and commentator., but have carefully confulted them, in rd ^
ob,amthe.r judgement upon doubtful points, or to avoid the omif!
fion of any thmg important which might have efcaped myfclf fo r
no writer ought to be lb confident of his own refiarch or t lenL a
to neglea the help of others.

As the difcovery of truth is the greateft pleafure attending hifto-
ncal refearch. 1 have not fcrupled to differ from men of .

eftablilhed reputation, when compelled to do fo bvTh^ /":;' "
i.dilpen.b.e duty of an hiflortai. and by'^tht 'l^'tTtZ^,

xlv

PREFACE.

antient authorities which they ought not to have negleaed. or gone
in defiance ot, though in Co doing I may incur the cenfure of fuper-
ficial critics. Whore I differ from modern writers, I have fcarcely
ever thought it neceffary to produce their names or their arguments
or even to obferve that there is fuch a difference ; for this is not a
work of controverfy. It is fufficient that J produce unqueftionablc
authority : it neccffarily follows, that whoever contradids that runs
into error.

The hiftory of the Britifli commerce during the laiddle ages refts
m a great meafure on the authority of public records, partly print-
ed, and partly manufcripts, the later of which. I confulted in the
great national Ubrary in the Britilh Mufeum. and, on fome occafions,
in the Tower.

The modern part of the work, though containing fewer quot-
ations than the other parts, is ftill more affuredly authentic, being
founded upon the ads and records of parliament, official accounts,
and other fuch unqueflionable documents. But in a work, for
which no materials can be fupplied from the fancy or judgement
nor even from the unaided induftry, of the author, and in the fcarch
for which even money, which commands almoft all things, is of no
avail, it is proper to inform the reader how I have obtained docu-
ments, which have generally been withheld from preceding writers:
and in fo doing, I at the fame time gratify my feelings, by acknow-
legmg my obligations to the great and worthy churaders. who
have enabled me to render my work more worthy of the approbation
and confidence of the public, and peri.aps of fuccecding ngcs than
It could othcrwife have been.—For the materials extraded from the
manufcript records of pariiament I am indebted to the /avo.-.r of Mr
Addington (now Vifcount Sidmouth), who was pleafcd to fay, that
he «onfidered my work as an objed of public utility, and entitled

PREFACE.

X?

to public fupport and encouragement ; and alfo to Sir John Mitford
(now Lord Redefdale), who repeated the order for my admiffion to
the office for the journals and papers, where, during my refearches
I met with every accommodation and attention from the poUtenefs'
of Mr. Benfou and Mr. Whirtam. For fuch of the cuftom-houfe ac
counts as I had not previoufly obtained, I have to acknowlegc the
kmdncfs of Mr. Vanfittart, the fecretary of the Treafury who be-
fides fome important com.nunications, favoured me with a proner
introdudion to the cuftom-houfe, where I drew from the fountain-
head the moft authentic and important accounts of the commerce,
fhippnig, and commercial revenue, of the Britifli empire : and I am'
much indebted to the polite attention of Mr. Irving, Mr. Glover
and, mdeed, of every other gentleman to whom my numerous in-
quine* led me to apply.-The accounts of the coinage arc derived
from thofe made up for parliament by the proper officers of the
Mmt, and the later part from perfonal inquiry.— Mr. Chalmers, in
whofe keeping the books and papers of the late Board of trade are,
was fo kind as to give me unreftrained accefs to them for the benefit
of this work.— Lord Auckland and Lord Charles Spencer the pod-
mafters-general, were fo good as to grant me accefs to fuch accounts
of their office as might be illuftrative of the commerce of the coun-
try : and Mr. Church, in whofe department thofe accounts are. moft
obligingly gave me every information and accommodation.— The di-
reaors of the Eaft-India company liberally permitted me to obtain
frcra their offices fuch articles of information as were proper to be
made public in a work entirely devoted to the purpofc of conveying
commercial information: and Mr. Wiflett, the chief clerk to the
Committee of warehoufes, whofe office contains the greateft part of
the accounts ufeful for my work, gave the moft obliging attention
to my inquiries.— The accounts illuftrative of the .^iffairs of the Bank
of England are chiefly taken from the official papers prepared for
the mfpedion of parliament—Much ufeful matter has been procur-

rvi

PRfFACfi.

|!i

I l!i

cd froir offices in various parts of the Britifli empire by the applic-
ations of friends, and by my own correfpondence. And much has
been obtained from the communications of refpedable merchants
and other gentlemen unconneded with office, by perfonal applic-
ation and by correfpondence with various parts of Great Britain
-md foreign countries. Of the friends who thus contributed their
affiftance, there are fome who do not chufe that their names fhould
be made public, and others whofe favours have been acknowleged
Jn notes in the proper places : but the perfevering kindneis and at-
tention of my worthy friend, Mr. Ellis, lace member of parliament
for Seaford, and well known in the literary world by his Specimens
of the early Englifh poets, which I could not acknowlege upra any
c»e occafion, particularly dcferve jny warm and lafting gratitude.
And my acknowlegemerts are due to my good friends, Meffieurs
George and William Nicol, bookfellers to his Majefty, for procuring
me ptrmiffion to confult fome of the books of the royal library, not
elfewhere attainable, and for many other kind attentions to mc and
my work.

11

I have now laid before the reader a brief account of the nature
and plan of a work, to which I have devoted the affiduous labours
of a confxderable portion of my life. The accounts and fads con-
tained in it prefent to the philofophical and fpeculative politician
the fureft bafis for calculations in political arithmetic, and the furefl
precedents for commercial arrangements : and, as they are given
merely in their due order, whether they may be found favourable
or unfavourable to any particular doftrines or opinions upon na-
tional or commercial policy, they can never miQead. And here I
may be permitted to obferve, that, though I poiTeffed the greateft
elegance of ftile, to which I make no pretenfion, the nature of the
work prefcnts but few opportunities, of which our moft brilliant
writers could avail themfelves to difplay the captivating graces of

f DEFACE.

Jfvii

^:i"7cff"' I' ?^" '''''''' P" proper words in proper
p ace3. Heck for no further embellil>>ments. content with the huL
ble praife, if it Ihall be allowed me of h„ • • .

«. A . iKurui architect may, with comparative eafe

erea a Very mapn ficent edifir^ T-k , i u , 'l^'^^^^ve eale,

ed in colIeri;n„ 7 '^''"'' ''"'-'^ attention beftow-

ed in coUecling and arranging thef-e materials may perhaps iuHifv
me in hoping that they may be referred to and cUdt t ' ^

incrcnant, the pinlofopher, or the leo-ifl . -■ «rU^ „ r

iLLi as 1 wilheu, I am verv r/-.r1,r ^^ „ i i *^

n,..n 1 , ^ ^ ^° acknowlege. BUt, if no man

ihall undertake any work rill 1,„ • /• //z/ , • "

derin^ ir n.rf A T' "^"^"^^J' °^^'''^^« ^^^ "^^^^^s of ren-

der ng It perfea. very few indeed will be undertaken Snrh
18, I now fubmit it. with a refnedtfnl f r : , ,' ^^^^ ^^ it

the impartial Public. "^ "' '^'"^'"^^' ^" ^^^ ^^^^our of

It mny p Hmps not be impro|)cr, itt -rder to ohvi.f,. n„, •
P-sibl^ p.ocre I f.o„. an erroneous .ay.n^^^^T' ;~'''P"«"' ^^''''^'' ""^tt
ckviare that r have had no „^-in,e or 0^^,". T '^'"" "' " "'"«-"""' ^«

son ma^y be .ousider... as such. It J " .dm, ? "''' ""''^ *''^" '"'^ *'^- ^'"Jer.

work, wh.eh has co., .ne the I bo ^of "r'.'rT "T"""' ^'^•"•^^*^"""' *"»* «
«.-, should, in .ome de,r., ,. .ll^C:^^:^ " ^ "'^1'"^^ "'' '^"^'"'""^
Teiacity. "^ -^"'^^ ^*<^ such a wide aberratiou froa

fi

hi

CORRECTIONS.

IN THE FIRST VOLUME.

f- SI i- S3 fir Olauco . rml Ohucui
7* I. 13/ir jreart rM^aget

8; On examiniiiK the Artmriui of Archimcdct, I
am inclined to believe, with Otflendi, that
Plutarch iacnTncout,and that AriAarchut wai
the philofopher who knew the troe f/llem
of the univerfe. Therefor

fir Cleanthe* ttaJ Ariftarchiu

tnjfir Arillarchus rttJ CIcanthea

111 note $/>r plenty . rwrf plentiful
137 I- 9- /»>- IreluHl . riW laaLAMD
JjSnote'/or plentjr . rM^ common

ai* L %1 fir u » reai \t

1J7 note, L 7 tfttr fee above p. aid 159
*97 I- *3 fir nuinbcra rud number

318 at the end of note f aiA and indeed we know that
it wai navinble, under the name of the Pofi, at
leail aa earl|r aa the reign of Edward the Coa-
feflor. See above p. 196

I.V THE (ECUNO VOLUME.

340 1. 7 /"• i»7»

ritJ It Jt

368L tj/«r Cm'i

rtaJOtJ't

436 note* I. \ofir Uni

riadUn

438 1. \%ftr up

rM^ua

484 is emmer ifljr numbered

397 1. 4- /••• i 30

ruJZo

601 I. a8/«r f'lOtha

rud cloth

634 1- Hf»' uufml
M7 headline /»r 1C7J

riad cafual

ritd 1471

p. 10 I. a J yir 147*

33 no-M, col. a/«r plenty
SS I- 13 /•' «3i»
387 I. I fir gum, fenegal,
485 I. Il/f<- navigate
488 I. 10 fir night'a
71 J I. a4y»r reduce
719 luxe t coL *fir a7i

md 1496
mrnf plencifid
rttul ija»

mdftm feoegal,

fM' navigated

rtad knightV

rM^reditead

IN THE TlliaO VOLUME.

P'J3l-a4>r I7»7
100 headline yir 1714
334 I. ti fir Ballakm
307 1. I fir eight
311 I. 33 kfiri Prcvifions
3iahcidlioe/(w i';3>'
314 note I. ifi ever
333 and 34t ai« vnong nianb^rcd
344 1- 4/"- genenillr
391 note * L 9 ii/iiri found
313 I. iafttr century
338 !• 13 /•<- two fiftht
678 1. 3 fir pleotler

\*

m>fd ijiq

mJEitdlararr
rtad fevcn
«/"■' «739—
rtadijsf
ritd even

««rffVelltalMly^'-

rtad is

h/trl to the year 1760

rtad three fiftha .

^(«f more p'<atiful

I>f THE FOURTH VOLUME, APP*-N' 1**^5

In the account of the town of Chcpftow,>r BritiiO
n«< BrUI«l Chaaael V r,

sutc

Some types hare fallen out of their placet to piiotiag off the (hecti; but it ia Dot UKtItuy to OAtice Aick mi*'
te errata, j ^

■I •!

I, i^'Ci

THE FIRST VOLUME CONTAINS

(PART I)

«

The Comnwircial Transactions of the Antient Nations, and after-
wards more particularly of the British Kingdoms, their Manufactures,
Fisheries, Navigations, Arts, &c. from the earliest Accounts to the
Discovery of America by Christopher Colon in the year 1492; com-
posed from the most authentic Original Historians, and Parliamen-
tary and other Public Records, published and in manuscript.

I?

Mi

^

ANNALS

OF

COMMERCE.

_40M MERGE exchanees what we h... r

m whatever part of the wo Jit L;^^^ ^^'i^ ^r w^,, ^^ warn,

iabonrers. manuf.dhirers, feamen ^and n k'". '"'^^« ^g"^"J^««
mduftrious people, to live comfort«hh; 4^°'^' "''"^ defcription of
own acquifition's. The L ^Hon t^h cf ifir^^^'"' "P^'^ ^^-
brings on a divifion of labour. whe;ebv tv -f '5 ™'»""^«'^"res.
perfe(aion. not otherways attainable ?/h\ f^'"^^ ^^ « 'degree of
article comparatively eafyrth^indii^ 'I' Purchafe of every

rand hands. di'^Wd over the furf?ce oXh^ r
providing food, lodging clo hint nnH !^ ^'°^^' ^^-^ employed in

enjoyments. Witho\ittmm ^.^f Ct tS^^^^^' ^°"^^°«'> -"
hemfelves, and > tbmfches only :lZt^^^J^f,}^^^^^^^
houfes. or rather huts, m ke thd own f^^W '^u ^"^^^ '^«^ ^^n
und every article, they ftand K need of w'* '^"''u°^ ^J°^^^«.
I us moft abjed ilate of favage life !xift t. i .^^''"'rtched nations in
the world hitherto fcarcely ever vifit'd h '•' '^'^ '^"^"' ^^ P^^^ of

clcftuu^e of commerce fup^erlor talents a r/ TJ}^^^'': In a country
would toil in vain : a redundance n7? a °^ "''^ "'■•^^^' ^"^ induftry
death. But wherever coZerceex^rd^sl. " f^^> ^ deficiency i^
country, which is acceffiblerfsTn ^Zl "l'^'^"^ ^fluence, every

ipea to the fupply of provffioL -th necXlf th' '" V^^'^^ ^^^ ^-
elegancies, of life. * neceiiaries, the comforts, and the

J.rccled people ,o omploy thei'r SXv ^n 'I'.'!''^"™' <»"«. "^ talents,
'loubtedl, te „e„H, cle^., ^l^hrhet^r SrCff ^7 ^C"

A

r » ]

age and agriculture were the only employments of the firfl men, fo cat-
tle and flocks, and the fruits of the earth, were the only objects of the
firfl commerce, or, iiiore properly Ipeaking, of that fpecics of it known
by the name of barter. The invention of manufadures enabled the
more ingenious and induftrious members of the community to add to
their own comfort and convenience ; and alfo, by difpofing of the pro-
dudions of their labour and ingenuity, to acquire an addition to the
produce of their own fields, or their own flocks, which rendered them
comparatively rich. We are not fufficicntly informed of the flate of
mankind in the earliefl ages to know, whether theyte were any, who be-
llowed their whole time and attention upon manufadures, or, in other
words, followed trades or profeflions ; whether their exchanges were
extended beyond the near neighbourhood of the adual producers, and
coududed by a clafs of people devoting their attention to fuch bufinefs,
whom we call merchants ; or whether any univerfal llandard or me-
dium, which we call money, was then invented.

We find, however, in the very brief hiftory, which we have, of the
ages preceding the flood, a few fhort notices, which infer, that fome
progrefs had been made in manufadures daring that period. The
building of a city, or village, by Cain, however mean the houfes may
have been, fuppofes the exiflence of fome mechanic knowlege. The
mufical inllruments, as harps and organs, the works in brafs and in
iron (the mofl difficult of all metals in the application of it to the fer-
vice of mankind) made by the following generations *, fhew, that the
arts were confiderably p.dvanced r but above all the conflrudion of
Noah's ark, a fhip of three decks, covered all-over with pitch, and vafl-
\y larger than any modern effort of naval architedure, proves, that
many feparate trades were then carried on ; for it can by no means be
iuppofed, that Noah and his three fons could colled and prepare the vaft
quantity and variety of materials, and alfo tools, necefEiry for carrying
on fo ftupendous u fabric, had there not been people, who made a trade
of fupplying them in exchange for commodities, or perhaps for money.
The enormous pile of building, called the Tower of Babel, was con-
llruded of bricks, the procefs of making which appears to 'ave been
very well undtrflood f .

Some learned aflronomers are perfuaded that the celeftial obfervations
of the Chinefe reach back to 2249 years before the commencement of
the Chriltian aera :j:. And the celellial obfervations made at Babylon,

• Naumali, thefiftfrof Tubal.cai», ia f»id by Ing that perhaps-imaginary princefs, or gocWtfs.

fome autliors to huve inventtd, or |irRair<.d, wooU [iScc I.uiitcnaril lyUjord's D'^erlalion on Semiramit,

i;ardiiij.-, Ipiniilnj^r, weaving, &c. bu., i believe, from the Hindu facrcd books, in the /tjialk re-

withoul aoy lufikiuit authority. fearJiet, V. iv.]

t I fay iiothiirr ol' the wonderful buildings, \ The arguu.ents for an J againft the genuine-

fleets, and arniifo, aleiibcd to Semiramis, btcanfc nefs of theie obfeivations are given by M(.ntucht

il io i.ni)afiibl£ to know any thing eeuain concern, llijl. tk ,:u;l!:miUiqua, V, i,J>. 385.

C 3 ]

voyages ean be „„fcS ^7Jo^^'''7u,T ""'""J '^ ""
nations learned aftronomy from either of^i. Whether any ot thofe
-hich no man can prefum^ to d^ermlne ' °'^'"- " ' -l"'*™'

f..^::mfdfnff„n:^fl-:!-;,St:^^^^^^^

pofing i, ,0 have been the firft Sng lefferverT^ ' ' f'^' ^^"f
and on a fmaller fcale adapted to the n,!^„„r / ^ ", ">= """•W)
In procefs of time the poXrky of hi "SdS r ^ croffing deep rivers,
felvesin • the ifles of the g3i„ . k ^'J?'' <"" J^'Phet fettled them-
iflands at threaft end of the Medit^r ^ ^'^ ';^' muft underftand the
Afia-minor and Gra:"' wWeS^S^ fp^^ad t o'cre "77"
and Other -.veftern lands +. iGe«f/!s c iaTTTo.^J^^''^^^^''^y^
of vcjages performed ujin the ff ' '^ ^^'' '' '^' "^^ «^^°""t

SiDON, which afterwards became fo iUuftridus for thi^^i^A^^ t
cantile exertions of its inhabitant.^ tvac f^ !. j I wondferful mar--
fore the Chriftian * a Sed i ' ?! '^'^'''°"' '''°° ^'^^'"^ be..
fined on ond Hie b^1ke iTa^d on rh. T 'f "^^^ ^^^^''y' <=on-
tains called Lebanon thev haS rh^ f ^ " ^^ '^' ''"^g^ «^ "^""n-
mhofpitable bonndTrle:'.^h^e tUtdofe^::^^^^^^^^^^

excellent cedars. S f^nifh thl^^Zr^S''""! covered with
^imber and plan.,, the, builfgr^^ n^L'^^JtZlt^^^a":^

Ep'ge'K^. Bcroftw, and CiftoJcmus, as q.mt-

ow half fo much a.t.q.my ,„ ,|,e Babylonian ob-
Knat..>n,. B„,, fupnofing ,h< numbers i,, ail to
be cqimlly ge,„M.,f. tl.. .uthoiity of Ariflotle i.
vaftly fiipenor to all theirn. '

. potcr.,y of Noab, if he ha/no childr;n'^aft;r
tbc deluge. (lu,uW at this time fcarcdv have
.•.mounted to ^co perfon,. But if we fnppofe a fo!
cu-ty of people exempted f.o.n the rriany cWs put
upon matnmony m n.odern times, and enjoying the

full v.gonr of J.fe for at lenll a mitury. we ftall
fee rea on to believe, that in about 200 yTar, the
poftenty o ,hr.o couples might have gS ex-
ceeded a tndhon of people. grcaiiy ex.

J That the r.ips of this county were bnilt of
cedarn, after age, al o. appears f,^, PH,,, K
rml. /, XV,, .40] who fays, tl.at it was ufe.l ty
7"'"/>'. "/ «hich the Roma,,,, f,.„n r,3 , t '

fh.p.,^f hough, ,n the filme chapter, he r na.U
A2

If

'- !

4 Before Chrift 2200*— 1859.

ppftducfe of the adjacent country, and the various articles produced by
ihe labours of their own ingenious and indviftrious people, whoexcelled
in the man^fadhires of fine linen, embroidery, tapeftry, raetals, glafs,
whereof they appear to have had almoft as many varieties as our mo-
dern manufadurers furnifh, fuch as coloured, figured by blowing, turn-
ed round by the lar^ and cut or carved, and even mirrors. In Ihorr,
they were unrivalled, at leaft by the inhabitants of the Meditd-raneaii
coalls, m works of tafte, elegance, and luxury. Their great and uni-
verfally-acknowleged pre-eminence procured to the Pho;nicians, whole
capital port was Sidon, the honour of being efteemcd by the Greeks and
others the inventors of commerce, {hip-building, navigation, the appli-
cation of aftronomy to nautical purpoles, and particularly the difcovery
of feveral ftars nearer to the north pole than any that Were known to
the other nations, naval war, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, mea-
fures and weights ; to all which it is very probable that they might
have added moiiey *. Some of thefe fciences however, particularly af-
tronomy and arithmetic, may be prefumed to have been received by
the Phoenicians from the Babylonians or Indians.

An obfervation of an eclipfe, which happened 2155 years before the
Chriftian aera, is fuppofed by feme to be the moft antient of the Chi-
nefe obfervations, which can be received as authentic : but others credit
them for celeftial obfervations three centuries earlier, as already obferv-
ed. [Montiwky Hiji. de mathetnatiqaes, K i. pp,S9, S^^l^kuRn -iejua.i
2000 — It was probably about this time that the Titans made them-
fclves matters of Greece and other parts of Europe. Their hiftory is
overwhelmed with fable : and they are noticed here merely as an early
inftance of a number of people, fufficient to overrun, and even to fub-
due and occupy a great extent of thinly-inhabited country, being tranf-
ported by water ; and as a proof, that the navigation of thofe remote
ages was not quite fo defpicable, as fome ^utliors endeavour to. make us
believe f .

^920— Egypt appears to have furpafled all the neighbouring coun-
tries in agriculture, and particularly to have excelled in ks plentiful
crops of corn. The fame of its fuperior fertility induced Abraham to
remove with his very numerous family into Egypt during a famine,
which afflided the land of Canaan, then the place of his refidence.
[Genejis, c. 12.]

1859 — '^he earlieft particular accounts of bargain and fale, which are
recorded, reach no higher than the time of Abraham. In the accounts

• S«e Gtne/it, c. lo.—Honurl II. L, nviii, -u. f The antient authors, who mention thein,

M95 Z,. xxiii, ». 743 ; Odxf L- ^1, n. 115. — bring thcra from countries bqond the fca ; and

Herodot. L. i, t. I. — MeL, L. t. <. 6. — Straio, they extend their conqutfts, ot colonita, to Italy,

L. xvi,/. 1097, ed. lycj.—Plmi Hi/l. net. L. v, Spain, Africa, Sec.
'-. 19 ; /.. Kxxvi, c. j6.

ili i

pBcfore CJirift i%9.' i')fl

bo called an ackrowlegementm^ade^rAbim!.^^ "^^ P^'-^f '^'^^r
try. for having dug a welUn hfsTeS^^t^.^ I ' '" ^'^'^ '^^ *^""-

of Aeep and oxen. [OenJJs Taj\ Bur th/' ""> ^' ."^'•" ^"l""^'^'
purchafe of a field or niece Af b«i • "^''^ '' ^ ^^''" ''"^ ^bfolute

Lny cira^i^J::S'i:^::;^:^^of wMch we have

of burying his deccafed wife in ground wichZnlH^K'"'' ^'^'''''''
perty; applied to the neonle nf th^ r ?^"*^ ^^- ^'* own pro-

U. the proprietor o/thefi^^^^ ^ inT"'?- ^°' '\''r' ''""'^''^ ^'"^ Eph-
in the heLingof thfpwplt po k^^^^^ ^'^^'^f ^^"- ^P*^*^^"'

of ground, and defircHf KoiSnv ^t^^^ *^*''^^" P'^^«

Abraham, bowing refpedfiuv To aU th'^ 1 T^^f^r °^ '^^ donmotx.
defired to purchafe k « Sr nrt ' ? f*'"' '^''^!-""'^ ^^^ S'^' but
«ompUmen». the value was ffxedTt « ^on^'h^'?' .'^'^' ^^"^« ^^'"^^^

ed (not counted) and S m kI; ^^T' """' immediately weight

Ma^chpda. witl L'^^te^f ^fc i„-^^^^^^^

^vas warranted to Abraham^ the nr^^rl 1^ ^.[^^ belonging, to it.

whole tranfadion appearsTo wL^' . ! ""I f .^'^ people. The

and politeneft on Z^^t Ig^3^s 7"^:?'%^'' ^reat candour

regulartransferofJandedBronertv^r:/" f^ J^''''^"*'^^ ^^^ "-he

of the earth to hmie Cn ^r W^ fw ff'^^- 1" ^^"^'^"^ Produaims

fie. We have Sn tow^jr ^ kT "^^"^^^ «* eftabliihed traf-

ed fields were P^^tyiS the'^^^^^^^ PJ*«t-

world was the unappropHaTed Baft^tJ^^^ «^ *he whole

with their armies ZSreaarSS^a„r""^f'^^' patriarchs, who.

of cattle, ranged wite^^^r^l^^^^Sf ^^.^^^^^^^^^ herds

paftoral tribes of the Scvthiai^ .aml^AJl , ^^'^ pafture., a, the

Abraham, who fed Ws Ss a^ *«i Arabtana ' ime done in. all ages.

Euphrates, and at anotht on'Sofe of th^ N^le'Tud? t' '^"u'^ "^ ^^^
' Let us feparate in order to prevL° ft4 Imnnf ^^'f ""/^"^ ^°^^
' you chufe to eo to the lefr I «;h I ^^°P^ "^^^ berdlmen. If

who were mod inteffi Tn the S,, '' ?? Seneralconient of.thofe

<^n..d, o. „e.».. i„-.i: :?^s;r?rj:ca:;^.-^r ^h

Ilnn 1 ""^ ''f '"""'T *»« fixed by ufajre

conttiiuted a nuinfrous and rcfpeftable claft of ti.e
I'on, of ti.e B.bk, om>t the word merchant, and

only fay^ that the money wai generally or ouMV
ly eurmtt. or appr«w«l : buc 2, th. „VJji,^1 Sf.'
brew the word.. a» lkeraU^tn.nU«e4 for «, £^
J«rt.ed orientalift. ,;y„ify_^^^,~ !^«^«

dern Logl.lh tranflation .•,«„e of U,e t^ft

Before Chrift, about 1800.

'iu|

cattle and flavcs, conftituted the principal wealth of individuals. Abra-f
ham had ' flocks and herds, and fuver and gold, and men-fervants and
* raaid-fer-vants *, and camels and afles,' Abim'"lech gave to Abraham
a thoufand pieces of filver, befides cattle and flaves.

Mariufadures were by this time fo far advanced, that not only thofe
more immediately conneded with agriculture and pafturage, fuch as
flour ground from corn, wine, oil, and butter, and alfo the moft necef-
lary articles of clothing and furniture, but even thofe of luxury and
magnificence, were ufual ; as we learn by the ear-rings and bracelets,
jewels of gold, jewels of filver, and other pretious things, prefenred by
Abraham's (leward to Rebekah, the intended bride of his young maf-
ter, and to her relations. [Gcnejis, cc. 9, 13, 18, 19, 20, 24:3

About this time Inachus, called by the Grecian poets of after ages
the fon of the Ocean, but probably a Phoenician f, arrived in Greece,
and founded the kingdom of Argos in the peninfula afterwards called
Pcloponefus, and now the Morea. His daughter lo, while ftie was pur-
chaling fome goods from a Phoenician vellel, which had been five or
fix days trading in Egyptian and Aflyrian merchandise at Argos, then
the moft flourifliing city of Greece, was, together with fome other young
women her attendants, feized by the crew, and carried to Egypt. {^He-
rode. L. i, c. I.]

It ib the opinion of feveral learned commentators, that the converfa-
tions in the book of Job are tranfkted from a work compofed by Job
himlelf, that his refidence was in Arabia, and that he was contemporary
with the fons o*^" Abraham. That book throws a great deal of light up-
on the comraei e, manufadures, and fcience, of the age and country
wherein he livt Gold, iron, brafs, lead, chryftal, jewels, and other
luxuries, togetli r with the art of weaving, are mentioned in cc. 7, 19,
28, 42; merchants inc. 41 ; gold brought from Ophir (wherever that
place was) which infers commerce with a country apparently re-
mote, and topazes from Ethiopia, c. 38 ; ihip-building, and that
fo fur improved, that ibme veffels were conftruded fo as to be particu-
larly diftinguifned for the velocity of their motion t, f . 9 ; writing in

r. t.] Jofopluis, who coiifiiltcil many good an-
thoi-6, now loll, fays that in far)y tiirhfs, ilie Phtr-
iiiciai* were tlie iiavi;rator8 wiio conveyt-tl the full:
kiiowleee of the Ejiyptians and ruher naiioiu
to the Gitekii. [Crwra ^fpiiiim,. /,. r.J

i The conimeiitatori» arc fat frtun agreeing up.
on the mcaniiii; of the woids, tranflatcd ' Iwn't
« (hips,' in the Kngfilh BiMi'. Jeiom Iran(latt)
them ' naves poina portantcs,' (hips cnrryinjr ap-
ples. The inyriuion of rafts, the very firil riiili;
elFay In navigation, was afcrilid to Erythraa, a
(perhaps imagiiiarj) king of fome parf of the
coaft of the Pcrhan guif. [Siiiilo, L. xvi, /.
lljy — re.i. IhJ}. nnt. L. vil, t. 56.]

* Thefe were no^ f.Tvants in the modern ac-
ceptation of the word, but (laves, In'spioperty, and
bought with liis money. S...- GciiejL; c. 17'.

f There can be Ktlle realon to douhr, that tire
name of Inuchus (lir«j;-«) U the fame word wit]i
linal! or Wm/i, a PliaMiiti.iB title of (h'gnitv. Hie
learned Boch.ot items v\ii!i yvoA leaf.m to think,
that the genuine name of thj Phcrnieians wai Uen
Jntil, (the fons of Anak) of whicli t lie Greek
word <I>«('mk ij n a coirnpted contrai'lion. We learn
from Plautna [y^^wj/ „(7. 5,/-. 2] that the Car-
thaginians, a Phoenician colony, cdled their cify
Cbtuhf-Anah, the relidence of the Anuks. \V.um.
Itrhmi't SoHceitiitlhotp.i'^l. — Botl»ari, Chu:

^i'.ii

Before Chrift 1 73 9-*-! ^28.

a book *, and engraving letters, or writing on phtes of lead, and on
ftone, with iron pens, and alfo feal-sngraving, re. 19,31,38; fifliing
with^hooks, and nets, and fpearsf, a 41 ; mulkal inftruments, parti-
cularly the harp and organ, c. 7,0 ; aftronomy, and names given to the
conftellations ; which proves that they muft have made great profi-
ciency m arithmetic and geometry, the invention oi which (long after
this time) IS afcribed to Myrisking of Egypt t cc. 9, 38. Thefe various
important notices prove, that, though the patriarchal fyftem of making
palturage the prmcipal objeft of attention was (till kept up by many of
the chiefe of the country §, where the author of the book of Job lived
the fciences were affiduoufly cultivated, the ufeful and ornamental arts'
were in a very advanced ftate, and commerce was profecuted with vi-
gour and effed, at a time, when, if the chronology of Job be rightly
lettled the arts and fciences Were fcarcely lb far advanced in Egypt
.1 ""a!^ ] ' ''""^ '^^ ^'^^' countries bordering upon the eaftern part of
GWIf ^'"''"^'"' '^'^ ""^"^ afterwards flowly conveyed to

..JPJ^^^''^^' W^'^r^^^J^ of Abraham, bought a piece of ground

near Shalem m the land ot Canaan, for which he paid in hundrfd kel

tas^. He was invited by the people of the country to fettle among

them, and to trade, or negotiate with them. [Gaiefis, cc. 7 q q,. 1 ^

i728_The inhabitants of Arabia, whofe great advances 'in the arts

and Iciences have juit been noticed, appear to have availed themfelves

m very early times of their moft advantageous fituation betweTn the

wo fertile and opulent countries of Egypt and India, and to have got

he entire and unnva ed pofleUion of a very profitable carrying trade

between thofe countries. In tliis commerce navigation and land rar- "

nage were combined : and we find a rlafs of people, who gave the r

* Tiie Engliilj traiiiktiou Us < printid in a

t According to the E.iglifli tranflation, • witli
• barbed irons,' or liarpoonn.

t Tlie Greeks k«ri.cd ^^-oiii'try from the E-
gyptians, and ll:uctore gave them tlie credit of
the invtiilio.i. ti,e Slrab^, L. xvi, p. 1098.

j Bulk the invuMK.ries ui Job's tltatc cuumcratR
Ihctp, CHiniJo, oxi-n, and aifsB, tugcthcr v ith a very
jjivat lioufthold : hut there is not a word of horfcs
lor which Arabia has long been fa.uous, as com'
poling a part of hin property.

II .-1 very ref|)cclable author, to whofe extcn-
five refeaichcs lilllury, ;.,!,d particularly oriental
ullory has been |.rcatly Iiidciued, has inadvertent,
ly alcribed the fuptrior civihzation of the Arabians
to the octahonal vifits of Ihaciitc, Egvpiian,
Orcciau, and R .man, meiclMiits. If u,, the
icholars have greatly furualled all their mailers,
liut an intercinirlc, fufficlcnt to prcluce fuch an
eftctt, mull have toiuinenccd long betorc the book
3

of Jub was written, long before the Ifraclites be-
came a nation, veiy long befoie tlie Greeks were a.
civiluei. people, and many centuries indeed, bd'ore
the name of Roman was heard of.

Qniindoque bonus domiitat Homerus •
V cru.n opere i.i longo fas ell c-br.perere fomnJm.
f The tranflators of the Englilli Bible have ren-
dered ir/,ia ' pieces of money.' Others have
tranflated it by a word iignifying /a„ij. Accord-
ing to the learned Uochart, iHieroieouon, L. ii ^
43- J It miUl Jiave been a kind of money, fo called
as being genuine, or of a jull llandard finenefs,
/•r///<;hguitying/rwor^r.«u,nf; and he thinks it
liad no counedion whatever with lamb,. Some
uppole It a piece of money llamped with the
hguie of a lamb. If this opinion could be etU ■
bh.hed, It v^ould be the carhell uotire of coined
money in the world. But it is believed, that there
was no corned money among the Ifraclites tiU after
the exmiiUon of their monarchy.

:I^P'

« Before Chria 1728.

whole attention to merchandize as a regular and eftabliihed profeffionj
and travelled with caravans (as pradifed ia thofe countries to this day)
between Arabia and Egypt, carrying upon the backs of camels • the
fpicenes of India, together with the balm of Canaan, and the myrh pro-
duced m their own country, or perhaps imported of a fuperior quaUtr
irom the oppofite coaft of Abyflinia ; articles which were in great de-
mand among the Egyptians for embalming the deadf, in the religious
ceremonies, and for adminiftering to the pleafures, of that fuperftitious,
rich, and luxurious, people. The merchants of one of thofe caravans,
confifting of Ifhmaelites and Midianites if, being alfo dealers in flaves,
made a purchafe of Jofeph from his brothers for twenty pieces of filver,
or ^2 : 1 1 : 8 of modem fterling money §, and carried him with them
10 Egypt. IGenefis, c. 37.]

The extent of the Arabian commerce f in thefe ages further appears
from the fpices, which muft have been got diredly or circuitoufly from
Arabia, being joined with balm and other produdions of Canaan in the
prefent deftined by Jacob for Jofeph. \Genefis, c. 43.] The Ifraelites
during their peregrination in the wildernefs poflefled feveral oriental
fpices and aromatics in very confiderable quantities, which, whether

• The camel is wonderfully adapted by Nature
fot the tranfportation of mtrcliaiidize acrofs bar-
ren dcferts. Very little food is fufficient for him,
and his ftomach is fo formed that lie can take in a
fupply of water, wherever it can be got, fufficient
for the ufe of feveral days. He proceeds, under
the load of a thoufand pounds wejglit, with a flow,
but uniform, pace, wherein he pcrfcveres with un-
remitting patience to the tnd of a very long jour-
ney. '1 hefe qualities render the camel fo eminent,
lyufeful in Arabia, Africa, and other arid coun-
tries, that he is emphatically called the pip of the
dtfcrt.

+ Pure myrh, cafia, and other odoriferous fub-
i'.ancce, excepting frankincenfe, were ufcd in em-
bslminjr the tUau bodies of the rich in Egvpt.
iHeroikl. 1., ii, c. 86.]

t In a few ages afci.r this time we find the Mi-
dianites fo opulent, that tlie plunder of g»lj car-
rir)gs taken from them b)thc Ifraelites in one bat-
lie; weighed 1,700 flieke!b, bclidcs other orna-
ments and purple raiment, apparently frecn S.^liin :
and even their camels had thaiiibof jfold upen iheir
necks. {Jud^ts, c. 8.]

;i I thought it proper to give this fiill inllance
of the price of a (lave i;i nioJcrn money, (as cal-
culated in Arluihuot'i Tc.H.s of aiu'uiit coins, p.
204) to enable the reader to compare it with the
modern prices. We know of no priceb of provi-
lions equally antieiit, whereby we might eflimate
the real value of the price paid for Joleph.

f The intercourie betwc'cn Arabia and India in
very early ages may be queHioned, aj all the arti-
tles carried by the caiavan who bought Jofeph,

are faid by fome authon to have been the produce
of Arabia. Thofe authors, feeing fuch goods
brought from Arabia, naturally fuppofed that 'hey
wer<: produced there j and they neither knew nor
inquired concerning th<; eziftence of any country
beyond It. But it is known that fome of the fpi-
ceries could have been brought only from India,
with which the intercourfc fiom Arabia was very
cafy by means of the monroon»,the periodica! regu-
larity of which muft hav-c been obferved, and taken
advantage of, many a^es before the lime of Hippa-
liis, whom the Egyptian Greeks fuppofed the liill
difcoverer of them. It may alfo be obferved, as a
flrong prefumption that the Arabs traded to more
remote parts of India than the Perfians or Affyri-
aiis, or any other nation with whom the wetleni
parts of the world had interc irfc, that no fuch
ipicej had ever been feen in Jerulaiem ns thofe
which were pufentcd to Solomon by the queen oi
Sheba, [// Chroniclesy c. 9] who, if a naiive of
Sabxa in Arabia Felix, received them from her
own fubjedU ; or, if a native of the country now
(-.died Abyliinia (a'? the modern Abyffiniansidlcge)
mnil have proe'ured them from tiie merchants of
Muza (Mocha, or a place near it) in Aiabia, as
we leurii from the Peril/us rf the Er jthrtan fen .
[See alfo Sircitj, A.xvii, />. uzy] 'riicophrallus
i<, if J niillake not, the oldtlt author, who knew
that cinnamon and other fpices and aromatics were
the produce of India. See L. ix, .-. 7, and clfe-
where : and Strabo, who wrote feveral centuries
after hiin, had heard a report to the fame purport.
IL. 3i\ii,j>. 1129.]

mu

I

Before Chrift ijraS — 149!.

^.?^ t?^K' '^""i""' °/ Egypt, or procured them on their joumcr
fo^!n??^ ''? obtained from the fouthem Arabians, who imS
orcfuX" 'iLT/fo, ""''''' ^"' '^''' oth.„'ofthen; i^

apX^:;te1ournir;^^^^^ of ti.e, it

all times a very confiderable propTrtTorS't mSf^^rf. 'T^'^ •"'

whereby the whole monevj .J/! ? T"*! '^'^" ^'"^ o*^ *in>ine,
the king. The fc^Sry be,&'^,TtnTli ^h?"' '^ "■'■"■"'"' "^

1707— About this time we find inns eftahliflipH for ..J,^ *^'*c? %
tion of travelersin Fc/lm^ ,«,^ • u ^^^^,""'"^(1 tor the accommoda-

canliderable diftance f>om ^dr ow" ' ''^ '"^ """"'"^^ ^^ *

i689-_Jacob(orIfraeI)in his dyine benedit=tion to ],;. r
tions • an bcrven of Jhits: IGemrJcA^T^lr r'/^."' "'^"-

Vol. I. carried on in that comparativelyrpo-

B-

99

Be&>reChrift 1706— i4c>i.

lifhed country to great perfedtion. Flax, fine linen *, garments of cot-
ton, rings and jewels of gold and filver, works in all kinds of metals,
iron, the moft difficult of all metals in the procefs of preparing it for
ufe, chariots for luxury, and chariots for war, occur in the hiftory of
this period, written by Mofes. Having no vines in their country, they
jprobably now, but certainly in the age of Herodotus, (£,. ii, c. 76)
made a liquor from barley, which the Greeks, having no appropriate
name for it, called barley-wine. To thefe may be added the great ma-
nufadory of bricks, in which the Ifraelites are fuppofed to have been
chiefly employed during their fervitudc in Egypt, and alfo their vaft
buildings, and gigantic ftatues, wherein ftupendous bulk, rather than
elegance of architedhire or fculpture, feem to have been confidered as
the ftandard of perfeiSion. [Genejir, cc. 41, 44. — Lxod.cc. 9, ii, 12,

14. — Num. c. 35 Deut. cc. 4, 19.] Literature alfo appears to have

been in a very flourifhing ftate among the Egyptians of thefe ages, at
leafl: when compared with fome of the neighbouring nations : and
hence, in order to give a high idea of the accomplifhments of Mofes, it
is faid, that he was ' learned in all the wifdom of the Egyptians f .'
\^Ad:s, c. 7.]

1556 — Cecrops, a native of Sais in Egypt, led a colony into Greece,
and having married the daughter of Adieus king of Attica, he became
his fucceflbr in the kingdom. He appears to have paid fome attention
to naval affairs, whereby he was enabled, when his fubjedts were diftrefs-
ed by famine, to import corn from Lydia, and alfo from Sicily, which
has in all ages been diftiuguiftied for its extraordinary fertility, fo as to
be efteemed by the poets the native country of Ceres the goddefs of
corn. Cecrops founded twelve villages, Avhich afterwards coalefced into
the one city of Athens ; and he perfuadcd his roving and indolent fub-
jeds to fettle in and near them, in order to unite their forces againft the
BcEotian marauders and Carian pirates. He alfo pointed out to them the
benefits of induftry, and taught them the principles of agriculture.
Such was the origin of the antient and illuftrious city of Athens.

Cadmus arrived in Greece from Phoenicia, and is faid to have taught
the Greeks the ufe of letters J, and the art of working metals, both hi-

ift)^

• The fuperior quality of the Egyptian linen,
which was univerfally allowed by all the antitnts,
who faw it, and compared it with the manufac-
tures of other countries, has been called in quef-
tion in modern times ; lecaufe the bandages of a
mummy examined by Dotlor Halley were found
only equal to linen worth 2/4 a yard So a phi-
lofophcr of the thirtieth century, who fliall llnmble
upon a bit of oznaburg of the eighteenth, may
demonftrate that no better linen was then uf«d in
Britain.

f It mufl be admitted, however, that the learn-
ing and fcience of the Egyptians have in all ages

been extolled much beyond their real merit, be-
caufe they appeared to great advantage in the eyes
of the early Greeks and Ifraelites. Such monu-
ments of their art, as (till remain to be compared
with thofi- of later and modern times, oblige us to
wonder what the antitnts found in them worthy f.
fo much admiration.

4: Several learned men are pei fuaded that the ufe
of letters was at Icaft in fomv degree known to the
Greeks before the arrival of Cadmus. The ear-
liell letters ufed in Greece were probably thufe,
which Plato calls Hyptiiortan (i. c. northern) and
defcribts as different from the letters of his own

Before Chrift time uncertain.

«n adTCnturm : others fay that he Ho^/fP •,,''" °"7 ^^ ^'"'
of SMo„ „,H Het^ione, o'^ne't? tttt^.^^^J^rSnl. ^S^

in.l"Gr&a1?eX"Utrnt^vT''"' ^''™'"'"- « a colony

Some time after Peloos aSvH i r-^ ; "^^S?'' '" >"' P'""-
with him riches hitC^^kZ' fn E^:;'^"" '^'"^«'^' »" "^-Sht

of colonie^ by ftrwasTt^^Je a^es TJ 'k"'' ''°""'>'' "«^ ■"«™io"
poflMbrs of .iippm, Z Z^iT^^r \Z 5^ Z t"^^' *•=

1450— The Ifraelites under Jofhua began to exn^ll th^ r.
Phoenicians from a great nart of th^Jr » • f "P"^'^ ^he Canaamtes or
was attended with prSiou flaughtrr aflTV ^""i'^'" ^'^^'^^^

confequenceofthefrirru^Znwas^X^^ P^^P^^' ^^^

quered cities of Phoenicia not hnvJnl T '^f '^'^ °^^^^ ^ncon-

efcaped the exterminating ?wordTf fhe'Z.l >' '" '^' if"^^^^' ^^o
lonies were fent out to eftibWH. f^fn ^^'^^^'^^' . "«any Phoenician co-

diterranean, wL a 1 LepL^^p^T '^Z' '" ^' •^°"'' P^"^ ^^ ^^^ ^e-
mother country the trade offh. -ommerciai intercourfe with their

by Phc^nician ^crchan s aai^Vas^^^^^^^^^ Totch "f' "" ^^"^^^ -
tent of the Mediterranean, then the on v Z f"^^'^^' T' "" '^^ ^^-
of its fhores. ' ^ ""^^ ^^^ ^""^ by the inhabitants

Thtralfo'erbS^ been mentioned,

iflands fcattered m the Sn fea ?h^^ ' ^"'^^j' ^"^ ^""''^'^^ °^ ^^e
Black fea ; and gndual^S a ' K P^""'-^^^^ mto the Euxine or
Sardinia. G^ul Spain and ^aT^""^ T""^"'"'^ ^^^"6 '^' A^^^es of Sicily
ports or kSes7'o ;hTc^^^Sni/^ '^^^^^^^^ '^'^^^^'^ '^-<^i

adjoining regions allured bf the profpe"! Tf' d"'^' ^"'''^^"^"^^ °^ ^^^

uy me proipett ot advantage m trading with

Afrr • nnri t^^^ I.' . T^ •

i!lVp"f^V'"T''""S '° Diodorus SIculus. Orpheus

oik rf P T"'';^''^'* *-^ older *tl.ar the
I. ck. [v. P/a/» •nCraty/o.— Died. Sic. L iii.—

^W^ '"5 f "•?'" "'"' Progrrfs of writing, % Mr.
file, p. 66, nou.-] Jofeph Scahgcr has a lonff
d.n-ertat.o„ on the derivation of tlTe ancient lo,"ic

•^ « ;«•«"/'*""". //. 1 09, rt/Mj.

thcr, though u IS probable, that they happened at

time, confiderably dfrtant from each other. The
hillory of them la fo oblcured bv faM,- l„,\
plexed by contradiafons. that £• Icar .'ed if '"
van, atte..pted to reduc^ them to re^u ar c , o^^

grandfon of Deucalion ' L.rid'^rw:''.rthe'
ekventh m defeent from Inachu.s ; and hkb ^th r

B 2

Before Chrift 1450— 1350

I

ffi

tlie ne\t fettlcrs, quickly repaired, and foon learned how to procure, in
exchange for their hithcrto-negleded and ufelefs native commodities,
articles of which nature or their own ignorance had denied them the
ufe, and even the knowlege. It is probably impoffible, and it is furely
unneceflary, to particularize the names, and to reduce the dates of their
feveral fetilements to chronological order *. Some of the later ones,
whofe beginnings are better known, will be noted in their proper
places.

Here it is proper to obfcrve, that Tyre, which will make fuch
a diftinguifhed figure in the hiftory of antient commerce, is now for
the firft time mentioned, and merely as a ftrong or fortified city, while
Sidon is dignified with the appellation of Great f . [Jojhua, c. 1 9.]

1 350 — About this time Egypt was governed by Myris, or Moeris,
who is honoured with the title fs^ the Vbxlofopber. This philofophic
king is faid to have invented the principles of geometry, a fcience lb
eflential to commerce, that no dillant voyage can be undertaken with-
out the afliftance of charts, in the conftruction of which, as well as in
the art of navigation, or the meafurement of a fhip's courfe upon the
tracklefs ocean, it is almoft needlefs to inform the reader, that the
knowlege of geometry is ihe firft and moft indifpenfible requifite.
Among the Egyptians, however, this art was entirely confined to the
menfuration of the land, the boundaries of which were frequently de-
ftroyed or mifplaced by the inundations of the Nile ; and thence its
name, importing in Greek OT<rfl/«r<?ffi<r«/ 2^ /^f <rar/A. But, as it appears
that aftronomy, which requires a previous knowledge of geometry, was
well known feveral centuries before this time in the country where Job
lived, in Babylon, China, and India, we muft believe that Herodotus,
from whom we derive almoft all our knowlege of the early hiftory of
-'i^gypt, has been impofed upon in this matter by the Egyptian priefts,
for the honour of their country, or that the fcience has been invented
in feveral countries.

Myris alio improved his country by forming canals, and an artificial
lake of ftupendous magnitude, calculated to receive the water of the

• The reader, who is defirous to fee all, that
roulil be collected by vail erudition and indefatig-
able indullry on the fubjeft of the Phccnician colo-
nies, may confult Bochart^t Chanaen.

f There is great difagreement among authors
conceniing the time when Tyre was founded.
Jofephus dates it 240 years before Soloman'a
temple, or about 1,250 before the commencement
of the Chrillian aera ; [^j-inlio. L. viii, c. 2] and
others make it dill later. This pafTage in Jofluia
appears fuflitient to prove it entitled to a much
higher antiquity ; to which may be added the
teftimony of Sanconiatho, a Phoenician, and one

of the mod antient hiAotians in the world,
who mentions it as a mod antient city, inhabited
by the fifth generation of mankind. In order to
account tc the various dates, perhaps it is only
neccffary to remember, that there were in Phani-
cia at leaft four cities of the name of Tyre, the
moll antient of which was for many ages much
inferior to Sidon in power and opulence. [i'«
Bochart, Chanaan, col. 776.]

When Herodotus was at Tyre, the priefts toKl
him, that it was 2,300 years fmce th- foundatioti
of their city. {Htrodot, L. ii, e, 44.J

^fov9.CWi&:^fi^SP^ijQp.

<3

S' tlerjh'ft" '°^' '^ >^«^' u"^'^'^ ^*^*« ^i« ^^^' That h« fub.
jects, the tartheft removed from the rlv«»r n^iaUt «7-,„i, c" \ I:

as well as thofe living on its bank^hl Snft»! l^* f ^ °f "" ''^*'^^''''

ber. of people i« iiUtLrthefiircaugtr^^^^^^

account of curing filhly i.uTa bfctMcr^^SdAL^^^^^^^^

.ffat^tern?;^^^^^^^^^^ "^TV^ ^--rn in maritime

their ioUcy^ ^hSSThev ^^nir n ^^ \^^ ''^^^' "^^^^'^S' ^'^<i
witl> the Arab ins fndpLShl.K'T *'^^' ^'*' P^'^'^^ comn,erce

• The na.ne of tl.e Red fea, or ErytWan fea

on?t,lmS.d; ""I "'! ?"■" r^'"''^ '^ ""'■'«"»

rettf ,«ed to the gulf r,n the «dt fide of Atabii. ern" ^vXl?^' "r^'Av'^"''' ' """ a^'jPW^'' !? ""^ weft,
t 1 hele four hundred velTdi. itch a. they «^r. H jl , >^ "*' '' '3—^^'i'Vic. U, i;, jft.

out Dy the native kings of Egypt. But as the

event falls in the dark period of Eevt>tian'l.i»„r., f ^vv--- — —■. *y.un. ^. j, ^^c. ti7c. I But

a..d.he number is not^,«ntione7bTH"ridotS tvotLTI"''-"'' ^='^'1 ^'""g-g to thj „at ve

confidcraMe allowance mufl be made ?o"xaZ^ ^KVPt.an. havm^ ev.r (.r}.A r„ •

t.o-i. home modern writer,. however/Hm^

r 1 I — "■"">•■" 'vuicrs, nowev
amufed thcmfelves and their readers with a notion,

ors becanJc a naf.on f., vife could not he blind
to the advantage, of commerce. We are m"«
over ,old^„ ,i^ ^ J^^2l

o I i P^""^ -^ ""^ <'/c"vcrie,. Imhertoifcribed
o the Pha.n,c,ans, ■ feems rather to b.Ion,. to
the Egyi,„ans;' and alfo, that the IT \vi
who were fo long a^ong the Egyptians, ,„t

beignorantoftheirtr^Ji ,o aflThe c^untru of
the Laft, and that, after they got themfclve, fettled
.n the land of Canaan, they could not be fuppofed
defic,e,u m nautical and commercial knowCe
when the po,t of Sidon was fo near to them Sh
are the n^.Wn Sfio^ria of the trade and ;aviJa
t.on of the Egyptians and Hebrews, which X
mtcrlv unknown to the n,ott anticnt autl o .^So

very f-ar were the Egyptian, from being gew na-
ef nd.Hfir.''''^^"'"'"' ^'""^ ""yabL?red the

dead body of their god Ofiris was thrown into . .

-nd they would noj'fomuch as fpcakT f«m „

who were an abomination in thcfr fight" £fe'

tWy gained their bread upon the fea. iPlutanhi
Sjmpoi. L vm ; De Ificif tt OJir.'] All anticnt^,,
«hor. ,g«,, ,h,t the Pbw,4ni „,,; th «rf.7ft

—■- ■". ■, r. I ; *,. iii, e. io-j^^Mda, ^. „

cTf'tLL "'•-'*• 'i'?7--P///.. Hyl. na,. L.
c. 1 2 .—•Jcfiph. contra Abton, L. i, tsfc. Isfc. 1 But'
r any merchant veffel belonging to the native
Eppfan. havng ever fail.d to any foreign port!
4 f> f.cve ,,o ant.ent atuhurity can be found. The
trade of the Egyptians was evidently condufted br
foragners, and. if we may trull to Grec.^. , wWt'^
C's. they were not very willing to admit tht^

country. Before U.e re.gn of Pfammitichus all
Jrangers (exceptmg however, the Arabian, and
Ph«n,c,an^fec W.. ,. 37_H,„</„,. ^. ; ^Z,"^?
were prt,hlbued from bnding in Egypt .- but the
Greek., bemg notorious for^their ?i™c cs, were
mo I r,goroufly debarred, (or wer^e, perhap? ^
tr..th, tlte only nat.on excluded) and thofe, who
h d the „,,„ortunc to be driven bV the winds upon

from that favage cruelty, or feme juftice the
G.ecan poets ^br.cated their fable of a kine of

altars. [/);<,,/. W. L. i, ,5 6^~Slrabo, L. xni,
PP- 1143, I IS4-J It may be objeaed to wlwt I

fcvn^-"^ "M**' t'*"^i'"" "f f^-ncnamong th!
r-gypt.ans, that Herodotus [Z. ii, c. 164I men-
tmns managers of veffels as one of the 0^1,^,0
carts, of that people. But from his defcrS of
lhe.rvefrels, with hulls and mails made of thorn
andfad.madeof pap„.a«i „f ^hdr navigation"

Ml

44 BeforeChriil/ about! ^r^dd.

wards marched northward with his land forces, and conquered, or'l-a-
ther overran, the various nations in his way, till he crofled over into
Europe, and terminated his expedition in Thrace, the hardy natives of
which he was not able to bring under his yoke. In his return he fettl-
ed a colony of his Egyptians at Colchis, the country which was after-
wards rendered famous in poetry by the expedition of the Argonauts.
This colony retained the fwarthy complexion and crifped hair of the
Egyptians, and alfo the language and cuftoms, the arts and manufadures,
of Egypt, in the days of Herodotus, who particularly notices their art-
ful repreien»ation of ihe figures of animals upon their clothes, the co-
lours of which remained as long as the ftufFlafted; and linen, a manu-
fadture almoft peculiar no the Egyptians, retained its charadter among
the Colchians even in the time of the emperor Tiberius. [Herod. L. i,
c. 203; ii, 103, 104 — Diod. Sic. L. i — Strado, L. xi,^. 762.3

In every country which Sefoftris fubdued, he ereded monuments,
with infcriptions engraved upon them, relating his vidories, fome of
which, remaining in Syria, were feen by Herodotus. He alfo fet up
other columns, which particularly deferve attention in the prefent
work, becaufe on them his artifts, improving upon the geometrical
knowlege introduced by Myris, engraved maps of the countries conquer-
ed by him. That which was at Mm, the capital of Colchis, is faid to
have exhibited noi only the form of the land and the fea, but even the
very roads *. [Appobn. Rbod. Argonaut. L. vi, v. 272. J

names ; whence this great king, who makes fo
confpicuous a figure in hiftory, does not appear at
all in the catalogue of Egyptian kings made up by
Eratollhenes, which is with good reafon eftecmed
the moft correal with rcfuedt to the chronoloirv of
Egvpr.

Alter carefully confidering all that I could find
upon the fubjed, and collecling materials almoll
fufficicnt for an ancient hirtory of Egypt, that I
might come as near the truth as poffible in the
date of the firft eflays in geography, (a fcience in
which I have taken pleafure almoft from my in-
fail ) I refolved to abide by the teftimony of
Herodotus, who fays, [Z. ii, cc. 113 — 116] that
a king, whofe name in Greek was Proteus, whi>
reigned when Alexander for Paris) carried off
Helen from Sparta, and alio when Menelaus ar-
rived in Egypt after the deftruftion of Troy, was
the immediate fuccelTor of Pheron, (ca'led by Stra-
bo Pfammitichus) who was the fon and immediate
fuccelTor of Sefoftris. Therefor Sefoftris could
not be much above a century before the fall of
Troy, which is dated 1,184 y*^'" before Chrlft.
According to Apollonius Rhodius, the expedition
of Sefoftris was prior of that of the Argonauts,
the moll probable xra of whicli is about 1,266.
Sefoftris was pofterlor to Myris, or Mocris, whofe
death w«s not quite 9C0 years before the journey

f/.. ii, cc. 96, 175] and from every paffage whcre-
m he has occafion to fpeak of their managers of
nrffels, it is fufficiently evident, that they were not
fcafaring men, but mere frefti-watcr failors, cr
boatmen, employed in working the numerous river-
craft upon the Nile. As to the fuppofcd com-
meice of the Hebrews, Jofephus, himfelf a Hebrew,
plainly afTerts, that the aiitient Hebrews, being
remote J'rom the fea, were contfnt with the produce
of their own fertile foil, and did not go from home
in queft of riches or coiiqueftn. He adds, (in pcr-
fea agreement with the very firft chapter of He-
rodotur) that in the early ages merchandize was
carried to and from Egypt by the Phoenicians,
who ploughed the vaft Teas in their trading voy-
ages, and that it was by their means that the
Egyptians, and other nations, became kiown to
the Greeks. \_Jofefh. contra Afion. L. i.] — Thefc
unqueftlonable antient authorities are furely fiiffi-
cient to prove, that the Egyptians were not navi-
j,ators, and ftill lefs the Hebrews, whofe naval cn-
terprifes never went beyond iiftiing with a boat
HDon a lake, and who fcarcely ever pofTeffed a bit
of feacoaft.

• Chronologcrs differ many centuries in the
Kra of this renowned conqueror. The difficulty
is increafed by the prodigious liberty taken by
antient wiiters in traiiuating and perverting

w

Before Chrift, about 1500.

*5

This 18 the earheft mention of geography, « fcience which, as com
prchendmg hydrooraphy, w of fuch prodigious importanr- to com
mercc that without u voyage, on the ocean a« utterty impraSk"
And thus have the Icience,, which enable the modern navi^tSr to c r
l^^r&Vk:^':'^' '"'"^"^ "^^^^ °"^ -ong apeopie^ho fSr%:

i.5^f ?r'i'"*''7'' ^'T ^" «P«di«ion, Sefoftris became' fcnfible of the
deceitful fplendour and vanity of conquea. and appears to have devo .H
the remainder of his life to the real duties of fovereimtv in rnnfH?
the hapjincfsofthe people u4der his charge. H^'r-feaed th^^
try with cands, which divided it into fqu Je po«Lns nd emended Z^
benefits of fijheries. inland navigation, and whni»Ce drink ^hri.
the whole of it. With the earth dugout of thuie cTrLlf he ;a fed |«
furface of the towns, which, when the country ^^ overwhelmed
by the periodical inundation of the Nile, thereby became de^^^ed

S^'XTf ^, '^' P'l^'P^" ^^"^ ^'y ^^ comfortably. His vSorous
mind, which had remarked the prodigious variety of produd om m th«
many countries he had overrun, full/comprehended ^thegr^radvln
uges which would arife from ar; adive coinmerce. wherel^y the tr^"
modities of the moft dillant parts of the known world migk be affem
bled m bis own dommions. to employ the induftrv andTdd rn th 1

of Herodotus !uto Egypt. [Z. i;. c. 13] Hero-

dotui was born m 484, and In 446 lie read hfs hif.

•°n; '»t^« Athenians. [KJy, de H,Jl. Grtc.p.

14-J Thua the death ofMyris may be dated

about 1,340, or 1,330. The expc.lition of Sc

«ollri», therefor, muit have taken place between

1,340 and i,jj6 years before Chrilk, wliich is a

proper aera for him to be contemporary witli the

grandfather of Proteu,, who feems to have been

of a different race. It is to be obferved, however.

that Herodotus marks a difTurnce in the authcn-

lic.ty of the hiftory of EP)-pt, prior to the fettle.

ment of the Greeks at Naucratis in the reign of

Amahs, (about yjo years before Chrift) and what

18 poftcrior to that event, the later period bcinjr.

as he fays, much clearer. ' "

called the brother of Sefoftri,, in Greece is placed
much caiher that the time here aJligned to Selodris.

But I do not know of any fatisfaftory proof of

.1.. -J ,• "--"-•■ -^ any latistattory pr
with SefoftriP. which feems to reft on no bettc

Janaiis,

authority than that of the fabulous Manetho. H ,
rodotus. who has occafion pretty often to mentiou
Danaus, p oves him indeed to be an Egyptian of
he ..ty r.Chemmis, but. though hfmen^^n
the reach ry of a namelef. brother%f Sefoftri 1 e
pr"ty plainly prove,, that the crime, imputed to
t)anaus, of violating the chaftity of the queen
win e he was regent during the king's abfcncc

MZt, '^°'"'"'"^^' '•y » brother ff Sefoft;^;
hofe wife appears to have accompanied him in
1"» eiq«;d.uon. IL. a, cc. ^i, loy.] The com
mon drecian fable of the (ffty fons-itlaw of dT
naus being all, except I vnccu; murdered by tS
wive , his fifty daughters, is alfo confuted by He'
rodotu,, [L. c. 9^3 who mentions Archlnder
a fon-m-law oi Danam. 4 >-"'"'uer.

i6

Before Chrift 1 280^-1 2541

I

I t

L. I, p. 65 ; t. xvii, p. 1156] the plati was pretty certainly his ; and to
this royal lather of geography the commercial World is alfo indebted
for the firft idea of inland NAVlGATIo^ which is now fo highly im-
proved by the great abilitieis of 6ur engineers, that not only level coun-
tries like Egypt, but even fuch as have great declivities, and other ob-
ftacles, whu H not long ago were thought infuperable, are now traverfed
from fea to lea by .effels of confiderable burthen.

1280— There is reafon to believe, that about this time the fpirit of
trade had fpread itfelf over the greateft part of Afia proper, now called
the Leffer Afia. It has already been obferved, that Pelops carried great
riches with him into Greece from Phrygia. Another part of that coun-
try was governed by Midas, who is faid by the poets to have turned
every thing he touched into gold. The mod rational explanation of
this fable feems to be, that he encouraged his fabjeas t<i convert the
produce of their agriculture, and other branches of induftry, into money
by commerce, whence confiderable wealth flov/ed into his own treafury.
{Plin. Hiji. nat. L. xxxiii, c. 3.] This explanation Will appear the more
probable, when it is remembered, that the invention of mtchors for Ihips
is afcribed to this prince by Paufanias, and the invention t^ coining
money to his queen, by Julius Pollux ; though it is nwre Kfcely, that
what the Greeks called the invention, was rather the irifrodaaioft of
the knowlege of them from countries more advanced in civilization.
Strabo, however, afcribes the great wealth of Midas to mines *.

i234_Accordingto the authors followed by Appian, the firft found-
ation of Cat rHAGE by the Tyrians was fifty years before the deftruc-
tion of Troy. It is probable that it Was for feveral ages a place of little
note f .

The extenfive and fertile ;aand of Crete, centrically fituated between
Europe, Afia, and Africa, and called by Ariftotle the emprefs of the fea,
was undoubtedly capable of commanding f' - commerce of the Mediter-
ranean, and of courfe pofltjinng the nava ^... pire of that lea, had it been
fully poflefled by the Phoenicians, who feem not to have been very nu-
merous in it. Of the commercial etfons of the Cretans little or nothing
is known. Caftor Rhodius, as copied by Eufebius, has afcribed to them
the honour of being the firft, who held the dominion of the fea. But
we muft be careful not to uflax modern ideas to antient terms. This
boafted dominion of the fea extended only to the fupprefllon of theCa-
rians and fome other pirates, who infefted the coafts, by a naval force
fitted out by Minos, the fecond king of that name in Crete ; an expedi-
tion made by him to Athens in revenge for the murder of his fon, on

• Midas appears to have been a fami'ly name dertafn If this one I's placed in his proper time •
common to many of the Phrygian kings. There nor is it of much confcqiienci '

WM one contemporary with Homer. 1 am not f Sec the year 868 before Chrift.

Before Chrift 1226^1 194

coalHng along or croffing thi numerous feauT.'r V^^'^^elves with
ing fliore. But now a verv Inno^^^I ^^7^ °^ ^*'^"' o^n wind-

b/the combined efforts of a rcC/e^'S ^''^'''''i- V" ^^ ^^^"^^^ on
felves with Jafon, the fon of ^fon kTn^ of t/H^ ^^'f """^^ '^em-
dition to Colchis the obied^whirH^ of ThefTa ly, m the famous expe-

jea. concealed b; the po«s unde Ih.^'^ '^ ^"'"' ^'^''^^^' °b-

parentagefwas their aft'komfr xTel^^^^^^ of Phcnician

their only veflel, or, accordin/m rnmf .u^ ' f ^^^'"^'"8 to the poets

fleet, was'the m;ft ca^ Z latZafZ T7' ^'^ ''"''''^' °' ^h^
Grecian port, in fo much thSVhp Lj^^ ^"'^^ f^'}^^' or rowed out of a
fufficienthy h^nouraSe for he fnTs woHd' k""^ '^^'r ^° ^"^ ^' «^^-^
heavens, where they have mal'Ur , rntllatbV'T?"''' '^^ ^^^'^^
we make a due allowance for the comm, .VT, 2 -r ^!' "'"^^g^' '^^^^
thevelTel, or veflels, the wanVof inTf ^"T'^?'^^^^ condition of

fo needful in a voyage of Twelve nr?'T'''''i: '"? °^ ^^^ ^^^ '^ Pi'otage
be the diftance alSfthefiTores f.^^^^^^^ '^^^^^' -J^i^I^ '«ay

end of the Black fea^ w^s a more rr.^i? '"^ f^'f^^ ^°^^^' '^' '^^
Grecian Argonauts (fo^hlir^d^e't^r^^et^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^'^°^^-

round the world, and even into the foutLrnnlf^- '''''. ^'^ ^"^^^^
modern /kilful navigators loutliern polar regions, is to our

was^e^n^-^difaSuIS m.^S^t ^T'^^" ^^^ °^G--
Argonauts, though not ff Xnt Pa rthet'n^tp ? '^T '^'' ^^'^'^
having carried off Helen, the wife of M;nlT ^^V^^^'^ '^'"S of Troy,

princes of Greece refoIvedtrevt/eThe'^^^^^^^ f 'P^"^' '^^^ ^^-
torts, after ten years fpent in preinranon ^iV a"*^ !'""'"« their ef-

yeflels. onboard whicLheyeZ^e.^; . ^' "^f f ^^a fleet of r.i86
led by all the petty prmcei^ ITcrtct undTtL'r'''""^ ^°°'°°° '"^"'
Agamemnon king of Argos. the Se "? th nJedS^T"^' '''

i he Greeks. havin£rpffft^*.,ifU-.- i ,. ' ,*"J"red liulband.
years more in hoftTifs^^^^^^^^^^^ ^'^'^ -J- ^ore. fpent ten

During this time, while thi> own^hbs T ""^"^P'^^«^^g"'ar fiege.
inuft have been ready to thll in T>recef frnn, "^ "^ '^'^ ^^3^ ^each.

rains and parching of funn ne tE r/^ r ''P'''^'^^ drenching of

bythe natives of 'fhrace^nd^^h^tnanrE f,^ ^^ J^ ^^-^

, • Nf«ch has been faM nh„,. .,. „,.. ...... , . ''' '"' ^^ "^^7 '> IX. ^. 71.]

Ur(^}''ta^^'^V *"""' "^""' "■<= "•I'ne off his
tar.Jamcd fiiij). !( wo iulvirt thnt tl • PI ' '

no loi, to pcccv., ,vhe..icc the Greeks borrow- ^^ «" *"'■ ""' '*>= '»'«<: name ?

ctvmoloi^ilh. r.C., i.'^-P""'^ •''<: •""dfvn Greek

i

i8

Before Chrift 1 1 84.

1 1 84 — At length, having glutted their revenge by the deftrudtion of
Troy, and their avarice by the plunder of the wealth coUeiled in it, the
remains of the Greeks made the beft of their way to their long-deferted
homes, where, as might well be expedled, they found the moft dreadful
diforders in their families, and their territories ravaged by enemies, or
convulfed by inteftine commotions.

Such was the conclufion of the Trojan war, the moft celebrated event
of antiquity, with which the real hiftory of Greece, hitherto overwhelm-
ed with fable, may, perhaps, be faid to commence*. It appears from
many pafRxges in Homer, that the Trojans were much fuperior to the
Greeks in civilization, and that they lived in comfort and elegance, till
they were difturbed by thofe invaders. Hence it is certain, that they
had made confiderable progrefs in the arts and fciences, and were poflell-
ed of fome commerce, for which their fituation on the ftrait between
the Euxine and Aegean feas, was exceedingly commodious. We even
find, that they had fkilful fhip-builders ; and Homer has immortalized
the name, real or fiditious, of Harmonides, the builder of the velFels,
which carried off the beautiful Helen from Sparta.

The great fleet gof together for the Trojan war, was not provided nor
maintained by commerce, the only efFedual fupport of a permanent na-
val power. It was the production of an extraordinary temporary exer-
tion urged by the fpirit of refentment and the hope of rich plunder,
natural to favages funk in floth and indolence. But when the fervour of
infanity, which incited the Greeks to ruin themfelves in order to deftroy
the Trojans, was cooled by the difaftrous confequences of their conqueft,
this mufhroom navy was annihilated ; and for leveral c nituries ve hear
no more of any confiderable naval expeditions undertaken by that people.

During thofe heroic ages of Greece, as they are called, the petty prin-
ces, who lived on the fea coafts, frequently fitted out veflels to go upon
piratical cruifes We might thence fuppofe, that merchant fliips were
fo numerous upon the feas, as to afford many captures to thofe robbers.
But apparently that was not the cafe. They did not entirely depend
upon what plunder they could find at fea : they often landed, and pil-
laged the defencelefs villages, carrying off, not only all the goods and
cattle they could find, but even the people themfelves, whom they ibid
forflaves. Thofe pirates were fufficiently numerous to keep one-anotlier in
countenance ; and their rank and power made the igncnant people confi-
der their exploits as by no means difgraceful, but rat' r praife-worthy ;

• The Arundel, or Parian, marbles place ihcde- ticlfm, or fufisicioiis ciiticifm, of moJcrii titnee

ftrudlion of Troy twenty-five yciirs earlier; an tr- may, in refc-ntim-iit of tlie innunicrabk inipofitiona

ror, wliicli tluy conlinuc till tlie ellaljlifiunent of put upon us uncKr the name of liilloiy, poirihly go

the annual mngilltncy at Alliens. too far. It may, however, jnll lie obleivcil that

Of late it has bun (iinlliomd, whether there Dion Chrylolloin [Oral, xi] loni^ ai^o dcmtd the

ever was a Trojan war, or a city called Tmy, fuch Trojan war. — The examinaliou of fuch a rjueftion

■a it is defcribed by Homer. The laudable Icep. vsouid be quite «ut of place in this woik.

Before Chrift 1184. 19

as fimilar pradices were in later times efteemed honourable among the
Scandmavian nations, and are in the prefent day among the inhabitants
of the northern coaft of Africa. It was therefor no affront, but a com-
mon queftion put to the commander of a veflel, whether he profeffed
piracy or trade; as we find in Homer, that exadl painter of manners
who even mtroduces Menelaus king of Sparta boafting of the wealth he
had acquired by his piratical expeditions. [OdvlT. L iii vv 72 201 •
XIV. V. 230.] Among the freebooters on the coafts of the ^Egean fea the

airc];%Xd * "^ ""^"''''' '^" '^'^ ^'^' ^"PP^^^'^^ ^^ M^^''^' -"

After this flcetch of the naval hiftory of Greece in the early ages it

may be proper to give the reader fome idea of their fhips. That' of

Danaus, which was rowed by fifty oars, was a Phoenician v^m ; and

there is reafon to believe that the Argo. thought built in Greece, was

the work of Phoenician carpenters. She was a long fiender open boat,

which could carry fifty men, and could occafionally be carried by them

upon their (iuMilders. Of the velTds. employed in tranfporting the GrS

cian army to Troy the fmalleft carried 50 men, and the laVgeft lao.

They were very flightly built ; and they were hauled on fliore affer finifh^

ing a voyage Phucydides fays, they were only large open boats; where-

as Homer defcnbes Ulyffes as covering his fhip with long flanks f

L t^A V; '^'•^- ^' '! P"""^"^^"' '^'^' ^^"^'^ «f ^he large? ones 1 ad

at leaft half-decks m order to furnifh fome kind of lodging for the

people, and that the i^xice occupied by the rowers was open he

fides bemg conneded by fiender beams or planks, on which he

rowers iat with their feet fet aguinft the bottom timbers, or tranfverfb

pieces of wood near the bottom. They had but little depth, and feem

to have been very flat in the bottom, and confequently d^re^ ver/ S

water ; which is further probable ftom the lead-line being never^men-

loned by Homer v.hence we may prefume, that the our! were found

luffioent to iound the depth of the water. They appear to have Sd

only one mart, which was ftruck when they finifl/ed the voyage, and one

fatl-yard ; though Homer mentions>/. in the plural, whfch i perlZ

a poetical licence, as it is not probable, that they un-derftood the nmnage-

ment ot what are now called fore-and-aft fails.' But their main depend-

ence was upon their oars ; and their, only diredion for their courle was

the knowlege, which lome of the crew had previoufly acquired of ^c

• It appears from Thucydiiles, that thofe fen).
CUIUS and lawlois deprcdatioiia were (111! praftifcd
in his time (about tight centuries after the Trojan
war) by the welletn tribcB of Gre.c,-. who even
then retained the charader and condition of fava-
ge». And It muft be acknowledged, that the more
polilhed and cx)inraercial iiatiom of later ages were

not exempted from thofe criminal praflices, which
continued to he too clofcly conni-aed with com-
mercial navigation ; almoll down to our own ace,
as Will too plainly appear in the fequel of thi.t work.
f But. quere, it ihole long plank, tormcd the
deck, or the bottom of the vefltl I

C a

2G)

Before Chrift 1 1 84.

■t^

m

appearance of the (bore. When that failed them, t^ey muft have land-
ed in order to obtain information *.

Caftc of Rhodes, a writer contemporary with Julius Caefar, has
made up a kmd of catalogue of the nations, 'who fucceflively attained,
what he was pleafed to call, the empire of the fea ; by which is to be
underftood feme degree of pre-eminence in naval power on a very con-
fined fcale in, ornear, the ^gean fea. In partiality to the Greeks,
whole maritime tranfadions, with a very few exceptions, were fcarcely
worthy of notice, he feems to have almoft loft fight of the PhcRnicians,
the only people, at leaft on the coafts of the Mediterranean, who in the
early ages knew any thing of extenfive voyages and the art of naviga-
tion. As Eufebius has copied this catalogue from Caftor, and feveral
chronologifts have done it the unmerited honour of tranfcribing it from
him, fome flight notice (hall be taken of each of the nations mentioned
in it, as they occur in order of time.

."79— The Lydians are the firft people, after the Cretans under the
reign of Minos, who are honoured by him with the title of Majers of
the fea. They certainly had fome claim to a commercial charader, but
not as navigators, unlefs the teftimonies of Caftor and Ifidore are to be
preferred to that of Herodotus, [Z-. i, c, 27.] The invention of mer-
chandize and of com is afcribed to them by fome authors ; and Ifidore
goes fo far as to call them the firft builders of ftiips, and inventors of
navigation. The INIaeonians, who may be confidered as a part of the
Lydians, and the Carians, their neighbours, were poiTlffed of ivory,
which muft have been imported, and they underftood the art of ma-
nufaduring it into toys and ornaments, and of ftaining them with co-
lours, IHom. 11 L. iv, V. 141 — Herod. L. i, c. 94.] The Lydians are
faid to have lent a colony into Italy, who fettled on the weft fide of the
Tiber among the Umbri and Pelafgi, and afliimed the name ofTyrr-
heni, from Tyrrhenus their leader, [Herodot. L. i, c. 94.] But the
date of the migration feems uncertain j nor is the fad itfelf uncontro-
verted. For feveral learned men are of opinion, that the Etrurians pof-
fefled all Italy many ages before the Trojan war ; and that the arts, fci-
ences, and commerce, were carried to great perfedion among them

• As Homer is generally believed to have been
very correa in adapting liis defcrlptions to the
times of wliich he wrote, the follovviijr pafTage
dcfervcs our notice.

Agamemnon launched a fail-failing (hip to carry
Chryfeis home to her father. Befides Chryfels,
UlylTej, and probably attendants, the velTel carried
twenty choftn rowers, and a hecatomb for facrilicc.
When they got to their port, they took in the fii/s,
and (lowed them away in the hold. Then, eafnii-
off the main (lay, they lowered the mail into it's
crutch or lell. After this they rowed the velFel

into a good birth, or commodious fuuation, then
let go the anchora, (or whatever elfe (houid be un-
deirtond by i,i>«() and carried out ftern-falh or per-
haps bent the cables to the (lern ; '^nifit^f, i3,,«/.
[///o</, L. i, vv. 308, 430 ttfeqq.'}

The truth of the few notices I have here col.
ledled does not depend upon the reality or falfe-
hood of tlic long-received hiilory of the Trojan
war. They at any rate (hew the ftate of fociety
and of nautical knowlcge in the time of Homer, it"
not in that affigncvi to the war of Troy.

Before Chrift 1 1 79. ^ j

long^before Greece or any other part of Europe emerged from bar-

About , loo-While the naval hiftory of Greece, if it may be fo
called, prefenrs nothmg but petty piratical cruifes, and innTZrable

mg their difcoveries along the whole of the norfh nIZn' 7 It P^^^^a-

a country fo delightful in everv rern!>> ^k u "^^ ^°'"^' " ^^^

bv the PhfpnirT.n r« ^ r'^' ^^^' ^h*^ accounts given of it

* Mazocchi makes the Etrurians, or Tyrrhe-
mans, of Pha:n.c.an origin. lSyn,ma,L Di/v. iil
A>ul Mr. Bourgee, t%i.- J. Difer,. icaJ^J.
U>J. J on comparu.g the Etrurian and Phaini-
can alphabets, finds them nearly the fame. [Orbi,
aud,uhtcratura acbaraaer, Samarit. d^duaaH On
.he other hand, Bochart, the great invcdiga-'tor of
Ph«n,c.an colonization denies that the Euurian.
had any connea.on «-..th the Phoenicians. But his
argument drawn from their not joining the Car-

i^^n '*''"" 'i ■'" '*""'''"'' »"<^ f^°"> ««•'"'■
J^l not aUeguig the.rcuuimou origin as an induce-

ment to co-operate with him, (which no man can
pretend to fay he did or did nol) is of no we ght"
Nother ,s h„ proof from the dillimilarity of a few

ages the knowlcgc of a common origin would have
htt le mflueuc. m oppofuion to polUical inter I
an^vejoneknowsthat language is continual;

r,n!"ll V" 1"* ""="" "■'*"''" ""= '"••"d-Ian.ls, fome
fma 1 .(lands, two mount.,ins, or tl-e brafs cohmms
n. the temple of Hercules at Gadir (C.L) were
the columns of Hercules. ^Strabo, L itAs^l

it

Before Chrifl iioo — 1046.

ji

cians obferving fuch a happy combination of advantageous clrcuni-
ftances for a trading fettlement, and that the country was moreover in-
terfeded by two great navigable rivers, the Bsetis and the Anas (now
the Guadalquivir and the Guadiana), eftabUihed the capital poft for
their weftern trade on a fmall iHand in the Atlantic, within a furlong
of the main land, and at no great diftance from the mouths of the two
rivers, to which they gave the name of Gadir. The town, which they
built there, has in all ages maintained a fuperior rank as a trading fta-
tion ; and it is even now (with its name fotnewhat varied by the Sara-
cens to Cadiz) the principal port of Spain, and the ftation of the gal-
leons, which import from Americ:?. thofe pretious metals, which were
formerly exported from the fame harbour to the eaftern part of the
Mediterranean fea.

Of the other early weftern fettlements of the Phoenicians, the moft
celebrated were Carteia and Utica. The former, fituated on the Baetic
fhore at the narroweft part of the ftrait, is by fome authors efteemed
more antient than Cadir, the foundation of it being afcribed to Mel-
cartus (called alfo the Phoenician Hercules), whence the town was alio
called Mclcarteia and Heraclea. The later was fituated on the coaft of
Africa, in fight of Carthage, and built about eighty years after the de-
ftrudion of Troy, according to Velleius Paterculus, who fays, that Ga-
dir was founded a few years earlier. Matters of fuch high antiquity are
very uncertain ; and it is very probable, that augmentations of the co-
lonies were often taken for the original fettlements of them by hifto-
rians, (an example of which we feem to have in Carthage) and thence
the coi'tradidory eeras may in fome aegree be reconciled *.

IC58 — The dominion of the lea at this time is afcribed to thePelafgi.

1046 — David king of liVael, now in the height of his profperity,
having fubdued feveral of the neighbouring princes, employt^d a part
of the wealth acquired by his conqueAs in purchafmg cedar timber

• Not willing to lay hold of the higheft anti-
quiiy, whicti is faqiieiitly cariitd far beyoiul the
truth, I have alTiimed the year iioo, as being near
the probable date of thefe antient Phfcnician fettle-
ments, cliii-fly upon the authority of Srraho, [/,. I,
f- H3] \'elie:iis I'atetcnlus, [Z.. i, c. 2] and Piiny,
[_Hi/l nat. L, xvi, c. 40.] I do nut, liowever,
Wca.i to deny, that it is very probable that the
Phucnielaiis may have entered the Oeean 350 years
earlier, in the time of the invafion of their country
by the Ifraehtes. I'here is in favour of that date
the tdlimony of Claudi'is Julius, an author indeed
comparatively late, but who wrote cxpnfsly upon
PiicEiiirian all.iirs, and do\d)tlel3 tranl'cribed from
antient writers 1 and he afcrilies the foundation of
G »lir to ArehaKus, the fon of Phoenix, who is
placed ibout the time of Jolhua the cotiiniander
of the Ifi'iiehus. There ia alfo the teiliinony of

Timagencs, a Syrian Greek, [ap. Ammian, Mar-
cellin. L. xv] for a colony of Dorians, (i. e. the
people of Dor, a capital city on the Phccnician
coall, and one of thole wliich the Ifraelites were
unable to reduce. 'Jojhim, c. 17 — JiiJ^cs, i. :)
who were led by the antient llirciiks ftvcjal cen-
turies before the birth of the Greek Herculen, as
far as tiie Bay of Blfcay, where they fettled on the
GaUic iliorc ; and the names of fome o'' the tribes
there mi^bt warrant a fiippofition of their being
defccnded of that Phoenician colony. To thele
may be added the ilory related by Procopius,
[^Jiell. Vaniltil. L ii, c. 10] of two pillars in the
welleni extremity ot Africa near the Si rait, with
Phoenician infetiptions upon them, importing tliat
they wet-e fet up by a people who were diiveu
from their native country by a plunderer called
JoDiua the lun of Naue.

Before Chrift 1046 — 975.

^3

from Hiram king of Tyre, with whom he kept up a friendly corre-
fpondence as long as he lived ; and he alfo hiixd Tyrian matbrand
carpenters for carrymg on his works. Thus the wealth of a warlike

r;:Sn:x^^ -' ''-'' -^-^ -^i^^-us^n!

This prince coUeded for the building of the temple above eight hun
dred milhons of our money, as k is calculated by ArhutLot 'frills Jf
anctent coins, pp. 35, 208.] »»"uluuu[ . iiaoies qj

ioi2-975_Solomon, the fuccefTor of David cnltivit-i^H .!.« . r
peace, and he was thereby enabled to induirhi's tafte for 1 fi °^
and luxury more than his'father could poili bly ^ £ "^^^^^^
h^knew. that, to preferve his kingdom in a fecure and honol^S
peace, it was necelTary to keep up a fefpechble S ,r f ^^""""'•able
to reprefs any hoftile ivafion'^ «ul wKu 'Lw^^^^
anxiety to preferve peace, which, while it dreads. "nvi.e ^he nfZof
the neighbouring nations, he molefted none of them and tLrebv'n
joyed a reign ot -ilmoft uninterrupted tranquiUi v He .mnl J .
;;aft wealth, amaffed by his father', in woTs of'krchi et^rf 'and in

?a;:m' tr7 'S' ^-^'''^ ?^^ '^"^Sdom. The famous em7e' of Ter"
lalem, the fortihcations of that canital and ms,T.,r «„^• *''"H"= "^ J^^""
which was the cel^bnucd TadmS t Pa1Z;7 " rta'll'rbvT"*

^probable, however, ehat che dZ;nL\';^2red prfclr 'h^crf

the two kings, fay, exprefsly, that the temple was

Hnam mhenttd the friendly difpnfition of his fa-
thcr. Now 11 was thirty. four years after the elder
H.nm had f.,pphVd David with huilding mate als
when the temple was be^j.-n. The ctnfuf.on of
li'i'gs of the lame name is a frequent fource of
cfironolog.ca! embarrafrment. [Sec 7«/JM. yi,,,:^
L- »in, c. 2 ; Contra Jpion. Z. i.] ^'

t According to Jofephus, \_Aniiq. L. x.x, c. 8]

iwonT^rfi:;''"''''"''""^^"'^"'-^-'''^'^

Enpolemus, an author quoted by Eufcbins,
lPr^p.,rat. n,anse/ L. ix] fays that David built
ili.ps in Arabia, wherein he fent men, Ikilled in
mines and metals, to the iH.ind of Ophir. Modern
authors, lmprov^v: upon this rather-fufpicions an-
thority, have afcnbed to David the honoin- of be-
ing tlie founder of a great Eall-Indla commerce.

t f'^e the letter of Hiram (or Huram) to So-
lomon, wherein he mentions his fatiier of the fame
name. Uf Chron.c. a] This clears no the diffi-
culty, found by Petavius in the ruVn of Hiram
which he attempts to folve by aligning to it a
duration of yr, years, apparently compivhendins
the rei^M, of two king, of that name. Moreover,
Jolephus, though !!.• has not duely difcrimiuatcd

94

Before Chrift 1012 — 975,

The grcpt intercouric of trade and fricndHiip, which Solomon had
with the firil commercial people in the weflein world, infpired him
with a ftrong defire to participate in the advantages of trade. His fa-
ther's conqt lefts had extended his territories to the Red fea, and given
him the jjoilcdion of a gofxl haibour, from wliicli fliips mi;iht be dil-
patched to the rich coinitrics of the South nnd the Ealh But his own
luhjedts being totally ignorant of the arts of building and navigating
veniels *, he again had recourfe for advice and alfiftance to his friend
Hiram, 'i'he king of f'yre, who wiflicd for an opening to the oriental
commerce, the articles of which his fubjedts were obliged to receive at
fecond hand from the Arabians, as much as Solomon wanted nautical
allilhuice, appears to have readily entered into his views, and to have
pro|X)fcd a trading adventure on a large fcale to be carried on by the
two kings in partnerftiip, or at leaft in concert. Accordingly Tyrian
carpenters were lent to build veflels for both kings at Eziongeber, So-
lomon's port on the Red lea, whither Solomon lumfelf alio went to ani-
mate the workmen by his prefence.

Solomon's (liips, conduded by Tyrian navigators, fliiled in company
with thole of Hiram to fome rich countries called 0])hir and Tarlhifli,
upon the polition of which the learned have multiplied conjedures to
very little purpofe f. The voyage required three years to accomplifli
it ; yet. notwithftanding the length of the time employed in it, the re-
turns in this new-found trade were prodigioufly great and profitable,
confifting of gold, iilver, pretious ftones, valuable woods, ivory, and
fome exoti« animals, as apes and peacocks. We have no information
concerning the articles exported in this trade : but it cannot be doubt-
ed that the manufadures of the Tyrians, and probably the goods im-
ported by them from other countries, were allbrted with the corn, wine,
balm, and oil, of Solomon's own dominions, in making up the outward

• Si'C llic note III//. 15, 14.

•\ Ophli I1.1-, been Itardicil tor in almoft every
part of Ada and Africa, and fome Imve let thtir
fancy run In wild iK cvcii to wander to I'tni io
viontli Anuiiin, m tlie name of which ih<y liiid a
ri tcrnhLinco o! Opln'r ! Thiy might have found
:i ninch cli'lcr rcfmibhincc in tliut of Orphir in the
Orkney lllands. The word w,is probably not tiie
Jiroper n.inie of any country, but an appellative
lignifyinjj i;old un'nes ; and in that fignihcation it

iiiiu liivii jituin 111 nif luiiuc 01 1 auciiui VT Tar-
fis, which properly belonged to the ifland formed
by the two nuuiths of the JVctis, and was imprxi-
pcily given by Gieeian and Roman writci-s to
Caiti i.i and ("ladir, Tlicre, fay they, Solonion'j
(l.ips, liavinv; i.uic.1 round all Afiica, took in their

§

old, and returned home by the Mediterranean.

^M, as the (Jiipa appear to have been dellincd to
continue in the fame trade, like the modern Eall-
India Ihips, thofe authuiii feem not to have well
conlidcrcd how they were to get them into the
Red fea again, after fniilhing their voyage at the
call end of the Mediterranean, in order to begin
then- next voy.ige. Ikuee more ratlonallv fnp-
pofes Tarfhilh to have been on the call coart of
Africa, where he fays the name (lill temaina ;
which, though true, is no proof of its beinjr the
place vifited by thofe navigators. I fay notiu'ng
of the imurobability of the Tyrians, whatever
frieiullhip their king might have for Solomon, per-
mitting him to get any footing in, or even know-
Icgc of, their fettlements in Spain. See Purduis's
Ptlcimrs, Pari /, Bool i, r. I, ^ 8 — 12. — Bcchtrl,
Ckan. tol. flo6 — Mem. At litler. /'. xxx, /. 90. —
Brucc's Travels, V, i, /. 433.

Before Chrift 1012 — 916.

^5

cargoes ; and that his (hips, like the Spanidi galleons of the prefent dav
imported the bulhon. partly for the benefit of his indiiftriom m com'
n^ercal ne.ghbours f/^AVV, ... 7, g,^o^/j^pi^ran. c Tl o

Solomon alio eftabl.fted a commercial corretbondence wi'th Lvn.
whence he received horfe.s. chariots, and linen yar^n. The chario^f rnft
600. and the horles , 50. Ihekels of iilver each, ll ^,„,s,c^ t-TcsTol

^^'^^^i^Z^:':z:zi:^^±^^ f ^^ con-
had carried on a flouriihing t ade for fome tmn • ^""t'^^" '^'' '^'y
H... as an opulent peopSpL^^^

;prs;^:^i^-^Sr:;;- Sii^l^r^. i S ^^?-

them in his lift of/ov^reijras of th- fea -Jx .^ I c ^^' '"^^"^-''^

thorky that they r4w3a con m^'d'oftt fe .^T ^"'" Y''' ^^-
{S//v7^., Z.. i, ;,. ^7. ,„,VA %///,, n"f ,'', 'T .; ? ^ ''^*'' afterwards.

What . ho/evi^, infin^^1^':;.o're^^'t -ettntr't' [^^tt/cT^^^J

payable to \he comnScT officii w'^ reguL.t.on. for the /hares
ierved by freighters and Sie^f^^^h U^'on^^^^^^^ t ^""'^ ^° ^^ ^^
corn..,,der or feamen foV goods mjured by tht^ n derbvT' '^'

and for carele& ;^C^^:^^;[:^^Jj^^- ^^^^
commander for runninir iw-»v wirh,U(h^^^ pumQmient of the
;I-.^ a wreck ; the Z S "n^ ^fe^ Z ll^^:!?? "^^ ^^T"
loft their lives in the iervice of their flii» \t ^ ^''''/"^'' ^'^"

parties, bills of loading and contra^T^ nf ' '■'->^^'^"!°n^ "^ charter-

>he rules for bottomry ' ^':::^^!;:'T:^r:: s^?\ ^^'^T--'

covering goods from tlie bottom it" •- 12 md^^? ''^'^ ^°' '■^-

payment of demurrage, as cnaded n'thfV'h r "1 ' '"'''^' ' ^"^^ ^^^^
by the Roman empefors ,nd In', ^^ochan laws, were all copied

D

%6

Before Chrift 897 — 880.

itime and commercial tranfadtions of many nations through a long fuc-
ceflion of ages*.

897 — Jehofaphat king of Judah, in conjundlion with Ahaziah king
of Ifrael, made an attempt to revive the commerce, which had flouriih-
ed fo greatly in the reign of Solomon. But the fhips, which they built
at Eziongeber, being wrecked in the harbour, the undertaking was
abandoned. We are not told, that they had any afliftance from the
Phoenicians in fitting out their fleet. {I Kings, c. 22 — U Chron. c. 20.]

Thus it appears, that the commercial fplendour of the Ifraelites was
a blazing meteor, which (hone out and pafTed away with the reign of
Solomon.

890 — At this time the dominion of the fea is afcribed to the Phry-
gians. The opulence of Pelops and Midas, princes of this country,
feveral centuries before this time has already been oblerved.

880 — It was probably about this time, that Homer flouriflied, whofe
inimitable poems laid the foundatioii of the literary pre-eminence uni-
verfally allowed to the Greeks in all fucceeding ages. But the prefent
work is only concerned with the many notices refpeding trade and ma-
nufactures to be found in his poems, fomc of which have been remark-
ed in their proper places, and with his admirable geographical know-
lege. The ^gean fea with its iflimds and both its (hores, the neigh-
bouring parts of the Mediterranean coafts, and Egypt, were well known
to him frr.n his own judicious obfervations made during his voyages
and travels. He is faid to have made voyages as far as Spain and Tuf-
cany ; {^Herodoti Vita Nomeri] and the other weftern parts of the Medi-
terranean fea were known to him by converfation with Phoenician fee-
men. He even knew, that the land is everywhere furrounded' by the
fea. In fhort, he is honoured with the title of Prince of geographers by
Strabo, one of the greateft geographers of antiquity, from whofe work,
collated with Homer's own, the reader may obtain a proper idea of the
knowlege of this wonderful man f . Such, however, was the tardy pro-
grefs of information in thofe ages, that the great empires of the Eaft,
and even the commercial fame and opulence of Tyre, which had flou-

I

!
I

• Thefe laws may with great probability claim
the honour of a ilill higlicr antiquity, as the Rhod-
ians were partly of Phoenician origin ; and no
doubt the chief merchants were of the Phoenician
race, and derived their cuftoms and mcrcamile re-
gulations from their mother country.

My refpeft for the learned Prefident Goguct
makes mc wifli that he had condefcended to give
his reafons for queftioning the genuinenefs of the
Rhodian laws, which have come down to us as
fcorpotated in the Roman law, whence I hare

taken the abftraft given in the text. The high
rcfpeA in which the Rhodian law wai held in the
moil flourifliing ages of the Roman empire is well
illuftrated by the emperor Antoninus, who, on a
complaint againft the plunderers of a wreck, an-
fwered, ' I nidccd am fovereign of the woild, but
' the Rhodian law is fovoreign of the fea, and by
• it your caufe mull be determined.'

t The reader may alio confult Blaci'weit't En-
quiry into the life and turilings of Homer, feft. ')■
and I r . x

I

Before Chrift 868. ,-

rifhcd in great fplendour for at leaft two centuries, were utterly un
known to Homer the mod knowing of all the Greeks •. ^

In the nfe of Homer, untruely afcribed to Herodotus the creat father
of h.rtory . but perhaps compofed by another Herodotus of Hfucanaflbs
and undoubtedly a work of great antiquity we are told 'J^*'^*'"''""*'
though but lately bu.lt. was^. place o? coihderabie Se nd'exC'
ed great quantities of corn. Phemius the ftenfafKl i' e^'Po"-

Homer. taught letters and mnfic lo t"; ytth S rnf ^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1
wool m payment for his inftrudion. Smyrna, and received

her own refidence, and enlarged the town w rh f . of Bolra t for

buildings, that (he ha, mo get X b^en "i^at^^^ number of new
and ie is at any rate from thi? tie LtX r^Trln^e o7c^^^^^^ 'U
hiftory. and more particularly in commercial hiftory? k to be dated

Carthage was htuated on a fmall npninfMia • ^- ■ ^°'
which formed two excdlent haSrs^'" "Sut ^^Z^^^ V'^^^'

either end of the Mediterranean, and m tlTZ,^^^^ Mr^^"^' ^'"T
which advances towards Sicily. Italv anri r Jll African coaft,

be placed in the center of Ul,; ^* S'^^T''^' " ""«'" ^^ l^id to
world ; wh?e behind It lav an Ll'( f ^'li^""^" "*' '^'^ ^^^^" ''""-n
ed eve^y thing necenirvfor^hT ^^?'t ^°."'"^«»^ which furmili-
riety of^alualS"t7s t «;orE "' ^'^ ^'^•'^^-> ^^ ^ ^^^ va-

W en we read the hiftory of the Ca'rthaginians. we ought ever to

Notwitliftandiuir the uni;ral,.H „., -r i • r . o u

^the unrivaled powers of liia

* NotwitliftandiW
aUonllhiug qeniua. ftem« paffed'hiriifc irfueh
pcrfonal oblcunty. th« no circumllancc of it,
handed down to ns, can conned him with any
contemporary of rn«u.i,,,t e«Wne„,e to have m/-
r.ttd a place m hillory. hi. th«rcfor ,bfolutX
.mpoiTihl.: to g,ve a decided preference to any c^^^
«t the many xra, affiene.) ,o him. In thi, .[ncer
ta.nty thcopnnon of the great Hcn.dotus cc",
the be tt dcfcmng of credit, becatife he is the old
eft author who mentions him ; though his tradi-
Uonal .count be confufed (a. all tfaditiow S
by nuking lam pnor to LIuu, and Ntclampu^ "ho
arc nunt.uned «. Homer's own poem,. MJ 7av^
[/.. u .. 53] that Homer and tiefiod lived icL
years before h.n.fef; and he was born 484. t^
pubhc^. read h,s hiftory at Athens 446 yet, b^
rore Chnlh Euthynnnes (quoted by Cllmen, o/
Aietandr.a, Sfr»m. L. i) ^ays. that Horn r las
born ,„ the .Hand of Chios, and flouXd 200
years after the Trojan war. °

t After conf.dering the great variety of dif-
cordAt date, affigned to Eliffa, I cat. fee no rea.

doU'tn^r^ "^ *''"".*" '^'' ^■^"'^^ » handed
down to us from the national records of the Tv

No reailet, whole judgement i. above the il4nd.
ard of a fchooLboy's. need, be told, that the adl
ventures of a queen of Carthage, called Dido wlfh
an imaginary IVojan reluiree called ^P,
entirely tabulous.\,.o., fX.\ w^il^fo t"^n:'th.;^
canbefaid for and againft the pr.tendcd voya^I
oi iEncasto Italy, may cunlult th, Fir ^ *^
thatfnbjedbytll'leanldtcLt ^^'' "''""

(Byrfa) fignifyln/ i?[f, t^ , ^'^"^^ j',^" ."^C-
thence a very f.U,? fable was invS oL tfc^he"r

^ very narrow thong., was made to i„Sa tL"e
E^d^iCSbioi^S^,^-^--''^-

D a

39

H^^ore Chtift 868.

bear in remembrance, that almoft all, that we know of them, has come
to us by the information of their Greek and Roman enemies *. And,
even through the medium of fuch mahgnant information, we feel our-
felves irrefiftibly drawn to prefer them to thofe favourites of the hiftoric
mnfe in every purfuit of real utility. In fpite of mifreprefrntation we
are compelled to admire the greatnefs of their power, founded Iblely
upon the bafis of trade, and the general wilUom of their condud, till,
departing from the eharader of merchants, they were led away by the
mad ambition of being warriors and conquerors, which brought on the
ruin of their flourilhing ftate. From the fame Iburces of information,
when jiroperly examined, we can draw a comparifon between the Phoe-
nician colonies and thofe of other nations, which in the early ages v;ere
fo frequently roving over the face of the earth. Almoft every one of
thefe colonies may be confidered as a band of plunderers, conlifting of
one or more chiefs fupported by a crowd of ignorant and miferable de-
pendents, driven out from their native country by domeftic convulfions,
anci in their turn driving out, exterminating, or reducing to flavery,
thofe whom they could overpower, and, in fhort, fpreading mifery and
deiblation wherever tiiey went f . On the contrary, a Phoenician co-
lony was a fociety confifting of opulent and intelligent merchants, in-
genious manufidurers, Ikilful artifans, and hardy i'eamen, leaving their
native country, which was too narrow to contain their increafing popu-
lation, with the bleflings and good wifhes of their parents and friends
in order to fettle irt a diftant land, where they maintained a correfpond-
ence of friendfliip and mutual advantage with thoic who remained at
liome, and with their brethren in the other colonies fprung from their
parent ftate ; where, by profecuting their own intereft, they effedually
promoted the happineis of the parent ftate, of the people among whom
they fettled, and of all thofe with whom they had any intercourfe ; and
where they formed the point of union, which conneded the oppofite
ends of the earth in the ftrong band of mutual bet^efits. Such is the
contraft between a colony of barbaric hunters, paftors, warriors, and
robbers, and a colony of civilized and mercantile people.

Some Greek writers fay, that Phidon king of Argos was the firrt who
coined filver money, and invented weights and mcalures. As the Greeks
had a good deal of intercourfe with the more enlightened nations of
Afia :j:, it is not probable that they could be without the ufe of money,

• If the works of any of the Carthaginian
writers liad come down to us, we might, between
them and thrjfe of their enemies, have fo;rie rjretty
near to the truth. Pln'linui a tiiciiian Gretk, who
lived with the grea.. Hannibal, and wrolt a hillory
of Ills wais, is mentioiad refpcrtfiiUy by I'olybius,
who balances Uk partial'ty aj;ainll the cuHlrary
partiah'ty of the Roman hillorlan Fabius Piftor.

f Tills defetiption cxatlly agrees willi the pic-

ture of the early ftate of Greece, as drawn by
Thucydidc 1 in the bejimiinij of his Hiftory.

t We may be pretty fun.- tliat rvieafures, and
fcales and weights, were invented foon after the
creation of the wcirld. Abraham, who lived looo
years before Phidon, had fcales nice cnunyl' for
weighing lilver ; and, ho doubt, fnch were in nfe
long before his time.

Before Chrift 825—750. ^

The invention of co n is by /hV s^l^T^ .^ , . n''"' "' ^^"^
ter foundation) to the peon Jof^ n " fnt 1?^ P"" n '^ "" T ^''•
between Athens and Arans ^h. ' ''''^''y '^^"'^ '" ^^e bay

025 — Caftar afcribes the fovereienrv nf fh« r„„ .. u m
He licm, ,,„. ,„ ,.„,, known, ,h ''h^v rLt,^mU\: 2r"""T-
fore and after this time. " lionelled it tor ages be-

at fa r:"" lm"„°°,'^''"™"u "■= EsyP'i^ns with the C.me fupremacv

L t't ;;... i a ring e 7e«ilt"er'th" t'h ''"""r '^J.'/'" '" '^^''^'^■'^Z
ured upon the river " "''^ miferable craft, which they

and",'h:;Tim'^,"'tv:iVfl"':"f "''■' " '"'"''="'= '" "-"' P°"->
eftimate their com'^rce bv Z „'"''kL° ^7'""""', ^me, if ,ie ma^

cording to Pliny IHm'ml' "™^ ''?' "''°"'"' "'"^''- ^x^-

theTrnfr^r c^'Z t^tTTr f'7 T''"""' ""^ "-« °f

Rome., wh,ch«;defti„^:rty7rot;S:r't1omUn''/ 'T"'""" "'
vemment, and unite in !>,„. i.- j ? combine under one co-

muniries on the Ss "/re Me n '""T™"' ^"^■'^''"fc. a" the
thofe on ihe Attamtc ocean '^"'"^'""'■^'' &». 'ogether witi, fome of

empowered his iUbJe4 t^ tr^o"^ --^'^/,;^,;-": j-ccaort)

* Tlwr^ la rt....... r___ -11..

f.k'^r"■'''^'^ ."'"'y '■"''''" '" believe, that the datc^

o he o her villages of Italy, which never emer'r
d from their original obfcumy , and that nmU of
the events, relutal in the full (ive or fix cent urie
cJ.tsn.p,.o.eahilb^ have as little f;,,:^,^::-
X hri^r which hnvc been faimk.i ,„ hnmble iZ

alcnbed to the reigns of feven kings of ^oMmI
err, ory ,„ f.,., , times of r,,pi„t.. an'd violence" d
fhnfc eleaiye king,, „„ne of whofe reikis could
co:nme,u:e ,n early youth, and of whom^flr ^
f M to have been killed and one cxpflled, is alone
ulficient to o.^„hrow the whole fraditional part
.■f^the Roman hillory. From the accefllon of An

guftua there were twenty emperors in 244 v,a,s ■
and thofe emperors did not expofe their facTed no '
fon, to the da„,,er, of war. a' the chief of .r^ J
"f robbcTs (fo. fuel, was a king of Rome S
cojitniually have done Pli„y „,^kes £ ..^
half a cenuiry older than V.irro doe.: and of t le

Komc, l,.,rcely any two agree in the year, wlrch
■s a clear proof that no one ha.l ever thoukt of
date font, till the fplendour of the ^"0^,;
•<"d confequent vanity, inftigated them to fbar • h

I

ll

30 Before Chrift 734 — 713.

embalmed bodies of their deceafed parents, the moft facred depofit that
could be imagined : but he alfo decreed, that the debtor, negledling to
redeem this pretious pledge, fliould himfelf be deprived of the high-
prized honours beftowed in Egypt upon the meritorious dead. Still
the Egyptians confined their ideas of commerce to home trade, or paf-
five foreign trade.

734 — The dominion of the fea is next afligned to the Carians, a
people formerly noted for their piracies ; and tliere feems no good rea-
Ibn to believe, that their prefent power was of any other nature; [Herod.
L. ii, c. 152] or that it ever was near lb great and extenfive, us that of
the buccaneers in later times was in the Weft-India feas.

717 — The commercial city of Tyre was attacked by Salmanafar king
of Ailyria, who brought againft it a fleet of fixty (or feventy) veflels,
fumiftied and manned by fome of the Phoenicians, who had fubmitted
to his dominion. The Tyrians, then the only people of Phoenicia free
from the Aflyrian yoke, with twelve {hips completely defeated his fleet,
and took 500 priforters. So vaftly fuperior were free men fighting for
themfelves and their families to flaves fighting for a mafter. [Annales
Tyrii in Menmdri Cbron. ap. Jofepb. Antiq. L. ix, c. 14.] This, if I mif-
take not, is the moft antient naval battle, exprefsly recorded in any
hiftory.

713 — The firft fun-dial, mentioned in hiftory, was in the palace of
Hezekiah king of Judah, and it appears to have been ercdled by his
predeceflbr, as • is called * the fun-dial of Ahaz.' [I/at'ab, c. 38.] Ac-
cording to He otus, the Greeks learned the ufe of dials froin the Ba-
bylonians * ; a. . it is probable, that the Ifraelites had it from the lame
people, with whom they had frequent intercourfe of friendfliip or hof-
tility.

So defedive is Caftor's lift of rulers of the fea, that he has entirely
overlooked the Corinthians, who, there is good reafon to believe, were
the firft, and for a long time the only, nation of Greece, or indeed of
all Europe, who made any confiderable figure in naval tranfadions.
The Greeks, in uli ages timorous feamen, preferred land-carriage to the
dangerous navigation (as they efteemed it) round the rocky and tem-
peftuous head-lands of the Peloponnefusf , and thereby threw the whole
trade of their country into the hands of the Corinthians, who, occupy-

Milctus, he had learned it from the PerfiaoA or
Uubylnniant.

f About 1800 years after the time now undrr
coiilulcration, when the Romans hud carried into
Greece all the military and n?val knowlege to be
had in the Mcditerr<ineau, an imperial fleet was
cairicd over-land acrofs the lillimut of Corinth to
avoid the dreadful circumnavigati'iu of thePelopon-
nefus. ICiiion'jRcm. hjfi. V. x,^. 138, tJ. 179).]
Q_^ How large were thofo imperial men-of-wai '

• Though Herodotus [Z, ii, c. IC9] fays that
the Grcckf learned the pole, the gnomon, and the
divifmn of the day into twelve parts, from the Ba-
bylonians, the later Greek writeis have uifumcd
the honour of the invention uf the gnomon in
favour of Anaximander, who flourilhcd about 170
years after Hezekiah, and who fet up the firll dial
ieen in Greece at l.acedxmon. \_l)iog. Larrl.
L. ii.3 It h poflihle he might be an inventor of it ;
Lut !l is more probable, that, being a native of

hat

; to

;h.
till
.af-

, a

ea-

'od.

of

ing
els,
ted
ree
jet,
for
det
lif-
iny

of
his
\c.

Ba-
me
lof-

ely

ere

of

ms.
the
m-
ole

py-

m or

iidtr
into
o be

wat
li to

pon-

'•J
\

Aperspec/zve x'iew of part of the waste of an anticnt wir Galley of ih
the position of the benches and oars, as explauied by GEJV'ERAL ^HELV

I'll" ^

^

_J^

=^

Scai^ of Fe^t.

^1^ u

iL

?t

i ^1 tiatiiverse section ot Ptolcmv Philopator's double orei

A».J/u-n^ch^a,m,. \>\,.The sloping sides. S,, ihe note inp-PP. <^.(>ne atl/,, upr'rn.osfvars scar%tv .
mrntzoM^ <.. .IcnenMUS, hut .ertainly nnrssarv topr»miA<-.<Hts fi-.;, faUin^ ,i<nvn /. Aewn^ht of turn

I f

A > t

Elevation, transverse section, and horitortta/ fi/nne ,

l\iH<jlinl j,x..r,i,.y, t„ .irj.'l ra,/,Miilrnl l-v.f.MMrm»

Before Chrift 700. * ,

ing the ifthmus between two inlets of the fea. whereby Greece is al-
mofl cut afunder, poflefled a inoft commanding fituation for luch a
t.ade. Indeed the obvious advantage of having harbours in two feas.
whereby Italy and Afia were equally acceffible to them, appears to
have mduced the Gorinthmns in very early times to turn their attention
to conimerce and navigation ; for we learn from Thucydides, that foon
after the Trojan war they kept up fome naval force for proteding their
rade againft pirates : and there is reafon to believe, thaf they were dif-
tinguifhed by fome degree of opulence, even in that age, or at leaft in
Homer s time, as m his catalogue of the Grecian forces he beftows up-
on Cormth the epithet of the wealthy, which it retained through all the
vicillitudes of Its fortune, at leaft till the firft century of the Chriftian
aera. [i>trabo L vm,p. 586.] Befides the profit of their own trade the
Corinthians had a very confiderable advantage by landing goods in the
one harbour and re-fhipping them in the other, which, sTrfbo fays, wa,
a common pradtice : and they alfo levied a duty upon all goods ca ried
by land through their territories. ^"^rrieu

70o_The Corinthians have the credit of having introduced in Greece
a moft important improvement in the conftrudion of {hips or gallies of
^ar by fubftituting for the fmall. and very narrow velTels^with'o e ire
of oars on each fide, hitherto ufed, a larger and loftier kind, called
Uteres or tnremes which were worked by three tires, or rows of oars
on each fide *. It cannot be doubted, that this imp;ovement 'in the r

11 J , * """""^ °^ •'''*^ anti'ent (lii'ps or jjallfes,
quadrimmes, quiiK/ueremet, (sfc. has
idiiflry of manv learned men, who,

called /r«rcm«, quadriremts, quinqueremet, (sfc. has
exercifcd the indiiflry of many learned men, who,
being genfraliy unacquainted with naval affairs,

have run into fome very grofs abfurdities.

The liteial meaning of irirtmit feems to be a
vellel with three oars, or with tiiree oars on each
hde: but no fuch interpretation is admimUe | be-
Muic It IS known, that in very early times the
I hoemcians had veflels of fifty oars, in one of which
Inachus is faid to have arrived in Greece ; and be-
raufe the tnremes, now firft conftruded, or now fir(l
introduced in Greece, by tlie Corinthians, mud
have been y-cfftU fiipcrior to all that had ever been
Icen liitherto.

The mod general fuppontion hat been, that the
t>tnm,j h-Mi three tires of oars, the tires being
perpendicularly above eacli other, like tlie three
tires of guns in a modern (hip of the (irft rate, the
qua^!rtrfm,s four tires, and (o on. But, .idmltting
(what perhaps no fcaman will admit) the poflihf-
;iy oi working dnr tires of oar. fo placed, what
.■"' '=•>„"[ >''.V'">AMi.es? And (to fay
liothing of Pollux's M,u.~„u,Ys, or (hip of a hun-
dred tires, which i. fure^ f.ibulous) there was
certainly a yuadra^uitaremii, and even, according
<olhny. [L. vii, r. 56] a quhguagi„taremu, or,
agreeable to tin. fuppolJtion, vclTels of /or/y and

My decks, of which, even the mUd/e one, in or-
der to allow fufficient room for the length and
iweep or revolution of the enormous oars in the
inhde of the vtflcl, muft have been vaftly higher
than the topgallant mail of » modern tird-iate
(hip.

Another fuppolitlon has been, that the antient
gallies were called trireme, from having three men
to each oar, quad,iremr, hom four, and fo on to
the highe I rate. In fupport of this hypothcfis it
may he alleged, that the hmom ^uadraj!in/arcmu
of Ptolemy Philopator is thus accounted for by
fiippofing fifty oars with 40 men to each, which
thu.rt .pure 2,000 men, and a fecond fel, o.
watch, to relieve them, makes 4,000, the number
of rowers, which, according to Athenxus, ac-
tually belonged to that great floating palace. The
onltnfs rtmurum raifcd above each other, frenucnt-
ly mentioned by the Roman writers, arc fuppofed
to mean the raifed b.nches, on which each rower,
according no his dilUnce from the fide, was ele-
vatcd above his next neighbour, agreeable to the
angle formed by the oar with the furface of the
xvatcr.

The folution of this Gordian knot appears to
have been rcferved for General Melville, governor,
general of Grenada and tlie other ceded iflands, a
geutleman, who, by having frequent occafion t«

.Iperspec/zvf view of part of the wastx of an anxieiit war Gallcv of five tires of oars . with a transx'crsf section
the position of the bencJies and otus . as explained by GETTER AL MELVILLK, F.R.S. and^i.S.

7>nwK trrm «** Utntr^ik M^tiei *j

^TTTTX-^-y^

■^

^tz-

-^-

SeaU ff Frtt

^

^4 tt'ansverse section r^/'Ptolemv rhilopator's double' g'reat ship with forty tires of ours. Set' p

lk-^.77w twc hc^mj- \i-h-7^rx/itpt/ttf sides. Sfe the notr inp-PP- r.(*nr frtttf i^/><rmt\rf iuitjt s,nrre/v ,hppvi^inthewatt^'. The vihfr oarjr turr cwtit^J . A.A . Re*»»tjr, vr ^
mrtttionfJ hi' , t th rn *r US , f>ut crftainiv nfcrjtsarv tepr^ent Af ,iiJfjs frrm t'liMu*^ *i7wn hvihfH'eiifki otwwinteh'rs, the henfAfvt. thetnen ^ anJ the otu\f.

£ievti/if>/f , trfafsrerse st'ction, anti hori z^fntaJ p/onv , ,>fti/i iUttieat round ship. S«'f /'. /7/>'

■' ^^r^-:.;.i,?T!r^r,^^

Vol. I. p. Si.

with atranst'erse section shmvin^f

^^

>riy tires of oars. See p- ^**S.

ten , anJth^ oat\3r.

round ship. .**/v- /'. /7/>-

3^

Before Chrill 700.

marine, added to their former naval fuperiority, muft have thrown into
their hands a temporary dominion of the Grecian feas.

Aminocles, whofe name is immortalized as the builder of the new
ftiips, was alfo employed by the Samians, for whom he built four veflels.
Eufcbius [N°. 1255] fcems alfo to fay, that the Athenians had fome of
his fhips. But it is obfcurely exprefled ; and the time is too early by
many years for the age of Aminocles, according to Thucydides.

Moft of the maritime Grecian Hates foon adopted the ufe oi triremes;
and fucceeding ages varied and increafed the number of tires of oars, as
ambition, or as vanity, prompted, the rates of the veflels being deno-
minated from the number of tires, as modern fhips of war are called
two-deckers, three-deckers, &c. from their tires of guns.

It is proper to obferve, that Damaftes, an author contemporary with
Herodotus, [ap. Plin. Hi/i. nat. L, vii, c. 56] fays, that biremes (veflels
with two tires of oars) were ufed by the Erythraeans or Arabians : and

croft the ocean, \s\\% enaMcd to unite nautical
knowlegc with acuttnefs of lefearch and great claf-
flcal reading. lie fiippofes, that the antient gal-
lies were very flat in tlie hottom, and that their
fides were raifcd perpendicniar to the height of
only three or four feet from the furface of the
water, above which they diverged with an angle
of about 4? degrees. Upon this doping wall lie
places the feats of the rowers, about two feet in
length, the rows or tires of them being raifed on-
ly El)Out 15 incius in perpendicular height above
each other *, and the feats, as well as the row-
ports, being arranged in quincunx or checker-wife,
as the gun-ports of a modrrn fir(l-rate fliip. Thus
the upper tire of oara in a liirctnis is only about
30 inches, in ^ quadriremis 45 inches, and in a
r/iihi'i::eirmis I inches, in perpendicular height
above the lower tire ( while the corr.bination of
the quincunx arrangement and the oblique fide
gives every roWL-r [lerfedl liberty to adl, no one
being perpendicularly above his ntaieft neighbour
in the tire below hi(n. By thus applying a great-
er number of oars and the force of a greater num-
ber of men. than could poflibly ac\ in a vcffel witii
upright fides, they greatly increafed the velocity
or impetus, upon wliicli in naval engagements they
placvd their wriole di pendente for the fnccefsful
performance of all their manjcnvrcs, and tor bilg-
ing their enem) 's vell'els with the iron or braltn
ro//ni affixed to the hri ' of thtir own. But it
mult be ackni.v.lcged, t.;at the uppermoft oars in
gallies of above live rows, though valtly (hort of
the len'^th neceffary upon the fuppofitiou of the

• ir ViC c(i.ij Jvicnd on the trxt of Oroiiui, [/.. v, ..
19] where he fayi.'that .Antony's larptft fliips, many of
which verc, uccording to Floriia, of «/«-■ tirfi^ but accord-
ing to Dion CiifTiu* "! .'■■' .'"v of oara, were only hn/.-it
.;i(.v. Ili: -,l:iIli; wc mull believe, that the tires coulj not
l.c more than C'ght or nine irtlies above each other in pcr-

fides being perpendicular, were ftill too long to b<
worked with much eiFcA by one man, (nor does it
• appear that they ever employed more than one f )
find that the angle they made with the water, be-
ing about 45 degrees, mnll have produced an ef-
fect fomewhat between rowing and paddling, as
thefe terms are undcrltood by our modern fcamen.

General Melville's ingenious difcovery is not on-
ly clear of all the difficulties attending the other
hypothefes, but it alfo illullrates, and is illultrateJ
by, many paflagts in antient writers, wliich are
otherways inexplicable. It is further confirmed by
antient fculpturea at Rome, by a medallion of Gor-
dian at Naples, and by ;.ntient paintings at Portici,
fome of which, prtfeiuing to view the ends of the
gallies, exhibit their doping fides with the oars
ilTuing fiom them in exa A correfpondencc with the
general's idea.

For the moll valuable part of this note I am
indebted to the polite and liberal communications
of General Melville ; who for illullrating the prin-
ciples, on which the gallits were conftruiflcd, has
a model of the fifth part of the waile of a quin-
qucrcviii, which is a reduction, on the fca'e of .v
bout one inch to a foot, from one of the full fize,
formerly ercC'ted in the hack-yard of his luuifc in
Great Pulteiicy ftiect, whereon many gentlemen of
claffical and nautical knowlegc favv the thirty oars
(the fifth part of one hundred and fifty, which was
the number of oars on one fide) actually worked
by thirty men, free of every Impediment or inter-
ference, which might be apprehended from their
crowded pofition.

penilicilar height. Bat x feet muft fiirely be an errnne js
reading for xv or xx, th: v or x beinj; lo(l in tranfcrihing.
t It it evident fiom the I'adici of l.'.o ^.. 19] that there
was but one man to an r,ir Iti hi^ vcHVh, none of wiiich, t^
is true, fceni to have had more than two tiro of care

'4
,•1

1V^

Before Chrift 676.

Clemenj of Alexandria \ Stromal 7 J /• ,ai „c u 1 ■
the triremes to the Sidonknr TnH^ f' • -^ ^ '"^" '^^ "iverition of
imitation of the Sidonian veffels ^^^ ^ " '>' ."ot improbable, that an
thians. may have procrSedS ^^^'^ ^orin-

Greeks. who were never verv r-n. 1 /A' '^'^"^i"" '^^ong the

fcience and invention WSJ^S".' ?( ?^^Ji"g the honour of
hiftorian has reached oarTimes to 2''' ^"^^""P^^ely no Sidonian
neral and .no. efpedallVrcr^^^^^^^ '^^^ °^ ^iftory in ge-

-^;f^^ of the

planTnT^derong^^^^^^ bJS^ Ethio-

probably an.ong Sh^ntirnf wWe L'^^^^^ the'^^ f ^/" •'^"^'
permuted to land upon the Egymian fhore Mrlr °^^ foreigners

tive country he becUe one of twe We Ws thn ,7 '''"'" /° ^"^ "^-
nate at the fame time. Bein? Ix^JuJf^l - 1 ''^ '^'^""^^ co-ordi-
Hved in exile among the maXsPt the rn \^'?'^]'' ^ings he again
gave a kind reception to aH trade" ^t ^n °^'''' ''''^'' ^^^^''^ he
and by exchang^ the prod'c^' f^ '..^Sl^'f^^^^^^^ h^^^"'--^'
by them, he acquired great riches At L, V?r l'^ S°°^' imported
pirates, accidentally landing on t"; c^aft £ i"""' ^T?"" ^"^ ^^arian
vied in Arabia, enabled him^o -evera.V^ff ^''' ""'^ ^"""^ ^^^^^ '«-
even to make himfelf fole king of E.^vn f'^'^'F^' ^P^^ him. and
favour to the Greeks and as hv uF^ From this time he fhewed
charader. he had acquired more'-i^ider".! """^"^ V" ^ P"-^^«
the Egyptians, of the advanTages Se ^^^^^^ "^"^^ ^"^ong

foreign nations, he encouraged them to t^r.l ""J"'^ ^"tercourfe with
t ement. and a harbour f in his countr. R ' '■/ '?'' ^"^^ ^^^"^ f«.
tian boys under their cafe ^o learn Cr/t u ''? P^"'"^ ^"^^^ ^gyp.
prerers. f//,,,^,,. ^ i ^^ ^T'" PcT^'^n •^'' -^•'^^y "^^^ht ad as intS-
m the Egyptians perfift^d n ntllatZf^:!'- ",'"'' ^- ^V^^^' 67] But
t >em by Nature in giv.ng them the commn/r^'^r ^'^'''^'^ "P"'^
'h.iW their own. Le/tthe'"cra;irnT^f,^Vrh:i^^^^^^^ ^

Itifrc 13 a kind nf /,-;.-.-;. /r_. i i , .

f I '* 1"°'". "I'lcli ha« a niiitiber of u.oicrt;, *

f-'r, ,vl,.it thcv call,.) ,1 • '^ Corinthians

Oii.m.1 ill ,;" '"-"" >■)■ "« '"■•»■> rf ll»

.H

Before Chrift 6^4— .607.

^1^:

664--.The firft naval battle known in Grecian bifton was foueht bew
tween the Connthians and their own colonifts, who had fettled in Cor
cyra. \_7hucyd. L. i.]

641— Among the Greek traders, who availed themfelves of the in-
dulgence of Plammitichus. was Colaeus of Samos. who acquired a irreat
tortune. and the prefervation of his name in all fucceeding ages by an
accident, which he mufl have confidered at the time as the ruin of his-
voyage On his way to Egypt he met with a gale of wind from the
ealt. which continued fo long, that he was carried quite through the
pallage, now called the Straits of Gibraltar, to Tarteffus on the fouth-
welt coaft of Spain ; and. thus he had the honour to be the firft Greek
whoever faw the Atlantic ocean*. In this marker, fo unexpededly
found, he united the profits, which had been divided between the
Greeks and the Phoenicians ; and the goods he purchafed, having never
before been diredly imported into any Grecian country, yielded a pro-
ht tar lurpafling the mod lucrative voyage ever made by any Grecian
merchant, excepting Softrates of ^gina, of whom, I believe, nothing
elle IS known, but that bis profperity in trade was unparalleled. From
a tenth part being prefented to Juno, we are luckily ftirniOied with the
knowlege of the profits made in tliis extraordinary fortunate adven-
ture ; and they amounted to fixty talents, which, if they were Euboic
talents of filver, contained a quantity of that metal equal to^^u 62s
fterling. \Herod. L. iv, c. 152] From the curious hiftory of this voyage
we alfo know, what was reckoned a prodigious great fortune in the age
of Herodotus. The Greeks, however, appear not to have availed them-
lelves of this accidental difcovery by continuing the trade f .

616— Pfammitichus king of Egypt was iucceeded by his fon Necos
This prince, inheriting his father's defire to increafe the commerce of
his fubjeds, in order to open a trade with the rich countries of the Fall
relumed the grand dcfign (originally conceived by Sefoftris, and adiial-
ly put in execution by him or his fon) of uniting the navigation of the
two feas by a great navigable canal. The coni^rudion of canals, fo fa-
miliar to the prefent age, was fo little undeiftood in the time of Necos,
that the natural impediments were abfolutely infuperable by the fcience
of his engineers ; fo that the undertaking was abandoned, after 1 20,000
workmen had loft their lives by the intolerable labour. [Hcrodot L ii
c: 158.] ^ ' • '

607 — Necos. thus difappointcd of efFeding a jundion between the
«wo feas, eftablifhed ports, and built a fleet of ftiips on each of them •

• The expedition, afcribcd to Mercukn. belongs they h.ivc eiiil-dlinied the motley hiftory of their

to Mclcartiis, who lo alfo calkd the Tyrian Hi.r- own deniigoc'.

ciiles. The Gacian h'nMh availed thimielvts of f This will be explained in a note on the ima-

this identity to rob him of liij actions, wherewith ^inary Greek trade to Britain, under the vear ccq

J before Clirift. ^ ^^

Before Chrift 607, .^

and thus he put his kingdom in a fair way of beiue the center of *»,
trade of the world, if he could have fubdtfed the h4eron L A^t

ed hv%tV '"""^ ^"PPf ^ '^^ probability of Africa bein. „ ound-
Vf ^^*' ^•^'^P^'ng the iftl>nius whereby it is joined m A^. hZ

in the third ye'rfromlh.ir^' "'"''^ ?^ '^^" Mediterranean, and
w iiniu year rrom their departure arrived in rKp xr;i-. r^ i •

painng their fhips. and getting in their harv^ft.h^ T'. ''^'^'. '^'

voyage. This circnmftnnr^ ,? u ''^7^"' ,*"^y proceeded on their

been one of he fineft^nrn '' ' '^"'' '^^^^h Kgypt has in all ages

tians nor tlVph.'n^t.^ru^ndTrZrthTn; tl^^ "l^^ ''^ ^^^P"
fea, or of preparing bread for l^Z i J • "'^°^ °^ preferving corn at

circumftance is SeX HeriZ, 'fP'"f ^^"^^^'"^^ "^^^ important
knowlege of this vovalre^ H.A '. "T^'T """ '^''^ indebted for the
feen thf fun o thefr ? kt hand^^'tl '?' '' ^'T^ ''^'''''^' ^^^^ '^^^^
when they were irthe Sh n^' ? J' °'' '''^ """"^ ^'^^ «*" them,
tells us. he S4'^„;^rbeli ve^'Tnd r""^"'?^^ ^^'' ^'' "^^^ ^'^^^^^^Y
ftrength of his inc edulitv wVlnh J / ' ^occcdmg writers, on the

moft knowing o^the g ^;k7^^!te ^''^r'/^^'/^u^'^"^ «^ °"^ «f the
fabulous. But tL very circ.!! """^l^'"^'^ ^he voyage as entirely
voyage, eftabl ftes TbLTd d.^r^T ^"^ /Samft the veracity of the
well be doubted whether even fhlpu'^ .«f contradidion : for it may
acquainted with th^ fvftem o? rt ^^''T'''' 7''' '^^'^ lufficienlly
poflibiluy of goinTto t le f "fji^" ^"7'"? '? '^""^ ^'^^ theory the
vent fuc/a ,!r;Xl kl^^'l^t. *' '^^.^^^ 7 '^ ^^ ^'^^ '? -

-■42] And this was unqueftionably L \iry firft ct."' '' '^•^' •^- ^^'
Africa recorded in hiilorv ^nr\ lU , ^ „ " circumnavigation of
Gama. above 2.000 yea.? '.fte^ atL"" ? -<^»-amhenticated 1.ne. till
joined to a fuppoied i'^uthenfc^uSt ^"""'^^'' ^^'^^ ^^"^ ^^ -^

ahnoft ^t^^:n :':!^u:s i'^ ^^^ ^^"^^^^'-' -^-^ -^

and Kgypt was ftiil carried on bv P. ' " '^' ^'"^^'^^ ^"^^^'^ Arabia

t they had had any fuch imetom- e ^hey Suld';:;' h^'^ t"'^^^"^'
tircly Ignorant of their nautic-.l fr.wl 7 ^ "°^ *^^''^ ^een en-

nuuticul Icicnce and voyages, and Necos would

E2

'Before Chrift 607.

36

have applied to them for navigators rather than to the Phosnicians, who
could have no knowlege of the navigation of the eatt coalt of Africa
except what tliey might perhaps derive from the journals of the navi-
gators, who accompanied Solomon's vefTels almofl four centuries before
J^ut tt.e Phoenicians appear to have been the only people known to the
i.gypnans as navigators. To them, therefor. Necos applied, and they,
inmdtul of the advantages reaped by their anceftors from a participa-
tion with Solomon of the ufe of a harbour in the Red fea. gladly en-
gaged m an adventure, whereby they hoped to have an opportunity of
becoming acquainted with the rich countries, whence the Arabians ob-
tained the pretious commodities, which every year drew great fums of
money from them. But we may be afllircd, that the Phoenician com-
mander did not negled to fhip onboard each of his veflels at leaft two
Arabian pilots, acquainted with the navigation of the Red fea and a
Gonfiderable extent of the eafl coall of Africa, and with the nature of
the tides (fo dreadful to the Mediterranean navigators), the prevailing
currents, and periodical winds.

The Greek colonies in Afia, by their intercourfe with the Phrygians,
Lydians, and other nations in their neighbourhood, who were in a more
advanced ftate of lociety than themfelves, but more particularly by their
commercial intercourfe with the Phoenicians and Egyptians, nations ftill
more civilized and enlightened, emerged from barbarifm long before
the European Greeks, and greatly outftripped them in the career of li-
terature and philofophy, as well as of commerce. An ' ence we find,
that almoft all the early poets, hiftorians. and profeflbrs of natural and
inoral philofophy, whofe great talents have raifed a monument of ever-
lafting tame to Greece, were in reality natives of the Afiatic coart, or of
the adjacent ifiands *. Among the earlieft of the Greek philofophers
was Thales of Miletus, defcended of Phoenician parentage, who by tr.:-
vel and ftudy among the Egyptians, and no doubt, among his Phoeni-
cian relations, acquired fome knowlege of geometry and aftronomv.
He pointed out to the Greeks the conftellation called the k(fer bear, by
which the Phoenicians fleered their courfe in the night ; and he impart-
ed to them the knowlege of the rotundity of the earth, the divifion of
It into five zones, and the Egyptian divifion of the year into 36'; davs ;
notwithftanding which they perfifted for hundreds of years atter his
time in the erroneous calculation by 360 days. But, what chiefly com-
manded the admiration of an ignorant people, was his predidion of the
year (6qi) in which a remarkable eclipfe of the fun (hould happen, and
the accidental ci;cumftance of two armies, actually engaged in battle,

feparating on account of the unuiual darkneis. [Ihrod. L. i, c. 74

Diog. Laert. L. i] His predidion of the eclipfe, coining no nearer than

* A great number of xW-U „ami8 arc collcacd by Blackwell in lilj Efinulry into tht I'tfe tuul urU-
>r^s of Hcircr,j-'^\ \2 — 1^,fouilh nl. 3

Before Chrift 594. «•

the>rflrin which it fliould happen, feems to infer, that his ERyntian
or Phanician mafters had but a dark conception of the theory of eclip-
fes, by the accurate knowlege of which the modern geographer is
enabled to delineate w.th precifion the furfece of the earth, and the na,
vigator can aicertam his pofition, or diredl his courfe through the
boundlefs ocean with a much more afOired confidence, than the antients
cou d pofTibly have m their recoUedion of the appearance of the land
^^I-ran"af "^ '""'' '''''''' ''""« the wind^g fhores of the Me-

hJll^^^''^'' "^^ ["^^^^'^^^ his father Pr.mmis as king of Egypt
had a fleet upon the Mediterranean, with wiiich he carried on a war
agamft the maritime cities ofSidon and Tyre, and fought a n^a? ^t-

he V aorv'"' "l^*^".''/"' ''T''^'' ^''"^"••"^ "^-"'-' he obt ined
M i;46T '^ '^- ^- "• " '^'-^'"^- ^'<^"l- L. i. p. 79- ^d- ^

.Inn^''-^^^ "^^7 '"u^"' ^"'^ long-flourifliing commercial city of Si-
don appears to have been now eclipled by the profperity of her moft
anuent colony of Tyre, whofe commercial fplendour is thus dellnere
by the prophet Ezekiel[.. 27J who thereby gives us a brief fteXof
known w^rld""""' ''""^'°"' " ""''' -"' ^-^^le part of the tLl
The people of all the neighbouring countries were employed bv the
Tymus m building and navigaung their fhips. which werrXificem!
ly adorned with ivory, purple, and fine linen ; and their Tava com
rnTcv-e::',"' rT^ '^^ T^ '■^^P^^^^^^ -^' ^^e citizen every office'
honoSle "Jn tTJ\? '\' ---""^' departments blnng eLemed
ri .mS- r.: , / '^'':' ''.^"^ 'he univerlal prediledion of the Ty-
rans for trade and navigation induced them to employ foreign mercena

tT raXm'S ^"^'^'^'^--' t, obfervmg hoUer thf pr^'u fon

btlJ^ndtu-nTh^fciiy!"' """""^' " '''''' ^° ^^^ ^-^-^. -^ -

from ^'"'^''"tf''""' '''^ ''''"'"* "^'»°"^ ^^C'-^ as follows : fine linens +
from Egypt; blue, and purple, from the ifles of Elifha • filvel^ Ton!

m a grc.t naval battW, and returned, loaded wrh t Or S f 'f 'ty of fud, .ncrcenar.e^.

Ipoil, to E.rypt. ' '"'"^" ^"" I ^r *X^'", apparently hne flax, as a law ma-

t The .epubHc of Ven.-ce. .he Tyre of the mid- S'-nd'^.^rG^.^.'"^!;"//;.""'' """""-

I

I

u\

38

Before Chrlft 588.

un, and lead, from TarlTiidi, brought by the Carthaginians * ; flavci
and brazen veiTels from Javan (or Greece), Tubal and Mt-rech ; horfes,
lla\f s bred to horfcmanftup, and mules, from Togormali ; emeralds.'
purple, embroidery, fine linen f , corals, agates, from Syria, in exchange
tor the iiianufadures of Tyre ; corn, balfam, honey, oil, and gums, from
the Ilrae'.ites, who, we thus fee, were farmers, but not manufacturers ;
excellent wines, and fine wool, from Damafcus ; poliflied ironware, prc-
tious oils, and cinnamon, from Dan, Javan, and Mezo ; magnificent car-
pets (iuch as arc ftill ufed in the eaftern countries for fitting upon) from
Dedan ; fliccp and goats for flaughter from the paftoral tribes of Ara-
bia ; the nioft cortly Ipices, fome of them apparently the produce of In-
dia t, pretious (tones, and gold, from the merchants of Sheba (or Sa-
bfea) and Raamah (or Regma). countries in the fouth part of Arabia ;
blue cloths, embroidered work, rich apparel, in corded cedar cherts
(perhaps original Indian packages) and other goods, from Sheba, Afliur,
and Chilmad, and from Haran, Ganneh, and Eden, apparently trading
ports on the fouth coaft of Arabia §. And here it is proper to remind
the reader, that the Arabians, who furniflied the greatefl and moft va-
luable part of the articles enumerated ||, appear to have been the only
traders from the Welt, whofe voyages extended to India in the early
ages f .

• Tarfliifli apppara here to be the fouth part of
Spain. I have infcited the Cailhaginiana on the
authority of Jt-rom's trnnflation.

t Jcrom's trandatioii h-s aH'o fiHc {' fcritum').

X The Grecka believed, that Arabia was the
only coiuitry which prnJuced frank inccnfe, myrh,
cafia, cinnamoi), and ledaiium, whicli were carried
to Greece by the Phocnicijns. INeroJot. L. iii,

i 111 the enumeration of places the firft Javan,
the name of Greece in the IJible, appears to be
difFcieiit fiom the ftcond Javan, which was proba-
bly in the foiith part of Arabia. And all the
places mentioned utter it, except the paftoral part
of ."Vrabia and Alhur, may be prefuined to linvc
been fituated in the fame coinnHiclal country,
whole exteiifive commerce with India and the
otiier oriental tcgioiia is dercribtd by Arillobuhis,
Aj^atharchide;:, a. id die Periplns of the Erythricaii
fea, many ajres alter, in a manner perfectly agree-
ing; with the prduit account. It U, moreover,
worthy of leinaik, liow wtU Ezekiel's account of
the trade correfpunjs with the obfcrvatiou of Aga-
tharcliidis, tliai the Sabxans, tlie chief people of
the l()u;h cuall of Aiabia, I'upplied the Phoenici-
ans witii the moil piutitablc ailitlcs of thcii trade.

The reader, iKlnuus of information lefpeftinir
the lever.il countries mentioned by Ezekiel, may
confult Dochart, with the. commentators on llii«
portion of tlie Bible, and on the tenth chapter of
Ocnetis.

II Strabo, [Z. xvi, />. iia8] gives us the route
between Arabia and Plntnieia, as it was before the
oriental trade was in a jrreat meafure engrofled by
the Greeks of Alexandria, viz. ftotn I.euk^ koine,
^White town), an emporium near the head of the
Red fea, to Petra the capital of the NabatTan
tnbe, and thence to Rhinocolura (or Rhinocorura)
a port of the Mediterranean fea on the border of
Phccnicia adjoining to Egypt. And tliis appears
to have been the route by which the Tyrians re-
ceived the goods mentioned ill the text, and the
gtcated part of their India guods, whicli tliey
booght of the Arabians: f)r however high ouv
opinion may be of the mercantile and adventurous
fpirit of the PlKcnicians, it !■< evident, that they
themfelves could not fail to India (iinlefs as p.if-
fengeri or charterers, which the Arabs probably
did not peimit) a> they do not appear, from any
fuflieieiu authoritj, to have ev. r pulleirtd a fingle
harbour on the coall of the Oceiin or any ot it«
gulfs, except the temporary conjuntt uic of one
in tlie leigii of Sc.lor.uni king ot ll'iael.

5f It wnuld by no means be extravagant to fup-
polc that they traded toL\\K)n, or even to the
countries and illands far IkjuiuI it (as it foeins
doubtful if llie bed cinnamon has been in all ages
a native of Ceylon) as early ao the days ol Solo-
mon; for no fuch fpices were known (in Jerufa-
lem) as thofe whleli th. queen if Sheba prefented
to Solomon. HI l./jmn. c. 9.] It was not puf-
fible, that a people of iuch uommercial and uauli-

Before Chrift 585. ,»

In tliis lively piaure we fee Tyre the center and the enlivenins foul
ot a commerce, not lefs extenfive than the utmolt limits of the then
known world, diredmg and animating the operations of the merchant*
and manutadurers m the mod diftant regions, and through their hands
difpenfing to the induftnousm every biifinefs and profe^on through
out the Horld. the blefimp of a comfortable and independent fuS-
ence tor themfelvcs and their families ; or in a word, enriching a 1 the
world by ennchmg herfe f. which is the grand and charaderifuca dit!

oHtTy X-ft " "'" ''"'''' '' ^"""^'"^' ^"' ^^^^■'-'-

Unhappily the vaft wealth, which thus flowed into Tyre from all

quarters, brought along wuh it its too general confequence of extmS

gant diffipation and dilToIutenefs of morals. extra\a-

585-Thc coniniercial proCperity of the Tyrians, hitherto almoft un
interrupted now fuftered a fl)ort eclipfe. Nebuchadnezzar, rhc milh"v
kmg of Babylon flu down b<'fore the city with an innum;rablc m 7
Though deprived of all fupplics from the adjacent coZy by the en^
niy, the command of the fea enabled the Tyrians to ftancf out no le ft
ban Uurtcen years agamrt a monarch, wholb territories vs-ere t lea ft a
thou and t.mes as extenfive as theirs. But ieeing that it would be L^
pofllble to repel fuch an unequal landed force from their walls thTv
wifely availed themfelves of the fuperior value, which mov^'bi; \ll
perty m fuch an emergency has in the hands of a J.eople^fl'efl n/tl^
command of the lea: and they came to the refolutWof Calk 4
doning their city and territory on the continent, and cftabliH hu^hcn "
felves on a fmall ifland near the fhore. For this purpofe tl ey L uj

tl. great conqueror of .he Eaft ^^^In/^^^^.:!:^^:^ tjZli" fr

An r • 1 r ?^*''"^^°"^'' ^° J^i^ exhaurted and difappointed . nw
An 1 horn her allies fprung up a new Tyre, which, like lir n? ainT^v
bird bearmg her national name of P/.^;,/,, was in all thin4 t le nerf '"
refemblance of her narent and with Ii^^l«^^^ ^ • ^'"".t,** '"^ P^'^"- '
in nearly ,hc ftn.e cine ^of elm tXT.vtn^ T"""'-

w» fubjefled by the irredftible iCr of AlcxaV.te ' '" ''"' '""

is raid ,„ have contained t.o.o inhaVi^cd "owl' " Hav, r.'^r'^S^
ened ideas of commerce and maritime affairs thin -nil 3 T ^'^\'^''\-
fors, he eftablillied an emporium at Naucr t s , t2. o ' ^''"'^''^'^■
or Canopic mouth of the Nile to which Iifm-uli ^ V V'n '''^^'-''■"
welcome, as the Chi„e,e do 'nowttlr fLr'l'S: hL jLS"^

01;

i^Ss sL-fi^:^^s, £;^ £:«-L^ -»- *- ^^

4P

Before Chrlft 573.

m

Pfammiiicbus, he fliewcd efpecial favour to the Greeks, whom he vlU
lowed to fettle in fome other parts of his kingdom, while the veflels of
other nations, though driven by contrary winds into any of the prohi-
bited mouths of the Nile, were compelled to go to Naucratis, in which
alone they were permitted to tranfad any bufinefs. His fleet was fuf-
ficiently flrong to extort a tribute from the Cyjirlans, though a mari-
time and commercial people. But as Egypt afforded no timber proper
for building any vefltls better than thofe ufed in the inland navigation
of the Nile and the canals, the royal fleets o/this king and his predecef-
fors muft have been built of imported timber, or more probably bought
ready-built from the Phoeniciaus, No efforts, however, of the mofl: en-
lightened of their kings could ever prevail upon the Egyptians to fub-
duc their innate dcteftation of the fea, and to take into their own hands
the full pofll'fllon of the commercial benefits, to which they were invited
by their natural advantages, but which their unconquerable prejudices
threw into the hands of their wifer neighbours. Perhaps if they had
continued under their native kings, they would have {een the folly of
confining themlelves to a paflive commerce, when a moft; extenfive ac-
tive commerce was fo very much in their power. But it was only in
the lafl: ftage of their exiftence as an independent nation, thai, they be-
gan to extend their views beyond their own country ; for foon after the
death of Amafis, Egypt became a province of the Perfian empire ; and
from that time to the prefent day it has continued moftly under the do-
minion of foreigners.

In this age there flouriflied feveral philofophers, who eflabliftied regu-
lations which had an influence on the commerce, as well as on the po-
licy, of Greece, or who communicated to the Greeks, (from whom the
other nations of Europe received it) the firfl; knowlege of arts, which
by the improvements of later ages have facilitated navigation, and there-
by rendered eflential fervice to commerce.

The firft of tliefe was Solon, the celebrated legiflator of Athens. That
commonwealth was brought to the verge of ruin by the boundlefs rapa-
city and cruelty of creditors, and the defperation of debtors. By the
exiftin-^ laws of Athens the former !iad a right to compell the lervices
of the later, and even to deprive them of their children, whom they ex-
])orrcti as flaves. To thefe grofs enormities Solon put a flop by more
equitable laws, and he reduced the intereft of money to twelve per cent*.
In conl'.deration of the luperior intereft, which men of property have in
the national welfare, he decreed that the members of the fcnate and the
areopagus fliould be chofen from among fuch citizens as hadeftates fuf-
ficicnt to make them independent, thus holding out to the induftrious

• It U fa'iJ laat lie alio rtlicvcd tlic lUStora by creditors fullaincd no lofa. If Solcn was fo Im-
lailliig tlie nominal value of Ui- mira from 73 to prudent, it ihows that the principles of money and
i o dr.nchrna:', by v.hii.h meafur^', it is added, the tonimcrcc were totally unkiiowu.

t

Before Chrift 550. -,

vsh,r5^,r?/^'''"'""^''T"i:"''""' *'=''■ P'eftnt condition. Tlie
vaue of trade began now to be known in Atliens, as appears by one of
Solon's laws whereby a ion. wl,ofe father had neglefled to teTch him
any ufeful branch of induHry, was exempted from the obi gation rf
mamtammg hnn. when fuperannuated. Solon alfo intmEd the
Egypttan law, wh.ch obliged all perlbns to give an acconn every v4r

p^°<:^ig:lft;Td •d1e'n'si'.''^-='''-°°''>-<' -^ =«»•""-" ^^^2^:1^

he earned aftronomy, from^he PhorniciaTsadthmeTi" ,nd from A=

rSaT;i^Sdtr«i^^;S^
:t;sfrnrsSKiS!?iES^7:

Greeks the ufe of the dhl inH tonn V i , ^,"a^". "i" fliowed the
o.geogtaphy,V«lll t^^'iS ^^ rngtra-,--Z!

thi» p^irprr''°iTnr.:'.it'',rr!b^ri""% "'^ ^^'^'^'-' s-

pottcr's wheel, and ot kin, I^W f , " ''"V "'? '"vention of the
<honld be invented by ara^n^'Sir^-;, 'X.^ltorff l^'^

trade ,nd the uf.ful arts, to th. Lnd» o^' ilav ' grapp i.-'^liirh ^'", "'"'r''" " '"-> '"^="' 'h«
VOL. I.

p.

4*

Before Chnft 550.

genes Laertlus, profefled a great averfion to the fca ; or that the Phoe-
nicians fhould not many ages ago have found out, that an anchor with
only one fluke had fcarcely a chance of taking hold of the ground.

550— THE BRITISH COMMERCE,

which in the prefent day animates the moft diftant quarters of the
globe by the vaft extent of its operations, and covers the Ocean with
the innumerable multitude of its fliips, begins now to emerge from the
thick darknefs which had hitherto overwhelmed the tranfadions of the
Phoenicians and their colonifts with our iflands, by means of a faint
ray of light, proceeding from a poem upon the Argonautic expedition,
written by Qinomacritus in the charadler of Orpheus. This Grecian
poet leads his heroes over every part of the world known to him ; and,
in the courfe of their adventures in the Atlantic ocean, he makes them
pafs an ifland called lerne, which is apparently Ireland. The flory,
though ridiculoufly abfurd, is a valuable document of the moft antient
commercial hillory of Britain ; as it affords a ftrong prefumption, that
Phoenician traders muft have reforted to the Britilh iflands for a very
confiderable time, feeing that even the Greeks had obtained fome con-
flifed idea of the exiftence of the moft remote of the two principal Brit-
ifti iflands, which had tranfpired from fome of the Phoenicians of Gadir,
or the Carthaginians, the only Mediterranean navigators, by whom our
iflands could be vifited in early times *.

• The notion of an extenfive trade carried on
with Britain by the Greeks in a very early age,
and of the BritiHi language being compuied in a
great mcafure of words leurntd from tranfient
Grecian feamcn, (as if the Britons had till then
been deftitute of words to exprefs tlic moll com-
mon objefts of nature) though taken up by fcveial
authori. of refpe6table abilities, in grateful parti-
ality to the Greeks, as the authors of fcience and
literature to the other parts of Europe, appears to
be contradided by Herodotus ; who, though he,
was the bed Grecian geographer of his age, and
had made every inquiry in his power, acknowlrg-
«d, that he knew nothing of the Caffiterides, (ge-
nerally agreed to have been the Sillcy ides, or the
fouthweit part of Britain) further than that tin
was brought from them ; a clear proof that no
Greeks had any dircA intercourfe with them.
Moreover he tells us, that TartcHus, in the fouth
part of Spain, near the weft entry of the Straits,
was an untried and unknown emporium, when Co-
laf us arrivedat it by accident 641 years beforeChrift,
which it could fcarcely have been, if any Grecian
vedels had ever pafled it in the way to the Caffiteri-
des, which, by every hypothefis, were fituated be-
yond the Straits. [Herod. L. iii, c. 115 j L. iv,
« IJ2.J I'olybiui obfcrves, \L. xvi, cnc. 14] that.

even in his time, (three centuries after Herodotus)
though there was a confiderable trading inter-
courfe with the people living on both fides of the
Straits of Ab)dos, (now the Dardanelles) there
were very few who puffed the Straits of Hercules ;
there was little intercourfe with the nations living
in the extrcmiu'es of Europe and Libya (or
Africa) ; and the outer fea (the Atlantic ocean)
wasunknowft, that is to fay, unknown to the Greeks,
who knew the Straits of Abydos, for furely it was
well known to the Phrcnicians of Gadir. And
this obfcrvation of fo judicious and faithful an a>i-
thor is a decifive proof, that the trade to Tar.
teffus, fo accidentally Humbled upon by Colacus,
was not kept up by the Greeks, and that there
tvat no Grecian commerce nvith Brilain. Strabo
alfo fays cxprefaly, \_L. \u, f. 165] that the Phcc- •
nicians of Gadir monopolizid the trade to the
Cafliterides, even after the Romans had veflcli on
the Ocean ; though he fcenis therein to have loft
fight of the trade carried on acrofs the Channel,
which will be noticed in due time.

Were it necelTary to add any further proof, it
might be obfervcd, that Timollhenes, Eratollhe-
nes, and the writers before them, knew very little
of Spanilh or Gallic afl'aini, and ftill 1e(s of Ger-
many, Britain, and the Getic and BaiUrnic n«-

Before Chrift 550. ^

cni'Jf™^"??''^^?'^'^?,^ ^^'^ *° the commencement of the Britifh
commerce ; but the well Jenown adventurous fpirit of the Phceni am

Xe'rSlttirnf^/^.d'^^ tl.y made voya'ges to our iflandT.oon
atter their lettlement at Gadir. As there was apparently no other coun
try lymg north or weft from Spain but the Britift iflands whLh pro-
duced tm. It has been generally allowed, that thofe which the Gre?kT
m imitation of the Phoenicians calleHI tV,^ iTo/t:* ^/^'"^" j/ie yreejcs,
(i^W, ./ „•„) were the iSo^X ^r Ae fouttft ^'"'"'"^i
Britain. And thefe were firft difcovered by M Jacrb. a PhT'-''- °^

route to this new-found mine of wealth from all otherc • or.T f

uons fecL/of the PhSkId 'rtf V^/p^o'babt haftr,*.' "-

t^ons, « ., obferved by Straho. [Z. li, *. j.n]
limoftheno wa. the commander of PtolcmV.
fleet, and wrote a book upon harbours; and, it
may be fuppofed, he could know very ]ft"lc of
thofe m the Atlantic ocean. But Eratofthenea
was a man of cxtenf.ve learning and creat in
duftry ; and being librarian to Ptolemy Euereete"
M ' u^ ^'"n™"'"! of the greated library Tn the
world, which may well be prefumed to have con-
tained every Greek book worth tranfcribing. We
may, therefor, be alFured, that, if any knowleoe

whS' ^- ■? t^'' '=?"'", '■"'''=" found ."'I
who e circle of Grecian literature, Eratodhenes
would neither have let it efcapc hi^, „or negleft!
cd to make a proper ufe of it 1., a work prof^fTed-
ly Reographical. ^ "'cnea

• Bochait obferves, that Midacritus is a Greek
uame ! and he fubftitute, for it the Phoenician name
c» Mdcartus: [G«^. /^.ra, L. i, c. jo] but.
granting this, the moll ("anguine advocateTor lirit.
i(h autiquitv cannot prefumc to carry up the dif-
every of tfie Cafliteride, to the age of that Mel-
curtu,. or Hcrcule,. wno, according to the moft
anticnt Phoenician writer. SanconStho. Ld in
the earhert ages of the world.

t Strabo mentions thcfc exchanges in the prt-
ftnt teufe. But. I believe, he copies f.o„, antilrnt

t In the early hiftory of Britain tw» proDofi.
tion, have been afTumed as hiftoric truths3ch

The authority of Herodotus has been very nn
fairly, or at leaft very inadvertenflv .,u . ^
proving that .// th7 tin ™t ' tt "at"
countries wa» carried ftom the CaffitWde. fe
mifinterprctation of the word, of HeVodo 'us «r
rics the commencement of the tr?de TT a.T

<■• 3 ' J 33 It IS alio repeatedly by Homrr R . r i"
a ^ippofition, totally' "nfup^rLd '^'Hetdots'
(bee p. 4. note) Improved to be erroneouVby fcvc ' !
authors ot good credit. Several nart.nf « '^-
ducedtin a'ndlead. \:'^'raClJV^:[%:";,lZ

r.n was found among tfie Drang,, a peojS
F 2

44

Before Chriil 548.

548 — The Lydians have already been remarked as a civilized people,
who paid fome attention to commerce ; but it was chiefly of that paf-
five kind which prevails in countries poflefling rich mines, where the

the head of ihe Indus, and in the province of Nan-
kin in China. [^Straio, L. Ts.i,p, 1055— Z)/'o(/. '^""■
L- ii, § 36 — Thevtmt, V. ii, /• 127.] There wa»
alfo an iflaiid i. the Indian fea, called Caflitera, for
its abundance of tin. \_Stephan. dc urh.~\ The
iflaiid of Banca, on the eall iidc of Sumatra, pro-
duces great quantities of excellent tin, which af-
fords a confidcrable revenue to the Dutch.
\Slaunicin''i Account of an embaffy to China, V. i, /).
305.] ^ere. If it is the Canitera of Slephanus ?
The opinions refpefting the pofitinn of the Caf-
fuerides, may be reduced to three :— -1 ) that they
were fome fmall illands adjacent to Spain : — z)
that they were thofe now called the Azores, or
Weftern iflandt :-— 3 ) that they were the Silley
iflands, or the fuuthwell extremity of Britain, or
perhaps both of thife,— But, i ) no iflands near
the weft coaft of Spain, (which includes the mo-
dern Portugal) arc of any confcquence ; nor is
there the flighteft authority for fuppofing, that any
of them ever produced tin : though Don Jofeph
Cornide, and fome other Spanidi wtite/s, have,
with great labour and ingenuity, but in direfl con«
tradidtion to Pofidonius, Diodoru» Siculus, and
Strabo, endeavoured to prove, that the Cafliteridcs
were the fmall iflands on the weft coall of Spain,
which feeni to be thofe called by Pliny [£. iv, c.
22] the fix iflands of the i^ods, and diftinguiflied
from the Calliteridcs. — 2) The Azores being
fituated in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, above
6oo geographical miles from lipain without any
intervening land, it was abfoluie'y impoflible for
the befl of the anu'cnt Mediteriii:ii:an navigators
to fmd the way to or from then, : and no one,
who adverts to the timid tieeping ccurfcs of the
auticnts in the Mediterranean, (fee ySfe/sw/W //^r
mariliinum) where, if tliey ventured to Hand acrois
out of fight of land, tl.cy were fure of falling in
withyowjf land on the oppofiLe continentf will lup-
pofe they would ventuie to launch out in the
boundlefs ocean in Itarch ut //lands, which if they
mifled, tfiey would molt probably have been fwtpt
away by the trade-winds to the Well-Indies.
Even modern navigators, with all their fuperlor
advantages of exct.llcnt inihuments, accurate cal-
culations, corrcilt charts, and improved knowlege,
befides lofty malls which enable tlicin to lee dlf-
tani lands, fomctime^ mifs illaiuh. How, then,
can wc fuppole it poihble, that the Azores could be
difcovered by the Romans, the moll ignorant and
awkward failors in the Mediterranean; and they
were itlll more ignorant and awkward in theOccjin,
na appears !•• their mifmanagemcnt of Cxfar'a
fhipi on the co.Ai of Kent. Yet we know for
certain from Snabo, [L. i;i, />. 275] thai the Ro-
mans, by pcrfcvcring in repeated trials, which couid

only be repeated coafting voyages in various direc-
tions, aftually difcovered the Cafliterides : and there
needs no better proof againil the identity of the
Cafliteridei and the Azores, which, moreover, pro-
duce no tin, nor have the ihialleft appearance of
having ever ^reduced any. — 3) Though Herodo-
tus £L. iii, c. 1 15] acknowleges his Ignorance of
the lituation of the Cafliterides, yet he pretty evi-
dently claffes them with the unknown countries in
the northern parts of Europe. Polidonius, an au-
thor copied by Strabo, [^L. iii, p. 219] and ap-
parently alfo by Diodurus Siculus, [Z,. v, § 38J
lays, that tin is produced in a country north of
Lufitania (Portugal), and in the Caifiterides, and
is alfo brought from the Britifli iflands to Maflilia.
— Diodorus [_L. v, J 2»] alio dtfcribes the peo-
ple near Belerium (Cape Cornwall) as the minert
and fellers of the tin, wherein he exaiSly agree*
with the defcription of the natives of the Cafliteridei
in other authors. It is alfo worthy of remark, that
he gives them the charafter of being more civilized
than the other Britons, in confequcnce of their in-
tercourfe with foreign merchants. — Dionyfins Pe-
riegetes fays, [t/. 561] the wealthy fons of the il-
luftrious Iberians, dwell in the Hefperides, the na«
tive country of tin, (Hefperides, Oellrymnides,
and Cafliterides, appear to have been fometime*
ufed lynonymoufly. See Eujlalhii Commmt. in
Dionys.) and he immediately paflcs to Britain and
Ireland. — Strabo [Z. ii, ^. 181 ; L. iii, p. 165]
defcribes the Cafliterides as producmg cattle, tm,
and lead ; and he places them in the great ocean,
to the «<»r/i6u'ar</of the Artabrians, who occupied
the norihwell part of Spain (now Gal'irla), and
in the fame climate, or latitude, uith Britain.—
All thtfc authors wrote befoie the Rui'uuis began
to make any conquells in Britain.— Pompor.iuB
Mela [£. iii, f. 2] places the Cafliterides m the
Celtic fea, which name can only apply to the fca
adjacent to Gaul, Britain, and the north part of
Spain, the countries occupied by the Celtic nations.
— Fellus Rufus Avienus, in an account of the
Oellr)Miniides, profcfledly taken from Himilco, the
Carthaginian difcovercr, is fo cunfufcd and iingto.
graphical, that it is impoflible to fix their fitiia-
tion. But tlie mention of the iflands of the Hi.
berni, and jAlbiones, (apparently Ireland and Bii-
taii.) aa being near them, their muies of tin and lead,
their leather boal,^, the ci.n.mereial fpirit of the
people, and t!ie rcfott of the T.irttfians, (Phoeni-
cians uf Gadir) and of the Carthaginians, anfwcr fo
well to the dtlcriptiuiis of the Calliteridet by other
authors, and alfo to the Silley ilhnds, that wt may
behev "Richard of CirncelUi, (who, though a laic
author, ; et, writing from Koinan materials, may
be ranked among tlic nntients) when he lay*,

Befdre Chrift 548 — ^543. ^j

ibTcreign and the nobles, or proprietors of the mines, arc enormoufly
nch, and the people in general miferably poor. Though the riches of
CrCEfus, king of Lydia, have become proverbial, his fubjeds were con-
tent with very fimple houfes ; for, in the royal city of Sardis, the few
which had brick walls were thatched with reeds, and the great bulk of
the houfes were built of them entirely. This antient and opulent king-
dom, was now reduced by Cyrus, king of Perfia, to be a province of his
growing empire. But flill the great nobles were allowed to retain their
wealth ; and we find mention of a Lydian in the following age, called
Pythius, who wasefleemed the richeft man in the world, next to the
kingof Pterfia. IHeroa. L. i, c. 84 ; L. v, c. loi ; L. vii, c. 27.]

543— 1 he mhabitants of Phocaea, a Grecian city on the Afiatic
coaft, were a commercial people, and the firft of the Greeks who traded
to remote countries, performing their voyages in long veffels of fifty

IL. 1, <•. 6] that the Sygdilea (SiUey ifland8^ were
called alfo Oeltrymnides, aid Caffitiridcs. More-
over, III Richard's map the Pyreneaii mountains
run far into the fea, (as defcribed by Mela in his
account of Spain) extending to within about loo
miles ofthefouth-weft part of Britain, and only
about 60 from the fouth part of Ireland ; and the
Cafiiterides are fcattered at about equal dillances
from all the ( nee.

From an attentive confiderition of all circum-
ftanccs, I believe, it will appear moft probable, that
the Tin-iflands, or Caffiterides, of the antients
were the illands of SiUey, or the fouth-weft part of
Britain, which, being deeply indented by arms of
the fea, muft have appeared like iflands fo the Crft
^licoverers : or, perhaps, both thefe were included
vnder the fame general name. The Caffiterides
being defcribtd by Diodorus Siculus, Strabo,
fliiiy, Ptolemy, and Solinus, as anpendaces of
bpain, or oppofite to it, need not furprife or «ajr-
gerany one who is accullomcd to the irregularity
ct the antient geographers, though Piolemy even
joes fo far as to fix them by their precife latitude
and longitude within a fmall diftance of the north-
well part of Spain, when we coniider that the
fame great geographer defcribcs the Ebudi (Weft.
«rn iflands of Scotlanr!) as appendages of Ireland,
and very far dillant from that mirt of Scotland,
liom which they are feparated" only Ly narrow
loumls i that Pomponius Mela places Thule (Shet-
land) clofe up6n the coall of the Belgar, or near
the mouths of the Rhine; and that Strabo, the
, "\ ''"■■/"',"?' K'''iJ"pl'W, defcribcs Britain,
Ireland, and Tl.u!*, as appendages of Gaul, to fay
nothir,g of greater errors in his geography of coun-
tries nearer to his own. Nutlicr is it a very ma-
terial ohjcftion, that fomt auliiors mention both
li.e Calhterules and Britain, as producing tin, and
-s unconnedal with each other. For kh nafon-
able to fnppofc, ,hat the name of Caffiterides (or
lin-illanUs) became obfolete when the real name of

the idandfl was known, and when the Caffiterides.
after the deftruaion of Carthage and the con-
qiieft of Spain by the Romans, being no lonoer
the great emporium of the tin trade, were bit
fight of by writers ; though they ftill retained
their fuppofed place in geographical defcriptions,
and were copied by every fucceediiig geographer;
as Frizeluid, another ifland of difputable pcfition.
has been in later times. The potition of the Caf.
fiterides by Pofidonius, Diodorus, and Stiabo, an.
fwers to no other place fo well as the fouth-weft
part of Britain, or Silley ; for there is no other
land producing tin and lead, fituated in the lati-
tude of Britain, and to the northward of the nortli
weft part of Spain, and divided from it by tlie
Ocean, a name not to be applied to the channel,
between the main land of Spain and the petty
Iflands adjacent to it. For thefe reafons, tliouKh
the accounts of the Caffiterides be obfcure, as may
be expefted ot a relatiou coming down to us frf-m
hand to hand by means of the later Greek writ.
CIS, fubjeas gf Rome, wherein the only people
qualified to give information had found an inter
ell in withholding or perverting it, I venture t»
con iderit as aimoll certain, that the modern Corn
va !, and the Silley iflands were the flaplc of t Ii.
f^'K" tra-^e of the Britim illands .ind wc c
ealledby the Pha^mcians, the Tin-lflands ; and by
tlie Greeks, as foon as they heard of them. Cafll
terides, or rather Kaffiterldes, and Kattlterlde,"
and It may be obferved. that the word Is notTe.'
nuiiie Greek, but Phaiiiclan. See Bocbart, gL
facr. cof. 65c. ' "»•

We need not fiippofe It Impoffible, that Com-
wall fliould be ca led by a nam^. inferring it t be
an,nand,orinan.l,,. «lu.„ we recoiled Uic name
of Pelopoiinefiis (the ifland of Pdop.) i,, an
Greece an. the iflai.ds of ThanJt,^ Purbeek
Portland, aiui Dogs, In moden, England, none .f
which are, llnftly fpeaking, Iflands.^

'*,'

r'

IS i

4^

Before Chrift s^9i

oars, In the management of which they were very expert. Before this
time they had made voyages to both the coafts of Italy, to Kyrnos, (call-
ed by the natives, as now, Cornea) where they had lately fettled a co-
lony, to the fouth part of Gaul, and even to Spain. Encouraged by the
wonderfully-profperous voyage of Colaeus, they had even pafled the Pil-
lars of Hercules, and traded to Tarteflus, where they were received very
favourably by the king of the country, who, being defirous of bring-
ing a competition of traders to his dominions, and apprehending no
danger from ftrangers whofe only objedl was commerce, endeavoured
to attach the Phocsans by the offer of a trad of land in his country.
This, however, they declined ; but, by the very advantageous trade, which
they carried on with the Tartefllans, their city flouriflied exceedingly,
till it was deftroyed by the army of Cyrus.

So deterniined were the Phocaeans againft living undei fubjedion to
a foreign prince, that m the courfe of a day, which was granted .them
by Harpagus, the Perfian general, to confider of a furrender, they em-
barked the whole of their families and all their property that was move-
.-ible onboard their veflels, and left their empty city to be taken poffef-
fion of by the Perfians. Being diCippointed by the jealoufyof the Chi-
ans of a fettlement in fome fmall iflands in the neighbourhood, they
again put to fea, and bound themfelves by an oath never to return to
their native country, till a 'nrge ftone, which they threw into the water,
Ihould rife up and (wim upon the furface. In this fpirit they launched
out in the Mediterranean, and arrived at Corfica, where they fettled
among their countrymen, who had been eftabliflied there about twenty
years before. [Herodot. L. i, cc. 163, 164, 165 Jujiim L. xliii, c. 3.]

538 — For above three centuries after the increaie of their population
by the arrival of Elifla, the Carthaginians had advanced in a fteady,
quiet, and progreflive, augmentation of their commercial profperiry, and
in that happy hiftorical obfcurity. which infers-, that they were not dif-
turbed by wars of any confequence. The redundance of their popula-
tion during this period pufhcd abroad in peaceable commercial fettle-
ments * ; and the iflands of the Mediterranean, the north and ft ith
ftiores of all the wefl; part of that fea, and even the fliores of the Ocean,
were overfpread and enlivened by Carthaginian colonies. From the
tot^l^deftrudion of the Carthaginian records we are deprived of all know-
lege of the hiftory of thofe colonies, excepting fuch of them as happened
to come in coUifion with thole of the Greeks : and an inftance of that
kind now attrads the notice of hiftorians. The Phocaeans, who had lately
arrived in Corfica, became very troubleiome neighbours to the former

• The invitation of tilt Phocxins by the Tartcf- they had, he would have thereby been warned of

Can king to fettle in his domlni. ne fecms to infer, the danger to bo apprehended from allowing io-

that the Carthaginians had not begun to make any rcigners to cflablilh thetnfdvcs too near him.
kodile encroachments on the natives of Spain : if

Before Chriil 538. .^

inhabitants among whom there was a colony of Carthaginians, and an-
k' r I^ '''''•^ 5? order to fupprefs the piracies of the Phocsans

the Carthaginians and Tyrrhenians provided a fleet, each of the alHes
furniflnng fixty veflels. The Phocsans with a fleet, dfo of My veJh^
met them in the Sardinian fea. In the engagement forty of the Phol
caeans veflels were deflroyed or taken, and the remaining twemy had
their roftra or beaks fliattered, and were rendered ufelels NoTwfth.
ftanding the original inferiority, and the almoft-total deftrudtioT of
the Phoc^an fleet, the vidory is afcribed to them by HeroXuT Zho
indeed calls it a Cadmean vidorv^ fL { rr rfi. rLi Ar ' > ,
alfobyThucydides. IL. i.] B^Vi^L'nr^n^^^^^^
and moft refpec^kble of the Grecian hiftonans, it is impoffible fofthe
moft inattentive reader not to be ftruck with the grofs incoi^ftendes of
this narrative. We are not told of any lofs fuftained by the a lUedTet
and yet one hundred and twenty vefl^els were vanquiflied by the remain*
mg twenty Phoc^an wrecks! 1 fay nothing of the fSerlorhv whkh
every thinking perfon will fuppofe, that the CarthagfnTar Jfoe^Luy
muft have poffefled in the conftrudion of their veflels and in their
naval tadics, nor of the utier improbability of their beblfn^.m.fn
vanquiflied on their own element': neitherVo lay an"ftr5-s u^^^^^^^^
oufaTtrW ttr f f r '""■ °( ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ -ch Ln^g I ed

Phoc^ans and thei^r fkmilies with ^hS^^^r^^nTvJ^:^^^^^^^^^^
ifland ent.rely.and found fettlements near the fomh end of halv TV
js an inconteftible proof that the Phoc.ans wet: co^ptte^deto^^^
which. If It needs any corroboration, has the teftimony of Diodoru Si'

int^he'm^nTLT'"^^^^ ^^- "' ^ ''^ '^" ^^^ Pl-c.aLfaS™;:
A colonv 1>f P. '•""' r'" ""P^""^ ^y '^^ Tyrrhenians. ^^

Acolony ofPhocteans, who, according to fome authors were a de

Notlier have f troubled the reader with the
m.racic, which foHowed as a lultabk appendage to
tins wonderful v,aory,^vhkh in its circum(Un?e» is
tery hke a ftory extradied from Phihnus by Poly.
biu« as a darincr inftan.-*. ,>f „.-.:.i:._ ' '

biu« as a glaring inftance of partiality
f Eufebius, probably following Ti
the foundation of thiajourifhing commerciarcity

rimaeus, dates

before the Chnft.an sera. It is indeed probable

that ,t wa. budt by a Phocan colony in more an-
tient t.mes. as related by Juftin, and that the refu-
gees from Corlica made fo conf.denible an addition
to the or>g,nal colony, that their arrival was after-
ward, confidered as the commencement of the
JUte, which appear, to have been alfo the cafe
wi h fomc other communities. Herodotus, thouob
w,Umgto do all tne honour in his power to t^e
Phoceans, has not a word of Maffilia.

\

48

i

I

Before Chrift 538.

p-t

not the whole, of Italy before the Trojan war. They i'ent colonies into the
neighbouring iflands, and were fovereigns of the fea in a very early age.
[D/W. Sicu/. L.i,§ 6H~Liv. Hijl. L. v, c. ^t,.} The cities of Pif^, and
Labron or Liourn-nm, which re«^ .n their original names, with little or
no variation, to the prefent day, the later being now called Livorno
(and by us Leghorn) and which were among the moft profperous
trading coinmunities in the middle ages, vsrerc two of the many flourifli-
ing cities founded by them in very remote times. Their alphabet is
thought by fome learned men to be the moft antient ofallthofe where-
of ipecimens have come down to us. The arts and fciences were culti-
vated to an aftonifliing degree of perfedion among them, as appears by
mnumerable fpecimens, ftill remaining in many cabinets in Italy and
elfewhere *. And as it is known that they were powerfiil at fea and had
many colonies, it is at leaft probable that they carried on a confiderable
commerce f. It was from them that the Romans learned the art of
war, and, in fhort, all the knowlege that they acquired previous to their
conqueft of Greece.

The kingdom of Babylon had flourlfhed for fome centuries in
great fplendour and opulence ; but, from want of records, the fburces
of its wealth are unknown to us. It was now fubjeded by Cyrus, whofe
dominions were more extenfwe, and his power much greater, thanthofe
of any monarch who had ever lived before him. The only adion of
his life, falling within the plan of this work, was an eftabhfhment fimi-
lar to the modern poft. whereby the moft fpeedy intelligence was con-
veyed throughout the whole extent of his vaft empire. It is probable,
that the goodriefs of the roads, and the houfes of accommodation for
travelers at convenient diftances, were owing to this inftitution of Cy-
rus. Of thefe houfes, which are, perhaps, the fame which are now call-
ed carvonferais, there were one hundred and eleven between Sardis, the
capital of Lydia, and Sufa, a.e refidence of the Perfian kings, on a road
of 450 paralimgs, or 13,400 Greek ftadiuj:, which are nearly equal to
1,340 geographical miles. [Herod. L. v, c. 52.]

• A very great variety of fpecimens of their
fculpiure and pottery may he fccii in the numerous
fihtes of Dempdtr's Elrwia fetalis and Goii'a
M.-/iii~'^ y.lnifaim, A moll magniiictiit difplny of
the Et.ufcan arts from the mulcum of Sir William
Hamilton has fince been publilhed by Mr. D'Han-
.arvil)'?. And improved copies of many Etrufcan
vafes, &c. have lately been made in England by
Mr. Wedgwood.

The very remarkable proficiency of the Etmri-
ans in almoll all the arts at a time when the light of
fcience was but dawning in Greece, and every
other part of Europe was funk in barbarifm, gives
confiderable probability to the opinion of their
Afiatic origin, whether the Lydians, or the PhiE-
nicians, or both, were their anceilors. As their
empire declined long before the age of any of the

Roman writers, who have tranfmilted to us a few
fragments of their hilloty, taken from Etrurian au-
thors or from tradition, what little we know of it
is totally dellitute of chronology. Every thing
that could he collcticd concerning this cxtraordNl
nary people may be found in Dempllcr's elaborate
work De Etiuria regali.

t Homer is faid to have vifited the coalls of
Spain and Etruria in a Grecian trading veifel.
\_Herodoti Vila Homeri.l^ It was a cullum in E-
truria to fubjeiit bankrupts to the fcorn of the
hoys, who, ran after them with empty purfes iu
their hands. \_Hei(iclul. Pont. ap. ^iihcn.'] Such
a culloni mull have been an excellent remedy
againft voluntary bankruptcy.

X Thefe numbers are the totals as given by He-
rodotus. Owing to errors of traufcnbers there is

Before Chrift 524.

hJ^'^Iu'' ''P"^"^^' °f Cyrus having reduced Tyre and the neieh
I ounng Phoenician communities to a ftaf- of vadht^e th^Zh^ul
.heir fhipping was thenceforth liable to be pre Jd in ?the ftvWnf .K
Perfians, wlio had no naval force but vvharthl kV ?7 J*"-^
vamns and allies. Cambyfes. Tfon^U'd^ cerr'^ctur^^^^^^^
conquered Egypt, and thinking himfelf capable of governWthe w3
world ordered the Phoenicians to proceed to CaitLr InH ?n r^/ •

part of the army, being ordered to deftroy the temZ of 1,1 "i*""

a.^..hen™ber:f.k^y%CS«rdafe„^^^^^^^^^^^^
. The Carthaginians, happily fituated beyond the rearh nf th. a r ^

tran^^ihty V/:Serct7of^;;^y ^ ^H^^Stf^^ "'' ^T^
colled fuch notices of thpJr rnon.ff /t^ ' ^"'^'^""r, I propofe to

*5tt i?""S P'^r,-' '° P'--^- ^" Slrt^t^

G

c Grc«k and Roman authors, who thouRht „,?.

nngworthyofbeingrecordcdbutwarandflaugh.
er. Juft.n, ,ndecd, fays [L. xviii, .. 7] that the
C-a,thag,n.ans were afflfdcd with the pUi
VOL. I.

lilencc and

5«

Before Chrift 524.

poflibly fee ; and they are equal to he the heft produdions of the Greek
and Roman mints, when they had attained the higheft degree of perfec-
tion in fculpture and pidurefque reprefentation.

The women of that part of the Carthaginian territory, which was
near the lake Tritonis, wore goat-fkins ftained red. Perhaps the beau-
tiful leather, which we call Morocco, is a continuation of tne fame ma-
mifadure *. The Zygantes, another African nation, befides having
plenty of the honey prepared by bees, had a much greater quantity made
by the hands of men, which muft have been fugur (perhaps not brought
tn a ^i.iiM) ;,)repared from the liquor of the fugar-cane; [Herod. L. iv,
cc. 189, 194] and this is, I believe, the very firfl notice of fugar to be
found in hiftory f.

We know few particulars of the fhlps of the Carthaginians, which, we
may, however, be aflured, could be nothing inferior to the very beft then
in the Mediterranean fea ; as they were acknowleged b^ Polybius [L. i,
cc. 7, 16, 20] to be poflefled of hereditary pre-emintnce in nautical
fcience, and the undifputed dominion of the fea. Their fhips carried
carved figures on their heads or their fterns, as fhips do now, and as pro-
bably the fhips of other nations did then. According to Ariilotle, they
were the firfl who raifed their fhips of war from three to four rows of oars.

They appointed two commanders to every fhip, the fecond being to
fuccced the principal in cafe of death. This fecond officer feems an-
fwerable to the mates in ou; merchant fhips, or the fecond captains of
the French. The appointment being noted as a llngularity of the Car-
thaginians by ^^lian, \yar. hlft. L. ix, c. 40] it may be prefumed, that
other nations had no fuch eflablifhment for fecuring a fucceffion of com-
mand, and, indeed, there is no fuch fecond officer mentioned in that
part of the Rhodian law (even when afTumed in later times into the Ro-
man code) which afligns the fhare, or pay, of each man onboard a fhip,
the pilot being therein rated next after the commander.

The Carthaginians were well acquainted with the advantage^ of con-
ftruding harbours, or wet docks, completely fheltered from the violence
and ravages of the fea, by digging them entirely but of the main land,

• Tlie ma;iufa£l\ue of Morocco kallitr in thofe
parts of" Afiica was noticed in the earljr part of the
fourtcendi century by Abulfeda, and ii» the com-
menccmtiit of tlie lixtccnth by Leo Africamis ;
aid nlfo in nuidt-rn tini"sin the Proceedingt of the
Jfrkan tij/ijci^uon, and \nPorle''s Travels.

\ Tliis inforiiialiiiii, being undoubtedly derived
to 1 Itrodotjs from tlie Carthaginians, may be fair-
p prifiinitd to tarry the fad to at leafl 500 years
Utoie the Chriilian ocra, and is therefor above
20J year! oldt-r than tlie n'.;ntion of fugar by
Xeatclms, or that by Theuphrallua, which is fornt-
limn lijduced .ns the earliell notice of it.

'ihat the fiibilancc, luciaioncd by Ht ,'dotiis,

was no other than fugar, is pretty cei tain from the
uniform pratlicc of the Greek and Roman writers,
who had no other word than honey to txpitfa
fugar, till they got the gcixiine name oi facchar
from the Eaft. The learned Cafaiibon, in his note
on the palfage of Strabo, [£, xv, p. 1016] where
Neaichus U quoted, iiaa coUcfled a variety of iii-
llances of the name of honey being applied to fugar,
when it is exprefbly faid to be made fi om canes : and
the canes themftlves were called honey canes {' tan-
nic mcUis') by the writers of the middle ages, when
they were beginning to be cultivated in Euiope. Sec
FalcanJiHjjt. Sicul. col. J58. ap. ilur atari Serifit.
K vii.

Before Chrifl 524. ,,

and fecuring them by walls, quays, or keys, for their vefTels to IJ. ..
when loau.ng and difcharging : and thev cal prl fnrK LM , ^ "'^

^». L. i, V. 4},.} ^ ' •'• "9=' "'■ noy-Smmm Virs.

We are told by the orator Ariftides who li™^ r„ 1 . ,_ ,

century of the ChriftianKra th' t ih/rT, L - 1"^ "' ""= f"^""''
neymL of leather. ^ S;y J^r W ,Sr?nKl^„:'' 'f'^L"'' "^ ■""-
metals, fuch leather monev mull have been a kimiT '^ '"'?"°"'
or notes, fomewhat of the nature of modeT„ ban^'n'teT"""'''' "*'"

Afef^:;^rrai"tSb"„rf Tr''™''^'' *'■'■'"'> »»' of

Macedonian SngdorrfE™™^emf£T? '! ^"""^"^ °f "-
fure that the cultivation of h was™ nT-S^^ xi' ' '"5 "^ "J^ ''^
pam of this «t,enfive coaft was fo Iuxurt.t^'tha?th^e"ct'h -""=

itirry-'L^Su'i^K s^rr' j^« r l^f'' o'^ afe^^

«des furilhing co,J:;;l^r /r^. s-^fo'r'lf'ctuaT'^itT ''f c"^"
thage, arid many other great to™s on or near the coift ,hU '^ u ^'"'"
try fupphed com and other articles in Brear »1„ „h """•,''"' ""^^ ':°>"i-

South from it lay the boundlef t eriof Toun^v tf AfA, ''^"f"''- '
pears to have been better known t„ ,h. r u '^ ■ ■'^""''- ^^'hich ap-

-rr--ciai.t;itt'^^htts^^^^^^^^^^^^

•The conttruaion of wet dockshaa been revived
'V V'-Pu''f"' "«'' "'"' ''"""cofthcantient art,

bciLTh "' • "^'t-"" '■"■' -"■"'-•^ "- '--r "f
, mh^Kl ,l,"^'"u' '"''■,'""'■''• r' ■■"• '"'»■"''•. very
probable, that the method of lockingi,. the wJer
i>^ K.itcs 13 a m.Kiern improvement, and a very ca-
pual one. on ,hc Carthaginian wet dock. ^

T Mago, a Carthaginian author, wrote a treatife
on agnculture, which was thought worthy of bc-
■ngprefervcd, when all the other boo);s 7o>m d in
he libraries of Carthage were prefented to th Af"

ncan prmcea. and being tranflated into Latin mi.

dcr the authority of the Roman fenate. He

quoted by Varro, Columella, and Pliny. Leo Af
icamis defcnbe, a book, extant in hi. t'^^me (A. D

•506) mBarban- called the Thefaurus .f),p,cui

It would be more u(*eful than in Italy J

bdides Hanno and Himiico of ^vhofe woikl"*

3

have fome mutilated trannations or fratrment.
Plulmus. Chtomachus. Eumachus. Trode^ and
tl.e gr.at Hannibal. The works of Cha oi^a
Carth„g„„8n hiftorian, who. we are told by Suida/
defcnbed the tyrants of Europe and Afia aiid
wrote the live, ofilluftrlou, men and worn n
they had come down to us, wouM have bee . •.
nioft valuable addition to our llock of antien if

, n'',.-F'"^ ^' '■" ?" ""^"'"'^ '" Grecian and Rq.
. un mifrq.rct'tntat.on. The excellent comic pott
I crence, though ranked among Roman wnfera
wa, a native of Carthage. '

woik7u.rh,rV''.°"S,''r ^"""^'^ '" '''^P'''" °f «hi,
«o,k jull barely to obferve here, that the confli-

tut:o„ of Carthage wa, eHecmed one of the mo I

paf.a ,„ the world by fo great a mailer in the

hn°i ''"'""Z" '^""""'' «''" ••emarks, t
there had never been any commotion fo violent as
matenally to ditturb the public tranquillityr^r to

pie, and edabhlh arbitrary power. iJifl. J, rLh

. X We may prefume, that they had commerciil
•ntercourfe witk the Negroc,. b.flre therempwi^.

G 2

I

i!l

I

l!

I

I

i'?

53 Before Chrift 524.

With reiped to the commerce of the Mediterranean, which the other
Phoenician communities, the Greeks and their colonies, the Tyrrhen-
ians, and the reft of the inferior trading nations, fliared with them, we
know few or no particulars, further than that after the decline of Tyre
the greateft part of it was in the hands of the Carthaginians. The
fhores and iflands of the wefternhaif of that fea had been in a great
meafure fettled by their own colonies, or thofe of their Tyrian ancef-
tors, before the Greeks began to extend their navigation and colonies to
Sicily and the fouth part of Italy.

We learn from Strabo, [L. iii, p. 265] that the Phcenicians of Gadir
were the firft who traded to the Cafliterides, and that they carcfiiliy
concealed the route to them from all other navigators. It follows of
courfe, that thofe iflands were unknown to the Carthaginians for at
leaft fome time. The Carthaginians, vexed to fee themfelves outdone
in any point of commercial knowlege or enterprife, defirous of (haring
in the advantageous trade of the Cafliterides, and eager to difcover the
whole extent of the world, ordered two voyages of difcovery to be un-
dertaken at the fame time. They feem to have known nothing of the
fituatiori of the country they wifhed to find, except that it was beyond
the Straits in the Ocean ; but as all ifla; Js, acceflible to the antient na-
vigators, mufl: have been in fight of other lands, they concluded, that by
exploring the coaft of the Ocean both northward and fouthward,^ it muft
certainly be difcovered. Therefor the* ordered Himilco to dired his
courfe northward from the Straits, and Hanno to pirfue the oppofite
courfe along the weftern ftiore of Africa. Both commanders executed
their orders ; and both publiflied accounts of their difcoveries. That of
Himilco was extant in the fifth century, when fome extradls of it were
inferted in a geographical poem by Rufns Feftus Avienus, from which
we learn that he arrived in rather lefs than four months at the iflands
of the Oeftrymnides (which were two days fail from the large facred
ifland inhabited by the Hibernians^ near to which was the ifland of the

them as mercenary foldiers ; and they had them in
that capacity in their army in Sicily about 480
yean before Chrill. \_Frontini Siral. L. i, c. 11.]
Herodotus [Z. ii, c. 32] dcicribes a great nver
on the fouth lide of the African defcrt, running
from we/l to tuft, and a city on its banks inhabited
by Negroes. This river we now know to be the
Niger. But its coutfc was revcrfcd by fucceeding
writeis, who affirmed that it ran weft to the At-
lantic ocean ; and it remained a fubjcrt of doubt
and difpute, till the iate laborious and dangerous
journey of Mr. Park added a new proof of the fu-
periority of the information conveyed to us by the
venerable father of hilloiy, which, there can be
little doubt, came to him from the Carthaginians :
fur the llory, rcctivcil by him through along ft-
ries of relators of various nations and languages, of
five rclllcfs young men having let out froju the
country of the Nafamoncs, they knew not whither

nor whercfor, tc explore the defert, is quite im-
probable i whereat, if we compare it with the
knowlege, which, it appears from Herodotus and
other antient authors, the Carthaginians had of the
continent of Africa, w 1 ed nnl hefitate to afcribe
the difcovery of the Aiver i'<ig r to their trading
caravans. It mutt be oLferved, that this great ri-
ver is ca" td Nil-il-abi:ed, and that the Mauritaniao
prince Juba, as quoted by Ammianus Marcellinus,
fixes the hcai' of the Nile on the authority of Pba-
nician information, in the ivcll ^ .rt of Africa, at
Ptolemy alfo does thofe of two rivers, which he
calls Gir and Nigir. The Gir, he obfcrves, is/aid
to be abforbcd at the eallern extremity of itt
courfe ; but he fayj nothing of the termination of
the Nigit. Hii two rivcis running to the eaft ate
apparently taken from diffii^jut accounts of the
one great inland river of Africa.

Before Chrift 524.

^^^ms) where they found copipus mines of tin and lead and an hi»i.
Ipjmed and commercial people, who ufed boar, covered w^L^^^
This dcfcnption though the pofition of the iflands is defcriberjn .*
manner remarkably obfcure anfM-<-r« fo «« """"* »s aeicnbed m a

cd ,| Carihaginun colony, and iitlled the firft <-l^ ",'"■' =''''''^*-
between Britain and Carthage •' commercal mtctrourfe

coio're,:'Jfthf"rc:aft7fTfr^r« " "'^° dirco™rie,.and cftabhih
(or Cern.). and i^^^.^^l^^:^^^:^^^^^:^^^ ^^-^

Aviriiiii. ir ■• i>ln...it II /• , . »»"in or

, - **>..i.cfiuc» (wnicn ne leeminelv

pU«, ...ar to Bm.,^) a. • Ihc n.tive coun.ry^^f
tin, .nhabited by ihc wwUhy ion. (or defcend-
' cn.s of the mudriou. Iberian^,' wL Jrc HT
parently the people defcribed by Skylax and Avi-
ejiui, as liT<ng near GadiV, bef.de the leflVr river
Iherus, now R,o Tinto in Andaluf.a. From the

feind^i '"habitant, of Soutf, Wale.) to be de-

he clutter near tfie fouth-weft e.tremity of flri.
tarn .. called Sigdeli. in Antonine', Maritime It-
ncrary. Silura by Solinu., [r. 24] Sillinse by »ul-

Swenu.T"'*r^/"''^ '""* ..now called Saiey.
Ay.enu. fay^ rO„ „,aTUima, t,. i,,] that tht

1 artdun. ( fo J,e call, the people of C5adir) were
accuttomed to trade to the OeSrymnS and he

hen addB that the hufbandmen or planter. {" „!
/ofli ) and people of Carthage alfo went to Ihem
wb>ch feem. to infer the elUblilhmcnt of a r.'
roanent colonv. It appear, extremely probate,
!re h^/S'ff'^"' 0«"^y">'"''l". and Caffiteridel
"(land, thJ h'"r' """^ "^""= '■'""« <^'"ft" of
S lur, ^n ^^"^ "C-,,"' ^^'"^ g°' 'he name of

D Sd, Ih"''."^ ^'"'^' ■^'"'^^ ""■"= "°^ 'com-
prehends the whole : and, if fo, Avienus perfeaiv

agree, w.th Strabo,who fay. th«t the firllCag«

were .nade to thefc fflands from Gadir. ^^

reouL"""" °fV°lo"y of farmer, muft have
reqm.ed a more extenfwe territory than the SiUev
■ fland, though they may perhap. have be^ mucf
arger formerly than now. [sL mUat^-.m.
ofiIa«fJi,r,pp. 385, eifigq. ^here in p. ^.Tt
•one fadam water' we muft underftand one fa^.hom
of drpib and not of hr.aMb.-] The probab H y of
uch a fet dement corroborate, the fuppofition tha
he Ph«n,c,an, of Gadir and Cartha^Je con ida^d

of d>e <flaad,. [8ee above, p. ^r, Note.l ^
Ocampo, a Spani/h author, 'L compofed a

Avienu..i,i,a.„;,„;;:;L. to ;!:;:': .rrc::

f,lar "»"""'» voyage we have only a Greek
ttannatmn, or rather abridgement. We mar
therefor fufpeft the number of people to be e"o^

embark before the coaft was explored, the ftation.

emia«V"'" '^t r"*', ''^°^'"' ""<» "-e plan of "he
emigration and fetUeraent duely arranged, a!

.^"„r^" "1"''l "''^'"■«'' "•"" hafe earned
500 perfon. each befi.ie, pr^vif.on,, material! for
buddmg, and other bulky ftore,. Mr. Le Roy
endeavour, ,0 account fo'r the great number o^f
Lfrif "r 'a uf '^'f ''y "'''■"^■■"g. 'hat not many
fettled fH-'^" •'"' number wallefl-ened by the
fettlemtnt of Ihvm.aterium, that in a Ihort time
aU the propofed/ett jrr, were landed, and that, w
they undoubtedly failed in the fineft feafon of the
year, the peoole would find no incovenTence in S
.ng upon decL VNa.ir. drs .^r^^,/ '9 "]

Mouia;,ft/aCt;-^!. ^^^''^^^^^^^^

land ; and with him Ptolemy neariy a";rec., wh"

plainly pl,ce. Kerne north from the^For^uSe

land, or Canaries. Thefe marks, and tl" co"

SmT' ""' '"-•C"thaginian.;ouId probably
not make a, much real dillance on an unknown
n> on a known, coaft, may almoft fix the much'
conte led pofition of Ker/e. which can anfwer J

dore, the harbour of which is a fmall bay between
" »"J; K- coalt of Morocco. It is wonderfulTha"
men of earning, with the clear evidence of pLu
bins and Ptolemy, and fome other antient anthS"
before tho.r eyes, (hould ht their fancy run fo wfld
as to take the confiderable ifland of St. Thoma,
almoft under the equinoaial line, or Madeirni^'

i

M

, \

um

; ,

* 4«

m

Hi

1

I

54

Before Chrift 524.

Kem6 Hanno proceeded fouthward along the coaft inhabited by the Ne-
groes for twenty-'lix days, during which, according to the computation
of a day's courfe by Herodotus, he may have run 1,820 miles, or 1,300,
as Skylax calculates the courfe. In his way he difcovered fome iflands,
two days' courfe from the continent, called Gorillas by Hanno's inter-
preters, and by later writers Gorgades, and apparently" the fame which
have been alfo called the Hefperides, the Fortunate iflands, and Cana-
ries *, being the only iflands of any confequence vifible from the main
land of Africa f .

an ifland of fome extent and too far from tlie coaft
to be reached bytne antient navigators, or even
the vail ifland of Madagafcar on tlie etifi fide of
Africa, for Kerne, a fmall ifland of a few furlongs
in circumference on the tve/i lide of that continent.
But, unfortunately men of great learning are fomc-
times very bad geographca. — In the year 1765
the emperor of Morocco appointed Mogadore to
be the pert for the foreign trade of his dominions.
• Some modern authors fuppofe the Biflago, or
Biflao, iflands near the Rio Grande, and others,
the ifland of St. Thomas, to be the Gorillas.

t Several attempts have been made to fix the
ara of the voyages of Hiniilco and Hanno, which,
proceeding upon erroneous principles, muil have
eiToncoHS concluCons. Becaufe Hanno and Hi-
niilco arc mentioned together as Carthaginian ge-
nerals in the time of Agatliocles, a Sicihan king
about 3 JO years beforeChrill, thife naval command-
ers mult be the fame. Becaufe Pliny has faid, that
thefe voyages were perfonned, when the C'artha-
giiiians were in great profpcrit) , and the Cartha-
ginians had fome fucccfc in a war agaliift Agatho-
iles, tliat muft furcly be the time. 'I'he obvious
objcAion to the lirll argument i», that Hanno and
Himilco were names as common in Carthage as
John and Thomas are in this country ; and to tlie
fecond, that the Carthaginians enjoyed great prof-
perity for fcveral centuries, before they were kni>wn
to the writers of Rome, in whofc ideas profpcrity
confided in working the mifciy of millions.

Tlie account of Hanno's voyage is quoted in tlie
work upon marve/Zaut things, afcribed to Ariftotle,
but with more probability believed to be the com-
pofiti'mi of his pupil Thco^-hrailus, wlio flouriflied
about 300 yciirs before the Chrllliaii :cra. — From
Heiodouis we karn, that the Carthaginians car-
ried oil a trade witli the natives of the weft coad of
Africa (which will be noticed prckntly) apparent-
ly founded upon the difcoverics of Hanno, which
muft have tlius been before ihe age of Herodotus.
— Several of ttie towns built bj Hanno, and fome
particulars of the trade tai ried on with the Negroes,
apparently at thufe towns, are mentioned in the
^'eogiaphical work, wliicli we have uiider the name
of Skylax. If it weic certain that tliofe parts of
ttie work were the genuine compofition of that
Slivlax, who waj in the fcrvice of Darius Ilvllaf-

pes, the voyages of Hanno and Himilco muft have
been performed at leaft 500 years before Clirill.— ,
It is ver)- probable, that the name of lerne, men-
tioned by Onomacritus about 550 years before
Clnift, (fee above, p. 44) was derived from an ac-
count of Ilioiilco's voyage ; as we may believe,
that the Carthaginians were more frequent'/ in the
harbours of Greece and the Grec'an part of Sicily
than any other Phoenician navigators, to whom the
Britifli iflands were known. A paflagc of Strabo
[£.i,y>.833 feems to carry Hanno's dilcoviryfeveral
centuries higher, for, fays he, ' People talk of
' Minos's command of the fea, and the navigation
« of the Phoenicians, who yoon after the Trojan tuar
' proceeded even beyond the Pillars of Hercules,
• and built towns there and on the middle of the
' coaft of Africa.' As he clafles thefe voyages
with thofe of Bacchus, Hercules, Jafon, &c. for an.
tiquity and dilbnce, the towns mull apparently be
underllood to have been on the exterior (or
oceanic) coaft of Africa, whereof Hanno was cer-
tainly thefirjl diftovtrcr h^ navigation from the Me-
tlitcrranciini and thence it follows, that he mull
have Hourilhed at leall t.cco years before the
Chriftian xra. And, if there be any truth in the
ftory of the Atlantic ifland having been heanl of
in Egypt fcveral centuries before the age of Solon,
the difcovery of it, or the idea of its exiftence, real
or fabulous, muil apparently have been pollcrior to
Hanno's voyage, which is thus carried up to an
antiquity fully equal to that inferred from Strabo.
Notwithftanding all the abfurdities in the ftory of
that ifland, it may have been one of the iflands on
the weft coaft of Africa, perhaps one of the C-ana-
ries, or Madeira. Neither is it impofiible, that a
itorni might have carried a veffel far out of fight
of land, and tlitown her upon an unknown part of
fome of our Britifli iflands, from whicli (he couKl

rctuin home by coafting along the fliorcs of Gaul,
Spain, &c. The ftory of its immenfe extent,
greater than Afia and Africa together, is not to be
minded ; for the magnitude of a country cannot
be known from a tianlient vifit. They, who fup-
pofe it to have been fome part of America, are not
aware of the impoflibihty of returning acrofs the
great ocean without a cor.ipafs, and (ailing in di-
ie6l oppolition to the perpetual trade winds,
Vcliifciuez, a Sj)aiii(h author, fixe? the voy.ige of

Before Chrift 524. - -

According to authors quoted by Strabo, [L. xvn, pp. n^. .jq^I
the Tynans (i. e. Carthaginians) had planted colonies along the weftern
•fliore 01 Africa to the extent of thirty days' courfe ; and there were ToS
of their towns on that coaft. a definite number being ufed for an inde-
finite one. whxch infers that there were very man/; though 100 trad-
mg ports would be abundantly fufficient for fuch an extent of coaft *

When the Carthaginians arrived at Kerne, their cuftom was to land
their goods, and ftore them in tents on the beach, whence they carried
them over to the Atrican (hore in boats or fmall craft TheyTx
changed wme. the ointments of Egy t. the earthen ware and "riles of
Athens, and other manufaaures. fo. hides of cattle, deer, lions ele
phants, and other wild animals, which abound in thatc^untr^ for i'vorv
ie /of ^V ^^ '^"^^ not mentioned, for gold or gold duft.^ A part at

hf r i -"^^^ """' '"'"'^ °" "^ ^ -'^^' ^i'y «^ 'he Africans, to which
the Carthaginians navigated. [Skylax.-\ '«>, lo wnicii

There was another branch of the African trade, apparently more re
jnote, which I fhall relate in the words of the father of hifto ry !1« The'
Carthaginians report, that there is a country in Africa beyond the Pil
lars of Hercules, m which, when they arrive, they land thdr me chan
dize, and range it along the fhore. Then returning onboaM thek
flaps tliey announce their arrival to the natives by m^aking a fmoke

' ftiore Til r 1' '^^.^'^^^'' they retire a little vvay back from the
' ?,?nT V r Cf^^^S'nians then land, and examining the gold if thev
hink It a fatisfadory price, they carry it off: if not. they return on
board, and the natives add to the gold, till the fel ers Ire fatfsfied
Ncnther party offers the leaft injury to the other, no will the Afrt
cms touch the goods, till the Carthaginians declare their fa fsfad^^n
in the price by receiving the gold.' \ Herod L iv / iS i t-u
narrative of fo honourable a comm\.cial ii^r7ot;rft. which feeU tlbe
continued down to the prefent age f. from an author, fir fupe'Lr for

'""a".] ^^"''''"'' ^" '' ^' ^' ■' ^- *"■'■' fP- "«'■
t The fame fileut trade is ftill earned on by the
Moors of the ucft call of Africa with ,l,c Ne-
groes on the River Niger, perhaps the defccndenta
of thofe uith wliom the Carthaginians traded:
and the fame comnicrcial honour and ftria intecvil
tv on both ndc. ftill .egulate their intercoiirfe.
At a hiced t.me a large caravan of Moors a,Tive at
the apnoirted place of the trade, where they find
gold dutt !a,d down m leparate heaps. Belidc
each of thdc they lav down fnch ouantfties of c.rt.
leryand trinkets as tliey think equivalent, and next
morn.ng they find their good, carried off, if ap-
proved, or elfe a diminution of the quantity of

/« Purdm\ Ptl^rmasc p. 8io.] The relation.

! lunn., +C3 years before Chriil. Tl.e opinions of
kveral other .Span.fh writers arc colledcd by Cam-
Ijonianes n. the prologue to his Anlxsuu!a.i mariuma
,le Laruso. M.. de DougainvilL- is of opinion
tliat the voy.igc wai performed 705, 570, 0^1:10
years before Chriil; ..d of tll/tWe datel l^!
t unks J 70 the moll probable. [ .\h,noir,s d, I'aca-
,.imu dcs ,nfcnpi. v. xxvii, $ 4.J ]\tr. Le Roy
dates .t 6,0 years before Chriil. IM.nn, ,/„ J.
urn, prnfhs. / 20. ] Such minute accuracy is
evidently unattainable. '

..r.'l, !rf ''•./■""' "^'"'V'^ (^" ""^ co.nmencemenl
of the Chnllian xn) almoll thewliole of thofe f-t.
tletnents were deftroyed, at,d the celebrated ifland
o| ken^ was forgotten, or at leall unknown to
h.m. borne of tKetrndiufj poft. on the African
eoail near the Scr*tts, l.o«evcr. were ftill in cxill.

56

Before Chrift.524.

1

lif'r

Hi '

1 1

authenticity and impartiality to any of the Roman writers, may lerve as
an antidote againft their wretched calumnies of Carthaginian perfidj ,
Carthaginian falfehood, treachery, &c. continually repeated by them*
and inconfiderately echoed by many modem writers.

The trade carried on upon the weft coaft of Africa, of which we can
only glean thefe few hints, was undoubtedly the fruit of Hanno's difco-
very. We muft regret, that the intercourfe with the countries dif-
covered by Himilco, with which the moft antient hiftory of our own
idand is apparently very clofely conneded, is buried in ftill deeper ob-
fcurity. But it is very evident, that thefe two voyages on the Atlantic
ocean added almoft a new world to the commerce of the Carthaginians,
which was the more lucrative, that they had the trade almoft free from
foreign competition : and the fouthern branch of it, which may be pre-
fumed to have been entirely without a rival, appears to have been affi-
duoufly cultivated, and long perfevered in *.

Such is the poor account, which I have been able to colled from an-
tierit authors of the greateft commerce, that ever was carried on by any
nation of the weftern world from the dawn of hiftory till times com-
paratively modern ; a commerce, which, by the unrivaled extent, and
the judicious management, of it, relieved all nations of their fuperflui-
ties, fupplied all their wants, and every where difpenfed plenty and com-
fort ; whereby, through the good offices of thofe univerfal agents and
carriers, the Indian, the Ethiopian, the Negro, the Briton, and the Scy-
thian, living in the extremities of the world, and ignorant of each-other's
exiftence, contributed to each-other's felicity by increafing their own f .
, .524 — At this time commerce with its ufual fupporters, the arts and
iciences, appears to have made confide>-able pngrefs among the Greeks,
and particularly among chofe of Afia and the iftands, who were in ge-
neral opulent and poweiful at fea ; at leaft, we may confider them as
luch, if compared with their anceftors. Polycrates, who, from a private
ftation, had raifed himlelf, by means of the wealth inherited from his
father, to the forcrcignty of Samos, a confiderable ifland near the coaft
of Afia, poirefled luch a naval force, that, befides his ufual fleet of one
liundred veflels of fifty oars each, he fitted out forty triremes, which he
fent to aflift Cambyfes in his expedition againft Egypt, not as a vafTal,

of lliefe authors afFord a noble confirmation of the
veracity of Herodotus and his Carthaginian in-
formers. Another ilmllar trade carried on in
iEthiopia is mentioned by Cofmas Indicopleuftes.

" II is remarkable that Ptolemy's latitudes of
places on that part of the weft coaft of Africa, to
which the CartlMginiaas traded, are more correft
than in moll other parts of his work j a proof,
among others, of the fupcriority of the nautical
fcicnce of the Carthaginians.

f Chriftophcr Hcndrclch, in a work enti'lcd
Cnrlf-a^o, wherein lie pnifeU'es to coUcfl w!i„i an-

tient authors have written upon Carthage, hat next
to nothing upon the moll important fubjefts of the
manufadures and cjmmcrcc of the Carthaginians ;
and nothing upon their navigation and colonics,
except a promife (not performed) of proving, ihal
Amniia was mojlly peopled from Carthage. Hanno
is only named ; Himilco not at all ; and not a word
of the trade at K.-.ne.— Campooiancs, a Sr ■■.,i;,'i
writer, has colleAed feveral detached tncide' " a<i.
tices of paiticular articles of the Carthaginian com-
merce in a work entitled Amigu'ulad mariiima tie
Carlago, p. 4c. elft'p].

l\

Before Chrift 524. -^

but as an mdependent ally. Herodotus, whofe teftimony, in all mat-

authors as Caftor Rhodius, fays exprefsly, [Z,. iii. r. 39] that, to the beft
of his knowlege. Polycrates was the firft of the Greeks after MJnn
who conceived the defign of eftablifhing a naval See IViffidendy re

ly De underltood *; and the fovereignty muft as certainly be reftrided

ages after this time at R^me t A particuMr e.«h nr q r ?^

to nnflpfs fnrr,^ ^^A' • 1 • P'lrucuur cartli or Samos, fupnofed

to pollefs fon.e medicnal virtues, was alfo exported. [P/ii /xxxv

i^pypt, and, at leaft once, even as far as T-.rfp{T;,« .^^P""^" ''« Jar as

iiiiliipfFii

conitructet a mole ot crrenr Vipicrht- ..-k;^! ^ ncy aiio

ers, winch made them r^eied he ,?r r "^'p'^^^^i-^h-od of ri^al trad-
abandoned their ow^ci V L rL^ ^^"^ ^''' ^- P^^"^'^^^^'^'^. ^^^^^n they
longing to them 'kll'r nf •^'"'- •'"'" "^ ^"'"" ^'"'^'" ''^''"^^ l^^-
artift of "hi^^ "lind ' °f ^"'^3'ing iron wa. invented by Glaucu aa

thutchanide ; cJS" t^^ "^ "^'j^ ' ^"^^- ^'^^y ^''^ retained
-ctoiuing to (. ,, they became lovcreigns of the fca

* If the teftimony of Herod.'ui needs t,. hr + Pr . r

" ..V be ad.luccl. ^ ^'^ ^""^'^ =""'! l'"K''"' ^ils two S.miaM artilh, the honour

i Thcodorus, a Samian Koldlmlth w<r fo f 'i! ""r.MUu.ig „> Etnina tht .nn.mladure of tl,c

Vol.. T.

II

S8

Before Chrift 514.

509 years before the Chriftian sera. Moft of the other iflands had at this
time fome fliipping and trade.

514 — Darius king of Perfia, defirous of an opportunity to difplay his
warUke prowefs, refolved to invade the Scythians of Europe, in order,
as the Greeks tell the ftory, to revenge upon them an invafion of Alia
by their anceftors about one hundred and twenty years before. For this
purpofe he coUeded a fleet of fix hundred veflels, furniflied by his mari-
time vairals of Phoenicia, Ionia, and the iflands : but the tranfportation
of his army was effedted by the ingenuity of Mandrocles, a Samian en-
gineer, who conftruded a bridge conneding the European and Afiatic
Ihores of the Thracian Bofphorus. The wife condudl: of the Scythians,
who defeated Darius without fighting him, made him, next look to the
eaftward for an extenfion of his empire Previous to his expedition
•he fitted out fome veflels at Cafpatyrus (a town on the River Indus, orSind)
under the command of Skylax of Caryandia, whom he dlreded to explore
the banks of that river and the maritime country weftward from its
mouth. He performed his voyage in two years and a half, and con-
cluded it (a". 506) in that part of the Red fea, whence the Phcenicians
in the fervice of Necos king of Egypt had let out in the circumnaviga-
tion of Africa. This Skylax is believed to have been the original au-
thor of a geographical work, ftill extant, which if really his, is olde.- b^^
fome centuries than any other work profefl!edly upon geography, which
has come down to our times *. The report made by Skylax ftimulated
the ambition and the avarice of Darius, who made himfelf mafter of the
whole fertile and populous country fouth-eaft of Perfia to the Ocean, and
apparently as far as the Indus. The territory acquired in this expedi-
tion conftituied the richeft province of the Perfian empire. {Herod.
L. iv, c. 44. 84, 87 •, L. iii, c. 94.]

Darius ieems to have undertaken the conqueft of the Indian terri-
tories adjacent to Perfia, partly with a view to promote the commerce
of his fubjeds, and to facilitate their intercourfe with a country, which
has in all ages been a principal ohjed of commercial attention, as well
as of military depredation. This appears the more probable from his
reluming the undertaking of a navigable canal between the Nile and
the Red fea, The canal, originally planned by Sefoniis or his ion, was
afterwards carried on by Necos, but abandoned, a-, nlready related. It
branched off from the eaflern mouth of the Nile a little below the fe-
paration of its ftream, and following the level of the country, terminated
in the Red fea about forty miles below the head of its weftern branch.

* Thia work, which in quoted with the name of otlcrs have afcribed it to .iiiothL-r Skylax of Caiy-

Skylax by Arillotle, IPoliiif. A. vli, c. 14J h.ns aniIi.T wl.o lived about 3;o yeais later : but thin

had the misfortune to be fo much corrupted by opinion reih chiefly upon the latcncfs of lome pal-

the interpolations of .a (cribe's, that its auihcnti- fages, which are probably interpolation*,
city has been quel". ;'-• d b" fome critics j and

Before Chrift 506. -^

Its breadth permitted two triremes to pafs each other, and its length r,
quired four days to navigate it ». "engtn re-

If the Phanicians ever had any colonies in the iflands of the Perfia..
gu , as IS fuppoled by fome authors, the fettlement of them may be
perhaps placed about th s t me, when Daiins v,n„ „f x> r T^
fovereign of Phoenicia, and the'no h eoaft "f that^utf ^hh' t^^" T"

"ra^t^nt: :o^:;:j?cl"r Ei::^>r ? ?-■""

upon the ru'iis of ibme tem'pK ?a wt b bu"l fn SS ™''"' "'"

.i^r-s:;terniir;dtT^

tors of the Tyrians and ^Arrdfat^lTtt^Me'Sonln'^cofft ^rf

'c.rXed:rXerr;^tor t ^"4^^- ■' -«t'

be.„^„ tie H,t..„.ciar„?aV;7eo7e1.MS pSf^guT '™"'*°''
a commercial or ,r Wf ^ '^"^^'''' ' ^"^ "^ inhabitants were

"r;;s.^"F^:;i^L;v^;^^^^ u.;trr- ^S^ cn^
the':m:uSrofli;e^ret;;:e"o^^^^^^^^^^ '-y' '"^r ^^^'^^--^ f--

then almoft at the ITJthlftll '^'"r ^"^^''^ "''^"'' ^'^^'"^- ^^ "'as
the fouth to the Scythhn t^^ lu ^' 'f '"'^^''^ ^'^^"^ ^^'^ ^'^^^ on
the Indus it CtchS weft ,^ ,' Sr'^' ""'"'l^ ' '''"'^ ^'^"^ '^'^ ^^"ks of

confines of th;cSgi:L"HtSr;rAtK^^^ ^"^^° ^^^

ent latrapifs or government, im,?, K' J u ^^"^ ^"''^"^^ depend-

the Perf/ans were divideT " L '^ countries conquered by

bo.c ralcn s of iltr w;ich tlrh''"'""? T"""^'"^ ^« ^+,560 Eu^
fcarcely exceeded u-c; n li„;, J ^'' ^''^' ^'^'^^ 1^^^"^^"^^ "^ kind.
annuuHublidy. w ih i o r^^^^^^^^^ '-* ^"'" "°^ equal to the

■^ evident, that the -eSSro^l^^E^^S^tr !, v^U

Mtnkd by Herodotus, [Z. ,;, ,. , a. V-'
Hicte the work, bcin,^ t-.-rrifird !,; fun,,, ^l'"!^

""" "''• '■•"d"l Lgypt ; .and they .,|ve tlic 1,0
nm,r of compIuJng ,|,c work to tl^c Ihokml,'

H2

f.

i

60

Before Chrift 508.

quantity of filver, when fuch a revenue not only fufficed to the fovereign
of one of the greateft empires known in antient hiftory for the purpofes
of government, the maintenance of a ftanding army, the indulgence of
luxury, and the difplay of unrivaled magnificence, but alfo enabled
him to lay up vaft treafures. This account is furnifhed by Herodotus,
[L. iii, c. 89] apparently from an authentic record. He alfo informs
us, that the pjoportional value of gold and filver was as one to thir-
teen.

508 — From the affairs of the Eaft: our attention is now called to the
Wefl: by the firft intercourfe recorded in hiftory between the Romans
and Carthaginians. A treaty of friendfiiip, or, as far as a covenant
with fuch a people, as the Romans then were, could be fo called, a
commercial trenff, was concluded in the time of Brutus and Horatius *,
whofe names ftand in the firft year of the Roman lift of confuls. As
it is the moft antient commercial treaty now extant, and alfo the moft
antient authentic monument of Roman or Carthaginian hiftory, and is
not a hundredth part of the length of a modern treaty, it undoubtedly
merits to bt inferted entire in commercial hiftory. Polybius has given
us the words of it, which he copied, as exadly as the then oblolete
ftate of the language would permit, from the plate of brafs, on which
it was prelerved in the Capitol. In Englifti it is as follows :

' Let there be friendftiip between the Romans together with their
' allies and the Carthaginians together with their allies, on the follow-
* ing terms and conditions. Let not the Romans nor their allies navi-
' gate beyond the Fair promontory f . If they be driven by ftorms, or

• Acoirlinc; to Livy, Horatiiu was the fuc-
ctffor of Spill ii'S Lucrttius, who fiiccceded Bru-
tus, ov of iinuiis hlmlclt ; for lie l,':ivcs it iiiiccr-
t.iiii. Uiilfii «'c will ctiarjTc a wilful falfthood up-
on Polybius, who Houtillicd about 150 years be-
fore Livy, aii.l is bjyoud conipariioii more au-
thentic, we mnll hiii^vc, that Brutus aiul Horatius
were in jmnt authority at the coiichifion of ilie
treaty with tiic Carthagiuidiis, and at the cunfc-
cratloii of the ti mplo of Jupiter Capitolimii.. Yet
Livy, ami Diony fius of Haliearnairus, a writer even
more luniautic than Livy, are the aiuliora general-
ly followed by later compikrs of Roman hiliory.
On fuch autlmrity we arc told, that Collatinus was
levvardcd for his voluntary rclipuation of the con-
fulilu'p with a prefcnt of twenty talents out of the
public trtafury and five talents out of the private
purfe of Brutus, being topjether iicar^Dc thuuj'and
pound: of our n;iMicy ; .1 gnater fum ih in the
whole Roman trealury of that time can be ration-
ally fuppofed to have contaimil. If this llory were
credible, it would deferve a place in the text, as
throwing fome li;dit on the value of money. But
it Isutteily inconlilb.'nf with the (iinplicity of life
and geneial poverty afcribed to the molt dilliiiguiftl-

cd charaflers of the early Roman hiftory. {See
a collection of inftances of laudable poverty by
Valerius Maximus, L. iv, f. 4.) About fifty
years after this time, when the Romans bad col-
leftcd the plunder of feveral of the neighbouring
towns, we are told, that the fenate in a confulta-
tion fixed the bail to be given by the fon of the
famous Cincinnatns, when nccufed of no Icfs a
crime than murder, at 3,000 affes of br.ifs, and
obliged ten of his friends to be fecurities for the
payment of fo large a fum, which, taking it at
the liigbcd calculation, was but a few pounds over
a tun of brafs. [Z..'i). L. iii, c. 13.] Innumer-
able inftances of fuch inconfiftencics might be
pointed out in the romantic part of the Roman
hiilory.

f The point of Africa ncaieft to Sicily, called
alio the Hiumontory of Mercury, and novt' Cape
Bon, as is evident from the remark of Polybius
upon this treaty. Dodtor Shaw, if he had con-
fulted Po'ybins inilead of Livy, need not have
Ikcii inifled by the fuppofed identity of Candidum
and K*>i<> to pl.icc this promontory on the well, in-
ftcad of the eaft, fide of the bay of Carthage.
[_1 riivth in Barhary, [:'•■/>, 1 42.]

Before Chrift 508. g,

; chafed by enemies, beyond it, let them not buy or receive any thine
but what IS neceflary for repairing theii- vcflcls, and for facrifice : and
let them depart withm five days from the time of their landing. Who-
ever fimll come on the bufmefs of merchandise, let him pay So duties
but the fees of the broker and clerk. Let the public faith be fecu-
nty to the feller for whatever is fold in prefence of thofe officers ; that
IS to fay. whatever is fold m Africa or Sardinia. If any Romans come
to that part of Sicily, which is fubjed to Carthage, let'them W im!
partial juftice. Let not tl.e Carthaginians do an^ i'njury to the peol
of Ardea Antium. Laurentum. Circ^ium. Tarmciria, nor any of die
Latins who fhall be fubjed to Rome. Let them no attack the free
towns of the Latins. If they fl.all take any of them, let tl enVde!
hver It to the Romans free of any damage. Let them build no fort
in the land oi the Latins. If they make a hoftile landing in the
country, let them not remain all night in it.' [Pofy/,. L. iii ? 22 1
It appears fVom this treaty, that the Carthaginians, as the fuperior
people, had didated the terms of it ; and it I probable, that t was
merey their mercamile jealoufy. which prompted ihem to pro^ bk7he

LeZ S r 'f'^ri'" K^' "'^^ '^""'^"•^^^ lyi"S ^^°""d the^ay of he
Leffer Syr is, which for their extraordinary fertility were called the il!
pona, or the markets, though the Romans may not then have had anv

7Z"iTT^f'' '"'^^ ^'^r ""'y'^^' *• ^»^- genuine r^onuJS^
of antiquity a fo informs us, that the Carthaginians had fome tim^be
fore departed from the fimplicity of their commercial fyftem anTcon

people with whom they traded ; and that Sardinia (of which STrfic.
or a part of it, leenis to have been an appendage) and a fo 1 pa f of
Sicily were reduced under their dominion. Thei- fuccef in hofe en
7Z B^r^^'r'^' "' ' "^'^ ^^^ ^^""^"^^^ ' -d that brought on thdi-
il^r^ur^'^^^rS-f?" '' -- properly iutroduced\fterw.'S:
At this time the attention of the Grecian hiftorians is en^rofTeH h^
the war between the Greeks and Perfians, which cor^ nued "S^^^
vals at infincere pacihcation, till the Perfian empire was Entirely iut

» About a dozen of years after this treaty a
college of mcrcliants is mentioned, as then cl'a-
l)h(lied at Rome: but wc have no other authority
(or It than Livy, [/,. ii, c. zy} who has pcrliaps
Jintedated an Miditutionelleemed anticnl ii. his own
tune.

On fimilar authority we are told, tliat a great
quantity of corn, bought with nionev drawn from
tlie Roman treaiury, wa-, imported' from Sicily
on whieh oceahoii the celebrated gener.d Coriola'
11U9 and fome others propofed holding up the price

of bread, in order to keep the populace in fub-
jeition.

Both thefe events are placed in an age wherein
Rome knew nothmg of trade, had no hidorian of
her own, and had not attraded the notice of any
foreign wnter, at kalt, not of any one „ho has
come down to our times, for her molt import.nt
events. '^ 'li-in

t At this time according to Plutarch, in his
hfe of Valerma Pophcola, in Rome a (heep wa-
worth ten oboh and an ox an hundred oboli, which
l«ll futn Id .:qual to about half a guinea.

62

Before Chrill 502—497.

mh

verted by the aftonifliing fuccefs of Alexander. The torch of war was
kindled by the revolt of the lonians, who difpatched Ariftagoras as
their ambaflador to folicit the afliftance of the European Greeks.

502— The wonderful proficiency of the Babylonians in ailronomy
in a very early age has already been noticed. The application of the
fame principles to the furface of the earth conftitutes the fcience of
geography, which defcribes the figure and extent of the various coun-
tries, iflands, rivers, feas, &c. The artifts of Babylon were probably
thole, whom the Perfian monarchs employed to conftrud the maps en-
;^raved on plates of brafs, which the governors or fatraps appear to have
received along with their commiflions, and which contained the Per-
iian dominions, or, as Herodotus exprefles it, [L. v, c. 49] all the lands,
ieas, and rivers, in the world. Ariftagoras, who before the revolt was
vaffiil king or governor of Miletus, carried his bralen map with him to
Sparta in order to explain the facility with which the Greeks might
make themfelves mafters of the Perfian empire. But the Spartans,
whofe Angular conftitution rejedled what they efteemed fuperfluous
knowlege, as well as fuperfluous wealth and luxury, paid no attention
to his geographical demonftration, nor would they liften to a propofal,
which was to carry them a three-months journey from home *. Arif-
tagoras had better fuccefs witli the other ftates of Greece, and the Athe-
nians in particular determined to afllft the lonians with twenty (hips ;
and thofe fliips, Herodotus obferves, proved the fource of the calami-
lies, which afterwards fell upon both Greeks and Perfians.

500 — In a naval engagement on the coaft of Cyprus, we are told,
that the Phoenician fleet was defeated by that of the lonians, among
whom the Samians made the mo/.l diftinguilTied figure. Nor need we
wonder, that the Phoenicians, no longer the invincible fovereigns of
the lea, but degraded to the condition of vallals of Perfia, {hould be
found inferior, even on their own element, to the Greeks, now faft
rifing to the character of an enlightened, free, and commercial, people.

497 — Ihe lonians and their allies of the iflands directed all their ex-
ertions to the improvement of their maritime power, on which they
placed their principal dependence in their attempt to fliake off the Per-
fian yoke. They accordingly coUeded a fleet of 353 warlike veflels,
whereof 100 were furniflied by the ifland of Chios, 70 by Lefljos, and
.60 by Samos. Thefe were oppofed by 600 fliips belonging to the ma-
ritime vaflals of Perfia, and chiefly under the diredtion of the Phoeni-
cians. It is probable, that, if the commanders of the Grecian fleer

• When Herodotus [L. vili, c. 132] repieftnti
the Greeks a few years after this time as ignorant
of every country beyond Delos, and believing that
Samos was as diftant as the Pillars of Hercults,
ihe reflection mull fiirely be confined to the Spar-

tans, whofe king Leuiycliidcs was then commander
<if the Grecian fleet. It could not apply to the
rcll of the Gieeks, who were in general acquaint-
ed with tlie fea ; and it is dilTiCult (o conceive that
even the Spait;'.ns could be lo excclTively igmiraiit:.

BeforeChrift48i.

63

had aaed with", unanimity, they would have been viaorious. But cor
ruption and diTcord ruined their fleet. The Greeks were defeated (a"
496). chiefly by means of the Phoenician naval forces ; and the Perf an

f^T.r::t:.T ''^ '°"^" "^"^ -^^^^ '^"^'^^•^^^ ^-^°--

Darius, having fupprefl-ed the Ionian rebellion, determined to tike
SferTnce^'TH^' ^-f.ks. and particularly the' Athenians for their
mterference The expedition conduded by his fon-in-Iaw Mardonius
was defeated by a ftorm, which dafhed 300 of his fhips and 20 ooS of
his fold.ers agamft the rocks of Mount Athos (a= 4 J). The next af
tempt was ftill more unfortunate. The battle of Marathon (a' Inn "
which raifed the glory of Athens to the fkies. and rendered the ptS

of hSory!"'""^^^'^' '^ ^'^ ^^" °' ^"^^^' '' ^--- ^^ --; r'eader
The Athenians are now entitled by their attention to commerce and
navigation to be confidered as a naval power. By the advu^rof Th.
miflocles. who ufed to fay, that the war^ith Perlk was no encled but"
only beginning they applied the produce of their filver mines t^ the
improvement of their marine eftablifliment. Being mor^def nous of
mihtary. than of commercial, pre-eminence, they tLk upon t icm ^n
revenge the caufe of Greece upon fuch of th; iflands as had yi deS to
he Perfians. .Lgina. though but a fmall rocky ifland. had long main"
ained a conimercial and naval fuperiority over the other ftates of G^ece
It had fubmitted to the Perfians; and being thus obnoxious to the Athen

and^Sicily, with impunity. [/>/«W. in Thc^a.^CornNl^Vrt:

The Athenians in expedation of the florm which was to burft unon
them from the Eaft, perfevered in the improvemen of their Sect
They bu.lt tvvo hundred vefl^els of a burthen iuperior to any hitherto
ever feen in Greece ; and their ftips. and the v^flour o t leiV foldim

S'lan nX"'' '""'^"'^ ^P^'^^^'^^^' ^^^ P-^---- of Greece tm

Af

n«"., a„d eanuclui, of whofc numbers no calcula-

64

Before Chrill 480.

ages, to take poflclHou of that country. His navy confided of i ,^07
triremes, or Ihips of war carrying three tires of ours, and 3,000 tran-
fports, which were; all furniflied by the nations bordering on the eafl
part of the Mediterranean and /Egsean feas and the fouth Ihore of the
Euxine lea, all of whom were fubjedl to him. Of the triremes the Phoe-
nicians furniihcil 300, diflingiiiihcd from the reft of the fleet by their
velocity ; and among them the Sidonian velll'Is were the beft. Five
velll'ls, furniflied, and commanded in perfon, by Artemifui queen of
Caria, were eiteemcd next to thofe of the Sidouians. The quota of the
Egyptians was 200 Ihips ; but it is reai'onable to believe, that, on being
taxed with that number, their money was employed in procuring them
from the commercial people of Phoenicia or Carthage. Smaller num-
bers were provided by the other fubjed ftates according to their abili-
ties. [Ilerodut. L. vii, cc. 89-99, ""^^ 23.] The innumerable multitudes
dragged after the ftandard of the Perfian monarch, better calculated to
fettle an hunilrcd populous colonies than to effed one conqueft, were
almod totally dellroyed by famine, by the rigour of the feafons, by the
winds, by their ignorance of the country which they invaded, and
jxirtly by the wife conduct and wonderful valour of the Greeks. About
one third of the formidable armada, which the /Egajan fea was fcarcely
fpacious cnongh to contain, was wrecked on the coafl of Theflaly ; and
mort of the remaining iliips were deftroyed or taken in repeated en-
gagements with the Greeks, among whom the cliief praife was due to
the Athenians, who on this occaiion placed their whole dependence on
their wooden walls*, and, as their city was deftroyed, were vety pro-
perly confidercd by 'riiemillocles their general, as a floating nation.

480 — The event of this memorable expedition was the very reverfe
of what Xerxes and his venal flatterers predided. Greece remained free ;
and the empire, which he fought to extend, after being devoured by
his innumerable arr.iy, and debilitated throughout its vaft extent by
the lofs of its bell men, was curtailed by the independence of the Gre-
cian colonies in Alia.

This was incomparably the moft brilliant period of the Grecian
hiftory, and the time, when the Greeks might with conllderable pro- "
priety have alcribcd to themlelves the dominion of the fea. About
this time alio they attained, and for a conliderable time fupported, that
high rank in literature, that fuperiority in the fnic arts, and that ard-
ent love of liberty, which have ennobled the Grecian charader, and
rendered it the object of rei'ped and admiration in all fucceeding ages.

* 'riu- AUkiiI.ius, luning confiillcil tlic oraile tlon of liis own (ipiiiJon) convmccil tliom, lliiit their

at Dcljilii, wire loUI. tlijt llicy tmill fly from tliolr llilps were llic ti'i':(hu ttv/Z/t, to wlilcli tlicy were

lioiifLS, and feck rifii;;c wiiliin tlicir woot/ai Wiil/t. to owe their (ircfcivatioii. [I/eroJ. L. vii, cr,

Thcj- were miuh puz/leil about tlic mcaniiij^ of 140-143.] This \\\\i apparently the firll occa-

tlie refpoiife, till 'rhemilloiKs (whofe money liad, fion on which oiir favoutite metaphutical appclla-

no (loiiljt, prociirtd tlie imaginary-divine approba- tion fur a M;ival force wai iilVd.

Before Chrift 477.

f.r^A r^'V'''^^ ^■"'■^ that Xerxes with the colleaed force of Afia fuf
fered fuch ignominious defeats from the valour of Greece tL C^th;
gmians were feduced from their Drot>er Cu\Jr.. lf\^ ? ^^.'^'

and tempted to enter into plan orcrnoueft either hv^^' "^'^"^'
of a fugitive prince expelled from one oFthe (hi.Il Si Jli.^ '''''■''■'"
as ftatcd by Herodotus or by a treatv with X. ^^" terntor.es.

dorus Siculus. or by the co-^ooeration nf h^^^, '" r' '^'.""^ ^^ ^'°-
Herodotus, Amilcar^ th^ ^Z^ gte °^ i^^^^^^i s'IT''^^ ''
army of .300.000 men collcaed^Vom^the ^ Vious t ion 'o^f '^'?- ^
Iberia (or Spain), Liguria, Sardinia and Corfica for LrnnT . "^'^

fleet was burnt by a ftratagem of Gelon k^ ofe.eut .^^

gan of them either killed, or reierved to be 'thf flt^^^of 'thTsicTf.

0^:"^^!!!^^^^'^^^^ P-« -o the mouth of

ed. on condition of bel^ LvcS t hXr ^"'''' '' ^"^^ ^' °^^'-
allied forces or it leift of 1?! , \ n ^"P'"^'"'^ command of the

two hundred tr rle and ererhnl^ ^'"' '' ''fV'' ^'''^^ -"»>
whole united armies vdiconfduin^lrS '"^ "^^V" ^^'PP^^ ^'^-

Greece. B,it it niufl it acknv .''d "■;'}; T^''' "'•^ I"^^'^*"' ^^^^ "^
rcacd to naval piX'-emi^^erceC the fi I- V '''''' T'' T''^' "^"''^ ^^i"
tcnficn of commerce ^' of conqucfts. than for the ex-

tiKU- a contnbut on numl dbe l"'e 1 Lm T""^' ^'^^^'r fleets, reiolved
the due proportion pa .b^ To adjuft

Ariaules. an^Vthcn^a^g^ eral\v r^r '!'• '^'^ ""^"^^mouHy chole
with the title of the ^^^ " t tl : inf "/^ '"' "'^'Sniy was honoured
^luc.nly-nrollituted .-^l.fG.^^^''^^^^^^^^ than the fa-

cerned. f^xed the whole funi T iVn i ' """^^ '^u ^^"^^»^»o'^ «^" all con-
\^oi.: I. '""' *'' -^^^ ^'^^^'"^«. ^vhich is fomewhat Ids tlian

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WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 872-4503

66

Before Chrift 47 1—446.

j(^90,ooo fterling *. [Tlbucyd. L. i. — Corn. Nep An Arift.] Such Was the
fum which the free dates of Greece foand fuflRcient, under the prudent
and economical direftion of Ariftidcs f , to defray the annual expenfe
of a fuccefsful war againft the fovereign of the greateft empire in the
world.

Some time in the reign of Xerxes (who was murdered by one of his
courtiers) a voyage of difcovery was undertaken, to the command of
which Satafpes, a noble Perfian, was appointed, as a punifhment for a
crime committed by him. The voyage being intended to reverfe the
route of that performed by order of Necos, king of Egypt, Satafpes
departed from the Nile, and, palling the Pillars of Hercules, coafted
along the fhore of Africa, till he came to a people, whom he defcribed
as of very diminutive ftature, and clothed in red garments, or Phoeni-
cian garments, or garments made from the palm tree J. But Satafpes,
difliking his employment, returned home by the fame way he had gone
out, and was crucified for his reward. No better event could be ex-
peded of an enterprife, the command of which was efteemed, not an
honour, but a difgrace. How very oppofite were the Perfian and the
Phoenician ideas of naval command ! [Herod. L. iv, c. 43.]

471 — Gimon, the Athenian commander, with the confederate fleet
of Greece, was everywhere victorious. He expelled the Perfian garri-
fons from all the maritime towns of the iEgaean fea. Extending his
vidorious progrefs along the fouth (hore of the Afiatic peninfula be-
yond the fettlements of the Grecian colonies, he with 250 Ihips belong-
ing to the Athenians and their allies encountered the Perfian fleet, and
took or deftroyed almoft the whole of them, whereby he made a pro-
digious addition to his fleet. On the very fame day by a fuccefsful ftra-
tagem, wherein he employed his prize fhips, he alfo defeated the land
army of the Perfians at the mouth of the river Eurymedon (a". 470.)

449 The Athenians continued to be in general fuccefsful in many

naval battles with the Perfians : and at laft that triumphant republic
di«^ted to the ambalTadors of Artaxerxes, the no-longer-haughty mo-
narch of Perfia, the terms of a pacification, whereby he became bound
never to fend a veflTel into the yEgaean fea, and to acknowlege the inde-
pendence of the Greek colonies in Afia.

446 — The Athenians having become the greateft maritime power of

• This fiim did not, at fome fuppofc, include
pay for the Grecian allied army. ' i'ay was not

♦ yet iiitrodiictd into the Grecian fervice, becaufe

• the charafter offiUier wad not fepatated from
' that of citizen.' \_Gillies's Hif- of Greece, V. ii,
/. 63. tdt 1792.] But very foon after this war it
w3i> introduced.

f Thi» Iioneft llatefman, who for fome year*
juanagcd the joint treafury of the whole Grecian
ronftileracy, left not whtrewith to bury liimfcif :

and the Athenians bellowed j.oco drachma
{£<)(> : 17 : 2) on his two daughters for their por-
tions. \Plut. in Arijl.'\

\ Tlie Greek word ^tmniiuk bears all thefe mean-
ings. The natives of Congo on the weft coall of
Africa ufe cloth made of the palm tree. [P«r.
thas^t Pi^rimes, L. vii, c. 4, § 7.] And Captain
Cook found fome nations in the South fea dreSti
with doth made of palmeto leaves.

before Chrift 445,

^%

wrifeS' oflhiwr."''^ m"^'?' "°<^o«»radiaed evidence of Greek
waters, ot the whole world, without negleaine their warlite f.ftXi?rt,
ment now turned their attention to commerce TheiT mith! ^ r^*
arc faid to have covered the f^ o«^ * J i merchant fhips

fhips of war rodrtrium^^^^^^^ Sf 'Sf^^ '° '"T P°«' '^^'^ ^^^^
Th^e voluntary contriSrn ^Wch ^h^^^^^
felves for fupponing the Pekan war waf fim Lp' u^^^^^^^ ^^^"^-

r I^S^' xt^tSeTu"^^

whfch fro AFs"^^^^^^^^^^ ttrn'^^For'^^'S °' ^^^ ^"^^^^

ritory could not poffibly produced a«^i./f' ^' ^^^'^^.^^^^^ ter-
have no authori^^to fay tCth^vT.! ^;?r exportation, and we

undeftood the blnefs of carrvJn/ T ^^""^^^"^"8, or that they
country to fupplvTc del^, o7^ I ^ redundant produdions of one
richedby tScoin^etf whfch're'^^^ '^if^ '^'^'^ "°^ ^^ "^"^^ en-

than theLporta^n of haxSrom^^^^^^ '^"^^^'^ °^/"^^ "^°^*
terranean. One article of rr^^t! <hflferent ports of the Medi-

eipal one. wa^wL oftSert^^^^^^^^^^^ '^^"^"^^^ ^^^ P"-

carthenja --- ^V^^^ ^^^^ '" "' "

forp;;foTfA?;tb'Sfaff^^ ^'-o^k. or

delighted wth^ %LrtW etf^V^*^^^^^^"i^^. whower; fo

(^^.^37 : ro fte;i;,;^l;':/rpSS!c^r:afu;y" ?/|f /i^^'^.'^-
Af«/a/^, /« q^^. ed. Xylandri icon T RrtoiT^'J • ^^ ^'^'•^^'''' W''-
about twopence of ourmonev IVf. ffi -^ P/odigious fortune, when

the coUrie, then kS b^fn'r of rG^r^l* 1° ""'"»' °'' >»
is frequeml, more accurate thl^JS Jit i v'' . '" '"' geography he
enHghtenet.: a„a ..o^ZlXl^^'^X':" S^rtthT^

• Tiie defcription of the Cafpisn fea br He
rojlotu. ,, , remarkable inftance of hi. «o7rapL

or lake, which has no communication with anv
other, that its length would require fift« day?
and , . g«.uft breadth eight day. for a vrffelwfth

munication with the Northern ocean • PtoIem»
Jo^hhem-fplace. it yet truely^alli hafe
Herodotus had fome knowlege of the black nl
r '" "-//""th parts oflii.dooL. and of
their manufaftures Lm cotton which he true°y
defcribe. ,, growing upon trees. He dfo di
fcribes, from information obtained from natives of
Africa, a great r.ver in the heart of that c<« In nt!
Jo^g/rom ^.Jt to eaa, on the banks of wh.ch
tbcre was a city mhabitcd by black people. TW.
I 2

68

Before Chrift 4^ n^

owh eyes many of the coimtries, which he delcribca; and hewas ac
great jidins w obtain the beft information : yiet he acknowleges, that he
Cbuld not diftover the fituation of the idands called C4fliterid«s 'pora
which tin was brought, nor that of t)ie country, which produced the
amber : a pretty clear proof, that the Greeks had no cominerce, or in-
tercourfe with either of them. The cenfure thrown upon Herodotus
as a fuhulift proceeds only from fapcrftciality and ignoran«;e ; ai ,1 his
general veracity is acknowleged and refpeded by th rnoft judicious and
critical writers. wr -Jtwn f^t .fi.>#«. .

4.3' — An interval o*" petty hoftilities among the Greels was fucceed-
ed by the Peloponnefian war, wherein the Lacedaemonians and tbeit
allies, fupported by the wealth of the Perfiun empire *, exerted them-
felves to wreft from the Athenians the Sovereignty, which they had af-
fumed over the maritime dates of Ionia, the illands, and the whole of
the neighbouring coafts. This was moftly a naval 'var ; yet the events
of it had no other connexion with commerce, than the ufual confer-
quence of interrupting and diftrefling it. It prelfed with particular
hardfhip upon the Phoenicians, wiio, as the principal maritime fubje*^
of Perfia, were obliged to furnifh mod of the naval armaments, where-
by their fhipping was in a great meafure drawn off from its own proper
deftination to be fubfervient to the ambition of Perlia and Lacedaemon.
The war, after raging for twenty-feven years, was concluded (a '. 404)
by the deftrudion of Athens. The Lacedsemonians immediately af-
fumed the fame power over the maritime dates, the abufe of which by
the Athenians had been the pretence for the war . and they exercifed it
with fuch rigour, that the governments of the Perfians and of the
Athenians were thought very mild by thofe, who now groaned under
their tyranny.

** From the very imperfed knowlege, we have of the more valuable
pacific and commercial tranfadions of the Carthaginians, we may ven-
ture to allign the prefent time as the sera of their greated commercial
fplendour. Their mother country was deprefled by its fubjedion to
Perfia. The Athenians, after having expelled the Perfians, and the
Phoenicians as being their fubjeds, from the Grecian feas, and having
reigned triumphant for feventy-two years, during which they engrofl'ed
the commerce of the iEgsean fea, but with a more anxious folicitude

important geographical faft, whertin he it fup-
ported by the teftimony of Pliny and Ptolemy, has
been contradid^ed in later ages, even down to the
»ery time that Mr. Park was abfolutely engaged
in exploring the courfe of this famous river, the
Nil-il-abeed, Joliba, or Niger, who has unquef-
tionabiy afcertained the correftnefs of tlie infor-
mation given us by Herodotus. [L. ii, ec, 32, 33.
— Plittii Byi. nal. /,. t, f. y 5 i. viii, *. ii^—Sie

the aectitmt of Mr, Parh't travds in jifrica, pp. 2 j,

53-3^

* The Lacedaemonians raifed the pay of their
failors from three oboli (not quite ^d) to four
oboli (about 5|((). But this was not confidered
as neceflary^ for their fupport, or as an equivalent
compenfation for their Icrvice : it was a mere walle
of the Perfian treafure, calculated to corrupt the
failorti of their Atheoian rivals, and to entice them
to dcfert.

Before Chrift 39>4.-^37o.

6g

exfffcifcd a dominion of avaricious tyranny over the nations^ borderincr
on It, were now humbled by the numerous enemies, whom the Info
lence and tyranny of their profperity had railed up againft them The'
Spartans whahad fucceeded to the dominion of the ^g«=an feT onThe

?a^ iLht'mt^^^^^^^ °**h^ com'merdaTXt!

?&or now th^?!^r l^- "^^^ P'^'P^" "^'^^^ have derived from it.
1 herefor now the Carthaginians feem to Have had no rivals in tiie Mp

competition, to every port in it '-'lupuon, or even

r rS;^:H„Tr,;ff .„t ' " """'"'"' "-' "-" '^'" "^'^

he traveled into EgjT7» 'where he and ^1, l^'T "^ ''"""''^ge,
o»s aftronomer, iSg by^n f^fkri" 5 i ' "ho became a tam-

P.r«d t» Chen,, % . fpeeial ft,„r."d 1 S^lZy^:^±\^2 ""'

pound, fterling. No.wid,ftandr„jrs mugh „^™'„rpkt"' '^''"'':;
to accept an invitation fmK^ n;^i^ r u ^ "eatment, Flato ventured
on his landbg w th tL rt^^ younger, who received him

regulated his'condud by ht 'dvke' t hJ^"? ruf '^^ 'T' '"^^
happinefs in having fuch a cLnfr SI' .t ^"^bly fenfible was he of his •

tius heprefentrd him wtrrr^^ 'r '''"^'*^^ ^^°«^"^« La^^"
(about^5.5^XrLr Thusx^?£T'^ '"^""i^^ eighty talents
man w.^ valued as ' flave Jd^Hu^'r^T ^^-''y ^iferently the fame
that Pkto re?ufed "; acTrptl'^iP'^'^'^P'^^' '':^^^"^^ ^"^^-« %>

and lt.ll worfe with hi. plan of a well e.Q
commonwealth from which l.e excluded cSmer-
2^1 purfu... a«d maritime pow.r. ,-pi^, T/J.

Meto„,perf.atd for ag.sin a calculation of yari!
-atv TJ*^ 'hcfrecjuent inteT,oruion of E
courLfth '" t""8 tl'-m ""r to the true
courfe of the ,„ and the moon, flftrod L i

apparently come no nearer to U e cxaft CthTf tl^\ Z - "^""^ ""' ''«*'= ^^^n "»>lige3 to de

eathl'T'ilf"?.-"'"-- -'" ''^°'" W"°<J°t'" 1">"-

Bcfiyre Chrift ^^ i— ..^48.

About the fame time Eudorus, the fellow traveler aod fellow 0udent
of Plato, improved fcience in Greece by the introdudion of the ce-
leftial fphere, by a reformation of the erroueous calculation of the year,
(which however fcems ro have been little attended to) and by his writ^
ings upon agronomy, geometry, and geography.

351— The Sidonians, provoked by the intolerable tyranny of the
Perfian governors, confpired with the Egyptians to throw off the yoke.
Their defedion drew upon them the innumerable army of Perfia, led
on by the great king in perfon, to whom the city was betrayed by the
treachery of one of the commanders of their mercenary allies, and,
what is more furprifmg, by their own king. The conduft of the Sidon-
ians on this occafion was the very revcrfe of the wifdom of the Tyr-
ians when befieged by Nebuchadnezar, and the determined refolution
of the Phocaeans when they found themfelves unable to refift the army
of Cyrus. In order to prevent any perfon from withdrawing from the
defence of ihe city, they burnt the whole of their fhips, (an adion
fcarcely credible of a maritime and commercial people) by which rafli
condud, and their infuperable averfion to Perfan flavery, they were
driven to the defperate refolution of fetting fire to their own houfes,
and facrificing themfelves, their wivea^ and their children on the great
altar of liberty compofed of their whole city. Thus fell the great Si-
don, after it had been, during a long fucceffion of ages, the commercial
capital of the Eaft : and even its afees, which contained great quamii-
ties of melted gold and filver, afforded a valuable prize to the enemy.
It was afterwards rebuilt by fuch of its citizens as, by being abfen»- on
voyages, happened to efcape the felf-devoted extermination. But it
never recovered its former fplendom-, and was more celebrated in after
ages for its manufadures of glafs, than for commercial enterprife or
profperity. ^tmui ui ,f

' ^- 348 — ^The Romans and their allies,' who are not named, entered in-
to a fecond treaty with the Carthaginians and their allies, of whom the
Tyrians and Uticans ar' named. In this the navigation of the Romans
.Wf.8 reftrided to more .onfined limits than in the former treaty, they
being only permitted to trade to the port of Carthage and the Cartha-
ginian territories in Sicily, and prohibited from landing in any other
part of Africa, or in Sardinia, unlefs compelled by necefiity, in which
cafe their ftay was not to exceed five days. The Carthaginians were to
enjoy an equal liberty of trade in Rome ; and if they fliould take any
Latin city, not fubjed to Rome, they were not to keep pofleffion of it,
but reft fatisfied with the plunder and prifoners *.

* Polybius, [Z,. iii, c. 24] gives the wordi of and alliance of the Romans ; a mode of applica-

this treaty, but witliout the date. It muft be the tion rather at rariance vilh the tenor of the treaty,

fame which Livy £L. vii, c. 27] dates 348 before Orofiiu IL- iii, *. 7] crroiieou(ly calls it the firft

Chrift. Livy fays, that the Carthaginians fcnt treaty,
ambafladors to Rome to petition the friendlhip i

Before Chrift 338—^333,

9*

w.?uJ^Jllif^5'^''^"5 ^;^*^"*^ '^^ ^^'* KO' P«ffeffion of f«
waruice gaiJies, winch formed the naw of Anrinm » «%««...•

«nd the capita! of that people Pa« of rh^m T ' "^"\°^ »°^n.
ownharboSr; and part^Sy burnt andl^^ k'^ '""!^ TV^'
roftra, they adorned^heir tribun^*'in"t"/^^;^^"^^^^^^^ ^.'^'V^'-

^ 333 — ^The commerce of the eaft end nf th*. lu^^ -

flourifhing for ages in the hands nfthTS^. • ^^^'f '•ancan, after

provmces in the allegiance of Perfia, hchZ^ un a ri& of ^'"""''

puihjng forward after^rh^bretf^l^fo^^JhTapi^^^^^^^^^^ ''

ed his march fouthward along the (horc of ^S a tk "' '''™"
mams of the Sidonians and th^ l.rhTI. ">oenicia. The poor re-
without refiftanJe and even iaL^l T""' '''' '^'' '^"^^ fubmitted
tryrnen. But he m« t'h a iervliff'' °'"''' ^^^^ '^''' "^ '^°^-
who offered to L J^s frLTl. ?''?' ""'^^^T ^'^^"^ '^^ Syrian.,
Alexander. aftoniLd at fuTh boM ' r ™ ^ ''^''''^ '^ *^ ^^ ^"^'J^'^
threatened to deftroytLrcL^^-^^^^ • ^°™"^r'y o^ merchants,
every p«pararion for a bScfele llTZ'''" '}' Z'^'' ^^^ "^"^e
of their 4men and child^e; conS^in„ fhemTlhfc.^^^^^
thagmians, who were nrevenrpH kI r ^ / r^- *^*^ °^ *^« Car-
furniftingW,ftan7e to'^^^eTr Arenf ftr' 17'"'/ ^^-'"^"O"^ fr<«n.
girt city, Alexander, effeaed w^at not but AlexanX'° ^1/i '^' ^""
ceived the idea of undertaking W?.k ,u ^'f'^^der would have con-
timber of Lebanon he c"nSedT^tr' '"'"' ""{ °'^ '^^^^ ^^ the
ftrait of half a mile inreaSth'^th-ch -P^<^'

omi„ed nothing ?!,« valour amZ ."PPo'ltion of th= Tyri.ns, who

•Antium appear, from the firft tre.tr betwcfn 4. tk; v t •«
Carthage and Rome to have been fubjca o the of ttat e,; ' "'A ^^ " ">* "'»'■*« "ot.ce
HJ« ,,0 year, befor. th. f^. See^ .b„e.''p! &;;;u3^,l^.^;S-^. if" ' ''•^'-'- '

fi,

Before Chrift 333.

when the N&cedonians (baled the walls, they poured down upon them
ihowers of burning fand, -which penetrated to the bone with excruciat-
ing torture. But after a gallant defence of feven months Tyre funk
under the coUeded maritime power of the Eaft, and the attack, of an
enemy, who afpired to the conqueft of the world; the city was deftroy-
ed, and the citizens were butchered or enflaved, except a few, who
took refuge in a temple, and, according to Curtius, fifteen thoufand,
who were carried off by the Sidonians, repenting, but too late, of the
part they had taken in the deftrudion of their friends (a". 3j2i).

Thus fell Tyre, ' the renowned city, which was ftrong in the fea,'
' whofe merchants were princes, whofe traffickers were the honourable
* of the earth,' after oppofing to the conqueror of the Eaft, a more vi-
gorous refiftance than he experienced from the whole power of Perfia.
And it muftbe allowed, tliat her fall was more glorious to the vanquifhed
than to the conquerors ; ami that Alexander, with all his military con-
dud, and perfevering valour, coiild fcarcely have accomplifhed the de-
ftrudion of Tyre, if the other maritime ftates, inftead of confpiring
againft her, and depriving her of the dominion of the fea, had United
to repell the invader, andfecure their own independence.

332 — From Phoenicia Alexander marched in to Egypt, which fubmitted
to him without a blow. Though then but a very young man, his judge-
ment perceived at once, what the highly-extolled wifdom of Egypt had
for fo many years been blind to, that that country was formed by nature
to command and unite the commerce of the whole world. No one of
the many mouths of the Nile * was capable of being formed into a har-
bour, fit to receive the (hipping expeded to frequent the deftined port.
But on a part of the fhore, weft of all the mouths, and almoft uninhabit-
ed, where the Egyptian kings had built a fort to repell the pirates of
antient Greece, he found a harbour, proteded by the ifland of Pharos,
and formed by nature for the fituation of the commercial capital of the
world. On this fpot he immediately creded a city, which was carried
on with a regularity of plan, and beauty of execution, hitherto unequal-
.ed, under the diredion of Dinocrates, a mathematician and archited,
who had been employed to rebuild the temple of Diana at Ephefus.
Canals conneded it with the Nile, and with the lake of Maroea, or
Mareotis, which afforded inlaud navigation co fo great an extent of
country, that Strabo thought the port on this inland fea more wealthy
than that on the great one. Though the new city, which was called
Alexandria, was foon deprived of the advantages flowing from the fa-
iVour of its founder by his death ; yet, by the fortering care of his fuc-

* The general depth of the main channel of Even the Canopic mouth, the largeft of the whole,

the Nile, is only from three to eight cubits. The is remarkably encumbered with fhoals. \^Diod.

boata of Ptolemy Lagus croflvd the Peluliac ^icul. Oiymp. Ii8. — Shfitu't TVaW/, /. 435 ; and

branclj, by fetting with poles againfl the bottom, jifpL'nent, p. 47. — J'urd<as'/ Fi/^riniu, L, \i,p.

.which, in many places, has not three feet of water. <;02. J

Before Ch^ift ^^ «-^3j^6.

notwichftandiug the convu Jns of Uif ^^t fc. . " '°"'^""*^'
the poiut ot union between tlie remnr,.a^ •' ^ , ^""^ '*""> centuries
cr„ woridiw , ^^^remoteft regions of the eaaern and weft-

'•3.?'^-— Alexander, freed nf tI! arxt^^^u r r ' '■ *"•"'' ■">^v.

% the <l«fo}at,on orryrl anfthr fln?n °" ^'r. "^aritima,^ne»ie,.
communuies... together wi^rCvLuifT °^ '^ other Phcemcl^H
rtates.mctM.ithffarcelyaafoppEj'l^^"'^^ '^^'^ j^« neighbouring
ing thel'erfun empire wWhfhelrr '" ^^"\ S'-^^^f ^efign of fubvert-

lions of po.unds (lerlinir T^iffiVL ^'''^^^*' ^^« ^alue o*. thirty mil-
years. nZs, thatTl e firfia^.^! ' ^^''^u^^ '° '^*= ''"'''^^ o^'n^any

Within, tbeu-iiDcomc*:' -^nd. that their expenditure was greatly

c^th, Jad^s.. which is c^leiTh?P^ali°""^^^ »^'« branches

Indian kings in battj,, h^ d/fpLe?ht .^„7'r^ defeated Ibme of the
to reta.n their own dominion fXieh he urXt^'r^ P^^^'^^^S '^^^
of keeping ia fubieaion to himSf sf, Pf °'^«b]y ^^ the impoliibility

m the^yeofreafonTwVmoZdfv^ nf r ^ '''"^'^' ^°^^^ver criminal
to the ^Jeflem world Tth^ttuof fLf" ^^^^^^^S^- by conveying

•« ;ort at Pattala. and alfo conftruded^^ Wh "' '^^'^ "^'^'•' ^^ ^uilt
---ry, together witS ^ly^^^ h^ ^^^t ^ ^^

^'oL. I. *= . •

cnvL'd /(k'tititv of P ,»»/!. .k
J-.. v»i,h Ky ;. ., ' c;, ^ i'«' f"",-! Of the
Ou.da„ I„|K.rv, and oP^ 'c, " 7,*^' '*"* "^
n'HncT. i, attended w'tl. '[,;..; ,ff i'""'^"" '"■
name of Ahafurr.. .,! u'^"^"?' drffiailfc The

ardfon. th. K^' ll'"uZ^f''°^ "^ M'"- Rich-

74

Before Chrift 526*

r

dia, Perfia, and Arabia, it became a celebrated empoiium, and remain-
ed a place of confiderable commerce, till the modern compendious voy-
ages to the further parts of India carried moft of the trade away from
it.

When Alexander arrived at the Ocean, he ordered Nearchus, a Cret-
an officer, to take the command of the fleet, and proceed weftward,
along the {hore, to the head of the Perfian gulf. The voyage was ac-
cordmgly performed, and accounts of it, and of the countries and peo-
ple ditcovcred in it, were written by Nearchus, and by Oneficritus, alfo
an officer in the fleet.

Alexander propofed to difpatch Nearchus on a fecond voyage round
the coaft of Arabia and up the Red fca, that he might obtain more
ample knowlege of the coafts of the Indian, or Erythraean, fea, for the
purpofes of commerce and government. But that expedition, together
with all the ambitiou* projedts, and alfo, as there is good reafon to be-
lieve, the many commercial fchemes of Alexander, were interrupted by
his death, in the thirty-third year of his age (a". 324) *. This extraor-
dinary man, who was neither fo perfed a chara^er as his panegyrifts
make him, nor fuch a mere madman as others have raftily called him,
appears to have been fenlible of the great importance of commerce. It
was impoflible for him not refledl, that the vaft and populous empire of
Perfia, and all the nations he had ever attacked, either in Europe or in
Afia, had funk under his power with lefs oppofition than he had met
with from the fingle mercantile city of Tyre. The refleftion could not
fail to imprefs him with a very high idea of the refources to be derived
from a flourifliing and well-direded commerce ; and of the great exer-
tions, even of military force, which a community of mercliants were
capable of making, when compelled to employ their money, the finews
of trade, and alfo of war, in the defence of their native country. The
foundation of Alexandria has been already related : and many others of
his adlions (how, that, am.idft all his plans of war and conqueft, he never
Joft fight of a grand defign of making the commerce of his fubjedts ftill
more extenfive than his empire. With this view he built about feventy
towns in lituations well adapted for commercial intercourfe. With this
view he opened the navigation of the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Eu-
loeus, which were laid to have been obftruded by the blind policy of pre-

• Among the weftein nations who fent co. <rra-
tiilatory, or adulatory, acldreflts to Aiexan 'cr,
were tlie Romans, according to Ch'tnrchus, an
hiftorian who attended him in his expedition, and,
by Pliny's acconnt, tlie fecond Greek writer who
mentioned the Romans ; the tirll being Theopom-
pu9, who only recorded the capture of Rome by
the Gauls. [P/i»i. Z. iii, c. 5.] Neither of thefc
notices was rery flattering to the pride of the
conquerors of the world, whofe romantic hiltorian,

Livy, has aniufed himfelf [£. ix, c. 17] with
making up a lid of Roman heroes contemporary
with Alexander, who would have conquered him,
if he had prefumed to come in their way. Livy
did not know, or was willing to forget, that the
Romans were repeatedly defeated, not by Alex-
ander, but by Alexander's veteran warriors, 7,000
of whom were in the army of Pyrrhus king of
Epirus.

Before Chrift 114. ' ._

r r ■ '*

ceding lovereignsi,, order to prevent the arrival of foreiRn vclTeU' Hr

•hllT-fi-f '-■''/u*™ "'" °^ '^'- ""« of four, twclvfof hree' uhd
thirty veflel. of ih.rty oars eacli, built by the "hcemcians ml .'r,

heTt.it^"g«'rorv''els';^Ve';;u'wtt:itf tr;^ "t^'-- ^ »''

.u^ft of the CafCnt™tefr4'r:^,^^:'j;itch plan the^con-
the^5"ar* TeS "° "'="''"'?■? "^ »» -^ ™rche. tnade by

ence of which was recknn^H K u ' ^-^-^^ '' 8'°^' '^^ circumfer-

40.000 mi cs) He alfoT ^/^ "^^^.^^'"^/^cians 400.000 ftadia (abc ,t

Columns of Hercules fortheS^L;.^^ ^"^ that the

-Behold the eaS S ! Teaft t£ ' ?' . T ""^ "^^^ ^^ I^^'^'
geographical faience wS. it 'a kofe tf L'h ''^""k^' "^' "^ ^^^^
Itirred up in Ghriftophcr Colm^ .1,! iaple of about eighteen centuries.

European^,vigator?to"I„SuX^^^^^^^^^^^ ^'^ ^^^^^ ^'

copy of the celeftal SefvatLL wST^iT'''^^^"'^^^'^ '^'^
<luring the courfe of a^::ZTncZtt '^ '"" "^^'^ ^' ^^^y^^

m thrTrte'TSfer^til^ f^"T '^ ^'^^ ^^^^^^^ -^ -^^^^
fome very anUem monument nf ^"""^^««' <^^fe<aecl and a/lifted by

which have JaSy bSn ac?J Li ' ^'"'^V^r ^"^ ^^i^"<^« -^' India!
the antient ftaS ^of S coTry ' "' ''' '"""^^"^ ^" ^°^"^ ^"«^«- ^^ea of

phratesand Tigris for tl.c puLM't^dt-

he water over the adjacent kvelcountry.ft « m>

l^.able ,0 fuppofc, ,hat the antient 5 k«Z"

-t The pafiage of Ariftotle here Quoted . • .
fhowsthat fome others had alfo tuCed iV^
tention to fuch fubirtfts f. «m ^ •""■ "-

chief fo.mdationStXVte/r"' 1 '^'
bility of D weflern voy^„ ,' 1 r •'''? P""^'"-
c../.er of h- tUrJ^,:;^;-''^ fe.e„th

K2

76

Before Chrift.

3^4-

.At rlic time of Alexntider's mvnfiort tlie juriCprudence and police of
Tmliu were rcgiitoted with admirnble wifdoni, muttired by the accumu-
lated experience ot" many centuries of civilisation andeftaWilhed govern-
ment. The Inrgc extent of the ftotes or kirtgdoms, the perfe(flion of
their agriculture and manufadures, and the very flourifhing ftate of the
arts and lliences, afford evident proofs of this truth *. Their fertile
tields, and their judicious cultivation, produced annually two crops of
grain of various forts, whereof rice conftituted the chief article of their
fubfiftence. From rice they extraiSed a fpiritous liquor, as well as from
the fugar-cane; from which they alfo made fugar, which Nearchus
[a^. Strab. L. w, p. 1016] calls honey of canes, its proper Indian name
ot facchar {tretKyMp) being yet unknown to the Greeks. The rent of
land was gcoerallv one fourth part of the produce. The cultivators of
the earth, together with their lands and their produ<aions, were exempted
from the toils, the dangers, and the ravages, of war. The valuable cotton
(hrub fupplied them with clothing, which was chiefly calico, either pure
white, or adorned with figures of various colours, Aich as is now worn by
women of all ranks in this covmtry, in imitation of the produdionsof the
Indian looms. Their drefs was alfo ornamented with gold anc* jewels.
They ufed umbrellas, a fimple and elegant defence from the fun and the
rain, which we have juft begun to enjoy, after it has been fome thoufands
of years common in the Eaft. Their roads were carefully kept in repair,
and regularly fumiflied with milc-ftones. Houfes of reception for tra-
velers (called cbonllries at prefcnt, and probably then alio) were efta-
blidied at proper diftances. The intereft of money was regulated by
law, as was alfo the rate, or premium, due for the advance of money
upon bottomry ; circumftances which fhow, that commerce was well
underftood, and had long flourilhedf. Their fculptures on the hardeft
gems, many of which are of very high antiquity and great elegance,
and their ingenious works in variocis metals, and in ivory, were admired
by the Greeks %. Their architefture, military and religious, was on fuch
a large fcale, as tould only be executed by great communities, living
under regular governments. Their literary compolitions, in the earlieft
ages to which our imperfedt information extends, but many centuries
prior to the irruption of Alexander, appeuj, by the fpecimeps we have
lately been favoured with, to be fuchas-ttMiU only be produced among

• DoAor Robtrtfon alfo confiJers the didribu-
tion of tlie people into dilljnfl liereditary catlt,
who were bound by their religion invan»bly to
follow the profefliuna or trades of their anceflurs,
as a proof of very antient cirili/ation ; \_Fii/hrical
difquifitioa, f>. 230, id. 1794] thoush the wifJom
of fuch a policy feemn at lealt very doubtful.

\ In this commercial nation contrads for bot-
tomry were not reguUrly legal till the reign of

Charlea I. How many centuries we were behind
the Indians in commercial policy !

J The prefeot age may a'fo fee snd admire tte
gems in the great treal'ury of them, coUeded by
NJr. T^(^lc of Leiceiler ftjuarc. The legends on
them )^*?e in the Sanlkreet, \^liich, though antient-
ly the 'univf:rfal language of a great part of AfitJ,
has long bo-'o known only tu tlie motl learned oi°
the Brahmins.

Before Chrift 324. --

rTnrnLf "'t^'"' '"?""':• '"^ ^"Itivated tafle. improved by am of
refinement. In moral and natural phi lofophy they arc aclcnntl^. t
10 have been th. mnfter, of the Griian f-lj the Lcnt.O f L ^ '*
notw.thfhinding the vaft length and hL ; r?f\v». -^ ''^^°'"'

India, that thev might drink tLXplmrfri^^J"""'.'^^' '''"^^''^'^ *«
at the fountain. n he eminently urfnl T'^'^T ^"^'^'^'•"ing P"re
AR,THMEr»c .he ufed he fimnl. L , ='"^"^0" P^rfed fcience of

arithmetic^cal d a IgebrflLrtl ev.^^^^^ T' '^"'"''^ ^P^^'" °^
the rell of the world The rot mdkTn k'"' ^?"^'"""icated to

Their aftronomical calculations S ^ 'T*" ^^^»''"°«'" ^o them,

lege of arithmetic and trirnomrtrirH^ ".oft profound know,

which may ftagger crec;bfHt;:T7;h^^ ^infaUiKrV'V"''^.""^'
nume (and they have ftood the teft of ve^y l^^id ^^1^^^^ 't ^ ^'■
great aflronomers) go fa- to overfnrt; »i, ^ «na pxammation by fome
received moft antiem cmonoZv ^ k authenticity of our generally-
Babylonian calculatL'r/at'oV «t '^^^1^" T'^""^ "^ '^

pofed them fprung ^Z fers m^^r^f G^^^^^^ ^"^^

^ , ,* * According; to a new though probable no-
^o„ma,„,„„,d byM.de VHlolfon'^ (i„Z
• of WhT" "' ^: ■i»-!57) our cyphera are not
o I,,dM„ or Arabic invention. Thev were

bcjore the ige of Boethius. After .we extinc.

llie Arabic vcrn,.n9 from the origir.al MSS and

LO.Mon/ UiJIgri of tht Rom.,„ .».*,■., j ._'

rGU«^'. ua y , ,? "' '""^ """ century.'

^ JfT.'s/'^rr-^"' ''''"■'"' ""^'■'■" ''- '79'.

The celebrated Huet bad n..af1,. >v.. r _
with Villnir,.n „ '"" ""o niarl< the fame »e/«9«
wi h V.llo.fon. He fays, that, though it i. the
opm.on of all learne<l mm. that the nun.eral figures
now ,„ ufc were brought into Spain by the C
who had thern from che Arab., who Hd the"'
from the Ind-ans, and. though ho ag^e. tha^
the Spaniards learned them from th? Moors

the Indian! learned them frcm the Ar;,Kl , i
the Arabs f.m the GreeCfrom wl t't ^y
alfo derived all their learning: but they had fo
n>uch altered the form, of th? figure, fKofc
of the Greek numeral letters, that thev canTnrlr
yberccognizedin the.Vimit«ion SCrwhkh'
An/ V' M "V°"^''- f"^ «''^^<^ » "oTikcnefs)'
And for all th^ he adduces the authontv of
Ihcophanes. a ConlUntin-poIitan writer of^hc

"'l'"',""";!;/. "I'o %». that the Arabs have re

«.K.d.. and the band oY cZ^Z^TZnZ
eaftern and weftetn part, of the world, were det
"tute cf figures to keep their accounts tfll rh!t
learned them from the Greeks! ^

' The Arabians, not long after the'r C^itU^ .
• m Spain, introduced this Ldrof notSnt!''

Indians.' rRd.r,fo„; D,/ju,%°l '' ,Z '\'

Hyaafpes. t-hef^fa h^r '?f D^.-.r v^leS^^'t^lr

t^ rUie'fnoSet^f tt ""'?''4 ^°^'
and the motions of tlTeTr" « wc^'^''"^ '^>'*'"'''
rites of religion. ' * '"" "' ''"■•?"'«

78

Before Chrift 324.

With all thefe high acquifiiions in philofophy, literature, arts,
fciences, and manufadures ; in fhort, with every requifite of national
grandeur and "elicity, they carried the pacific virtues to luch an excefs,
and confequently were fo ignorant of the art of war, that in all ages
every adventurous plunderer, who could colled fifty or a hundred thou-
fand robbers under his command, and could f irmount the natural ob-
ftruc^ions of rugged mountains and great rivers, has found it an eafy
matter to feize the wealth of an induftrious and gentle, but effeminate,
people. Yet, notwithftanding the frequent repetition of thofe robberiesi
the Indians, by the fertility of their foil, the frugality of their expenfes,
particularly in their fubfiftence, and above all, by the unrivaled excel-
lence of their manufiidures, and the greatnefs of their trade, though ge-
nerally a paffive one, have in all ages quickly recovered from the effeds
of the depredations, and foon become more wealthy than their plunder-
ers *.

Such were the people, whom the comparatively rude and ignorant
Greeks inlblently termed ^^r/irtr/fl«j- ; in which they are followed by
too many of the Europeans, even of the prefent day, who confider, as
creatures of an inferior fpecies, the defcendents of artifts and fages, who
were unqueftionably the teachers of thofe, from whom we derive our
firft knowlege of arts, fcience, philofophy, and letters.

Though the Greeks cannot ftand a comparifon with the people of
the Eaft in the depth of fcience, and flu lefs in the perfedion of manu-
fadures, yet, till the redudion of their coimtry by the Romans, they
preferved a diftinguifhed pre-eminence above all the nations of Europe,
(unlefs the Etrurians ought to be excepted) in literature and fcience ;
while in the fine arts, and in moft works of tafle, they attained a de-
gree of excellence, furpafling that of the oriental nations f .

At this time, and probably for many centuries before |, the fouthern

• National indiiflry .'a a gentle, regular, and
never-failing It re-am, pniduciiig a gradual and cer-
tain acciniiulation (if wealth ; whereas the honidly-
fplendid acciuKitimi of conciuell, a an iiumdation,
wliieh, after fuddtiily creating an ocean of fuper-
ahundancc, leaves behind it a ruined and barren
dcfert.

t It cannot, however, be denied, that the
Greeks of Alexander's age were wonderfully igno-
rant of many things, which they might have known
from HeiodotuH. Had they attended to the in-
formation tranfmitted by him, they need not have
fnppofed, that Alexander was the firft, who, after
their fabulous Bacchus and Hercidoe, reached the
River Indus : they need not have fuppofed that
rivtr to be the Nile, becaufe they faw crocodiles
in it, nor have been terrified by the tides at the
mouth of it ; nor would Alexander have been in
doubt, v.hctbtr the Calpian fca was an Inland

lake, or a br»nch of the ocean. [See Herod. L. i,
c. 203 J L. ii, f. It } Z,. iv,4fc 44.]

For the hiftory of Alexander, I have nioftly fol-
Iov\'ed Arrian. The <keteh of the antient Hate of
• India is chiefly compiled from Arrian, Strabo,
Pliny, S:c. who have preferved fragments of the
works of Ntarchus, Ontficritua, Megafthenes, and
other writers of Alexander's age ; and I am in-
debted for the moft of the recently-obtained in-
formation, to Doftor Robertfon's elaborate ap-
pendix to his Difqui'/ilion on ancieiU fnJia, to which
the reader may apply for more amp'.' .' ^formation,
and for the antborities.

J ' The labour of Egypt, and merchandize of
' Ethiopia, a!id the Sabeans, .ncn of ftature,' weie
iioied by Ifaiah, [r. 45] who lived 800 years
before the Chrift Ian xra ( and Agathnrchides, 650
years aftei him,dd'eribtd the Sabeans as remarkably
llout men, and the grcateft merchant* in the world.

Before Chrift 524.

Arabians, whofe great proficiency in manufedures, fcience. and com
merce, m the early ages has been already noticed, were the mercharu
who managed the commercial intercourfe' between the Wefter? part of

rr f T^ ff J^''t''° "' '"' bad ever failed from India tTZpt

neither bad anyperfonfrcn Egypt ever ventured as far as India ' the utS^ft

extent of their navigation being the port called Arabia tfc Bleffed or

were colMed and exchanged ;t" p'oT. beinf ,'ht "'£"; S" " iS
Th^ C,,I.y ^Z' f^y}'"-"'- P- '56, ed. Blancardi:]

the Palmyrenian ■erritory, »here they we°eTanded .nd 1 Tc" ?

I have placed this important notice of the

t. iw ' r f^T^ ."^ Alexandria. It u.Lcf.
t.onabl • iHchules the time preceding the eftabhfh-
ment o. that c.ty , and ,h, „odern}anci.s »/ J ■ L
commrnM ,n,ercourfi between anfjt Egyp, ami it
t" '"•'"M"'-' ."' The judiciou, reader wi I pc".
hap, thmk t1.at ,t might with propriety have been

ir,>,ah i and wc (hail foon fee reafon to believe that

♦he boafted oriental trade of Egypt under the Pto
Um,es ^tended no farther thu.Xbb abo't ,70
years after the fon,.dation of Alexandria, and dm
there ,8 even no good hiiloric p.oof of anyXa

ful^camn of the former to the Romans.

;, 1 ,• '\P";!V'b'y tl'"-- fame Euthymenes who

s ment,oned by Plutarch. Seneca, and' Artemido!
"US ol Ephcfus, ai a geographical writer.

So

Before Chrift 324.

•light on the early luftory of Britifli commerce *. ' i-'iom the imptrfed,
dirgiiifed, and mifreprefented, quotations of 'ihem to be found in feve-
ral antient authors f , we learn, that he cojifted along the whole of the
iliore of Britain, where he remarked the Extraordinary rife of the ilood
tides %. From Britain he jiafled in fix days to Thulc, which is evident-
ly Shetland ; and there he obierved the great length of the days in fum-
mer, wlien the lun rofe in three hours after his fetting, as he adually
<loes in tlie north part of Shetland §. He even penetrated into the Bal-
tic fea to the country of the Guttones, now called Guddai, and the
ifland called Abahis and Baltia, (apparently the peninfula now called
Samland) the fliorcs of which produced amber, an article of luxury
highly efteemed by the antients, among whom many fables were cur-
rent concerning the coimtry where it was found, and the mode of ob-
taining it. He alfo defcribed the abundance of honey, for which" that
country is ftill remarkable, and the pradice, ftill common in it, of
making drink from honey and from corn. He was the firft man of
Grecian origin who could nearly afcertaiu the place of the north pole
in the heavens : and fuch was his aftronomical accuracy, that his ob-
fervation of the latitude of Malfilia was proved, by that of the great
philofopher Gaflcndi in 1636, to be wilbin one mile of the iriitby:\ differ-
ence which might be effeded by the change of the buildings of the city
in the courfe of ages. His theory of the tides, the very exiftence of
which was fcarcely known to any of the Greeks, appears, through the

• ryt!icai.couM not well be later tlian he 's fciitcd by antiV'iit ignoiaiicc in detraaing from the
Jiere pla<x:^, bci.iitl.- his work was quoted by Di- extent of it, and by modern ignorance in enlargint;
ceatchiis; who llonrillicd itlmut 310 years before it beyond the bounds of polhbihty. Becaulc he
CUnll. ISh-M, L i;,/>. 163.] He might be car- ftid that ho failed in fix days from Britain to
I tr, for the acco.iiU ul tin Northern ocean bjr^.Thiile, it has been fiippofed in later times that
Hicatj-ns of Abdtra, a writer contemporary with ^riiule muft have been Iceland; to which a mo-
Alex^nder, is probably copiol from hi:n.» IW' deni navigator, fnrnilhcd with a compafs and other
coufi.ied ihiry of an i(],ind north of G^ut not UJs inftrnments, and having a previous knowlegc of
than 5;'-;/y, (jthe grcitcll of all the iflands known tlic courfe and diilance, may fail from the north
I., the Greek») might perhaps be an tmbcllifli- part of Britain in about fix days and nights,
ment by HLcativtis of tl)i; account of Biitain by Thofe critics did not confider, how many days
Pvthtas. \_Pl:!!. Ili/l. iijl. L iv, c. xi^.— Miiwi would be ntccflary to creep through the utterly-
Jli/l. imim. L. xi, c. 1. — Diml Sicul. L. ii.J See unknown and dangerous channels of the Orkneys,
all.) BoiigainvilU', '^Mtm. de lUterolure, y. xix, f;. ami from thence to Fare iflc and Shetland. Tliev
148] who thinks lie mull have lived btfore Arif- did not confider, that, though he could pioceed
'"'■'■• from Maflllia to the northirn extremity of Shet-

t ErdlDjlhetics, Po/y/iiu, Slriiio, P/iiiy, Plutarch, land with land conllantly in light, iie could not
Ci:Qmtihi, llfpaiih.ii lid Anitiim., ^ilhenxus, GcmU poilibly go any farther. They were not aware,

that a voya;i;e to Iceland, which is feveral hun-
dreds of miles from the ncaicll Eniopean land,
was an ahfolule imlojfthilily to a Mediterranean na-
vigator before the invention of the conipafs. And,
wliat was, if pciffible, a greater neglec^l than alt
tliefe, they did i!ot attend to what is faid by Py.
thcas himlelf, who, in one of the plained quota-
tions given fium him by Str.iho, [L. ii, /. 175]
calls ' Thuli tilt mijl norlhcrly nj' the Brilijh ijlandt.'

tins, /^^jtalLnn fr' (iI'mJUs, Ailtnddurut, Sic,

i r.it;'ity cubitK, as copied fioni I'ythcai by
Pliny, accordin;' to the editions. l^Hi/f. nat. L. ii,
(■.97.] Tl^is being evidently err, ine(nis, Doeior
Fovlter, witii great p;objb!!iry, fiippofis, th.,t in-
fle-Ti! of rCli.^t^is iti i.it (i^;;l'.v i.i:f it-,), tlie true
reading onkrht to be cflo vicivis cubilij (twenty-
tight cubits), or ^l feet, the huj;',t to w'llich the
f])rinir iuU> actn.'il.- rife a. IJriHi,!.

§ The voyage of Pytluas has been mifrcpre-

Before Chrift 314. g^

ver1efof^;:h:at STo^age ^cTe? t ^"V ^^<? ^^ ^-^^^' <^^^-
ftate of geography aftronomv^n^ authors, if we duely confider the
out hefitatioVLpronourc7'en^1 T^^ '^r '^' ^S^' may with-

of the circumnaviSns of ourTn '"'"'"P"^" ''^^^ condudl to any

of Captain Cook intHhe ° hoipTta^^^^^^ ""f T'u- ^."''P^^"^ '^' ^^V^S^
Antaraic ocean * ^nhoipitable and forbidding regions of the

verI;of'p;ht\;^re mI;;:^'^ Ifrr- ^--^ ^-- the dlfco.
they were Ithe fouLatLnoTh? great tVad^^^^^^ very probable, that
wards carried on with Britain ' '''^'''^ ^^^^ ^^^^r-

der^/^gTil^SWTptefh^^^^^^^^^^^ 1- by Alexan-

buildings, which, to accommodafrthe cJwl/^"^^ ''■''' '°^"^^ ^"^
aloft in the air to a prodigi^rheLht + T^f P^PV^^"^"' ^^i^ reared
childhood had been ftverfmm thl K . u merchants, who in their
Carthage and Sid^ revered 2 . butchery of Alexander's army at
refumS its rank as the firft^ commerce of their fathers, and Tyre

Mediterranean I S iSove^e'd'J^^c^T^^ '""Vf'"^ P-^ '' 'h"
(or rather the trade withXS I . J ^^T-f '^^ ^"^"^ai trade,
ed by means of L7carrtee £>rU "^"^^'^ ""^''^ was condua^
Egypt and Phcrmic^to theXSHrfn^h'^rT'.^". ?^ ^^'^^^^ ^^
by a navigation of feventy davrtrthe m' .1, p^'u ^'/ ^''' ^"^^ ^^^^^e
ly fupported a competitbn Sh Ale^ndH .°^'^u ' ^""' '^^' ''' ^<^"^1-
ed by the foftering hand^ If v^lSc ?' '°"^^ '^'^^^ '^"^ "o^rifli-
Plunder of the Eal : fo Llllt^ t^^^TShrLt l/t^!

This great philofoplier and difcoverer h»
bom an amp c fhaVe of Ihc malevolence ^Td T
tma.on ufu«lly a,tendB„t on real merit hI 1 „

by Stn,bo and fomc- other antient ^rriter, of Jen
abil.ties, merely becaufc the f««,, which he tf^lv
« a,.d. were incoBiprehenfible to their veyhS
*d knowlege of the laws of nature and the un

.r lie tkZ-^' "'•"!. •'='"'^' Eratofthene, one
<>t the moftjudicou. and accurate writer, of mti.
quay, confidcrcd the work of Pythcasa.Tn orade
and even Strabo «:Iuaantly does him the iuftke t '

writers that they have implicitly follower^h^^
-eftorafon to due hononr^by the hiftTricKi!

Vol. I.

A if !^ "'°'^P»"«' fcf«i"y of the prefent acre
And It will not he thought out of nLe f„ *k"
ferve here, that ' the academy of Maffile 1''
u,g a worthy pride from thi. fpi" of en'teSf '

• m their anceftors, animated wiJh ^ I^ ^"'«T»'fe
; noblenef. of ftn.imentthlr othif,i7„T„''

• themgreatCoir 'p/oUd Tll^'"'^ f°''
The bell account of Pvtheas >).<•> r k r

■s in /-e/?..-. roy^, .; M/!v:;it ;.?r '^'™

t According to Strabo, [£. xvi * ,,JiT .i.
houfe. of Tyre were faid to be hi ^ A. "-9?] the

latti

St

Before Chrift 3 14.

merce from the channel in which it has been accuftomed to flow. But
now the frefli calamity of another fiege by Antigoniis, one of the mod
powerful of Alexander's fuccelfors, again reduced the queen of the fea
almofl to ruin ; and the Tyrians, after fuftaining a fiege of fifteen
months, were obliged to fubmit to the controul and infult of a garrifor*.
placed in their city by Antigonus (a". 313). [Diod. Sicul. L. xix—Strabo,
L. xvi, />p. 109B, II 13, 1128.]

304 — Antigonus was not equally fuccefsful in his attempt to fubjugate
the Rhodians. Thofe commercial people, who were famous for the wif-
dom of their laws and police, the llrength, beauty, and convenience, of
their city and harbour, the extent of their tn.de, and the greatnefi of
their naval power, had preferved a ftridl neutrality with all the con-
tending princes, who were then tearing the empire of Alexander in
pieces, and employed their fhips of war only againft pirates, the general
enemies of all mankind. Antigonus, having demanded their afliftance
againft Ptolemy king of Egypt, was fo incenfed at their refufal, that he
immediately fent a fleet to block up their harbour, and to feize all vef-
fels bound to Egypt. This did not, however, prevent the Rhodians from
difpatching their veflels for Egypt as ufual but they had the precau-
tion to fend a fufficient convoy of warlike fhips, which beat off the hof-
tile fleet, and faw their merchant vefl!els fafe into Egypt. Antigonus
now fent againft the Rhodians a more formidable fleet and a great army,
under the command of his warlike fon Demetrius, who was renowned
for his ingenuity in conftruding veflels of war, and engines for the de-
ftrudion of fortifications. The naval forces of Demetrius were aug-
mented by the acceflion of moft of the pirates of the Mediterranean fca,
eager to revenge upon the Rhodians the fevere reftraint they had fufFer-
ed from their fleets, and alfo longing to ftiare the plunder of a com-
munity, whofe induftry, prudence, and commercial fpirit, had enabled
them to amafs great wealth during a long continuance of tranquillity.
But, notwithftanding his great military talents, Demetrius was com-
pletely baflled by the Rhodians, who bravely repulfed him in every at-
tempt he made to enter their city, and deftroyed feverals of the moft
formidable of his engines, the conftrudion of which had coft him in-
credible labour and expenfe. At laft, after an unavailing fiege of a
whole year, Antigonus direded his fon to make peace with the Rhodi-
ans •. and on this occafion Demetrius made them a prefent of all the
ftupendous engines he had ufed for their deftrudion. The materials
of them fold for three hundred talents (^^58,125 of modern fterling
money) ; and with that money, and fome addition to it, they made
their famous brafen ftatue of Apollo, 70 cubits (105 feet) in height,
which they fet up at the entrance of their harbour, where it was fo
placed, that veflels paflttd between the legs of it in coming in or going
out. [Diod. Sicul. L. XX — Plut. in Dmetr. — Stralio, L. xiv, p. 964 — Plin.
L, xxxiv, c. 7.]

Before Chrift 3 1 1-I.302.

83

newn'mi.?"'',',"! '? '^"'^ f^- "■ '■ 3°] *e Romam appointed two
d^v i, ™ ; f ^''.'''"■™"" n'^^les, (or lord, of the admiralty) wh^e
duty It was to fupenntend the equipment and repair of their fleets •

-.,£',SrS"perha:"rh'if^SetrX"'S^

ep'lwar.l RnVl, .J r ? Patrocles on a voyage of difcoverv to the

wS t know nLt trn;thL""iV"T" ^ '""^^ dxfcove'ries of
ow next to nothnig. After this the intercourfe between

.IJ^ '■» "IJwt that LJvy has antedated the
timi. ; for Polybms. t ir par »(J ._,i n • .• ,

tim,. . f„- D I I • -"fV"'^^ dniitnt in his own

u.itu of Roman lullory now extant, fays very tx-

icct before their lirft war with Crtha^c. It may
-c >„ferre,i, however f,om their treatfcs with^.e
dth^T"',' '/'r' "•'>•• "'■"''■^-•tl'arcoiq.
tile?.t' tnT •"'''■"*< ^*""*'" but^heir

vnm;ent '^'^ "''^ '""' "'^ ^''^ ''"^"""" "^ So-

It is proper, however, here to introduce a ftory

from a relpeclable author, which, if it wue ,"ve^

bad probably fome vefltT, abont this time: I f.y

II en, a, wc know for certain ih,y aid lone after
when .hey wanted to ferry their Jrmy overdo fi!
til). 1 Kophraftus. who was a pupil of Arillotlo

Hii'c/nf r" r /'^''" ^''^'^' -'late, t: h :

a kUI and mo I beautihif of the Italia,r pines
and hrs g,o.v ,., Latinm. they are nothing i,
;-^""par- on w„h thofo ot Corfica. For the R
ma.,,, when they went with twenty-five'veffels ,
<«der to build a town in th.t ifland, are Til to
have fallen m with a place where tl e i ee we re

0 p.odigionfly large, and their bianeh fo do c
tojj.thcr, that the mads of the veffel, were broK

o pieces by them in fome bavs .,,d harbours 5
and, as they faw that the whole illand was thick
let, and quite wild and crowded with trees, ther
"/-'A"' I" ''='ve deluled from their puipofe .If
building a town; but fome of theTi gofng afhore,
cut down m a fmall fpace of gri.und timber ftf!
hcient to build a ft,i., which was to carry fifty

. r : "i-i"''' '^'-'^ '""'"'""' S''h Periihed I'l, the
lea. 1 hey were certainly very right to p„t it
out of fight. A vene- with/^^/W. indeed ! (no
a numeral letter N for 50, but ^„r,«,r« ,„. , ;,
plain words). Who ever faw or heard of a rt, p
carry.ng ,:(ty (,,„ even in the modern fv II en^o^'
Zl °'". «'"'? ! "ddlng-fail booms added to the
)aids, and nay.fails extended between the malls?
Perhaps the reporters of the Ibry miftook /„•/. fo;

lli ng to boaft of. It „ fcarcelv worth, while t,>

.ot.ce the lefl-er abfurdity of the bay. and harbour

ung fo iiariow, that (i.ips wcr. ol,iljed to brud.

iroiigh the tree. It r.ppe.,rs, however, from t i^

W.<y ftory that the Romans had made an at-

Umpt upo„ Ct.iica which is unknown to their

have cor.eaed the faithful Polybiu. from the rot
inanttc JLivy,

he pofit.on of this famou. city k net unq^.q .„
ably alccitaincd. ^

L2

I

84

Before Chrift 30a.

Syria an'^ India was almoft entirely given up, though the Syrian kings
poflefled the fhores of the Perfian gulf, fomous for the fifhery of pearls,
with the ifland of Maceta at the mouth of it, and Diridotis at the mouth
of the Euphrates, which were two eflablilhed emporia for the fpicc
trade, [jlrriani IndicaJ] From thefe they could very conveniently have
difpatched fhips to India, the cargoes of which could be carried into the
heart of their dominions by the two great navigable rivers, the Euphra-
tes and Tigris, efpecially by the former, which has a longer courfe and
a more gentle ftream than the later : and they could be difperfcd through
the weftern and northern regions by the Euxine and the Cafpian feas
with their great tributary rivers, by the help of Ihort carriages over
land. It is proper, however, to obferve, that IFeleucus appears to have
conceived the defign of fuch an extenlive inland trade, as he intended
to open a navigable communication between the Cimmerian Bofphorus
and the Cafpian fea *. And he is probably the fame King Seleucus who
brought plants of the amomum and nard, or fpikenard, from India by
fea, in hopes to cultivate them in his own dominions, wherein, how-
ever, he was difappointed, as they could not bear the change. [Plin. L.
xvi, r. 32.]

Ptolemy, who in the partition of Alexander's empire had obtained
Egypt for his fliare, fixed his refidence at the new city of Alexandria,
and carefully followed the plans laid down by Alexander for attra«5ting
the commerce of the world to that favoured port. Partly by force,
partly by perfuafion and encouragement, buc prmcipally by the juftice
of his government, he drew great numbers of people to fettle in his ca-
pital. For the benefit of navigation, the firft Ptolemy, or his fon Pto-
lemy Philadelphus, (for authors vary) ereded a light-houfe on a fmall
ifland, called Pharos, before the harbour, which was built of white
marble in a moft magnificent manner at the expenfe of 800 talents,
(about /^ 1 5, 500 of modern Britifli money) under the diredion of Sof-
tratus, an archited of Cnidos (a". 284.) It was efteemed one of the
feven wonders of the world ; and its name of Pharos has been extended
to all fucceeding light-houfes. Its light was feen ut the diftance of 300
ftadia, or about 30 geographical miles.

Ptolemy Philadelphus, in purfuance of his father's commercial plans,
reftored, or completed, the canal between the Nile and the weftern
branch of the Red fea, and thereby efFeded a navigable communication
between his capital and the Indian ocean, of which the native and Per-
fian fovereigns of Egypt feem fcarcely ever to have conceived an idea
for any commercial purpofe. The canal was one hundred cubits

m

• So wc are tolJ on the authority of the em-
peror Claiulius by Pliny, [i/j?. ..u/. L. vi, c. 1 1.]
Pliny has been mifled by (onie preceding writer to
lay, [^L. ii, c. 67] tliat the Indian fea ftrctching

to the Cafpiac vim navignttd by the orders of Se-
leucus and Antigonua, which, being impolTible,
mud be falfc.

Before Chrift, about i8o.

»5

J^^it' •' ""^ j'"^'' '=°»"""3«'l "POD it, which, the antient S

*e -ftcn, b,„,H of .h. Redtal^^ 'po^nr t^cV eff^tf

ed, and Sabsea was the country to which fh>.v «,^,.^ » vciiew laii-

mcenfe, „,yrh ..&, cinnamon'^ Sc'X&jJ^.'ZriTx'r.N

Owmg to the dangerom and difficult navigation of th7RedrS' „ *'^

Egyptian, or, to fpeak more cnrrrfiw .k. r> ■ r=mo''M. 1 he

fronrBerinicd do™ the rS tl^Z' ^ """!' '^"''^'>. Med

country of the ltea:^'^hefet;e"^eralLTt4di^ "''"''• ? '"'
ticularly that called Arabia Fe^ ,W ■/„ i !"« P°.'"- •™'' P""

where they found a g^eral afc^t^tt of^hT ,W.^^°"'' "'". ^"'^"■

other produaion,, i Arabia and" thol anS tiofroT,' ?"

^■ltirdZ:s„"°^rt^i^^^^^^^^^^^

dia, enabled them to furn Ih toX meri« of E«nr.r"' "^ u"'
they could have procured them th^mftTil th^rhad cSd'^"
whole way to India in their own Ca^n veffek f. Shcir retur^'they

icnbing the oriental commerce about 170 vear.

And Strabo, bef.dcs relating the llory oJa voya<re
from Egypt to Indfa by Eudoxus, [L Lp.Tfl
which. wl«tlu:r true or folfo, ckarly p ovm tVat
the Gr«k. of Egypt had not then atUmpted any
voyages to India, fays, [L. xvu. « ,3l rt^

•covered at that time, is kept up to th s d*v ■
Bu ,t „ not 100 prefum|,tuouJ^ to%.. tl at tL
autboruy of Piiuy, who wrote from .^ worL or

onental attairs, if :t ,t«c even exnrcfs and pointed
83 ,t „ not, ought not to be fel again ft tL cr-
jon, or «ven the filence, of Thiaftu , aI t

^^ The

The obvious reafon was to prefervc the water

kt the velTel, down to, or raife them up f^m. the
J ^/" ""«. 'ipwevcr, mean to fay, that the
head of the Red fca. which has a tide may not
he higher «/ /,.f/, ,,arr than the Mediterranean,
whK:h neverrife. m«e than nine or ten inches
above .ta ufuul level. But the canal waa Tawn
off from the river „/ d. head of ,hc Deha, "vherc
.t3 water was probably 30 or 40 feet abive the

1:lt '\ ^'^'»""««"';- l"d«d the country
muft have been very near level, if, allowing for a
very gentle dedivity from the head to th/mouth
ot the canal, a fiugle lock was fufficient to (hift
the velTels out of, or into, the fea.— Quere, if tii s
was the iirll Kk ever conftruaed upVa canal ?

t It has lately been fuppofed, that voyaffes
were made dircdt from Egfpt to India fromT
.omn,encement of the M^ce'donian dominion in
f 5ypt ; but there does not appear to be any fuf-
hcient foundation for fucb a /\ippof>tion. 'rheo-
ptiral U3 an author contemporary with Alexander
andthcnrftof thePtoIemi^, Z. not a word,
^<')agc3 to India, though he mention* voyages to

86

' hi' i

I

Before Chrift, about 280.

landed their goods at Berenice, whence they were carried over land
upon a road, which Phiiadelphus opened with his army, and provided
with water and houfes of rcfrefliment, to Coptos, and thence by inland
tavigation to Alexandria. [Strabo, L. xvii, p. ii6f)—Penplus Maris
Erytbftv.]

With a view to engrofs the whole of this very lucrative trade to his
own fubjeds, Ptolemy maintained a powerful fleet in the Red fea, and
another in the Mediterranean. No naval force had ever yet appeared
in the world equal to his navy, in which there were two veflels of thirty
tires of oars, and one hundred and ten from twenty to five tires, befides
quadriremes, triremes, and inferior rates, almoft innumerable, [^iie-
vaus, L. v.] Thefe prodigious fleets of obfervation, or df jealoufy, be-
ing vaftly beyond any force that might have been neceflary to overawe
the pirates of Arabia Petraea and thofe of the Mediterranean, appear to
have been chiefly intended to crufli the competition of the ftill-furviv-
ing, but almoft-expiring, commerce of Tyre on both feas.

The decided fupeiiority which the merchants of Alexandria thus ob-
tained over the Tyrians, added to ihe diftrefl'es brought upon them by
Antigonus, when they were juft recovering from the deftrudion of their
city by Alexander, was more than fufficient to overwhelm a community
fo circumftanced. And in truth we after this hear but little of Tyre as
a capital commercial city, though it long , retained fome little portion
of the Arabian commerce, and continued to have a confiderable trade
ii^ ihe celebrated purple known by its name, fome manufactures of filk.
and other fine goods, and a profitable fifhery. [Strabo, L. xvi, p. 1098.]

It was probably with a view to eftablifh a dired intercourfe with In-
dia that Ptolemy lent Dionyfius as his ambaflador to that country ; but
we know nothing of any confequences produced by that embafly.
[P//«. L. vi, c. 17.]

Ptolemy Phiiadelphus has been defervedly praifed as a patron of fci-
eiice and literature ; and his library, which contained all that was valu-
able in Grecian literatur-^, and alfo a tranflation of the books of Mofes,
or the whole of the Old teftament, (for authors differ as to the number
of the books), has been ^amous in all ages.

A great proportion of the moft civilized parts of Europe, Afia, and
Africa, being now by conquefl or colonisation iubjedt to the Greeks,
there was a freer communication of knowlege and the arts than could

Tlie judicious D.i;iilli traveller Nicbulir lias
fleered ckai of tin. trror into which fome of our
inoJtrn great authors have fallen. He informs us,
that, though the difcovcry of the route to India
by the Cape of Good Hope has dcjirivcd the South
Arabians of that monopoly of the Indian trade which
their anccftors enjoyed, they dill prefcive the torn,
inand of it with refpcft to Egypt, fu far as to pro-

hibit any veirel from India from proceeding beyond
Jidda, an Arabian port about half wiy up the Red
fea, and that vtfTcla go between the Arabian ])ort3
ajid Egypt with Indian merchandize even now, as
they did in the rcmoteft ages. \yu^ages tie Nhluhr,
V. i, p. 224; V. ii, poJpm.'\ Purchas [/i. iii, pp.
230, 261] alfo defcribes Mocha, an Arabian port,
as a principal entrepot between India and Egypt.

Before Chrift, about 280.

87

be obtamed m former times ; and thence this age was peculiarly diftin-
guifhed by emment writers and philofophers. among whom thJre wJre
feverals who improved geography and the other fciences conneded with
commerce, particularly 'Hmocharis and Dionyfius. eminent aftronomers
whofe oblervations on the ftars have been prirved in the works of Pt":
lemy the aftronomer and geographer ; TiAiofthenes, Ptolemy's admiral

rary with thefe philofophers. (though^rhaps younge; than themTcr
amhes of Samos who was accufed by Ariftarchus o?violadng the reu"
gious creed of the age. and overturning the whol fvdern o7the un "
verle becaufe he taught that the heavens remaii ' immoveable 3
that the earth was carried round in an oblique orbit TevohSe ik the
meantime round its own axis. [Pht. de facte in orbViL .T -rl^ A?
thes had the honour, of all who lived in^he vreftem wSid after Pv^"
eras, and before Cardinal Cuf.i •. to approach ^e ::tftr
fyfteni of the un.verfe, as it was explained in later times bvCoTir;;
and afterwards demonftrated by the\ife of the telefcope ^^ ^°P^'^^<^"'''
iiehdes Dicearchus. fome other writers of this aee Lv^ thrn,^ r

was alfo noticed in the work upon the world afcriheZn a" a f u"*
The Brmlh commerce, hitherto engroffed by the Phcenicians of

• Ari'ftarchiii flouriOied aboat 260 years before
the commencement of the Chriflian sera, and Cufa
in the middle of the fifteenth century.

t Thcfe were all Greeks, and ihey were fome
of the wnters who induced Pliny to fay in his very
brief defcnpt.on of Britain, [Z,. iv. c.i61 that it
was renowned m Grecian and Roman records,
( Clara &r*ax nollnfque monumentis.') And this
claufe .. with fome modern writ:r. a fnffident
proof that the Greeks had fo great an intercourfe
with thii ifland as to introduce their lanRuajre and
manners. " *>

It is natural to fuppofe that the remote and al-
moll-unknown ifland of Britain would be frequent-
ly mentioned, after the difcovery of it by Pylheas
by the Grecian writers, ever fond of the marvel-
oua : and as Plmy probably had not read, or per-
haps could not read, any o/the Phoenician writer,

oGadir or Carthage, the Grecian author, were,
,n ''"^, ?"'"<».. ""^ only ones from whom he

x^uld poffibly obtain any account of Britain ; for
Rome doe, not appt^ar to have had any writers in

he time, now under our confideration. But I
know of no warrant in hiftory for a belief that

Bnta n before the Roman invafion, far lefs canled
on a long-continued intercourfe, fufficient, If J.
tt ""f ^^MrocrlefuJJicknt, to change "h^
language and manners of the people, a, hJh.'™
fuppofed. Pytheas. a Mamiian.^wa, of very re
mote Greek anceftry : but hi, intercourfe with
Driiam «a, not near fo much as that of Captain
Cook with Otahelt* in hia repeated vifits to th e

4

88

Before Chrift 280.

Gadir, (unlels their brethren of Carthage participated in it) and car-
ried on at the wcftern extremity of the country, or the Silley iflands,
feems now to have been alfo fhared by fome other people fettled on the
north coaft of Gaul, who, we may prefume, were conneded with, or
agents of, the Maffilian«!. The ftaple of this new commerce was there-
upon ellablilhcd at Midis ♦, (one of the iflands on the fouth coaft) to
which the tin was carried by the Britons in their leather boats, as we
learn from the contemporary teftimony of Timeeus. [ap. Plin. L. v, c.
16 — Dhd. Skul. L. V, \ 22.] And the change of the ftaple, and prefer-
ence of inland navigation by the principal rivers of Gaul , or of land car-
riage, appear to have been owing to the apprehenfion of meeting with
the fliips of the Phoenicians, whofe naval fuperiority was univerl'ally ac-
knowleged, if they fliould venture to coaft along the fliores of Gaul and
Spain, or perhaps merely to the averfion of the Maflllian navigators to
fo long a circuit by fea. It is reafonable to luppofe that thefe new ar-
rangements were eflfeded by the negotiations of Pytheas with the Bri-
tons.

The repeated calamities of Tyre, among which may be reckoned the
cftabliftiment of Alexandria, muft have greatly deranged the commerce
of tie Phoenicians. The oriental trade, which, by the aflifiaxice of land
carriage acrofs the ifthmus between Africa and Afia, they haH enjoyed
cxclufively during many centuries, (for tho tranfient participation of it
by the Ifraelites was only for their own confumption, and lafted but a
few years) was in a great meafure transferred to that new emporium,
where it could not fail to take root and flourifli by the favour and pro-
tedion of the Macedonian kings of Egypt, who had powerful fleets in

• There can be little doubt that Midin wa« the
fame iiland which was afterwards called Iftis by
Diodorus Siculus. \_L. v, J 21. ed. Amjel, 1746.]
By the mcxlerns it han bcei-. fuppofcd SiUe}-, or
Wight: the former, becaufe Tiniitus, as copied
by Pliny, rcprefents it js producing tin ; and tlie
liter, apparently for no better ri-afon tiian the fup.
pofed rcfemblance of the name, wliicii is further
('aid to remain with little variation to this day
among the Wellh, who call it Guith ; and perhaps
alfo becaufe ir. is the principal iiland on the fouth
coaft, and mod confpii-^ioua on the map. But
Timxus muft have had his information from fea-
men, with whom it is uAial to call every article
the produdion of the place where they take it in :
and Diodorus, from later, and apparently better,
information, defcribes Idis as the port to which
the tin was brought from the place of its produc-
tion in order to be flupped.— Idlis was fcparated
from the main by a channel fordable at low water j
but the channel between Wight and the main has
a depth of above thirty fathom where it is nar-
rowell at Hurft caftle, and, where it is (halloweft
between Beauly river in Hamp-fhire and Gurnard

bay in Wight, it has feven fathom and a half at
low water. Though the many changes made by
Uie fea on this part of the coaft render it not Im'
pastils that tlie anticnt Midis or Iftja and the mo-
dern Wight may be the fame, yet the iflands of
Portland and Purbeck, wliich, though now penin-
fulas, are conftantly tnlled iflands, probably in me-
mory of haviiur f jrmerly been fucli, (as Tlianet on
the coaft of Kent alfo is) the fmall iflands iu Poole
Lay, and alfo Portfey and Holing, may all compete
for the name of Miftis or Idtis with more proba-
bihty than Silley or Wight. But of the whole
Portland anfwers beft to the defcrlptiou of Dio-
dorus.

The error of placing Miciis at the diftance of
fix days' fail from Britain need not be wondered
at in Timzus, a Sicilian Greek, who wrote of this
trade when it was in its infancy. Perhajjs the au-
thor of his information underllood it to be fix days'
fail from that part of Britain which was ncarell to
the continent ; and that is the only cxplanatiou
which can make it apply to any ifland cunnecicd
with Britain, or iudeed to any ifland whatever.

Before Chrift 280 — 271.

tl^^t::^':^^^^^^^ J.^^^-v-.. ure of .... creek ^n'

the other, alfo contrTbld to gilVthe^^m^^^^^^^^ -

great advantage over the PhoenkLmJ^ of Alexandria a very .

rich and exteSfive trads of 3 T^f "^ Port throughout thofe
operating with the Jus of the folcle^^^^^^^ difcouragements. cc
gonm. muft have compelled manv of rhf ^ T*""^ ^'^^"^ ^^ ^^^i"
and other inhabitants of Tvre^iXh ^^ merchants, manufaduret.,
their families, thefr caprtal/an/"^ neighbouring towns, to remove
to Carthage. w)v-re tlX cmilH . - T-f ^ ^' ^""^'^^^ of their commerce,
dred manne'rs anTf, Sh'^tchT/jl^^"^ ''^^^ -, ^^ P-ple of kinl
inhabitants was fuffidrn^o rat "anra^^rfhr^^ 'f ^^'"'^"""^
profperity and naval fuperioSy beyond anVd.. f ^"^ercial

which could be attempted rexcem in th. 7 '^^^/'^^ ^^ competition

bia) by the new-effltd poTt of A^x^n ^'"'i'' ^C^""^^^ ^"'^^•••^-
rinth, or by any other nortinT St ,-^'*=^'^^dria. by Syracufe, by Co-

ing, highly^roUl fr^^\',^^i:,^;j"-^^^^^^^ ^ea. And this re'afon-
events, receives clear confirLtJnn Jl l^"^"'.^ "^ ^""^^ ^ifto"c
able teftimony of Polybius who reni^ n ^'^^ P^^^^^*' ^"d unqueftion-
ginians were at this dme^hc a^LoX^^^^^ "^''^"' the^Cartha-

every refped at the ^enhiroVtidrTro^^^^^^^ °^ '^^ ^-» -d in

-^rt^n^^i^^^^^^^ ^^"1>-. a valiant and

of the Carthaginians to fecuP^rl ""T, '" """" ^''^ friendship

againft the moVfo^^ii^bte enemy "L^^^^^^^^^^ '^""^'^^' ^^ ^^^^-X^ '
treaty between the fwn rf ^^^ ^ "'^'^ ^^^'^ encountered. A third

the Perfians for opulence theRn^icK ' P"'^^'"' ^"^ ^° ^^'at of
tention to war and plunder had r ' ^^ .^'\ ^^"^"y-^nremitting at-
moft all the penblukr pa n of irair '"'T'^r'^- '^'''' ^°'""^i°" °ve? a-
to the empire of the world ^ ' '"^ '^'"^^ ""''^"^^^ ""^ afpired

M^if^^^^^i^ -eacherouny got into the citv of
wives, and feieed^heir propert? Tfev .1 T^'flr ''""^^'^ ^^eir
ginian and Grecian cobnies ?n siril ^'.f /'''''■^' '''^''^^^ ^'>= ^artha-
fions. wherein they we e affifted hv n T'^ ^^^"^"^Pl^'ndering excuJ-
a limilar viUany, LrfeLedti Rh^ ''^ '' ^' u^ ^^'""^^^^ ^^o. by
Vol. I. • ' ^'"'^'^ °" Rhegmm upon the oppolite fide of the

M

9^

Before Chrift 264—260.

ftrait in Italy, till they were exterrainated by the Romans, who wcf^ at
that time ddlious of fliowing to the world their great abhorrence of
treac'licry.

The Campanian robbers of Maflana, who afllimed the name of Ma-
mcrtini (Warriors, or fons of Mars) were thereupon obUgcd to furrend-
er their citadel to a Carthaginian garrifon. Some of them, however,
who were difcontcntcd with this meafure, applied to tiie Romans /or af-
fiftance: and in favour of allies, fo worthy of their protedion, the Ro-
mans, who were exceedingly glad of any pretence for jnierfeting in the
afifairs of Sicily, engaged in a war againft the Carthaginians and Syra-
cufians ; but they foon concluded a feparate peace with the later, that
they might have only one enemy to contend with.

264 — In order to tranfport their army to Sicily, the Romans borrow-
ed ve0els from the Tarentines, Eleates, Locrians, and Neapolitans ; for
their republic did not poflefs a fingle veiTel of any kind, even for fo trif-
ling a navigation as to ferry their troops over the ftrait of Meilana *.

At the bef.mning of the war the Carthaginians, who were abfolute
mafters of the fca, diftreiTed^the whole coaft of Italy with praedatory in-
curfions, while their own country, inacceffible to the Romans, almoft
enjoyed the comforts of peace. The Romans therefor refolved to efta-
blifh a naval force, though they had neither fliip-carpenters to build,
nor feamen to man, a fleet : and this is one of many inftances of the
perfevering intrepidity and refolution by which they obtained the em-
pire of the world. In palfing the Strait of Meflana they had got poflef-
iion of a Canhiiginian quinqueremes, which was ftrandcd. In imitation
of this ^-cHel their carpenters conftruded 1 00 quinqueremes j and they al-
fo buik 20 triremes, of which kind they had already feen fome in Italy.
This fleet, if Pliny [/////. mit. L. xvi, c. 39] was truely informed, was
ready for fea in fixty days, reckoning from the time of cutting down the
trees f .

260 — The firft naval ellay of the Romans, as might be cxpeded, was

• Tlie ten Roman fliips of war at Tarciitum a
few yeai-s before tills tmit, anil alfo tlie Roman
t/uurniiri navales, or /ortii of the admirollf, in an
rarlicr age, muil vanifli bcfoie this iin(|iieltiunat)ie
tiiitli, which it exprcfsly, foimjlly. t'.nd repeatedly,
affirmed by Polybius, one cf M.t !,eft ii.rjrmed and
mod impartial writers of antiquit- . rt.i, f, 20.]

f Florus [i. ii,r. 2] fe ;i ''•\, .1 .• vi! ndifpatch
rather too flrong an c.,.!. '. ,. ; ,cnt, ivcn for his
florid liillory, and feems dcfirons to el'capc from tiie
I'.bfindity under the ftielter of a miraculous meta-
iporphohs of trees into fliips. Polybius fays iio-
■ hing of the time employed in getting ready this
fird of the Roman fleets : but, when he tells us
[i.i, c. 38] that another fleet built by the Romans,
after their carpenters had got fix years' experience,
was ready for fea in thtee months, lie remark?.

that fucli difpatch was fcarcely credible. We
niuft remcniber, that Poljbiu-i nctivcdtlie matt-
rials for the early pait of his liillory from the Ro-
mans ; and indeed he remaiks \^L. i, t. (14] from bis
own ob/emation, that the Romans though much
more powerful after the dcllruftion of Carthage,
' julf' lit out no fuch fleets in his tiiue.

When the expericnci of almoll fix centuries,
and the collefUd fcieiice <if the whole wellern
world, had greatly improved the Roman marine,
fcvcral years were cmph)yed in getting leady a fleet
againll the liritiih emperor Carauiiu" And tliis
unqueflionable fict renders fiich wonderful difpatch
in the very infancy of the Roman navigation ut-
terly incredible 10 every perfon who chufci to ex-
amine what he reads.

4

-^ '

Before Chrift 360.

91

unfortunate. Seventeen fiiips were hlnrlrpri „« .« m u t
b> the Carthaginians, whe^.L^'L Roma„l In '5 J'"''"?'" ?^^'P«^*
left their confSl and their fmp^ , rev .oThe Inl "^c^ '^'^ l'^'^'^'^^

Carthaginian (hips unexpededlv VnnnW ?», r T^"".^' ^^""^ ^fte"" «%
whole Ionian fle^t. and ^cS^^^^^^ '" ^^« -j^ft «f th^

next engagement was a general oTewh^erdn hi r"' "^''^ '"''""• '^^^
firft time to have a fair trial of tW ll ^°"'""' ^^""^ ^o^ the

The anxiety. infbparabL /^'/tht no^:^^^^^^ T ""'^"^"'^ ^'^"^^"^•

vention on the rack to difcover ^^^1^ f ' '''^^'' ^''' '^^''' i""
fuperiority of their enemies In the cnnftid.rn 1^1'"^ !ff '""^ ^^^ 6^^^^
rine difcipline. and naval tadks m '^n " r ^'"" P"P'' ^^"'^ '"^-
ohen ftrikes o^t new though which the .x', ""^''^T^ '^>^ precedents,
venture to conceive but ende .'voni ro ^M>€nenced veterans do not
brains under an affeded comeZ of\'°"'^"^ 'u' ^"""^^ «^^heir own
it happened with the CaXgSn ,ilT\T^\^ So

icorn the grapling crows andCSingtg :c%d u^t^H "«"^^' ^°
flnps of the Roman landlmen and fhiT^.? ^ P°" t*^<^ clumfy

an enemy necefTa.ily foHo^i They we ^^
V mander ignorant of the fea whofe n^nT • ''^^^^^^^ ,^7 Duilius. a corn-
while that of the mventor ofThe t^wT whicrrJ,"f I' '''■' ''^^^-'
unknown* [.W^^. /,. i ^, 21-23Y ""'^"'y^ «

riX:^:^::^'^:^:^^^:^^^^^^^ th. va^ infe^

prodigious lofles by ftorms + as wdU. hv'f' "^^'"^ ^"^J^*^^^ '^'^^ ^o
vidorious at fea: and b^the ^In^r^} fJ ^y.^'-^"'"' ^^re feveral times

cipline they got po(remorof%re"g^lefc^^^^

ntory in Sicily. They even carH^T' ^h ^ • .. Carthagmian ter-

the favage and^nrrogaL conf^lus "ZT ^^"'^ ^f ^56). where
moft to the gates of Carthar " was m.n; r "''"^'"S the country al-
furnilhed a foundation for imVTe ^^hiouf. K^Vnf" '^^"^' ^'^^^'^ has
ably fwift galley h-ivincr L^ '-^"»°"? embelliftments. A remark-

tbeRomanlX.^;ir;,^^^^^^^^^

.ng ve,ToI. which hadVo^edlyn^K^^^^^^^^^

The Roman treafury was now exhaufted S\i -^^^ ^^" »" defiance,
penfe furnifhed two hundred auh^Zll: k .\'^".^'^'^^"^ '"^t their own ex-
two fwift Carthaginian veflSfTT.T ' ^' ^^V^^*^ imitation of the
confiderably improved in J uL t^lW"^^^^^^ ^'^^ ^°--^. -w

KnowJege, gained a complete vidory

• Grappling irons, invented by Niciaj wrr^

uca by tlu- Athenian, in their enLe^ent's wfth

-e hyracuhans 4,3 yean before Chrift Bu the

Roman, c.r.not be fuppofcd to have know, any

thing of that nivcntion. -•""wn any

■t I" one (lornj 384 of their flu'ps were wrecked
or f.tmdcrcd, and almoft every fonl onboard perS

;ior. ,.^dc a lf;x£tf'; rLnt^^

leavinn- not U, ->i:<-h «. , ) i r .""'••" 'Icet,

fame time, got into a <ra,Jt,u . " ^' 'f"*

feaiv faff! ^ Sood harbour, and wa. per-

M i

92

Before Chrift 240.

k

over the Carthaginians, who were obliged to fue for peace, which they
obtained on the hard terms of refigning all their territory in Sicily and
the iflands on the north fide of it, and paying to the Romans three thou-
faud two hundred Euboic talents, which contained as much filver ks
would make fix hundred and twenty thoufand pounds of modern Britifh
filvcr money. And fuch, notwithflanding the acknowleged fuperior ta-
lents of the Carthaginian commanders by land as well as by fea, was the
end of the Sicilian war, called by laier writers the firft Punic war.

At this time the tnodius (a fmall fradion more than a peck) of corn
(for) was fold at Rome for an as, which then contained two ounces of
brafs. The fame money might purchafe a congius (7^ pints) of wine,
thirty pomio of dried figs, ten pondo of oil, or twelve pondo of butcher
meat, (rarro, ap PUn. HiJI. nat. L. xviii, c. 3.] N. B. The pondo isfome-

what lefs than our pound troye If fuch were the prices in the time of

an exhaufting war, what might they have been, had the Romans ever
been at peace ?

Immediately after the peace the Carthaginians experienced the dread-
ful confequences of trading their arms (agreeable to the erroneous max-
ims of their Tyrian anceflors) almofl entirely in the hands of mercena-
ries. Thofe foldiers, who had no regard for Carthage, offended at fome
imprudent, or inevitable, delay in difcharging their pay, took advantage
of the reduced ftate of the republic, and drew in almoft all the neigh-
bouring ftates of Africa to afllft them to ruin Carthage. The dreadful
atrocities of this war, which are unparalleled in the hiflory of human
crimes and calamities, were at laft terminated (a°. 238) by the condud of
Amilcar.

During this war Italian merchants fupplied Carthage with neceffiiries,
by permiffion of the Romans, who prohibited them f^rom carrying any
to the revolted mercenaries.

The Sardinians had taken the opportunity of the troubles of Carthage
to fliake off their dependence upon that republic ; and the Romans,
though for fome time they had ihewn an appearance of adhering with
the flridell honour to the treaty of peace, made themfelves mafters of
the noble ifland of Sardinia in a manner, which even Livy [L. xxi, c. 1]
acknowleges to be fraudulent, and Polybius [L. iii, c. 28] execrates
with the warm refentment, which an honefl man feels at the perpetra-
tion of a bafe fraud. Not contented with robbing the Carthaginians
of the ifland, they even prefumed fo far on their diflrefled fituation as
to extort twelve hundred talents in name of re-imburfement for the ex-
penfe of the robbery.

About this time a banker (rguT$^tTt;s) of Sicyon, a city of Peloponnefus,
is mentioned by Plutarch in his Life of Aratus. His bufinefs feems to
have confifted in exchanging one fpecies of money for another.

240 — Aradus, or Arvad, was a fmall rocky ifland, which the Sidonians

Before Chrift 240. g,

had occupied in former ages. It became a little independent kingdom
or comtnunity of merchants and feamen ; and it was fo populous tC
the houfcs covered the whole of the rock, and were rai fed aloft ik the
air to the he.ght of feveral ftories. each a feparate habitation. About
this time in confideration of affiance given to Seleucus Callinicus king
of Syna. they got an aflurance from him. that he would never atter^m
to force any perfon from them who fhould take refuge in their ckv fn
confequence of which much treafure was poured in upon them bv weal
loo^^^^?^"^ f-m juftice. as we leL from St'rabo f^'^Lr]'
1094.] He alfo remarks, what is much more to their honour tharbt
mg merchants and navigators, they never concerned themlblves wi h nf
racy, like their neighbours the Cilicians. ""cive. witn pi-

At this time Ptolemy Euergetes was king of Egypt. He imitated hi.
father and grandfather in t»^.ir attention to the comLrce4ZoWitv

to be tranfcribed L h.s librar;^ ^ Wo^ /^Jir^or ott^

o?thT::ri::r ''-' ^^^ '- ^-^-^ vs^^i'^zi:^

Euergetes was fo happy as to have hi. library under the care of Era.

jaluable and important art of' making paper from
an aquatic plant, produced in the lower part of
Egym, wa. not invented till after the foundation
ofAIcxan.Iriaj and he afcribes the invention of
parchment or vellum for writing upon to an emula-
tion between Ptolemy andEumenes king of Perea-
mus about their libraries, the former of whom h!v.
ing m».d.oufly prohibited the exportation of paper,
the later had r.courfc to the ikin, of animairas a
lubltitute for it,

. Pliny, not fatisfied with the ira affigned to the
.nvent,on of paper by Varro, quote, tn hiftorian
called Hemina for a llory of fome paper books
^;'f,('«l,r'^\^'^f-^^Chrl(i) inacuffin with
the body of lung Numa, wherein they had Iain nn-
corrupted 535 years, as he reckons, thereby adding
about half a century to the Roman chronology of
iTnJ""l\ According to Hemina thole books
contamed the plulofophy of Psthagoras. r,,bo
flour, fbnt about two ccnluric, af„r thi fappoM age of
NumaJ and they were burnt By the pr^tor. d,ui

other author., who relate the (lory with many va'
riationsi and L.vy differs from all of them. [P/w
ayt. nat. L. xm, «. ii, i y^Lh, HiJ.L. x!.

c- 29-] The variations, and the grofs abfurdities
prove the whole of them to be bungling fiaiorl. '
ITiefe are fome of the many inlfances of the an-
.cnu falling into g,„f, ^,.,1,^,3 f,„^ „„^ ^^^^
...g Herodotus who vvould have let them know,
L-L. V, f. j8] that in times, which he tliought an!
tient, both paper and ik.ns were commonly ufcd
tor writing upon. '

very djferent from the intention of tl/coftriveS
.t. 7 he fable of Numa's books demonllrates. that
H muia and the other Roman writers quoted by

and that the Ro;n;.:„ „f their time, had not yet
determined what duration they fhould aliigi/to

Ph,": '"{■- U ' • ""■" ^""''y "^ "biervationt that
Pl-ny cab, Hem.na. who could not be abov^ t,.^
centuries older than himfelf, a i,u.fi nntient \nZ
. (' yctudiffimu, autor annalium') : and th^ fame
Plniy ,n the preceding chapter taikl of m.nulcrijtl
200 years old as monuments of very remote ai ti-
qu.ty ( :longuiqua mon.,:i.,,„ta'). Do not thefe
arainKlancs afford rather more than a f.rong

hillirr!'.f :;'■ «"' ""■ &--«"y-received pompouf
hiilo y of the Komai. rej.ublic for the firlf fix fun.
pofed centuries is n;cre romance ?

94

Before Chrift 229.

tofthenes, a man of an almoft univerfal genius, of vaft erudition and in-
defatigable induftry. The accuracy of his hiftorical and chronological
refearches have entitled him to the appellation oi father of chronology.
But he chiefly excelled in aftronomy and geography ; and in his geo-
graphical writii! , and his maps he followed Pytheas in defcribing our
Britifh iflands ; but the moft of the exterior coaft of Europe, froui Spain
northward, was then but very imperfedly known to the greatest geo-
grapher that had ever yet appeared in the world. He obferved the obli-
quity of the ecliptic to be 23% 51', 20": and from his obfervations on
the projedion of fliadows he calculated the equatorial circumference of
the earth to be 252,000 Itadia, equal to about 24,990 geographical miles ;
which, being only about 3,390100 much, if we confider the imperfedion
of inftruments in his age, muft be allowed to be wonderfully near the
truth*. From his knowlege of the nature of thfe globe, he declared
that the vaft extant of the Atlantic ocean was the only obftacle to the
navigation between Spain and India by going due weft : the very fame
idea, which with the help of the compafs fet Chriftopher Columbus on
the fcheme of fearching for India by the fame courfe f . [Strabo, L, i, p.
1 13 (T/ pojftm — Plin. Hift. net. L. ii, c. \%\ L. vi, c. 29 et paffm.^

Some ihips belonging to Italian merchants had been taken by the
pirates of Illyria, a country on the eaft fide of the Adriatic fea. It is
probable that thefe merchants, as well as thofe who had fupplied Car-
thage with neceflliries during the revolt of the mercenaries, were of Etru-
ria or Campania, the later of whom, Polybius \L. iii, c. 91] fays, hud
commerce with almoft every part of the world (by which may be under-
ftoodthe greateft part of the Mediterranean fea) ; and, as a coniequence
of their commerce, their towns were handfomer than any others in Italy.

229 — The Romans paid Uttle attention to the complaints of the mer-
chants, a clafs of people, who were m no great eftimation in their eyes,
till now that they wanted a pretence for making war upon the illyrians.
They accordingly demanded fatisfadion, which being refufed, they fitted
out a fleet of two hundred gallies, wherewith they fubdued the coun-
try. \ToJyb. L. ii, c. 2. et feqq.\

The Carthaginians were compelled by the Roman luft of univerfal
dominion to deviate from their peaceful commercial fyftem, and in
emulation of that republic to eftablifli a regular and permanent mili-
tary force, which might oppoi'e the Romans in their evident defire to
euflave the world. But the condition of the republics differed widely.

Hipparclms, etuleavoiirlng to corrcdl Etatof- dia almoll dole upon Spain. Sec abuvc', p. yj,

tlieiu-9, aMiliil ah nit 25,000 lladia to lus trior
[^Piin. Hill. nat. L. ii, c. IS.J

f [11 this idea, ,n wuli as in the mcafiire of the
ciicumt'ereiiceof the globe, he improved very miicli
upon the gcoj^iaphy ot Aiillotle, who coutraclcd
ihe bouuds of the ocean io mncli as to upreleut In-

wlieie, however, 1 have not uled lan;;uajje iiuitcfo
11 long as that of Aiilloth', who lays, tliat fomc
philolophers tliought the Columns of IlertnleB (in
ispuiii and AiVica)^'oin<'(/ to thofe places which arc
near to India,

Before Chrik 229 — 222.

The fole bufinefs of the Romans was war : by war they could not ori
ginalb: lofe any ^^f g 5 /"d by war they had -acquired every thinrthey
pofleOed. By a fuccefsful war the Carthaginians could fcarceW Lain
any Inng. the:r trade muft be diftreffed. Ld the attention of tC
people drawn off from its proper ohwa • and frnm o« .,„r re ,
M,ey might dread abfoluc'e rL. Tftigi' twev^V bf "ifSLlm
againft Rome and goaded on by the eagemefi of the general Som

;Xiti;:".rca':^f„r-ss7re'?3:r^

beaten them, and S.^^^^^^^ Z It tif; r!bTed\t^

perhaps from the refemblance of it? fituatinn n,..^T.^^ i city which,
the name of New Cartha^r^ L r .!, ""^ ,^1'^ "' harbour, obtained

corrupting the mora of ihe cZfi"^""^- ?'' ^^"^'"^'^ ^^ ^'^^"^^^ «f
amone them rr VI ?K tj ^.^"^^hagmians by mtroducing bribery

fign^^mTciJmfe'lJ^l^o^j^egtfs;! ^"wh^T Y^f ^^-^ » ^^
eight years, and r,e:itlv c«™,l^?I ,h ]"" ''•"' ^omnMnded

he J. -uVdered'i^^^^G^S tto .\ Z,"al?ST.i'; '"^k"'

ne^er for a n,om™ T„ft 1 'rf v T'?''° "'' '° ""= '*""'^"^' »■>'' ^^-'w
invincible enmity to Ronf and , J '"'" ,'T"'^'""' » '^-^'-'P "1> ■•>"

The Carthaginians h:rnorai°rd':he ' ha Sf:/': '^^ It
tion. A trreat mrr of tl„. ^•.- i , ^'»^ <-iJ'ii.icccr or a warlike na-

fi.d.res..i^J^!;::^e^ ;.^ r^r'imS^^r^ ^'^^i^^^"^^' "^--
quifition of wealth by ixtu.i Lulb V^ ^ "* '' ^"'"^"^'^ ''^'^-
compared wiih the lei/Vre of- L ^ appeared contemptibie, when

cami intoxicated by ^^et-u' "'T '"^ »'^"'^^'^^- '^^^^ P^^l'''^ ^^-
avarice excited by 'tl'Sn/letf h^"t''"'"^' ^'^f I'^^^^^'-^^^^^d their
ing by a perpet'ual vio at on if i^k ^ '^^li:^'''^ ^^"'>' ^^^ P^^P-
cd ; and the njilitary (ncc^ilU ^h^lh'^^^ i ? '""''^ '■"'"^' "'^'^ ^"'''l^'X-
the foundation of its n'\n ' ^''"^ '^'' ""^ ^^"'^ exultation, laid

couui not .11 to loo. i;:^:-iL::!^;:^:t^^ -^^^

96

Before Chrift 222.

with an evil eye : but being at prefent threatened with an invafion from
the Gauls, the defcendents ot their antient conquerors, they were
obliged to diflemble, and to propofe a treaty whereby the river Iberus
in the north-eaft part of Spain was agreed to be the frontier of the
Carthaginian territories, exempting however from their dominion the
city of Saguntum. which being on the Carthaginian fide of that river,
would eafily furnifh either of the parties with a pretence for war, when
they fhould find it convenient to engage in it.

About this time, we are told, a law was paflied at Rome, prohibiting
the fenators from being owners of any veflels exceeding the burthen of
300 amphorae (about 2,000 gallons). Such boats were thought iuffi-
cient to bring home the produce of their farms : and all kind of trade
was thought unbecoming the higher ranks. Many of the fenators how-
ever allowed their avarice fo far to get the better of vheir pride, that
they wifhed to partake of the profits of trade, and were much enraged
at the promoters of the law. [Liv. Hift. L. xxi, c. 63.] Hence it ap-
pears, that fome trade was now carried on by the Romans, but that the
exercife of it was rather difreputable ; a clear piuof that the Roman
trade was on a very trifling fcaie.

The.'diftindiion between foldiers and feamen was another proof of the
low eftimation in which commerce was held among the Romans. While
the military fervice was the road to every preferment, feamen were de-
fpifed, and drawn from the meaneft clafs of the populace, confiiting of
men whofe whole property did not amount to 400 Grecian drachmae,
(about ^'] , o fterling) and who were therefor fuppofed not fufficiently
interefted i he profperity of the commonwealth to be intru ed with
arms. [Pc/ . L.\'\,c. 17.] The fame notions were retained in the
mofl; flourill.ing ages of Rome, as we fliall have occafion to obferve in
due time. How widely different from Tyre and Carthage, where na-
vigators and feamen were held in deferved efteem !

About this tiire a great earthquake threw down the famous coloflus
of Rhodes, and deftroyed the naval arl'cnals, with a great part of the
city. Tlie general good will of the other Rates of Grecian origin, with
all of whom the Rhodians were coimeded in the friendly band of com-
mercial intercourfe, turned this accident much 10 their advantage : for
the Grecian kings and dates of Europe, Afia, and Egypt, ftrove who
fhould be moft liberal in contributing corn and other provifions, fhips,
timber, and naval flores, and alio money to a great amount, for repair-
ing their damages, and particularly for renewmg their coloiTus *. On
this occafion Hiero, king or Syracufe, and fome other princes, moreover
exempted the Rhodians from paying any duties in their ports. And

• The Rhodians, probably thinking t'
an idle exptnfe, got the oracle of Dtl;
liJbit the rcftoration uf it, and applied th<.

' ifTus funds, deftincd for that puipofe by the liberality

,iro- of their friends, to other ufcs.
iimple 4

Before Chrift 222 — 219.

97

^hus a calamity, which would have encouraged the neighbouring ftate.

a pompoiK narrative „f hi. . a °"'^ hilorian, having infcribed

Man Vl !•? , ■ • " '^<'"q"'=fts upon a marble chair dedicated to

Scenery IZnZ'Zf I'L^'I' "H *^^°^" °' "^ Red tlnlh^

to be found in it is that havin, b! t % "■ «""-nimg commerce.

Arab, on the eaft Me oTthe Red fea •" t' 1'"""^ t"" "''^' "^ ">=
roads from robbers and the feas frim piraL ^"^''' *™ '° «"""' "^^

a GsrcSitTf :nf; Spfr firT'h' 7^ -^ ™^ ^""-'''^ ■'^

Europe from Afia The Rvlw "'^ 'i"^. "■■""• "'''':'■ ^P^^ates

aro„n-d the Pomt, oJ^l^lT^^^Z^T/Z^. tTd'!!' countrie iy.ng
wax, and corn which with vnft^ . • f' '^^° provifions,, honey.

by ,hemfe,ves;.he;e;;red^\^r;;rrof 'g^: "¥h'™'' "■''''

was very ferti e, but verv fmall • «nH Kt / ^^f^?^- Their territory
chafe the friendfliip. or rLLTr he forbear? "^- ^^ ^^^''^^'^ ^^ ?"■>
a heavy annual trib^iite rf eighty a^^^^^^ neighbours by

unwilling to raife lb hme n f.?^.^ (^I5>500 fterhng). Unable or

inalters of the ftrak not onlv h >'°r^ \hemidves. and being abfolute
alfo by the nature of the cmLt' wh d' '-r^'^^ "^ ^^^^ ' "^"^' ^ut
forces every velTel clofe under thdi w 1 1u '\"P°". '^f ^^''' ^^^
import, formerly exaded by the Ath^n ' ^ '^°".^^' °^ renewing an
%zantiu,n. in the time of A ^3^^^.!,' l^'''' '^'^^ ^^'"^ "^^^^^^ of
all Grangers, whom hey pedans^i^^ accordingly compelled

for penniflion to pafs il'th "t^ i^^f (t'^^ -terlopers to pa/a toll
been very great indeed, if a moderate fum from el^fh" K T"^- ^'^^

i.e .1 --s ,K,t include the .puln.t a ^0". "u.'!'^ ^?f "^ ^?JP' • ""'' Diodor.s Siculuri laTer
qu.U^, a, ^vc know frum Ag.tl.ar.hidcs, that they " '"'''^'^"''^' ""unpaired during many a^e^

Vol I

N

■

98

Before Chrift 219.

nations of modern Europe, the impoft was loudly complained of by
all the dates who traded to the Euxine. The Rhodians, as the people
principally aggrieved, (for the Grecian voyages, as we learn from Po-
lybius, feldom extended fo far) and as the firfl: maritime power of the
Eufl, after ineffedlual negotiation, made war upon the Byzantines, who
were foon obliged to allow the paflage of the flrait to be free to all na-
tions *. [^Polyb. L. iv, cc. 38 et feqq^

A kind of rage for building (hips, vaftly exceeding every purpofe of
utility in enormous bulk and extravagant ornament, infeded fome of
the opulent kings of this age. One of thefe was Hiero, king of Syra-
cufe, whom the Romans, not yet ready for the redudion of his king-
dom, had detached from his alliance with Carthage, and permitted to
pafs a long life in a kind of dependent and tributary alliance with them.
His fubjeds were thereby almoft exempted from war ; and their mer-
cantile induflry, wherein they were perhaps next to the Carthaginians,
together with the great fertility of the country, made the people, and
confequently tb.e king, very wealthy. By the afliftance of the famous
mechanic philofopher Archimedes, Hitro conflruded a galley of twenty
tires of oars, fheathed with lead, and carrying three marts f , which no
veflel had hitherto done ; and (he is faid to have had all the accommo-
dations and embellifhments of a palace, together with the fortifications
and warlike (lores of a caftle. Though fhe was launched before her
upperwf^rks were built, it was necefli>ry, in order to get her into the
water, for Archimedes to invent a machine called a helice, which feems
to have been a large jack-fcrew.

Ptolemy Philopator, king of Egypt, built two huge (hips. One of
them, faid to be intended for the lea, was 420 feet long, and only 57
feet broad, furnilhed with two heads and two fterns, whence we may
fuppofe, that the lower part confided of two long flat veflels united by
one deck, like the warlike canoes of the South-fea iflands. She carried
4,000 oars difpofed in 40 tires. Befides 4,000 rowcs, Ihe carried 2,850
foldiers, and an innumerable mob of cooks, fervants, &c. This fhip
could not be launched, owing to her prodigious bulk ; and fht mull
have remained, a monument of folly, upon the dry land, if a Phceni-

keg in Inverncfa-fhire. There can be little rcafon
to doubt, that the mall was cut in the celebrated
tlr wu<h1 extending 700 itadia in Urettia or Bru-
tiuni, [>SVraio, L. vi,^. 400] whence it euiild be
ver)' ealily towed acrols the Itrait, and along the
fhore to .Syracufe ; whereas to tranfport lo large a
tree from Britain would Icarcely have been pol-
fiblc. \_ih\ldnn\ii, cd. 1607./!. 21 ; and fee/). 24,
where he is almoll inclined lo give the ttiall to its
own native country.] Even a rnilhike of fuch an
author an Camden is entitled to notice, and to a
candid exjtninatioa.

• According to Hctodian \_L. iii] the impoft
was again exadcd bv the Byzaiitines in his own
time, before their city was delhoyed by the army
of Scverus.

I- 'I'he learned and judicious Camden has been
mifled in one place by an error proceeding from
the fimilarity oi B^irrifc (llrutinm in the fouthern
extremity of It:i!) ) and BfiTra»iit)i (Britain) to
fuppofe, that the main mall tor HIcro's ftupendons
fliip was carried from Britain : and Speed [////?oWc
nf Bittaine, p. 9] has fo far improved upon the
idea, as almoll to condefcend upon the very fpot
where "he tree grew, viz. the banks of Loch Ar-

Before Chrift; 2 1 9. «<>

dan had not taught them to dig a canal to bring the water to her *
The other one intended only for the river, was about 300 feet lone"
and above 45 feet broad, and had alfo a double bottom. But this was
not properly a fhip. of which it had not even the form, but rather a
floating If and. or pleafure palace, conftruded upon two very large
fcovvs probably fuch as the coal-barges on the Thames: which was con

'"fhoul """■'""VlT''^^^' "''^ ^^^""^^^ »^y iuperabukdan wla h

Though a peace had been concluded between Rome and Carthaee it
was not the intention of either party to keep it any longer tl In Uli
ihou Id be convenient to renew the war. The Carthaginians were ft
ga ed by rcveijge for the unfair advantages taken of them Tw?";
maxnri of the Romans never to be truely at peace with any nation w 10
d.d not become iubjed to them, even though poor ; and of all na'tmns
the U«hag:nians could beft pay for the labour of deft oying them
The Romans, m ftiort. were a people, whom it was neceftiiryVo JxteZ'
nate or to fubmit to. But this alternative, the only one diev Xw.H
to the nations of the earth, though fo ev.d^nt to e7ry . ten^^^^^^
of hiftory. does not appear to have been fufiiciently atl^nded o bv inv
rl^ldTh'ft"' antiquity, nor even by any iudn^du.l whof na'mtl

Kt'ii: !;;etS'SVai;.^^^^^-"'^"^^^^^"^^'^ ^^--^ ^-^'-^ -^

tK^"l^ ff conclufion of the firft war with Rome, the armies of Car
thage had been conftantly exerciied for above twenty vem in ill rl

>n, taken Saguntum m order to begin the quarrel, he immediately

t-s of oar.. J „pp,nr,„ft row^o; ' A^, J . S;')^ ^■'' "l!"" fr 57 feet „f breadth at'

~„|,„p could ,u,t be Ids til 52 feet from 1, C^'*^ "'"'"e. p. 3,, Note, and the

the w.ter. But with fuch a hel.^.t tL l.,.„,k .,f *^ n,;^ _ -. ^. ..

he w.ter. But w,th fuch a height the length of
theuppermoll oars beJuR only jy-. feet, 1,)lcnvs
noth.n.. either tor .mme>iio„ in the water, or for
tlie neceffarv anoje with the furfa

ite o] it. It

■here (or pretty artai,,. that the prcat number of
le lues was intended irciely for idle parade, and

wo do ..,(dy permit, by placing them not qnlic ten
inches ,u perpendicular lieight abov. eacl.-.„hu-.

oai.fcacely dippmjj ,„ ,h, „..,ter. the'guiuuis.

.sihnd by a drawing made from a fcale. i„„l

ha^e been about 38 feet rbovc the water, and al-

oar? Id f"; "P'^'"-^ "'Ip to fifiy tir.s of

«her Philad.lptuis. Uut ,he autl.uritv of Cal-
l^-;em,. and MoKpi.n. a, h.nd.d down fo us by
At erxn. tron. whom I have taken the account
01 thele three fl, p,,. appears to be preferable.
,..''■■ „ n' "'t'^V"l'K » be ad.lod H.rennius, who fa.
«. .ouflv advifcd lus Ion K,„tius, the general of
e hanuu.es, either to ma.T.ccre a Rontn aimy
''" -^-;; 'o'nlly .n Lis power, or generounvo7-t
then at liberty ; it ,l„ rtorv were within 'tie li
m.ta of authentic hiilory. Cl-i-v. ^1. / . i^x, .. 3 J

N 2

lOO

Before Chrift 218 — 20 r.

made his famous paflage over the Alps, and ruflied like a torrent upon
Italy with an army of only twenty thoufand foot and fix thoufand horfe
(a°. 218); but they were moftly approved veterans, trained to war under
three fucceffive great generals. Army after army of the Romans was
defeated, and a^moft all Italy was delivered from the Roman yoke by
Kannibal, who if envy had not prevented him from being properly
fupported from Carthage, would probably, in fpite of the determined
per leverance of the Romans, have extinguifhed their power, and prevent-
ed their eagles from taking the wide flights over the world, which they
did, as foon as they were delivered from the oppofition of Carthage.
But in the courfe of fifteen years the vigour of his army, he having al-
mofl no refources for recruiting or fupporting it, but what he drew
from his conquefts in Italy, was exhauded, while that of the Romans
was dayly improving. By the influence of the fame envious fadion the
Carthaginian army in Spain was left to ftruggle againft the power of the
Romans and the fluduating dii'affedtion of the natives. New Carthage,
Saguntum, and every other pofl; in that extenfive country, fell under the
Roman dominion. Emboldened by thefe fuccelFes, the Romans carried the
war into Africa (a". 204), and Hannibal was obliged to abandon Italy in or-
der to defend Carthage* (a°. 203). AtZama that great gcneralwas defeated
by the great Roman general Scipio (a". 202) : and that battle, which, Poly-
bius fays, conferred upon the Romans the Sovereignty of the world, com-
pelled the Carthaginians to {i.ie for peace (a". ?oi ). One of the articles of
the peace obliged them to pay to the Romans ten thoufand Euboic talents
(^{'i ,937,500 fterling) in fifty years. But perhaps the moft: mortifying
article was that, which obliged them to referve only ten triremes, and
to deliver the reft of their fliips of war to the Romans, all which, to the
number of five hundred as we are told, Scipio burnt in their fight ; a
condud not very eafily to be accounted for, (as the Romans might now
be fuppoied to know the value of ftiips) and which feems even to go
beyond the madnefs of Alexander in burning his own palace at Perfe-
polis. The Carthaginians are faid to have been in great diftrefs on fee-
ing the deftrudion of their fleet ; but they would have had much more
caufe for lamentation, if Scipio had made a more rational ufe of them
by carrying them home and ftationing them in the ports of Italy.
Some other articles were contrived by the Romans to afford a fubjed of
perpetual quarrels between the princes of Africa in dependent alliance
with them and the Carthaginians, in order to furnifh a pretence for re-

of iiiduftrious farmers, rnanufaAiirers, merchants,
and navigators, conferrmg mutual benefits upon
cach-olhtr, while they were enriching and polifh-
ing the world : maoy centuries would have been
added to the authentic hiftory of aftive conimerce,
which would have been illullrated by the genuine
records of the Carthaginians, and alfo of thcit
Phoenician anceftors.

* If Hanno's party had been defeated in their
envious obftruflions uf Hannibal's meafures, it is
more than probable, that the Roman republic
would have been extinguiflied : that portion of the
inhabitants of the earth, which was afterwards ex-
ultiiigly called the Roman world, indead of a fo-
ciety compofed of one tyrant and many millions of
(kves, would have cooltituted many communities

Before Chrift 20 r. jq,

ncwing the war : fo that this treaty of peace w- in all refpeds worfe

than a total fubjugation. '^ ^^^

Such was the calamitous termination of the war of Hannibal, which

later writers, willing to forget the fraudulent declaration of war and

adual hoftihties of the Romans foon after the firft peace, call h^T

W * Punic war ; a war which being carried on moftly bv' land woidd"

be quite foreign to the plan of this work, if any other but the ir^nteft

commercial community of the antient world h.d been engaged Tntf

hi^f If ^.""^"^^"'^^'"^nt «f Hannibal's war his brother Mai made

himfelf mailer of Genua. [Z-/V. Z. xxxviii, c. 46.] This if I mift.v!

not. IS the earheft notice of this famous city, which Strabo. vh L^ver he

has occafion to mention it, calls the emporium of the L gurhns 'nd

Tn'tt mtlX'^gl^"'^ " ''-' ^'^^"^"^^^^ — -• i---ce

Inthefcale of commercial dignity Syracufe might perhaps contend
with Corinth or Alexandria for the rank next to CarthL TMs onn
lent city, which, during the life of its obfequious king Hiero had
been fpared by the Romans, was reduced during the wf^ of hJI-
oal. What is deferving of notice in the hiftory of ts fiCe L the dT
fence made by the wonderful abilities of Archimedes 'v'ho hir^r if"
more powerful than an army, baffled every a^emnt of rL R ' /^'

bvVfT- • «%^'^^^^^heir'niips andSCSe'engin^e^rpiSS
by difcharging from the lofty walls ftones of b.twcen cSo ,mf fin.
pounds weight upon them. Some he lifted by theTr heads keeoln^
t 2' rT,' ^;PP'"« i" '^' ^^^'^^' '-^nd, after fufpending tS 'for fomf

vvho were more difmayedTy' the^i^ir^cVoV L^ t^tt TnTX

hey, had given ftrid orders to preferve ArchJn IX 1^' J^' P°"

''XrcrmV^HT''"^' ^/ ^^^^^^^'e^U^

Archimedes did not confine the benefit of his inveSons to S V i
the fcr.w-pump. known by his name, wherein watrril'rb/deS:

Ca^^gr^n^ '''' ''''' ^--" ''« ^^°-- -d be : but „nf„. ,,,. .., „, .,p, . ,^„, ^^ „^^.

t For the war, of the Cartha<r;>.laT.s with the «1 !' "l ''!"• , ''," "'r!"' "'^- ""'ly ''ve hooks
Romans I have gcnerully followed Polvhnvr ' ^""''"""^J /l'^ '"'lory of his own times of

;- n,uch older tl.a^, any o'lhe; wWter'up n' 'e S" "SS. Z Tf '^ ""'? ^ '''' ''^'-'"■'' '•-^"-"t:

jea now extant and n, faithful as a writer, rece v. o ctrlailZ ' T f^' ''^' '" '■•»'"i™ing
•ng l,:s n,aterial, from tlx: Romans, «n pgffibK- '""'^"'S "" '"^counts o? later writer,. *"

Hi

[

t02

Before Chrift, 20 r.

ing, was conirivcrl by liim for draining the hollow grounds of Egypt af-
ter the rcccfs of the Nile. He was ap]'arently the firft who difcovered
the propriety"()f balancing the adtion of the wind upon a fliip by three
marts The combination of puUies is :ilfo believed to be an invention
of his. Thefc improvements, though the leaft noticed by hiftorians, are
alone fufficient to immortalize his name in commercial and nautical
hiftory. (See above, p. 98.) He gave a fublime idea of his confidence
in the ])o\vcrs of mechanics, when he faid to King Hiero, ' Give me
' but a place to ftand upon, and I will remove the world.' His great
knowlege of afi.onomy appeared in the conftrudion of a fphere of
glafs, which by means of machinery exhibited the motions of the plan-
ets ; and Teems by the defcriptions of it to have come very near to what
is now called the orrery. [C/V. Ttijai/. qunjl. L. i. — Claudimii Epigr. 10.]
He compofed nany geometrical and agronomical works, of which, to
the great lofs of fcience, only a few are now extant *.

203 — We are told, that during thefe wars gold was for the firft time coin-
ed at Rome, which had not even any filver coin till a little before the com-
mencenunt of the Sicilian war (a". 265). The gold coin was called fimply
aureus (goklen), and was nearly of the fame weight with our guinea. The
filver coins were the dtunrius, vlBoricitiis \, awAJeJlertius. The denarius
padl'd for ten qffls of brafs, till the Roman government, being greatly
diftn fled for money in the war of Hannibal, gave it the nominal value
of fixtecn cjfcs, whereby they defrauded their creditors of fix in every
fixteen. But the pay was ftill ifliied at the old currency to the army,
whom they did not dare to offend. [Plhi. Tit/}, nat. L. xxxiii, c. 3.]

Previous to the introdudion of filver coin the current money of the
Romans was brafs reckoned by the /?/, which, from containing original-
ly a pound of brafs. was by feveral ftages of depretiation reduced to half
an ounce. As Toon as they got acquainted with the Greeks fettled' in
Italy, they reckoned large fums in Grecian money of account.

The long continuarce of brafs money, the grofs violation of the pro-
portion between the dcuanus and the as, and the adoption of foreign de-
nominations for larye funis, afford a clear demonftration, that hitherto
the Romans had fcarcely had any intercourfe with the more enlighten-
ed nations, and that their dealings were on too trifling a fcale to be dig-
nified with tlic name of commerce.

• Tlic mliro's, wlicrtwith Aiciiiineilea is faid
to hnve b'lrnt tht Roman llict, hiivf tmpluved ihe
fpcciilulliiiis of ni:iny of tin- p'iiluloplKis of inorlerii
timcn. The (hiry probably fpriiii^ from the cxair-
jifcratiiMi, vvii'cli ulii ]'lv -'ollows whnt is in ilfclf
furpiifnij; .inii 1 xtra'ir.l'ii.iry. Polvbiii lias not a
word of it, thougli |)retty full in liis di.Lript!on of
tlie.artdlcry of Archinu'di's ; nor tvcii Livy or
Pliitarch, tlioiigli both rather fond of thi; marvtl-
01! . 15nt tlity ari- inrntionid ljyDiid.it us, .« ([not-
ed by Tzelzca, and by Dion, as quoted byZonaras.

t Acoording to Pliny tlie vlcloritilut was firfl
brought from lllyricuni, which might tluis be fup-
pofed to have paid a balance in trade to the
merchants of Italy.

The fretpient variations in the value of the Ro-
man money form a very intricate, ind a moil un-
fatisfactory, Ihidy. 'he bell i^uide to it is pro-
bably the elaborate \Mirk <if Dr. Aihuthnot, en-
titled Ttiti'ts of ancient ;, ■,•;/, wei^ku, anj mca-
Juret-

^ Before Chrift 200 — 170. jq^

200 to 1 49— The Romans, no longer apprehending any nppofition from

Carthage let no bounds to their an.birion. cruelty, and contempt of na^

tional fauh. 7 hey interfered in the moft infolent and arbitrary manner

n the affiursof an nations, and took upon them to regulate, or rather to

perven.thefuccefllonofkmgs.PerfeuskingofMacedonia.Anttochusking

of Syria, and a multitude of Imaller kings and Rates, including all the Gal?

lie part of Italy and almoft the whole peninfula of Spain were fuNeded

to the dommion of Rome. AntiochuJ. and feveral mhe;rof the Afiatic

princes, were permitted to retain a omi.u.l royalty. Bat they we e

merely deputed magiftrates, effcdually deprived of fovereign pm^^r and

particularly of their naval force : and. after affining in the redud on of

the.r neighbours, wherein they gratified their refentn.ents withou con

fidenng that the V were thereby accelerating their own deftrudion thev

were ftnpped of their tolerated fhadow of power, and had only h"'cW^

bein.tf ,' '"'''"'TK'' 't' ^^^^' ^'"'^Phemus promifed to Ulyi cs^f

half' enturrnslll ^^'"^f' ^'-^.^^^ >"ft-y o/the Romans f^r abou

fialf -i t-entury. as colleded from their own writers and the rommizeS

According to Appian, the commerce of the Carthaelni-ins hp^m ^«
fpnng up vvith renewed vigour almoft immediate; u? the conliu^^^
of the dilaftrous war with Rome, notwithftanding heir lofs ofTr.korv
he deftrudion of their warlike Ihips. and the i.ny Wll of Z
hundred talents paid every year to the Romans. A clea oof tW

trannated abridgement can be. m hisc^wk^ord': ' '''''' "^ "^^'•'> ^ ^
The Sab^ans, who poffefs the fouthern extremity of Arabia, are the

outl, part of Arabia When Pliny wa. employ-
cd upon Iu8 Natural h>nory (about the Tcth year
of the Chnllmn =rva) no Roman general lia.l ever
k-d an arniy into Arabia, except .t liu, Gallu.,,
«hofe farthell progrefs was two day's journey Iho.

plct. cunc,«el .,1 Av.,l,.a, ano partic,i,!y ,CZ,
ruct.on ol th. noble c.,n,:,,..,ci.d .uy of A ubia
j;t;i ;: '"" -'^•^''^"' ^^ ■^'■--' ^ut^-ontrary .

104

Before Chrift about 1 70.

grcateft of the Arabian nations, and enjoy every kind of felicity. Their
herds of cattle are innumerable. Their country produces, in the mofl
luxuriant abundance, myrh, frankincenfe, balfam, cinnamon, and cafia.
They have alfo an odorirerous fruit, called in their own language larym-
na, and a fragrant incenfe, b- which the vigour of the body is reftored.
The whole country abounds with every thing delightful ; and the very
ocean is perfumed by the fragrance of their fpices md odours *.

Near the main land there are fr me iflands, where their vefll-ls are fta-
tioned. Moft ot them trade to the port, which Alexander cnablilhcd at
the mouth of the Indus f ; and many alfo trade to Perfia. Carmania,
and all other parts of the adjoining continent. Their coafting trade is
partly condudted upon large rafts |, by which they bring in the larymna
and other aromatic fruits from dillant parts of tlie country : and they
alfo ufe boats made of leather.

No people in the world have acquired greater opulence by commerce
than the Sabscans, and Gerrhfcans : for, being in pofTeOion of the car-
rymg trade between the eaft and weft parrs of the world (' Afia and
Europe') they command the commerce of both. They convey their
pretious merchandize by land carriage || as far as Syria and Mefopota-
mia : they have filled the dominions of Ptolemy with gold ; and they
have provided the moft profitable employment, and a thoufand other
advantages, to the induftry of the Phoenicians. They have alfo eftablifh-
ed feveral colonies in other countries §.

Thus enriched by their profperous commerce, they are profufe in
their expenfes for ornamental plate, and admirable fculptures, a variety
ofcups andvafesof gold and filver, and fumptuous beds and tripods.
The columns of their houles are covered with gold, or made entirely of
filver ; and even the doors and cielings are adorned with gold, filver,
ivory, gems, and pretious ftones. In ftiorr, whatever is to be Veen of
rich or elegant furniture, difperfed in other countries, is here aflembled
in the greateft abundance and variety in the magnificent houfes of the
Sabaeans, many of whom rival kin?"; in their expenditure.

It is happy for thefe opulent peoine, that they are faT: removed from

t See ^4rrian, L, vi. Diodorus Siculus calls
the port Potana.

X Strabo, [Z,. xvi, A. m^"] alfo notiVea the
carriage by rafts (' »;t''«'«') an.ong the illaiids in
the Straits.

li Strabo, [Z,. xvi,^. 1127] compares the great
multitude of men and camels in a caravan, travel-
ing fecuicly from Hone to ftone acrofa the dcfert,
to an army.

(J A curious and interefting inHance of their co.
Ionization, confirming the account of Agatharchi.
dis, will be given from the Periplus of ihe Ervih-
r.ian fta. Sec below at A. D. 7^.

• Agatharchtdes probably vifited this delightful
country. He is quite in raptures in his defcrip-
tion of the luxuries produced in it. His defcrip-
tion fcems to have fuggcfted to Milton the follow-
!ng beautiful fimile.

' As when to them who fail

• Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are pall
« Mozambic, off at fea north-eail winds blow
' Sabean odours from the fpicy fhore

• Of Araby the Blell : with fuch delay

• Well pleas'd they (lack thtii courfe, and many
' a league,

• ChearM with the grateful fmcll, old Ocean
• fmiles.'

Before Chrift 170—149. ^^

thofe fovereigns, who conftantly keep on foot ereat armies reidv f. ■

Strah, L. XVI, p. 1 1 24 j ' y 'J-'i, 4/ —

duties paid on the trade here T/ T "' I' '''' ^'^ '^'' ^S^ncy and
rovcreign were enriched And i^! f "^"?.^'^"^.^ °^ %vpt and their
Gerrh^ans. who fcem „ hit beln . "'?.' '^^ ^'^^^'-^b^^ns, and the
enjoyed a ^onopo y^ni/e co„,^^^^^^^^^ '^c"^ in commerce,

the opulence which has ever ren^d thol w^ thereby acquired

command of that univerlalIyK:oveted^^^^^ '''"' "^^''^"^^^ ^^e

amuing th^em thatTt w"s . n\ r^ 1 °"' ^'' ":!'''" " '^''''^' '^ '^e army.

.h;fuu7udrorR:rtfrha:it^^^^^^^ fi.nVun-dialconftruaed for

ter than a dial, made fo the hdtudetf°s' V^"'^ ^^1^ "°^'^'"S bet-
A few years after (a". , .8^ Scinin ^ r °^^,'<-''^'. "' T^"'^"^ '^"^'^^ time,
the d.ai in cloudy weather .ndm S '' l"^''"""^'^- ^^" defediveneis of
iydra. an infbuLm br^^e fu >^^ mtroduced the clep-

[P/i». Hift. not. L. vi,. ; 40 J ^ ' •"•' '^'' '■"""^"S °f ^^-afeV.

tadrp;c!g^c^:?^r;'m::.:'f;r^' °'^^^t ^- ---- -s the

have bee^. .b. Ume ^^^[^^ii^ltd ^Si.S^^d ;::;;i'"^^°^ ^^
ex^it^^cSiXg^llS^;:^^" payupthewhoie^j'^he tribute
-i. they were dcfi ots of ene^n. ll ' ""^' ''"'•' t^'"-,b-ng now elapil
tlK.t view they ha encotS S^ operations of plunder. With

^K^^-if^^^^
.% ac^nLodated. and';^^

O

io6

Before Chrift 149 — 146.

I

moft glaring partiality in favour of their tool, Mafinifla * : and at
length, with fcarcely the fliadow of n pretence, they declared war againft
Carthage.

The Carthaginian:, now convinced that war muft be the ruin of com-
merce, made great conceffions to avert it. They even offered to be-
come fubjeds t the Romans. But thofe relentlefs barbarians, whom
nothing could latisfy but their deftrudlion, after manygrofs and perfidi-
ous abufes of their patience, had the inlblence to propofe as the condi-
tions of peace, (or, more truely fpeaking, of a precarious temporary for-
bearance) that they fhould give up their city to deftrudion, abandon
their maritime fituation, and remove to a new and defencelefs city to
be built at a diftance from the fea. Such conditions it was impoffible
for a mercantile people to comply with : and the confequences were
what the Romans had forefeen, and defired. The Carthaginians were
driven to defperaiion, and though previoufly deprived of all their arms
and engines of defence by a bafe trick of the Roman confuls, yet, by
the aftonifhing exertion and perfeverance of all the men, women, and
bigger children, in the city, they inftantaneoufly provided new arms and
engines, and made a noble ftand againft their inveterate enemies, whom
they feveral times defeated with confiderable llaughtcr. When even
fhut up within their city by lines drawn acrofs the neck of land bei.ind
it, when the one harbour was completely blocked up by the Roman
fleet, and the other was rendered ufelefs by a mole formed with prodi-
gious labour by the enemy, they in a few days created a new harbour,
and a ne\ fleet of fifty triremes, with which they engaged their ene-
mies. At another time they deftroyed their engines, and put them to
flight, though armed only with lighted torches. But it was impofllblc
for an exhaufted and diminiflied community, however courageous, to
refift the frefii and vigorous armies of Rome. The city, when it had
held out four years after the time tl the Romans thought they had
only to take pofleflion of it, was uueriy deftroyed ; the inhabitants of
both lexes and all ages, excepting a few, who were reierved for the more
bitter death of flavery, were butchered ; und Rome triumphed over the
afhes of Carthage (a°. 146) f.

Thus, after having for many ages animated and civilized the weftern
parts of the world by the vaft extent of her commerce, and by her
fcience, after having eclipfed the moft brilliant period in the hiftory of

J and he was then romanized) as well as a veiy
aithful hillorian.

The moll genuine remains of the Carthaginian
people and language now cxilliiig are fuppofcd to
be in Malta, [j'iy/rtx, Slephanus, (ifc. aj>. Bochml.
Ctantian, L. i, c. 26. — Purchnt, B. vi, p. 516.]
Mr. Eton, who has Hv at Malta, told me that
the Maltcfe call their language Punic, and he find*
it much akin to the Arabic.

• * Hnic bono focioque regj favehatur.' FLr.
L. ii. c. 15.

-j- The account of this war, or rather carnage,
is chiefly from Appian, with fome afliflance from
the fragments of I'olybius, who was prefent at the
Jellrudion of Carthage, and contributed to it by
^i3 advice : for lie was a warrior and a confummatc
]>olitician in the national-fclfifh fenfc of the word

Before Chrift 146. ,q^

Tyre her mother country, and after havhig rivaled even in militarv
prowefs the haughty Roman republic, whofe fole and unremitting pur^
luit was the aggrandizement of her dominions by war and conaueft
and whom Ihe brought to tremble on the brink of deftrudion TeH tlV;
moft xlluftnous of the republics of antiquity. la herl 1 commerce re!
ceived a wound, under which it languifhed (at leaft in the weftem world)
during many dark centuries of Roman oppreffion. and of fubfruen
Ignorance, brought upon the civilized part of the world by tl e nS
whom Providence m due time raifed up to revenge upon Cie d e Tn
juries of Carthage, of commerce, and of mankind.

made tables for the Roman favages to play a dle'lJnn ^"'Tc^' ^^^^
ly ignorant was the conful MuiSr^ius that len a^nA ''^'^VV".''"
by Ariflides. (faid to be the firft p^mer who rlprefent^ef th'e fJ""^''l
the foul in his figures) which had been got X rf he Ln^k^^^^^
foldiers by giving them a more convenienf^blwas bought t; iLt
king of Pergamus at the price of fix thoufand feftertium he nft^r. /?. J

threatening to make the mafters of the veffels if d^ev oft tfu ^^

1 he tew merchants, who were now left aliv^ ;« ruJ -" • ,.
to be infeaed by the Romans. IdZ^L^TLn^ Z\ZTT^^^^
fion or extermination to the flielter of fuLrZtinn T^ a ffi^^"
themfelves at Delos a fmill idinH nf ^K; ^"P'''"'*^^"- J}^^y eftablilhed

cnes were engaged i„ hoffili.ies. Bu. ul a m^eSoT'^oSraTo"

io8

Before Chrift 146 — 138.

that human creatures formed the prmcipal article of fale, of whom
ibmetimes ten thoufand were brought in, or (hipped off, in one day.
\_Strabo, L. x, p. 744 ; L. xiv, p. 985.] The trade of Delos, however,
had it been for commodities or manufadures prepared by induftry, in-
ftead of Haves procui'ed by the defolations of war, was not capable of
making amends to the world for that of Corinth, and was a mere no-
thing if compared to tlie commerce of Carthage.

The deftrudion at the fame time of thefe two mercantile republics
made a complete revolution in the affairs of every part of the world,
which had any connexion with the Mediterranean fea. General in-
duftry, plenty, tranquillity, and felicity, no longer blelFed the nations ;
bur rapine, want, tumults, and mifery everywhere prevailed. The
millions of induftrious people, who had been fet to work, in every coun-
try they traded with, by the merchants of Carthage and Corinth, de-
prived of their accuftoraed fources of honourable and independent fub-
liftence, were compelled to look for other refources, generally difficult
to be found, often not to be found at all. Thofe who had been bred
to the fea, no longer employed in carrying on the beneficial intercourfe,
which binds dih mt nations together by the ftrong ties of friendfhip and
intereft, no longer permitted to be the uleful fervants, were driven by
defperation to become the enemies, of mankind in the charader of pi-
rates. Neither were the Romans themfelves exempted from feeling a
Ihare of the diftrefs they brought upon the world. The fudden accef-
lion of fo many hundred thoufands of iiidignant flaves (as in thofe times
to be a prifoner of war was to be a flave) was a matter of moft formid-
able apprehenfion to the conquerors : for the right of one man to the
unrequited fervicts of another, bein^ founded only in power, muft of
neceflity be reverfed the moment the flave becomes fenfible that the
balance of power is in his own hands.

The people of Spain, who perhaps of all others moft feverely fuffered
by the abolition of the Carthaginian trade, flew to arms under the con-
dud of Viriathus, who for thirteen years (152 — 140) fupported the in-
dependence of his country, and ftiowed the world, that the Ronian
armies could be defeated by inferior numbers fighting for their liberty.
The Romans at lail fubmitted to acknowledge the great fuperiority of
his military talents by bribing traitors to murder him (a'. 140). Such,
and lb diigraceful to his enemies, was the end of" this true patriot hero,
whom Fiorus, thinking to do him horj,our, call, '.he Romulus of Spain,
but wortliy to be compared to the great Hannibal. The army, of
which he was the foul, after a noble ftruggle, in which even the women
fought bravely for their liberty, was tranlplanted to Valentia (a". 138),
where they became a colony of farmers, fubjcd to the power of Rome.
The defpcrately-brave ciliiiens of Numantia, after difplaying their own
gcnerofity and Roman perfidy in the moft ftriking colours, and after

■f^

Before Chrift 134 or 133. iqq

fending many ihoufands of their enemies out of the world before them
at laft reduced their city, and every thing dear to them, toirether with
tbcmfehts, to a heap of afhes (a", i :^s). Their deftrudion was effeded
by the l^me Scipio who had completed the ruin of Carthage, and who
for the butchery of two communities, infinitely more valuable than the
den of robbers from which he fprung, has been the theme of much
proftituted praife to the writers of fucceeding ages

While the Spanifh wars were drawing to a conclufion, feveral infur-

if^Tv r ^"'''' ^'■^^^ °"^'" ^'^^'^- U"'^^^ '^' command of the r
eleded kmg lumus. or Antiochus, they frequently defeated the Roman

armies with great ilaughter. But all their attempts to emancipate thTm-

felves were finally fruftrated. In the courfe of fii years many tl ouSs

of tlK^fe unfortunate people, and a proportional number of their onpref

h^\TJ" Si^l '''r ^hey were finally fupprefled. or extermTated
Ca . 132). Similar commotions of the flaves took place about this time
and afterwards, m Sicily and other countries, andVarticularly DeTos'
which has jufl been noted as a great flave-market ^ '

13.1 or 133— It was apparently when Scipio pafTed throu-h Gaul in
going to, or returnmg from, Spain, that he had fome conferences wih
the merchants of Mafliha, Narbo. and Corbilo, then the princinarjt ies

BRiTAm. But they, knowing that no good could arife to their com-
me>-ce from the interference of the Romans, prudentiv declined givTe

XoflLL^^ J'f ^' ^''^- '^^l^'^^" ^ 1^^"' perhaps the greatert
?n<t Vir (f ''""^^ '"'-'J ''^'^ '" '^^ ^^"^^ «f ^^le Gal ic merchants

ritits to be produced m their proper time) that it was carried on over

vrv'ncrthrhrr:-^"' r',^^'^' ''''''^' for which mfderf^o"-

• Po yb.u, ,,, h„ H.ftory [/.. i!!, ,.5;] ^prcfTe,
.m intcnljon of dc-fcr,b,„,nr the ocean bcvond the
btrails, the nRiTiSH ISLANDS with tJ.e n'lanner of
i'rcparin.^r t ic t,n, the Spanlfh mine,, Sec in a fe-
parate «ork , which he appear, .0 have accom-
phlhed, as may be interred trorn n pafTage of IStra-
bo, [/. „ p ,63] appaictly taken from it,
where,,. PoIyb,„s er■tiei^es the accounts of Britai,.
by D,ccarchus, Lratoithcncj, and Pyti.eas. It is
thus evident, that Polybius has made mention of
lata,,, m at leall two places which had efeapcd
the relcarch of the indullriou. Camden, o, he
would not have laid, that thi, part of the world
was not r.t s'l known to ttiat threat hiftoiian. The

mer,n„.,^of the patrage IPclyh. L. iil, e. ,8] q,„,t.
ed by Camden, as appears f,<„n the co'ntcxt, is.
that, as .t was unknown, whether Ethiopia ,va5
f.nroundcd by the fea on the fouth, or joi.led \o a
iouthcrn co,,t:nent j C that pan of Europe Ivinir
10 the >ionh«.rd of Narbo {K„bonf,e) and the
1 a„a,s, W.1S h.thcrto „nexpk.red. That is tr, f.,v.
he knew not, whether it had fea to the northward
or not. A,iy other intirp,etation makes Polv-
b,„8 inconhllent with bi,nlelf , for he not only
knew of the exigence of Britain, whicl, ,s far to
the northward of Narbo, but he alfo clea.ly knew

cenl 'to7' ■""" '"'""'' "'"^ '''"^ "''"" '"•"'^^ "''>'

The

I ro

Before Chrift 130—127,

130 — VelleiusPatercuIus [L.n,c. 1] remarks, that the firftScipio fhewed
the Romans the way to power, and the fecond, to luxury. But, how-
ever rich the public treafury might be with the fpoils of induftrious na-
tions, individuals were not yet arrived at any great degree of opulence :
and the houfes of the greateft of the Romans at this time, though fub-
ftantial, were by no means elegant. They were all eclipfed by a houfe
built by Lepidus about fifty years after, which, in the progrefs of luxury,
was exceeded in magnificence by above a hundred houfes in thirty-five
years more. [P/in. L. xvii, c. i ; L. xxxvi, c. 15.]

The marriage portions of women may be reckoned a pretty good
itandard of the general wealth of a nation. The fenate of Rome, as a
mark of their refped for Scipio, then commanding their army in Spain,
gave his daughter a portion of 11,000 afles (^^35 : 10:5) fterling : and
it was a greater fortune than that of Tatia the daughter of Caefo, whofe
portion of 10,000 afles (^^32 : 5: 10) was efleemed very great. Megul-
lia, indeed, greatly exceeded both of them, for (he had 50,000 afles
(X^322 : 1 8 : 4), and in confiderationof fuch extraordinary wealth (he was
furnamed the Fortune (' Dotata'). [Faler. Max. Z. iv, c. 4.]

The fecond Scipio does not appear to have been luxurious, avari-
cious, nor rich ; for at his death he left only 32 pounds of filver and 24-
pounds of gold *; a fmall fortune for one who had commanded at the
deftrudion and plunder of the richcft city in the weftern world. [Sext.
Jlurel. Vidor de viris illujir.'\

About this time the pay of the Roman foldiers was two oboli (about
2id) a day, of the centurions four oboli, and of the horfemen a drachma
or fix oboli (7{d). In the north part of Italy, afterwards called Lom-
bardy, the medimnus (about a bufiiel and a half) of wheat was fold for
tour oboli ; barley at half that price ; and wine was exchanged for bar-
ley, meafure for meafure. Polybius, [Z. ii,^'. 15 ; Z,. vi, c. 37] to whom
we are indebted for thefe rates of pay and prices, by remarking the ex-
traordinary cheapnefs in the north part of Italy, fliows us, that provifions
were then higher in Rome. But though they had cofl: there even the
double of thefe prices, a foldier could ftill purchafe a peck and a half of
wheat with his day's pay, which of courfe muft be confidered as very
high ; or, in other words, the Romans paid the deftroyers of mankind
at a much higher rate than their feeders.

The 127th year before the Chriftian aera is diftinguifhed by the laft
obfervation made by Hipparchus, a Bithynian Greek, who is with rea-
fon called the prince of aftronomers. He calculated the eclipfes of the

The ovcrfiglit of the prince of Britifh geograph- Necos king of Egypt liad <Wmonft.ratcd, that the

era and antiquaries is kept in countciiance by an fouth part of it was furroundcd by the ocean.—

ovcrlight of Polybi'.is liimfelf in the very paftage See above, p. 35.

quoted; who mij?!it have learned from Herodotus • The Roman pound waitqual to twelve ouncei

that the circumi:av.gation of Africa to the reign uf of our avoirdupois weight.

Before Chrift ii8— loo.

Ill

fun and the^rnoon for fix hundred years. * as if he had afllfted at the
councds of Nature.' lays Pliny, who adds, that his predidions were ve!
nfi.d by time He undertook the arduous taflc of making a cata oeue
of the ftars and defcnbmg the pofition and magnitude of each He

often differed Lm Eratofthene.^ for'tSh^e is pr'ehen'Sfltr'a!
bo Inftead of corred.ng the error of Eratofthenes ^n the circJmfer
ence of the earth, he augmenied it by about 2c ooo ftl^i. "'^^""^^f-
geographical knowlege of Eratofthenes was fac'h that ^; Y^''^'^'^
could not well be correded without t e a d of inftrumi^. ts 'of W "'
acct^acy^ p,. ^^ z. ii. ... .g, 33, .6.ltZ i/' fif vT

L ] ~ 1 ^'''' colony was lettled at Narbo in Gaul; [^e/ Patera

ot gold. 5,775 pounds of filver in bars nndl IZr ^'^° -P"'"'''^'
conftituted U of the plunder carried '0R0I.: ' Nt mTdirmVf? h""'
been a very opulent country to afford fo much wealth aXrb./"''^
ed by the war, and by very rreat biihernr^rrr ? r .^ ^'''''"

Romans and Mauritan\7ns by JugurlS ^ ^'^^ ^''""^'^ ^"^""^ '^'
^^:t^^i:Z rz "f f Artemidorus, an Ephefian Greek.
Britain.\herein thelm; rtidmf;;l°^^ "' mentioning an ifland near
were eiiabliflu'd in SamotLTce^ i?Jr'"'? uf'' performed, which

feat Eudoxus. who made the voyage, ^and returned wS? '^''"^l^'^
prctious (tones. This is I believe rhr^^i "^' aromatics and

made to India from E^pt dtint' teM^T"^' ''.'°"^^ of a voyage

country: and the fabrSL oHlich .ToTvl^oT^^ f°"'"°'^ ^^ '^'^ '
anceofafidion)isofitfeIfa ftVnnJ nUr ^> ''• ^"^^^ every appear-
iftence of an India trade The7 P'-efumption againft the previous ex-

terwards explored he co'ft o^Af Icr^S h?' ^' "^^" ^^^^ ^« ^ave af-

HZ

Before Chrilt loo — 87.

the furtheft nation he had viiited m his former voyage *. [Strahoy L. il,
p. 155 — Pliti. L. ii, c. 67.]

Tiie celebrated Mithridatcs, king of Pontus, built a palace, a water
mill, and fome other convenicncies,' in his city of Cabira. This, I be-
Uevt:, is the carlieil notice we have of a water mill, an engine fo ufeful
in preparing the moft valuable article of our dayly fubfiftence ; and
f:3m its being mentioned along with the palace, it may be prelumcd to
have been tlv(?n a recent dilcovery f . [Slrabo, L. xii, p. 834.]

After the deprelhon of Tyre,; and the deflruction of Carthage, the
only trading community of the Phoenici;ms, remaining in any degree of
proiperity, feems to have been that of Gadir. They have already been
noied as the original difcoverers of the Calliterides. They alio carried
on a great fiiliery on the weft coaft of Africa, at a place whicli has been
long after noted for the great abundance of filli : and they appear to
have traded to the two Fortunate iflands, which are dcfcribed as fepa-
rated from each other by a narrow channel, and as blefled with a de-
lightful cUmate and a fertile foil, yielding fpontaneoufly every thing ne-
ceflary to the fubfiftence of mankind %.

I have already obferved, that after the deftrudion of Carthage the
feafaring people were driven by neceflity or defpair, to become free-
booters and pirates. But as the languifning ftate, to which commerce
was now reduced, afforded them few prizes upon tne fea, their plunder
was chiefly colkded by ravaging the coafts ; and they had every reafon to
make the Romans tne principal objeds of their hoftihty and revenge.
In time they became mafters of the Mediterranean fea from end to
end, andalfo of fevcral hundreds of towns upon its coafts : but Cilicia, the
Balearic iflands, and Crete, were their principal ftations. Mithridates
king of Pontus, being at war with the Romans (.a". 87), was fenfible
how much it was his intereft to cultivate the friendfliip of thofe mafters
of the fea, who poftcffed a thouiand warlike veflels, and fcarcely permit-
ted a cargo of corn to proceed to Rome, or a Roman governor to go by
water to his province. Long they rode triumphant in the Mediterran-

criuli! be no other tlian the Canan'ts, ihc only coii-
(ulcrable iflands vifiblc from tiic conll of Africa.
'I'he innacuraty in the number of the illands ia
eafily cxplaii td from the account being given by
fcanicn to Sertoiins, who, Plutarch fays, had fi;nie
thought* of rtlirinjr to thofe happy illands to pala
the remainder of hit life in blifatu. eafe, free from
tliealainis and the fatigues of war. Flotus gocj
fo far as to fay, that he artually arrived at them :
but from lliu relation of Pliitarcli, and from the
very buly l;!'e of that commander, there ii reafon
to hc'i'.ve, tl^at he ntvcr put his delign in execu-
tion, fo tar a-i even to vifit tlicni. If he had, \vc
flioulU probably li.ive known more of them than
we do. 4

* Strabo, after relating tlie voyages of Eudoiius
Rtves fevcral arguments proving the whole to be
fabulous, which, however, are more captious than
falid.

+ PanciroUus, wh:) feemr, not to have read Strabo
or Vitrnviua, fuppofes, that 13clil"ariu> conftruilcd
the firil water mill,-, w hen he was befiegcd in Roir.e
by the Goths. The uiilbhe means were conll riifled
in barges moortd in the Tiber, and were devifed by
that great general AifulJliUilei Jlr the uftial water
millt, bec;iu!e the HlcU (Irtrjms were then in the
power of the enemy.

% So thefe iflainU are defcribcd by Plutarch in
the Life of Sertoriua. lie add.;, that they were
te.T tliouland (ladia from Lib) a, which mull be un-
derftood as meaning from the Straits : for they

Before Chrift 67. '

^n-^

can. and ftill rofe fupenor to every attack, till the Romans, who thought
hem(elves entitled to the exclufave privilege of plundering the world a
laft determined to exert their utmoft force againft this formidable aflb-
cia ion of enemies, or. rivals. Pompey. whofe warhke atchievements
had already procured him a great name, was appointed to condud the
war. and inverted with unlimited power to command all the kings and

lr7^o^"hn° ^'^J' "^ 1^. "^°'^ Mediterranean fliore ; and r fo 000

toot. 5.000 horfe. and 500 Ihips. with u treafury of 6,000 Attic Akms

were put under his command. The Rhodians alfo. 1 meVcaui le «"«:

Ihe Rom^^s '^''"'^ "° '^^"'^ ^° ^'•^^^°°^-^' J--^ ^'-- "0;^;: j;ith

■^;— Pompey diftributed his fleet in thirteen divifions. to each of which

he ap,,ointcd a portion of the fea as a ftation. In co^fequence of tht

d fpofition th. exiles were everywhere attacked at one? and h id no

place ot fatety to retire to. Pompey himfelf attacked them in thek

head-quarters in Cilicia, beat the principal divifion of the r Torccs \n a

uaval battle, and ai&uJted the caftfes. in^which they iL te themfeTves

up. Having m a fliort time taken 400 * of their (hips with T20 of

their owns, and (it it can be beheved) not lofing a fmdeXp of hi

own, he put an end to the war. Then/in order to de ach tl em f?L .

I .^ f u'^- ^^^''"^ P"^ Pompey in pofleinon of the wealth acrnm,

...e public »e,,.5,^°f^j, • U: :;rr,ae. •„"" ai;:::;t.ir

1 he Romans being now mafters of the fovereiantv ,.f tU^ r • t
a competitor, at.d luvin-- dearovcd ,hU I .H fj ^ f '"'^''^""^

were under a necellhy to^xWat ]e Ho n L %?'''''"'^^'^^ "^"^""^'
i.e,.c, as to provide ilr the nZ^^^^.:^''::::^'^T
coniumpfon ot th.ir crowded inetropolis. tVc^nXl^dSanf pi^:;;i:r

• M aca..d;„,- to Vliuy. [UiJI. „„,. /,. ,;;, ,,,. ,^i

Vol. I.

174

Before CImft 66.

It was .' efolved that the bulinefs of providing com fliould be put under
the diredlion of fome man of high rank, who might be called in modern
language commiffary-general : and we find Pompey himfelf foon after the
redudion of the maritime community appointed to that office. The
Romans having adorned their city with the works of the Grecian artifts,
they henceforth began to cultivate a "^afte for the fine arts ; and from
this time they began to be a civilized, but at the fame time, a very cor-
rupted, people, even thofe of the firft rank being ready to commit every
crime for money. That extended felfifhnefs which they called patriot-
ifm or love of their country, but which was merely a luft of domineer-
ing over other nations, became in the minds of their great men fecond-
ary to the ambition of domineering over their countrymen. And this
ambitious fpirit, which broke out foon after the deftrudion of Carthage,
never was extinguifhed, till it finally aboli(hed the republican form of
government.

66 — Lucullus returning from Afia, brought with him a number of
books (part of his plunder), the ufe of which he allowed to the public.
This was the fecond library in Rome, the firft being brought by Paulus
iiLmilius from the plunder of Perfeus king of Macedonia. [Plut. in Lu-
Qullo IJidori Orig. L. vi, c. 5.] Lucullus is alfb confidered as the au-
thor of luxury in buildings, furniture, and entertainments, among the
Romans. [Vel, Paterc. L. ii, c. 33.] He introduced the culture of cher-
ry trees in Italy from Pontus, And many other fruits were alfo intro-
duced from the Eaft, e. g. quinces from Crete ; damfons from Damaf-
cus ; peaches from Perfia ; lemons from Media ; figs from Egypt and
Cyprus ; walnuts from Pontus and Perfia ; chefnuts from Sardes : but
nioft of them were imported immediately from Greece, which had got
them from their native countries. The particular time, when each of
ihefe were firft planted in Italy is not accurately known. [P//«. Hijl. nat.
L. XV, ptiftm.]

57 — Ptolemy king of Cyprus was very rich. He had aUo affronted
a profligate Roman patrician called Clodius, by offering only two talents
C/5.387 : 10) to ranfom him from the Cilician corfairs. The Roman
treaftiry at this time was poor. For all thefe reafons a decree was pafl-
ed at Rome, declaring that he had forfeited his kingdom. Floras [L. iii,
c. 9] fays, * So great was the fame of his riches, (nor was it groundlefs)
' that that people, who were the conquerors of nations and accuflomed
* to give away kingdoms, at the inftigation of Publius Clodius, a tribune,
' commanded the confifcation of an allied king in his lifetime. And he
' truely on hearing of it anticipated his fate by poifon. Moreover Por-
' cius Cato [that model of virtue] brought the wealth of Cyprus in Li-
' burnian gallies into the mouth of the Tiber. This tranfadion enrich-
' ed the treafury of the Romans more than any of their triumphs,' The

Before Chrift 57. j,^

amount of the plunder, fo honourably obtained, was near 7,000 talents
or £ 1 .3^6,250 fterhng •. ' i**cats,

The Veneti, faid by Strabo [L. iv. p. 297] to be a Belgic nation fet-
tled near the north-weft extremity of Gaul, were diftingifhed by the r
nautical fcience and experience. They had great numbers of veffel
and earned on a coniiderable trade with Britain, though we are not inw
formed of any particulars of it. unlefs that braft was then an article im

of the coaft ; and they even levied a cuftom. or tranfit duty upon ftS
gers ufing their feas; a circumftance which infers the pSon of a"
warhke fleet. Their veffels were built entirely of oak. ftCgly bolted
and their feams calked with fea-weed. They were fofuhLnt ,1. '
built, that their fides were impenetrable by the^roftra or bS of £
Roman gaHies. They were calculated to uke the g ;u;d t^;e h 1
fore and aft and were upon the whole excellent fea!boa.s Their (kfk
were made of leather ; and. their Ihore being very rockv thev , SJ^;
chuns inftead of cablesf. With a fleet of ab^our^ W^ich^etls t^v
encountered the Roman fleet of twice or thrice that number anS n tS
ewment they had greatly the advantage of the Romans by lur n^
down upon them a fliower of miflilc weapons from tS loftvTeZ^

gallt Tut ;?e V^'^"- '"^ ''^t'^ "''^^ ^P°^ '"^^ decks of KS
f.Z'r. ? f ^he Veneti. notwithftanding their acknowleged fuperb?
ty, were defeated by a contrivance of the Romans who obfervfn^^h^

™ ^fi;!''""^^? '"'^ ■^'" "•'' o*^™ "cSon'ed b, hi ^^

nautical adivity entirely i„,„ .he i^ntofl^KoC^T^t^tvZ^^
fcem ,0 have defpifed the fteflt-water failors-expedrm of ^jfand P

Ammianu, Marcelllnus. who wrote above
four centuries after tl.i, time, acknowlegcs. tl.at
avarice prevailed over jufticc in the feizure of Cvd-
ru9. '"

t I have been thus ample in dvfcribing the flifps
oftheVenet.-,) becaufe they arc the firfl vef.
eis, of which we have any knowkge, built and
navigated by the hardy ions of the North, who have
m all ages been remarkable a= intrepid an.l ftilful
icamcn :_2) becaufe, from thefurprife of the Ro-

filler 'f t ""■ n"""* T^'"S '"' imprcOion upon the
fides of their flups, they appear to have been fu-
penor in (Irength to any vefleU ever enc.untered
by thu« in the Mediterranean, even thofe of the
«.:jr.hag,mans not excepted j—j) baaufc the lof-
5

incfs of their deck., which gave them fuch an .d.
vu. age over the low g.lhe. of the Romans, al
folds a clear proof, thnt the Mediterranean galJie.
. icvcrol row. of oar,, were not, a, moll p^eopk
have fuppofed, of fo many Itorie. or deck, in

ft is worthy of remark, that the defcription of
thefeantient Belgic (hip, apph>, i„ f„me Vtfpeft
o leiably we! to thofe of the mtidein Belgiumrihe
ratiye. of which are remarkable for thefr attach-
ment to the manner, and culloms of their ancellor

Some account of the fliipping and naval affairi
of the Roman empire will be fomid under the ve.
7i of the Ci.iiftjan xn. '

xi6

Before Chrift 55.

haps, like the Carthaginians in their firft naval battle againft the Romans,
they allowed a confidence in their own naval fuperiority to throw thera
too much off their guard. The confequencc was, that almoft the whole
fleet, containing all the fighting men of the country, fell into the hands
of the Romans ; the Veneti, deprived of every means of defence by one
decifive battle, fur rendered them felves and all their property to the mer-
cy of Qiefar, who malHicred the whole i'cnate, and fold all the people for
flaves. And thus a nation, who, of all thofe on the weft coaft of Eu-
rope, appear to have been next to the citizens of Gadir in commercial
importance, were totally fwept away from the face of the earth. Such
was the revenge taken by Ctefar for the detention of his commiflaries of
provifions, whom lie pretends tc dignify with the name and inviolabi-
lity of ambafladors. [C>j-. Bell. Gall. L. in, cc. 7-16 ; /,. v, c. 12 ]

^S — 'P'^ commerce of the Britons muft have fuffered greatly by the
deftrudion of the Veneti. But Cseiar was preparing to bring greater
calamities upon them : for, on pretence that they had aflifted the Ve-
neti, he refolved to invade this ifland, the very exiftence of which was
hitherto fcarcely heard of at Rome. The Gallic merchants, whom he
examined, in order to procure intelligence of the country, and particu-
larly of the harbours, profefled total ignorance. Notwiiliftanding, after
fending one of his officers to explore the coaft, he embarked his'army
and landed in Kent, where he met with a warm reception from the
Bri'ons. From the flight notices of other writers, compared with his
own, when duely confidered, it is evident that he added nothing to his
military fame by the trial he made of the Britifli valour ; and, indeed,
he himl'elf acknowleges, that he retreated to the continent in the night
time.

54— Next year, in ordei- to wipe off the difcredit brought upon hrs
arms by the former repulfe, he coUeded above eight hundred fliips, in
which he embarked no lefs than five legions *, belxles a fupemum ' 7
body of horfe. In this expedition, he fays, he fubdued a great .„. :iy
kings, four of whom were in Kent ; and, having ordered them to pay
a tribute to the Romans, he departed, without leaving cither an army,
or a fort, to maintain the conquefts he alleges he had made.

In each of his expeditions, Caefar loft a great many of his fliips, owing
to his feamen being totally ignorant of the nature of the tides in the
Ocean.

We may more fafely truft to Ctefar, in his account of the ftate of
Britain, which is very valuable, as being more particular and accurate
than any preceding account which has come down to our limes.

He diftinguiflies an original, and an adventitious, people in Britain.

• In the time of Piilybins, each Itgion toiififl- foot. The mimheis were afterwards incrcaftd ;
eJ of 4,200 foot, and 300 horfc, at the lowell and a body of auxiliaries, an numerous as ilfel/^
edauhlhment : and tlicy were fometimcs 5,000 was generally aUaciiid to each of Uic legions.

Befbre Chrift 54. j,-^

The former he places in the interior part of the country, Cwherebv we
muft imderlland the part moft diftant from liis landing place) and he
ddcribes thcui :is in a paftoral ftate, living on flelli and milk clothed
vrith tire /kins ot their beafts, and generally negledful of agriculture
The later peoph-. vho occupied the maritime parts, (or rather thofe
neareft to Kent) were of thf^ Belg.c race, who, having firft invaded the
country tor the Jake of plunder, (which Ihows, that the aborigmal Bri-
tons, m the.r hmpleft fbte, pollclTed fomething to invite the depreda-
tions of foreigners) hod, m procefs of time, made themfclves maflers of
part of It 1 hey were in a more advanced ftate of Ibciety than the ori-
ginal inhabitants : they cultivated the ground, hadgreat abundance of
corn, as well as cattle, and built houfes like thofe of their brethren on
he oppofite coaft of Gaul. Their money was paid by weight, and "on^
lifted of brais.md iron, the former of which wis imported and "hell
er found m their own mines : and it argues no fmill degree of know-
lege in metallurgy, that they underftood the procefs of mak°Liron
which xs at once the moft valuable, and the moft difficult of aU^fnetals
m preparing it for u ie. C^far lays, that there was an infinite mu It^tTdl
of the people : but this part of his information is very fufpicious even
with relped to the Belgic colonies ; and. if applied to the^ Xr 'gLes
It IS mamfeftly cuntradidedby his defcription of their manne^of Lw
He a ds tuatthepeople of the maritime county of Kent, (thofe whom he
knew beft) very much refembled thofe of Gaul in their manners and were
far more civilized than any of the other communities. Tin 'the great
ilaple of Britain, was, according to his account, produced in the inland
part of the country * : but moft of the ftiips from Gaul arrived in Km
which, perhaps, heerroneoufly extends as far weft as the Sd wh^/
rom the account of Timxnis, compared with that of D^odorus Skulu '
ieems at this time to have been the ftation of the tin tradr [C^^ i"/'
Ga/.L. Ill, cr. 8, 9 ; L. xv. cc. 28. et Jcqq.-^Strabo, L. iv, *. ,os ~i)t^'

34 ; Vtt. Asnc. c. r -^..^blon. Caff-. LI. xxxix, xl f.] ^"' "*

It does not appear, that the Romans ever got one penny of the tv\
bute, which. C^lar lays, he ordered the Brxtains tfpay^- un kl h I
duties levied in Gaul upon their imports and exports, ^wkh.ny na
tion may levy in their own ports upon the fubjeds of any o her iSftion"

G.'ll^.%'f-1' T\T'- ^"' -'^'''' '''^' ^•"^'^ theRomaxxs"^orra he^^S
Ga he fubjeds. had lome commercial intercourfe with Britain r 9/1^1.

Z..1V./.. 306] which will be more fbllv narrated i^ he ^en^r^i '^•*''

be taken of the ftate of trade under the Roman emp re ^ "'"^ ^'"^ '"^

" — .., hi

tlinn Kent.

iiS

Before Chrift 54.

Contemporary with Caefar wns Diodorus, a Sicilian Greek, who
wrote a general hiftory. In a (hort delcription which he gives of Bri-
tain, [Z.. V, § 21] it is remarkable that he mentions the name of Orkas,
the headland, which, he fays, forms the northern extremity of the ifland.
Thus the mod reujote comer of the coimtry. now called Scotland, is
the very firft part of it mentioned by any antient author now extant.
As there is no reafon to believe, that ever any Greek navigator went fo
far north, except Pytheas, it is alnioft certain, that the information con-
cerning Orkas, tranfmitted to us by Diodorus, is extraded from the
works of that great Maflilian difcoverer, and is of courfe fome centuries
older than Diodorus.

At this time Lutecia, the capital of a Gallic nation called the Pari-
fii, was entirely contained in the little ifland of the River Sequana,
(Seine) which is now fo fmall a part of the great city of Paris •. [Ca/ar.
Belt. Gall. L. vi, c, 3 ; L. vii, c. 57.]

Craflfus, a Roman general, plundered the temple of Jerufalem of
gold to the value, as we are told, of ten thoufand talents. Jofephus,
\AnUq, L. xiv, c. 1 2] aware of being doubted on account of the great-
nefs of the fum, produces the authority of Strabo, in an hiftorical work
of his, now loft f .

Caefar is chiefly indebted for his fame to his extraordinary military
talents, his numerous vidtories, wherein the cut-throats under his com-
mand butchered alx)ve a million of their fellow creatures, and his be-
ing the firft of the Roman emperors. But Caefar was alfo a man of
fcience ; and that lefs renowned, but more meritorious, part of his cha-
radler is what alone concerns this work. He obferved, that the year
had run totally into confufion, (the firft day of the month called Jan-
uary, being in reality that which ought to have been the thirteenth of
Odober) and, with the help of Sofigenes, a celebrated Grecian aftrono-
mer of Alexandria, he correded the calendar. Letting the current year
run on, till it had 445 days, he inftituted a year of 365 days, to com-
mence on the firft day of the enfuing January ; and he ordered, that
every fourth year fliould confift of 366 days, which came very near to
the truth %. But the ftupidity of thofe, whofe bufmefs it was to regu-

• I have inferted tlii« earllefl notice of Paris,

tliough its inland fituation on a liver, not capable
of carrying large veiTels up to it, prevents it from
being a city ot great foreign trade, partly btcaiife
it lias become tlic capital of a great nation ; but,
chiefly, that I might not fcem to detrart from its
antiquity, as fume wi iters have done, who, by a
ilrangc in. j.irtcncy, have fappofcd the firll no-
tice of it to be, when Julian fixed his relidcnce in
it above four hundred years afterwards. Its ori-
ginal name is varioufly written ; Lukotokia by
.Stiabo ; Lutecia, zwA Luticia, in Antonine's Iti-
nerary ; a:iJ Leukeiia by the emperor Julian, iu

whofe time, however, agreeable to the cuftom of
that age, the national name of Parifii, had almod
fupcrfedcd the old name, which is afterwards only
utcd, I believe, by writers who affedtclaflic names.

\ Surely Jofephus ought to L..vc known more
of the matter himfelf than Strabu. So, in modern
times, De Witt, a DutCii anthor, quotes Raleigh,
an Englilhman, fur a fplendid account of the
Dutch ihhcry.

X Their calculation exceeded the truth by 1 1
minutes and i\\ feconds in a year, which make a
day in 335 years. The accumulation of this erior
gave occalijH to Fope Gregory, in the year 1582,

Before Chrifl 43.

119

late the intercalary days, repeated the leap-years every third year • and
the error ran on after the death of C»far till it was reform^ • ' I
reign of Auguftus. [/>//,. //^. „,,, ^. ^. '^" " JIJl' ,'""?*, '" *^^
Oaav. c. 3t.^Dio» CaS //xliii^C^S c\~fcl^' 'I Yf' ^^ '
a general furvey of the whole empire and ■comrni,.H.^ ^''^ "^'"""^
it to three Grecian Keoerauheni rn I..1! f *^°"^™i«ed the erccution op-
tion of the Roman w'Z^^^^^^^^^^ «^« «%ned a por-
before the laft part of this vaft ^vTy was ^0^0^ I 'V^^^' '^''^^'^
fupplementary furveys of new Sclswhr/lhr' ^'^'^'^' ^"'^ ^hc
formed the chief ground-work of pTl^^ • rX ^l "^^'^ conquered,
the univerful ftandard of reo^raphfcd ^^^^^^ ^^^ till latei;

com.nercial cities of Carthage* and CorS ^'^^ ^V!^""''^ '''' ^^«
in one ve. y his predecelL iw» ' "^^'^^^^^ '^een deftroyed

antient" -I-tancerSln^a^ut' f rcl^^^^^^^^ ^' ^^^^

populous as any city on the north coaft of Sa ri.Z

585 ; L. xvn,p. I iQo.l Thefe q<f>mn= a, u ^ L;^''-«*c, Z. vm, p.

cl»r, tad a foufcapa'bleV ot „?ef "v „t7-a'„d m^^hTh'''^ t'""""
beneficent as illuftrious if the fnii„ „f i . ,.^'S"* "^^e been as

.pplaufe „p„n .heir dX^^ Sn' liTS^a t^ ""' '""''" «-"

tous concourfe of nutter, might as Lll A Zf k ''"'^^ '° '^^^ ^°«"i^
of the twenty-one letters 3 o^o W n?^ ' '^t' '"^"'"erable forms
bled togethe?. and then ftZn ol^upl^^.^^.r:^^^^^ "'7."'' '' J""^"
cupyoftheAnnalsof Enn.us. And he e^fewLf.Tv ' r°"''^ P'-o^l^'ce a
notes, or marks, of letters upon w,x+ Tn7 T , I °^"^P"nting the
From thefe notices it feemrprXble ^fh^^^^^^ Part.oratt.}

Pnnt letters : but we may be a fured thlJ hi i ^"^^^'^'^'^"e^v how to
^nanent colouring matterf or ink ior of . n (^ knew nothing of a per-
do not appear to have be;n evw'aPDliedrJ.K ' 'f ^'??'- ^"'•"^^ (or types)
tiplying the copies of books ^^ ° '^' ''"^""^'^ P^-^P^^e of mul-

^"ch progre.. .at Lre .^^^^Z ^ l^^^Lllt !:;- --

. t Ciliintilian fO<- hJi. ^rat. I \ r ,.T

IJO

Before Chrift 31.

magnificent than that of M. iEmilius Lepidus, which, in his confulate,
thirty-five years before, was the fineft houfe in Rome *. [Plin. Bi/f. nat.
L. xxxvi, c. 15.]

31 — The naval battle of Adium gave the laft blow to the republican
form of government in Rome by throwing the whole undivided power
into the hands of Odavianus, the grandfon of Caefar's filler, who after-
wards afllimed the furname, or title, of Auguftus.

29 — The great influx of money from the conquered provinces re-
duced the rate of intereft at Rome from ten to four per cent.

25 — Ambafl^idors are faid to have been fent from India, and, accord-
ing to Florus, alio from the Scythians, Sarmatians, and even the Seres,
10 court the friendfhip of Augufl:us, who was then in Spain. We are
told, that thofe of India were four years upon their journey ; and if fo,
they fet out two years after the battle of Adium, which fcarcely allows
fufficient time for thofe very diftant nations to have received intelligence
of the good fortune and eftablifhed power of Auguftus f . [Florus, L.
iv, c. 12. — Siietonin Odav.'\

23 — Auguftus, having reduced Egypt to the condition of a province
of Rome, and being informed of the great opulence of the Arabians,
wiftied either to make ufe of *hem as wealthy friends, or to levy heavy
tributes from them as rich fubjeds. The army he fent into their coun-
try was wafted by famine, thirft, and difeafe, more than by battle : and,
after having penetrated within two days journey, as they were told, of
the land of jmatics and frankincenfe, the rich objed of their expedi-
tion, the r( ainder of them were glad to get back to Egypt. [Strabo,
L.xvi,p. 1 1 28.] That this invafion did not afFed the tranquillity, or
the commerce, of the Sabaeans, is evident from Diodorus Siculus, (who
wrote after this time) who fays, [/,. iii, § 47] that they had preferved
iheir liberty unimpared by any conqueft during many ages ; and, from
Pliny [L. vi, c. 28 J we know, that no other Roman army had ever
marched into Arabia, when he wrote, about the 75th year of the Chrift-
ian lera.

The Romans at the fame time made an expedition againft the Ethiojv-
ians above Egypt, and reduced them to the necelliiy of begging for

* It inay asjiilUy be faid of tlic city cf Etlin-
l)Urf;li, that many, wlilcli iiiiglit l)f cfttLiimi capital
lu)ii;csiii il in the year 17^0, wfrefcliplcii liy aliovc
ill) 1iuik!ii.i1 Lcile.- ones in 1790; a liitl tlioilii-
jHriod for fo j;realu chanjjc in tlic llilc ot liniidlii;;.
Itii llill more to the honour of our Scottilh nn-
iiopolis, tl'.at tlie iv^alih, by which • ll;e poor are
• cloath'd, the Inuigry f' d, Health to hinifeif, and
< to Lis infanta brtad', Tlie hb'rcr bears,' in tlie
coidlrncbon of thofe btavitifid and durable edifices,
wa-i not acijiiircd, like that of the Romans, by the
jiliu dcrof the world,
i- Mr. ricrtt (in

(in a diilmation on the c.iikii

expedition of Trajan, IliJ. ilf l',:i\ii!n:ih- loyaL; V.
xsii) fiifpcds, that fucli cjiiliafiiis were foiiutiniei
mere farces, ptrfurnied by fome foreign merchants,
who wanted to obtain labours from tlie emperors.
It isalfo piubahle, that the Romans of that a^e had
not any very acenrnte idea of what pari of the
woild was to be unde'llcod by the name of Irdia,
and that fnch ll.nies were mere pnfl's. In muderii
times, and intl e tkar Ilj^lit fpread over tlie world
by the art of piinting, we are told, that anibaffa-
dors from Japan I'.riived in Holland in t'lc year
16C9, in order to ntiiot'atc a treaty of comnitrce
wUh the Dutch.

Before Chrift 20. j^j

peace. The Ethiopian ambafladors were fent bv Petrnnni.: ^i,- u
general, to Auguftus. then in the ifland of Samol whoTmitted fh.T""
bute demanded by his eeneral th^ nr.u.^- c V ^, "^^ *^'■^-
thought impraaicIbJe bThe fee^s to W rl "^f r^' ^^^'^^^
fuperiority. at leaft upon the coaft ™s we Z i T'/ [°'"\'^"^d of
chants of Wpt imm^ediately opetd aTew adeti^lhe^ '^7""
an Lthxopian nation, occupy^the weft coarof 7h Ved fla ti^J]^^^
L.xvn.pp, n49. n^e] but alfo, that the Romans^t i. a V ^ f"^'
this time, levied a cuftom duty on the coaft of h Red fl ^^ '^?'^
Ocean, [P/w. Z. vi f a-zl whirh ml k r , ^^^' ^^ ^^'^ "s the

pofed to be 3 fecond embaffv ftom ,h. r • """J"- ^his is lup-

fuc?ei?S;fltaSin'.Slif r^" P°^^^' '^'^ «^"^-^ ^"S"«- ^o
he died worth >8o 72q of onr ^'h T^I''^' ""^ biographer, Servius,
*ny other poet haSfls^nchT ''^'"^ "'°"'>'- ^^'^ '^''^ ^^er

13— Auguftus raifed the davly nav of rhi- R«mo r ij-
pence of our modern monpv • KnT^w V ^°"ian foldiersto five
of the emperor wereTewTrdedl?^^^^ '^'^ facred perfon

time wheat^coft frori^rto t/a bumel ' P'"'"" ^^^"^ ^'^^ ^^'"^
cero's fpeeches againft Verres *^ ' ""^P^^" ^'^^^ "^^ °^^ Ci-

fndMSeSL^otr™^:?^^^^^^^
dertrudion of all his competttoTs md thet^H. ^°"^^^^"M'lre by the
to make the people foreeth?^ nf, • u ^^•^'^''^"f-S ^e endeavoured
the ufe of his poTer and by a fn J"'^ '^'^ ^^ '" '^^'^'^^^ moderation in
happinefs in every thing wTichSr/'JfT"'' -"f" ^"^"^'^^ ^° ^^eir
acy. The embellilhmem of Ronfe in h r ' ^"'^ his own luprem-
known faying of his th^l 'h.f a • '^'^'' '^ exprefled by a well

' - a cityVmfrbl >''He may be caSleT.h' f J"'' '^^'^ '^^"^ '--
perial navy ; for which he annoim.H R ' ^''^"'" ^^ ^'^'^ ^«^^^^" ""-

the principal ftatiou of the eXrnfnn^'''""'' ^.^^^ ^^^^^^'c fea. as
of Naples, of the weftern Sn^ ^- ^n T'Jl"^ MUenum. in the Gulf
^he Eixine Tea. oT th^ibutno f'of r ^^^^" Rationed in

coaft ofGaul and Britain I 'nftl?5t' f'* ^''^"^" ^^e north
Vol. I. '"• ^' ™"^ ^^ acknowleged, that his navy was

i

122

A. D. 14.

not very formidable, either for the number or ftrength of the veflels :
but then he had not one enemy in the whole extent of the Mediterranean
to contend with. Having obferved the difadvantage of Antony's unweildy
fhips at the battle of Adlium, he built no very large vefTels : and, after
this tune, we hear no more of (hips with very numerous tires of oars *.
' • In the reign of Auguftus, fome Roman navigators explored the coaft
of the North fea, as far as the promontory of the Cimbri (the north
point of Denmark, called the Scaw). [P/in. Hi/i. nat. L. ii, c. 67.] The
voyage, however, was not intended to be fubfervient to trade, but to
conqueft ; for the emperor then flattered himfelf, that all Germany
was to be reduced under his yoke by Tiberius, who fucceeded him in the
empire. But, to the Romans, the Ocean was ftill an objeft of terror,
which they endeavoured to difguife, under the pretence of religious
awe f , and it was feldom encountered by any veflels from the Roman
dominions \. The Mediterranean fea was the proper fphere of their
navigation ; and the whole extent of its fhores, with all its iflands^ the
moft infignificant not excepted, being now fubjedt to their dominion,
there was no receptacle for pirates. Had there been any confiderable
mercantile community remaining among the fubjeds of Rome, there
was now a fair opportunity of carrying on an extenfive and undi-
llurbed commerce among the great variety of nations, who enjoyed a
flavifh tranquillity from foreign wars, under the oppreffion of the go-
vernors appointed by one fovereign. And during the reign of an em-
peror, who was convinced, that his dominions needed no extenfion, and
that he had more to fear than to hope from war, commerce muft have
been as flouriihing as it could be, in the fituation to which the world
was reduced by the deflrudion of the commercial dates. This, there-
for, is the time which I think mofl proper for laying before the reader
a concife account of the Roman trade, or rather importation, together
with fome commercial n'tices of the various countries, which could not
fo conveniently be introduced elfewhere §.

* About the year 390 Vegetiiis was almoll
apprcheiifive tliat he Hiould not be believed, when
fce (aid, that fome vclTcls had carried five tires of
•r.r«. [/'tyc/. L. iv, c. 37.] And Zofimiis, a
Jew ycaia later than VcgetiiiS, talks of veflels of
lix, and even of tlin-e, tires of oars, as the works
of aiitieiit times, of wliich he feems to have had
110 clcai idea. \_l,. \, p. 319, ^/. Oxon. 1679.]

■\ For this renmrk 1 am indebted to Mr. Gib-
fcon. [A'. i.^O. 29.]

X. ' Advtrlus oceanus rare ab orbe ooftro navi-
* bus aditur.' [_Tadli Grim. c. i.] If I may
jircuunc to fay fo of fo great a critic, Ijipfius has
i'oui.d a difllcuky in liie word adverfut, where
there feeir.s to be none, the plain meaning being,
that the Ocean was hodile, or adverfe, the Tcry
fame word nuturali/cd iu Englifb.

J To prevent the infertion of qiiotations at
every claijfe, and almoll at every word, liit reader
will picafc to obfcrve, that the following account
is colleiled and digtfted, from notices dilperfed
through the great geographical work of Strabo,
the woiks of Cicero, and the Univerfal liltlorical
library of Diodorus Siculua, who were all contem-
porary with Auguftus : and it is fupphed and cor-
reded from the hitlorians, poets, and otliir au-
thors, nearly contemporary, efpecially from the
vail ilore of Pliny's Natural hillory.

The reader will not expttt, that every article
imported from eveiy country Ihould be inferted.
It IS fufficiiMit to mei.tion thofc which were dillin-
guirtied for llitir excellence, or, as being the Itaple,
being reniaikably plenty, or bu.ig peculiar to the
countries from which they were impoited.

A. D. 14. J 2^

The principal trade of the Roman world, was the conveyance of com
and other provifiom, to the all-devourini capital- andthLmnft^ '

rf«^ and AW.?.^ of Tar,ous quahnes, whereof thofe of Mutina (M^
water was of fuc'h a'qualif"as foX^l^Z.^^Z.^^'r^- T'""' ">'

eigte i:''dtre,ir.'irL°h'™" '"f ^'"'- fo- trees being
<h}a wood for m^kta ' SSes caT.le"'^ .' "°'t"« '"'■"''"- "> ">=
kind of wool, which fcrvedt 'JX u'^'^' '. ^""^ • "'"' » "arfe

produced large timberrmarbfe etem^ n„^t °V^' "^^t ^"'"^-
and huge bl5,ks of ftoAe for caoifaTh^^- 'll^"'°l '" '^^ ^^"^ :
Pifa and Luna, which laKrwa,r?mtt t"''?'"?'- ""PPed at the ports of
ing weight of a tSnd B^d ™ nn'f ■' '" '''"^^^' "^ ■'>"= ^"""il"-

in Etrufia. The Sabte cCnt^ ?^t t^ ^IIZ^ f'T' *= ''^«
tium, and Campania wher^ lZ.K„ "" '^^llent oil and wine. U.

have driven whiK^hem (houH t a^"'r "/=. ?""''=='"/ <""« '»
the happy foil, furn lhed"he bJft ^„T • '"°k "^i '" *='■■ ^''™"" 'o
which fc4ralwticuhr low,),.; 'r- ''"'"^>'' "■"• "™«, of

of Ronie, cfpeJi:u;^£7aTe'St:ThiS,'Ltelr'd''? 'P'™L«
the immortal lines of Horary aZ^- "^^„'^f ^ rendered famous by

wool; and Brutium aboTnded in fi^t^ :^^^^^^^^ '\'^' ^"^'"^ °f «»
pitch and tar. the produce oflhern ^''"^ ^''"' ^"^ether with

kno^ferLSXlfrnt^^^ -• chiefly by the

captives, carried off bfthe Rom.;, f "^'T' u"*' defcendents of the

with whom they had been at wTfin'r ""V^' i^durtrious nations

or heard of m tL buftle of a great faS'"f d^r^ "' ^'''''^y ^'^'^
looked by hiftorian. nr,K, ,. i''^^^^^ capital ; and they are totally over-

»«4

A. D. 14.

Corsica fupplied timber for fhip-building.

Sardinia had fome mines of filver ; and it had corn and cattle td
fpare for the ufe of the capital.

Sicily, which the poets thought proper to make the birth-place and
refi;.lence of Ceres, their goddefs of agriculture, and which Cicero calls
the granary and treafury of the empire, furniflied Rome with vaft quan-
tities of wine, honey, whereof that of Hybla was eminently femous, fait,
faffron, cheefe, cattle, hides, pigeons, (for the Romans were great
pigeon-fanciers ♦) corals, and emeralds. But all thefe were trifling, if
compared to the prodigious quantities of wheat exported from this
noble ifland, which, before it fell under the dominion of Rome, has,
upon fome occafions, even fupplied the temporary deficiency of com,
in fo fertile a country as Egypt.

The inhabitants of Melita, (Malta) who were a Carthaginian colony,
carried on a confiderable manufadure of very fine white cloth, called
linen, by Ibme authors, and woollen, by others. As the Romans called
cotton the wool of trees, and the ifland produces cotton of a moft
excellent quality in the prefent day, there can be little doubt that
thefe fine cloths were calicos, or muflins. The houfes of Melita were
difl:inguiflied by their elegance, the comfortable fruits of fuccefsful
induftry.

Greece furniflied honey, and particularly a remarkably fine kind
from Attica. Lacedsemon fent its beautiful green marble, and the dye
of the purple fnell-fifti ; and Elis furniflied its fine fluff called byfllnus,
probably of the nature of cambric, which ufed to fell for its weight in
gold f .

Many of the Grecian islands produced excellent marble : Paros was
particularly celebrated for the kind fo well known by its name, and fo
valuable to fl:atuaries, for its pure and uniform white colour, and its ex-
emption from the fparkles, which, by giving a falfe light, injure the cf-
fedl in fl:atues made of other marbles. Samos flill excelled in manufac-
tures of fine earthen-ware. Lemnos furniflied the bell: vermilion, (fino-
pis) which fold at Rome for thirteen denarii (8/4^ flierling) a pound.
Cos manufadured an inferior kind of filk, faid to be produced by worms
of a fpecies different from the genuine filk-worms, which, from the
cenfures on its indecent tranfparency, feems to have been like the mo-
dern farcenets, or perfians.

From Thrace were imported great quantities of corn, and faked tun-
hies, which abound in the Euxine fea.

Colchis produced wool of an excellent quality, and far more valuable
than the golden fleece, which Jafon and his companions are faid to have

* Axiu«, a Roman knight, fold a pair of pigtons for four hundred denarii, equal to^li : l8 : 4
flfrling. [Ai buthnot' I Tables ef ancient coint, iSfc. p. IJ9.]
■\ See ai) attempt to explain the nature of byflinui, fcncum, &t. wider tiis year 73.

A. D. 14.

'25

wrned off from that country ; alfo hemp, wax. and pitch ; and it fliU kent
up Its credit for the manufadure of fine linens of the Egyptiat^ faS
fuchaswere adduced by Herodotus as an argument for^'^he Trmh of
an Egyptian colony havmg fettled there. Goods, brought over-land
from India, were fhipped at Phafis for the ports of Europe

The article chiefly noted as imported from Galatia and Cappa
BociAj. wasvermihon. called Si.opis, from the port at w^th^lr;:;

befwt^frot'&ix^^^^^^^^^ " ^^"^ '^^"^ ^^y -"«^-'^^>« di^ance. the
.lnKT'''i^"''''^v.^^^''*^^^°'""'"^ and flabs of a beautiful ftone like

Clazomena in Ionia furniflied the beft of all the foreign wines wh,VT,
were earned to Rome ^"^cxgn wines which

The moft remarkable produdions of Cyprus were nr^nV, a
among which there was an inferior kind o^diamondT ? ^°^^''

ported from this ifland in confiderable quantises kn?aT\r i").'
refin. andafweet oil, made from a fhi^ib called 'by the tme'o^ the

, f''V- Phoenicia, and Palestine, furniflied cedar o-„™. k ir
alabafter. Sidon and Tyre, names Vo iUnZiousIn \h™ Hie'ft Si,"''

l=;-f r r.j;":s r t,i%n'^,et: a^^^^^^^^

Egypt was called by the antients the eranarv nf th^ , u
fupplied Rome with com fufficient. if we ^n credit ofT V'"'^ ''
third of its whole confumption. Its oZrZ.onst^^^^^^ ""I

all qualities, for which it^as famous ^om ?hre::;:iL?;;ge; f^tLn

• In order to fave trouble to the critics tf anv + T„ _ •• 1 ■

of then, (hall cond.fce„d to cx.m.V thrbodyof ftlll ninowl 'J'd f "''^'''^«' ''if Ph^nJc/ans were

tins work, I acknowlcge. that I do „..t ^rod to M >l erre\l' aftil":';'' '" "" "" '"■"^" "^ '^c

be minutely accurate in the chronc.lo^ry „f ,1,^ CiT WmLT^, if ' "'",>""•«">" "f the

provn,aat,o„ of each country, and thnt fjveral de! ti da,^^ . i^-d ^r/ '" *-^"" '''•" '''" »<'"' ^'■-

pendcnt nominal kingdoms, e. jr. f mmdocia ''",,*;■ ".''1 1"'<-'' '"^ fe.,mcM ,„.,pc, tc. om.nand

Judea Mauritania. L. are herf «ouXcd aJ ^nZ^''" '^' ^''' ''* '«"''' «" ."•gaiu.l the-
parts of the empire.

r

■

i,i

m

■

% T^f- 'M

■

1

|H

^B^R '''

'^1

II

P'BUll

III

U

im

ii6

A. D. 14.

goods, made from cotton produced in the upper Egypt ; coftly oint-
ments ; marble ; alabafter; fait ; alum of the very beft quality ; gui is ;
paper, the general ufe of which, Pliny finely remarks, poliflies and im-
mortalizes man ; alfo the rulh called papyrus, from which paper was
Jikeways manufadlured at Rome. Paper varied in its qualities and
lizes, from the wrapping Emporetica for the fhops, of fix inches in
breadth, to the Augufta, Liviana, and Hieratica, as they were called at
Rome, which were of thirteen inches *. Glafs ware was alfo fhipped from
Alexandria, which rivaled Sidon in that manufadure f. The Egyptians
had a procefs, which, as defcribed by Pliny, [L. xxxv, c. 11] had, at leaft
in its efFed, fome refemblance to the modern art of printing upon .ot-
ton, linen, &c. They drew figures upon cloth with various colourlefs
materials, which, when the cloth was plunged into a cauldron of hot
dye-fluff, in a moment affumed various colours fuitable to the figures,
which were fo flrongly fixed, that no wafhing could efface them.

Egypt was alfo the entrepot of the principal trade carried on between
the Oriental countries and Rome, which will be defcribed pnder the
head of India.

Alexandria, the port at which all the produce and manufadures of
Egypt, and all the goods carried through it, were fhipped, was a large
and beautiful city, when it was the capital of the Macedonian kings of
Egypt, and the feat of the Egyptian commerce. Being now not only
the feat of the Roman government, but alfo of a commerce greatly ex-
tended by the confumption of the Roman world, and proteded by the
Roman power, it almoft inflantaneoufly increafed to an extent and po-
pulation, which yielded only to the imperial city itfelf, containing, ac-
cording to Diodorus Siculus, three hundred thoufand free people, whence
its wh le population may be fairly fuppofed above a million. It is,
therefor, chiefly from the reign of Auguflus, that Alexandria is entitled
to the rank of the commercial capital of the Mediterranean, or, as Stra-
bo expreflies it, the greatefl; emporium of the whole world.

Though Egypt was a Roman province, the whole of the commerce
continued now, and afterwards in its more extended flate, in the hands
of the Greeks, the haughty Romans, thinking commercial concerns

• The Augufta proving too traiifparent, a paper
of a thicker quality, and greater breadth, bcnig
eighteen inches, V3.» J'.tioduced in the reign of
Claudius, which f courfe was called Claudia.
Each flicet of the antient paper was double, the
principal fide being the largeft flice that could be
got, of uniform breadth, in the whole length of
the papyrus, which was covered, or lined, with
fhortci pieces, falUned on with the glutinous water
cf the Nile, or with palle. The longitudinal fibres
«jf the plant, crolTing each other, gave the paper
tin: appearance of linen. [P/in. HiJI. tial. L. xiii,
t'. II, i]) whcnec the iuforaiau'on concerning

the paper is taken.] A fpecimen, which is in the
Mufeum, is almnt nine feet long, and twelve or
thirteen inches broad. It contains a donation hf
a piout lady, dated in the twenty-feventh year of
Juflinian, i. c. A. D. 553.

f The Ethiopians to the fouthwavd of Egypt
prefcrved their dead bcfide them in tranfparent
coffins, inade of foflile gUfs, or chryftal. ^ Herod.
I,, iii, c. 24.] Such a coffin Ptolemy Coccus fub-
ilituted for the golden one, wherein the body of
Alexander the Great had been preferved at Alex-
andria.

A. D. 14.

127

beneath their dignity, and the aboriginal Egyptians, a poor deprefled
race, not being admitted to a participation of it, and, probably ftiU ro-
ftndted by their fuperftitious prejudices from going upon fait water in
any capacity *.

Africa proper the antient territory of the Carthaginians, was a.
country remarkably fertile. It furnifhed Rome with great quantities
of corn; honey; drugs of various forts; marble; the feathers and eggs of
the oftnch ; alfo living oftnches, elephants, and lions, for the fanguin-
aryiports of the Romans, whofe game laws did not permit the poor
African to kill a lion, even m his own defence. But fuch a prepofterous
law may be prefumed to have have been enaded by one of the lefs
prudent tyrants, who came after Auguftus.

Mauritania fiimiflied fine, and very large, timber, called cedar, but
by Its charaderiftics, apparently mahogany, whereof very large tables
were made, which fold for fuch enormous prices, that the Roman ladies
thought their extravagance in pearls fully kept in countenance by the
rage of their hulbands for purchafing thofe tables. Some trading fettle-
ments m the weft part of this country upon the Ocean, appear to have
been ftiU inhabited by Phoenicians. ^^

The natural advantages of Spain were fo great and fo various, that
Pliny reckons it next to Italy ; which, from an Italian, may be confider-
cdasanacknowlegement, that it was efteemed for foil, climate, and pro-
dudions of every kind, the very firft country in Europe. The whole
country abounded with mines of lead, iron, copper, ivcr, and gold
and alio with marble. But each province had peculiar Advantages '
and they muft, therefor, be confidered diftindly uvcintages ,

The fouth part of Spain, g.Jled Baetica or Turdctania. had the appear-
ance of a vaft garden, interfeded with many navigable rivers, the very
iQands ot which were highly cultivated, and adorned with buildings^
This delightful region, apparently the Ely fian fields of antient table and
comprehending Andalufia and moft of Granada with part o?Porn^^;nn
modern geography, was occupied by the Turdetani. Turtutani. or Tur-
tul>. who were probably the dependents, or mixed with the delbend-
cms, ot lomie very antient colonies of the Phoenicians. They were dif-
mguifhed from the other nations of Spain by fuperior civihzation and
learmng ; and they boafted of pofTefling records and poems of prodS
Z uTl7' ^^^"^ n^imerous population, befides fully cultivating

wn? H ^^'' T'''''^ '^]' "'•"^^' '^^^ '-^"^"^^"8 thefilheries. had filkd
two hundred opulent trading towns fpread along the fca coaft and the

iaS

A. D. 14.

banks of the navigable rivers. The chief of thefe were Corduba (Cor^
dova), Malaca (Malaga), lUpa (Penajlor), Hifpalis (Seville), with many
others, which after being colonized by the Romans, who thereupon fre-
quently aflumed the credit of being their founders, retain to this day
fome Ihare of fplendour, and even, when compared with fome parts of
modern Spam, a portion of the induftry, derived from their Phoenician
founders through the revolutions of thirty centuries. But the chief of
the whole tor commercial dignity, as already obferved, was Gadir (call-
ed by the Romans Gades, and at this day Cadiz), which was now be-
come the greateft emporium in the weftern world, the rival of Alexan-
dria in commerce, and by fome fuppofed inferior only to Rome in the
number ot its inhabitants, many of whom, not able to find houfe-room
on the fmall ifland whereon the town was built, lived entirely upon the
water. The Turtuli exported great quantities of corn, and wine ; ex-
cellent oil, but in fmall quantity ; honey, and wax ; pitch ; much fear-
let dye {KOKitot), and vermilion (|Ct/Xrof), which the Romans obliged them
to bring m a rude ftate, to be refined at Rome ; fait ; faked provifions
of a fuperior quality ; wool of fo excellent a kind, that a talent (^193 :
15/lterling) was an ufual price for a good breeding ram. They had
formerly exported confiderable quantities of woollen drapery ; but they
were now apparently obliged to give up that manufadure, and to carry
their raw wool to the Romans, who probably put the manufacture into
the hands of their own domeftic flaves. Befides their agriculture, ma-
nufadurcs, and commerce, they were enriched by a great fifliery, which
they carried on, not only in the feas adjacent to their own coaft' which
fwarmed with great variety of ufeful fifh of a fuperior quality and fize,
but alfo on the coaft of Africa to a confiderable diftance : and betbre
they fell under a foreign dominion, they had had the produce of their
own very rich mines, which were now the property of the conquerors.
So extenfive a commerce and fiOiery employed a quantity of fhipping
icarcely inferior to that employed in the whole of the African trade ;
and all their veflels were built of timber produced in the country. The
merchants of Gadir in particular had (hips of very great burthen, where-
with they traded in the Mediterranean and ulfo in the Ocean, as far at
leaft as the Fortunate iflands (the Canaries), and probably alfo to the re-
mote fettlements and trading pofts, which the Carthaginians had eftab-
lilhed on the weft coaft of Africa. There is alio realbn to believe, that
they Hill pollefied a fliure of the Britifti tin trade in the antient channel
of dired importation from the Caffiterides.

The eaft coaft of the northern province of Spain, called Tarraconen-
fis, alio coniained many good trading tovns. The firft and the beft of
theio was New Carthage, called alfo Carthago fpartaria from the great
abundance of Ipartura produced in the fields adiacent to it, ("and now
Carthagena), which ftiil retained lome of the mercantile genius of its

A. D.

14.

139

Carthaginian founders, and furniihed the commodities of diftanr u a
to an extenfiyeback country in return fnr Ai/I!! L v . ^""^*

made of the plant called f^^Vtu^ SS[ t ^ crrTild h^"^^ 'Z'^'^'
along with the filverof the mines sriuntumT/ir^^-J^ . '^^ '? *^°"^^'
for its manufadure of carthen-^are ^^H T ^^°''''i'j)^ ^^' celebrated
linens, reniarkable for their fhrnTn.wSv'r''"'^^ (Tarrasona), for its
nefs of cheir fabric. Lme of c rb^e^7ftlT^ '^'' ^°"^^^^"' ^'»^-

bilis CXi/ocaJ, and in its^ei.hbn!,rhif ?K '" ^"'"P^ ^"^ "^^^^ ^' ^l'

werpt o7rx^L^tfrrt?oVi^^^^ ^- ^»^^

cultivated by reafon of heir r.mn^ r ^^^^"' "^"^ ^^'^^^^
intercourf, witl^l^^rtrs 1^'"!.^ f "^ i^f ^^ ^'^'""^erce or

but barter, and they adiufted rhJjf "' u'^ tliemfelyes was nothing
a piece cttt off from a fhee of filver ^ \ Pf ^ ?S;*^« balance with
courfe with fon^igners who purchIL J ^^'f ''"^ ^°'"^ ^'^^^ ^nter-
were made of leafher 'aTery CexcfntSTr^ 'f '''^'. ^^'''' ^^^'^
cd to build of wood. rhomZZr?^'r^7^ ^^^'yj^'^ J^'^^Jy learn-
moft of them wore mantles or nhfd, f. kT^'^u" ^^^""^ ^'^^^^^^^ »nd
beds made of herbs. The di^fs nf 1; "^ '^"^ ''^"° «^«P^d upon

of flowers. They had plenty of eft feaXoats'^'^T' ^"' ""^^^^
butter, which, Strabo %s, tLy S af . /m- ' r"^ '1"^ "^^^^ ">"ch
from being wealthy, they verfyery^^^^^^^^ J^'^^S^ far

entertainments for the ir friends «mo^-u' '^"t^.^hghted in making
age and dignity. On thefp ".^ r^'"^ ^^^ "^"^ honourable feats to
beyerage, 'nd lith^'d^e 1 tde vT'°?LV Y.r T' T^' ^^^' ^^^^ "^-^
ufually exhaufted at one feaft. "he /^ir^^^^^ vintage being
w.th dancmgto the mufic of the pipe .'nd Z^t tk'" 'T'^IP^''''^
mentswere manly and warlike exerd^VTif^ The.r other amufe-
temper, and their falent for CAeem hS , "[ '^''"y' '^^'' ™««ial
form.dable neighbours to tSS '^^^ mpaft times very

now enhfted in their Iceions t! .?• ^^^^^^'^s : but they were

eers in the north-weft ^I^toTi;-'^^"^;!^ f^'^"- of the mo.fntain-
of Scotland in the laft age, which b ribo I? ^^' ? "^^^ north-weft part
;ng likenefswill, T pr.iX^mc^'"^^^^^^ \ '^^he ftk-

iome traits of it, which nJhTZ with aBritifli reader for inrertmg
manners than t^ that of comm^ice^ '"''''" ^'""^''^ ^° ^'-' ^"ft«ry of
Romtr" ^'"" ^''^'^''^ ^PP-- -^" have been but Httle known to the

'''BrB^'''^^'^^^ '""'''' ^--™,efteemed equal to any

whictwareVimed by'TheTJl"' P-'^^ince' ^he government of
Tiiat partofthe coaft whirh K J"" f P'"^^^^^'^ «^ ^^at of Syria
tained\he onW ..Zr\'^-^^^.^''\^'L''^ "P«n the Mediterranean, conl

Vr

ports, with which Rome liad

y d

R

intercourfe.

3°

A. D. 14.

The chief of thefe were MafTiIia (Mnrfeille), Arelate (Aries), and
Narbo (Narhonne), from which laft, being a Roman colony, the name
of Narbonenfis was extended to a large province, including the modem
divifions of Languedoc, Provence, and Dauph'tni. By the favour of the
Romans Narbo became the moft populous city in Gaul, and it alfo had
the greateft trade, which, according to the poetical authority of Aufoni-
U3, extended to the eaftern fea, Spain, Africa, Sicily, and the whole
world. The antient Phocsean colony of Maflilia had now declined
very much from its former opulence in confcquence of the partiality of
the Romans to Narbo, which was at this time efteeraed the chief em-
porium of the whole country. The Romans received from Gaul, be-
fides the tributary metals of gold, filver, iron, &c. dug from the mines
of the province, linens, which were made in every part of the country,
corn; cheefe; excellent faked pork, and plaids, which two articles Belgic
Gaul fupplied in great quantities. Great flocks of geefe from the coun-
try of the Morini oppofite to Britain formed an article of importation ;
if they could be faid to be imported, which required no carriage, but
performed the long journey of 1,254 miles to Rome upon their own
feet. But our information concerning the imports from Gaul is very
defedive, though there is good reafon to believe, that they were very
confiderable.

The chief trading ports of Gaul upon the Ocean were Burdigala (Bour-
deaux), fituated on a noble aeftuary or firth at themf^'ith of the Garum-
na (Garonne), in the country of the Bituriges, a C anic or Celtic nation
(occupying the modern Guienne proper) among .the Aquitani, who
were of Spanifli origin ; Corbilo upon the Ligeris (Loire), which in the
time of Polybius had been a confiderable emporium, and one of the
three beft towns then in Gaul, (the others being Maflilia and Narbo)
but now declined ; the port of the Veneti, if not dcferted after the ruin
of the people by Caefar ; a pore of the Lexobii at the mouth of the Se-
quana (Seine); and the Portus Itius, concerning the pofition of which
the learned differ in their opinions. All thefe fcem to have had lome
intercourfe with Britain, and probably with other countries, of which
we have no information.

Gaul was a country peculiarly favoured in the convenience of inland
navigation, being everywhere interftded by navigable rivers running
in very oppofite diredions ; fo that goods could be carried between the
Mediterranean and the Ocean with very little afliilunce of land carriage.
From Narbo, above which the Arax (Aude) was leldoni navigable, they
were carried a few miles over-land, and refliipped on the Garumna,
which carried them to i'urdigala. Tiie Ligeris, the Sequani, and the
Rhenus (Rhine) -afforded water rarriage to the very heart of the coun-
try, and all of tiiem to the neighbouiiu-od of the Rhodanus (Rhone) or
its great navigable branches, which completed the inland water carriage

A. D. 14.

'5»

between the Mediterranean and the whole of the weft and north {here,
ot Gaul ; while almoft every other part of the country was accelT.ble by

he navigable branches of thofe great rivers, to the great advantage of
the community, as well as the emolument of the proprietors of the lands
adjacent to the rivers before the Roman conqueft. who ufed to levy a

oil or tranfit duty on the boats pafling through their territories^Iu
the very center ot all this inland conveyance, at The jundion of the Rho-
danus with the Arar rjr<'^«.;,a river of a longer coirfe and genter cur-
rent than itfelf, and within an eafy diftance of the orhernlvLable
nvers which flowed in the oppofite diredion. ftood the grm inuTem-
^rium of Lugdunum (Lions), a Galhc city, fo greatly augmered by a
Roman colony, the refidence of a Roman Vvemor.Ld^theeftfbUni
ment of a mint for gold and filver money, that for papulation ifeceed
ed every other city in Gaul except Narbo. With thefe advanneest
neceflanly became the general depof.t of all the inland trade of the
country and the great thoroughfare of the inland navigationTfor even
thofe, who, on account of the rapidity of the Rhodin.f. nr'ftr. iT j

The only vines in Gaul were on the fouth cni(k • K„t r^ e ,
.here was no rec.proca,i„n of jood office. ; .l.etr S " o^Zr."™'.:

pre.™..!,, .„ i„i„„„ „, ,t R„„,„,, „„„S ^'. "■' "»l«" "<"'■

13a

A. D* 14.

The payments were made with the tributes extorted from the conquered
provinces ; and thus the money given for produce and manufat%res
preferved fome degree of balance between induftry and rapine, without
which the later muft in a (hort time have drained the fprings, from
which us infatiable appetite was fed : or in other words, the farmers
and manufadurers were paid with their own money. But let us hear
from a Roman author, what Rome beftowed upon the world. ' Italy

[or rather Rome] is the nurfe and mother of all countries, chofen by
' divine providence to make the heavens themfelves more bright, to col-
I led into one point the fcattered jurifdidions, and to polifh the rude
^ cuftoms of other countries, to unite by intercourfe and converfation

the difcordant and favage languages of fo many nations, to civilize

* mankind, and, in a word, is deftined to become the one mother-coun-

* try of all the nations upon the face of the. earth.' [P/in. Hiji. mt. L.
m, c. 5.]

But luxury and fuperabundant wealth could not be fatisfi(;d with the
produdions of nature and art within the Roman empire, however plen-
tiful and various, while there were other gratifications to be found in
remoter countries. In order to relieve the wealthy Roman from the
load ot his fuperfluous riches, the induftrious natives of the moft dif-
tant parts of the world were employed in preparing and tranfmitting
articles, which were of no real utility, and which, for that very reafon,
are moll eagerly fought after by thofe who want nothing.

In the review of what may be called the foreign trade of Rome, our
own iflund of Britain prefents itfelf firft to our notice, as being 'con-
neded by vicinity and intercourfe with Gaul, the country which con-
cluded the furvey of the home trade of that great empire. We luckily
poflefs the materials for a more ample detail of the Britifli trade ; and
m a work intended for Britifli readers, a more particular attention to
the untieut commerce of our own iOand, will not, I prefume, need any
apology.

The commercial and friendly intercourfe between the Britons and
Gauls, which had fubfifted before the invafion of Julius Cielhr, fall
continued, and was probably increafed in confequence of the greater
aflbrtment of goods now in the hands of the Romanized Gallic mer-
chants. But the trade appears to have been entirely pafTive on the part
of the Britons. No antient author has mentioned any other kind of
veflels belonging to them than boats, of which the keel and principal
timbers were made of light wood, and the bottom and fides of a kind
of ballvet work of ofiers, the whole being covered with hides. [Twireus
ap. Plin. L. iv, c. 16 — Caf. Bell. civ. L. i, c. 54 Solln. c. 24._:and ap-
parently Ruf. Fejl. Avien. Ora mar. v. 105] At this time the fouthern
mouth of the Rhenus, or, more properly fpeaking, the fhore of the
Morini (antient inhabitants of Picardy and Flanders) in whofc terri-

A. D. 14,

^33

f he tin, which was ftill the chief artirl#. «f n„vn.
being caft into cubic malFe, ^ fair^d ?n c.rl '\ thT^
water acrofe the narrow channel betwi«rh/r f ?^ ^'T ""^ ''''^

chains ; veffi-ls made of amber and ot Im^ ' f h 1 ' °''"«"l^"t'>l
articles: aifo pretiou. ftones and pLis t • nJe K ' ^'^''" '"^'"S
taken in the wars carried on h^thf^t^ ' ^^ '^'^" "^^^^ captives
various fpecie. all eTe,lent in^tJefr S' '^'v? """^ ^^'^^^ ' ^«g^ °f
by the RLan'conn"iS.r n tZn^'tdt:)^^ V^'^l^^''"/^
them, not only ngainft wild animal" n^thechaft but ^Ko ' ''^a f -^
enemies in the field of battle • md b^rc < f Vi* r ■ ''S'*'"^ ^^^"^^
the Roman circus thouer, rob^h v Zf^ ^"i '''' ^^"S^i^^ry fports of

M«r//«/;> i;,,c/ 9 j ''—^'^''^'^ ^' »^'M 305, 307— Af./^, L. iii, ?. 3._

b.:L^uL?re:s;ri;r^tne^r:;r tv^"^^- ^-^'

of: neither is it certain th .r rwJ k ? "^')^ ^"^ '^"''^ ''^'^X mention

men in Ireh.nd l,a.! tl.cir Avord-hami!;, s?.^,.,.
wuh iho uetl. of ,;,lK. pol/fhcd a. b.l.hM T :
and the fame km.l of ornamtrnt conV/n-H in ,V
yell at leaft till the fu;h cctury, a. ppea , from
the b,opaphm of fon,e of the tHft, faints
.,,.1 ^"^ ^'"^''' ""'.""cnt:., chains, an-ber, and
Klaf^ware, are mentioned by Strabo [ L. v *

w. her they were :mported int. Britain, or exl
ported from .t. That they were imported, k the
.'P.monof the annotator on the paWe, a d of
Ooaor Henry [Ni/l. 0/ J^r. />i, /. '.ai. ,2
7««.] But the contrary opminn is Ul b ■ al
...o.Ul,^t..rs.wl.ohavchal.cca.,onto.oniid.r

,!h/t':^'^(f;ri!:!^'''.'"!'-!!^-«,mui3.,.d

farther f.uth thnn the Solu-ay firth pr-.duced a

thl ■ „' '^V'' T'^f-"d -. conl^derabTe 1 „:
titiM m thofe north of the Firth nf V„,,u

.nuil^Wieve that the cofS; -^eS^;^:^

CO lid r Se rr'T'V^ ""'r^" "'»' """^h '"ore
W. I '^''" ''-'Sheen fuppofed. C^farcol.
:^':i:''^:, 1''»""'r "f Brit'/l, pearls, and dS
^,^»cd a oread-plate compof.d of them to_ the god.

ix,

dels Venus
'^- 35-]

ii Theexinenee of bears ia Britain has he,.„
q..cHu.ned. be«,.fe the^e are none now b„t we
know trom , he undoubted tettimonv^f iw!

. .„ .„.„ „, „,„ ,„„ (Umula.rd f nL(>,' ' V "' *'" ']''>' ""^ Norwich wa, bo.„d t,

to the mvafion of Britain by ti,e fight of the pLa I. K n ' kT ^'/'l '").^ "" '^"S^ ^'-'^ ^"^^"S h-n . t*
■»>n.u.ht from it. rhefe he probably ,aw u. S ^^ ''"^ '**' ConfefforT ^ "'' '"

'34

A. D. 14.

From this enumeration of the exports and imports of the Britons,
and from the notices to be found in antient authors, it appears, that,
befides pafturage and agriculture, they underftood the arts of extracting
tin and lead, and even gold, filver, and iron, from their mines *, the
manufadure of glafs and amber, and alfo fome works merely orna-
mental. For their own ufe they had manufactures of arms, the object
of the firft attention to every warlike people, and which were by no
means fo contemptible, as fome modem writers have reprefented them.
Befides carts for carrying their tin and other heavy burthens, they had
chariots f , fometimes armed with fchythes for mowing down the enemy,
which were ufed in battle, from the coaft of Kent in the fouth to the

Grampian mountain in the north. \Caf. Bell. Gall, L. iv, c. ^^ 'Tac.

yit. jflgric. cc. 12, 35.] Their chief drink was ale, which they made
from barley and fometimes from wheat. [Diofcorides, L. ii, c. 76.] They
had a manufacture of fome kind of drapery, as appears from Caefar's
obfervation, that the diftant and lefs civilized Britons were clothed in
fkins, which proves, that the nearer and more civilized Britons had
clothing of a better and more comfortable kind ; and that could fcarce-
ly be any other thun woollen cloth, which in its improved ftate has
long been the great and favourite ftaple manufacture of England |.

The Britifli goods, deftined for Rome or any part of the Mediterra-
nean coafis, after their arrival in Gaul were put into river-craft and
conveyed to Narbo and Maffilia by the inland navigation, which I have
already defcribed, chiefly on account of its great connection with the

• Mr. Wlutaker fuppofcs, that coal was ufcd
as fuel by the Britons before the arrival of the
Romans : and Mr. Pennant fay», that a flint axe,
an inftrument of the aboriginal Britons, was found
flicking Ml a vein of coal, txpofed to day, at
Craig-y-park in Monmouth-ihire. But it does not
clearly appear, that the coal was ufed at fuel.
Nor can the coal cinders, foiuid among the ruins
of the Roman llatlon at Caervorran in Northum-
berland, be admitted as a proof, that the Roman*
ufed coal for fuel. That town may ha»e had
many revolutions unnoted in liillory | and many
fires of coal may have been in hoiifcs now buried
in ruini, thougii built many centuries after the de-
parture of the Romans. [Set IViilaier'i //»/?. of
Miinchejlir, p. '^ol..^ Pennant's Tour in Walet, p.

\(j Wallis't hi/l. of NorthumterlenJ, F. \, p. 119-

—ulft jlritot't JJi/l. of Eoinhurgb, p. 8*.] The
fappoftd notice of coal in the year 85 a will be
confidered in its proper time.

■)• Such war-chariots were ufed by the Par-
thiani, and by the PerCans in the time of Alex-
ander the Great, and alio in the time of Alexan-
der Severus emperor of Rome.

% I have here piefumed, that at Icaft the more
polifhed Britons had (htep ; tliough the great na-
tiiralift, Mr. Pennant, thinks they had not thofe

ufeful animals, becaufe no antient author has men-
tioned them. [Biili/b zoology, V. i, p. 23, ed,
1768.] But agaiaft this negative argument may
wi: not fet the queiUon, What author has men-
tioned iheJJr/1 importation of them ? Is it not rea-
fonable to fuppofe, that, if the primitive or in-
land Britons were deftitute of (heep, they would
be imported alone with the Belgic colonics ? Nay,
it is moft probabif, that even among the inland
inhabitants ftieep were a part of the animals, on
the flelh and milk of whicii they fubfifted, at we
are told by Csfar, who cxpreWy mentions flocks
(' pecorltM in CalTivellaun't (or CafRbelin's) town:
[Bell. Call. L. y, f. »l] and /iti>ui/tur» (a word
including flocks and herds, and apparently rather
appropriated to the former) arc repeatedly men-
tioned by Strabo in his dcfcrlption of Britain.
But no antient author mentions woollen clotlii
among the articles imported into Britain. Befides,
the panegyric upon Conflantiusexprefily mentions
flocks loaded with wool f ' ptcoia onufla veUeri-
< but') as native* of Britain : and the BritilK
naraet of the animal, as given by Mr. Pennant,
have no reftmblance to the Latin, to warrant even
a fufpieion, that they were introduced by the Ro-
mam.

m.

i II

w.

j\» Ut 14* TIC

Bntiih trade, pretty fully, in the account of the commerce of Gaul •
or they were carried quite acrofs the country in carts or upon the back«
of horfes, which mode of conveyance required thirty days to traverfe
the country from the Ocean to the mouth of the Rhodanus *, where
Arelate flood on the main channel of the river, with which Maflilia
was conneded by a canal, made in the preceding age by Marius [Diod
Sic. L. V, § 22.—Po/idouius ap, Strab. L. iii. p. ng.—Strab. L. ii, *. iqo •
L. IV, pp. 479, 318.J With the charge of fuch a muhiplicity of car-
nages the Britifh tin coft in Rome four {hillings and ten pence of our
money a pound. {PUn. L. xxxiv, c. 17.]

The duties paid in Gaul upon the imports and exports of Britain
conltituted the only fpecies of revenue derived from it by the Romans
according to the exprefs teftimony of Strabo ; [L. ii, p. U^- L. iv ^
306J who thus proves, that the tribute, which Csfar alleges he ordered
the Bntons to pay, was a mere flourilh. Strabo indeed affeds to fav
that any tribute, which could be levied on the ifland. would be too
trifling to bear the expenle of the garrifons neceflkry to enforce it
which would require at leaft one legion and fome additional cavalry
But the Roman emperors of fucceeding ages thought very differentlv
from him in that reiped, when they employed four, or more iS
m the^conquefl of this country, and to garrifon it afterT was ^S

_ Diodonia, to whom we are indebted for tin's
information, leaves us ignorant, whether the jour-
ney of thirty days was from Burdigala acrols the
narrow part of Gaul ; from the mouth of the Li-
jj-ns ; or from the coaft opprifite to Britain, and
through the whole extent of the country. Mr.
Melot has endeavoured to fupply that defed in an
elaborate cll?y on the antient commerce of Britain
in the MtmMret de I'acadmie rajale, V. xvi, in-
tended chiefly to confjte the fancy of a very ear-
ly mttrcouife of the Greeks with this country:
but as he has not made the journey commence from
any of the four ports noted bv Strabo as tfte fta-
tions for pafllng over to Britain, I doubt wt arc
Kill as much to feek as ever

f Some have fuppofed, that this country was
kept in fubjeAion by a fmaUer force than four le-
gions. But Agrippa in a fpetch to the Jews,
whercm he magnifies the Roman valour, and (hows,
that the very reputation of it was fufficient to keep
the world m.awe, tells them, that all Spain wps
commanded by only one legion, Egypt by two,
and all the re(l of Africa by one; and tb« Bri!
ta.n, almoft as large as all the reft of the wortd,
whoj, ivalls -werr tit Ocean, yet was kept bv only
four legion, lj,.fij,i Bell. Jud. L. ii. / ,6.^
rhis fpetrh has been often quoted ; but it has not
been lunicitntly obferved, that the aim of the
fpeaktr was to extenuate the force neceflarv to
keep greater province, than Judsea in fubjeft'ion.

It ought therefor to be received as proof, that the
number of legions in Britain was at Itqftfour. But
to leave flowers of rhetoric, we have the clear hif-
toncal evidence of Tacitus for the ficond, ninth,
fvurteinth, and tvientlelh, legions being in Britain
under Pauhnus in the reign of Nero ; and there
may have been more. ^^ac. Annal. L. xiv, cc.
3*. 34. 37 i HiR. L. iii, c. 45.] There is alfo
the authonty of Ptolemy, the Itinerary, and Dion
CaJTiiis, for the rehdence of the/«,/t ,;Sor out, and
apparently good authority for that of the/eventh
C.audian, the mntb, and the tenth legions in Bii
tain. But it does not follow, that there were
eight legions in it at once ; and w iuiow, that the
fourteenth was for fome time draw:, off by Vitel-
hus, and that du'ing his reign one of the pxth le-
trions (for there were often fcverals of the fame
number) and i\,efeventh Claudian were alfo upon
the .tjotment. It is, however, probable, that there
weic generally more than four; for AgricoU had
three, it not four, legions with him at the battle
of the Grampian hill , and th. flendereil garrifon,,
he could leave ta the conquered countir, w«uld
require at lead two legions. There wis alfo a
fleet of armed vefllls with a proper eftabliniment
of manno fi,rce» conftantly kept up in the different
ports, bo important in the eyes of the Roman
emperors was Britain : and its importance is, I
hope, ■ fnftcient apology for this rather uiicom-
tnei'ciu not«.

\3^

A. D. 14.

During the long and peaceful reign of Auguftus the Britifh princes
courted his friendfliip by embaflles and prefents : and the Britons by
their long-continued friendly intercourfe with the Romanized Gauls
became acquainted with the Romans, and in Ibme degree with their
arts and Iciences. Even before Caefar vifited this ifland. their own
knowlege of agriculture was by no means contemptible, as appears from
their long experience in the uie of a variety of marles enumerated by
Phny *, [L. xvii, cc. 6, 7, 8] and their plentiful crops, which now (and
perhaps before now) enabled them to Ipare feme corn for exportation.
They had now alfo adopted many improvements from their Gallic neigh-
bours, and were fo generally induftrious, that a negligent management
of the dairy, or the want of a garden, came to be noted as marks of
mferior talents or flothfuln^fs in fome few individuals. fStraio L iv
A 305.]

It was, no doubt, in this interval of tranquillity and ad^'ancing pro-
fperity, that Cunobelin, king of the countries lying bt?tvveen the Thames
and the Nen, eftabliftied his mint at Camulodunum {GolcheJierY and
coined money of gold, filver, and brafs ; of all which at leaft forty dif-
ferent fpecimens f have reached our times. And thus, inftead of dwell-
ing fome centuries upon brafen money, and then flowly creeping to
filver, and at laft to gold, like the Romans, did tlie firft effort of the
Britifh coinage at once comprehend all the ufeful varieties of Current
money %. Camulodunum by means of its mint has the advantage of
being the firft Britifh town, which is authentically known by its ge-
nuine antient name ; as it is alfo the very firft that is mentioned by any

• Pliny [A. xvii, f. 8] obfcrvei, that the ftrength
of the liiiliih chalk marie (the pita of which he
dcfcrihes cxaflly as tlicy are now to be fecn in
Kent) lalled eighty yean, and that tliere was no
inllance of any man ufnig it twice in his life time
on the fame land. See this fnbjeti more largely
hairdled in Wh'ttakerU Hiftory of Manchrfler, B. i,
ck. 7, J 3.

It appears from an iiifcription fonnd in Zcland,
that the Britifh chalk was exported to improve the
maifhy grounds of that country by people, who
were called Britifli clialk-mcrchants, i.nd the poly-
theiltic fpirit of the Romans created a new god-
defs to prefide over this new trade, the <date of
which 19 unknown, but is apparently older than
Varro (who died A. U. 27) as he Mras in fome
diftricts on the banks of the Rhine, where the
lands were manured with chalk (• Candida fuflitia
' creta'). IFano Jt ri rujlica, L. i, c. 9. — 6VeV
ylntontnt, p. 43, for the infcription.]

f Prints of them may be feen in Upeed't Hijlorit,
Camdtn't Britanniti, I'eggf^s Ctim of Cunoitlm,
milalir't Hijlory nf Manchtpr, i^c. Mr. Whit-
aker, in his Jecond edition, has apparently given
the true explanatioi» of the word Tafc, occurring,

with fome variatibns of fpelling, on many of thofe
co-ns, which njoft of our antiquaries (though
Dodlor Pettingall .rlmoft Humbled upon the truth
in a Dlircrtation written cxprcfsly on the fcnfe of
that woid) havt ilrangely iuterpreted tax, or tii-
bute, payable to tlie Romans, at a time when
they had 110 dominion in this ifland ; but which,
according to hit interpretation, figniiies l.tuffr or
img, as, indeed, variations of the word do in the
Gaelie lapguajjes to this day. — That the Britons
pofl'efl'ed and wrought mines of gold and filver bc-
lore the Roman conqutd, appears unqucilionably
from Stnibo, and may be inferred from Tacitus ;
though Cicero, writing when Julius Ca:f.ir was in
Britain, and fcarcely any thing was known of it
in Rome, had faid, that there was no gold or filver
in the ifland. {Strnio, I., iv, />. 305. — Tac. Vil.
ylgric. c. 12. — Cic. ttdfamil. /,. vii, ep. "J ; aJ jit-
tic. I,, iv, ep, 15.]

X Some have hippofed, that the Britons had the
ufe q( money before Cafar's invafion. But the
fuppofition is founded on an expUnation, apparent-
ly erroneous, of a palTage of Ca:far, \^Btll, Gall.
L. V, c. 12] which is contefted, ar.d fecms to be
corrupted.

A. D. 14.

^3f

writer now extant. [P/i„. Hift. nat. L. ii. c. 75.] It i, reafonable te
tteh 'f'' 'Y 'S^- ^h^refidence of Gunobelin. was better -aiU
than the fenced colledions of huts, defcribed by Caefar as the towns of

the mS- "/ K ^'^'a^" ^I^'.;^"' ^^^^'' ^"-^hitedural ikill was even eq^a to
the taflc of building a bridge over the Thames. [Dion. L. Ix 1 But h°
improvements, which the Britons maybe fuppofed to have made in
building, weje.unknown to Strabo. the geographer of tWs age whofe
defcription of their houles appears to be Copied from C^far's ^ ' ^'

Ireland was fometimes vifited by nrvieators from OanI o«^ .u

L"T!: "■'"'J=- .-- °*" ifl-* adjac?n°eo Brainfbue'e^:!
no accoLnc of , heir tranftaiom or dealings. Strabo acknowl^e, hU

.0 s==r Tt^B"s.^r„trt sjr^x !;"V^:l:,\"T

In the followinfiJ tiie S,',:!^^. "■"* ^^ ""' P'™^ "^ G=™any
Baltic fea accordSr ,^ T • ^;^"°". "'^'^Wng '■n ifland in the
fl,.«r ,h r ?l, i- 'u Vacuus, [Gfrm™»] were powerful bv their
fleets and renfibie ot the advantages of opulence. He adds ,L, ,u.
ufe of arms was not general a<non| them, as am^ng the other G^rl

. tT, ^ r. ' ^^'""'"^ "^''"' °^ ^^^^^h. according to Pliny

carclefslv or m»l,V;..„n„K,„.,.i..:r':'.''''''. ?■•'?"" knowrto them. For cannibalifm. promilaiou.

concubmagc, and fuch cnormife,. havfin ,1 age.
been the charaaerillks afcribed by ignoranceT
unknown „at,o,„ ; and they have bee., gradual^
removed farther and farther, as difcovery advauccd

' , ri " " ■" ' """I'riny or Cltdit, hi

cardefsly or mahc.uny brought forward by fome

ri'T-.r::!'"'?'."' ""'".'" p----^ that tL an.

cedors oi the Inlh were the vilell favage, in the
world; where:.,, ,t only proves, that tT.e Gallic

ava^es in
"range,, had fo little iiucrcourlc with the counUv^

Vol. I.

I

M

»38

A. D. 14.

and Tacitus, was gleffum or gkfum. Unlefs when the Romans fcnt ratC-
fengers on purpofe to procure the amber, it was carried acrofs the con-
tinent throvigh Pannonia, where it was received by the Veneti (the an-
ceftors of the Venetians), who forwarded it to Rome ; and thence arofe
the fable of its being produced on the banks of the Padus or Eridanus

ScYTHiA the vaft unknown country beyond Germany, fuppUed fome
valuable furs.

Media, Parthia, and Bactria, were too remote, or too far inland,
to furnifh Rome with any articles, but fuch as were of great value and
little bulk ; and we accordingly hear of little elfe but pretious Hones
brought from thofe countries.

The Seres, the moft remote people of Ada known even by report
to tl^ Europeans; were, according to Florus, among the nations, who
fent ambafladors to Auguftus. But the Rqmans do not appear to have
learned any thing from the ambafllidors concerning the fituation, the
produce, or the trade, of the nation. Strabo [L. xv, p. 1028] knew
only their name, and a report that the people lived to the age of 200
years; and he mentions, I think only once, [L. yv, p. 1016] the y^ri-
ff«w, or filk, (and that from fo old an author as Nearchus the admiral
of Alexander's fleet) which he confounds with cotton. Dionyfins the
geographer, whom Auguftus had fent to compile an account of the
oriental regions, about this time informed the people of Europe, that
pretious garments were manufadtured by the Seres from threads, finer
than thole of the fpider, which they combed from flowers. [Perieges.
V. 752.] This pretious manufadure found its way to Rome : but com-
ing from a people who had the monopoly of it in their own hands, by
a long fucceflion of tedious and dangerous carriages by land and water,
through the territories of various nations, and perhaps through the
hands of fome monopoUfts, and moreover in very fmall quantities *,
it was fold at a moft enormous price, fo that the ule of it was reftridted
to a few women of the greateft fortunes f . [Seneca de beneficiis, L. vii.]

Persia and Babylonia alfo fumiflied pretious ftones and pearls. The

• Wc are told by Dion Caffiua [Z. xllli] that
Julius Clfar, when he treated the Romans with
magnificent fpcAacles, covered the ampliithcatre
with awnings of ferhum to fl>clter them from the
lun. Rut It may well be doubted, if a quantity
of filk, fufficient for fuch a purpofe, could have
been collected in aJl the countries to the weftward
of India in the age of Julius : and Pliny, [Z. xix,
f , I ] defcribing apparently the fame awning, fays,
it was of linen (carbafiu) ; and he is furely an evi~
den-;-; preferable to Diun, who lived fo many ages
later. Silk could not be plenty in Rome, when
the ladies were obliged to content themfelves wit.
a flimfy (luff made by undoing the fubllantiul
Oriental fdks, and re-weaving them again, as we

learn from Publius Syrus, an author contemporary
with Czfar, and many others after him.

f What the price of filk was on its fird appear-
ance in Rome, we are not informed. But it mull
have been enormoufly high ; for, even in the later
part of the third century, the emperor Aurelian,
when his wife begged of liim to let her have but
one fingle gown of purple filk, refufed it, faying,
he would not buy it at the price of gold, [/'a-
pifcui in Aurel. c. 45.3 And we find by the Rhodian
naval laws, prefcrved in tlie eleventh book of the
Digejft, that unmixed filk goods, when (hipwreck-
ed, if they were faved free from wet, were to pay
a falvage of ten per cent, as being tgual to ^olJ m
va/ue.

A. D. 14.

J9

Babylonian tricUnaria or tricliniaria (coftly furniture of the eating room,
vanoufly tranllated, quilts, carpets, and curtains), and the incenfe of
Perfia, were highly efteemed.

But the moft important of all the foreign trades was that which was
earned on with the Oriental countries by the way of Egypt and the
Red fea. The commencement of this trade in the reign of the firft. or
rather the fecond, Ptolemy, and the removal of it from Heroopolii at
the end ofthe canal to Berenice, are already related. The trade does
not appear to have evei increafed, and there is reafon to believe that
after the reigns of the three firft Ptolemies it was rather in a progreffi'e
vT^' ? 'if f ^1"**°" °f the Macedonian fovereignty inE^pt, when
It had dwindled down to fcarcely twenty fmall veffels in a yea? i and
they feldom went beyond the mouth of the Red fea, where, on the Ara-
bian coaft, they found aflortments of merchandize fiilly fufficient for
their demand. But when Strabo was in Egypt, very foon after the fub!
.jugation of the kingdom by the Romans, he learned that fleets of on^
hundred and twenty velTcls went from Myos Hormos (then the chief

Srn^.?C?h^^^^PTK7^^'"*^"'^"^^^^^ h« calls a great Sif

protefted by iflands before it, and a winding entrance through th^mi

and proceeded as far as India and the moft remote known parts of EtS-

chandize. But the veffels were fmall. and their timid coafting vovaeei
feem as yet to have extended no farther than Pattalaf a nort iTrl^
delta, or ifland, fonned by the branches of the rSind, or^Indus a^
here is reafon to believe, that many of them completed heir cargoes «
the port of Arabia Fehx. A few of the traders from E^pt a^^ear
^T"V^i^'''t P^'?«''^t«d into India as for as the Gange?^^^butT[;
moft probable, that they traveled over-land upon the mag^ificient rova?
high way extending acrofs the country from Vhe Indus tf the Ga„S

* M. n r.... .1. . .. . o +'

* Mr. Browne fays, that only thirty-feveu vef-
fels are now (1792) employed in the Red fea by
perfou* telidm^in Egypt j and that the fcamen
are fo unndlfu). that continual bui]Jinj{ barelv
keeps up Uie number. [Tiaw/r ,„ £^j,t, (sfc.

t Strabo does not inform us what port or ports
llicy lailed to : and, indeed, he appears not to have
kuown a fingle feaport of India ; for though he
defcribes Pattalena as a delta of the Indu., con-
tauung the famous city of Pattala, he dues not call
that city an emporium or port : and he Immediately
takes a prodigious (kip from it to Taproban^. In
Ihort.hisknowlegeoJ India is founded entirely up-
on the mformation of Alexander's officers. CL. xv
//. loii, 1012,1026.] Pliny, who wrote, who!
^hc Oriental trade had been carried on a whole ccn-
jury by the Lffyptian-Greek fubjefti of Rome,
eems to make Pattala the only port reforted to
by them, even after the difcovcry of the nionfaon,
wl"ch will be noticed afterwards : and when he

Rives the names of two ports and two or three na>
tions beyond it on the well coaft. he doM it with
lome degree of exultation, that they were not to be
found in any preceding author. It i» true, he
mentions a moie diftant p<m called Periranla a« the
mott famous emporium of India, fituated op the
caft coalt and near the fouthcrn extremhy of it.
and he notes the abundance of pearls found there

k ; "' ''■/•'V ^ ".'• "• *°' *3! ^.ix.f. 3c.]

IJut as no fuch place is mentioned in the Periplut
ol the Erythra-an fea, and as Ptolemy, from later
information, which in geographical matters is pre-
terable, places Periauila in India beyond the Gan-
ges, we have rcalon to fufped Phny's Informatiorj
concerning it, as well as other parts of India, to K-
contuled and erroneous, and alfo to believe that the
merchants of Egypt were not willing to impart
their knowlcge to their Roman mailers,
. K^rl "■"'«•■'»'"" of 'he Ganges from the fea up
to rahbothra, as noticed by Strabo, fL. xv fi
loko] appear* pretty clearly to haic been perl
S 2 formed

<4a

A, D. 14,

Strabo gives us incidentally the important information, tliat the trade to
India and Ethiopia (or the country of the Troglodytes) was a new acceiV
lion to the commerce of Egypt, which took place after the commence-
ment of the Roman dominion in that country. [Strabo, L. ii, ^. 179;
L. \v,pf>. 1006, 1010; L. xvi,/>. 1 114; L. xvii, /». 1149 feriplus Ma-
ris Erytbrai, p. 174, ed. B/ancard.]

The commodities imported from Arabia, India, and Ethiopia, were
landed at Myos Hormos, and thence carried by camels upon the road
made acrofs thedefertby Ptolemy Philadelphus to Coptos, a town jointly
occupied by Egyptian and Arabian inhabitants, which was the general
emporium of the upper part of Egypt. From Coptos the goods were
conveyed by a canal of three miles to the Nile, the ftream of whic^
floated them down to the canal leading into the Lake of Marsea, whence
they proceeded by another canal to the interior harbour of Alexandria ;
and from the exterior or fea harbour they were refliipped for every part
of the Mediterranean by the merchants of that city, who hadalmoft the
whole of the trade in their own hands, and thereby acquired prodigious
great fortunes. [Strabo, L. xvi, p. 1128; L. xvii, pp. Ii69,-ii70.]

The revenue of Egypt was now alfo raifed far beyond what it had
ever been in the days of the Macedonian fovereigns *, partly by a more
ftrid and vigorous management, but chiefly by the vaft increale of the
commerce of the country, the exports from Egypt being enlarged by
the great and increafing demand of almoft the whole Roman empire for
Oriental luxuries, all which paid duties, both upon importation and ex-
portation, and the duties were particularly heavy upon the pretious ar-
ticles. [Strabo, L. ii, p. 179; L. xvii, />. 1149.]

The pretious articles of India were alfo brought, partly by fea and
river navigation, and partly over land, to Palmyra, a flourifhing com-
mercial republic, feated in a fertile fpot furrounded by a fandy defert,
which, being found beneficial to the world in general by its fpirited
aftive commerce, had the Angular good fortune to remain independent
of the great empires of Rome and Parthia, though fituated on the con-
fines of both. The goods from Palmyra were forwurded to Rome and
other weftern countries by the ports of Syria or Phoenicia, [^ppiani
Bell. civ. L. y.^—Plin. L. v, c. 25.]

it derived from his father'« (hare of the plunder of
the Perfian empire, is beyond all boundii of credi-
bility. According to a loft fpeech of Cicero,
(quoted by Sttabo, L. xvii, p. 1149) Ptolemy
Aulctes, one of the moft dilTolute of the degene-
rate Ptolemies, had an annual revenue of 12,500
talents (equal to /Ci,42 1,875 fterfing). But what-
ever the revenue of Egypt may have been, it i*
not fair to derive it entirely from commerce.

icr-
ive

formed by the natives of India : and even in a later
age the PeripluB of the Erythrzan fea gives us
reafon to believe, that the voyages of the Greeks
of Egypt had nol extended to any part of thceaft
coaft of India.

• The accounts of the wealth and revenue of
the Ptolemies feem to be much exaggerated. We
are told by / ppian, that Ptolemy Philadelphus at
his death left m his treafury 740,000 talents, equal
in weight of metal to ^191,166,666: l3:4of mo-
dern fterling money, (us reckoned by Arbuthnot,
/. 192) which, though we fhould fuppofe moft of

There can be no doubt, that a great part, pi
haps the moft of it, arofe from the very produai
agriculture of the fertile foil.

A; DJ 14. j^,

Indian goods were alfo' conveyed from a diftri<a in the north part of
India within {> -en days' journey of Badria, through that country,
and thence down the River Oxus, and acrofs the Cafpian fea, whence
they u-ere carried up the River Cvrus, and, after a land carriage of five
days, reftnpptdon the Phafis. a nver of Colchis, running into the eaft
end of the Euxine fea, at the mouth of which .there was a town of the
fame name, whence they were difperfed to the weftern countries. rp//«.

f .?' o !^" J ^f^^^y ^e pretty certain, that the valuable, merchandize
ot tlie Seres was alfo conveyed by the fame route; vf. J > < fj i .-

Arabia furnilhed^the traders from Egypt with various aromatics •

ceTfrtirbeTr\^"'^l'T°"^^^°^ °^^^^ S^"^^^ P-^^^^ f-nk^-
cenie , the beft myrh, and other pretious drugs ; and fugar of a quali-
ty mfenor to that of India. The Arabs alfo re-exportedf or fold ?o fo-
reign traders, the goods they imported from the Eaft. amonR which
were fome aromatics fuperior in quality to any produced i^ their o^
country : and they took in exchange fome European goods one arHd^

for India.; but they were chiefly paid in money. Thus. participS
largely m the mcreafed commerce of Egypt, and having the hS!!'
a brifk conftant. and well-conduded. aS'trade gre^y in^he fc^
they abounded m riches and plenty of all things.^ [Straio, Lijei]
Phny fays [L. vi .-. 28] that they took no goods in exchaige and fhat
hey fold their plunder (for fome of the nations comprehended unSer
the extenfive name of Arabia acquired goods by piracy and r«bhprv^
to the Romans and P^rthians for moioey only, whereb7a ere.t n.rf^^f
the calh of both, empires refted with them. ^Itralmoft nfelfs^to o^^
hi^^hi ''z^^' conjmercial nations of Arabia were not the pe petrat^^^^
buttheviaims. of the depredations committed by the ro3 S '
[See Straio L. xvi, p. 1097. j ^ '"vmg ^raos.

tJhZ.^JrTV''^'^ ^""P"'""^ cinnamon; marble; gems; ivory
the horns of the rhinoceros ; turtle, and turtle-lhell * ^ '

thinf tw' ?lTTf^ ""^ '^' *^°"'^ ['^' of Mauritania, furnifhed no-
puro^; M Lf !?°''"' ^^'^P' '^" ^y^^""^ ^^^'•a'^ed from the
purple lhell.fi(h, found in great abundance on the fhore of the Atlantic

.n^!.!f?"^?°"'^ u^'^"^' °^'^^ ^"™^« ^"-ade it is proper to obferve is
an exception from the general terror of the Ocean Long the Roma'ns

Jtlantk ' rf Vf.'^'^l' ^'^ ^f""'' '^'' '""« ^'^'^'^d t^o navkatTthe
Atlantic. The fir/t we know of was one which wp ^r*. »«u I ii f

the track of a Phcnician bound to the ckSsT n ^^^^^^ Swr

the fecrec, where that mine of wealth was fituated The ?hSan

material, than could be obtained in S.'Umt jSjof thTt^ade?''' "' i*"" -ul.ntict.d,

144

A. D. 14.

'Commander (whom modern writers generally fuppofe to have been of
Carthage, but who, I think, muft rather have been of Gadir, and pofte-
rior to the deftruiftion of Carthage) led his follower into deftrudion by
running his own veffel upr- a ftioal. The ikilful Phoenician, who
knew the nature of the ground and of tlie tides, got ofF by throwing
part of his cargo overboard, and was recompenfed by the public for the
damage, which he had fo patriotically incurred. The Romans, how-
ever, ftill perfifted in their trials, and at laft P, Craffus difcovered the
place, and fliowed the way to others. IStrabo, L. Hi, p. 265.] We have
no knowlege of the time, when any of thefe voyages were made : nor is
there any particular account, I believe, of any other Roman veflels upon
the Atlantic ocean, except on the bulinefs of war, whereof we have an
inftance in the voyages of Polybius the hiftorian along the coafts of
Africa, Spain, and Gaul, till Britain became a Roman province ; though
Pliny fays in general that in his time the weftern coafts of Spain and
Gaul were navigated, but without telling by what nation, or for what
purpofe. [ffi^' not. L. ii, c. 67.]

After much inveftigation I muft acknowlege, that I can find nothing
fatisfadtory concerning the rate of the cuftonis paid at the Roman ports
upon the importation of goods in the reign of Auguftus * j nor upon
the proportion of the value of gold to filvcrf. ..' nr •I"';.'/. J;: /j.f

Notwithftanding the pompous, but fuperficial and unfounded, ac-
counts, given by fome modern writers, of a flourifhing commerce car-
ried on by the Romans, it is evident that the trade was entirely con-
duced by their fubjeds. It is not proper, fays Cicero, that the fame
people (hould be the commanders, anJ the carriers, of the world. Ac-
cordingly we find, that among the Romans the charafter of a merchant,
inftead of being efteemed honourable, as it was among the wife Phoeni-
cians, was held in contempt, and clafled in their eftimation with buf-
foons, gladiators, flavew, and ftrumpets. And certainly no profefllon,
that is difreputable, can ever be in a flourifliing or prol'perous condition.

Cicero, writing to his fon iqion the fubjed of profeflions, condemns
all retail trade as vile and fordid, which can thrive only by means of

0

• A French treatlfc on the Roman rcvrnuo,
wittcn at tilt Jcfiic of Mr. Colbert, has nothing
X<i the purpofe : ni'-thrr has Burman, in his work
D* vea(i;aiiiiu fofiu/i liemani, be«n able to afcer-
tain the ijte of tlie duty upon any particular ar-
ticles of mcrchar ll/.e. Arbiithnot (apparently
from a pafTag* of Velleius Paterculiia, but without
any chronology) rates the dutie< from a to 50 ptr
€Ciit. AnJ even Gibbon, whofc refcarchcs are
generally fo accurate, has contented himfclf with
liating them widely at from 2\ to I2f per cent.
rDeflinf tif iht Raman impire, V. \, p. »6l.3 The
duty taken by the Romans at their port of Leuki
koHii' (White town) near the head of the Red fca,

was, according to thelPerlpfut of the F.rjihrtan fta,
one quarter of the cargo: but that was after the
age of Atigullnti. When Cappadocia was imde a
Koraan province, Tiberiu* reduced thciulaiHl duty,
or cxcife, levied upon all fairs, from one to one half
per cent, but it was foon raffed again to one. [Din
CaJJial, L. lix.j

t 'J'he great quantity of plundered gold brought
in by Julius Ca;far is faid to have lowered the va-
lue of it to nine timet iti weight in fdver. Sutton,
in Julio, c. 54, with yfrtulhnol't Tablet, /. 43.] But
that price wa» only temporary ; and one to ten
feems rather to have been the ufual proportioa is
this ige. Tii.

A. D. i4» i^^

much lying. Merchandize, if not carried to a great extent, is, in his
opinion, no better. But the merchant, who imporis from every quarter
great quantities of goods, and diftributes them to the pubHc without
falfehood, is not very much to be blamed: and if, after making a for-
tune, he retires from trade to the country, he may with great propriety
even be praifed •• Such were the fentiments of one of the moft en-
hghtened of the Romans upon the merit and dignity of commerce • and
no evidence of an author, writing exprefsly for the pubHc, can be com-
pared wit ii this work of Cicero, addrefled to his own fon, for a genuine
reprefentation of the low eftimation, in which trade was held by the
Romans. It may alio be obferved. that Pliny, who in his univerfal
work expatiates m the juft praifes of agriculture and gardening of me-
dicine pamtmg and ftatuary ; and alfo pays due attention to works in
gold, fiKer, brafs, jewels, wood, &c. yet has not a word upon merchan-
dize, except juft obferving, that it was invented by the Phoenicians
The proud fenators, however, with all their contempt for fair trade had
from the earheft ages of their republic made a pradice of increafin^
their wealth by a bafc and extortionate trade of ulury.

The citizens of Rome thought themfelves fuperior to all kines + -
and feveral commanders of armies and governors of provinces whofe
rank entitled them to large dividends of the plunder of the world pof-
felTed greater quantities of gold and filver, than fome fovereign princes
mSak°"'"^'" ^''^'' '"^ ^^'^ ^'^^"""^ depretiated ftate of the pretious
The Romans, glutted with the fpoils of the earth, fet no bounds to
their ex ravagance. Whatever was very expenfive became the objea of
their dclire ; and the moft enormous (or even incredible) prices were
given for thmgs of httle orno real ufe. Silk, and a fine fpedes of linen
called byffinus, fold for their weight in gold. The value of pretious,
(Ws and pearls, being merely imaginary, can be rated only by the re-
dundant wealth, or folly, of the buyer. We are told by Pliny that he

' Sordid! etiim p>it»iidi, qui mercantur » mer-

• Cdtoribus quud lUtim vcnJimt : nihil enim urofi.
•^cmnt, nifiadmodum mentiantur: nee vero quid-

• quam t{^ turpius vanitaic Mcrcatura mi.

• tern, fi upuit kI\, furdida putanda eft. Sin mag-
' na ct ciipiofa, muita uiidlque apportans, multifque

• fine vanitiite impartif na, non rjl aJmodum viluprr-
' anJa .• atque etiam, fi fatiata qiiirftu, vd contea-

• ta polius, ut faepe e» ako in portuni, ex ipfo portu

• fc 111 agros pollefljonefque contulerit, videtur jure
« optimo poCfe laiidari.' Cutro dt offit. L. i, c<.
150,151.

i.\ thii palTage there il not a word of fxporta-
tion : and uuletd it it evident, tliat the Romans
had little or no idea of any thing iu the clwraacr
of a merchani beyond that of a purveyor of fubllil-
cnee anii luxuries. But fome modtrn writen, in

order to prove the Romana to liave been a com-
nicrcial people, have elevated the afTociatioiia of
nver boatmen, and the fullers of the Roman c,
uito the charader of mercantile companies

t The noble Romans weie prohibited from ,le.
S'admx thenifelves Wy marrying into royal families: .
and tlience Cerenic.r, a Jewilh pnncefs, was oblised
to be content with the rank of concubine to the
emperor Titus ; and even Cleopatra, the lovcreiKn
quetn of the rich and populous kingdom of Ekviu.
was only the concubine of Antony. But FeUx

.^P*»

the procurator of Judaa, Samaria, and Galhlee
mentioned in the Ads of the apoftles, who had been
a Have, was of fufRcient quality to be tlie huibaud
ol three fiiccelfive queens, ISuttan in Ciwd. i. 2*1
or rather erinccfTis, one oi whom was a craud- '
daughter of the celebrated Cleopatra.

•£yd

»44

A. D, 14.

faw Lollki Paulina at a moderate entertainment (not a folemn occafion)
drefled in jewels which cofl: ^{^322,9^ 6: 13:4 of our modqrn fterling
money*. [Hiji nat. L. ix, c. 35 — ylirianilttdica, p. 525, eiL^la^card.-^
ArbuthnoVs Tahks, p. 141.] No antient author, I believe., lays any thing
of the price of diamonds at Rome; but Julius Caefar gave ;C48r437 •" 10
for a pearl, which be prefented to one of his miftreiles ; and he gave
£\S,$co for a pidlure. A ftatue of Apollo fold for above /^29,ooo. For
the kinds of filh, which happened to be in fafliion (for o;ie kind fre-
quently drove out another) they gave the moft extravagant prices ;
^'64 v\ras the price of a mullet (' mullus') ; and the muraena (fuppofed
tj be tie lamprey) was too pretious in the eftimation of fome epicures
to be fold for money. The price of fat thrufhes was about two millings
each ; and a white nightingale fold for ;C48 : 8 : 9. [See Arbutbnoi's

But, though the Romans went fo prodigioufly beyond the moderns in
extravagant expenfes, they appear to have had mu' h lefs tafte; or ra-
ther, iuftead of tafte, they had only a rage for luxuries, many of which
had nothing but their monftrous expenfe to recommend them. Indeed,
from Pliny it is evident, that, even in his time, when a fucceflion of
three or four mad emperors had given the imperial fandlion to the ex-
cefs of profufion, luxury was new, and, as we may fay, unformed, in
Rome.

While the rich Romans were giving the wealth of a province for a
fingle article of frantic luxury, bread and butcher meat appear to have
been fold as low, as their moft moderate prices have been with us in
times of peace for forty or fifty years paft : fo that the luxury of the
rich was hitherto hartiilefs to the great body of the people, at leaft
with refped to thofe efTentially-neceiTary articles of dayly confumption.
But it was very different with refped to houfe rent. The ample Ipaces
occupied by the plealure grounds, attached to the fpacious palaces of the
rich f , left very little room within the walls for houfes to accommodate
people of middling or fmall incomes. Hence they were obliged to
raife them aloft in the air to the inconvenient height of above feventy
feet :j: ; and each floor was let to a feparate family at annual rents equal
to the complete purchafe of a moderate houfe and garden in other
towns of Italy, if we may truft to the poetical and fatyrical information

• Pliny adds that hfr grandfather M. LuUius,
from whom fhe inherited her fortune, becannc fo
infamous for his extortions, that he withdrew from
the dilgrace by poifoiiing himftlf. But, in the
progrels of corruption, extortion was no longer
branded with infamy ; and even the manumitted
flaves of the emptrors amalTed fortunes of fome
niilHons of ftcrh'ng money.

f ' They nowadays complain that they have not

' fuf&cient lodging room in houfes, which occupy

• more ground than the Dictator Cincinnatus had

* in his whole eflate.' [^f^a/er. Max. L. iv, c. 4.]

X Augultus made a law that houfes flioulu not
exceed feventy feet in height. But the law was
eluded, or overlooked, as appears by its being re-
peated by fucceeding emperors. [See Lib/iut dl
magniluJine Rom. £. iii, ;. 4.]

ormatxon

A.rD;i4.

general view of the trade of the rttCl . T' ^ connedted .vith tlte
nn.fl again regret the total lofLT^S 1 "t n^^'''" ''"'^ °'''"^«''" "'^
antient mercantile communities whirh nUV ^ monuments of all the

.ion .„„ ,,e „..„■„, „,„„. o^S;?oa t:r,„r;ctf™z„'t- r

Ion's name, called taM^ accliT.lZ r "?'•' '"'^^ ^'^^ ^^'-^h per-
/«; from the ^^r^./^wtat leaft ^cf f^'"'^ "''^^ ""^^ P^ft^^ T^?./.-
of debit and credit, which it wasTncurnbTnT' '''' "^'"'""^ tranfadions
ant to ftate f.irly and pundually fot'tT^T/^ "Ppght account-
not juftly due, fo waS it villa no. so o^t ent. ' 'Y^^''^^ ^^^^' ^''^
others.' It was alfo a fufpicio LZft "r ""? ""^'^ ^'^'^ °^"^"g ^«
owed to lie in the ^w^y?,,/^Upold bevo^^^^ '''^ ''"^''^ ^^''''^ ^^-

(book containing, as I (hink. the vtious W f^P"' '™"- ^^^ ^<"^^'V
with their proper names or ti les was c^ref. n °' 'T"" C^'^^ounts)
iy written; and every tranfaSlsH^""^'"?'''"'''' ''^"^ ^^^"'"''^te-
It for perpetual prefer^^.tion. rirmi/hT be f " , ''^ ^°^ P^"^^) ^'^
ofdifpute; and it was adm tted Vs eSn,- P''^^""^'i"P«» ^'^cafions

•icnce m the courts *. ^ ^'"-^ ^^^'^•^' not admitted as evi-

UuiW . I M parvi tempoiis Mic.iH.r;nm • ill, ^J
feaa- ItiM.i^ , I f • • • "rdiiiein con-

fi tandem an.pUu, trienn.u. .ft ? ^^n^S

Vol. I.

' P^-"'i digefta ImCan , on fv "''''"' " ""
' tabulas conficJs ' f, V,TL ^'."""' q-'omodo

I. 2 5 T Ti 4' , ; l^'"ronis Oral. i. -,

which hfiui Z TZImT' '^ ^"'■•'■""^' *■"■•

'^'l-irr/ari,, ,

146

A. D. 14.

From

fe defciiptions we may almofl prefuine to fay, that the Ad-
ver/aria were what the Romans had in place of our Waste-book, or
Blotter, a., fome call ic. But they were far inferior to it in accuracy
and authenticity ; and they differed very materially from it in not be-
ing thought worthy of prefervation. — They feem to have had nothing
equivalent to our Journal, which is only a different modification of the
Wafte-book, and is even omitted by lome book-keepers. — The Code.<'
iiccepti et expenfi anfwers to our Lepger, and the tabula, with their two
pages or columns * to the particular accounts.

I believe, there is nothing extant, which can inform us, whether they
raifed accounts for the fevcral articles of merchandize in their books,
or whether each tranladion was entered in two accounts ; or, in other
words, whether they underftood any thing of double entry.

As book-keeping is an art fo effentially necellary to commerce, and
fo fimple in its principles, it cannot be fuppofcd, that the Phoenicians,
or indeed any/iation carrying on trade, and underftanding arithmetic,
could be deditute of it. With the Phoenician colonies it may have
fpread into Rhodes, Crete, Thebes 1 i Greece, and other places, -.■/here
they were mixed with the Greeks : and from the Greeks, it is moft pro-
bable, that the Romans received "t along with the other branches of
their know lege.

20 — Soon after the death of Auguftus Strabo finished his great and
valuable geographical work ; wherein he lays down the globofity, and

*iJvcrfaria ; ' non lip.bcre fc hoc nomen in codice
accept! et expiiifi rtlaturr confitctur ( ftd in ^d-
* verfariis patcre contendit.' — The learned fr.
Motman, in his Commentary on tliis oration, has
never once conceived an idea of any refcmbUnct to
the modern books of accounts.

Aldus OcUius [L. xiv, c. a] gives an account of
a caufc tried before himfelf for money faid to be
owinjf, bnt ' ncque tabiiHs nequc tttlihus j' and
he alio notices the want of the chirograph or hand
writing and figning of the tabuU. This feems to
lead to an imjuiiy, whether the debtor figned the
account in the creditur's books ; or whether the
tabuU in this cafe may mean a bond : fur the po-
verty of the Latin language, whcrti.; many very
diftcrent meanings are expicffed by the one word
tabula, leaves us in obfcurity.

• We might alinoll tike it for granted from the
reafon of the thing, that every tubula ot account
had two pajes, or rather ciilumni ; for the books
of the ancients were not like ours, which are bound
tiigether by the inner (ides of the leaves, but were
long rolls containing divifioni called /iJf/Wir, which
we call columns. But we have apparently the au-
thority tf I'lii-y, [Z,. ii, c. 7] who fays allegorically
of Fortune, ' Huic omnia cxfenfa, huic omnia_/>-
' lur.tur aaepia ; et in tola nitione mortaliura fola
/ iitramjuf fii^imim facit.* I nuill thefefur pre

fume to differ from the learned Scaliger, who, hav-
ing occafion incidentally to touch upon adverfaria,
&c. fuppofes th» account of what is given or paid
-away to have been on the face of the paper, and
that of what is : -ceived, on the back of it ; which
would be a very awkward and inconvenient ar-
i.ingement. [^Saili^er in Guitiinilinum, Opufc. p.

48-J

In thefe t.vo notes I have given the quotations

thus at large contrary to my ufual cuftoni, in or-
der to fa e tr>nble to the reader, and becaufe they
an: partis ular'y uft-fnl in illullrating a very curious

fioint of coinnwrcial antiquity : and they are ic-
efted, as moll to the purpofe, from a large col-
ledion of palliges of Ciccre and other authors.
To do jufticc ■ ' he fnbjcA, an ample differtation,
or rather a w..ole v ^Uin ., ought to be devoted to
it. And fuel' a work, entitled, Livre ile compie i!t
f 'lice a /./ miviere ifllalie en doinaine $t finance ordi-

miirc cuntenc'nt ce en quoi s'exerce le Iret-illujlre el

Uese- ellcnt prince et feigneur Maurice prince
d'Orange, Ufc. par .-imon levin, Leyden, 1602, fo-
lio, is quoted ay Mr. Anderfon [T. i, /. 409] as
being in his own pofTeflJon. I have never been able
to obtain a light of this fyftem of princely book-
keeping, though I have applied at every place,
where there fcemed tg be any probability of find
ing it.

A. D. 20.

'47

'inum, Opufc. />.

the centripetal force or gravitation, of the earth, as fundamental princi-
ples of geography ; and he gives rules for conftruding globes which
he fays ought not to be lefs than ten feet in diameter, and alfo for mans'
But he has injudiciouHy neglcded the great and important improvement
of fixmg the pofitions ot places by their latitude and longitude which
was mtroduccd by Hipparchus. Strabo traveled over moll of the
countries between Armenia in the eaft and Ktrmia in the weft and
from the fliore of the Euxine lea (near which at Amafia he was born)
as fiir fouth as the borders of Ethiopia. In defcribing the couutriei
which he had feen, he is generally very accurate ; but in thofe beyond
his own kriowlege he is frequently very erroneous. And it mull be
acknowleged. that he is too conceited of his own opinions ; whence he
IS betrayed into frequent and even indecent abufe of fome authors who
appear to have been at lead not inferior to himlclf in accuracy of in-
formation particularly Herodotus, Pytheas. iMegafthenes, and Eratof-
henes ; wherein he has been implicitly followed by many, who lived
in later ages, when the veracity of thofe great men, and the errors of
Srabo, have been demonftrated by experimental philofophy and nevr
dilbovenes. But, letting afide thefe de/edls, his woi-k. upin the wlX
as It IS one of the oldeft. is alfo in many relpeds the beft, general fvf-'
tern of ancient geography, which has come down to our timfs * and I
thS work! '^' ""'"^ '""^ ^'"^' obligations to it in the courfe of

30— There were bankers or exchangers in Judsea, who made a trade
of receiyng money m depofit, and paying intireft fW it. iMatbnv c
^r^lLm "^ ""' difcovered any inftance of fuch a profeflion in S'ece
or Rome, vvhere the borrowers upon intereft were apparently only thofe
who wanted money for their own occafions. The Roman nur^muhrU
feem to have been only exchangers of one fpecies of money forTo he

fci^'r^^V''^} ^"^^^^geof the exirtenceof the iflandof Tanrobane
(Seylan or Cey on) was conveyed to Europe by the writings of ' Ondi
cntus, one of the commanders of Alexander's fleet ; and hi! account of
ns magnitude was not near fo much exaggerated as chofe of bc3 n5
writers who even made it a feparate world. It was known hlfnr.lh^
t;me, that ivory tunle-ftiell, aild other meichandT4,Ze can ed from
It to the ports of India ; that the navigators of thoVe bas 4n tured ^
go out of hght of land, and, like the northern Europeans n the 4idde
ages, uled birds to point out the land they wanted ?o go to wherebt
they mfome mealure made up for the 'want of a compafs'; Tnd tha^

V.ll\' "'".'" °^ ^i"**"*'. Meg««'""«. Eratofthcnr,, an.I many oth
known to us by q,u uuons Iron, them prcfcr>cd by tJt.Jbo, P%?a;>d

ler antfcnt geograplifn, arc only
lomt otlier writers,

T2

u

148

A. D. 41.

their vefltls were alike at both ends, and could change their courfc
Avithout going about, being probably the fame which are now called
proas. [Strabo, L. ii,/». 124 ; L. xv,/. 1012.— Ptin. L.vi, c. 22.] But
in the reign of the emperor Claudius the Europeans, by means of ..n
accident, acquired fome further knowlege of that celebrated iflaud *
A veffel belonging to Plocamus, the Roman farmer of the cuftoms in the
Red fea, bemg blown off the coafl of Arabia by ftrong north-eaft winds,
(• aquilonibus :' quere, if not rather north-weft ?) and being driven by
them in the Ocean for fifteen days, was carried beyond Carmania, and
arrived at the poi t of Hippuros in Taprobane f . The king of that part
ot the ifland entertained the officer hofpitably during fix months, (be^
ing probably the time neceflary to wait for the commencement of the
monfoon proper for his return) and being informed of the greatnefs
and power of the Roman emperor, he fent ambafladors to him. As it
cannot be fuppofed, that the cuftom-tarmer's feamen were capable of
finding their way back to the Red fea through the Ocean, we muft be-
lieve, tliat the ambafladors failed, either in a veflel belonging to their
own country, or in a foreign trading veirel, which would moft Ukely be
an Arabian one %. They informed the emperor, that their country con-

* Diodoius Siciilus, who wrote in the reign of
Augullui, relates a ihaiigc rtory [Z. ii, § 55-60]
of one lanibuliis being tnrned adrift in a boat, with
only one companion, by the people of Ethiopia,
with orders, Jicbited by an oiacle, to (leer dut
fo'.ith, an-.! of his arrival in four months at a large
illand, not named by him, but fuppofed by moll
inodc.n writers to be Tapiobanc, though Mada-
gafcar anfwers. better to the courfe (leered. He
wrote an account of bis voyages and difcoveries,
tontalning foine probabilitien mixed with many
falfeboods. It appears from StialM), [Z. xv, p,
IC12] ttiat this pretended difcovercr, or romancer,
was unknown tO; or difrcgardcd by, him.

t To teach the fonth part of Ceylin in fifteen
days the vcflil mull liave drifted about 140 geo-
graphical miles every day, even if (he kept in a
tlraight courfe for it, which, after making every
allowance for the flrong current generally nimiing
to the eallwaul in that fea, i;> a very grcai. drift.
Vet fomc people endeavour to perl'uade us that
Taprobane was not Ceylon, but Sumatra, which
is about 700 miles farther. If the wind which
blew bet oif was really norlh-ead, or noitli-north-
cad, [iii/uiia I but it is impofllbic to adjull the
tifthv, or er^hl, winds of the anticntt, concerning
the direction of uhici. they do not agree among
themlclves, to the modern points of the compafs)
(lie cjuld never have got near the coall of Carma-
.lia, and mtitl have "lade good a courfe within
eight points of the «ind, allowing it to be north-
north-eall, which is fully as much an moll modern
TcfTtb can do in a hard gale of wind. It mijfht

therefor be fuppofed, that (lie would rather have
gone to Madagalear, or foitie of the other idandu
on the eaft fide of Africa. But the name of Ta-
probanc, unquellionably proved by the Periplus of
the Erythr.ean fea and Cofmas Indivoplculles, and
alfo by its pofition ..ear the fouth part of India, to
be the fame with the modern Ceylon, will by no
means admit of fuch a fuppofition j and. we mud
fuppofc, that Pliny, in the ambiguity of the Latin
names of the winds, has applied aquilo to any of
the northerly winds.

X The ambalTadots are faid to have dcfcribed
the religious woilhip of their country as refembllng
that of the Arabs, while their king wor(hipped
Baclius the Greek god of wine, not one drop of
which was produced in his dominions. If the in-
formation coidd bedepended upon, it would infer
a very ftrong cuniiection indeed between Arabia
and Tapioban^, and alfo prefent a very curious
coincidence in the anlient and modern hiftory of
relijrion in Ceylon, the piefent principal king of
the illand being of the Hindu leligion, while tint
bulk of his fubjerts are wor(hippers of Uoodh, as
we learn from Captain Mackenzie's yfntiquuiu of
Ctyloii in the fixth volume of the /ffwtic rejhirchei.
Bu: the relation of fuch abflrufe matters, received
through the medium of feveral interpreters fcarcely
knowing each-other's languages and the reports of
others after the firll hearers, has very probably been
mifreprcfentcd to Pliny ; and therefor no r.ltimate
of the Arabi.in commercial intercourfe with Ta-
probane can fafcly be founded upon it.

A. D. 42.

149

tiZf^^l ^''''f''"^ *°'^'' .'' ''"•'y ^P"'^'^'^' ^""^ abounded with Pold

own knowlege, appear not to have known any th 1 e of inL , '

42— We are not informed, that the embafly from Tmrnhnr..-.

ficer with tlic ambaffiidors of Tanrobane™ Th, XftT^ of Plocamus's of-

er who availed l,™re,fof thepJl^Xa -reglari"; of rh?^^

Ind,a„ ocean, was Hippalu, ; 'Lnd he was^hereL, accord,„t to tt

ftl,e people now called hy us the Cl.mele. 15ut
1 Imy fays, that thefc Sees were i„ fijjht of the
-ountry, from «l„cl, the ambaifadorB came, and he
uppears even to ".fer that they were divided from
It onlyl.va r.ver. Moreover they arc defcribed
as men of lar^re ftature, with red.li/h hair and blue
eyes and fpeaknig a lanKuage unmtelligible to the
people of H.ppuros. Thefe characleriilics anfwer
. a hcythran or Gotlnc people. q„ere, if a co-
. ny of the Scytlnans, who ccenp.Vd the bank, of
the Indus, hav^e n.ade a feltlement on the idand.
aud.f ,twns from them that it ha, received the
name of beren-dib, the lad part of which differt
nothn,,- from ./,„. the ufual ten.inatio of t h^
names of .(land. ,n that part of ,h. Indian ocean!
I wa. alfo called Selan-div, which, when divelled

wtcauT'" rr"' '%""^ "'";^'-''" "■■'■"<•. by which
we call It.— Lhma, fo (ar from being vilible in
teylon, as the country „f ,he Seres was. i l"
coa, n,g nuv,gat.<.n at kail f.ve thoufand mil , fron^
't; I." llm ,t ,s ratljer i.nprobable, that there wa
.ny ,„ ercourfe at all between them in tl.ofe d^Ts
b«me IcMrned men. however, on <he ftrenrrth of
th., pannge of Pliny, ,„<] ,n,„>cr i." he .;th

chapte of the fame book, have perfuaded thcra-
fel es, that they have found the fame caution, or
jealous pohcy among them, which regulates the
condua of their fnppofed defcendentf, theCw!
> efe ,n the.r mtercourfe with the Europeans But
the .Seres of the . yth chapter are evidf, tlya c!n
r ? P^P'' '/hough pfiny himfelf feems'in fom.
efptds to confound them with the Seres men-
tioned in the defcription of Taprobane

t Qi'e'c', if the cinnamon has been imported in-
to and natumh^ed in Ceylon, as clovcsCere 7a

Linlchoten [AWyr,, p. ,,2] „„„„ f .

o tha. of Ley on, winch, he fay,, i, thrice the

V hie of any other. Since his time the Dutch a e

ad to have extirpated the bell cinnamon in all

tso India fnbjert ,0 their powrr, except Ce '

o , that they migh, there enjoy a monopoly of t.

"ver^wtr'^ "'^"S'^" ■■'"' 8-"--'"na';on
■■ever grew m any other part of the world than

Ceylon. >Seo /W/"/ fmir^'y,
fie AnnuaJ rigijhr f„r 1 791,1.

'C:y

,.'.:.

the jIJ,,

I

1

n^':

'5°

A. D. 42.

ufual pradlce of the Greeks, called the difcoverer of it *. This judici-
ous navigator, having a good idea (and perhaps a rude kind of chart) of
the form of the coafl, and fituation of the ports, inftead of going up the
fouth fide of the entry of the Perfian gulf till he could fee the oppofite
fliore, then going down it, and coafting along Carmania and Gadrofia,
and every bay and creek of the coaft, as all his predeceflbrs had done,
obferved the proper fcafon of the monfoon, launched out at once in the
Ckrean, and committing his veflel to the furc and regular impulfe of the
fouth-wefl; wind (Libonotus) fleered as ftraight a courfe as he could for
his port. And in commemoration of this grand improvement, which
forms a new and very important tcra in the hiftory of the commercial
intercourfe between India and Europe, the Greeks imn-ortalized the
name of Hippalus by conferring it upon the fouth-weft monfoon, which
he firfl taught them to avail themfclves of in their voyages to India f .
[Peripltis Maris Erytbrcei. — Plin. L. vi, c. 33.]

Previous to the new fyftem of navigation introduced by Hippalus,
the traders from Egypt coafted in fmall veflels to the mouth of the Ind-
us, and alfo to Barygaza, Mufiris, and Barake, feemingly in about 12
degrees north latitude J, the trade of all which will be afterwards given
more at large. {Feriplus Maris Erythrtd.^

Hitherto the corn fliips from Alexandria and elfewhere appear to
have difcharged their cargoes at Puteoli, a port about feventy-five miles
from Rome, which being found very inconvenient, the emperor Clau-
dius, in purfuance of a plan projeded by Julius Ctefar, made an artifi-
cial harbour in the mouth of the Tiber at Oftia, by digging a fpacious
bafin in the main land, which was defended by a pier on each fide, and

* I liavc .ill along prefumcd, tliat tlie moufooiw
u tie known, and applltJ to tlie piirpofes of navi-
gullon, by the Otitntal nations, and tfpccially by
tlic Arabs. As wc kiicA-, iliat llicy wtrc navigat-
'>rs in tl.c eaiiitft ages, and wc are furc tbty muft
have obfcrvej tlie pLrlodical regularity and lltady
continuation of thole winds, we may be tqually
fure, thai tlicy were not fo mad as to attempt fail-
ing in oppofiiion to them, or to negl-d the obu-
oiis advantatje of failing before thtm, and that they
»>ade thiit voyages accoidingly.

•t- I'nfortuaattly the dale of Hippalus's firll
voyage to India by the monfocMis cainiot be afcer-
taincd with the precifion due lo its importance. U
tt is certainly not fo early as Stiabo's vifit lo Egypt
;ibout 28 years before Chrift : and, as it was iT.-
iaiuwn to that author, it v»as apparently not bt-
' >rc he finiflicd his great woik, which was about
ihe 20th y.ar of the Chrillian atra. Thny [Z. vi,
.-. Z3] mentions the courfe for Patala by the wind
Hippalus, and a nearer and fafer courfe lleered in
.,'., <7yi- ivhiJi folL'U'cd (' ficuta xlas') which was
iv^ kilcd, and :f.:iwai\U Hill fiioitcr rcutcs were

found. This fen'es of improvements infers a conP-
der.ible length of time between the firll ul'e of the
wind Hippalus and tlie compofition of Pliny's
work, which he fniill.td in the yi-ar 77. Thuefor,
in order to allow for all thole improvements as
nuich time as poifiblc, confillent with the prefump.
tion that the ufe of the monfoont in navigation
was unknown to the Egyptian Clrecks till ilie ar-
rival of the TaprobaMiaii ambafladors, we mult be-
lieve that they arrived in the very beginning of the
reign of Claudius, which commenced in January
41, the cuUom-farmer's veliel having diiftcd to
Tapiobaiit^ in that of his prtdeced'or, and that fh-?
fnil oceanic voyage of Hippalus took place wi^ '
the return ot the proper monfoon in the year 42.
+ Pliny makes Patala at the mouth of the In-
dus the fatthell txltht of their voyagei for ;■ con-
fiderable time afto iluy began to fail with the
wind Hippalus Hut Pliny's information vaa ex-
ceedingly dcfv^tive in Oriental allaiis, a-, i ; c al-
ready had occafion to obferve, and is ■ ,;i ^ wliea
fct a^aiiill the Peiiplus of the Etythrwan ka.

A. D. 43. ^^ ,

a mole or little ifland before it, on which was ereded a lieht houfe in
imitation of the Pharos at Alexandria. ^ "^

The importation ofcorn being the branch of trade, which engaged
the moft general attention among the Romans, Claudius, during a time
pffcarcity, did every thing m his power to perfuade the merchants^o
import It even in the winter, when it was cuftomary to lay up the fhios
He took upon himfelf all loffes and accidents which might arfe from thr

43— The tranquillity of the Britons, and their friendly intercourfe
with the Romans and their Gallic fubjeds. were low imlmipted
C audius the Roman emperor, on pretenci of reinftating a BrSTeful
gee prmce called Bene, lent an army into our iflai d ; and Phutiu the
Roman commander, having conquered fome of tlie lluth pa t of he
country fent notice of it to the emperor, that he might by hfsp fence
aflhrne the honour of the Conqueft. In the mean time he nlftlS 1 •
my on the fouth bank of the Thames in a" atbn" Zl'h G^atf J«

jlu'r'""Tu ^V^^^ ^"PP°^"^ '^ ^^^^ ^^^^ near the HoHe- W a
Lambeth ; and he thinks, that thence the great and flou iSng dtv of
London had its commencement f. The Roman armj^N^th fhe ^m-

It wa8 an improvement upon the premium of
two nummi (almoft four pence fterliW) upon the
n-odiiis (about a peck) of corn, allovved to the
«in-.hants by Tiberm,. ITaci/i Anuala, L. ii,
f-Hy-.J And this feems the only foundation for an
aflertiun. tliat Claudius was the iuventOi- of infur-
»nce upon (hips.

N. B. Thcfc regulations did not -Le place
t.ll the year 5 , . l!„t I have introduced them here
as fnmewhat connefted witi, the prr.eding para-
Rraph, and to avoid breaking the conneSiin of
iJritim affairs mi the fubfajuent years,

f The arguments of Gale, .Salmon, and fome
others, fur London being originally on the fouth
fideot the river, are ,) Tlic Roman road from
\eruamis faid by Ralph Higdoi, iPolychranuon,
p. up.fd. G„l.q to h .vc pafTed ,0 tlie v/eftward of
he pident city, and to have crofTcd the river .u
he Horfe-ferry near Lambeth, where th.re are
lome remam, of Roman « .rks , and another road,
of winch Oxford tlreet and Old (beet are p.,rf-
retcli.d from eall to wdl, alfo quite away f, ,
Uie mef.nt city, into which it was afi.r-.vard'
-2) 1 tolemv long after .',is ti,,:- ,,„litively p, oes
London in the provmceof Kent, which he e.uv-.ls
.art her we I than its modern limits. The people
ot J\eiit, iHing comi,araiively an eiiHrhrened - - ■
-nmuercnd nation, eiUblilhed nn emporium a- cl,c
.xtem.ty of their coi, .try in oider to enjoy the
|;..de o the ..dand tribe, by the navf,ati.A:^ S
- Kimct. When both fides of the rirer fell under

the Roman dominion, an appendage of the town
wa. built on the north bank of the rive , which br
Its more healthy and pleafant fituatfon aitrafted the
Roman magiftrates merchaiits.and principal people,
and m proccfs oc time eclipfed the original town.
Now, Ptolemy, who .iccufes Marinus of Tyre of
placing London enoneoufly, mult iiave furely beer
very careful r. to fall into an error himfelf.—
3) 1 he monk of Ravenna, who lived fevcral cen-
fines after Ptolemy, has Londini along with fome
ph.-. on the fouth fide nf the Thames j and he
af erwi;rd3 has Londmium Augufta along with
others on the north fide of that river: and as it
It n-t to be fuppofc d, that he mentions the fame

on '.', V'r'i' 'YT '• ""^ ^'"^^ •"="" '•'«" a i^^-'do"
on oarli (ide of the river.

To thef. it may be anfwered,-, ) There Is rea-
fo . beheve that the Roman road, which is faid
to have cioHcd the river at the Horfe-ferry. is ima-
gn, J ,bc works, which are adc' ,fd to fuppott
.!»••. oiifufea account of Higde.,, being n„t Ro-
an, nor even anlient, but raifed by the parliament
^1 the year 1643. And it i, a. probable that
^.tane (Ireet (or Stone ItreetJ in Southwark i. the
road connc,?^,.d with the Roman (Vriy. fSee
M'^f>nd',lhJlor:,ofL.udon,fi,. ,0. rrO-Alt
'■•"Itb.Memcmbered, that, wfien the country was
in a It.itf .,( nature, the low grounds on the bank.
ft the Ihames were ovcidowe.! evciy tide to a
?;reat extent j and indeed it is doubtful, if there
if-u sny pau of its banks oj'j.ofitc to the moderu

Londo«

152

A. D. 52.

peror at their head, croflcd the Thames, and took the city of Camulo-
dunum. And Claudius, having reinftated Plautius in the iupreme
command, after a ftay of fixteen days in Britain, returned to Rome.

52— The noble Britifli prince Caradacus,Caradauc, or Cearatic *, af-
ter a gallant oppofition during nine years, which rendered his name
famous throughout the Roman empire, at iaft funk under the fuperior
difcipline of the invaders, and the treachery of his ftepmother, the
queen of the Brigantes, and was carried prilbner to Rome.

Camulodunum (Colcheftcr), apparently the principal city at this time
in Britain, was made a Roman colony ; as appears by a coin of Clau-
dius, dated in the twelfth year of his reign : and Verulam fnear St.^ Al-
bans) was made a municipium f . It is highly probable that the Ro-
mans alfo began to inhabit London about this time.

54—' Wherever the Roman conquers, he inhabits.' [Seneca Confol. ad
Helviain, c. 6.] The fecurity of the government and the intereft of indi-
viduals co-operated in feizing on the llrongeft, or the moft fertile, fitua-
tions for the eftabliflrment of colonies to be occupied by Romans or
their conciliated fubjeds, who, in the capacities of foldiers, farmers, and
traders, reaped the greateft advantages, which could be derived from
the property of the foil in the conquered territories, while the original
proprietors were compelled to cultivate their own lands for the cihoIu-
ment of their new lords. As foon as the colonifts were eftablithed in
their new fettlements, they immediately introduced a new fyftem of
agriculture, building, and other arts and ^nanufadures j one in fiance of
which is, that we find cherries were cultivated in this country in eleven
years after their firft landing in it : \Plln. Hijl not. L. xv, c. 25] and
Kent, which being their firft conquefl:, was probably firft planted with
cherry-trees, retains a charader for that fruit to this day %.

London or Wcnniinftcr fit for the liabkation of
iiiaii. The furfacc of the ground, even on t!ie
north fide of the rivtr, was then about twenty feet
lower, than it is now, as appears by Roman llrcetj
and buildings having been difeovercd at that depth.
The argument lor Ptolemy's aceuracy from his
cenfure of Marinus is of no weight ; for we have
often feen tiiofe, who are the (liaipell in repre-
hending others, the rcadiell to fall into miilakes

3) The monk of Ravenna, who has been moft. un-
defcrvedly honoured with the appellation (;f the
%tn^niphir of Ravenna, is fo irregirlat and eriuneous,
that it is really a fhame to ijuute him. Hi» uii-
eonneiied catalogue of blujidered names, if it can
prove any thing, proves too much j for he has
three, if not four, names, which may all be taken
tor London, s'm. Londinis, Londini, Londiiiiuni
Augufta, and Lngundino.

.Some antiijuaties think they have found London
before the reign of Claudius m the infcriptions ou
fome Dritidi co-. and, what is wonderful indeed,
on a Roman- ii.ian one. The fitll notion ij

founded on the word novane or novanit; but
llie connection between it and London can only he
fuggeiked by Geffrey's vile fable of \\\h Troy-
novaatuni or New Troy. The Grecian coin
has not the Ihadow of a connection with Britiih
alfairs.

• The name of Cearatic (pronounced Keiia-
t'.c) appears on a Britilli coin, probably of thi»
prince.

t A brief tipianation of the naturcof colonies,
municipia, am u.iier Roman dillinilions of towns,
will be given along with an lu-count of Roman
Britain in its moll Uourifhing ftate about the year
170.

X Many other fruits, trees, &c. were introduced
by the Roman lettlers, feveial fpecics of which aie
pointed out by Mr. Whitaker, their Roniun-likc
names being hit> chief guide ; in which kind of
proof, though often very fallacious, I beheve,
he is gcncruUy right. SJivjl. of Maiulxjlei; {>.

A. D, 6i.

'53

Tntr* V\'Wr^ ?"° ^^^^^^ ^^^fi^^ undoubced mention of
LoNDOM, which had for fome time been a Roman fettlement. It wTs a
this time very much celebrated as the refidence of a great number of
fuch dea4ers, as the Romans called merchants ; and it containS grea
fnon °^PT^'°"^- We cannot doubt that the fagacity of the Roman
foon marked us convenient fituation for water carria<xe and eftabHflir"H
a military magazine of provifions and ftores in it. facims the autW
who firft mentions this city, adds, that it was not diftinguiH ed bv the
Sr^e'duptnlV^ ^^"^^" ^^°"°"^' -^''^' however. faSwVrd:

Londmiiim perrexit, cognomento qtildcm
'•olonis non xnfigne, fed copia negotiatorum ct
commeatuutn mnxime ctlcbrc.' [Taciii Annal.
L. xtv, e. 33.] Thefe few plain words have been
van„(hed over w,d, falfe gloffe., in order to make
^ great and magnificent city of London at tlie very
commencement of it3 hiftory. [See in particular
aurton s Comment, on Anlonine, p. icaA B^t
London, like mod communities or individuals, who
one their dignity to intn'nfic merit, has the real
honour to be indebted to no fplendid origin or ad-
ventitious helps, (except being the feat of govern-
ment) but lias nfen to the firft rank amSng the
commercial cities of the world, by the advantage
ot Its fituation, and the indefatigable iudullry and
'^°»T^''"* Ipiri't of Its inhabitants.

Much ft^dy has been employed In tracing the
ongni of the name of London. Though this is
"ot a work proper for the difcuffion of etymoloiri-
cal or antiquarian fubjcas, and thou;rh I am fuTiv
aware, that etymology is a fource of information fo
fallacious, that thofc, who are bell qualified to
judge of It, will place the fmalleft dependence upon
It ; yet, as fuch a citv defcrves the moll careful re-
iearch mto its antiquity, and as I think, tluu fome
degree of light upon the origin of London i„ay be
llruck out of what feem, to me to be the genuine
name of ,t I beg leave for this once to fubmit to
the reader fome etymological obfervations.

1 he name, being evidently not Roman, affords
a prelumpt.on, that, before the Romans took pof.
Wfionofthis fpot, there exiftcd upon it a town,
village, or colleaion of houfes, known to the inha-
bitants and neighbouring people by a name, which
the Komans, adapting it to thegeniiisof their own
language, have called Lonrlmwm, and LunJonium,
or Lund:nwm. It was in the country of the Delsric
Bruons, and moil probably firft built by thim
on an elevated fpot, which on account of it's being
aimolt fniTouniicd every tide by the river, (not
then, as now, confined by artificial banks and the
.-.evatmn of the foil had been neglected by them

ountry. [' Agro. cohere cocperunt.' Caru B,U.
(■rail. £. V c. 12.] The Belgic Britons were a
olony of the Belgic Gauls, who were « mixed race
VOL. I.

of Germans and Gauls, the grcateft number of

them, ht,weyer, being of Gcrm.in defci-nt : tonfe-

quenrly n, their language tlu- German was prcdo-

mniant. [< Reperiebat, p/er,.fque Belga, effe ortos

ab Oermanis, Rhenumquc antiquitus tranfdnaos.

propter loci fertilitatem ibi confediflV ; Gallo'buc

qui ea loca ;ncolerent, expuliffe.' That is to fay.'

they expelled thofe Gauls, who would not be fub-

moft?.!''"/ '"Z''^^'' ^^^'•^/j'P^ll^d.then not the

moft (/>lerof<,uc)hnt the wboU of the Inhabitant,

ot that part of the country muft thenceforth have

bc.n Germans. Cce,. B,ii. Gall. L. il, c. 4.] Ca:-

U\^ \ "«'•'" '^ '"^"^ "^ ''" Belgic Britons
('.7.°"'y,?'i"°'» known to him) svere built in the
midtt of thick woods, and fortified with rampart,
and ditches. [' Oppldum autem BritannI vocant,

runt. Bell.Gali.L.y,c. 21.] The ground,
where St Paul's church ftands, (even now l.igher
than moft of the adjacent grounds, though ?hey
have ac(juired In fome place, about twenty feet of
adventitious height) was probably called Lund, or

ll n 'r 't "'" ^"'•'"'"S '■'» "latlve trees, when
the relt of the country was tolerably well cleared,
buch an elevated fpot would be preferred to the
adjacent marfliy or filmy grounds for the fituation
ot a new village or town, which would naturally
get the name of LuMyn or Lund^un, the hill,
or fortified hill, of the wood, or Lund-lun, the In-
clofure, or town of the wood, as the names of new
toundations muft undoubtedly be in the language
of the predominant people, and their languagfmaft
have continued for fome time dlftind from that of
the aboriginal Britons. See the Diaionarles of the
Icelandic. Saxon, German, and Dutch, languages,
which are al! kindred branches of the Li^\

-jai..oftheweifl.ia;;^-'v;;;er;^.:rrm:K

take not, much of the Beigic is preferved.

• ,-» J u" '"PP"'"""'. or hypothcfis, it will be ob-

But the obiedion w.U not be made bv any, who

venaTV R^""" ""'' °''^ Englllh authois, or

even all the Roman writers who have mentioned

the place .-and fome of thefe I (hall lay before the

reader for his fatisfaaion.

Tacltu., the father of the hiftory of London,

u

»54

A. D. 6i.

i|

Eftabliflmients founded in rapine and injuftice muft be in conftan
dread from the revenge of the opprefled. During the reign of Nero
the infoknce of the foldiery, and the extortions of the procurator and
his fubordinate tax-gatherers, were carried to a pitch beyond all pofli-
bility of endurance. Prafutag, king of the Iceni, an opulent prince,
endeavoured to purchafe the forbearance and protedlion of the Roman
governme-ir, with the fafe pofleflion of a moderate fortune, for his two
daughters, by the facrifice of one half of his kingdom and property,
which he left by his will to the emperor. But he had not read the hif-
tory of Egypt or Afia, to know what kind of guardians the Romans
were to princes in their minority. Immediately after his death, inftead
of the protedion his family hoped for, his kingdom, and even his houfc,
were feized upon, his relations were treated like flaves, the virgin prin-
cefles were made the vidims of brutal lull, and Boadicia, the queen,
was ignominiouHy fcourgcd like the vileft criminal. Such atrocities
excited the warmeft refentment in a people not inured to flavery : the
Britifli fpirit was roufed : and a great army was foon in the field under
the command of the injured queen, who, taking advantage of the ab-
fence of the Roman governor in the weft, immediately burr;t Camulo-
dunum and Verularn, and facrificed to her revenge every Roman in
them, and all thofe who had not abandoned London. She alfo engag-
ed, and cut to pieces the moft of, the ninth legion ; a legion deftined to
fuffer by BritiQi valour in both ends of the ifland. But at laft the fpirit
of this noble heroine, and the undifciplined valour of her army, were
found unable to contend with two other Roman legions under the com-
mand of the experienced Paulinus. Her death foon after put an end to
the war, in which near two hundred thoufand of Britilh and Roman

calls it L',nJinium,'M ilocf. alfo the Iiineraiy of An-
toninus. Ptolemy tits Londinion, wherein the on-
ly diffticnce is the Greek termination. Hciidius
.nnd Bede (in feme editions, for others have Lun-
donia) the oldcll of the Anglo-Saxon writers, in
their Latin works call it Londunia, in imitation of
the Romans, moll of whom followed Tacit ns.
And a few of tlie coins of the Anglo-Saxon kings

h.ive Land ioi th^ initial part of the name. On

li>e other hand, Ammianus Marceliinus, :i Roman
anthor, writes Lundonium and Lundinium. The
grcatell part of the Anglo-Saxon coins (prints of
which may be fetn in Hickes's Thcfaurns) and
fome editions of IVde have Lund for the initial.
The Saxon Chronicle, written by different hands
in fiiccftrive ages, has Lundetie, Lundone, Lundunr,
Lundfiibyrig, Lundrn-burb, and Lundcn-wic.
King Alfred writes it Lunden-ceajler. Ncnnius,
an antient Wilfli writer, has Cair-Lunden ; and the
prefent Welfh write Llundain. Ethelwtrd, Flo-
rtnce, Kadmer, William of Malm(l)Ury, Henry of
Huntington, Simeon of Durham (who alfo fomc-

timc8 writes it with o) William of Newburgh,
Roger Hovedcn, Ralph Dictto (who was dean of
Liindon), and fcveral other En^lifli liiilorisns who
wrote in Latin, all have Lund in the beginning of
the name. And the old Scottilh writers alfo wrote
it in the fame manner, as appears in the Chronicle
of Melros and Wyntown's Chronicle. Since the
revival of literature the fpclling of London has
been fupportcd by the great cUflical authority of
Tacitus, and by Bede, alfo and defcrwdly a great
authority j though cveiy body pronounces Lun-
dun, m perfed conformity to what I conceive to
be the genuine original name.

As to the fabulous name of Troynovantum, if it
bad any foundation at all, it may have been Tre
Novani, figiiifying in Wclfli ihi town of the Ao-
vanlfi, whofe capital it may have become after the
detlrudtion of Camulodunum : for there is no fuf-
ficient authority for the all'crtion of fome modern
writers, that London was dcllroycd or burut by
Boadicia.

A. D. 6 1.

^55

lives were lacnficed to the rapine, luft, and extortion, of the Roman on-
prellors. And this was the laflconfiderable ftruggle made by the Brit-
ons of the fouth for their independence, of which we have any particu-
lar account. [Tac. /Innal. L. xiv, cc. 31-37 Bion. Caff] /. Ixii ]

The portrait of the Britiih heroine, as drawn by Dion Caffius, ferves
•to give us fome idea of the manufadures and drefs of the Britons Bun-
duika (fo he calls her) was tall and elegantly formed, with a modeft
countenance, a clear voice, and long yellow hair. She wore a large eold
chain, and a flowing party-coloured robe, which was covered with a
thick cloak : and in her hand flie bore a fpear, the emblem of her com-
mand He alfo lays, that the war was entirely conduded by her and
valour *'^'' authority with great dignity and with mafculine

72_The Romans, who conquered many other countries almoft as
foonas they marched into them, gained their ground in Britain by
inches. For though Velpafian. who was afterwards emperor, had been
engaged in thirty battles, while he was a fubordinate officer in Britain
and fubdued two great nations with above twenty towns, together with
the ifland of Veda (Wight), and though the fpiriJ of libertyf roufed by
Boadicia. leems to have been completely crulhed ; yet they had about
his ime eftablidied their dominion no farther north than the neig 1-
bourhood of Northampton, or the banks of the Severn and the Nen f •

• Gildas, who feems to regret, that lie was born
too late to be a flave of Rome, execrates the noble
ilrngglc made by Boadicia in defence of Britifh li-
berty and the rights of liuman nature, and from
his ample (lore of bombad and foul language he
abufee, or dignifies, her with tiie epithet of a
treacherous lionefs.

t We have the authority of Pliny to fay, that
TM almoft thirty years from the firft inva/ion the
Roman arms had penetrated no farther than the
neighbourhood of the Calidoiiian (or Calrdonian)
wood. [//y/. nat. L. iv, c. ;fi.] Dut where was
It ? Some pretend to fay, that there was no Cale-
donian wood, but in the Highlands of Scotland ;
and Richard of Circnctfter, a writer whole name,'
notwithftanding fome fpecks of the darkmfs of
the age he lived in, will ever be rcfpeifted by all
who ihidytheantient hiliory and geography of Brit-
lin, has been abnfed fur l^norantly planting a Calc-
donlaBwoodin Kent, and another in Lincoln-fhire.
HuthisCaledonan wood in Kent, and the adjacent
countiy, has the authority of Floras, [Z. iii, c. lol
and apparently that of Lm-an. [A. vi.] The next
Caledonian wood, which hajprobnbly left its name
m Caledon near Coventry, and ovcrfprcad not only
l.incoln-lhne, but the whole of the wide-extended
nation of the Coiitani or Coitani (i. e. woodland-
men, a name afterwards exadHy tranflated by the
Saxons to Myree, Myrcas, an.l Myrcwara) was
tliat, which now bounded the Roman conci'iefti.,

Recording to Pliny. And here muft have been the
Calydonmn fields, where Vettiui Bolanus gave
laws, and in fight of which were the watch-towers
and caftles, which he fortified with ditches, beini'
apparently thofe originally built by Ollorins Sea-
pnla along the Sev'rn and the Aiitona or Aufona
(probably the Nen), and the boundary now allud-

„ . '" ''>/''?y-. ^T"'- ^"""l- I- xi(, f. 3 », with

Hic. Conn. L. i, §j 9, 30, ^^ Stelii Silv. L. v.!

Nay, fo widely extended was the Caledonian name-,
"^' '",« , '^'t"'"" Giul and Britain was called
the Caledonian ocean by Valerius Flaccus, and the
Caledonian fea by AiHonins. Now, Lucan and
FIjny were dead, and Vettius Bolanus was fuper-
fcded in his command in Britain, before uny Rl-
man army had approached the Scottilh Caledonian
wood, and before any Roman writer can be ration-
a^ly fuppofed to know of its exiftence. Hcttor
^*' ,i'mJ' ;J: J" '"'" '■"'"an", which he prefiimes
to call The Hiftory of the Scots, pretends to quote
omc national records, wherein Julius Cxiar, as if
lie had not dime iiimfelf lufficieiit honour, is faid
to have pentrarcd to the Caledonian wood, and
dellroyid Cantlodiiinim, which he has tra.ifported
from hllex t., rhe banks of the Canon : for in-
ventors of hiftory find no difficulty in removing
mountains, towns, and whole nations. There is
fome nonfenfe of the fame fort alfo in Fordnn,
though not fo tircumllantial. But fuch ignorance

U2

was

^56

A. D. 73.

for the ifland of Mon (AngUfey)^ and the country of the Ordovices
{North Wales), though over-run by Paulinus, retained their Uberty, till
they were reduced by Agricola feveral years after.

The fouth-eaft part of the country feems to have now funk into a
contented fubjedion to the Roman yoke : and the trade, formerly car-
ried on between Britain and Rome by the way of Gaul, may be pre-
fumed to have gradually increafed. But the only additional articles, that
I find any account of, were very trifling in a commercial view, viz. a
kind of fowl called cheneros, fuppofed by Mr. Whitaker to have been
the goofander j and oyfters from the coaft of K^jnt, which, though after
fo long a carriage they muft have Wen in a very bad condition, were
admired by the epicures of Rome. \Plin. L. ix. c. 54 ; L. x, c. 22. — Ju-
venal. Sat. 4.]

73— There is reafon to believe, that Hippalus, who taught the Greek
traders of Egypt to abridge the navigation to India by trufting their vef-
fels in fome degree to the guidance of the monfoons, ftretchedno farth-
er to fea in his firfl: voyage out of fight of land than juft eroding the
widefl: part of the entry of the Perfian gulf*. But improvements of real
utility are generally carried far beyond the firft views of the projector.
Succeeding Grecian navigators, having their eyes opened to the many
advantages of a fpeedy paiTage, ventured to take their departure from
Cane, on the coaft of Arabia, or the promontory of Aromata (Cape Gar-
dafui) the eafternmoft; point of Africa, and fteer a dired courfe for the
more diftant ports on the weft coaft of India. The improvement in
their courfe, which exempted them in a great meafure from the danger
ot rocks and ftioals, ai^d the ftill-increafing demand for Oriental luxuries
in the Roman empire, encouraged the merchants to enlarge the fize of
their vefTels, which, by carrying cargoes of greater value, enabled them
to iliip a bard of archers in each veilel to beat off the pirates f, who in-
feited feveral parts of the coaft of India, and to bear the expenfe of the
prelenis, which the fupercargo of every vclfel was obhged to make to
the fovercigns, in order to bribe them to permit their fubjeds to enjoy
the advantages of trade. [Periplus Maris Erythrcti. — Plin. L. vi, c. 23.]

Though almoft all the ports on the weft coaft of India had been re-
Ibrted to by veflels from Egypt, even before the improvement introduc-

was much more excufable in thtir ages than in
ours.

I'he authuritics adduced in this note might he
greatly tnlar;; •! and reinforced : but I wilh to be
;\i brief as pufiiblc, whenever it itt necelfary to iii-
tioduccany anticjuiiian difcufliiin.

* So we may infer from Fh'ny, who fays, [£.
vi, c. 23] that the courfe fleered at firft by the
wind Hippalus (the fouth well monfoon") was from
the Promontoiy of Syagros (apparently Ras-al-

Gat, the eaftcrn extremity of Arabia) to Patala at
the mouth of the Indus

f The dcfcendents of thofc antient pirates (liU
continue to infell the navigation on the well coaft
of India ; and other piratical tribes, called Sanga-
rians ot Sangarits, and the Kulis, and fome Arab
tiibes, commit depredations at the mouths of the
Indus, and other parts of the coall, {^Nicbubr, V.
'\\,p. 5. — RennellU Mtmnir of a Hop of Hindooflan,
p. 293. j

/ement in

A. D. 73. t^y

ed by Hippalus, [Periplus, p. 174] yet till about this time Patala was the
only Indian port heard of at Rome; and now the names of two or three
ports beyond it were for the firfl time announced to the Romans by
Phny [L. vi, c. 23.] The fame author has given us the following cir-
cumftantial account of the inland navigation and land carriage in Egynt
by which the adventure from Alexandria commenced.

From Juliopolis, a kind of fuburb of Alexandria, they failed 503 Ro-
man miles up the Nik to Coptos, the emporium of the trade in Upper
Lgypt. by favour of the etefian winds in twelve days *. From Coptos
tlie goods were carried by camels 258 miles acrofs the defert to Bere-
nice upon a road which had been furnillied with proper refting places
by the attention of the Ptolemies : and this journey performed, accord-
mg to the cuftom of thofe climates, moftly in the night-time on account
ot the heat took up other twelve days f. At Berenice or MyosHormos
a port farther up the coaft, they embarked with their goods for their
various voyages. Thofe bound for India took their departure (in modern
nautical language) from Okelis on the louth coaft of li-abia! andTrriveS
in forty days at Muzins on the weft coaft of India. Th; homeward
paffage was begun m December, or early in January, with the north^^aft

fTuTheTft "h"\'^^rK"''"^'°"^^ '^? ^'^'^"••^"^' ^ -i'^d abo K eaft
iouth-eaft) by which they were earned to the entrance of the Red fea

where they generally met with foutherly winds, which carried them up
to the,r port Of their various voyages, and the outward and hLe?
ward cargoes I ftiall now have an opportunity of giving an account fr^m
better materials than were known To Pliny.

Very unfortunately the age of the author of the PERiPLUsf of the
LavTHR^AN SEA, a work, which, for approved accuracy of graphical
nautical, and commercial, information, ftands unrivaled by\ny Sue
tion ot antiquity which has come down to our times, cannot be^fmled
fo near as, whether he lived about the middle of the firft, or he middle
of die lecond, century §. In this uncertainty I here in roduce ™n e.
trad of the commercial information contained in this pretiou" rehque

Agatharc udes [Z. v, c. 32] fay,, that vef-
fel, could eaf.Iy fa,l ,„ ten days from Alexand,;.
o Ethu.pis, the i.eareft pa.t of which is far above
v.opto»,

t In Strabo's time they went from Coptos to
.Myos Hormos, a journey of fix orfevcndays.
LJ/rfl*o, i. xvu, A. iiyo.j
t .^'eiip'"s.. failing round, or circumnavigation
} 1 he 1 criplus not being .,uotLd or mentioned
by any ant.eut writer, we can have no knowlejte
of the author, but what we can derive from him-
Mt. And from h.mlclf we know, that he was an
L<jy^tian Greek, a merchant, and a navigator upm
the Erythnwn fea ; and, indeed, it is eafy to fee,
rliai all tho very accurate defctlptions of the crafts
t

harbours, and trade, as far 33 Ntlkynda near the
fouthern extremity of India, are gfven from his
own judiccu, oblervations, the plain narrative of
an tunelt man, telhng what he faw and knew. His
account of the eaft fide nf India, though far inferi-
or indeed, .3 the narralive of the fame honell man,
ulmg his belt endeavour to convev iuftruction to hia
countrymen, but frequently mifled by the ignorance
or roguery of thofe, whom hi. thirll of fnowlege
urged h.m to apply to in every port for information
relpeflmg their native coumrles, or thofe they had
traveled to. He mentions the names of fevera!
kings tt.gnmg when he wrote, and embaffies fent
by Char.bael, king of the Homerites .uidSabxans
t^' the R.mun emperor?. Some of the fame king!

nr. .

'58

A. D.

73-

Under the name of the Erytbreranfea the author comprehends that part
of the Ocean, which is between Africa and India, and apparently alfo the
Gulf of Bengal, He obferves, that the unexplored ocean extends to the font h-
zvnrd till it joins the /Ithwtic ; a moft capital and important piece of geo-
graphical and commercial knovvlege, which had lain concealed from al-
moll the whole world from the age of Necos king of Egypt (about fix
hundred years before the Chriftian sera) till the re-difcovery of the Cape of
Good Hope by the Portuguefe : for Herodotus, though he recorded the
circumnavigation of Africa by the Pha*nicians in the reign of Necos,
appears not to have believed it himfelf : and no other Greek or Roman
writer, to the beft of my knowlege, unlefs the Mauritanian prince Ju-
ba *' may be reckoned among them, had the fmalleft idea of the true

arc mentioned by Pliny at bis contemporaries ; and
lie alfo notices anibafTadors from Arabia, evidently
from ttie foiith part of it (perhaps thofe fent by
Charibael) who were in Rome in his time. [P//«.
L. vi, c. 23 ; L. xii, c. 14.] It is thence nut im-
probable, that out author and Pliny lived at the
fame time. But it mud be acknowleged, that fomr
kings of the fame names arc alfo mentioned b/
Ptolemy, who wai near a century later tlian Pliny,
though he might copy them from older documents,
or the naines might be prefer»ed in the families, or
be permanent titles rather than namc^ of individu-
als. Our author alfo fays that the city of Arabia
Felix was dcllroyed a little before his own time by
Cxfar, that is, the Roman cmperot. But the de-
ftrudion of the city not being mentioned by any
otlur author extrnt, it affords ns no afTiltance in
finding his age. It has been afcribed to Trajan,
for no other rtafon than becaufe that emperor was
in Aiabia, and did a great deal of mifchief in his
progrcfs : for the affcrtions of Eutropius and Ru-
fus Fdlus, that Trajan reduced Arabia to the con-
dition of a province, are contradiftcd by the fubfe-
cjuent hiftory of Adrian ; and a hyperbolical paf-
fage in the Pliilopatris, a dialogue atcribed to Lu-
cian, is mere rodomontade and prophecy. Trajan
marchid, indeed, from Ctcfiphon againft the Aga-
renef, an Arabian n.ition toidcring upon Judaia,
and above a thoufand miles fiom the city of Arabia
Felix, from whom he was obliged to retreat with
great lofj. But a proper chronological attention
to all the ciicumftancts of his callern expedition
might (how, that he could not pofTibly have ever
gone near tlie fouth pait of Arabia, and confe-
quently could not be the dellroyer of the city of
Ara'ula Felix ; though the moll learned Dodwell,
who might be fuppofed to have examined the hif-
tory of the later years of Tr.ijan with the moll fctu-
pulous attention, when compofiug his Itdturcs on
the life of Adrian the fucceffor of Trajan, has af-
cribed the deftruction of it to him, and has made
our author contemporary wiih the joint cmperon
Marcus Antoninus and Verus, becaufe lie fays that

Charibael ' fends frequent embaflles and prefents to
* out emperors,' by whIcH plural word, he thinks,
we null underfland a conjunt'Uon of emperors,
tho'igh there fecms no reafon why the embaflies,be-
h'^ frequent, might not be to a futceflion of emper-
ors : or, if there mud be a conjunftion of emperorp,
let us not forget, that Tituii was aflbciated with his
father in the imperial dignity long before the age
of Antoninus. But it is very clear, that the de-
llrii6\ion of that city was neither the work of Tra-
jan, nor of any other Rom.in emperor in perfon.
If we could tell exactly, when anchors began to be
made of iron, it might perhaps help to fix our au-
thor's a:ra, which was prior to that moll important
improvement. (See below in the nautical notices
under this fame year.) But, after much refearch,
I am inclined to believe, that neither the date of
the dellrudion of Arabia Felix, nor that cf the in-
trodiiftion of iron anchors, can be iifcertained, how-
ever defirable„they may be, as helping to fix the
chronology of the Periplus, and alfo on account of
their own importance in commercial hillory.

The name of this valuable author, and his coun-
try, are alfo mifreprefented. The work Js com-
monly afcribed to Artiau, a Bithyniau Greek,
and governor of Cappadocia under the emperor
Adrian, who wrote the Hillory of Alexander the
Great ; though it is not in the lill of his works
given by I'hoiius, who (louiirtied in the ninth cen-
tury, and though it contains fome miftakes con-
cerning Alexander, which Arrian could not poffi-
bly have fallen into. The only reafon fitms to be,
that Arrian alfo wrote a Peiiplus, which, notwith-
ftanding his acknowleged fuperlor literary merit,
is as fai inferior in interelliiig information to our
author's Pcripli:s, as the Euxine fea, Arrian's fub-
jc£l, is inferior to the Indian ocean.

• Juba, as quoted by Pliny, [i. vi, c. 29] had
fomc idea of the communication of the Indian and
Atlantic oceans ; for he extends the later as far as
the Moffyllitc promontory (Cape Guardafiii),
which other writers call the Aromatic promon-
tory.

^' ^' 73- is9

S7ft ^•''^'p' ^°"'^ pan of Africa, though feverals of them have fa
bulo s ftor.es of wonderful adventures on fome of its coafts. He alone
of all the writers of anr qu ty. truelv defrrih^c tK« a r t ! '
trending from north to fouth a Ar a/^Corcho. ?r ^""^ ^^'^''

fays, th? rhore bends to the eaft. an?afterwLlf:T''"''^K "^^Tl^"'
more eafterly to the Ganges the createft Hv^r Vt .^ ""T ^/ '''"^ '^^^

"jdefcr'besMyosHormosasthefirftportofE.yn ontheR^^ *.
and from it and Berenire th*. rr,.n,„v. ♦ j ^ "7°^?'^ "'^ tlieRedfea*:

rious deftinations Thofe who^vere on vf '" bailed down for their va-
Red fea lUiled any tim 7ror/aninrv t^^^^^^

feafonably in September: b u^li wSThe ^i^fC^ '^'"^^ ^°^
ages to all parts beyond the Straits whet W rT ./ ^""^'"^"'^"ig voy-
the fouth coaft of Labia, or Ih'SeftS^o Vdt "" ^°^^" °'^^^-'

A Jr" .^k''^''^'^""^^^ ^'■'^'^•"S P«^*«" the weft fide of theH.d r
Adnh m the country now called Abyflinia fub eA rn 7^r t ^^'''''
diftinguilhed as fuperior to hisnei*Tl/"nrc • "^ i '^"^^ales. a prince

alfo.acquainted wi?h the Gre k/attge "X'cum'ft"^' f''''''^' '-^"^
ferrmg a confiderablc refort of tlj cfedan tr^I 'l^'T^^ly in-
This was aneftabliftied port to wLh If ) T '2 ^'' ^""'^"io"'-
markets of Colo6 and Axomitc°ror A ^ ^?"u^^' ^'"^'^ ^^^ "^^^^nd

the interior country on SZf dcJ^f fhe Nili '" ^^1"°''^ '""^^^'^'^^ ^^
a neighbouring nadon, called by the Sr^^l.' t"^ 1^' ^"'•tle-ft.ell from
fifli). ' "^ ^^ "'^ ^'"^'^^^ Ichthyophagi (eaters of

Into this port the Greeks imported

Coarfe cloths unmilled, manufadur
ed m Egypt for this market :

Robes, made at Arfinoe ;

Abollas f (cloaks) of counterfeit or
baltard colour ;

Linens ;

Fringed mantles ;

Glafs,.and murrhine^ veflels of all
lorts, made ai Diofpolis ;

Onchalcum, a kind of metal, of

which the natives of the country
made ornamental trinkets, and
alio coined money •
Brafs veflels for cooking, which the
women of the p!acf fometime

bracelets, and ornaments for their
Jegs J

• Heroopoli., at the very head of the tulf »„ !,■
ow apparemlv defert,H tne guit, was hin

•ow apparently deferted ^ "" °' "" «''''' ^" ^'™ '"^"ife. the tyrant Cahgu,. pe.han, t. • L-

t The bed abolla, were dyed with the T ■ " '" '''^^^''t-" "» foveroV f " ' rAfT' ^7^'"?
PorpI,-. The rich colour of o^e wor 1, P,^^"'" '^'j''- -^«"- '^"^tf • ^. ^ f 1 ^ "'^ ^^ ""'

'be .o„ of the learned Africalf ^i^'ce^jl-'ToIi * '^'^^ •^""j"- -«^'' -- ."n f.h eaee. i„

Rome

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Sciences
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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

<?

1

l\

1

i6o

A. D. 73.

Iron, to make fpears for hunting,
and for war ;

Swords, edge-tools, and other iron-
mongery ;

Large round cups or bowls of brafs;

Wine of Laodicea and Italy in
finall quantities ;

Oil, alfo in fmall quantities ; and

Roman coins (denarii) for the ufe

of the foreigners, whom com-
merce brought together in the
port :

and alfo, as a tribute to the king,

Veffels of gold and filvcr made af-
ter the fafhion of the country ;

Abollas; and ' «rtoqmi3f1'J

A few plain coverlets.

There were Ukeways imported from Arabia

Indian iron and fteel ;
Indian calicoes, and other cotton
goods, of a variety of kinds ;

Safties ;
Coverlets ; and
Lack for colouring *.

<•>

From this port the only exports noted are

V, ■i>

Ivory;

The horns of the rhinoceros.

On the fouth fhore ot the Straits of Babelmandeb (or Babelmandel)
was the fmall port of Avalites, into which they went with raft$ and boats.
To this place the Greeks imported

•Win^V andifijibbi: ^.f' .1
Tin in fmall 4«aaciti«s.

":HU ,li/i>='

Veflels of gVafs and ftone, afR)rted j
Unripe grapes from Diofpolis ;j
Cloths, milled and &iifhed for ihki

particular market, alTorted ;

The natives, a rude and favage race, traded with their rafts to Okelis
and Muza on the coaft of Arabia, to which they carried aroraatics, a

Rome, that two of tliem were bought by a confnl
and an empetor at the price of 3C0 fcftertium
(/■j,42i : 17 : 6fterlmg) for each. [ Wr«. /-..xxxv)i,
e. 2, with yirbuthnot's Talks of ancient coint, is'c.']
The nature of them is much conteltcd, fome affert-
ing that they were the porcelain of China, .nnd;
others maintaming that they were made of ;i foflile,
fubftance ; and the later opinion fecms fiipported
by Pliny. [I. xxxiii, /roam; L. xxxv, c. 12 ; L.
xxxvii, c. 2.] It is certain from the Pcriplus,
thit they were made at Diofpolis in Egypt : and
there is no unqneftionable authority for the real
porcelain of China being heard of in Europe till
many centuries afler this time.— Qii. Wh^ might
be the nature of the three murtim, or perhaps ra-
ther murrifif, cups belonging to Roger archbin,op
of York in the twelfth century ? [iW. Pans, p.
140, ed. 164c.]

• AH thefe articles, imported from Ar^bra, are
Indian manufaftures : and they fumifli an addition-
al proof of the extent of the Indian commerce m the
*ands of the Southern Arabians, who ftill retained

their trade with their old cuftomcrs, who were in-
dependent of the Roman empire.

The ilecl was probably what PKity fZ. xxxiv,
c 14] calls iron from the country of the Seres of a
quality much fuperior to all olhtr kinds (he has
not throughout hi» whole work any worO i(imi»-
Icnt to the Englilh word fteel) ; and he adds, that
the Parthian (probably that calkd here Indian)
iron was next to it. The country at the mouth of
the Indus was now fubjea to Parthia : and there
probably both the Serio and Parthian metals were
(lilppcd for Arabia, from which, or from AduU, by
the agency of the merchants of Alexandria, they
found their way to Rome, as appears by PHny's
knowlege of them : and thty mull hata been tss
cellent indeed Vo bear the expenfc of fuch a fuccef-
lion of land and water carnages. It is worthy of
remark, that Marco Polo,<nany centuries after our
author and Pliny, mentions attdamcum, a moll ex-
cellent kind of rtcel, the produce of a country io
the ;(l pert of Afm. 8ce Forjitr'i Fayagts and dif-
covirifstpp. 135, »42. E^tgiifi "•«»/*•

^' O- 73' 161

fmall quantity of ivory, turtle-fliell, and myrh in very frtiall ouamitles
but of the very beft quality *. ^ J "*'» uuanunes,

Eailward from Avalites there was a better emporium, though a very
mdifFerem harbour, called Malao. and inhabited by a mo;e civilfzed peo^-

The imports to this place were

All the articles carried to Avalites;

Tunics, or jackets, in great quanti-
ties ;

Cloaks (faga) of Arfinoa, milled and
dyed;

The exports, which feem to have been to Arabia, were

^^''^- ' r . . ^ . . Cancamus, fuppofed a kind of

Peratic frankmcenfe in fmall quan- gum
ties ;

Cinnamon of feveral forts, and of
inferior qualities f ;

Farther along the coaft was Mundus, an emporium with a better har-
bour, the imports and exports of which were the fame with thofe'of
Malao. with the addition to the later of thymiama mokroton §. believed
to be a kmd of ince^ife. The people of Mundus. though rude and un-
cultivated, were attentive to commerce.

The next emporium to the eaftward was Mofyllon, to which were car-

Drinking cups or bowls ;
Meliephtha, an unknown article ;
Iron ;

Gold and filver Roman coins in
fmall quantities-

Makeir X, fuppofed mace ;
Slaves, but very few.

Iron in fmall quantities;
Prctious ftones. '

All the articles noted as carried to

the others ;
Silver veflels ;

The exports were

Cafia or baftard cinnamon || in ( fels were employed in the trade
luch abundance, that larger vef- J of this port ;

* The fame primitive rude floating ctaft ar« men-
tioned in the fame place by Awtharchides and 6tra.
!)o. See above, ^. 104. Pliny ££. xii, cc. 15,
19 j alfo noticfs the traile by taiu from this (horc
to Okelis (which he c.llii Ocila) whence the Afci-
cms carriid home utenliU of glafg and brafa, and
clothing, tofjether with buckles or clajps, bracelets,
nnii necklaces ; trinkets, which have in all ages
hei'ii acceptable to nations in a favage llatc.

[ Thcfe were the produdioni. of that part of the
countr)'.

t Pliny [i. xii, f. 8] fays, niacir cornea from
India ; and he prcfrntly add), that the nature of it
is unknown to him. lie knowj nothing uf an

Vol. I.

African fpecies, which, however. i> known to Di-
"Icor.de* an earlier author: and maci. i, mentioned
by I'lautiis, long before either of them.
V See Salmaliua in So/in. p. ^cx5.
II Strabj, [Z. xvi, ,*. 1 1 19] ,-,ote8 the growth of
pfeudc-cafia (baftard cafia j a. well,, cinnamon,
trankmcenfe, and myrh, in thia country. The
abundance of thefe produaions gave the name of
Arom4t.c, w.th the Greeks, to the whole countrr.
and particularly to the town and piomontory at th^

MM. """"'I- °^ '■••-^""y Li- V. c. 293 mark.
Mofyllon as the market to which cinnamon wa,
brought, which may infer, that it was imported
thuher from India ; aod fuch inference fecm, fup-

porled

1 6a

A. D. 73.

Other odoriferous and aromatic ar-
ticles;

Mokroton, inferior to the Munditic
growth J

Peratic frankincenfc ;

Ivory ;

Myrh, a fcarce article here.

At the moft eaflerly point of Africa there was an emporium witli a
very open, and fometimes dangerous, anchorage, of which we know no
other name than the Greek word Aromata, by which the adjacent point
or promontory (Cape Guardafui) was alfo called ; and fou..i from it was
another promontory, and alfo a trading port, both called Tabae. To
theft: the articles, carried to :he other ports on this coall, were alfo car-
ried. The produce of this part of the country confiftcd of cafia, giair,
afyphe, magla, rnoto, all apparently of the cinnamon fpecies ; alio frank-
incenfe, and feveral kinds of aromatics.

South from Tabaj lay Opo'ne, the trade of which included all the ar-
ticles of import and export in the preceding ports. And from it there
were alfo exported fome of the beft flaves, who were moftly carried to
Egypt, and turtle-fhell of the very beft quality in great abundance.

The ports beyond the Red fea had an ejlablijhed trade with Ariake and
Barygaza, both on the weft coalt of India, from which they received

Corn;
Rice;
Butter ;
Oil of fefame ;

Cotton goods of various kinds ;

Saihes ;

Cane honey, called fugar *

Some of the veflels from India failed for thofe ports on purpofe ; and
others only called at them, and, after taking onboard fuch articles as
they found ready, proceeded to their deftined ports. This trade appears
to have been entirely unconnected with that of the Egyptian Greeks,
except as it may have fupplied them with Indian goods in thofe ports ;

ported by DiofcoriJes, who [Z. i.e. 13] dillin-
guifhes t'nc cinnamon of Mofyllon as of the bctl
qu.nlity. He adds, tliat the bell cafia is ca'ied
Daphiiitic at Alexandria (from Daphnon a place
rtn tiiis coaft noted hv our author), and that zigir,
afyplienon, citto, and dacar, are inferior fpecies of
it. I would rot, howetcr, be pofitivc that Pliny
.lid not mean merely that the produce of the adja-
cent country was carried to Mofyllon to be {hipped,
as myrli is faid, tbree lines higlier in the fame cuap-
»er, to be carried to a port called Ifis.

• Our word fugar is from the Greek <«K;^itf,
which is cxaftlythc Indian word yjcor. \^IJnfcho-
ten's yoyaget,p. 104.] The Periplus gives a clear
proof, of what I hare faid already, that fugar was
called hooey by the Greeks, till they got the ge-
nuine name of it from the Eaft : and that the ge-
nuine name was but veiy lately known, may be in-
fened from the author thinking it neceffary to pre-
;>rve the old name (cane hoii;y) as an explanation.

1 1 is ra '"cr furprifing, that fugar does not ap-

pear in the Ptriplus among tlic dircA Imports from
any part of India to Egypt. We know that Ind-
ian fugar found its way to Rome at this time, ap-
parently through the hands of the metchants on
the eart coall of Africa, as Pliny [i. xii, c. 8j dil-
tinf^uilhes it from Arabian fugar by its fuperior
quality. He fays, it was fcarce, being ufcd only
in medicine : and he defcribes it as a white gum,
brittle, and in pieces not larger than a filbert nut..
This dcfcription anfwers to the Indian, or pcrhapK
-athcr Chincfe, white fugar-candy, which is com-
pared to diamonds forckarnefs andhardnefs. And
I fuppofc, the Inoian (lone, defcribed by Megaf-
thenes [a/. Strab. L. xy,f. 7028J as fwettcr th.in
figs and honey, was the fame hard fugat-candy.
[See alfo Dafior Mofeley's Trenltfe on Sugar, p.") i,
fecond ed."\ The fpiritons or inebriating liquor,
made from the fugar-bearing cane, mentioned by
Nearchus, [<;/ Strah. L. xs,p. 1016] was probably
alfo carried to Rome, though there is no mention
of it in Pliny or the Petiplus.

A. D. y^.

163

and It fccms to hare commenced before they began to make anvvor
ages out of the Red fea, but how long before, ncfbody can prefS^rfo
conjedlure, as the eaft coaft of Africa was totally unknown to die rJ!^^

1 he natrves are faid to be very tall, but he fays not a word of thdr^o

Sill of tW hid 1 '"k '^'k- r'°"^'^ ^-^^ diflr^ had itTo'^
S ^rfof^^^^^^^^ ^°?f ^^^" ^"^J^*^ to the king of Mapharitis in the
of M„S ^ r V • T^e country was alfo tributary to fhe merchants
rn^rr fr'"' '^^^^-^ ^^fl^I^ thither under the care of AraSan com!
ngnders and fupercar^oes, conne.^ed with the natives by intercou^fe and

The imports at Rhapta confifted of
Lancos, or fpears, made at Muza ; I Awls •

Cutt;::., or knives ; | °'^'"^ "^""^ ■"""" f"'-" '

The exports were

Ivory in great abundanc^/^but in-
ferior to that of Aduli;-''

The horns of the rhinoceros ;

♦ The fame trade has been kept up ever fince ;
and the lame kind of cargoes have been carried
irom the neighbourhood of the Zinde, or Indu.. to
thofe parts of Africa. [S.^e Pi^rckai, B. iii, *.
307 ; B. IV,;.*. 347, 3J0, 351, 3J2.J

t r,TT», to few, or join together. The Greeks
lurely could not be iffnorant ot the indigenous name
01 the place, to which they traded. But this is one
of the innumerable inftances of the licence they
look in perverting the names of place., wliereby
th." have introduced much confufio.. and unccr-
tai, • in geography, Ptolemy places Rhapta be-
twe.i eight and nine degrees fouth of the line,
which aniwero pretty well to the fiiuation of Qui-
loa, which the Portuguefe difcoverers funpoTed
Khapta : and there the fame fewed boats are Itill
aled.

1 If the merchants were fo powerful as to exer-
cilr fuch an aft of fovereignty at the exailion of «

Turtle-fhell, the beft of any, next to

that of India;
Naupliiis §, a fmall quantity. ~

tribute, they muft have been affociated in a-rett
body, hkc a modem Eaft-India company. But
perhaps the tribute, for which the Greek liw them
fi.u)J vcfTels, wa, the produce of plantationt
fettled on that coatt by the merchants of Muza, a«
many Weft-India plantations are now fettled and
owned t y Pntilh merchants

Agatharchides, at leall two hundred veara older
than our author, informs us, that the commereial
.Arabians eftabhd.cd colonics in foreign countries »
(.ee above, p. ,04) a..v' the coailon which Rhapu

wl,!, inf'', •" T""^'"^ ' \''"'"^ ''^y •^>- Arabian.,
who (till retain the mercantile f rit of the antient
tounJers of their colony. When the Portueuefe
arnved 01, tins coail in their (irft voyages of difcov-
ery, they found it frequented by veffel. of variout
nations.

§ Nauplius, an article unknown. Pliny r£ ix
f • so] has a defgiiption of a Ihell-fifh of thai name)

which
X 2

4«4

A. Di

73«

Beyond Riwpta the coaft ^Vas unknown in the days of our author.
He therefor returns to tiie Red fea, and goes down the eaft fliore of kt,
beginning at Leuke komd (or White town) a port and caftlc in the pofr
leffion of the Romans, which was frequented by fmall reflels from the
confiderable trading ports in the fouth, loaded with merchandise for the
lupply of the neighbouring country and fo^ the merchants of Tyre; upon
which a diuy of twenty-five percent was exaded by a Roman centurion,
Itationed there with a competent military force for that purpofe.

From Leuke kome down asfiir as the Burnt ifland the rwvigation was
very dangerous, and the coaft befet with rocks and without any har-
bours*; and therefor the navigators were very careful never Co approach
j*ir ^'^^ inhofpitable coaft was occupied by various barbarous tribes*
diftermg m manners and in language, of whom fome fubfifted by fifh-
ing and others bypafturage: but they were all pirates, and plundered
the veilei?. which came near their coaft, or were wrecked, and made
flaves of the people. The kings of the neighbouring induftrious nations
were therefor continually exerting themfelves to fupprefs thofe general
enemies, and carry them into captivity.

The country below the Burnt ifland was poflefTed by a more civilized
people, employed in breeding cattle and camels, the later, no doubt, for
the lervice of the caravans.

In the fartheft bay of the eaft coaft of the Red fea, about thirty miles
from the Straits, ftood Muza f, an eftabliftied emporium, inhabited by
experienced feamen, and numerous capital merchants, whc, befides deal-
mg m the native commodities, traded to Barygaza and other foreign
countries if. *

The articles imported from Egypt were

The fincfl purple cloths in great
quantities ;

Arabian garments with and with-
out fleeves, adorned with gold in
various manners ;

Saffron;

which anfwers fo well to the nautilus, defcribfd by
him M the prfctdin^ chapter, that it fccms the
fame animal, taiccn From a different author. But
the (hell of it, though very beauiiCul, fcnn rather
too trifling to be ranked among etlablidied articlej
of trade.

• If thit coaft had been occupied by a commer-
eial people, there nould haw been no want of har-
bours. It would be eafy to enumerate many : but
Jidda, about mid- way between the two ends of the
Red fea, it at prefent the principal port, beyond
which veffeU from India are not allowed to paft j
^d it k capable of receiving large veiFeU, which
refort to it from our Eatt-Iudia fcttkmentf. [Mt-
kHbr, y. i, f>. 22^.}

Cyperus, or galingal ;

Muflins (or perhaps rather fine

cotton fluffs of Egyptian manu-

fadure) ;
AboUas or cloaks ;
Coverlets, a few j

f Muta is defcribed in the Periplui at having ro
harbour, but only a fandy (horc, near which the
veiTeh lay at anchor in the bay. There is now a
poor village called Muza, with good water, a great
object in thofe countries, which is four mile* from
the (here at Mokha, apparently the fame place,
though now become inland in confequence of the
conftant gradual recefHon of the water, by which
the whole of the Bat border called the Tehama
feems to have been formed. Mokha, built about
four centuries ago, may be prefumed to have arifen
on the decline of Muza. See Nitbuhr, V. t, *.
297.

X Pliny was misinformed in refped to Muca,
which, he fayi [£. vi, c. 23] had 00 India trade.

A. Dj 7^.

Safhes'; " - 1 r, to rv^ n ♦ f i h ., (,a' .,♦ •
QintmeDdbf.s»nMa(Hmg(qttrtlity ,
C«m.and;wihe-in iniall quantisies,
ftfome of both being pifoduced in
the country ; .

Money fufficient to fettle the bar-

165

r -The merchants alfo prtfented to
the king ,

Horfes ; *

Mules for burthen ;
VcOels of gold and filver plate and
of brafs ;
^, u ■ Magnificent drefles*.

The Wpfeiiisfc«»rt(7fting of native produaions, were
yrh br%e' 6WceO niinl-.rv.: Lygdus. a fine kind of alabafter

Myrh- br%e' 6Wce(^ qtiallty ;^

'^/^°^ nt- °^ ';^^'■^ °^ '^' '(^which boxesw^re'm^d^r
m6fVe.cell^ quahty ; f Alfb all the articles exp^S fi-oifi

l.'^' fil-jhth.intih'ini 1 Aduli.

^^fno great diflan<:e from Muza refided Col^Ebus king of ManharitJ,
Sl'n;?''1?^^°K''"''^'^' ^r^^'^^Sn of the diflant couiry adS^
Rhapta on the African coaft ; an4 fomewhfit farther inland w7s the fe^?

Faffing Okelis. >vhich w£''i^S':||irf^^1g^^§y'^,y ,-. ,
ing place and harbour for inwa'-bouna velrS^^^^^^^
jjbout X30 miles eaftw^rd along the f?.ore to Ae ' por of IraMa Felt
This city long flourished the greateft emporium on al the £-t nf h
trythraeun fca (or Indian oceii). weft ward from °he R ver IndT From
^ndKhT.V'''?\"^TT"°^^"-' '^' merchansof PhJnTcS
M^dittS^L^a^trnl^^^^^^^^^
haps our own Britifh iflands/and! by the caravans aluL'^'S'''"^ P^"

excnange tor their own commodities. And in this hannv fto J ^ ^
paren..,.u„in.rrup.d cor^^^^i^ p„fp,„- 'ircoSfd" ?f T.

Horfeo imported from Egypt into Arabia,
aud .Dlo that fart of it which i. molt cekbntted
for the fupenontjr of iu horfes ! I, it certain that
Arabia has been famous for its breed of horfcj
ever fince the days of Iftmael, «. alleged by hiilo-
r.an* quoted by Leo Africanus ? Or have horfei,
as well as coffee, (another article mentioned by no
ant.ent Greek or Roman author, and believed to

be a native of Abyffinia) been introduced into br"eed Jn^airThZ Zir'""' ' *°™ "' '" Ar*ian
Arab.. M. the darknef, of tl'e middle tge.'-HX he ha. coi'd .P*"*8« .«=°''«,'-'""g horfes which

?"n.":no"wonr''';H ^^"'* T '"""■- -^fb"ro'i^L^:i'L^r^;5--T'>i' ^^^a

iTluJr. <F?^^l' *'"'"8'» "'nel* and other
animaU are.—SoIcmon imported horfes from Egypt
and from other countries, but Arabia is not f^i-

of Tyre, horfes arc brought from Togormah
(Cappadocia. the country which fuppLed The Per'
fian kings with horfes, . bwcd celebmed bv n,«l
antient authors) but only fheepanTlats 7Z
Arabia, which alfo furmied the famf k^l/rof
animals, a« we find by // CiroH c . , »„ l2k!/-

t^'l f J''.''^''-t" "rned^'an'SSr.
tigable. Bochart nw^ not a won! of an Ar^tn

cuUr«ed.-.I„ E.«kielWco;„t of ^h. "ommTcc ^-T^l

will be touched upon-^rd^r;^ rr

t £^-«« ^^«««, or perhaps rather aT^
^u„r. myrh of the beft quahtv rodw^
the country of the Min«i. ht j, """^"^

^rti Ot^.

•I 66

A. D. 75.

Greeks of Egypt, fupported and encouraged by the power and wealth
ot the Roman empire, began to repair to India for the goods they had
hitherto received from the Arabian merchants. But the Romans per-
haps not content with what their fubjeds could abftraft from the'com-
merce of Arabia Fehx by a fair competition, fuppofed, that, if they
could deltroy the commerce of an independent people, whom they had
in vam attempted to fubdue, (fee above, p. 120) it would devolve upon
their own fubjects. Whether in confequence of fuch a fyftem of op-
preflive confidence in their own fuperior powcr,»which they might pre-
tend to call a patriotic attention to the commercial rights of their fub-
jeds. (for fovereigns in all ages have too often made power the ftandard
of right) or in confequence of any quarrel, for which they were never
atalofstofind a pretence, this moft flourifhing commercial city was
deltroyed by the Romans a fliort time before our author was born. We
may, however, be aflured, that the confequence would not be what the
Romans may be fuppofed to have expefted. The merchants would
transfer their commerce, with whatever they could fave of their pro-
perty, to other ports of Arabia more remote from the Roman domi-
nions, and to the Arabian colonies on the diflant coafts of Africa, which
would thereby be ftrengthened and enriched. And to fuch a forced
emigration was probably owing a great part of the trade between Africa
and India, noted by our author.

Arabia Felix was now fo far recovered from its afhes as to have the
appearance of a village, but we do not find that it had any commerce;
and it was only reforted to on account of having a more convenient
harbour and better water than Okelis.

The next emporium was Can^, about 200 miles eall from Arabia Fe-
lix, m the territory of Eleazus, the country producing frankincenfe,
which was brougi^t to this emporium, fome by land carriage upon ca-
me s, and fome by water in veflels and upon rafts made of hides filled
with air. The merchants of this port traded to Barygaza, Scythia (the
country of the Indo-Scythians at the mouth of the Indus), Omana, and
other places in the neighbourhood of Pcrfia.
The merchants of Egypt imported thither

Corn and wine, in finall quantities,

as in Mu2a ;
Arabian clothing, common and

plain, and moiUy counterfeit j

Brafs ;
Tin ; *

Coral ; f

Styrax.orlloraXjanodorifcrousgum;

It ,s very pro.jab.e, that all the t.n mention. ]■ As the Arabs h:ij corah in gr«t abundance

«d here and >. o^lur port,,, was the produce of the on the fliores of their own counfry. th.t S

Bnt>hmm« a„d deft.ned for Inciia. The mer- was carried from Europe muft have b«„ the ft

•bofe of Alrwnd-;:. with it. ,„a in the fea adjacent to Sicily. It was appat

A. D. 73.

167

Statues ;
Horfes ;
Magnificent and plain dreffes.

And all the articles carried to Muza:

They alfo carried for the king
Silver veflcls engraved or chafed ;
Money ;

The exports were
Frankincenfc ? native commodi- | The merchandize imported into

„ 3 ties; j Muza from other ports.

Between Arabia and Africa, but nearer to the former, and fubjed to
the fame king Eleazus, w.s Diofcorides. a large, defert. marihv Hand

lizard., the flefh of which was good to eat, and (he fat for making
oil It alfo produced turtle of the genuine, the landfpecies. the wh ke
and the mountain, kind. They were remarkable for the krgendt of
their (hell, but efpeciallv the mountain kind, the fheU of wh ch was of
prodigious fize and t)iicknefs. Of thefe fhells were made chefts cafk
ets, writing tables, and other ornamental articles f. The knd produced"
neither corn nor wine, and nothing of value, except cinnabar of tte
Indian fpecies. a gum dropping from trees. A few Arabiam and Ind
lans. and fome Greek merchants, fettled there for their of tide"
who lived on the north fhore facing the continent. The merchants of
Muza had fome dealings with it. and veflek in the India trldc fome
imes called at it. and fupplied the inhabitants with rice co n IndTan
linen and fonietimes female flaves. in exchange for turtle iheU or
turtle) of which they got enough to load their veflels t ' ^°'

aeyond the vaft promontory of Syagros (apparently Has al Hnf ^^ ,„o.
the port of Mofcha (Ma/kat),. gre'a^empoE for' ^e f ank in^ en?e

to this port, and thofe from Limynca and Barygaza in India, when

enlly dtftmc' >,y the Arabian merchant, for In.
dia, where, i ^ny fays, the rata were a» fond of
the berr.c. ot c<.ral as thv: women of Rpoie w»e
ot the Indian pearls; and thence th» deoiand for
India mailc them fo fcarce in the place of their
growth, that the GduU could not now, as former,
ly, M.dnlge ,n the hixury of ndornir^ their fword*.
fiiiekis. and helmeti, with them. [i^/;„. £. »x,ii|

*, '^'!'," 'JPP"," ^^ ^ ""f an'^nal called the ^uana
in the V\<.ll-Indie». *

o t, '^^^ r?™"* ""/' ""edingly fund of turtle-
IMl. Befide. the uftj of it mentioned in the ?e-
tipius, they adorned their bedileads, and vaneered
xvood with .t. [/>/«... I. ix, f. ,, . X,. ^vi, e. 4,.]
_.+ ,"'» K'-'nerally agreed that vSocotora is the
rJiofcorides ..f the antients. As our author's dr-
Icriptionof It by no means anfwers to Socotora,
which .s rocky and dry, I have been fomewhat
fnllcr in extvaamg it, that thofe who are better
informed of the nature of the ifland may afcertain

whether Socotora, or fome of the iriands nearer
the Arabian (hole, has been the antient Diofcori-
des. fseither our author, nor Pliny in his account
ot Uiofcondes. mentions aloes as the produce of
It. wlach are now .he ibple of Socotora : and a.
hey were an eftabhihe.l article in the commerce of
tlic Lgyptian Greeks, our author's Clence mav b-
admitttd as a fuU proof that none grew on^he
./land of Diofcoride, .„ his time. D.ofcoride,
Li. ni, c. 23] fays ihc Indian aloe is the bell, but
has not a word of any coming from the ifland of
hi8o\.n name.

J Syagros is faid by Harils [Co//,aion o/voyn^u,
>_. I. A 43'. 'd. 174+] to be beyond controverfv
Lape 1-anack ; but that does not correfpond with
our author s geography, nor with Pliny's. I ob-

T\ u'".r"I '" *''"•«■">•'» time it was difputed
which headland was Syagros. Our author's de-
fcnption of It, • ?he greatell promontory in the
' wpild,' may help to decide the queftion.

r^8

A. D. 73.

too hue for accomplilhmg their voyages, ufed to pafs the winter here
ami exchange their calicoes, corn, and oil, for frankincent, the fale of
which the king nioft ngorouHy monopolized in his own hands *.

Apologus. an cflablinied and celebrated emporium at the mouth of
Uie River Euphrates, and Omana on the coaft of Perfia, (or rather of
v^armania) \vcre trequented by large veflels from Barygaza with cargoes
oi brafs and vvoocls of various kfnds, and they received frankincenfe
trom e.anc. The exports from them to Barygaza and Arabia were

Pearls, found nenr the mouth of
the Perfian gulf, inferior in qua-
lity to the Indian, in great quan-
tities ;

Purple drapery, manufadlured in
Perfia ;

Wine;

Palm, or perhaps palm wine, (po7ni)

in great quantities ;
Gold ;
Slaves.

And boats, called madarata, joined together by fewing. were carried
from Omana to Arabia. ^ «-'Uiicu

The firfl trading port in India is called in the feriplus the Barbaric
emporium f, fituated on the principal ftream of the Sinthus, (Sindi,

fingle grain of it onboard hi» veffel 'uiilioul lie
tins ' pefmiffian, it would be impolllble for her to
get out of pie harbour unlefi by the bankJar kUr.
vtnlionaflhcdyity. We ,1„d by PHny [£,. xii, c.

'f^r i"r u r 'Vf "'«''='"' «'"'• *'"<•• q'"te n=-
glcdful of the frankincenfe after it was out of their
own country ; for in Alexandria the moil feverc
reftria.ons were not fufficieut to prerent the em-
bcr^zlement of it. Pliny fjya.thi.t the Arabia,.
anibafl..d*r8 w!u, were at Roh.e gave fuch anfwcr.
to thodc who made inquirie* concerning the nature
ol frankinccpfe, as left then, more at a lof» than
ever refpcAintr ,t ; and he very juftly remarks, that
the woi-derfiJ^rtorirt were circulated io order to
raife the prices. [£. xir, cc. 14. 19.] Th,y alfo
lervcd to prevent the Phoenicians and other fo-
reigner from attempting to difcover the placet
where fome of thofe pretious articles, which were
not natives of Arabia, were produced. Jull fo the
Portuguefe m the fixteenth century fpread terrible
reports of the wonderful dan^^ers ;.nd hardlhipj of
navigating the Indian ocean,
r i }} " "'",''»ipf"''able that this emporium, af-
fedlcdly called liarbaric by the Greeks, was that
to which the Arabians traded in the time of Agb.-
tharthides, and the Gieeks at the commencement

0 the. lod.a trade, (fee above, pp. 104, 157) which
fiiny ci 'Is Patala, a nam- which appears from Dio-
nyhus lenegetcs and Arrian to he indlir.nous.

1 tolcmy, mdeed, has both iJarbari and Patala 0:1
branches of the Indn, : but his Minagara h on a
river far diftant from the Indus, in direft contra-
diction to the Periplus, which is furely fuperlor
authority. ''

"This monopolizing fnirit i» general among
the fovercigiis of many of the Oriental countries tp
this day.

All the anticnt authors, fi-ora Herodotus down-
ward, who have had occaliun to treat of Arabia,
have ffiv.n us a number of fabufcus (lories of won-
derful harddiips and dangers incurred in collefting
frankincenfe, cinnamon, Ac. from the mortal bit*
of flying ferpents, which iiifcfted the frankincenfe
groves, terrible bats which flew at the eyesof tljofc
who gathered calia, and cinnamon only to be cI)-,
tallica from the nelts of birds, which brought It
.rom the cnuntry where Dachns was br.rii. Ac-
cording to Theoplirallus, [«y/. planJ. L. Ix, c. 4]
tliei.; was a npuit, that all the myrh and frankiii-
ccnfe produced in .Sabaea was dtpolited in the tern-
pie of the Sun, tacii proprietor placing a note of
the quantity and price upon his own parcel. The
merchants, having chofen their parcels, carried
them away, leavin;; the fpecilicd fums of money in
their places, 'i'lien came the pried, who took a
third part of the mont7 for the god, and the re-
mainder was facrcdly prtfervcd for the proprietor,
1 erhaps this h a mylholoffiVal way of telling us
that there was a putJic hall, where the cultivators
confignecl thtir pniduco to proper agents to be
folJ for ihcin, and paid a heavy duty to the p."ielt«.
The author of the Perlplus has no flying leipents,
no bats, -no birds imporiing cinnainon ; but he
fays, that the frankmcenle treen infrfted the air
with pelllJential vapours, and that the gathering
was a talk impofed upon condemned criminals, to
whom it WTii certain death. He adds, that it need-
ed noh'-dy to ;ruard it, the gods taking that charge
iipou themlelvcs, io that If any perl'oii canied a

i

A. D. y^.

l6i)

brought h«„ .hi, po„b/,t^ffetrf 3''°- *" •'" -^"""-nodiri"
the river to the king „ M nna„^ t J"'""' """'"" ""« fent up

Frankincenfe J

Glafs veflcls ;

Silver plate ;

Money ;

Wine in fmall quantities.

Skins from the country of the Seres :

fame'^ °' '^^ ^''^ ^' ^'^"^ ^^^
Calicoes ;
Indigo. I

Drapery, moftly plain, fome coun

terfeit ;
Chryfoli^hes;

Corals ;
Storax ;

The exports were
Coftus, an aromatic root ;
Bdellium, a fragrant gum ;
Lycium. a drug or dye ftuff;
CaHien ftone (perhaps found in the

Kiver Callien at Goa) ;
Sapphires ;

nJy^;:j^:;r^gri^'^^7' ^-^-^g-. which by
Chia. ontheN^rbuddah. OnaccTunt n^Vfr"^^^^^ ^'''''''^'' ^' ^^^ol
the extraordinary tides the danger n? / \^'"?' ''^^^ "^ ^^is porv,
and the difficult pilotage of fKve Jr'^'/P""^ '''^''' ^'^^ bore

nute attention; tLuXhenatLfiT ""^ '^'^"^^"'^ ^'^^ ^^e moft mil
good way offin^heXr^S ^.lldTnT T^^-^-<^ t . cruife a

io^,.i>a in order to -.eef veSand c^^ ^T'^-' "''^^'^^ '""^

reign of the country refolvino- n n ^ ^^^^^^P to the city. The fove-
fiivourite port, ffiis porTof A ^''"''^^f '" '^' ^^^^ign trade in this
the Greek^raders from^Cpf w?o '^"^'hy^r'"' ""^.^^"-"a, againft
of them, were fent witK^euaTd to R ^ ^^PP'^^^ to put into any
found all the various produSt of.Z^^""'' l^''' '^' "^^'•<=^«"t.
inhabited by a variety ofindnaZ.f ^1 l^''''^''"' ^"^''^"^ ^^^ntry.

^vith the me'rchandize'of Bengaf and e'^n of th ""^ """"^' ^^^^^^

igai, ana even ot the country ot the Seres

Ky other -tW,r\^1— - --2^

LL. vn c. 64J tint the Perflan. gave all the Sct

.0 Letter tumo for ran f.Ik fpi,„ only hy the filk.
;™™ ; nd, notw;thn.,n.i;r,/he co/fuffon of an
pcdi. to he no doiiht that it was filk

t ' I'J.«»^.A«,,' whkh I have tranflatcJ m^^,,

,b«caufe there .. , great exportation of that article
^om the country near the mouths of the Ind^.
Tl,emrf,r«« of Pli,,,,, lL.x^xr. c. 61 however
wh.ch he ciiifFcj with ivorv hbrJ. . • '

pa.-nter,. colour,, fee.;^t7bS'l: ^i^^

u^>^'iX:i"V'] '^r''"^-: ''"^ "- ^-dditlJon of
he I'cnphjs wa, the fa,nc, but for the co ,fidc.a
..on that rnd.go muft have beco.ne an anSe of
peat importance in con.merce as foon as i t wn!
known. «nd that Indian ink muft haT been Z
tnlhng „ be enumerated among eltablin.ed ar^
c c.. -1 he authority of Ifidore, 1-„ch a it ;ri;
alfu u. favour of i„,{;^„, being indigo '

tf

A. D. 73.

i

brought by land carriage over tbe fiala-gaiu raountuios *, and aifo th«
produce of every coa(l, from Africa to the farthcft Eaft, imported by
the veficb of the country. And fuch was the difpatch in tranfadbg
bufinefs in this pjreat murt, that a veHel's cargo could he fold, and a new
cargo put onboard in three days ; whereby we learu that the merchants,
of Barygaza were numerous, aiid that they had large capitals, and were
extenfive dealers f .

Tlie imports from Egypt were

Wine of Italy, Laodicea, and Ara-
bia;

Brafs ;

Tin;

Lead ;

Corai ;

Chryfolithes ;

Garments, plain and counterfeit,
of v\\ kinds ;

Safhes made of many threads, per-
haps net-work ;

3torax ;

Mali lot ;

White glafs ;

Sandarak ;

5timmi , or flibium, (perhaps black
lead);

The exports were

Spikenard of various kinds, brought

from Proclais ;
Coftus ;
Bdellium ;
Ivory ; §
Onyx uones from Plithana and

Ozenc (believed to be Ougein) ;

• See Lieutenant Wilford in the ulfiatic rt-
fmrchti, y. i, p. 370.

f It is very common fur the native merchants
of India to buy whule cargcer by tlir invoice : and
that there were many merchants at Barygaaa who
did the fame in ihofe days, aud alfo had ftucks of
goods ready in their waichuufes fufiicient to load
the velFels immediately with the articles wanted, is
evident from the difpatch. I'he author adds, that
the fame difpalch was given in Scythia, meaning,
I fuppofe, the Barbaric emporium : but as tlie
goods were to be fent up the river to tlic king, it
is not clear from what time the three days could
ke reckoned there.

% Roman coiiii> probably tbofe carried from

Ointment of ordinary quality, and
in fmall quantity ;

Money of gold and filver, in ex-
changing which with the money
of tlxe country there was a con-
fiderable profit ; %

And there were prefented to the
king, in name of tribute or cuf-
tom,

Pretious filver veflels ;

Mufical inflruments ;

Beautiful virgins for the fcraglio ;

Wine of the firft quality ;

Plain drefles of the fineft fabric j

The moft pretious ointments.

Murrhine ftones from Ozen8 ;

Myrh ;

Lycium ;

Muflins (Sjy^onf I\J/xai) from Ta-
gara and Ozene ;

Calicoes of all forts (or perhaps fi-
gured) ;

Egypt in this trade, and alfo Greek coins, are (lill
met with at Surat, about thirty miles fouth from
Baroach, where fome of both kinds were colleih-
ed by the Dutch navigator Stavorinus. (Sec his
Voyages, I', ii, //. 1 1 , Englj/b tranjl.) The Greek
ones were perhaps thof: ut Apollodutus and Mcn-
budcr, fovereigns of fome of the eaOern part of
Alexander's conquetls, which were current at Da-
r)'gaza in our author's time. VVc may oblerve,
that every writer of veracity, who has gone over
the fame ground with the author of the Periplus,
illuftrates the accuracy of his ftatcments.

§ Phny repeatedly obferves that the largeft ivory
was gut from India. [L. viii, c(. 3, 1 1. 3

A. D. 73.

«7«

Long pepper ;

Calicoes of inferior quality*
brought in great quantities from
Mmnagara and Tagara ;
' with many other articles.

Silk ftuffs ;

Moloch inum (fuppofed cotton cloth

of the colour of mallow-.) from

Ozena ; ^

Silk thread, or raw filk :

rp^ ^, ^ , , ' """ """'7 omer articles.

fe^^iSr S i?"r "^' --^

trade. , b„, Sws'o' ; Std at rcTnt' ■:' '^fc'7. ''" 'TY'
and we arc no. i„fo™,dV ,he particular ankfeofL^Sr * '

The goods imported by the Grecian traders were
Chryfolithes ; l^^^ .

Plam^clothing in final! quantities ; Wine'in fmaU quantities ;
Corals r Sandarak;

White elaA • Arfemc ;

" - ^ '* Confiderable fums of money to"

Brafs ;
Tin;

Tiake up the purchafe of their
homeward cargoes.

There were carried thither from the ether ports oflnd'a

Pepper of Cottonara J in verv great

abundance;
Excellent pearls in great numbers ;

ford. [/. 369.] But, to moft reader, out of In.
<i<i, Jungar», need, to be tranllated at leaft a.

l.e appbcafon of thefe genuine Greek wonl^ to
Indian manufaflure., we muft be ilill more at a
lof. w,th feveral name, of article, in the I'enplu,

W, for de«omn..tioBi of Indii, fabric.. There-

Ivory ;

Silk ftuffs ;

Spikenard from the Ganges ;

for f^me of them, which were apparently ufed onlr
jn mercwtde language, and arc fo.md nowhere but
HI the Periplu.. may perhaps he improperly tr»nf.
ated. uotwthftanding all my endeavour. to^T.t
their real meaning. *

f Pliny caUs it Becar^ ; and he fcem. alfo to
write Necanidon inftead of Nelkynda

.>„i.?i'"V'V'-' 'J'*^'' P'PP*' "f Mdabar, reck-
oned the bell m India. White pepper w^, aL'o
.mported, u we learn from Phny.*^ [L.Sc,^!^

Y 2

1 7*

A. D. 73.

Malabatlirum from the interior
country ;

Diamonds *, hyacinrhs, and a va-
riety of other pc.ucid gems ;

Turtle-fliell, of a kind called Chry-
fonetiotic (from a golden ifland),
and alfo from the iflands oppo-
fite to Limyrica.

The inveflments of the Grecian traders, which our author has not
fpecified. undoubtedly confifted of all the articles, native and imported
found in the place. '

Balita, Comar, Colchi, (near which was the principal fifliery for pearls,
performed entirely by condemned criminals) Camara, Poduke, and So-
patma, were ports in the fouth parr of India which do not appear to
have been frequented by the Egyptian Greeks, But a great coafting
trade was carried on in them, partly by veffels belonging to other parts
of India, and partly by their own. From Limyrica, and other northern
parrs of Indfa, they received the various articles imported from Egypt,
together with the native produdions and manufadures. Some- of their
veflels, confiftlng of large canoes joined together, were CAWad fanjara ;
and others, called kolanrlbpbonta, which were of the largefl fize, were
uled in the trade with the River Ganges and the countries beyond it f.

The productions of the large ifland near the fouth end of India, for-
merly called Taprobane, but at this time Palsefimundi, were pearls,
gems, turtle-flicll, and muflins %-

On the continent oppofite to this ifland was Argali, a country pro-
ducing a kind of muflin called ebargaritid, and poflefling a pearl fifli-
ery; Malalia, ftretching into the interior, where much muflin was ma-
nufadured ; and, adjacent to it, Defaren^, a country abounding with
elephants of the fpecies called bofare.

Though our author's account of the countries beyond the fouth point
of India, being all from report, is much inferior to the reft of his work,

people, among whom manners, law«, religion, and
language, liave ever been, in fpite of conquers,
perfcciitions, and devallations, fo much more fta-

Plmy favs [L. xxsvli, t. 4] that the ant'unit
knew of no diamundj larger than ciicumer feeds,
but in his time there were fome even as large as
the kernel of a fi beit nut ; a proof that no very
large diamonds had yet beer carried to Rome.
Arbuthnot, by a cnrioun overliglit, iranflate" avel
Una walnut, iiiftead of filbert.

f I here recapitulate the names of the fevcral
kinds of Oriental vi'(rcls noted by our author, vi>,.
tnadaratie, final! vclTels joint d together by fewiiig,
in the IVrfian gulf; Itappaga and io/ynii/i, long
veflels, nfed by the fiiliermcn and pilots of IJary-
gaza ; Jangara, (whence the pirates called .Sangar.
ians perhaps took their name) fccmingly like the
double canoes of the South-fea iflands defcribed
by Captain Cook ; and to!andiopl>anl,t, of which
there is no other del'cription than their great bur-
then, and capacity to perform dillant voyages ; in
hopes that thofe who are acquainted with the
Eailcrn feas may perhaps be able to trace the
lames in the language of the prefent race of a

tionary than in our quarter of the world.

% Not a woid of cinnamon (fee above, p. 149)
as a produdiion of this ifland. The name of it, if
we may trull entirely to Grecian information, was
remarkably fluiftuating. Taprobane, the name un-
der -.vhich it was firlt announced to the weftcrn
world by Oneficritus, had now given place to Pa-
Iwrtmnndi, which in Ptolemy's time was fupcrfeded
l>y Salike, and by AVrw, the name given to it bv
Paufanias, an author of the lame age. [Eliac. L. ii.J
But ;boul the beginning of the fixth century Ta-
protane was again rellored, at leaft amop^ the
Gneks, as we learn f;om Cofmas Indii.opleuftes,
wlio adds, that the genuine name was Sitle-Ma,
(Selrdiv, the ifland of Stie) a flight pcrveriion of
whicii produced the SalHi of Ptolemy, and alfo
Cry/an, Cfy/on, i^i, the natucs now given to it bv
the Europeans.

A. D.

n

and even wanders into the marvelous, which has in all ages vitiated and
charaaenzed the <defcnptions of unknown parts of thf wo^i he hat
r.n?.c ' ^T\ 'Tr"^' r^*'""^ "^ '^^ ^^'^'^ «f the famous River

excdlence of the Ben^^l^ muS^*^^'I'icf [o k tS tme^ 1?S

among the Grecian traders, from the river or a to»n „<■?!„ r

on its banks. From that port we,, ar^ p^^d ITaba.'hrti San",^r

rnTc\t;'^,';^;^''theSer:.\\,Te°.;;*i.r'°^r'^^^

.he beft turtle- Jl, !„' S ^f MrS^'l'^-^dr trrorSthtf
the lea tennmates m the country of the Sin-p + h^ Koc o •

land city called Thina, from whlh wooWperhap the SfbwVn;

filk ftuffs t were carried over land through Badria as fa- as ^IrL^.
But m his attempt to defcribe the fituation of Thina th; rmue of th^
trade from it, the inhabitants, and their manner of obtlin no Jk
kinds of malabathrum from otfall leaves left behLd themTy ^n^^
bminng favage nation he is confufed and embarrafTedrat Uid te'

Hrn,Wr°"^""' "°"^''^^""g 1^°^ ^^ryfiir it was beyoAd the ^01^!?
limits ot Grecian voyages or travels. "tmoit

I have now finiflied my extrads from the very vaknhle P..,v./ c
th.Eryihr.anfea, which has never yet received h^ wle m ftf

of ^l[ """^l '• ,' ""^''? P"'"^*'^P'' °^'"g i" fo^e degree to the fina W
of the book, but probably more to the abfence oflattles ^^OS^

It IS worthy of remark, that the fubjeds of Rome, in all their ea^er
ei for purchafing Ipices and other luxuries, appear oLve know,' no

and that cinnamon and fugar were hitherto nnponed by the Grelk'

tkman poffeffing, along with cla/Tical Icarninff. a
competent knowlcge of the languages, topuKra-
p./, nav,gat>on and traJt, of t%, countries be-
tween the Red fea and Ceylon, ainiled b, a .rood
manufctipt toconcafomc error, of tranfc,Tbc,8
m number., pon.t, of the compafs, and omi(l,ons,
U would be a very great acquifition to literature in
general. 1 he ed>t,on of ,l,e Periplun by Sluckiua,
with a mult.tude of p..dan(ic r.nd t.ifli.L „ote8.
no exception to what I have iaid in the text ■ n,
therdoesDodwellV profulion of eru.htio^.U.row

!!i;!e\ 1 r'Tr'"" ""•■ '"' "•" ''• t'"=Pnncipal
objctt of Ins diUcrtation. *

II 111: ___ f w •'

blifhed charaaer of the Bengal muflin,, and tf the
vcrae.ty of the Periplus.

t Qucre, if the Chinefe T— or Siam ?— or Peeu,
antientlj; called Cheen. as we learn from the A'''
Mbny, y. 1, *. 7. The editions of Blancard and
.•Wuckius. and the Italian iranflation of Ramulu),
vary in the names ot (his nation or city j and un-
fortunately we know of no manufcript to appeal

X ' OUm, ,i ^j„;,.'_(M„rt, is properly linen
cloth but I have tranll.ted it calico, when applied
to Indian manufaaure, i and with the addition of
ni(<«« (lilkenj we can fcarcely conceive it to be
any other than filken (luff.

J If an edition of the Ptriplus, with proper il-
lullrativc accompaniments, wtrc txecuted by !. geu-

"■ \n ^h\'^"' '■ 7^ '»''' "" I'"''*" <"'•"'■' called
^Jnoptyl/ou. like a pepper-corn, but larrer a,.d
...ore bru.l., wluci, was imported fo. the lake of
the Icent. rius defcriptio,, is very unlike cloves.

f !>ce aboYC, p. i6i, note t- 4

»74

A. D. 7^.

traders, not diredtly from India, but through the medium of the mer-
chants of Arabia or the eaft coaft of Africa. Could the Greek mer-
chants, who frequented the ports of India, poffibly be ignorant that
thofe ajrticlcs were to be had in the greateft perfedtion in that country,
when Alexander's officers knew that cinnamon, ipikenard, and other
aromatics, were produced ijn the fouth parts of it ? {Strah. L. xv
p. loiS.j , .

We may be well aflured that the demand throughout the wide extent
of the Roman empire, and, what was in a great mealure a confequence
of that, the demand in the Oriental regions, mad-^ die manufadures of
Egypt more flourifhing at this time than they ever were in any former
age, and that they continued to profper while the Oriental commerce
continued to" flow in a full tide, which it probably did as long as the
empire retained its vigour *.

Of all the merchandize imported into Egypt by the Red fea, the
greateft part was re-ftiipped at the bufy port of Alexandria for the vari-
ous Jhores of the Mediterranean ; and a great proportion of the whole,
as they confifted moftly of articles of luxury, went to the imperial city,
where, for one inftance, cinnamon and cafia were to be found in fuch
abundance, that Nero is faid to have confumed more than a whole
year's growth of them at the funeral of his wife Poppaea, or in embalm-
ing her f. [Plin. L. xii, c. i8 — Tac. Mn. L. xvi, c. 6.]

The natives of India, deriving all the neceflaries and enjoyments of
life from their fertile foil and their own induftry, cared very little for
the produdions of the Weft. The Grecian merchants were therefor
obliged to lay in their cargoes chiefly with money ; and we are told by
Pliny, [L, vi, c. 23] that, at the loweft computation, five hundred k'i-
tertia (reckoned by Arbuthnot [p. 193] equal to £\o^,6^s .•16:8 of
modern flerling money) were every year fent o\it of the' Roman empire
to India in payment for goods, which were fold in Rome at an advance
of an hundred for one J. . But that mufl furely be a miftake, as we
have no reafon to believe that there was any monopoly in Alexandria
or Rome, or that there could be a combination of the fellers in either
place fufficienily powerful to command fale at fuch enormous prices.

Nor were the natives of India the only foreigners, who received a

♦ Wf fhall have an opportunity of ficinj; the
iUctiuing (late of the Oriciiial trade in the I'lxlh
ocntiiiy, when the Roman world wan reduced to
th(! empire of ConlUntinople,

f Ililbrc the Romans had obtained the fove-
rei^nty of Egyut, and when the commerce of that
country with Arabia may be fuppofcd to have
been in n dcclininjf Uatc, prodigiutii quantitie* of
franklnccnfe, cinnamon, and other fpicei, were con-
fumed at the funeral of Sylla, {_Plul. in Fita SylW]
nbout a ccntui r and a half before that of Poppru,

And we even find many kinds of Oriental fpJcea
and perfumes mentioned in the comedies of Plau.
tua, who died above a century before Sylla.

$ ' Mtrces [Indicw] qua apud nos ccntapli-
Mto veneant,'— -In the improved edition of ffar-
ris'i Voyagu, F. \, p. 431, the author ha* reduced
thi» monflroui and incredible advance to cent per
cent, which I fuppofe would not be fufficient to
cover the heavy charges upon the complex convjy-
ance from India to Rome.

Alexandria *Jt was e.-SX""/'^^^^^^^ '^^ merchants of

of the world being n;hetnd7of^hVR' ''"'^'''' °^ ^" ^'•''^^ ' 1'""^°^
part of it being conveyed to^S^^^^^^^ ^'""^ ^° confiderable a

dudions of the fertiL foil of stl, J ^, ^ ^^ /^' '^" "°'"" ^^^ °^her pro-
later of which a confdt W^ pf^of"^^ ^ man'^'/w^^^^' ^^^^^^
imo the hands of the ArawLmerchm«\r ""'"^'^ ^''""^ "« ^^X
them and the Seres fbdne^o^^hrr.m^ ""'^"^"^ P«i^ ^^

India. Pliny feverdy eprehTnSs fo vTft' '^"'^ 'J-'^''^^ ''^"^^"^'i ^«
amounting to r8o7 201 r.^nfnn f expenditure (the whole

and femate vanity?'r& i -^l^^^^^^ney) for articles of mere luxury

and it muft be ackniw ^ged* th;r as i^i^rof fh' ^"' f "-J^' "^ ^'53]
ed from the Eaft verv Inftl^' .o ^ ? °^^^^ merchandize import-

no raw maLtlsfor^C^a^^^^^^^^ defcription. as there were

quantity of the very StSvafan^^^^^^^^^^ rn" '"^ ^''^' '""^ ^ ^^^^^

cil^e of «- -em ?.h: mS? ?iS p^^^^J^ ^^^ P^^^

"a^^^r^ss: t^^iisi?' ?^^^^^™^^^

their fuperfiuous money Thofe rinketT lu7h t" ^" f^^^S^ ^^^
^...d rc-»ea?c- it cffo |°iS aftbrifr, '^ »?d ,""\ ■'e-lpin it very fmall

* The lUt^iriniii; ...^J 11

h. I'lv ? ^"'''T"'''^"P''^' '" t''^ fade of

fe Lgyp .an Greek, wiih Arabia, Africa and

nd.a, murt have obfervcd fevcral inftancc Jf S

lopcnur u.m,n<rc,al knowlcge of the A^abi^n

".'^'Chants. But the Greeks Icre probably fuue

nor to therrt ■„ the extent of their Lal.^gs! ^"

r.lL^ !i"'' 11'' r^,f • "■' '■ "3 that it was made of
filk produced by fi k-worms rW^.„) native.of Af

. d h,. Aflyrran ion,fy,:„., .n^n ,,3,, ^een the rr,!:
ufadure of a more diitant country, procured by
«l.c agency of the Aflyrians : for^we%,all after'^^
«a.ds fee that two Perf.an monk, claudeai elv
bmugh the eggs of the frlk-worm from the cou ,-
try at the Seres to the Roman emperor at Co
ftant,„op,e,,h,ch would not have b'een necelfarl,
>f the genuine f.lk-worms had already been in Ai-

1-76

A. I>. 73.

[P/V«. L. vi, c. 17 ; L. xi, c. 22.] For upwards of a century the moralifts
and fatyrifts of Rome had execrated and ridiculed the indecent expofure
of the perfon by fuch gowns of glafs, fuch trmfparent clothing, * if in-
deed it might be called clothing,' fays Seneca, ' when a woman drefled
' in it could fcarcely fwear that (lie was not naked ;' and yet it ftill kept
its ground *.

There was another kind of filk of an inferior quality, faid to be pro-
duced by a fpeci;is of filk worms in the ifland of Cos, which fome of the
fine gentlemen of Rome wore in fummer, though the ufe of fuch effe-
minate drefs was difapproved by the graver people, and had adually
been forbidden by the fenate in the reign of Tiberius. \PHn. L. xi,
c. 33 — Tac. ylnn. L. ii, c. 32, where, however it is called fericum.'] But
the Aflyrian bombycina was refigned to thofe ladies, who cov.ld afford to
purchafe it : and thole, whofe fortunes were not equal to their vanity,
woxQ/ubfericum, a fabric of filk with a mixture of cheaper materials f ,
in the ule of which the men afterwards began to indulge :|:.

• If we may trad to the telli'inony of Publius
Syriis, a dramatic writer contemporary with Julius
Caefar, and after him Varro, Tibnllus, Propcrtiu3,
Horace, Seneca, Pliny, and Juvenal, fome of the
Roman ladies really did wear drefles fo cxccflively
thin, that their ikins adlually appeared thi-onpth
them : and that cnuld fcarcely be an idle grouuu-
lefs tale, (like the modern news-paper llories of
naked ladies in the Arcets of London) which was
kept up 1 30 years. We mud fuppoie from thofe
authors, that the Roman ladies had no other
clothing under their thin filks. Certainly a modem
lady, drefled iu a gown of mullin, which is fuffi-
ciently tianfparent, would ahiliad httle or nothing,
either from the warmth ortlie chaflity of herdre^,"
by divellin,'; herfclf entirely of her gown.

f I am not certain, tliat the/ulfeiLiim was in ufe
io early as this timr.

j Commentators have frcc'iently confoimdcd
Uie li^Jiimm, the lomiyci/ta, and the y'/z/'i-wm, of the
anticiUs. Jioaicliave luppofed the /'■^^iii/m a ct-t-
ton uufl"; fome mrike it the farre with ihcfeiicum;
and others, a very Fine linen. It was made from a
plant called byj[us, wliicli j^re.v in Egypt, judia,
India, and Elis, t'.e only dilliiel of Greece which
produced it. [/"'^.-//f/, ■. 2" in Jcrai.^'s trimjlaliori.
— P.iiiffii.i Ii ill liliiiiis L. i.J Tioni the fevcral de-
fcriptinns of l\Jjf:is by Pauf.mias, [/;i Elinc, i-t in
ji.Li'cic.'] from its growing in Egypt, which has
m all agej been famous for the fupcrior quality of
its fiax, and fror.i llic lerlalniy that the Ore;k3
liad ncithir cotton nor filk, we may be almoll af-
fured that it was a very fine kind of flax; and, if
iiectffiiry, we may add the pi.fitive afFcition of Ifi-
dore, [Or/;f. L. xix, c. 2"] that it was an exceed-
ing white iind fort kind of flax ; though, like a
carekfs con-.piler, he elfcwhere calls byjus coarfe
flax. Confequently the byffmum mull have been

a very fine flaxen fabric, probably like the modern
cambric. Herodotus [Z. ii, c. 86] fays, the dind
bodies of the rich in Egypt, after being embalmed,
were wrapt in bandagi . oi byjfinejinilon (' o-(>3oi«j
Zvmmi'), which could fcarcely be any other than
line linen made of byffui, and the fanie with the fine
Egyptian _/7«(/(.n mentioned by Julius Pollux [Z.
v'i, c. 17] and Clemens of Alexandria. [JVrtw. i.]
Of the byffus there was alfo made a fine kind of
net-work, peVhaps like the modern lace, by the
manufadure of which, and of the fine byfiine cloth,
many women in Achair, the diflrift next to Elis,
fnpporttd themfclves. [Paufan. in Achate,} Pliny
fays, [Z. xix.r. i] that the ladies were veiy fond
of lyjfmum, and uled to buy it for its weight in
gold, which, I believe, would not even now be a
very extravagant price for lace or the finell cam-
bric. The Itrauge defcription of byjfus produced
from trees, and worn by the fuperioi ranks on the
banks of the River Indus, while the re!l of the
people wore linen, given by Philoftratus in his Life
of ^P'lll-ynius, need not be minded, as his work is
not hidory but romance.^There was another plant
called ttiiiorgis (from Amorgus, an illand (^|; the
^'E^'aran fea, where it grew) apparently a fpicies
of Has ftill fintr than the byjpis, for which, and the
liiiff made of it, with the authorities, fee Bochart,
Ceog. fur. col. 414.

I'he li'.mhydiia was generally undcrftood to be
made from the threads fpun by an infcft called
liiinly.v. The feiicum was fiippofed to he made
from wool, or from a woolly or downy fubllance
found upon the leaver of 'rees, and it was alfo con-
founded with the bamlyiir,;, which came nearer to
the tiuth, the name of bo.iJyiina being evidently
derived from the animal of "hole fpoils the ftufT
was made, an^ fericum, unquillionably filken Auft',
fiom the Seres, the people from whom it wni'gol

A. D.

73^

rjyf

As a proper appendage to what has been faid of the commerce nro-
dace, and manufadares. of the Oriental countries, I anne^ fped^et

ilia finillipfl rtaf^ iuli/v l»» : j _ . - .

jn I fimflicd ftate, who long enjoyed a monopoly of
the pretiou3 infea producinjf the fiUt, and who
even now, by uo:,effing a better kind of filk-wormi,
or of the mulbirry trees wherewith thty are fed
or by better management, and the experience of
thoufands of years, command the market for the
mod bnlhant filk.

Silk does not appear to have been known to
Homer, nor even to Herodotus, though he him-
loir, anil thr Oi-»>1ra ^C v., l. i ° • .

..., . . **wuuuiu3, [nougn he mm.

fcif, and the Greeks of h.s age, had much inter-
.•ouri.; with the Effyptiaos, Phuenicians, and Per-
iians, opulent and lu.-;nrioiis nations, but who. per-
haps had not obtained any knowlege of it in his
time. Ariftotle. though the moft antient natu-
ralilt extant, gives the bed account of the filk-
worm to be found in antiquity. He dcfcribes it
as a horned worm, w'.iich he calls hmiyx,- fa nam«
given by him to other infeas) and fays, th«t it
palles through feveraltransformatijnsin the courfe
ot lix montli^i, and that bomlytia is produced from
It. He adds, i;.cat 'ome' womhi decompofed the
hmhyha and re-ipu and ri-wove it, Pamphila, a
woman of Cos (an ifland near the cbaft of Caria)
being faid to have firll prartifed that kind of weav-
ing. IH.Jl; amm. L. y, t. ig.J He fays nothiii,r
of the native country of the bombyx._Pli„v
though he makes AfTyria the nativccountry of the
hmiyx, from the ,.,i of which the i,»,iycL was
made, ranfplants Pamphila, and her m.-fnu«aure
of a delicate clothing for women, to Ccos, an i(!and
.-.n the oppofKo fidc ot the yEg.ean fea near the coall
jit Attica, being apparently miflcd by Varro ; and
he immediately adds, that the *,«*,,, ^t, alfo rt-
fnrird to be a native of the illanj of Cos. He
e fewhere fays, that the (luff (he never ufe. -.l.e
wo J Jn;a,m) winch the women of Rome undid
and wove anew, was made frcm a white ,voolIy or
downy fuhftance, combed by the Seres from the
Ieave3 of trees, which were dilfeient from tht
wool.bcanng trees (cotton) of the ifland of Tylos
jl the Perfian gulf, a.id tint the drapery („f tha
kin.l) was imported frt)m the Seres, along ,W
their excellent iron, and furs or ikins. i have now
ex.raa.d the fuMt^nce ..f all that plln; hal
throughout hi. great work [/.. [y, .. ij. vi „

nerted with fi k-worms or filk.-Modlf ^ Jother
wuters afur Anftot e. particularly Nearchus, Ari-
riohuhis. Theophrallus, Virgil, (who has mifledhis
commentator Servius. and others) Dionyfais Perle

Marcelhnus, Claudian. Jeioni. &c. including a „eri.

fn ,n "C '"'"""' '^^■P''"'"^''^ that/„;.„„, „«, ^A^
on fleeces growing upon trees, from the barks of

;(Iea». which IS a i.eeenary confequence of attempt-

what they had heard of nik-worms feeding on the

Vol. I.

leaves of trees, of cotton growing on trees, of flax
.nd of the coir, or t.ner rind, of ti eoco.nut. in ",'
umnteUigible jumble. And Ifidoru. biihop of Jiif.
pahs mS^ain, though he lived a century after the
mtroduaion of Clk-worm: and the manufaftu e of
filk in Greece, was a, ignorint as any of them, and
fervdely copied Plmy. iOri^.L. xix.I ,7. „.',!"J

IJZP '"" '''^P'-°Ji^«'' of informatiol, even o
learned men in public ftations. in thol. aeM. But
^■ut „ morefurprifing. Harrifon. who may b,;
called a modern author has perverted the worlof
Dieniyfius Per.egetes. defcribing the maiiutaaure
of the Seres, which, he fays was fpun finer than
the wo,k „f ,he fpider, to^arn rnadl of th. l.T/
of Britain, a o^untr y at the oppofite extremity of
the earth. IDIonys. v. j ; j .^DrfcnJ^loH of ^bTx-
'r,^S8^ " ""^"'^^'^' Chronkkfv. ;,/ tl\.

wr!?t"'y^''ni '^°"^" "' """" '^« """>"". who
wro e befiire fdk-woui.s were brotight to Europe
might faU mto. ,t wa, deaily afeerTained thatTiSc

er threads (i«iT-t«) fpun by worms in the countrV
'^LL^,""'.°^ P'-o'opi'^' Gothic. L. iv, c. 1 7 J.
Th,Mfl,Su«ocatU Hift.L. viii, c. 9.a„d theextraft
... Phm,' BM.p. ^i-Thcophanrs in Piolu BMp.

m nf ''^'' '"7-And by all the writers of th* '
middle ages, who have occalion to mention filk
and efpeciulIyOtho Frifingenfis IG.J}. FridcrLil.

tJ T"" ^"P'-/-'^' "I- 66«] when relating
the tranfportatioii of the filk-weavers (• opifices aui

■fr'n ^1?""°' ""■■" ''"'?"'■) ^™'" Greece, the on.
lyChnftian country where the manufafturtr wa.
known, to Sicily. Suidas, in particular, fay, e- .
prefsly that/mcB«, called by fomewrta,^. Is pro-
cluced by a worm in the country of the Seres, and
therelor the (luff made of the metaxa which was
formerly called Median, was afterwards called feri.
'ZT,- «" ;"='"y Po*""'": evidences before
them, ,t IS really fuiprifmg, that w,y doubt con-
cermng the apphcat.on ofthofe names ihoidd have
exifted among the learned of modern times.

With refpeft to the fdk reported to have been
produced ,n Cos, not Ceos. it mud have been ot a
very bad quality, or m very minute quantities, if
the women, poireiTing it. 4uld fubml to the . .
dious and laborious operation of makine raw ma-
terials out of foreign finilhed goods for their own
manufaaure. But itfeems to\c a miftake ^°fr
u there were any (Uk-worms. or bombyces. In
that tflaiid : and it may be prefumed, that wha !
ever manufaaure of hlk-^roods was' cauied on
there, was. hke thofe of l^re and Bervtus f to be
mentioned afterwards), fupplied with raw-fi k im!
ported from the Eaft. which may be fuppofed Xa
quality inferior to that retained by the oriVinal pro-
prietorj for their own manufaaure, and tlenee the
^ differcrtt

170

A*P..t73'

of tb? prices of feyefftl Oriemal CQwraodijies in Ronwn denarii anithtir
teijith parts, calkv affes, and alfo in, mpdern founds, ihillings, ai:\d pence,
fterling *, as they were fold about this time in Rome by the Roman
pound, equal to twelve ounces of qur avoirdupois weight f.

Sandarak -
Ciimabar -
LadaViUm, the

beft
Bdellium, ge-
nuine
M)ih, from

to
Stade, tears of
myrh, from
to
frankinrenfe,
from
to
Ginger,
Cardamomum,
Myrobalans,
Storax, the beft

Rotnr-n.

d. a.

o 5

12 5

4 o

3
13
22

6

50

14
16

6
12

2

19

Bri'tirh.

£. J. d.

004
o 8 I

o I 11^

o 8 4i

O 14 2i

0 3 10^

1 13 37

O 9 Oi

o 10 4
o 3 10^
079

o I 3?
o 12 31

Roman.

Dtilidi.

d.

a.

r-

/.

d.

Long pepper
White pepper
Black pepper
Coftus

15

7

4

16

0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

9

4

2

10

87

7
4

Indian fpikc

-

nard from

30

0

0

19

4i

to
Cinnamon

100

0

3

4

7

wood

20

0

0

12

IX

Cinnamon oil.

formerly 1

,000

0

32

5

10

now it '
Malabathrum,

,500

0

48

8

9

from

I

0

0

0

7i

to

Malabathrum

300

0

9

13

9

oil

60

0

I

18

9

As the nautical fcience of the Greeks and Romans, or, to fpeak more
corre<aiy,- of the Egyptian Greeks fubjed to Rome, was probably now
brought to its higheft degree of improvement, I have thought this a
proper place to throw together a few detached hints of the niival affairs
of the Roman empire in thefe agCvS.

The Ropians were apparently the moft awkward feamen in their own
empire ; and they knew nothing of the tides, or of the management of
veffels in the Ocean, as is evident from the damage fuffered by Caefar's

i'lifT^rent cflimation of the Conn and Oriental fa-
brics at Rome: for we arc afTurfd by Tlieoplianea
and Zoi'.aras, that, before filk»worins were brought
10 Conftantinople in the middle of the lixlh ctn-
tury, no j.crfon in that capital knew that iUk was
produced by a worm ; a pretty flroiig evidence that
there were no filk worms of any kind in an ifland
io t.car to Conftantinople us Co^ ii.

' The Roman ihnailus h rated at fevcn pence
th'-ee fai things lierhng, reckoning the ounce of
ftandard filvcr at five fliilliiigs. Sec ^rtuthnul's
TdHts,p. 15.

\ All the articles are extrafted from the great
thefautus of Pliny ; and a1!, escrpt the two firft,

from his twelf:h book. Moft of them are alfo in.
fctted in Arbuthnot's ninth chapter. But llie
doflor's copy of Pliny muft Iiav,; differed very
much from my two, which I find agree exadlv in
all the numbets.

X The price .vas fo high as :,ooo denarii in con«
ftquence of the article being mouopolried by the
king of the Gcbanitct (or CatabcniJ : and the fti)'«
liighcr price was occafioned by the trees being vviL
fully burnt down. Piiny has nowhere given us
the price of the baik of cinnamon, the n oft prett.
ous part } but \\t may judge of it from the pri. e
<>f the wood : or Qu. did Ii« call the baik wood?

3

A.1D.

73-

79

iTcet on the coaO of Britain^ and thie wreck of that of Dihfus on tlie
coaft of Germany. Wliat little mmical; knowlcge they had was merely
luhferv»erit tfo tho parpofes if war : foi commerce, as beneath the di"--
!i'^t** Ir <^o"n»e»'o« of the wbrld. was abandoned to their llrbietfts of
Gadir, New Carthage, Maflilia. Rhodes. Plioenicia, Egypt, &c. Their
own veffels were of two kinds, the one adapted for battle, and the other
for tranfporting their armies. Their {hips intended for battle, thouuh
they carried feveral tires of oars, drew very Kttle water*. They were
very long m proportion to their breadth; and probably their bottoms
were flat, or fo nearly fo, that th^y could be conveniently hauled up
upon the beach t, and their fides parallel to each other, being according
to the beft judgement I can form of them, in the conftruaion of thei?
bodies, much more like the coal barges on the River Thames thari fliips
ftt to go upon folt water. They were called hn^Jbips to dillinguilh them
trom others which, having their bottom timbers fomewhat rounded,
and their fides bending in to the ftem and ftem-poft, were called round
Jnpsp Their tranfports, or ftvips of burthen,; which Csefar calls great
Hups, and fays, they required (comparatively) dicp water, dre\Y in fad
lo httle water, that the Ibldiers leaped over their fides, and walked
onfhore, as failors do from aihip?siong-bor\t.

Tlie natives of Greece appear to have been even now but very indif-
ferent leamen . Polybius, about a century and a half before the Chriftian
^ra, had obfei-ved, that in his tijne very few of them ventured fo far
from home as Byzantium ; a voyage not half fo long as that afcribed to
the Argoivuits m the fabulous ages. If wfr may truft to the poetical
a^ithonty of Ovid, they ftill perfifted in chegrofs ftupidity of preferring
the greater bear to the lefler one as their mark for the north pole in the
enlightened age of Auguftus. And Lucian, contemporary with the
emperor Antoninus the Philofopher and his fon Commodus, reprefents
the whole city of Athens as ftruck with aftonifhment at the fight of a
very large fhip. It may be obferved. however, that moft of the names
uled by the Roman writers to diftinguilh the different kind of veflels
were received by them from the Greeks §.

out of the water required flat bottoms: and Luef-
aii'8 fidion (ill his True tt/iory) of his ve(li:l goine
iippn the ice inters, that ihe could ftand upright
without being fiipportcd by the water, and vfth-
out U'e additional keels given to the ice boats in
America.

X Some have fiippofed, tliat tliofe tcffels were
littnily circular, or, in other words, that people
weut to lea in tubs. Sec a reprefentatioii erf a
round vrflel in the plate at p. 3 1.

§ A lift of the varioui kinds of Tc"'e!s maybe
found in Aulus Gellius. [Noel. At). L. x, c. 25, ]
But as it onl^ contains bare name*, it would ho
nfeltli to trjnlcribc it.

» 'i'he Liburnians decoyed thuir enemies, pro-
bably Kununs, who wvre onboard a friremis, into
ihallow water, which, by crwichiii^r Jown in it,
they made to have the appearance if a t/ccf> fea
(• alii maris'), wherein men's heads only could b»;
Iteii above tlie water. The trirmit got aground,
.Hid was taken. \_Fronltni Slratagtmata^ L. ii, i.
;.J How tnnny feet, or rather how many inches,
of water did this ihip of war nqnirc to tloat her i
■— Paulus jI';miHus went 1111 the Tiber (which, if 1
.im rightly iiifocracd, lias fcarcelv four feet of wa-
ter) to Rome in a vcffel -ii f^'itcn tires of oars,
' iken from the king of Macedonia, [l.ivil HilL
/.. .Iv, .. jy.]

t Ihe common pradicc of Jiiiuling tlicir yefTtU

7. 2

[8o

A. Dt

7-3f-

The Greeks of Egjrpt vere nowby far the beft • navigators of the
Roman empire, having apparently fxiccecded to thfe nautical knowlege,
as well as to thecommerce, of the Phoenicians: and they, pofleired th«
importait advantages, which the others loarcely ever had, of a free na-
vigation in the Oriental feas as well as in the Mediterranean, and of
having a conftant, great, and ready, market for their merchandize in
thf* wealthy capital of the Roman world. Their induftry and ingenuity,
thus cherifhed and encouraged, were further ftimulated by the example
of the Arabians, as far as we know, the oldeft, and apparently the beft,
navigators upon the Indian ocean, or Erythraean fea, with whom they had
much intercourfe. And we may prcfume, that they had acquired a con-
liderable degree of proficiency in the theory and pradVice of navigation
by the aflbciation of great numbers of Phoenician Icamen, who, on the
decline of trade in their own ports, would undoubtedly refort to Alex-
andria : for feamen are a clafs of people, who feel lefs inconvenitence in
expatriating themfelves than thole of any other profeflion; and they
muft ever follow the footfteps of commerce, with which they are fo
clofely and fo infoparably conne61ed. As to the natives of the old
Egyptian race, they do not apjieaj- in any age to have had the iJnaUeft.
concern in maritime affairs, or ddivcifdreigncommercevrviii't s^ /.^.lUru.

The antient feamen trufted chiefly to their oars for making way, nei-
ther the hulls of their vieflels nor. their £iils being calculated for going
to windward : and thence, as the motion of the veflel through the water
was pretty uniform, we find the diftances of pliices generally noted by
fo many days' courfes, a kind of menfuration, which, however prepofter-
ous it would be in modem times, was then tolerably accurate, efpccial-
ly when applied to pafiagos which had been often rej>eated. When the
wind was fair, they hoifted their fails, which appear from medals and
fculptures, the only kinds of information we poflclk, to have been very
fmall, and went before it. And they alfo knew how to trim their fliils
by ropes anfwering apparently to the ftieets and tacks, and perhaps alfo
to the braces, in modern veflels fo as to avail themfelves of any wind,
which was not before the beam, as we find antient authors mention vef-
fels going oppofite courfes with the fame wind whcp moderate*, or, in
modern fea language, failing with the wind upon the beam f . In
the runs between the Red fea and the coaft of ln:lia they never had the

• ' The wind Arjieftis (about wcft-iiorlh-weft)

• is gcTitk, and tqually coiivcnitnt for goiiij^ and

• returning.' [&«<•.'. ^.r/l. nat. I., v, c i6.]

f Compare Pliny, L. ii, c. 47, wlierc ' prolatis

• pedihns' fccms to man bauliitii forvMrd the tacit,
witli Virg;!!, Aineid. L. v, r. 16, where the wind
hein)^ northerly when the Trojans are bound from
C;irthagr to Italy, l.iit lirll to make Sicily, the
fails are tiimined to the wind, and lulped bjr the

oac»} and .ilfo willi v. 2R9, where the fail is
fijuarcd hy the lack,-; or (hctts, (' Una omnts ft-
' cere pedein' which word Servlus exjilains as
meaning the rope, by which the fail is llrctc'icd
out J and one of the lijly yard-arms is hauled in,
wliile tin; other is eafed off, which could only be
done by braces ; the oars are kid in \ the rowers
gone to llccp on their benches ; and the (Icct is
glii'uig thrungh thewavheforc a plrafanlbiccxe.

monfoons right aft j andfometimes they muft have had them aimoft
barf^ly upon the beam. «iMw*b

The maritime pare of the Itinerary of Antoninus, which wai'com'

ril^-JrP'''^'f'*'t'''°"'^'/'^^™^"«^ '^^ >'^"« «ft*=r «his time. g.v. , a*
a good pidture of the t,m,d pra^iw of the Mediterranean f^amen in
creepmg mto almoft every bay on the coaft. It begins with dirtdinK

Sem L l^w' fr^"'^ '^"'^ are «o fewer than twenty, and fome o}
them ande beads of day,, on the coatts of Greece. Epuus, Italy, wiidin

stiwt'kf'V'^"'' "^^'^T' ^''^" ^'""S ^^^ ^^-^ «"^ fouth fide of
Sxcily to the weft pomt of it, whence to the Maritime ifland. and from

coaftTAfrka"' '"""'" hundred ftadia (about ninety miles) to the

Though the general pradice was to keep clofe to the (hort at leaft
to have It conftantly in fight, yet. a, they were fure of an xten^ve
range of coaft for their land-fall, they fometimes ventured to depi'?
from tliat dilatory and dangerous timidity, when they could dernd
upon a fair wind by the regular return of the etelians ^n the Medker-
ranean, or the monfoons in the Indian ocean. We have feveraUnftau-

IZ'^tVu'^''^^'^'^'"'''"^'''^^'''^^^^' *«^«ng whichiiaU in
ftance the following runs to Alexandria. Agrippa went from Rome tr
Putcoh where he found a veltl belonging to' ATexaS rea'y to fJl!
and^he arrived m that port m a few days.. {^ofej^L Antia, L. xviii, r. 8 1
Galenus was conveyed to Alexandria in the l^vcnth. and BabiUu in thi
fixth. day from the Sicilian ftraits, [PHn, /,., Kix,pr(Htm^ Thefe midi!
be reckoned pretty good pafTages even in modern times * ^

In the Mediterraneau. during (he winter, mild as it is in that fea.
and Ihort as the nights are, compared with thofe of our moi-e northern
climate, all navigation was fufpended, as well now as in Se age of thl
antient Greek poet Hefiod. unlefs upoB fome very ext aordlnarf and

'S^^^'^'^r'^ " ^-""y ''^'^ o/ercamet&irus
regulation. Lven the Phoemcians ulually finifhed • their vovaa^s for

hc'wTnTer'''r::J^?:.r\V ^^^ ^^^^ vefl^K ring'

however, remember, that the owners of velTels or gpods hadr^ot th^i
portumty of guarding againrt the ruinous confeqtlces ofXpwreT
by paying a moderate premium of ijifurance f : and, indeed, th^fame

P^ii>C/,.xv, f. i8] tcllsaftoryofthc fire- - " "
brand Cato, ' burning with de«dly hatred to Car-

' }^}W'\ "'»»'"£ a fitf to the K»man fcuatc,
winch, 111- faid, had been pulled only three days
before at Carthage, as an argument againa per-
nuttinir a powtiful city fo near t'lem to exill j and
ht adds, with fome flowers of rhetoric, that that
hiigle apple (he makes figs a fptclea of .ipple) wa?
ttif caule of the dclhticlion of Canhn^'f. B'lt

Calo's afL-rtiou luuft have been fijlfM with refpcfl.
to the tunc, the pa%r to Rome being at leall joo
nulej. which alone was more than fufficieut to take
up three dayr, ^

i h has been fiippoftd, th;it Infurance upon vcf-
leU was introduced by the emperor Claudius, but
without any authority, as I have already obfcrvcd,
p. 151 note. ■ '5

i82

A, D, ^|.

caution, and evei\ legnl reftri<£lion8 againft \nnter navigations, "haTC

continued in late ages.

w> As their coafting navigation necefliirily brought them among ftioals
and rocks, it was often neceflary to pafs the whole night lying at anchor.
But in eroding welHcnown bays or in making a run to the oppofite
fide of the Mediterranean, they often ventured to proceed in the night-
time, fleering their courie by the ftars, of which they had more know«-
Icge than is to be found among the untaught part of our modern fea-
men, whofe compals directs their courfe in the darkeft nights with cer-
tainty and confidence. vi*i>!*

The navigators of the Erythrjean fea were probably fuperior tothofe,
who conlned their pra<ftice to the Mediterranean. We know that they
l:\iled in the night, even in their coafting voyages along the African
(hore * : and we have at lead one inftance of great knowlege of the
theory of the tides, of the knowlege of the polar ftar, of the nature of
the fpring tides, and even the difference of night tides, of the indica-
tions of the approach to land, and of the pilotage of the various har-
bours, in t?hat judicious merchant and navigator, who wrote the Periplus
of the ErythnEan fea.

•iiThey (till preferred fir, and other timber of a fimilar nature, as ilic
Greeks did i i the age of Theophraftus, for building their veflels, which
they bolted with brafs in preference to iron. They covered the bot-
toms with w«x, which was at lead fometimes mixed with pitch. [Tbeo-
phrajl. L. V, c. ^^-Vlin. L. xvi, cc. lO, li.—JrnaniPeripl. Pom. Ettx.
p. 117, ed. Blancardi.^^^Veget. de re mil L. iv, c. 34.] An inftance of ex-
traordinary attention to the prelervation of the bottom appeared in a
vefTel, faid to have belonged to Trajan, which was dag up in the fifteenth
century from the Lake Nemorefe, or I^ke of Aricia. It was doubly
planked with pine and cyprefs, over which there was a coat of pitch, to
which a covering of linen was faflened, and over all a fheathing of Iheet
lead (' chartam plumbeam') fattened with nails of brafs f. ILeonis Bapt.
AUierti de re adificatoria L. v, c, 12.]

The marts and yards tvere made of fir on account of its lightnefs.
[Plin. L. xvi,f, 39.] The ufe of three marts, introduced by Archimedes
in Micro's great Ihip, [fee above, p. 98] does not appear to have become
general ; for I find but one inftance (in Julius Pollux) of a ftiip of three

" Mannm, E3 quoted by Ptolemy [ii. i, f. 7]
quotes Diodorus Saiiiius, as faying, that tlie iiavi-
jjators in tlic Indian ocean, when going ftom In-
ciia to Limyrica (whicli, however, is a part of In-
da) kept tlie conftellation called the Bull in the
m ddle of tl>« Iky, and the Pleiades upon the mid-
dle of the yards j and thofe who failed from
Ar.il>ia for Azania on the eaft coaft of AfHca
(Ucrcd by the liar Canopus. This account may

be admitted as very fufiicient evidence of their
noftunial navigation, though it is blundered ii\
paflTmg througli fo many hands; for no Teaman could
be fo ignorant as to think, that the liars would
biar on the fame part of his veflel through the
whole night.

t The French Encyclopedic [ur/. Dcvhlag! dtt
xaiffeaux] has Greek pitch, and nails i.f copper, in-
Head of black pitch and nailt of hraft.

A. D.-73.

»<5

as the lower maftTrfmoLn 1 "", ""?"• ","'' "•"' f"*-"!^ <"■> I«ft»

<:<1 others ahove them be l,t; Aw^- u" »"'• '''7 had lately iutrothtc-

• and by f„ ™a..yr;,'d" 1 ' Va^'^ge^:*" t^Vl "" """ ' '
of flax, and of a fabric mucli ton fliX^^ n r" ^^ ^''*'' ^"^^^ "^"tle
we may judge from ^eX'e nam.??' •^'''" ^*"rT " «*'^' ^^' ^ind. if
prefl'edU.eLdoTlh^^n uferfrcW^^^ "^''p'^ to them, which cx-
Jarge/hips ofAlexandrinr^lL^r . "."^- r^"' ^'^ '''^«^. t^^ the

the Veneti in G uUalreadv defcrt'f'^ ^'"^T^^^ ^"^ «>^^' 'h«f« of
leather f. ^^""^"^^ defcnbed, p. ,,5) carried fails made of

we find Cleopatrawlf ^iLv dXr',^ by Alexander the Great : ,„a
om battle o/ Adium l?^ S f '.™°B",'flied by a purple fail in the fam-
ed by lights: Sd^o"- oil tl^t"^' tjft ^"\^"r>.gu2.

L. vi. / , , .] w; le-^f'"J¥' ^' ''^•"' ^; 25— and fee P. ly^ni StraUv!
iail^and Hglus wJ^'L^^^t^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^'^ /-- ciiaindions'l^-

and they appear to have cont^n^..^^ Relifarius m the hxth century,

. {"ei-fisa'iincrcUblc ftorvofa Rnm»„ n,- r . ^^ mc Oars ; and

njtc.

. t Plii'y has not a word of any kind .if^ >.i k

'■9] ;s ufcful for making c.dage ; \houS the'
hracian,. a, we learn from Hero^do'tu.. Lf Udc
clt,.!, ol hca,p many ages before hi, time.

•"ay be fctuficd from coin, and other antiem rt-

„f;. - •— ..uriiMior recommend, the ufe

of t«o ruddm on the quarto-, of modern U^Z.
becaufe the (ream of vJatcr paffing the "h pttiT
be ilrongcr there tha« at thl (lern-poft'-li^id he
[tjppofc a fhip formed like a chell ? The vefTel. of
h., country, to-bc-fure, come nearer to .)!,,/
than thofc of any o.h« m Eu^ '° """ ^"^"^

1^4

A. D, 73.

they fecm to have been worked on the cjiiarters much in the fame man •
oer that failors fomctimes fteer a fmall boat with an oar *, except that
the handles were brought within-board through little ports or pigeon-
holes, and that they were fixed by ropes, which during engagements
were fometimes cut afunder, or rendered unmanageable, by (kilful
divers going under the quarters. Befides the i>eople of Tapbroband,
already mentioned, [p. 148] the Suiones a German nntion, the Byzant-
ines, and upon fome occafions the Romans, had veflels, which fleered at
both ends, fo that, either end being the head, they never needed to go
about. [jTHiani H'tft. var. L. ix, c. 40. — Tnc. jinn. L. ii, c. 6 ; Germ..^
Veget. L. iv, c. 46. — Dion. Caff. L. Ixxiv.l

Each velicl carried two or more anchors, the largeft of which was
called the facred anchor, and, like the (hect anchor of modern feamen,
was referved fo»- the greateft ncccfllty. Though the propriety of mak-
ing anchors of iro.i feems to be obvious, yet the old pradlice of making
them of fome weaker fubftance feems ftill to have been kept up. Bui
in the following age iron anchors became general f.

The veflels emplo)'ed in the corn trade between Egypt and Rome
were apparently the I'.rgefl: of any upon the Mediterranean fea, which
was perhaps a confequence of the corn bounty given by Tiberius. Two
of the three Ihips, in which the apoftlc Paul made his paflTage from Judtea
to Italy, were of Alexandria ; and one of them carried two hundred and
feventy-fix people, befides her cargo of corn. It is probable, that the
veffel, wherein Jofephus, the Tewilh hiftorian, was cart away on his pafl^
age to Rome, which carried fix hundred people, was alfo of Alexandria.
But thefe are r ~/hing to the aftonifhing magnitude of the Ifis of
Alexandria, whicii, if the dimenfions of her, as defcribed by Lucian t,
\n his dialogue called the Ship, be corred, mud have meafured about four

• The corrocorros of India, which were perhaps,
through the medium of the Arabians or fyriam,
the modtls of the naval conftniftionofthe Greeks,
are to this day (leered by two bro.id psddlcd ;
[^Slavorinus^s Foyages, V. \\, p. ^c6 of Eng/i/?j tran-
Jlation] as was alfo the K-^'^'Y whereia C.iptaiii Fo-
reft made his voyage of difcovcry to New-Guinea,
though he generally found one iiiflicient.

f I believe, no antient author has told U4, when
anchors were firll made of iron. In tlie early ajjes
of Mediterranean navigation the V i- jiVi .n-'
had anchors of wood loaded with leau. Ik!
in the ages now under confideratior t ic i
uicians, and alfo the Arabians, r , i < jl
leaft not inferior to the PhcEnlcians, may be
prefumed to have ftill had tlieir anchors of no
better materials; feeing that the Egyptian Greeks,
who had the example of both thofe maritime
nations before their eyes, had anchors, which,
as we learn from the I'eriphis of the Erythrizn
fea, were cut to pieces and ground awiy by the
fharp points of the rocky bottom in the bays of

naraku and Darygaza. But in the reign of Adrian
we find, that the anchors were made of iron j for
Arrian, in his Periplus o' aie Knxine fea nddrtlfeU
to that emperor, [^. 1 20, tJ. ULncariiij fays,
that the people of Colchis pretended to poifil'i an
anchor belonging to the (hip Argo, which, fayc he,
' cannot be genuine, hecaufe il it made of iron,
' though othcrwaya fomewhat different from ih-
' anchors of our limes.' He alfo f.iw at the fame
place the fragmrnts of a very antient anchor made
of ftone. — Now, of what material were the anchors
jf the Grecian veflels in t))e Indian ocean compof.
1? Were tlh • il wood loaded with Hones, fuch
1 are ftill ufed inflead of graplings for fmall craft
and boats in fome remote places ? And were an-
chors of iron introduced fo late as between the age
of the author of the I'criplus of the Erythrxan lea
aiul that of Arrian, and the prctendcdl^antitnt one
fltewn to An ian, one of the firft rude effays ?

% Though Lucian flourifhcd in the later pavt of
the tVcond century, his defcription of the Ifwis io-
feried here for the fake of conneftion.

A, D. 7j,

»8j

^Jandtuns, or about twice the burthen of one of mir firft ••,*. r • e
Ah there is nowhere elfe fo cr-nnWe 'iXf .f • ^ ^"P' °^'^''^^-

iliip. I have extrarted the folbv^nllr ^- t f"" "."*'*="' merchant

with an account of her ted^ovnafru /'w^ "^ '^'u ""P''"^""'' veflel.
the navigation of the beft of the M^H > "^^^^^'^^^^ have a good view of

Heron, the con, mS of the^ff ?'f'^?'' ^'T'''' °^"^^"''= ^'V'-
dria with a modenue brLe and on'it f 'T^^' ^''''•"' of Alexan-
• mas. the weft poin of Sypr^s w^^^^^ ''"^ u'^' «"^ ^>^^^ °^ A^^"

the weft, which dro^?hiS om Tf hi. ^'T """? ' ^=^'^ "*' ^"^"^ ^'^""^
he proceeded with h,Z ," e throu^tf ''/'' "f ^*°" '^^^""
and the continent, and i7ten dav reafL ?l rf^r^ ^'^^^'" ^^P"'''
the coaft of fa.nphylii w^^e th ^eTvt' I l^,?t'f ^^^^^^
the wnid is at louth-foiith-ufft tk ^'/'"''' '" '^^ '* neivy tea when

being loft, .ill feeing rLh^lnS'cLf, I- r" 'V^ ""'«" "'
where they were • and It LTS 7 %. fi ■"'• ""^ "' '''^y knew
curi (Caftor and Pollux) fatlt^Ur,? *"■'«'"/"■ ''"'• "^'^^ Moi-
tl>e »ay out to feV Sn ,1,P. S. "^ ,'''V°'' ("'' """"head) pointed
.hrougl the ^.an S th' ^y.l'tolrPirr '"he '■"''"? /f-^

part of her \7S anH K^^ ^?=^jl«"g''^er breadth above the fourth
part of the L d af the pPmrw.ir'^ ""^"^ ^ ^' "PP^^ '^''^ '^ ^he loweft
defcription. which wftS'^ilV '''^■""'' ^"^"^ * "^'^^ ''^^ °f ^he
miration at the prodigious L^an^^^^^^^ " '^' ^" the language of ad-
of either) the number of h^l ^ '^ (no mention of more than one

.ng up th^e rop«T,I:i"ru°nt^^nt^rto"tLTa^'r;;" ^ ?>'- ^°-

partoftheftern there was a -nM U fl ^^ ''-arm. Upon the upper

prow (or head) ft etcherout ^rlt ^"'^ ''^' ^°°^^' ""^ where the
goddels If s. ll'e omimem ' the n "T °" f:; ^''^' ' ^^^'^ ^^ ^^e
of the fail, the ancl^o^ X enl/T'"^'' '''* A^'^^-^oloured /^«>«
fvverable to the wS'Ind c^n^ ^^"^^"g/ound (feemingly In-

rooms, or cabins TtttftemP^^^^^ ^"^ '^^ l^it^S

who compared the numberof peol" "^^^ aftomfhmV

were moreover told tint iL .f P / , °"'^ ^"' ^° '"^^ ''''"n^y- They
all the people of A^^Vf^^^^^^

lailor'srodoLntadeHndthatrh^ year, (but that muft be merely

ab.ut twelve Attic tL^t^^^t 3.5 SS ""'' '^ '" °^"^^^ ^^'

"Here the carpenter has exaggerated in what
.c ftranger, cou d not fee. for t?.? honou of h

nt her Jul" '"'" ""', ""KK'^'^d dimenfion
ti.at her burthen comes to be about 4,000 ti.,„.

Vol. I.

f Some fmthrt notice, concernmg the ihipping

' fcrmon;,
A k

lU

A. D. f3.

If from the fubjeds of the Roman empire we pafs to the free nations
of the northern parts of Europe, we fliall find, indeed, very few materi-
als for naval hiftory, but thofe few very honourable to their nautical
knowlege and enterprife. Without the aid of afllired periodical fair
winds and fmooth water, without the certainty of a nightly anchorage,
or of a land-fall on the oppofite coaft of an inland fea, but trufting to
the appearance of the ftars, with probably the adiftancc derived from
the flight of birds carried with them for the purpofe*, they committed '
themfelves to the boundlefs and ftormy Northern ocean, and held their
fearlefs courfe from Nerigon (fuppofed to be Norway) to Thul^ ; [P/m.
L. iv, c. 1 6] which by the moft moderate and probable hypothefis was
Shedand. Thofe who infift upon making it Iceland, lengthen the voy-
age, and exalt without, however, exaggerating, the fcience and intrepid-
ity, of the navigators of the North. The Suiones, a people of the Bal-
tic fea, are faid by Tacitus [Germania] to have had powerful fleets. Their
veffels, as already obferved, were conftrudted fo as to reverfe their courfe
without the operation of going about ; and their oars were not fixed to
the row-ports, like thofe of the Mediterranean veflels, but loofe, and
ready to be fliifted or laid in, like thofe of modern boats. They made
no ufe of fails. (See above, pp. 137, 184.)

77 — Pl'"y finiflii^J bis great work, entitled Natural bijiory^ in chirty-
feven books f. The firfl fix, after the preliminary one, contain, in very
comprcfled language, a complete fyftem of cofmography and geography,
as they were then underftood ; and the remaining thirty contain de-
fcriptions of every article in the animal, vegetable, and mineral, clafles,
or kingdoms, and alfo all the works of art, together with fyftems of
agriculture and medicine ; the vvhole work containing, according to his
cwn prefatory, or dedicatory, letter to the emperor Titus Vefpafian, twen-
ty thoufand things worthy of obfervation, extraded from about two
thoufand volumes, many of which were fcarcely ever read, even by the
ftudious, and exhibiting a copious pidure of the univerfal fcience of the
age. This work, which has furniflied about half of the materials for the
view of the trade of the Roman world, and to which I have on fo many
ocher occafions been indebted, fully deferves the charader, given of it
by his nephew, of being ' copious, learned, and no lefs diverfified than
' Nature herfelf :' and it is undoubtedly one of the moft fignal monu-
ments of indefatigable induftry and univerfal knowlege that was ever

firmunt. But they were all mere grammarianf,
who knew no more of the fubjetl, upon which they
bavc umJcrtakcr, to iudruct others, tiiaii wliHtthey
lollrftod from the old Roman poets and hillorians,
who livtd many cenUiries before tlicni, and were
perhaps ahnoll as i^jnorant as themftlvct. Mar-
cellus fays, the yards are held fad by the anchors !
* For the method of fleering by the flight of
birdi fee bdow ucder the rear 8<^o.

f Though they arc numbered, and quoted, ai
thirty-fevcn hooks, they are in tiuth only thivty-li>:,
what is called the firit book being merely a table
ol contents, with catah)gues of the authors ((Udted
or followed, who are moikly Greeks. Pliny bin;-
felf calls them thirty-llx books. His nephew how-
ever, ill ihe enumera''on of his fnnlhed vorkj
makes them thirty-fcveu. «

a

A. D.

77-

187

produced by one man, and can be equaled by no other woric that ever
was produced m the world before the Encyclopedias oFmode^xtirs
which are compiled by the united labours of many colled^s and X'
IS flill more furprifine it wic hnr n ^^-^ ^f ' ^""^""^s- ^^^' what

him. before he^omf;ter.L rySh n™"Z X ir^'T*^ ''^
ly <o lue«ure. but a'lfo to public LfoSfrnda 'du S* '"" """
When Plmy wroee, Rome was in it, moll flourillnng ate under the
prudent and vigorous government of Velmllin r™ r
highly efteemed the fences Z:[^^::J^^ Z'ZZt
were encouraged by men of liberal education and ampk fomme ' -^
per.ods of the revolutions of the planets were known -and the theory

ed b^P^:::Xs'"Tr'' °^f lea^ receivedfrom thi tai'^ftraa'
ea oy nipparchus. The earth was known to be of a fpherical form •

Bretr ^'fr. "^^ ^^-•^-^^Ay fi-^d in the center Ke unfverTe'
But even profefled geographers, Hipparchus alone excepted had not ve;
dilcovered, that the application of latitude and longitude to tl^ pofitfon
of places was the very life and foul of their fcience rv?. / ^°^^'°"
194 BO . And the following furprifing iX of ^'nor te t
the beft-xnformed of the Romans gives room for a Son at what
they knew of the fyftem of the univerfe was implicitly r"cdved fVom
more enhghtened nations; and not real fcience LuJdl\ZVvcA
ments and founded upon rational principles. An Egy^an obelK H
been fet up at Rome by Auguftus/with fables engraved on braf ./fix
ed to It. contammg rules for knowing the hours by tL lenSh o? fh:
fliadow. For about thirty years before Pliny w Jte, hefe ^rules' had
been found erroneous ; which he, as great a philofopl cr a he wis en
deavoured to account for by earthquakes, inundations of ?he ri^r the
«uth having moved from its center, or even the fun kf^lf ho '

tion of the tables. [Bj/i. nat. L, xxxvi. c. 10.] ^ ^^"

Ikfuies hia f5ni(hfd works In one hundred and
twi) books, there were one hundred and fixty com-
nioH. place books of feleaioi.j, winch he left to his
ncphov. 1 hey were written upon both fides of the
paper, and very fn.all and clole. fo that they were
not handfome hbraij books, nor, indeed, b«ok. at
all, but materials for compdfing from. Befsre
•hey became fo numerous, he was offered 4,000
nuinmi {^. 3 225 = 3:4) for them. iPlmi EM,
i-. ui, (p. 5,] 6ucli was the value, even of collec-
tions ol_ materials judiclonlly chofen, in thofe davs,
when, or wai.t of printing, haruinh' wai confined
to the tew, whom lieavcn had bleifcd with a tafte
tor It, along with the enjoyment of a plentiful for-
tune. ^

6eleaions from Pliny's Natural hiftory, efpeci-
ally ifihey were accompanied with the judidoui
remarks of au enlightened teacher, would form a

ftudy f«r y„ uh, not lef, pleafant, and infinitely
more ufefid, than the abf.irditieg, to call them n.
worfe, of Ovid and Virgil.

t The firjl emption of Vefuviu., recorded in
hil ory, which ddlioyed the cities cf Herculancum
and PompcM. was alfo fatal to Pliny, whofe curi-
of.ty to examine the nature of that awful phieno.

ZT'VT"', ""' ^° ""/ '" '■'• '■'« '"^ w« found
dead, fu foca ed, as wu. fuppofed, by the fulphur •
and fo hi. valuable life fell a'facri.ice'to that atnt
thirll of kiiowlege. which ha, rendered his name
uncwrtal. IPlmi Epi/l. L. vi, .*. ,6.] It a^
pears from Condamine's To«r in Iitty, ,\,^i tfi^
foundations of the houfes in H.rculant.^n confilt

\ cfuvius, which overwhelmed that citv. wa. not
as « nfually fuppefed, the firfl. ^' '

Aa 2

i88

A. D.

77.

Their knowlegc of the furface of the earth was more defedive than
could be fuppofed poflible, if we had not the moft convincing proofs of
it. Y.ven Strabo axid PUny beheved, that the two temperate zones were
the only habitable portions of the earth ; and Pliny, like the poets, af-
ferts, that there can be r^ communication between them on account of
the intolerable fcorchin^ aeat of the intermediate torrid zone. Not-
withftanding this aflertion he names fevcral places within the tropic,
where he obferves that tbe fun for fome time projeds fhadows Ibuth-
ward ; and he even mentions a mountain of India called Maleus, which,
as he defcribes it, having the fun for fix months on its north, and other
fix on its fouth, fide, ought to be on the equinodial line *. [Strabo. L, ii,
p. 171 — P/in. L. ii, cc. 68, 73, L. vi, cc. 19, 29 et pajjim.'] The antient
geographers, however, allowed lefs than its true breadth to the torrid
zone. They were ftill ignorant of the Cafpian fea being an inland lake.
Pliny fays, that Arabia is of the fame figure, and fize, and precifely in
the fame latitude as Italy ; with which it has nothing in common, ex-
cept being a peninfula and ftretching to the fouth- eaft. After examin-
ing the accounts of Polybius, Agrippa and Artemidorus, he gives the
following comparative view of the n agnitude of the great divifions of
the earth, viz. Europe fomewhat above a third, Afia about a fourth,
:md Africa about a fifth, of the whoie. {Hift. nat. L. ii, 67; Z.. v'x^cc. 13,
28, 3.3.] Such was the knowlege obtained of the diftant parts of the
world by the beft-informed of the Romans, in the extended ftate of the
Roman empire, and the fun-lhine of Roman fcience !

79 — Agricola, the father-in-law of Tacitus the hiftorian, was now
rhe Roman conunander in Britain. Having already ferved in it under
Siretonius Paulinus, he was acquainted with the nature of rhe country,
and of the people ; and he employed foothing arts, as much as force, to
eftablifii the Roman authority : for, at the fame time that he was erect-
ing forts, and extending military ways, through the country, he enticed
the Britons to alTcmble in towns, and to adopt the arts and the luxuries
of the Romans. After reducing the Ordovices and Mona [Nortb-Wak's
.ind AngUfey'), he marched northward, along the wcftern fiiore, and led
the firft Roman army into that part of the ifland now called Scotland
(a°. 80), fubduing the tribes who lay in the line of his march, and making
an excurfion as far as the river Tay, whence he returned (a". 81) to the
ilthmus between the Forth and the Clyde, which he guarded with a-
chain of forts : and next year he reduced the Ibuth-wcll part of the
country, afterwards called Galloway.

83 — Briti(h liberty furvived now only on the north fide of the Forth;

* For this Pliny quotes Bttiin, an artlft employ- tial Ii'ne. Siirily, l:n; aniiciit?, when thty fpokc

'•il by Alixander the Great as a furvtyor, who of i'outherly (li idovvs, mull have only meant flia-

inod ccrtaiiily never law, and can fearcely be inp. dows not projediny I'o far noith at noo.i as thol'-

poirJ to have heard of, a:iy place en tiic niuiiioi;- in tlieit own covintric?.

A. D. 83.

r«9

and there Agricola determined utterly to extirpate it. He crofled th^
Forth and marched along the coaft of Fife, his fl^et attending and
fopporting him all the way ; a meafure which the event 4eweS\o 2^e
ablolutely neceflary • for the Caledonians watched him clofely attacked
his forts and almoft drove him to the refolution of repafTmg^e Forth

:^:^ ilS T^^n^'^^SJ^^TT''' ^' f^'^
ho..ve. afterwards re/ell^d l^ r^i,'^ l^ ^^^Tn^ ^'^ --,

84 — 1 ne Ualedomans, next ferine- raifpil on o..rr,., Vn-
Agncola's account, of above thi^ttS rll^nf Srt^'oSanl
of the brave Galgacus, who. we are told, were utterly defeated .Tthe
Grampian moumam, and the Roman alUps rfor t\.J 1 .^^'^'^^^^ ^^ "^"^
engaged) lort „„„ .u^e hondredTd S^^ it ' Th loXLTce^rf
this vidory was, tl«t Agricola abandoned the ground for which h,
fought, and retreated Into the country of the H,f„(K ror which he
fbuth fide of the Tay. who had fobSd ,„ hi " 'frk" '"verv";:,,"''^
relembled the vidory pretended to have been pu^'d 1^ the PhL^ '

S;''th™ola"f °fh^: TT'^'^ '"' TyrAlntntXwC;;

pr^teTd^d'^oXi '%::c:ti,t '"""' '""''°"='' "^ ■"=
tedr,?;:;r.'o'reVS rs^^t -^.ir -'" '^' 't-^-

the fummer was far (pent , and fueh a vovat of SovTJ"'''^ t""^^

fe™e.""Th"r ""'"' °*' » •■""">"• -™^f -n£ae7brthe'"aS
i,:r , \"', "™K?™ alleged, that thev full difcoveml the Ork
neys, and that tbey lirrt made it certain th.at Britain was ;„Tn,„,l ac
covenes, which grenade by Pytbeas ma^v clturres bXe and t

m t';;;>.:ntcnr.i:ilT "" "-= '" "-- "-^^ ^^" ''"°™

1 acitiis alio nilorms us, that at this time thcharbours of Ireland v.,1„vi,
he Cys, hes halt way between Britain and Spain rebeSfcl™^^^^

• Lvcry unpre)uai<;«d, or uiironuuiizcd, readtr
who ,..ruu-6 U,f LiFo ,it Agricohi by Tautus wi-J.
jlur .ittciuion, mulljxTcuvc, that It i.not fo nuich
■ iiltovy, as poetical pfl.ttjryric f ^i^ kon-,ti Atri-
<-»/,./, rm ,,>ci drfimau,i). it ,„;,y b. proved,
luu IMc Kuiuai. urfT-y wjs not oiUnumt.Hi-fd by
the Cal.don.ali, Wtn if it did conliU af ,0,000
nitn, vvhKh lu>wiv, r „ utter! y> imp, obablc Kiair
David I. when poilcrcd of aU Scotland .nd fum-
Maiid, cmiid not radt jy.boo nc. thouirh he
had K, ghl!,, N.rm.ns, ai.d CJcrm.M,«, bdl.i« l.s
owm fubjtct,, m 1„3 army. King Robert I, wh, 1,
Ins ciowi, .,nd la- d.^niJed o. ch. even, of a
hnglc baitle coi.iU not, with the exertion of frvcn
"i^«!k., colkd 31,000 figSting me,.. H«w tbcu

lull «c bd«ve that above 30,000 warr ors could
1. vailcd u> Cdcdomu only \ for „11 the 'outh p t

."« to the Ro,na.>, , B„d it i, very pro , able Ut
.he weibtn tribe, of Caledonia Zl not concern!
f in tins war.

It is worthy of pbfcrvatirin, tlm-, Aericola
who mid^e, io great a figure in the w.>rk, I^ZL
dem writers, is not fo much as mentioned by any
writer of general Roman hiltory now cxtaut, ex^
ccptoiice, very (h.thtly, by l)i„„ Calfu,,. 'n^,

oTfomc t,t them ken. to give a fair oppornmity of
iatrgd«ciiig It. '■'■ '

a^ A. 0.9(8—117.

-the merchants, by means of their commerce, than thofe of Britain. (Ft/a.
Jgric. c. 24.] Whether his geographical and his commercial infor-
mations were equally corred, I ihall not pretend to judge. . ",

98-1 1 7 — Thi: , emperor Trajan was a great con<jneror. He added
Dacia, a large province beyond the Danube, to the Roman empire.
He undertook, an expedition into the Eaft, and there alfo he carried the
Roman arms far beyond the Umits of the empire, into Armenia, Mefo-
potamia, and Aflyria, which he reduced to the condition of provinces. But
his conquefts, rapid and deftruclive as a whirlwind, ferved no purpofe,
but to exhauft the blood of his fubjedts, and of the nations who had the
misfortune to lie in the track of his career ; for, as foon as the ftorm
was pad, they relumed their independence *. Trajan alfo pofleired fe-
veral of the more valuable qualifications of a fovereign. He adorned
Home with elegant buildmgs, and brought water to thofe parts of it,
which were deftitute of that accommodation; he eftablilhed great libra-
ries; he encouraged learning by proteding learned men; he made
good roads from one end of the empire to the other ; he conftruded a
. convenient harbour at Centum cellae, (now Civita vccchia) and another
lit Ancona, on the Adriatic fea ; and he apparently repaired, or renew-
ed, the Egyptian canal between the Nile and the Red fea f.

Adrian, the next emperor, adorned not only Rome, but the whole
empire, with magnificent buildings, which were executed under his
own eye ; for his whole reign was a continual peregrination. As the
Britons were not yet reconciled to the Roman yoke, he vifitedthis ifland
in one of his journies, and reformed feveral abules in it (a°. 1 21). Giving
up all thoughts of r mpleting the conqueftofit, he conftruded a wall of
about eighty miles length, between the rivers Tine and Eden, in order
■to cut off all commt cation between the Barbarians and the Romans, or
xather the Romaniz d Britons. And this kind of fortification by a con-
tinued wall, of which he fetthe firft example, was repeatedly ufed in the
fucceeding ages of the Roman domination in this ifland. Adrian, for
thefe adions, obtained the title ofReftorer of Britain.

In the beginning of the reign of Antoninus Pius the Roman terri-
tories in Britain were under the government of Lojlius Urbicus, who
has not obtained his due {hare of the fame ufually beftowed upon con-
querors. He quelled fome commotions in the conquered country (a". 14*0),
and built a fecond wall, which extended between the Firths of Forth
and Clyde ; the fame which in later times has been called Gramis dyke,
i. e. warriors dyke. He alfo carried the Roman eagles as far as the'
aftuary of the river Varar, (now called the Farar, or Beulie) founded

• Modern commentators have extended his f I believe Ptolemy's mention of the rrd;W„«

nivajjcs to the foiith coaft of Arabia, and made river in his ilefcription of Egypt, is the only aiv-

him the dcflroytr of the city of Arabia FeUx, but tic.it authority. we have for this work of Trajan.
with jut any r.uthority, .See above, p. ijy, Note^.

AD.

140.

191

Roman towns • which he conneaed by military roads; and. in ftiorf
provmcia.ed a trad of country, moftly unknown to former Roman com-
mander, extendmg from the wall and the Firth of Forth northward
to the Moray F.rth ; and from the Ocean weftv.ard to Loch W or

L'h tT\ M r ^^^t' '^' ^'''' "^S^ '^f ™^"^*^i^« <^alled Drumalban
and Loch Nefs^ The new province was called Vefpafiana a name eiven'
or contmued. by the modefty of Antoninus, in honourof Vefpafun Tn
whofe reign the command of the Roman forces in Britain v^ deSted
to Agncola who. under the t-vo fucceeding emperors. brZht 7 fmat
portK)n of this provmce, on the fouth fide of the Tay, under f moment.

It was apparently during the adminiftration of Lollius and nrobahlv
under the d.redion of Seius Saturninus. who. as Jabo^^nu^Tnd^Rtha 5
Tw r?« •"^°'"l"'' "^^^ then con.mander of a fleet ftationed on
the coall of Bntam. that the maritime furvey. or rather two ^mhl fur
veys of the north part of Britain, were performed, frori Xc^the eeo
graphy of that pert of the ifland was compiled by Pto W The ^ore
accurateTurveys of the fouthem part of the iflLd. muft be prefumed

^'^tfi?' ^tT '"''^' '^'' f ^^""' ^^^^"^^^'^ «^^he Roman conqueftT
137-1 6o-.The emperor Antoninus, adorned Rome and many other
cties with pubhc buildings, and repaired or renewed harbour? lUht
houfes. bridges, and aqueduds. He favoured virtuous and leSd men"
Sr It ^"""f »he fuperfluous property, attached to the imperial office'
for the benefit of the public, and defrayed many public expenfes out
of his private fortune. Under his adminiftration all the prrinces of

hou.7-r *^""'f '^- ^'' "^""^^ ^'^^''^''^ '^'^ f"rname of Pius whkh
though It was afterwards proftituted to many imperial mSrs was

ruely honourable to him, becaufe it was given by^the unTnTmo; 'c^n
^:i:lf';.^^^^ and confirmed to him' '.y the in^rtilS

161— The worthy emperor, Antoninus Pius, was fucceeded bv M»r
thing inferior to him in every virtue The rpum.: nf tU^l? C

leat princes gave the Romai^v^d ablilVoTyears of trfeS
flowing from a government, whofe only objet/w^s the good of the
fi bjeas ; a period not to be equaled in the hiftory of the Romans and
indeed, not trequemly occurring in that of any other people ' '

He was the author of many good laws, one of which d reded th.t
flHpwrecked merchandise fhould belong 'entirely to the lawfufolt^

ter the conqneft, J Urblcus! and ZLTcoli 111 ^°Tr'"'r°l'"' """'"'" *" '»>' '"f"^'"-
-uscnu.cr«.on of the. ;ith the intc^eS rofThrR'tilt BrlLn?'"' ''""'' ''"^^''^

193

A. O. i6i.

■without any interference of the officers of the exchequer : and he or-
dered, that thofe who were guilty of plundering wrecks (hould be fe-
Terely puniflied. Thefe laws he borrowed from the Rhodiwi code,
which be( made the ftandand of liis condu<a in maritime aflkirs. When
Eudiemon, a merchant of Nicomedia, complained to him, chat, after
fu£Fei.agfhipwceck, he had been plundered in the Gycladcs by the im-
perial odSicers, he replied, that he. indeed was lord of the earth, but that
the fca was governed by tlie Rhodian laws, and that his caufe ihould be
determined by them.

The emperor Antoninus alfo. attended carefully to the reparation of the
roads ; and thence it is excectlingly probable, that the woj-k defcribing all
the roads with their ftages, and intermediate diltances, and alfo the mari-
time flationsfor veflels, throughout the Romaa empire, which is fo well
known to the learned, under the name of the' Itintmry qf Antonitms, and
is fo ufeful in illuftrating autient geography, was compiled upder his
authority, if not under that of liis predcceflbr, and has been occafional-
ly renewed, with akerotions' adapted to the times, though ftill bearing
the original name of Antoninus, }uft as ;jdmanacks, and other modern
periodical compilations, retain the names of the original undertakers of
them through all their renovations *.

From this Itinerary, and alfo from the more copious Itinerary of Bri-
tain, drawn up by a Roman commander in (his ifland, and happily ref-
cued from oblivion by Richard of Cirencefter, London appears to have
been already the moft important city in the illand, as it is the center
of a greater number of roads than any other.

In the reign of the emperor Marcus Antoninus, flourifhed Ptolemy,
a Grecian native of Egypt, the moft celebrated alhronomer and geogra-
pher of antiquity, and, after Hipparchus, whole works are loft,, the iirft
who applied graduation to maps, and reduced geography to fome de-
gree of regularity : fo that his works were defervedly entitled to the
pre-eminent rank they held for fourteen centuries as the ftandard in.
thofe fciences. The copies of them abound in errors, as m^y be ex-
peded from the frequent :ranfcription of a work much in requeft, con-
fifting almoft entirely of tables of names and numbers. But, if ex-
amined with due care, and proper allowances, they. will be found aot
fo inaccurate or deftitute of information, as fome have rather raflily
pronounced them. The moft conlpicuous of his errors are in the Bxit-

• It was .1 part of tlie duly of a Roman gene-
ral to have .icciir.ite furveys made of ill the roadi
iri"the*counti7 under his commjod, \Yitlx partku-
I.ir ilcfcriptior.s and maps. \Vegct. iL re m'lUtari,
J.- iii, <•. 6.] As a tiling done uf courfe, it is
•only mentioned by lilftorians, when an uncom-
monly great, or univcrfal, furvcy or reparation of
the roads was ipade : and fueh a great work was

undertaken by ^Trajan ; {_Auiel. yiaor Je Ctu,—
Gii!cn. L. ix, 1. 8] and it is probable, that the
finiibisg bajid was put to it in the reign of Mar.
cus. [iSee yuL Capilal. in M, Anion.'] Another
mtafuremcnt ot" the provinces of the world was
made by order of Tneodafuis.
in IVare'f H'ihernu,p. izi.~^

IDituil, quoted

A. D. i6i.

'9J

meafure. if not wholely/defli ute of Vl^ > "^r^ '" ^" ^ ^reat

the north part of Britain DroieArnfK a ^ obfervations. he has made
he has ranged the Weftern ?fl.1^H a ''".' '"""'^^ ^^ ^^^ """'^ ; and
of Ireknd 'infte'd of no«h nd ituth ^f"' "^f' '^T^ ^^^ "^"^ «^-^
part of Britain, the u-eft bdnf the tm^ "^ I ^'" '°'*" ^^^'^^ """h
enrt is in his north part of S,i! "" "^"^^ P°'^5 i" them, as the
as a triangular fieure proie^Hnrfr u '''^.^^^ ^^ delineating India
Ganges, he makf ^aCofa rUtTne "''^"'^%"'' ^'" ^"^"^ «"d the
but a little to the fouthwa d of a 1 n- h* T^ ^''°'" ^'^^ ^'^ '^^' ^nd

had fome information Tf the names of T i""''" '^'''' "''"• "'
gal, but excellively confufed Lh P^""^' ''^>'°"'^ '^'^ ^^Y of Ben-

ocean a vaft lake VthlghVel^r^^^^^^^ ^''^ Indian

tion of Herodotus and MfgaLnesfin^'or?i^'''j^' ^''''' ''^^^'^^'
Of Eratofthenes f. The S igno;an?e ,. tt ^ '^" '""''"^^ Judgement

northern parts of Europe, whiclfrc/ecran or Ro^^ '^^P^'^'^^"^ '^^
perhaps no one from a^ of the Phoe^.^rirnV / i?^^'' navigator, and
moft as little to be wondered Ttacr?" ,P°"' ^^^ *'''^' ^^^ted, is al*

The geographical know ege of he rZ'' ^f k-''^'^" o^' America t
to have advanced between he aee %^T'V''^^fV'' ^^ypt apptars
Erythr^an fea and that of PtolLv Th! t

had obtained the names of fome ^^" u ^'^T' ^ ^^^*= J^^ obferved
the names of fome oT the OrLn J fl!^ ?^'^' ^^^ ^e had al'o

exceffively erroneous. ^.H^; ^t^^^^^^^^^^^^^ though

httle while before Ptolemy md « f^^, ""^ ^>''^' ^'^o wrote a
quainted with at lead hT name of P. S'""^,^"'''"^ ^^ '""^- ^^« ac-
leveral degrees beyond Rhap^a^heftrf^^^ it'l °'^ '^'' ^^'•'^^" ^"^^

^^eta J^^:;i^^^ S^r :3i - :^ --^

* The oocion of a ^-.ft .: ., - .

after v./age. auite'.l nf . '±t ':^^'^\ "P-

Ji^fi."'"'^'^^'"''"'''" '"-'»'""'-''"•. age.-.

'g 'Wofcdapauofihc ?
t lo ilKf, , night be .dd«lthe author of tKe

Vol. I.

acMU.,e.T the molt of , heir k-nowWe i,, t..!7'
r> rt..(3 t,j the Gitciar. fovercign* of E^ypt.

Bb

»94

A. D. i6i.

vUIage, and a mere watering place for (hipping, in the time of the au-
thor of the Periplus of the Erythriean fea, it had already fo far recover-
ed frorti the ruin brought upon it by the Romans, as to be again a trad-
ing emporium ; and it is defcribed imder that charader by Ptolemy.

The natives of India now extended their voyages beyond their for-
mer Umits, and took an adive fliare in the trade with Egypt. As it ap-
pears probable from Agatharchides, and certain from the Periplus, that
they traded to Arabia, probably from the moft remote ages ; fo we
know from Ptolemy [L. i, c, 17] that they now failed up the Red fea.
as far as Egypt, where he converfed with fome of them, who were from
Timula, an emporium on the weft fide of India, called Symylla by the
Greeks *.

166 — The Parthians, in confequenceof anembaffy toChang-ti, emperor
of China (who died a". 88) had carried on a commercial intercourfe with
that empire, of which (according to the Chinefe writers) they were fo
jealous, that they would never permit any foreigners to pafs through
their territories to China. The Roman emperor, Marcus Antoninus,
confideruig the demand for filk, which was produced in no other part
of the world than China, and the exorbitant price of it in Rome, deter-
mined to fend ambalfadors to negotiate a more diredl commercial in-
tercourfe with that country than the fubjeds of Rome had yet been able
ro accomplifli. His ambafladors proceeded by the way of Egypt and
India, arrived in China, and prefented fome ivory, rhinoceros's horns, and
pretious ftones, to the emperor Ouon-ti, who, being, perhaps, informed
of the general character of the Romans, received them very coolly.
After this firft known communication of any European government
with that of China, the Romans began, according to the Chinefe hiftor-
ians, to have a more dired intercou.fe with that empire f. Bui:, if their
intercourfe was by fea, there is not the fmalleft hint of it in any Greek
or Roman author now extant. It is more probable, that it w.is effeded
by caravans, who traverfed the continent of Alia beyond the northern*
boundary of the Parthian empire ; and perhaps the ftation in 43" north
latitude, noted by Ptolemy \4Iia, tab. vii] as a refting place for the mer-
chants who traveled to the Seres (as thole merchants may be prefumed
to have been fubjeds of Rome) was eftablifhed on that occafion : and
caravans may alfo have traveled to China from the weft coaft of India.

• It was probably the port called Semylla in
the Periplus, and noted ai having only a coailing
trade. It now fent »efl«ls to Egypt, and received
Egyptian veflfcls.

f We are indebted to the Chinefe hiftorian,
Ven-hieii-tung Kao, and to the Oriental literatuie
and refcarch of Mr. de Guignes, [^Refltxioni fur
lit lutijanj da Romains avec Us Tar/artt tl lit Chi-
nois, in Memtirct de liUeraluri, V, xxtli,f, 335]
:cr thefe Lilt refpeiting th? embaffy from Aa-

toun, the king of the people of the Weftern ocean»
The reception of the Roman ambalTadors at the
Chinefe court obliges us to fuppofc, cither that
the Seres, who are faid to hr.ve fent enibalfies to
folicit the favour of Auguftus, and other Roman
emperors, and even of this fame emperor Antonin-
us, were a people totally different from the Chi-
nefe, or that the Roman writers fonietimes fpoke
at •random of the dillant countries from which they
received cmbaflie?.

A. D.

170.

'9$

cecded. but from which about this dme it H.H- ^ ^ ^''^ " ^^^" '^*-
cover. it feems proper here to take a W of ,1. ''' "To "S"'" '° «"
now in this ifland which accordLl/nTuT^^ principal Roman towns
geography of ^^cmy^^dt^^^ ^^ Antoninus, the

mentarLVRichard';f"ct:Srcetr:w:^^^^^^^

Drr.:;:rl '^'^ ^^-^^'M or Roc,.M.

Gantiopohs, M m, 5 Canterbury.

Rhutupis, c, the ftation of that!

dmfion of the Roman fleet, C Ric/^durjrb near Sanrf«r,VV
which guarded the North fea f "^ i>andwich.

NOVIOMAGUS, BM
CaLEBA, BM
ViNDOMUM, BM, 5

Clausentum,

Vei*ta BelgXrum, b m, s

SoRBIODUNUM, L

Therms, or AQUiE sous, c
DuRiNUM or 7

DURNOVARIA, I ■ '^» *

liCA Damnoniorum, a m, s

VtNTA SiLURUM, B M, S

IscA Sir^uRUM, c, the 'quarters of 7

the fecond Auguftan legion

MURIDUNUM, BM, S

Segontium, s

UrICONIUM, BM

Deva, c, the quarters of the 7
twentieth vidorious legiou. I

CORINIUM, BM, L '

Glevum Claudia, c
Verulamium, m

LUNDINUM, B M, C f

Camulodunum, c, the quarters of 7

....... ^^^^„ urn, u, lue quarte

the twin Martian legion,

The iTnt.ft part of the Itinerary of Anton,
'nus, Iu8 becniUudrated by the labour, of Talbot.
Camden, Burton, Gale, Horfeley, Stukeley, and
the topographical hjftorians of almoft every rti Ire
l^ven the incoherent and blundering catiloUe of
n«,o„, ,„ Bnta.n, a.lribed to a monk of R.venni,
ii> bce:i labored upon by Horfeley an J Baxter '

fome place in Surry.

Silcbejier in fiampdurc.

Uncertain.

Southampton,

Wint'cbejler.

Old Sarum.

Bath.

Dor-cbejler.

Ex-cefter, or Ji.xeter,

Caer-Went,

Caer-Leion.

Caer-Marthen.

Caer-Segont near Carnarvon.

Wreken-cafter, or Wraxeter.

CbcjUt.

Ciren-cejler.
Glo^cefier.
St. Albans,
London.

Col'cbejler.

But no commentary fu. yet been /ai/j^,,/ „pon
oteha'rd '""'''' conuine5 in the wSrk

nf A ^Tt'"^ '"', "*'?'' • "'""r. ^«^th the name
of Auguda, after the time of thi hiftorian T«i-
tni J but the «ac. t«BC it uoknown. See below

A. 1.'. 360, jOO.

Bba

g

t^6

DurnoMagus, l

A. D. 170:

Venta IcenorxjM, bm, s

Camboricum, c

Raga:, or rather Rat^, b m, s

LiNDUM COLONIA, C

isurium, bm

Cambodunum, l

Cataracton, l

Eboracum, c, afterwards m, the 1
quarters of the iixth vidorious >
legion, 3

COi CIUM, L

Mancunium,
luguballium, l
Curia OTADiNoRin\i, n m
Bremenium, s
Trimontium,
lucopxbia, bm

Vanduara,
Victoria, l

Orrea, bm
Devana, bm
ProaoTON, L

probably the town on'Ihe -Nen,
c^Wc^ Kaif'Dorm, &nd noted, as
totally ruined, by Henry of Hunt-
ingdon, f. 171 b.

feems Cajler near Norwich.

ftems jittkburgb in Norfolk.

Leicejier.

Lind-coln, or Lincoln.

Auld'burgh in York -(hi re.

Slack near Huddersfield.

Tbornbau^b at Catterick.

Tork.

Blackrode in Lancafliire.
Mancbtjler.

Car-lilc. ,

Melros on the Tweed. •' " ■ '
probably Eijtngbam ott thi'llttid; '
perhaps Middleby in Aiiandale'; '
fome place on the eaft fide of Wil-
ton bay *,
perhaps Pajley. . > ' '

perhaps the riiini at the motith of

the Earn ; perhaps Abernetby.
Scone, or near it.
Aber-deen. ■ .i^'fifrf} '■

perhaps the old Caftle of Ndirn, now
overwhelmed by the fea; per-
haps Invernefs.

Dunbarton.

Alcluith (afterwards Theodo- 7
siA, and l) j

Befides Rhutupis, noted as a ftation for the government veflels, and
Lundinum, a confidtrable trading port, there were ieypral other ports
of fome note, viz.

• Camden, tfie prince of Rritifh geograpfhcrs,
pofTeflcd no furveys, and liad vtry little topo-
graphical information, of the northern parts of
the iilan4 ; and he hat beeo obliged to depend tou
often gpoQ a fuppofcd refemblance of names.
Thence the firfl part of the name of Lucopibia
it fuppofed to be the Greek word Xnun white (as
if Britifh towns could hav; Gieek names) and to
he the fame with the firll part of the name uf
White-hern ; and, in eonfcqu«n« pf this imagin-

ary identity lie is obliged to remove Lucopibia
from the eajl fide of Wigton bay, where Ptolemy
placed it, to the <wifl fide. Tiiirtontium is in Uke
manner rtraovvd from the weft, to the eaft, fide of
the country, becaufe a hill near Melros has three
fummits. At Camdeo has been implicitly fdlow-
cd by moft of our great antiquaries, to whom in-
crealing kpowlese offered better lights, I have
thought it neceffary in thefe two inftances to hint
»ny reafons for prefuming to diRer from them.

A. D,

I7(y.

■I

}

^

r feems Fi7f> Aay ih Y ork-ftire.ncar
•j which is Fiix-town, apparently
t prefta-ving the Roman name.

Dover.

apparently Zi/ntf, though now iolaacf.
Pevenfey f >■ •'.'...'.

the mouth of the ^i/ur \

PdRTus FELIX, the profperous har-
bour, or bay of the Gabran
tuiki,

DuBR^t,

PoRTUs Lemanus,

New harbour, feemingly after
wards called Anderida,

FoRTus Adurni, tne ^outn

Magnus portus, or Great harbour, Port-cbeft^r

Menapia, the port for Ireland, St. D<rvi<U.

Portus Setantiorum, or Sistun- 7

TioRUM, f on the coaft of Lancafliire j

befides fome noted only as ferrying places. .. .,

There were alfo ab6ut one hundred and forty inote towns or places
the names of which are mentioned in geographical Ufts and itinerarS •'
but we know nothmg further of; their condition. Some of them ,S'
doub edly were coufiderable. and others appear to have been no^d
merely as being ftages or refting places for the army or tratSlcrs as
fingle mns appear alo'-g jyith towns in modern books of the roTds '

that diftrndion they wer<^ inveiled with the privilege of enad^ng law
for the regulation of their own affairs, and they were exemmed frol
being fubjed to thofe of. the empire, 'xhe inhabiums. w'Zut b^hS
diverted of the cxU2,,awp.^tt.6ir native towns, were 'alfi^wLn l'

The ten marked c were Qfflonies. Towns of this clafs were occunied

ions of land m the neighbourhood as a reward for their SvS ^d
as an encouragement to be vigilant in lupprefllng any atter^ms of ^^

jultice. and all their offices were copied from Rome ; and the inhabit
ants were Roman citizens, and governed by Roman kwT

exeL';teTCmr oXa^yTu^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^ ^^^ -re
muted to chufe their magiJlLer^t^Vthemierv^Tran^"^^^^^^^^
The tl'hr c"L' r ' ;'' "'^^ -d privileges of Roman citlt^^'

B M afiked to a town mark it as the metropolis of a Britilh nation

ferf r tS wr/?^'"' "T "°" ^^°^'° geograph^rsTS in.
lers, that there was fome tradmg intercourfe with that ifland, though

i»8

A. D. 170*

the nature of it Is unknown. The following lecm to have betn the
moft confiderable of them.

Naowata, diftinguiihed by Pto- ' '
lemy ai a famous town,

Manapia, oppofite to, and pro-'
bably a colony from, Mcnapia •
in Britain. V

Eblana,

on the weft coaft.

Dublin.

and feven inland towns, noted by Ptolem>* and by Richard, who has
alfo feveral others unknown to Ptolemy.

Some commotions broke out in Britain ; and Calphurnius Agricola
was fent to fupprefs them : but of his fuccefs the Roman writers are
entirely fUent •. [Capitolini M. Ant. Philos.}

i75-_The Romans being again threatened with war by the Britons
or.'tolpeakmorecorredly. the Caledonians, the emperor fent over a
large body of lazygian horfemen to reinforce his legions,

f * J'^rT^^ ^\^ '''"^' ^'** ^'■"°"'' of Caledonia was the moit formidable
ot all thole m which the Romans were now engaged. The Caledonians
not latisfied with the recovery of that part of their own country which
had for lomc years been a Roman province under the name of Vefpa-
fiana, broke down the wall erected by Lollius Urbicus, ravaged the
country (lew the Roman general, and cut his army in pieces. Mar-
cellus, the nejtt. Roman commander, repulfed them with fome lofs • but
the Romans never recovered their loft province of Vefpafiana. This
it I miftake not, is the very firft province of their empire, from which
the Romans were dnven out by the natives f. [Dion, Caffl L Ixxii —
Lamprid. m Commod.]

193— It is perhaps rather beneath the dignity of commercial hiftory
to relate, that the ruffians of the prsetorian guard, whofe duty it was
to defend the perfon of the emperor, aftfer murdering Pertinax, becanfe
he was too virtuous to tolerate their abofes, had the infolence to pro-
claim an audion of the imperial title to the higheft bidder. Didiu*
Julian became the purchafer at the price of ^)ove two hundred pounds
fterhng to each man, the total fum being between three and four mil-
lions fterhng ; probably the largeft purchafe ever made ^ an indivi-
dual. In return for Inch an enormous fum of money he enjoyed the

* Cicero obfervcf, t'l.it it was a common prac-
tice Willi till" Hdinaii writcr-i to pafj over their Je-
feats ill I'iUl^c. [Oral. pro lege M.inil.'^

t Rirhan; of Circnctfter [p. 52} daict the «-
yulfion.ot" the Rowans from Vctpaliana in the year
of the wuiia 4170 or A. D. 170 ; and tlic ihort
hi.in w. h.tv.' of two wais in Britain during tlie
reign of Antoninus the Phtlofoplier farour hi«
r!jionol.i|;j-. Howcvtr, as in adapting thr Ro-

man chronolofry ta the y«»ri of the vwdd h« ha*
ncgletted the name* of th« confult, and at in
events of known date he fomctimes differs a few
year* from the truth, I would not be pofitf'.-e, that
the exirt^lfion from that pjtrt of the country took
place fo earlv. At any rate we are certain, that
It was now (183) entirely delivered from the Ro-
mstj yoke.

A. D. 198.

'9^

< their arroRMM fti Ld nl'p ^ .^^''•'''''"S '">«>, the braver «^,A,Wj./, as

year mar.hM n^MX C WoS^n' S"Sn"o":;rS^
coming to a pitched hatrlp K.,i. 1/1 I- • ^^*^^*' ^"o ^l<*'y avoided

culties^hat rtftf or ati:tdin^rilK "^r^ ^^ "^,^"7 flares and diffi-

of their march to W paft tf?K. .1' '""* ^^ thejn^uipiied hardfhips
-gecall the JrcZj !fmt[t ?h"7aiedn"' ^^.^^rsof th^
rid of tl^e enemy, confented Hield to hf^ r "*' ^^^r''.- ^^ get
own country or of their In^^ a c °* ^"'""^ P^"^' ^^'^^^^ «f «heir
Eboracum L7). now al^^^^^^^^^ ^^r."?°^ ^""'^•^^ ^°

Hxed his refidence whileTr^^ ^""^ T'^ "^ ^'■"*'"' «"d there

voiced, that he ordered Ramri a"" ' ^^^^^"P^^ Severus was fo pro-
imo their counVya^*^ eol^^^^^^^^^ ^« ^'^^^ ^^"" to maU

it. But the em^orlyingS Se'i:;^ fT' "°"^'"' "^' ^^^'^ ^-
ftroying his hated brother thr^Jrili^ * """'f "'^'^^ "P^" de-

them ^Sth the refigmt?on o? tlL S^^'^^V ^"""'^f"^ ^ ^'''' ^^^
pareutly R,,„,,J,^ Zthumtrla^ on thetft and^Rr?"" i^

Br?;;nS!^rSdi:!;-^^^^^

knowmg u increafed. Although h ^'^^XT^'^!::::^::^':^::^

i

aoo

A* D. JioS.

everfmce hcdifcovenes of Pytheas ; though Anilotte, or the author
of the book upon the world afcribed tQ him, Caefar. who was a man ^'
fctence as well as^ loldnjr, Diodprus Siculys. Strabo a profcffed eeo--
grapher Plmy, &c had expr^fsly and repctedly called it aa ifland,
though Tacitus had la.d. that his fethervi.,-hv.'s fl^t had confirmed

Siln /h^'"'"''^''^ ""'^ r'^'^''^^ "^ ^^"S '^" i««nd; and though
ftolemy the gcoc;rapher who flourifhed only about forty years before
the myafion ot oevcrus had, defcr4bed the whole circuit of the cS
and alio a number ot iQands beyond it ; xye are informed by Dion Caf^
hus, that u queftion, whether the north part of it was joio^^d to the con-
tment, was novv agitated, ,and became, a frequent futqca of diibuilition
among their philofophers. who in the thick mift of their knorance
wrote niany volumes on both fid^ of the queftion, which have all had
the good fortune to fink uito the quiet gaave of due oblivion. Even
after the expedition of Severus had i« f«me meafure cleared up this al-
moAipcrcdjbl^ doubt. It was believed in Rome, that the unconquered
part o^he ifland, . wjich fun^Hied fuch armies as could baffle the moft
ftrenuousacertionsof the conquerors of the world, muft be more ex-
teniive, than the part fubjed to them ; though it was in truth not equal
to one,ih^rd of u m extent, and ftill more inferior to it in fertility and
population. Can we believe from thefe fymptoms of a retrogradation
of knowlege among the Romans, that the works of the celebrated au-
tnors above mentioned were unknown to them, or are we to fuppofe
;h.'U their government, for foine reafons of ftate. thought propeVtJ
Ipreud a veil of ignorance and myftery over the geography of the un-

CONCit'ERABLE ISLAND.? ^ o r/

211— Itiswoul.yofobfervation, that the great abundance of fifh,
which fwarmed on the northern fhores of Britain, was known to Dior^
Gaffius. vvho alfo remarks the negled of that bleffing by the natives
u-^io. perhaps from motives of fuperftition. even abftained from tafting
hft. 1 his IS the earhefl notice of the fqperior -advantage, which Scot-
.aud might m all ages have enjoyed in coi. ,. , on a moft extenfive
liOieiy But Solinus who hved at the fame time with, or immediately
aher, Dion*, fays, that the people of the Ihi&hwlcs {fV^Jern i^an^s vf
Scotlami) derived a priucipal part of their fubfiftcnce from fifljinir. Both
accounts may be true: the filhery might be negleded on the.eiift eoaft
xyl^iuli Y-as beft known ;o the R^man? j and it might be att«ad«d to bv
the natives of the weft court ai>d the iflands. ,.,, ...» «> .^. ,. , ..,..f

:ai.4_Thc Romans again had recourfe to the wretched' eroedient of
jHirvili^jlUig ireaties of peace ; and theiGatti. Alemanni. and. other na-
uomot Germany, vyJipMhadfrnueb yalour and little money, were in-
duced by all-powertul gold to permit the Roman emperor to retire from

Sec DoJwcll on the'ara'of in'dQne Characsous, «p. .tf«^ei,/ Gtcgrafb.

vtt.r

A.D. 214. 20I

tz:r^L:::i::.r::^^-:^ '-^- such .ibutes roon ..

mt of creating a SoufkinH'.f '''^' '^"''^" '"^ '^^ tyrannical

lead plated wkrfihS which ^^^^^^^ "^^de of gilded copper and

com.'he compelled ri\mhrppVfub^^^^^^^ P^'^'"^. ^"'^^ ^^ ^^ch

thcmfelves. [Dion. Caff. LX^^t^ '"'''" '"^ '^""^"^''^^^ '^"^^ng

mand'li?ln;&nsTn^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ arbitrary com-

amufe himfelf with the fDedaSnr! "^^^^^^^ '^^"^ht proper to

lory in ehefe ages to a very narrow^omnj? "1 '• *'"' "=""""«rci.->l liif-

nearly in the lime ftSe as h . dlvirilTJ . u ""\""' ""''« ™» then
of the Ery.l„=ea„ fea In "rder tjYt^d^^^^^ the author of the Periplus
he favoured them with WaUmmim, v! "'"'^'""'" "> t-^fo" to Rome,

tereft to four per cent (' r/lrt^r^S „esf 't^^t "^ "'= "^ '"'
terature and iMined men penuones;. And he encouraged li-

deS^Sr^^^ 'Xlt:lZfr'' «^^ ^^-n-ining its in.
man empire. t1 -th^L ofl^?.:^^^^^^ ^he Ro-

petitors with tholb of Alexandria Sr i^lV ^ , ""^ ."'"'^"^ ^^ ^o'""
oF the eaft to Rome. the.rmmlr'c^e^T'rcTufted "t ""^''^"^'^^
to have mcrealed during their fubjedhon to Rome In H.'^^T;'""
which now announced the approaching downf^ rof t. p ' ""^^^''fi'^ns.
the citizens of Palmyra, under ,he loveZntv of fW T"" ^"^^''^^
lieroic widow Zeuobi:,. afpued to conaueTSy f ^^"^^^us and his

formed a new empire^oSiiftt^Vf S o "he S^^^ ""' ^'^"'^^^>^ "
^-gypt, all which they had rent from hr.i! "^ .i'^°''"'^^» ^^d

merchants never prolL as conoueror. n ^T'^^"^ «^ ^^^^^- But
tages of' vidory b/an^ merns^Zj^nfat; iJrtl ralamif""T- ^'^--
iLCcefsfnl war, which at the expenl^of the hllnJ '^''T 'r ""^ ''^*''' *
™n™..,ty „„,y ,,,,,„ .„,„,P„,; - the^^^^d^..^^^^^^

C c

J\V

202

A. D. 2yi,

citizen:?, and often to be their fcourge, while the fplendid delufion of
their conquefts feduces their minds, and abftracls their capitals from
their proper objeds of laudable commercial adivity ; whereas the whole
community is overwhelmed in irretrievable ruin upon a reverfe of for-
tune. Such was the fate of the illuftrious commercial republic of Car-
thage ; and fuch was the more fudden fate of Palmyra : for Aurelian,
who during a ihort reign revived the military fuperiority of Rome, eager
to wipe off the difgrace of a captive emperor languifliing in Perfian
chains, and of the fineft provinces of the empire being withheld from
Rome by a woman, led his forces into the Eaft, and fpeedily recovered
the provinces which formed the Palmyrene em.pire. J'he city of Pal-
myra, after a refiftance, which does great honour to the miUtary fcience
of its defenders, who alTailed the Romans with every engine then known
in the art of war, fome of which darted artificial fire, being betrayed
by their mercenary allies, furrendered to the Roman emperor, who was
fo merciful as only to plunder the inhabitants of all their property, in-
cluding, befides gold and filver, great ftores of jewels, filk, and other
rich merchandize of Arabia and India (a°. 273).

The citizens of Palmvra having made an attempt to recover their li-
berty, their city was d^ itroyed, and all the people found in it, not ex-
cepting helplefs age and infancy, were mafllicred by Aurelian ; who foon
after, regreting the lofs of the trade of Palmyra, gave permiflion to
fome few of the inhabitants, who had efcaped the general flaughter, to
rebuild their city, and reftore their commerce. But commerce does not
ftart into exiftence at the command of a tyrant, though any favage, in-
verted with power, may deftroy in one day the accumulated labours of
ages of fcience and induftry. The defolation of Palmyra was complete
and irretrievable : and, though it was afterwards made the ftation of a
band of Roman foldiers, and even fortified and fuppHed with water by
the emperor Juftinian, it has in all fucceeding ages been only the re-
treat of a few muerable families, whofc wretched huts deform the ftill-
iplendid remains of antient magnificence,

Firmus, an opulent merchant of Egypt, was largely concerned in
trade with India, with the Blemyes an Ethiopian nation, and with the
Saracens of Arabia, and feems to have alfo carried on very extenfive
nianufadures of paper and glue, fince he boafted, that he could main-
tain an army with the produce of thofe articles. Unfortunately for
himfelf he preferred the perilous fituation of a preferder to fovereign
power to the calm felicity of a profperous merchant. Perfuading the
people of Egypt, that he was able, by his wealth and his foreign con-
ne<5lions, to deliver them from the dominion of Rome, he aflumed the
title of emperor, ftiled himfelf the ally of Zcnobia, made himfelf maf-
ter of Alexandria, and prevented the ufual fuppUes of corn from being

A. D. ij3..

JOJ

^Stt' '^°""- "" •'"''"^'°" ™ *' ""feq-nce of his miftaken

SV tL '""^ ^ participation in the trade with Serica or

..U «a„dard. and afl..ed ,h. SSl^to^'S^nLtZi:;::

* As an lnl)fln>v nf (k. .-..I I. _

of the antient authors, g.Ves room to fiippofe hi'm
equally ignorant of the ufe of window Klui^fihouirh
cotnmuii ,n n,oll parts of Europe in his time.

, . , ^ ■ :- .. - wore or wmdow.. /ui '\'J'f''ff'^^''ranfi,aio.,, K I, j>,r, 2, and

t .K, has bccu iuppofed the earlicft inllance of Z ..',. ^c V , "* '^Z"" P^'P'" ''X ^I^- Nixo«
dows furnilhcd with glafs. Ilo^vcver Lafla„ " r fu °^ P'"'' S^^^' "'"""S ^^e anticuts, oc-

.„ .,„.„ .1 ../^ir"^--. i'?«a„tu,.. cafioncd by a piece of plate ^lafs being foundTt

the ruMu of Herculaneum, which wa. overwhelm-
cd by tlie lava from Mount Vefuvius in Hk- year 70.

fuppofe, the Lpuft,ccukm of the antUts the
fame with the modem talc of RulTia This later
.3 a follile fubftancc called mariengE': itVpl tl

As an mftance of the opulence and luxurv of
X.rmus, It w faid that he had fquarei of jrlafs (Ix-
ed with bitumen m hi.s houfe ; and, though Vo-
pireua. the author who mentions the circumftance,
'/"f ■'7''»"> f- 3] I'as not a word of windowi

^ --- ^....u. • A^wcvcr, i^actantuis
an author contemporary with Firmu3, fpeaka o f
)!lar» ma mauner that infers, that it and the more
•M.c.a tlun plates ot an almoll-tranfoarcnt kind of
tone ,«rebo.h ufed in window, in f„-, time ; « per
feneftm:. lucentf •. uro aut fpeculari lapide.' X Dt

Ph-ny, who ddcribcs the manufaflnre and the
.u.oua ufcs of glafs, [£. xxxvi, .. ,6J appears
- Iiave been ,gnu,ant of the moll vjuable aVpli-
^.itmn of It m admitting the li.rht into and .v
chiding the cold .„a th'e rail. I'rom "our hm. .• "
And Polydor, VerB.l, in hi. compilation upon In-
--ntions by merely tMnfcribing the moll common

, I . ,.,"■":; — — •>•" .iiaiiciijjias : It iphts in-
to lamina hke fheets of paper, quite tranLrent.
and IS ufrd for windows and lantern, all over Ruflia!
haring this advantage over gla.s, that it is not liable
to uie,:k by the exploHon of cannon.

u,.M .1 "r .^""^'^fe'^ "'■ 'he ftcond embafTv, a.
w 1 as the firll we are ndebted to the Cliiiiefe
hidonaiu and Mr. de Guignes. See .tbove, j>. 191.
C C 2

204 A. D. 285-

<fomprehending the Roman part of Britain, with a conliderable diftrid
on the oppnfite coaft of Gaul. ^ti .Ui ..

' "Carauflus knew, that a naval force, which had conferred the fove-
reignty nponiiim, could alone maintain him in it againft the power of
the Roman emperors. He therefor beftowed the greateft attention on
that nioft important objed : and he encouraged foreign feamen and art-
ifts of every dercription to refort to iiis dominions. A fleet, which
Maximian, after long preparation, had fitted out againft him, was com-
pletely defeated by his experienced feamen ; and the joint em]-)erors of
Rome found themfelves under the neceflity of acknowleging the inde-
pendent fovereignty of the Bntidi emperor (a". 289). f« nintr

Britain feems to have flourifhed under the government of Caraufius.
The general opulence, and the flourifhing flate of the arts are attefted
by the number and elegaiice of his coins, three hundred of which, all
different, have been publifhed by his biographer, Dodor Stukely. He
lirfl repelled, and then lived in ft iendfhip with, the Caledonians. His
fleets for fcveral years rode triumphant in the narrow feas, and even
gave laws to the Atlantic ocean as far as the African fliore : and now
for the firft time Britannia ruled the waves.

The Roman emperors could not fit down contented with the depriva-
tion of Britain, the value of which they feem to have been more fen-
fible of from the want of it. In order to depofe Caraufius, a great naval
and^ military force was coUeded under the command of Conftantius
Caeiar, whofe firfl: attempt was againd Geflbriacum, whic>> after an ob-
llinate defence fell into his hands, together with a part of the fleet
(a". 292).

294 — While the Romans were carrying on their preparations for in-
vading the Britifh emperor, he was treacheroufly murdered by Aledus,
one of his officers, who immediately ufurped the dangerous pre-emin-
ence, and, with very inferior talents, expofed himfelf to be the firft ob-
jed of the vengeance of the Roman empire.

296 — At length Conftantius put to fea with the fleet, which he had
been about four years * employed in getting ready ; and the wonderful
' courage of the Romans, who ventured out with a fide wind, and in
weather fomewhat boifterous, was thought worthy of panegyrical cele-
bration. They furely had no Phoenician or Alexandrian navigators in
their fleet. Conftantius effeded his landing in two divifions ; and Alec-
tus, haved and deferted by his involuntary fubjeds, who were moreover
harafled with a long march from London, was flain in battle on the
f nith coaft near the ifle of Wight.

♦ Thcfe fcveral Roman fleets, and the time em- of their naval undertakingB, and without tlie af-

ployed in preparing them, may be compared with filhnce of any people experienced in maritime af-

thofe, which tlie Roniaiis, when mafters of only fairs. See the judicious rcmaik of Gibbon, Fal.

the peninfiilar part of Italy, ar: faid io have fitted vi, /. 175. Note, ij. 1791.
•v.t completely in a few days, in the very infaney 4

A. D. 296. 20^

A body of Franks, who had efcaped, or withdrawn, from the battl?
haftened to London, intending to pillage it, and then to retreat to their
own country with the plunder by feizing the vcflels in the Thames
liut u part of the Roman fleet, which had been driven into the river
came very opportunely to proted the city, and .drove off the intended
plunderers with great llaughtcr.

Thus a fingle battle, fimilar in feveral of its circumftances, and in
Its decifive confeqaence, to that which was fought near the fame place
between Harold kmg of England and William duke of Normandy
leven hundred and feventy years afterwards, reunited the Britifh domi-
nions of Caraufius to the Roman empire, after a feparation of about
ten years.

It is remarked by Eumenius in his panegyric upon Conllantius, that
iJntam produced luch abundance of corn, that it was fufficient to fup-
p^y not only bread, but alfo a drink which was comparable to wine *
He alfo remarks the innumerable muhitude of tame animals, fome witji
their udders diftended with milk, and others loaded with fleeces of
wool, from him alio we learn, that the artificers of Britain in rhe
reign of Caraufius were efleemed, excellent in their profe/fions, and were
therefor employed by Conflantius, in preference to thofe on the con-
tment in rebuildmg the city of Auguftodunum in Gaul.

At the fame time Diocletian re-annexed Egypt to the empire, and we
may believe, that the commerce of that country with India mufl have
iultered upon the oceafion ; for he almoft depopulated Alexandria, which
Itood a fiege of eight months ; and he totally deftroyed Coptos, the
town at which the Oriental goods were unloaded from the backs of the
camels, and fliipped in boats on the Nile fbr Alexandria.

The Egyptian exiieditiou of Diocletian furniOics the earlieft notice of
the pretended IcienceofValchymy. He found in Egypt books, faid to
be an lent, which protefled to teach the wonderful art of making gold
and (liver. The emperor, who appears to have formed a very proper
ludgement of the delufion and its dangerous confequence, committed
th-; whole of them to the flames.

.i.-'r^ri^''^^"'P^''T^°'l"'"'^"'' ^^'''''S made an expedition againft
the Caledonians took up his refidence, and foon after died, in the im-
perial palace at Eboracum (rork), which was thus a fecond time diftin-
guiflied by the refidence, death, and deification of a Roman emperor.
His fon Conftantine there alfo took upon him the title of emperor as
colleague with Galenus. He afterwards became fole emperor made
Chriftianity the eftabUflied religion of the Roman empire, and rem" ved
tilt Icat of the imperial government from Rome to Conftaminople.
3i4-~York,Loiidon,andColchefter,weic apparently tneprincip^ cities

» I

Segetum tanta f^ecimdita?, ut mimnibus utnfqnc fufBciat, et Cereris ct LibeW.'

ao6

A. Dk 3 14.

of Roman Britain at this time: for we find three bifliops taking their titles
from them at the council, or fynod, of bilhops held at Arelate in Gaul.
On this, as on former occafions, York (or Eboracum) appears to have
had tne firft rank among the Roman-Britifti cities, and London had,
probably by means of its advantageous fituation for trade, now rifen to
the fecond rank, Colchefter, which feems to have been once the moft
confiderable, as the carlieft Roman colony, having funk to the third
place *.

323 — The fleets colleded by Conftantine and Licinius, when they
contended for the monarchy of the Roman world, furnifli a pretty juft
comparative eftimate of the opulence, commerce, and {hipping, of the
feveral countries bordering on the Mediterranean fea at this time. Con-
ftantine, emperor of the Weft, appears to have got no ftiips of war
from Italy. The fleets appointed by the poUcy of Auguftus to be per-
manent and ftationary at Milenum and Ravenna, had gone to ruin for
want of commerce to fupport and man them. His force confifted of
only two hundred fmall warlike veflels, furniflied by Greece, which, ac-
cording to Zofimus, carried only thirty oars each, and above two thou-
fand tranfports, of the fize of which we have no information. Lici-
nius, the fovereign of the Eaft, ifliied his orders to his fubjeds to pro-
vide vefiels proper for war ; and they amounted to three hundred and
fihy, as enumerated by Zofimus, viz. eighty triremes ftirniflied by Egypt,
eighty by Phoenicia, fixty by Ionia and Doria, thirty by Cyprus, twenty
by Caria, thirty by Bithynia, and fifty by Africa. ' Though thefe feem
to be all ranked as triremes, yet from a fubfequent paflage of Zofimus
It appears, that fome of them were only veflels of fifty oars in fingle
tires. {Zofm. L. ii, pp. 94, 95, 98, ed. Oxotu 1679.] S^uinqueremes and
other larger ftiips were now unknovm ; and foon after this time they
were almoft forgotten among the Romans. [Veget. L. iv, c. 37.]

If from this view of the naval power of the Mediterranean countries
we turn the flighteft glance to their profperous ftate, before the Ro-
man empire arofe, what a prodigious difference ftiall we find ! Phoenicia
alone, when even reduced to a province of Perfia, furniflied three hun-

• In the lift of ecclcfialUcs, who attended the
fynod of Arelate, tlic three Britilh bilhops are
placed after the eight bifhops of Gaul, and before
the one hilhop and feveral preft>yter8 of Spain, as
follows.

Eboviiis cpifcopiis, de civitate Eboracenfi, pro-

vincia Britannia
Reftitntus epifcopus, de civitate Londinenfi, pj-o-

viiicia fupralcripta.
Adeifius epifcopus, de civitate Colonia Londin-

enfium.
The !a(l word is crroiiLoufly u rittcii. J' oufjht
■ i be Camulodunenfium (//v iithMiahts if CJ-

chffler) ; or perhaps Lindenfium {the iitiaillanit of
Lincoln) \ and the former fcenis the moll probable.
The corrupted name has no refemblance to any
other of the Roman colonies. [.UfJ'erii Britann,

<ccltf Mitiq.pp. 98, 195 and 6c, ed. 1639 Spcl-

man I'onr'il. Britann.ti. 42, cd. 16^9.3

The critics in eccleliaftical hiltory differ wit'ely
in the date of this fynod. The profound rcfcarcht 8
and erudition of the two authors, I have quoted,
warrant mc in following thtni in what appears to
be the ^aiiicll genuine notice of IJritilh bilhopa, ;is
denoting the prceiiiint:;ce of IJritilh citiei.

4

dred warlike fhips; about one quarter of the armada, with wlu,>h Xerxes
invaded Greece The iHand o? Samos. without drawing any wTts
own fleet, could 7^,^. forty triremes as a gratuitous affiftancc to Cam
byfes. But now the fleets of both the rival emperors, who had the a^-
folute command o the wealth of the Roman world, though they had
been jomed together, were far from being equalto fome of thofe
which were equipped by the Angle city of Athens, w^en 7^ free "id
flouriflnng ftate : nor have we any reafbn to believe that the nfenorkv
wTf'r::^^^'^'"^' '^ ^"^ in^provement. either in! ^Xo^

Tn/rf^'^'H^ tT^^'l'^'Pr""^ ''^^^^"'^^ ^"'^ ^ea' of the Roman govern-
ment, which for about forty years had fluduated between Rorne Me
d.olanum {^da,i)^ and Nicomedia {Comidia), was finally fixed bv Con"
ftan me at Byzantium, which thenceforth obtained the name of Con!
ftantinopohs It is ahnoft unneceflkry to add. that the favoured caDitaT

X'e and^tlSl^,^^- '^''-''' -' --^' ^-" ^--1- ^^^^^

world could be more happily cbofen f^r' the%:;it?, VV"
mercial peop e than that, which was chofen by Conftantine for the cT
pital of a military government. Situated on a peninSa nroie^ i^
to the narrow channel, which divides Europe from Afia andC^^^^
terranean from the Euxine fea. it invited. Ld c"uM almoft comS"
the trade of every country bordering on the Mediterrar wn aT. v,'
from the main, channel, of feven miles in lena^h ?^ , A branch

ao8

A. D. 306—337.

-tiiyilion into four provinces is believed to have taken place in the re.gn
of Conftantine ; and they were as follows. Britannia f rima compre-
hended the country fouth of the Thaniefis {Tharnes) and the Sabrina
{Severn) ; and Rhutupis {Ricbburgb in Kent) was the capital. Britannia
SECUNDA was bounded by the Sabrina and the Deva {Dee) on the eaft,
and on the other fides by the Iriih fea, Ifca Silurum {CaerUion) being
the capital. Flavia C^esariensis * was bounded on the fouth by the
Thamefis ; on the weft by the Sabrina, the Deva, and the Infh fea ;
on the north by the Seteia {McrJ'ea), the Danus (Do«), and the Abus
{Humber) ; and on the eaft by the German fea. The capital is not cer-
tainly known, but may be prefumed to have been the antient colony
of Camulodunum {Cokhe/hr), or perhaps rather the now more flouriih-
ing city of Lundinuin {London). Maxima f comprehended all the re-
maining part of the conquered country, which, while the Romans were
able to preferve the limits fixed by the treaty between the emperor
Antoninus IJaftianus (or Caracalla) and the Caledonians, feems to have
extended as I'ar north as the Cheviot hills and the range of mountains
dividing Galloway (in its largeft extent) from Tiviotdale, Twceddale, and
Clydefdale. Eboracum {Tork) was the capital of this province, and, at
leaft occafionally, of the whole of the Roman dominions in Britain :
and all thefe capital cities were Roman colonies. [Sexti Rufi Breviarium.
-~Rjc. Corin. L. i, c. 6.]

About this time the Romans, perhaps dropping the ufe of their own
money of account Q^\\<:\S.JeJlertium, and of the Greek or Oriental talent,
feem to have reckoned their large fums by pounds of gold ; at leaft v.'e
tind the falaries of their great officers of ftate, biftiops, &c. fo reckon-
ed t

The Roman pound of gold, which may be reckoned equal to forty
pounds of our modern fterling money, was exchanged at this time for
fourteen pounds eight ounces of filver.

About 345 — From the circumftance of an embufly being fent by the
emperor Conftantius to the king of the Homerites, (formerly called Sa-
baeans) in order to convert him to the Chriftian religion, and probably
alfo to engage him to harais the coaft of Perfia with naval invafions §,
we learn that that king now extended his fway over all ^he fouth coaft
of Arabia, which the Greeks called the GrecU Arabia and the Happy

* Apparently fo callc'l from the pi-xnoiren of
Flaviut, alTunied by Contiantiiie, aiid after him by
many of tlie fiiccceding emperors.

t Perhaps fo callci.1, a» biing erroneoufly fiip-
pofed the Urgeft of rlic whole (whereas it was not
near fo exttnfive a» Flavia) ; or as pretending (hat
the unconqtieri'd country was a part of It.

X Probably the numeration of money by pounds,
which becar.ic jjeneral among alt th.- waXM <.i of Eu-
lope, was copied from them ; but the other na-

tions, being Ids opi'leni, cou.ited pounds ofyT/wr
iullead of pounds of gold.

{ That tiie Roman emperors kept up alliances
with the ijoiiiei'tts and tne Axuniites, a people
on the well toalt of the R<d fea, in the year 356,
ard alfo in the reign': of Jijliin and Juftiiiian, <ip-
piars Irom an < r ' i tc ^crnincf the expcnies of
•'ufi wiio we: i t to t!. j'l, h.im Nonriufus, atn-
t id. .dor to .^xl|m•^. [rf>. h'l-'tii Biil'ioihtc. cod. iii]
and from I'rocopius, [Pet/a. L. i, c. 19, 20.]

of the Pcvamgr^lfthep)^^^^^^^ ' T^ ""^^^er, at the mouth

and Perfian errfp" e's tradt^o ZT'^aT'^I^''^^'^ °^ '^' ^^"^-'^
Roman emperor to the S of the Rn "^ '^ ^'^^^'' ^""^ ^^ ^^«

horfesofthenobleft breed of Lpoa?^^^^ there were two hundred
ed for the purpofe f . Tp6^^?rTAZ''7't^ ? iT' ^°""^"^"
, 353— It was cuftomary now Tand hov^ l«"l" u J' ^"^
hold an annual fair about the beSin^^f^L'^'''"^ ^" '^""^ "°0 to
of Macedonian origin Ivineeaft^fror A fP'"'^."' ''' ^^^"=«' '-^ town
the Euphrates. It wa's aSed bv J?.^ '°? • ' T'^ .^'^"^ '^' ^'^^^^ of
dealing with the opXnt mercham. IfJu "^"/'""^«' ^^r the pu, pofe of
from all quarters, fu goodTTrorht 111%^^^ ^f ^^^^" '-^"^"^^led
land and by water ± as we le.rn^f T ^""^"^ '"'"'^ '''^'^' countries by
whc, mentio^ns an^a t'ernVrol?^^^^ [^. 4

yond the eaftem limits of rh^ R^rf,o„ ""V"Pt^°ti ot the countries be-
wherein he informs is th.r .h^^ '^ empire m his twenty-third book

the famous natn %7\he Se eV hy^Zuf ^^^^ "'""^^ ^^^^'"^ ^^
Pyrgos (the tower of ftone) and nlonl t J ' '''^'T "''^"^^ ^ithinos-
Afcanimia and Comedus «^' Hfdoes not ^^^'7^"^°""'^^^ ^^"^^
merchants were, but it is probable thlr^J "' "fj^^' ^"^^'^X ^^efe
empire. Eaft from tLe R v^ txartes rl^f r^^^'t °^ ^^^ ^'^'^
furrounded by a vaft circuit of oftv ^ ^ ^"^' i^^^' ^mmianus, and
tert:!. countr/of the Seres boundeHK "''''' Jl'^ '^^ ^^^"five and
the north and eaft by Ss covered whh f' ^'" ^^/^^ ^'y'^'^'^^' °«
India and the Ganges » He nT/I?. /r""^' ^""^ ^'^ ^^^^ ^o^th by
•inges ||. He proceeds to defcribe the Seres as a fedate

F*J,n'*\!^ plff" -ru^*"!""''"" ""-^d Arabia

were tl.c progenitors of the fcmou, Arabbn K
I ,. pnetty evdent that A.abia wa. not d ft?nS:
e.l for the quality of its horfe, in .arly time,.^ See
above, p ,65 note, where I have obfcrved^that ^he

!f tl , R ^ ""' "° '«='' P^="'""» '"n the eye.

"f the Roman emperors, who Id not pennit even

""proper to introduce here, may be feen in Z?^

Vol. I.

[<:a : nor ,, ,t clofe upon the EuphwteL Xh
however, i. the only 'Navigable chSS by wich
Indian good, could be conveyed to it %e 3
conveyance was probably by the car«,n. „f
chant,, of whofe^ute iXc^'rTZtT^

II 1 Ins defcription anfwers that part of Tart.rv
conta,n,ng the country novr called littlfBl haVil
or Mo^uf^ftan. [See H^nnelP, M.p a. above an^

t.o.. alio agrees tolerably wellf m^k ^ d?;,^'^:
a. ce for the .mperfe^lion of .nticn.^^"IraphT
y^^^^ tlie great city of Thin, ia the Perguf oTthe*

»io

A.D.S5^.

arwJ gentle people, wlio never quarrel with their neighbours, ajie ex.-
cmpted from the alarms of war, and arc even without the ufc of arms*
Blefled with a fertile foil, and a delicious and falubrious clinaate, they
pafs their happy dayi in perfe<ft tranquillity amid ftiady groves, which
are fanned by gentle breezes, and produce fleeces of wool, which, after
being fprinkled with water, is combed off in tlie fineft threads, and
woven into fericum *. The Seres, fatis6ed with the happiuefs of their
own condition, are very fhy of having any intercowrfe with the reft of
mankind ; and when foreigners have palled a river to buy thread (feem-
ingly raw filk) or other goods, they confider the price offered' in filence,
and tranfadt their bufinels without exchanging a word. And as the pro-
dudHons of their own country are fufficient to fupply all their wants,
and (litisfy all their wiihes, they receive nothing in exchange from the
ftrangers but hard money. Such is the beft account which Ammianus
could obtain of the country, from wtiich, through the agency of a great
many hands, the Romans obtained the luxurious drefs called ferieum,
which, though formerly confined to the nobles, was now indifcriminate-
ly ufed by all clafles of people, not only in clothing, but alfo in cover-
lets for their beds f .

357 — Paris, firft mentioned by Julius Caefar under the name of Lu-
tecia or Lutetia, was now the refidence of JuUan, who, with the rank
of Ccefar, governed the weftern provinces of the empire. It appears to
have been lUC confined within the fmall ifland in the river, and to have
been confid^^red rather as a fortified poft or caftle than as a town.

359_.When Julian was occupied in conftruding a chain of fortified
towns on the banks of the Rhine, he found that the adjacent country,
ncglefted and exhauftcd by the calamities of war, was incapable of fup-
porting the garrifons and inhabitants of his new fettlements. He im-
mediately conflruded fix hundred % veflels with the wood growing on

Er) tliraan fea, and the Sera metropolis of Ptole- f Some parts of tliil defcription may feem to

my, which the learned geographer D'Anvilie makes be copied from Pliny. \,H>Ji. aal, L. vi, cc. 17,

the fame with the mo<iern city of Kan-tcheu-foo, 22.] Three or four centuries had not made the

iituated in that divifion of Tangut, whid; is includ- fmalkft addition to the knowieg« of the nature of

ed in the province of Shen-fee, in the north-wed ferieum among the Romans, beyond what they pof-

part of the empire. IRtcherchet fur la Seriqke des feffed iu the days of Virgil or Pliny,

aiuieiu, in Mem. dt lilleralurr, V. xxxii, /. 579']

This pofition of the Seres agrtes pretty well with

the hillory, or tradition, of the origin of the Chi-

ncfe, fuppofing them the defcendcnts of the Seres,

that their firft icttlements were in the north-well

parts of the prxrfent empire of China, as it was

pointed out by a well-informed Pandit to SirWil-

ham Jones. [See his D'lfcourfe on the origin of the

Chintfe, in the /ijiatic refearches, F. ii.]

• Perhaps the Seres were themfelves the invent-
ors of this ilory, which feemed to render it impof-
lible for any other nation to obtain a participation
in the filk harvcil, jull as fimilar fables were pro-
pagated lefpediing the produttijn of fpicei.

I Such is the number by Julian's own account
in his Letter to the jitbenians. Zolimus fays, there
were eight hundred (hips larger than lembi ( * irAtMe
fOilttm >v(Cm') ; and he has been often referred
to, not quoted, to prove that Britain exported every
year corn fufficient to load eight hundred large
Ihips ; whereas, without ai&miing or denying that
Britain could fpate an equal quantity every year,
he only fays that fuch an exportation took place
on that occaCon. Of the burthen of the veiTcls
we can form no accurate judgment, unlefs we knew
the ordinary fize of lembi, which, if we may truil
to fuch guides as Ifidorc, Nonius Marcellus, and
Fulgentius, were fmall velTcls or liAiing boats ; and

fk.kLii;i!

■*• O- 359- if«

rl'M^J'f ' "^f' ''"""■ ?'' ''"" "'™ '" Brtain, ■whence raoh of them
c« r,cd ferml cargoe. ol com, which fupplied the ,vants of the fcS

f^ .T„ R™, rf' r"= "T*"^ "^ apporting them with com raifed
ported f^n. Britain, t>/,W- Or«' VS-X, 'i^^^^^rf •» »"

der the Roman government, was enriched by n ureal and on !!.„„?
n..ed favourable balance of trade, and the^Hv Sw . l™8-<:<'""-
quanrit, of money at the h'nal abdication ■oftt^RTrnt""' ' ""' ^''"

above three or four mlrL ?k ' * ^i'. "^^ '"^ '^^^ ^^*°*i ^as not
-na meir lubjetts by the daring intrepidity with which they

Procopiu. tell, us, IGoliic. L. ii, ,. „] ,hat the
Umb, belongmg t, a Roman fleet were carried upon
carts from Genoa to the River Po. Perhaw we
(ha 1 not greatly err, if w, efWmate J«Ua.,'s Hver-
hin.. veflii, rather under than above fifty tun,
which, mftead of being called /arf,>vVo'd
not DOW be honoured with the name ofy&. C
our antmnanes, .f they had duely attended to Zo-
fioius, who lays, that the vcireis made feveral vov-
ages, and to Mj.rcellinw, w»,o ha. 'annoaa a Brit-
,.»"'•>'?" .«"-»>«t«rri,' might have wry fairly ere-

corn. Part of the corn carried fi„m Cfaul to
Rome .n .he year 398, when Gildo withheld the
Ai.ican fupphes, may with great prohabihty be
prefumed to l«ve been the produce of Britain!

,K„ •, f V^r* ""■''*'' unqueftionable extant a,.-
•honty f.»^thefe new name, of the invader, of the
Romamzed part of Britain, but they were appS
■cntly known ,y the fame name before Conft^s

undertook an expedition againll ihem in the year
H3. referred to by Ammianu» Marcelllnus, as re-
laied m the early part of his work, which i. an.

flounfh. lH.th ihofe iiation. might be faid to have
fre<jrtrn-!v fought againft the Brton. of the fouth
... the a«c of J..hc«C^.r, but we can»ot 3
any degree of propriety venture to extiad hiito-
nca f.«. frtHT. the hyperbolical adulation of pine-

-I.K1 to arr<jgatc to lhen,ftKe. the aAual mer.t of

had the prepoltcrou, mipude,K.>« to affiime the title,
of conquerors of nation, who had i„ reality defeat-
ed tlicr -..mes. The tt,n,e of the Scou occurs in
a q,KHa.,.m from Porphyry, who lived about . ecu-
tury before Amm.anus , but it is doubted by feme,
whaher Jcrom. wh.> makes tl. .luotauo.,. be u<u
luftUtit the original author of it,

D d a

fft

ArBi'364i

flc'immed over the roxighcft fcas in boats made of leather, and by tlue
fuUdennel's of thtir plundering incuriions, now invaded the Roman pro-
vinces in Britain, (wherein their grandfons were to obtain fuch ample
poircllions) in conjundlion with the Pichts, the Scots, and ihe Attacots,
a warlike nation, who now for the firft time ftart into hidorio notice|.
[Amm. MartrHL. xxvi.]

365-.^66 — Tlic provincials of Bruain, accuftomcd to look for pro-
tedidn from their Roman Ibvercigns, and not daring, perhaps not being
permitted, to take arras in their own defence, were ruined by the con-
tinual irruptions of thefe tremendous enemies, and by the gangs of ibl-
diers, cheated of their pay by their officers, who infefted the highways
as robbers, and extorted provifions from the luiMves. The count of the
fea coaft, an officer appointed to rejiell the piracies of the Sjixons. was
flain in battle ; and the duke of Britain, to whom the defence of the
northern frontier was committed, was outgeneraled by the military
policy of the barbarians. The fucceeding Roman commanders appear
to havk. bad no better I'uccefs, till Theodofius was fent with a powerful
reinforcement.

367*— That general, when he landed at RhntupisE, found that the
Pichts, the Attacots, and the Scots, were roving at large through the
whole country, and that fome parties of them, almoft clofe upon him,
were driving before them the captive people with their cattle and other
property. But the undifciplined valour of the invaders was unable to
contend with the military fcience of the Roman general and the tried
courage of his numerous veteran troops. Theodolius, having recovered
all the plunder, made a triumphal entry into Lundonium (now called
Augufta, and a colony, as all towns of that name were *), which was
faved from ruin or pillage by his feafonable arrival. [/1mm. Mnrcell. L.
xxvii. — Liban. Oral, parent, c. 39.]

369 — Theodofius, having reformed the abufes in the array, and re-
ftored the cities and frontier pofts in Britain, reconquered all the coun-
try occupied by the northern nations as far as the wall between the
Forth and the Clyde, which he ereded into a fifth province, bounded
by the north and fouth walls, and gave it the name of Valentia in
honour of the reigning emperors. [Amm. Marcelt. L. xxvii.]

383 — The moft of the Roman forces, and a very great part of the
Britifti youth, being carried over to the continent by Maximus to fup-
port his pretenfions to the empire, the defencelefs provinces were every

f StillingBert lOrig. Briton, p. 196] fiippofcs « of the provinct*.* Perhaps a better arjrnment

that AiiK»'i* Wi» the capita) of all Roman Britain, for iti fupremacy may be derived fiom the treafiirc

and lie quotes thr opinr of Vilferui, IHer. Vin- of the piovinct lu-ing depofitcd in it, ai wc leat»

dil. L. v] that all towns dignified with that appel- from %\ie Nuiliu imperii,
lation ' mcK *o/>tta gantitimf the chief metiopoka

A, D. 388! — 400. ^a,-

year overruu by the two ctml trnnfmarine nutions, the Scots from the
north-weft, and the Picht. from the north «. [QUdoj ie eMcidh Mriian^
t$ke,c,xi.]> ,^ ^

' 3«8^The weft coafts of Britaih #ere alfo itrfblted twth frtfotlent
pr^dator^ motrdons by the Scot, of Ireland, probably ac^mpani^d by
the abor,g.n:, Inlh. One of the beft atiefted °f tlu: expeduioi^of thdJ
corlairs w« that m wh.ch they failed up the Civdc as high ^ Dunhfr!
ton (apparently then called f heodofia). and earned off a i-rc« number
of pr.io.ers .horn they fold for ftaves. An.ong their <^pti^xs wlTp^

thV^VbH''''",^" '^'''"'T^ >'*'"• ^^^ ^"°" "^" ^-'Pormu^ a deacon of
the church, and apparently a Roman, who »rtcrv,4d,s became lb vc^
fomous ns the patron famt of IixHand. Th.s &dt we learn from S

Z.i h"r"'^'"'*''(' ^he oldeft native or mhabitant of theTitift
xftands. whole writmir have come down to o.ir times f

396— An army 1 mto Britain by Snlico the regent of the wcftem
empire. reprelTed ti.c ruvaders ; and a legion was quaftered on thrnorS
fmnt,erof the envp.re in Britain : but it was recalled very foon after
[Clawhan. Laud. Stilic. L. ii ; BelL Get.] ^

400_About this time the Notith, or Court calendar t, of the two
Roman emn.res. firems to have been compiled. Among fheereat offi-
cers upon tl.e Bntilh eftabliftiment the followiBg appea? to havTli«i
the prmcipal. .., axrr pKK^ iimmsi> s>/li m-. ^^

S3«lnLH ^«^^''-^"« ^^^''o^'o of Gaul, whofe almoft-impe-
der hTm ^'"^' ^P"'"' '^^ ^"^^«' ^he vicarius had ,L-

' ''-'JO ft [;->>.;

the CONSULAR GOVERNORS of Maxima Ccefarien/u,
and of Valentia ;
»^d the rM.simtiTs of Britofmia prima, m.m,\

Britannia fecunda,

^ntfJeneraUna'nr^ '"^ "'°^'''" ^^^'^^^ ^^^^ ^e called the go-
vernor-general and lieutenant-governors, had in their hands the civil

» n <ic, after iranfcfihing thcfe wordifrom Gil.

«?ab, 11. Older to prevent liis readus from being mif-
«cJ, imm. d.ately adds, « Now. we call ihefe r.ation.
//•rtn/m«r,n^ not ai being r.tiwied out of Britain,
bui ai bung divided from the country of tlie
LH.»iMnized] Dritons by tlie iiitcrvcution of two
a, n,H oi the fea, which ru„ far into the land on

' the cad .nd weft l.dea of B.it.in. In the middle"
ot rae ealleru one is th« town of Guidi (on Inlh-

^/TrM. or perhap, hjh-C >•^,y\ Or, the right
liCK ot the weftcrn on>: i. tlie town of Alcluith
KDunbiirto,,-), ihe nami of wl.ich f.gnifies in their
laiignage th ro,i of Ciuith (C/yJr) , for it Oands

• clofe upon a river of that name.' rj/A tce&.
i Of late the wry exiftence of Patric, and con.

£.irei'a"^'':r ^7^ '''*'^'' ^°" ""«'"''« "»«".

the mcr t» of fi,.-h a queftion. nor wauld, perhaps,
any reader of this work thank me for aucmpti^n ^

i-atrK throw* hght upon, and ii itfelf fupported
by, th« poetical flourilhcs of Claudian, and Sfo fl-
luUrate. the obkurity of Nenniut.

t It diireni from a court calendar in LaWqg only

1 "Xi them*"* *'"^'"" ^'''^ °^ ^' P-

et4

A. 0^400.

adminiflratiori of the five provinces. The military force was under the
command of three great officers, viz.

Comes limitum Britanniarum, whofe diftrid is not exprefled ;
■^CoMEs LITT0RI8 Saxonici *, who had under his command nine mari-
time garrifons cm the call and fouth coafts, his particular duty being
the defence of the country againft the Saxon freebooters ;

Dux LIMITUM Britanniarum, who commanded the garrifons of four-
teen to-vns in the province of Maxima, and twenty-three parties of fol-
diers, ftationed at fortified ports on, or near, the fouth wall.

Thefe three military commanders had under them 19,200 foot and
1 ,700 horfe ; a great redudion from the army ftationed in Britain in
former ages. But the Romans, whole wars were now not for conqueft,
but for defence, found it neceflary to draw their forces homeward ; and
the provincial Britons were fully reconciled to the Roman dominion,
and the towns were in a great meafure peopled by the defcendents of
Roman foldiers and colonifts.

There were alfo the following revenue officers, who in modem lan-
guage may be called

the receiver-general of the Britifh revenue;

the receiver of the emperor's private demefne rents ;

the commiffitMier of the trcafury at Augufta f (London) ;

aiid the fuperintendant of a public manufafture carried on by women
at Venta % (Wincbe/ler, or peiiiaps Cetfler near Norwich).

About this time an epifcopal church buik ef ftonc, a kind of ftruc-
ture unufal among • Britons, was eroded by Ninian, a Britifl] nrieft,
in a fmull ifland 01 le coaft of the Novantes (Gallozvay), which, from
the white appearance of the building, obtained the name of Whit-hern
(or in Latin Candida calk) f .

Bells are faid by fome to liave been invented by Paulinus, bifliop of

• He i;. called by Amtniaou* comes ui the fca
coall ; and the warden of the Cinque ports is fup-
pofed to hkTC been appointed in iinkation uf hii
eflLce.

I have given thefe titles in the original Latin,
becaule we have not ftridly any coirefponding
ternib in EngliQi. The reader may confult Selden's
Titlti of bunour, part ii, c. I.

f 'I'lic office of the trtafury was probably in
the fame fpoi where the Tower Uandi, and it i»
likely that there wa« alfu a mint in the fame place.
An ingot of fJvcr, infcribed ' Ek uAioio Honorii,'
vras found, with fame gold coint uf ArcadiuH and
llunoriua, in the old fuunddtion of the ordinance
office in the Tower in the yew 1777. [_jirtbtio/e-
SU, r. V, />. 191.]

\ 'I'lxuigli Camden has fixed thia manufadlure
at Wincheller, as beinj; the moft confidctahle of
the three towns iu Britain called Venta, we h««e
no certain knowlcge of the place, nor can we CTcn

ht pofitive of the exigence of the manufaAure ; for
various readings have Ventenfis (belonging to, or
at, Venta), and Bentenfis (meamng unknown, if
any) ; gyiiaecu (aianufa^iory c^ndufted by wotpcn),
and cyncgii (dog-kenncl). Therefor tlicy have
gone much too far who have adduced thefe w.'rds
at a proof of the auticnt fupetiority of Britidi
wooL

§ This was by far the moft anticnt biflioptick
iu the country iince called Scotland : bin. York,
and the other old firitifli biftiopricks iu tlie Rom-
an part of the iOand, if the natice concerning
them be affurediy anther.tic, were about a century
earlier, which 1 did not advert to, when, trt|fliiig
too itnphcitly to Brde and W4llium of Malmfbur}',
who have totally omitted the Britifh bilhops of
York, &c. I faid [in Gei-grafihicai ilhtflraiirmt of
ScQiliJh hiflory, vo. ^kit-keru] that this was the
moll anticnt bilhoprtck on the north litk of the
Humber. 4

Nola in Campama * : but it conld only be an improvement upoiath«
bells adapted to churches ; for bells of goid^ vrhich founded, arVmen!
tioned m the book af Exodus [r. 38.} Etcej cbffical reader kivows
that mftrumerus of brafs, which feem to have beea beUs, were found-
really t^"""' ''" ^'^' ''!'''"^ '*" '^^ P""^"'"* ^^^^ '^' public baths wm

409~-The Britons abandoned to the ravages of'dSls^on^ 'piihiJ'
.Scots and Attaco.,, by the degenerate emp^Tor Honorius. X'dTd nS
dnre to venture his perfon on the outfide of the walls of Ravenna Z
fumed theur independence ; and. trailing to their own courage^ et
ertions. they found that theft were fufficient, without any f^ei^atd
to dehver their country from the invaders. If their feceffion coufd l^l
nve any vahd.ty from the content or approbation of fuch a fovereSi
as. Honorius, that was alio beftowed in letters which he addrefled to he
cities or ftates of Britain, wherein he exhorted them to tie fhe rm!
nagement of then; affairs into their own hands. The exampt of Thi
Britons was foon fdlowed b^ their neighbours on t^ neTr^ft coaft of
Gaul who alfo withdrew theix allegiance from a mailer ii^apab^^^^
affordmg them any proteOion. [Zqfimi Hijl, L, iv,} . .„ .^TT

4io--Alaric the great king of the Goths, after haiina humbled
Ro.ne by exadmg a tribute of 5,000 pounds of gold, xo^^Z^ti

purple icarlet, or crirofon, colour, and 3,000 pounds of peDoer t hv
three fieges and the creation and degradalion of a valTal eSor took
pofleflkn of the no-longer-proud and infulting capital. gavThi fol^rs
pe mifllon to fei^e th. accumulated plunder of eight hundredTear rfo
fo long was it Imce the city had been taken by the Gaul ^ and Tnfome

4t9~rheodofius. Che emperor of the Eaft, was fo fenfible of the im
portance of a naval force, that he prohibited his ?u^eaf under ^i n^f
death, from teaching the urt of fhip-building to the barbkr ms 1^ nf
tions not lubjea to the Roman empire. icL rw it .V '40. '

432— k might be fuppofed, that the Britons, pofleffed of indenend
ence, and improved in agriculture, arts, fcienc;.Ud manufadur^^^^^^
. 1,1! '

*.Thcfe bells are called noU and camtana in the
jjatin of tlie fuccreding ages.

t Belts (timinahula) are mentioned by Plautus,
[rrm,m,,aa. iv, fi. jj and by Varr«, a, quced
by nmy, [_£. xxuvi, c. jjl author, wlio lived about
tive hundred yean before Paulinus. Jofephiis [^n-
//;/. L. Ill, f. 1 1, 12, or 13. oi numbered in ihe va-
tioy, edtnamy fays, that the wide end of the tnim.
pete, made m the camp of Mofe., wa» m M^ Arm af
a btti, which mferi that the form of tluMn was the
lame m his days as at prefent.
X Rome, now a lubordinate city, could nut raifc

the money without melting down the ftatue. of
fcveral poid and filver deitiea. among which Zof?!
n I particiilarly regrets , he poddef, Virtus or Vi-
lour, I le deftmeiion of which, he far,, was th*
exiiuftiajr, of the laft fpark of fortitud J and v , ue
amoiuj the Romans—The meaning of the word.
«.«.5«fi, ii^fiurm 15 uncertain : the tiril was a very
expenfive colour, but whether purple, fcarlef. or
cnmfon I, unknown : the fecond fa tranflatcd by
Mr. G,l|bonj>«.„ offn, dolh. It appear, from
«fny [h Til, r. 48] that they had a method of
dying the wool upon the living fheep.

^f6 A« 0.422.

glmoft four centuries of Roman inftrudUon, would immediately have
flione but a great and fiourifhing people; that the abundance of their
produde and manufa^res would have fupplied the materials of a very
extenfive commerce ; and that they would have availed themfelves of
their infular iituation, and their knowlege of the Latin language, (then
generally underftood in the weftern parts of Europe) to carry on a great
aaive trade to at leaft all the neighbouring countries *. The very re-
verfe was the truth. Weakened by many and great levies of Britifli
foldiers repeatedly drawn off, not only by the pretenders to the empire,
but alfo for regular garrifons in diftant provinces f ; accuftomed to look
up to Rome for protedion as well as government ; and probably de-
prived by death, or envy, of the fuperior talents which had given life
to their fpirited condud in the year 410, they funk into dejedion and
inadivity. Finding themfelvcs incapable of conduding their own af-
fairs, thr^y difpatched ambafludors to the Roman court, begging permif-
fion to return to their former allegiance, and imploring afliftance againft
their enemies. A legion was accordingly fent to their relief, the whole
Roman part of the ifland was recovered, and the wall of LoUius Urbi-
cus was rebuilt, though in a very imperfed manner. [G/A/. c. n..^
Bed. Hift. cedes. L. i, c. 12.-— Paul. Diacon, Z-. xiv.j

The Roman legion being again withdrawn, the northern invaders,
without taking the trouble of attacking the ufelefs wall, eroded the firths
in their boats, and repeated their cuftomary ravages. A Roman legion
was again granted to the prayers of the.Britoua, and the invaders, who
were driving off their annual prey, were attacked, and repelled beyond
the firths (a^. 426). But the Roman commander, exhorting the Britons
to apply ro the art of war, and depend on their own valour for their
protedion, gave them notice that no more alfiftance could be afforded
them in future. Before leaviny them h<, gave them diredions and af-
fiftance in rebuilding the ibuth wall in a lubftantial luanner, whereby
the province of Valentia v/as aban ' -ned, and it was immediately occu-
pied by the Pichts. The Romans alfo afiifted in ereding watch-towers
along the fouth coafl of the idand, to give notice of, and afford fome
defence againft, the incurCons of the Saxon rovers ; axul having accom-

plifhcd thefc works, they took leave of Briuin for ever. [GilJ. c. 14.

Siij^ebtrti Cbron. nd an. 426.]

441' — The attention of Theodofius to his marine has been already
obicived. In order to prevent the deftrudion of the weftern empire,
threatetjed by the formidable fleets of Genfcric, the Vandal fovereign

• i311(h», in his florid dffcription of Britain, fayj th»t the luxuriei (delitis) of foreign countnVi
were in^jortcd into the muuilit of the Th»ine» and the Severn in timei preceding hi« own. \G'd<it
Ujft. t. »■]

f See the Nc>tit!i imperii for the ftattoxary troopi, or CaWdcn IBntanii. p. 60, td. 1607] for ihc
whole of tiiem coUeticd to one view.

A. D. 446;

**•>

mg refufed, they were asibi Hnv^l r ? 'T'* ** certainty of be-

n„„h„n nri^hbLT'o Xtrl^p^'Xa of ^L^f^'r f ""''
verned the weftern empire in thf. n,i« ? xr , • ""^' ^^° ^^^n go-

man,, wheat .his ,i™e'K=:f he S of M^S^^d^"' ""= ^\
pretejjfon, ,0 the protcflion of diftam fubje& L'X, ''"'' S'™ "P ""

party of Yutes or Graf! Ih,. ^^^^?^^^^ ""^ g'^ing, was aflForded by a

called ntngift and S and im' "h ', ^' command of two brothers
ed againft the invaders whom \^^^^!^'^^y P^^m the Britons, march-
ing ta the old EngfiS LaThorT at St.Tr^'J "?^ '^'^^^^^^^ C^^^^o^d-
coLlhire). The Sonable ' H^f '".'^^ ^°"'^ ^""-^^^ ^^ Lin-

mitted a flattermg account of thei Wffto theirSrtnl^ ^""'-
nnent. wh.h procured a reinforcement of five^'thoutdt^n t;-^

LtrfZ^Z Ttrm^L'^LTXTtl^ ^° ^~^^

icon found an opportunityTf qua^rre fn. I'^K^ "nhappy Britons. He
a peace with the Pichts bent ?r ^K T T'^ '^^"'' ^"^' ^''^^S up

He' and his fucceHbrs ^^nd the chiettf fhe" '^""^ ^^j-^ ^^'^ ^"'"<^^^
Saxons, whom Zofimus diftInt?n-(T.« if u^ ^iJ^erous fwarms of the

other bold adventt'r from fhe "^^^^^^^ ''''I' ?— «• -th

children, crowded ox-er to Ihare the fmHe hn J ^ with the. r wives and
of about a century and a S rn.H; I r?'^' of Britain, in the courfe
of the country from "he Chin n^l themfelves mafters of the beft part
the north. Such of he fur^^^nl°n, ^' ^"";\^° '^' ^^"^ ^^ Fo^rh^a
aid not fubmit to live undc7 hT^ t-'^'^ conquered country as

tothcweftfide^^theiSLd ofwW^^^^ W '° T"'" before th'^m
of Clyde and Forth they ma^t w^^^ "^ the Lands-end to the Firths

they iv-cre graduaUy' fulTuS a J^tneLStfh " '" "'^"^ T^' ""
narchies of England and Scotland ' more powerful mo-

It .. .mpcffiWe to fix the prfcife dite of the

^rmorM, arrival of HcngHl arc! Horfa. Bede
a.liimcs lhcyt^ir 449, as appears by King Alfred'.
.S..m,,r,nnat.o„ ;u well « the iatk <,riS
and he ,, ..followed by the Saxu,, Ch,„nWe and the
u.ce U,ng w.-,tcrs. But the various J.te. and fact.

(icfovethcntta.t;onofthcor;t:caIrt.-uler. '^

Vol. I.

,. j' I^ ''>f'e numbm are nearly accumte, (for tl«
d,frer=„t acoumt. vary f,„a, (fxtccn to el°u"^
feps) the German rover^ befnle. their &, r^"
W. and lar^re ca«o«. muft h.vo had J^^^
fl^Aable v,(Td». praperlyar.d (l.ondy conilniftl
cd. to be capable of Xarr^in. abont th«e h „dS

Ec

ai8

A. D. 450.

^^c— If we may truft to Joceline, one of the many biographers of
St. Patric, the Irifli town called Eblana by the geographers of the Ro-
man empire, called at this time Ath-cliath by the Irifh, and afterwards
Difflin, Dufelin, Duvelin, and Dublin, was ' a noble city, famous for
' its commerce, and furrounded by woods of oaks and dens of wild
* beads.' But the later part of this defcription does not very well agree
with a populous or commercial city.

452 — ^The invafion of Italy by Attila, king of the Huns, with his tre-
mendous army, confifting of a vaft number of nations aflembled under
his vidorious ftandafd, gave birth to a new city, which in time rofe to
fuch commercial eminence, as to rival the antient fame of Tyre and
Carthage, and the more recent pre-eminence of Alexandria. The Ve-
NETi, a very antient nation, refembling the Gauls in their manners,
but of a different language, poflefled the fertile country watered by the
Padus {Po), from the confines of the Kenomani (or Cenomani) down
to che head of the Adriatic galf. Their name was famous in the tragic,
and in the fabulous, poetry of antiquity : but the firft hiftoric notice of
them, according to Livy, [Z,. v, c. ^^'\ is their maintaining their poflef-
fions, when all the neighbouring country was over-run by the Tyrrheni-
ans, or Tufcans. Many ages afterwards, in the abfence of their neigh-
bours the Gauls on their expedition agn'nft the Romans, wherein, after
defeating them and their allies, and chafing them for three days toge-
ther, they followed them into Rome, which they took pofleflion of,
(390 years before the Chriftian aera) the Veneti made an irruption into
their country, which was a happy circumftance to the Romans, as it
obliged the Gauls to abandon Rome, in order to march to the defence
of their own territories. [Po/y^. Biji. L. ii, cc. 17, 18.] The Veneti,
being afterwards i'wallowed up in the Roman empire, had a fubordinate
fhare of its proiperity ; and they had now an abundant fhare of its mi-
fery. Their property was pillaged, their towns were leveled with the
ground, and thole who efcaped from the fword were compelled to fly
from their native country. Mofl: of them fled to a numerous clufter of
fmall muddy iflands, feparated from each other only by narrow chan-
nels, wherein they found an obfcure and fafe retreat, proteded from
the attacks of land forces by a fea, probably then about ten miles
broad *, too {hallow and intricate to be navigated by veflels of any
force, but too deep to be forded, and fecured againfl: naval attacks by
a chain of long narrow iflands, which line the coaft for many miles,
and render the approach of a hoftile fleet almofl: impoflible. There the

• It i« not near io broad now. Everywhere
■pun tlii» coall tlie fra has letired conlidcrably
tVotn the !aiid Ravenna i» now four miles from
the fea, and its harbonr, in which Auguftus kept
«.wo LunJreil and fifty Hifps of war, tiaa for many

centurici been covered with tree*, and is called
Chiqffl, a conuption of the Latin word CJaffit, the
name of the fiiburb adjacent to ihe liarbour, fo
called as being the ilution of tlic fleets, clajfa..

A".iD. 452.

it$

iniferable remains of the Veneti, the nobie and the plebeian reduced to
the common level of poverty, conitmaed fome poor huts. Ld fupport!

trade, which they earned m their boats to the neighbouring coafls and
even into the interior region,, by means of the rivers; and they receiv-
ed in exchange corn and other neceflaries ; for their oWh iflaS affo d
l."n r^h;"g =^t ^'1 b"t room for their huts. Such wa the humbt
and diftrefsful origm of the iUuftrious commercial city of Venice

fi^Ta-^^.\i^.^^ ^^'"S rebuilt by the Romans, was confide red
as the firft city of Africa •. But in every refped it was far inferfor to
Its anient condition ; and in a commercial view the Roman CarthUe
fca cely deferved to be called the fliadow of the Phoenician Car hage
Of Its manufadures we know no more than that one of the^,«^.r^or
f^.'ir-^.''''? "^'■^^^",^r ^niployed. had been eftablfhed iA i
iMonna tmpern § 42] ; and that its trade confifted in colleding the corn
from the induarious farmers of Africa, and tranfpoiting it fo? the fun
port of theiridle Roman mafters. Genferic. the king of the ^ ndafs
was now mafter of Africa and Carthage ; and a numLus and powet
fti fleet was once more conduded out of it, harbour to ftrike^terror

nnV" fT'; 7^''''''' '\' ""^^""^ °^ ^^'^e had acquired durhig a re-
pofe of forty-five years, whatever the piety, the mercy or the haftc of

by the Vandals, and, together with many thoufands of the wi-etched

Romans was conveyed onboard the fleet, and landed in Carthage the

flreets of which exhibited on this occaflon the fpoils of the heathfn ^d

Chnftian temples of Rome, and thofe o^che temple of Terufelem whl^h

had been earned oflf by Titus Vefpafian. Thus did Genferic in a fmall

meaUire revenge the deftrudtion of Carthage upon Rome.

aJiaI''' ' T"^!""' °^ 'he Eaft. fitted out a fleet of eleven hun-

dr d and thirteen flnpsf carrying above one hundred thoufan^ men.

rhe cxpenfe o the expedition, which was no lefs than one hundred and

thuty thoufand pounds of gold, (above five millions fterling) exhaufted

he revenue, and ruined many of the cities. It was an effort dlCnor.

rnfe'of t^'n^.' of the empire, not yet i-ecovered from th^S,;

X r'nf K ^' ^''' of Theodofius ; and it ended in ruin and dl

rrh;n^-l^ r^f^'n '^'^°^^'"'Sn of the Mediterranean fea. and

as the polleflion of the iflands muft ever follow the dominion of the fea

atl fhe w ft""' f • "'" ^'"^^ ^° ^^^ ^"-" '^"-•-ons of Generic!
and the weftem Roman empire was almoft flirunk to Italy.

472— Rome was taken and facked by the Gothic chief Ricomer the
mighty maker and deftroyer of many iiperors of the Weft; Tnd in »

• hi thofc d|iya tlic name of Africa did not extend to Egypt,
^.tjh., nutnbcr, „h.cb .. fare!; n.t to. f.^. i. .ulvg7d' by fo.c writer, to , huudrcd thouftni

E e 2

if

A. D. 47#.

few years it was taken pofleffion of by Odoacer, who finally extinguifti-
ed the weftem Roman empire, which had for fo many ages given laws
to a great portion of mankind. Odoacer, in contemptuous mercy, per-
mitted Romulus, who was the laft nominally-Roman emperor of Rome,
to retire to a delightful and magnificent villa in Campania, and even
allowed him an annual penfion of fix thoufand pieces of gold. Italy
(for the other provinces were all by this time aUenated from it) now
became fubjed to a fovereign who fcorned to affume the name of Ro-
man or emperor, or to permit an ufelefs and expenfive phantom to con-
vey his commands to his fubjeds, as the mafters of the nominal empe-
rors for fome time had done.

493— By the defeat and death of Odoacer the fovereignty of Italy
wis transferred to Theodoric, the chief or king of the Oftro-Goths.
Under the peaceable reign of this benevolent conqueror Italy again be-
gan to flourifh. A fleet of a thoufand armed boats was eftablifhed to
proted the coafts from the piratical iiivafions of the African Vandals
and the eaftern Romans. Large trads of marfhy land, which had be-
come ufelefs by negled, were reclaimed and cultivated ; the exertions
of protedcd induftry reftored the country to its natural fertility, and
Rome no longer depended for fubfiftence upon Carthage or Alexandria.
As a proof of the abundance of the harvefts, we are told that wheat was
fold at the rate of five (hillings and fixpence of fterling money a quarter,
and wine at lefs than three farthings a gallon. [Fragm. ValefianJ] By the
munificent attention of Theodoric, an ample fund in money and mate-
rials, under the care of a profeficd archited and proper guardians, was
afligned for the prefervation of the public buildings and other monu-
ments of antient art *, and new buildings for ufe or embellifliment were
ereded. The I'alians (or Romans, as they chofe to call themfelves) re-
covered from I ic defolation of the preceding ages. They acquired
wealth, and they were not afiraid to enjoy it. Italy, which in its moft
favage ftate before the age of Homer had fumiftied fome commodities
which attraded the vifits of the induftrious Phoenicians, was again re-
Ibirted to by foreign merchants ; and feveral fairs were appointed for
exchanging its redundant produce with the merchandize of other coun-
tries. About this time (a". 500) many rich Jews, attraded by the flatter-
ing profped of commerce in a country apparently rifing into profperity,
and where religious pcrfecntion was prohibited by the wifdom and the
power of the fovereig^v eftabliftied themfelves in the principal cities of
Italy ; and it is very probable that the moft of the trade of it pa fled
through their hands. But it was a trade more refembling the firft ef-
forts of an infant colony, or of a nation juft emerging from barbarifm,
than what might have been expeded from a great country, which by

* And yet the deflHi^on of the monuments of ^ntieot art is generally, but moft ignorantly, im-
puted to the Coth*« 4

its advantages of climate, foil, and fuuation, to fay nothing of its an-
tientmUitary fuper^nty.^might have commanded at leafl the oom-
merce of every coaft of the Mediterranean fea. if it had been in the
hands ot an mduftrious and mercantile people

At the conclufion of the fifth century of the Chriftian »ra the weft-
ern Roman empire, which had included the moft temperate and ferrile
the moft populous, and the beft cultivated, regions of Europe and at'
eaft an equal Ihare of the moft fertile part of Africa. Stvided a
to lows. Theodonc, king of the Goths and of Italy. poffefTed alon J
xvith It and Sicily, that part of Gaul which lies eaft of ffihLthf
provinces of Rhaet.a. Noricum, Pamionia, and Dalmatia. the Danube
forming the northern boundary of his ample dominions, which com-
prehended the moft valuable part of the late Weftern ;mpire The
African provinces were fubjed to the Vandals. Spain was divided be-
tween the Goths and Swevians. Gaul, except what lay eaft from the
Rhone, was occupied by the Franks, the Bur^dians. Ld a cZ/tf

The Eaftern empire was ftiU entire, if it could properly be called fo
when not only the frontier provinces on the lower Danube, bu even
the whole country to the very gates of Conftantinople. and to the fouth-
em extremity of Gr^ce. were frequently pillaged wth impunity and
tT^T^ 't?" P°^,^,«"^o^' ^y '•oving mtions. who. wheSthey
profefled hoftiUty or fubjedion to the empire, were almoft equaS
dreadful to the unhappy fubjects. whom theyfweeped before them in
war or exhaufted by heavy tributes in peace. Such was general^ the
condition of the Eaftern Roman. Conftantinopolitan, or Gr^k emp re
which draped out a feeble exiftence of many centuries, till it was fiS
ly [ubdued by the Turks, m whofe hands it continues to this Zy.

It rnuft be evident to every attentive reader of the preceding pages
hat, if we except the Oriental regions, the tranfadions of whichlir^e^:
fortunately almoft unknown to us, there was very little of r .tcom
mercem the world after the deftrudioB of the iiiuftrious comLrc^I
city of Carthage The conveyance to Rome, and afterwards to cX
ftantmople of the com and other provifions. the manufefbri of^l
parts of the empire, and the luxuries of the Eaft by theTjS^cTof thi
merchants of Alexandria and thofe concerned in tiie oveSand Se
was all that remained to the fubjeds of the Roman empir^in plac^o^
he adive commerce by which industry had been created, animated
and lupported m every country which had the happinels of Cg con.!
rt « V ^^^ '^f CHANTS of SiDON, of Tyre. and of Carthag^^
I he Britons, who had long ago been left to themfelves bv th^ Rn
mans, were ftruggUng for their lives and liberties aga^n^fierce^nvader;
on every fide The Yutes, who fliowed the way to the odier Slrmtn
nations, had eftabliihed themfelves in their fmau\ ngdom of K^nTTn

222

A. X)J ^00.

'■JMvtfc

■derthe fovereignty of Hengift and his fartnly. The kingdofh of the
South-Saxons, comprehending the modem (hires of Surrey and Suffer^
was alfo cftabHfhed. And Cerdic, whofe pdfterity were deftined t6
fway the fceptre of all the Britifti illands, had juft laid the foundation of
his more extenfive kingdon> of the Weft-Saxons. As yet no Angles (or
Englifli) had arrived, at leaft not in fuch numbers as to form eftablifh-
anents in their own name. All thefe nations, together with the lefTer
bands of Frifians, Rugians, Danes, &c. have in fucceeding ages been
known under the general names of Saxons *, An'glo-Saxon, Angles, and
Englifh.

The nonhem part of the late Roman provinces in Britain, except a
fmall kingdom of the Britons in the fouth-weft part of Scotland, was
occupied by the Pichts, who extended their dominion at leaft as far
fouth as the wall between the Tine and the Solway firth.

A colony of Scots (or Dalreudini, as Bode calls them from their lead-
er Reuda, or Riada) had pafledover from Ireland, probably in the third
century, and occupied Argyle-ftiire, with fome of the adjacent lands,
and, apparently, the neighbouring iflands. About the end of the fifth
century, they were reinforced by another colony of the fame race,
under the command of three brothers, called Lorn, ^ngus, and Fer-
gus, the later of whom appears to have fucceeded to the dominions of
one or both of his brothers (a". 503) ; and he is generally reckoned the
firft of the Scottilh kings, and the anceftorof the kings of Scotland, and
of thofe of Great Britain.

Ireland at this time contained, befidesthe tribes enumerated by Ptole-
my, a colony of the Pichts, and a nation called Scots, who appear from
the works of St. Patric to have been the ruling people. It is is probable,
and we can have nothing better than probability, that all the tribes, or
nations of Ireland, migrated at different times from the weftern flioics
of Britain f.

Such were about this time the nations, whofe pofterity, with a mix-
ture of Norwegians, Danes, and Norman-French, conftitute the popula-
tion of the Britifh iflands. And, though migrations and conquefts do
not in flrid propriety belong to commercial hiftory, I have thought it
incumbent upon me to give at leaft a very brief account of events,
which gave almoft an entire new population to thefe iflands, which were
deftined by Providence to furpafs the commercial fame of all the na-
tions of antitjuity, to extend their commercial enterprifes to every pore
upon the furtace of the globe, and to cover the ocean with their innu-
merable fails.

• The Wel(l> and the Highlander* of Scot- Davids in Wales j and it is but fixteen milej from

Litid 10 tills day fcarcely know the EngK(h by the Mull of Galloway, and only ten from the Mull

■jmf a>hrT name than S.T//dn.ich, of Kentii-e, in Scotland.
. ■\ Icclaod ii vifiblc in clear weather from St.

A« t). 500^ 33^

The Romanized Britons were mvKh fuperior to nil their invaders iw
the arts and fciences. except the art, of w«r. But the faint light of Icarnw
mg and knowlege remaining in the ifland. was almoft eitineuiflied by
the long continued and bloody wars, which during feveral dark cen^
tunes depopulated the country, and defolatcd the cities of Britain, ,

rhe following particulars of the manners, manufadurcs. &c. of the
mhabitants of the Britifli iflands beyond the limits of the Roman con-
quefts (to whom I have fcarcely had an opportunity of paying any at-
tcntion hitherto), are chiefly colleded from the amient biogrfphers of
the famts, almoft the only writers of the weftern world in the dark aees
and brought together as throwing fome glimmering of light upon the'
mall portion at arts, manufaaures. trade, and navigation, exifting in
thefe remote regions about this time *. 6 . » « "s

Thelrifh ftill retained the cuftom, noted by Solinus, of adorning

ZnrAltlf' T' '^- ^' ""' ■'"' ^' "'• '' ^9-3 The manufadure of

[rttf JhtBtfrnsr "" " ^"^ ''''' ^"^^ ^'-"^'^ - --y

r p ?^ ^^f^'^, °^ "^^"« '^^ ':^^^'^^°^« ^^s common in Britain and Ireland;
iPatncn Synod, can. g.^ogttofi Vita Bngit^, ap. Meffingbam, cc. 6, 7. 1 1
^Adamn. L. 1, c. qq ; L. h, c. 43.] »/.**■

A common article of drefs was a cloak or plaid (peplum, pallium
ragum) adorned with a variety of colours, which was probably of home
manufadlure. [A/amn. L. i i. . ,.] They had fine linen, wHch. wSt
other articles of fumpiuous drefs, may be prefumed to have been im-
ported. The bodies of the dead, at leaft thofe of eminent rank w^e
wrapped in hne linen. [I^trkU Sy„od. cm. ..^.Coguos. c. .x.^aIZ.
L.m c. 26.] Decency of drefs was recommended to all. but particu-
larly to clergymen and their wV^x. IPatricii Symd. cm 61

In the churches and abbays there were bells, which the pious and in-
duftrious abbats iometimes made with their own hands. mtaGUd^
T^c^fr '''^'' ''"'''^-^' 5°5. cd. ^^3^^AdaruH^l!^^

"WaSr mills were introduced in Britain VtbirR^i;s t^^
by the remains of a Roman mill lately difcovefed at Manchehcr : E
duTi;;.^t f ^'^'^^^A^; P' 3'5] and as they are frequently men^

^ ?n^,1 fr f ? Pf '?''' r "^'^ ^^ '^"'■^^' ^-"^^ ^" «"Sine fo very ufo-
ful. and alfoot fuch Cmple conftruaion, was never allowed to go om

of^ule. About this ume they were alib ufcd in Ireland. [%i/(,^
VelTels made of glafs for drinking out of were ufed even in theei>:

.f*hi^t:ffi:::1^t53™'"B,tu°;btft'«o^ 'z tr^ ^r" r? ^°°" =^^" ^^^■■- °- ^-^^

aa4 A, D, 500.

treminr of Britain by the northern Pichts * j but whether they were
raanuiadured by themfelves, or imported, we are not told, {Adamn,
L. ii, c. 33.] We have reafonto believe that the art of mauufaifJufing
glafs was known to the fouthern Britons before the invafion of ^h? Ro-
mans.

Ale was a common drink, and made at home. Wine was «lib liifed
upon forae occafions, and rood probably imported. [Cogitos, f.^.^^
Adamn. L. ii, c. j.]

The natives of Ireland, and the north-weft coaft of Britain, and the
adjacent iflands, caught lalmoi:, and other fifii with nets. (Adamn. L.
ii, cc. 17, 18 ; L. iii, c. 25.] So it appears that they had no averOpato
fifh, whatever their anceftors may have had. (See above, p. 2.00,) But
they knew nothing of the vaft advantage to be derived from an extgn-
five fiftiery, and only caught fifh for thpir own ufe.

Though the leatherboatsof the Britons chiefly attradled the attention
of foreigners, as being unufual with them, we muft not fuppofe they
had no others. They certainly learped to build veflels of wood while
under the R.oman dominion, if thev had them ^ip.t before. About this
time, even in the renvjte Weftern iflands, they had long veflels built ot
oak planks ; and they all carried at leaft one fail. Some of the yelTels
covered with leather, were fufficient to gp long vpyages; at leaft as far
as from Ireland to Orkney, arid even to advance as far into the IsTorth-
ern ocean as a run of fpurteen days with i^lfaiLl^fpfej^,jr^i^^l^^yi^4f.

{Adamn. L. i, c?', L. ii. cc. 42, 45.] , .;, '^;,;>. ^'^,';.,' ;;>:;,i

I may here alfo obferve, that inftrum^nts and trinkets made of gold,
fome of them of confide rable weight, were by no means uncommon in
Ireland, as appears from the great numbers of them found in various
parts of the country, though they probably belong to ages prior to any
authentic hiftory J. As civilized nations dp not carry the pretious metals
to countries in an inferior ftate of civilization, it feems more probable
that the gold was found in mines, of which there are ftill fome veftiges
in Ireland, than that it was imported, though we (hould even fuppofe
with Tacitus (fee above, p. 1 89), that Ireland had a greater foreign
trade than Britain.

f\ . V» %i,-f

• It ii proper to obfen-<r, that Cumin, who
died ia the year 669, and vai the original writer
of the Lite uf Coluniba, has ikol a wurd of the
ftoi-j- toiitaiiiing tliC notice of the drinking K^^s.
It iK nut known in what yr.ir Adamnaa wioM hit
greathf-eulargcd copy of Cunijii'j Lit* of Colum-
ba. The mauufadure of glafi was introduced
among the Englilh uf Nurtliumbcrland in Uie year

674-

f It appears, that fnme wroiig-headtd monkt,
cither by ltref» of weather, or by dcCgn, (I'or the
perfcdion of reli^ii.n wa?i fuppuled to coaiill in
readtriiig ihemfciYes ufeltfj by withdrawing from

foclety) had aftuallf failed to Iceland, where they
fettiica, it being molt probably impoflible for them
to find their way tuck ajrain ; and their books in

the Irifli language, bell», &c. were found there by
■ " " £AriiStietU Jt

% Sec Archanlogm Brilann, V.' ii, n'.

the Aril cokmiftt from Norway.
JJlumiiii, e. ft,J

P- 5J!- — VcJkncty's CoiltSanta de rdui Hihtrnicis,
n°. siii. One gold fibula of ten ounce* (reprefcnt-
ed in plate vi, n°. z) was I'old to a goldlinith, who
infornwjj Cobnel Vallancey, that lie had melted
down L*veral of that forw, one of which weighed
flxtccn ounces.

A. D. 517*— 522. ^^

SI7--rThc Danes nude tUcir firft appearance wdm rtM^tnamc ia iu£,
tory, when aa army of them landed lA Gaul. an5%ScdThc cSniS'
^v S^^V^'l' '^"^ '^'' ^^'"f- ^" their ;et"^tth^vUeat?aS

i32^The Oriental commerce of the Red fea appears to have m^?"
a regular progrcfs down the >.ell coaft of it/ IWarLft nnr?T fi 5
mcnnonecTi, Heroopolis. at the very head of the wcTfttranc^h " r on J
canal drawn from the Nile to it •. Myos-hormos and BeJenic'rafter

ofCofm&sIndicopleuftest.that it had now quite deferted the Roman

Ern?rrP'°*^;^'^^"r.'°"?^"^"" ^^ the liamitiefCiht uZ
Egypt by Caracafla and Diocletian, and fettled at Aduli a porf of ffh^
opia. (or Abyffinia) near the mouth of tV Red ferand fa Wond th«
utmofthm.ts of the empire. That Portwrnrw freauen^nv ^
merchants of Alexandriafby Cofmas. and hi, nergVouS (who refided
mfome other part of Egypt), and by the merchant! of Ae a. an AraMan
port belongmg to the Roman at the head of ^ne eafternbr^nd; where
in an earlier age, Solomon had his harbour of Eziongeber ? and fTom It

Zt V 'i'' ^^^P'^^^ ^''t^'^ ^ ^'^"•^d to adventure upon the Sn
ernbarked, apparently as charterers or freighters, onboard The veffefs of
the port. The aromatics, ncence. and iDiceries th/jLVJ/ 1 if
emeralds, of Ethiop^. wer^ colledled in thfporTof AdTIn^ll^'^el

^:^:!^ *^^^^^^^ by their V^K weX;^^^^^^

'greeks %, was now the chief feat of the commerce of the Indian
ocean*. Its ports were frequented by veflcls fronTMa Perfif Fth^

and the merchants of Siele-div earned on a great adtive trade in their

• The pofitioo of it c»n.iot b« prccifdy afcer-

t Lidicoplcuftfi lignifies navigator tf India.
He wat a nicrclunt ; and he fauiidi his narrative,
Me tells u», Mp„n hin owm kriowlege, affifted by m-
■iUiriM made m every place to which he traded.
In hi.i old age he became a monk, •« did alfo an-
uiherGreekmercha.it ot hi« acquaintance. • Eeypt.
th.fn.,tft,l parent of fupetlhti.M,, .ffottkr^ie
iirft example of the monadic h'fc.' \a the earir
part of the fourth ceiitury.

A paffage of Cofmaa miy through fomc LVbt

on the qudlion tefp^aing the dolphin of th« an-

ticnt.. He fayi. • the flefh of the turtle it like

• mutton : chat of the dophin it Lke pork, tcmier.

and nearly ai agreeable to the tifte «e the turtle.'

Vol. I.

—Thwdefcnption makes It clear, that the Jolphin
of the antient. is very diffcre.rt from the modern
dolphm : and .t anfwer. very well to the porpt*.
the form of which alfo cornea near to the antient
reprefentation. of the dolphin. But hi, compari-
Ion of turtle to mutton mutl be allowrd to be in.
accurate ; and the connoifeur* in eating will think
meanly of hi. taltc, in putting the dolphin (or por.
pua) on a level with the turtfc. ^ ^

X See above, p. 132, note for the revolution* of
name* of this ifland. ,

hePenpluioftheE-rythnran fea, (f.e above, n.
of Chinl ' "*" *^*'*''"" " ""^ ""'"'"^

Ff

326

A. D. 52ii

oNvn vcflels to all thofe countries. They received from Tzinitza'filk,
now called by the new rianie o( metaxa, aloes, cloves, the wood of cloves,
ilindal wood, and otlier articles j from Male {Malabar) tlicy imported
pepper ; from Callieoa *, now a place of great trade, copper, wood of
iefamc like ebony, and a variety of ftufFs ; and from Sindu, mulk, cafto-
reum, and fpikenard. All theie articles, together with fome fpiceries f ,
and the hyacinths, for which the ifland was famous, were exported to
every Ihore of the Indian ocean.

The Perfian traders to Siele-div appear to have been very numerous,
lince there was a church ereded for them, the clergy of which received
ordination in Perfia. A principal part of their cargoes confliled of Per-
fian horfes for the ufeof the king.

The chief ports of tin; mainland of India at this time were Sindu j:
on the River Sind or Indus, Orotha, Calliena, Sibor, Mali famous for
pepper, as were alfo the five ports of Parti, Mangaruth, Salopatana, Na-
lopatana, and Pudapatana §.

Tzinitza, which is exprefsly noted as the country producing the filk,
is, according to Cofmas, as far beyond Siele-div, as Siele-div is from the
head of the Perfian gulf; and it is bounded by the Ocean, there being
no inhabited country beyond it. The fhort land carriage between
Tzinitza and Perfia, (which, however, he elfewhere tails a journey of a
hundred and fifty days) is afligned as the reafon of the great abundance
of filk in the later.

Cofmas alfo defcribes a trade conduced by caravans, fent by Elef-
baan 1|, the king of the Axumites on the eaft coaft of Africa, who ex-
changed iron, fait, and cattle, for pieces of gold, with an inland nation
in the fame filent manner that the Carthaginians carried on a trade on
the weft coaft of Africa, defcribcd by Herodotus many centuries before
Cofmas, and by Cadamofto and Dodor Shaw, many centuries after
him f .

From the view of the Oriental trade given by Cofmas, we fee that
the Roman province of Egypt had now the fmalleft concern in it, and
that only by the medium of a foreign port ; and the Perfians and Ethi-
opians of this age appear to have been more largely engaged in it than

• Calliena was one of the ports formerly (hut
againft the Egyptian Greeks, in order to force
all the trade to go to Barygaza. See above, p.
169.

t Cofmas has not a irord of cinnamon as the
produce of Siele-div, or indeed of any of the Ori-
ental countries. He feems to confine the growth
of it to Ethiopia, in a country near the ocean of
Zingion, whicn is probably the nanae now called
Zanguc-bar.

X Perhaps Patala, or the Barbaric emporium
of the Pcriplui.

§ The names of places found fomewhat more
Indian-like in Cofmas than in the Periplui. The
Greeks were very tardy in adopting tne genuine
names of the foreign places they had occafion to
mention.

II When Cofmas- was at A dull, EUfbaan, call-
ed alfo Hellidhzns and Caled, was preparing to
make an expedition againft the Humcrites of Ara-
bia Felix, which is mentioned by fcvcral other au-
thors.

f See above, p. 55.

4

A. D.

522.

aay

the Arabians, unlefs the later, in confcquence of his having no tranfac
tions with them, have been negleded in his narrative. ^

From the wntmgg of Cofmas we may aUb learn the deplorable decar
of fc.ence fince the age of Pliny. The chief intent of his work wluc J
he cal s Cbnjltan topography, was to confute the heretical opinLn of he •
e..rth bemg a globe, together with the pagan affertion tha H^^« wa, a
temperate zone on the fouth fide of the torrid .one; and to.nform hi^
readers, that, according to the true orthodox fyftem of cofmoSv
was a quandrangular plane, extending four hundred courTe^* or^v

fouth •. tnclofed by lofty walls, upon which the canopy or vault of the
firmament reftcd ; that a huge mountain on the north fide of thL earth
by mterceptmg the hght of the fun, p^duced the viciffitudes of d.v
and mght ; and that the plane of the earth had a declivity from Lr'th
o fouth, by reafon of which the Euphrates, Tigris, and othe^ rTer
runnmg fouth. are rap.d. whereas the Nile, having to run L S

^riXftl" '"' " ""'""" f '^°^''"^' '^''^'^'- ^'^'J^'-Procot p":

523— The Venetians, who efcaped the deftroying fword of Attila in

mem'or no'H;;'^H '"k^"' "°" ^^'^^'^^^^ '^ ^^"'^ internal gotlri^

every parfof the Idriarir"ir''r'''"^f '"^ ^'^'^' ^^P^^'^ ^^'i^^ng
every part ot the Adriatic gulf, and worthy of the attention of the fn

preme government, now in the hands of the Gothic king of Italy whofe

mmifter Caffiodorus, addrefl:ed a letter to the maritime^t?ib m ^oT vt

S ^o^RaTeLtr " "^^''°" '''' ^'"'"^ "°^^^ °'^^"^ ^^^ °" ^--

After difpatching his official bufinefs, Gdllodorus. very fortunatelv

for the caule of genuine hiftory. runs out in a kind of poetkaT but at

pren ly a true, defcnption of the celebrated city of AniceT'Y^n^L

prredicabiles') which he compares to the Cyclades as he doe.^h.
houfes to the nefts of aquatic fiwls. fet upon ground not ^rovTded bv
nature but made by human induftry. and ctnfolidated by merns of
llender fences made of twifted ofiers (fuch as the Dutch caH LTand
rp. Ihe chftindion ot rich and poor was fti41 unknown in Venice
al the houfes were alike: all the citizens lived on the lame fiihdet'
1 hen- only emulation was in the manufadure of fait, an article which
as he obferves to the comfort of the Venetians, is more indi^e^fibly

Tlic aiitiVnt Chmefe bcli'fved the farih to

t When iiidivlJ.ials or comiiiuiiltles become
prnlprrons, their vanity requires to be flattered
«it!i the imagmury digiiitv of their ancdlora

ancc of winch has remained entire in Venice. Th«
requilition ot Theodoric, by tJie letter of hi« mi-
n.aLr. (hows that he at Icail thought otherways,
and reckoned them m the number of his fubie^s •
a»d It I. not hk«ly, tlwlt they veaiiured to difnHte
The Vcne,:a„7ha;: :;^:;;^Z Z:.r:^TZ, tfr: \ "-^U^g;-"; it is aUo cerlllin.
their <l.,te i,s the only true at.d'le.idm .Ve offV L^ " ' (V fT%'^" acknowlegcd themfelves vaf,
of the Roman republic, the ir^Z:!^^:^ wlg';'.'' ""^ ^^"^■'•" ^"'^ ^^''ft«- -P''" fo-

Ffa

2^

A. p^ 5^y

necdftry ftian g6M.- Cafliodorus remarks theii cuftom ot tying their
boats to their walls, as people tye their horfes and cows in other places ;
rheir navigation throitgh their country, or city, their fafe and pleafant
voyages upon the rivers of the adjacent continent, wherein their veffels
apfjear to a fpedtator, who does not fea the water, to be gliding through
the meadows, and the mariner, exempted from all danger of Ihipwreck,
inftead of bting carried by his veflel, drags it along with a rope, while
he walks upon the dry land. {Cajftodori Var. L. xii, epiji. 24.]

533 — ^The profperity of Europe and Africa was interrupted by the
weak ambition, or avarice, of Juftinian, who, being defirous to recover
the Weftern empire from the barbarians, fent againft Africa a fleet con-
fifting of five hundred tranfports, from thirty to five hundred tuns,
which carried thirty-five thoufand men, five thoufand horfes, warlike
ftores, provifions, &c. and thefe were proteded by ninety-two dronones,
or warlike (hips. This fleet, not half fo numerous as thofe which hud
been fitted out by the preceding emperors for the fame purpofe, com-
pletely broke the power of the Vandals, and added the African provin-
ces, Sardinia, and Corfica, to the eaftem Roman empire. But it was
conduced by Belifarius : and fuch was the eflfed of the fuperior talents
of one man.

53^ — ^The fame vidorious general was empbyed to wrefl: Sicily from
the Gkjths : and their government being at this time in fome confufion,
that fertile ifland fubmitted to Belifarius, almoft without oppofiiion.
He next attacked Italy, and he even got pofleffion of Rome, (a°. 536), the
inhabitants of which rejoiced in being again fubje<5t to a fovereign, who
had the name of a Roman emperor. The great talents of Belifarius, who,
though a native of Thrace, and living in a degenerate age, may juftiy
be called one of the beft, and the laft, of the Roman generals, were emi-
nently difplayed in fuftaining a fiege of above a year 1^ a very great,
but ill-condu<fled, army of the Goths.

537 Rome iaeing in want of flour during the fiege, and the fmall

flreams, by which the mills were turned, being in the pofleflion of the
Goths, the provident genius of Belifarius contrived to muor barges in
thtftream of the Tiber, and on them he conftrufted mills, which ground
Corn for the fupport of the people, as long as the fiege continued.
[Procop. Goihic. L. i, c. 19.]

538 — Belifarius, having repelled the enemy from Rome, purfued his
advantages, till he brought the kingdom of the Goths in Italy to the
brink of ruin, and feat their king Vitiges a prifoner to Conftantinople.

At the commencement of this war the Goths ceded the cities of Are-

.late (Aries), and Maflllia (Marfeille) the antient colony of the Phocaeans,

mth the adjacent territories, to the Franks, who were already mafters of

almoft all the reft of Gaul and a confiderable part of Germany, and now

by the polFeflion of the fouth coaft of Gaul acquired the command of

the adjacent fea. Upon this occafion theMfo'l^reignfi^f-^tbe Franks ac-
cepted from Juftinran arefignaMon of the ci^ht.i which^fee, as emperor
of Rotne, might claim to thofe territories^' and to «1^' aUigJance of the
fubjeds. The Roman, or rather Grecian^ hiftoria© adds, that the kines
of the Franks ^ero permitted tn^okn money made of Gallic gold^ and to
mark It with their own portrait inftead of the emperor's; a privileee
denied even to the kings of Perfia, who could put their own heads only
upon filver coins, as gold coins with any other head than the ei«pero-'s
would not be accepted even among the barbarous nations, tlxat is to fay
nations not fubjed to the Roman, or Conftantiaopolitan. emoire *
iFrocop. Gothic. L. iii, £. 33.] t , ^ pirc .

^^^"^7^^ ^°"^ °^ Juftinian, who now flattered hJmfelf, that he was
mafter of the Roman empire in its anticnt greateil extent, while he was
m faa, in fpite of his long wall and other vain fortifications, a tributary

all the nations bordering on the Danube, to thererfians, and to the

irks (who in his reign firft appear in European hiftory) accelerated
tne ruin of his own empire by calling off the Goths from the Danube
to the defen ' of Italy, and plunged that country again into the miferv
and oppreflion from which it had been refcued by the prudent and be-
neficent government of Theodoric.

546--From the oppreflion -and nlifeondua of Juftinian's officers and
tax-gatherers Italy was delivered by the valour and virtue of Totila the
king of the Goths, who punifhedthc dcfedion of Rome by banifhine
the fenators, and giving the city to be plundered by his army • after
which he abandoned the antient capital- of the world, as unworthy of
his attention. It was immediately taken poflefllon of by Belifanus
But that great general was drawn off by the imprudence, or the envy of
Juftiman (a^ 54g) ; and the fluduating dominion of Italy and the adiacent
iflands was rellored to the Goths, and foon torn from them again (ao. ceo)
by the niihtary condud of Narfes, who, though an eunuch, was more
vvorthy than any other fubjeft of Juftinian to be the lucceflbr of Belifarius
1 he Gothic empire m Italy was now finally extinguifhed : and Naife^
was appomted, with the title of exarch, to govern the miferable coun^
try. depopulated and ravaged by a war of twenty years. The feat of
government was hereupon fixed at Ravenna ; and Rome became the /*-
co/ui city of Italy (a° 554). •'

• How the poweiful faiereign* of Pfrfia, to

whoiij the emperors of Conftantinople were fre.
<liitntlj tributary, fliould be prohibited fnim coin-
ii.g wli«te»er kind of money they might think pro-
jar, It. is not vciy ealy to conceive. Yet lliere
IS a llory told by Coimas IndicopleulleB, of a con-
ttft for the dignity of the Peiflan nnd Roman em-
pires, in the prefiiict of the king oj Siele-div, be.
ma decided by the fu^iTJority of the Roman coin,
which was of gold, with the einperor's hetd hand-

forarfy engraved ; w.iereai the Perfian wu ealy

ot liver, and of inferior execution Wai th>te

really a general confeiit of nations to prefer the
gold corns bearioff the heads of the Roraao em-
perom, and has it efcaped the atteptipn of the
learned ?_Or are we to undeffttnd t»» empttor's
pcrminion to figiul, a flipvlption, that the Frwii!.
i(h gold coins (houldbc .cqcived as ourtsot raonev
ni the dominions of the emperor ,>

ajo

A. D. 529.

529— The mcomprehennble mafs of the Innumerable Roman laws
was m fome degree methodized, and abridged in twelve books, called
the Code of Ju/Hnian. The opinions and comments of the mod cele-
brated lawyers, contained in two thoufand treatifes, were comprefled in-
to fifty, which were called the Pandeas (a°. 533). Another collection was
made of the Injlitutes of the Roman law. And thefe compilations
fandioned by the authority and the fignature of the emperor, were or-
dained to be the Itandard for all legal proceedings in fucceeding ages.
Though a correBed edition of the Code was publilhed foon after by Tuf-
timan, and many new and contradictory laws were added during his
long reign, the colledion of which was called the Novels (a°. 565), his fyf-
tem of law has been in a great meafure adopted in the jurilprudence
of leveral nations of Europe, and has confequently had great influence
in the regulation of commercial contrads, and the decifion of commer-
cial difputes, long after the total extindion of the empire for which they
were enaded.

527-565— Juftinian delighted much in building ; and during his long
reign innsmerable forts were ereded to proted, or confefs the weak-
nefs of, the frontiers. The moft capital of all his edifices was the ca-
thedral of Saint Sophia, which remains to this day, a fuperb monument
of the beft taftc of an age, in whitji all the fine aus were rapidly de-
clining.

But the interefts of commerce were facrificed to his rage for conquefts
and exhaufting wars. He ftationed an officer at the port of Conftantin-
ople, who compelled the commanders of veflels to pay enormous duties,
or to commute them by the carriage of cargoes for the emperor to Afri-
ca or Italy, which exadions were found fo intolerable, that many veflels
were adually burnt, or abandoned, by their owners : and thofe merch-
ants, who did pay the duties, were obliged to advance the prices of their
goods in a proportion, that was ruinous to themfelves and to the con-
fumers. His money-changers, inftead of giving 2 1 o foles for the golden
rtater, gave only 1 80. And every branch of commerce, except the
clothing trades, was fettered and opprefled by monopolies. {Procob.
Awed. i-. 25.]

The legal rate of intereft was eftabllflied at/c per cent ; but perlbns
of rank were not ptnnitted to take more than four ; while ei^ht was al-
lowed for the convenience of merchants and manufadurers, and twelve
upon the rilk of bottomry. [Patu/ed. L. xxii, ///. 1,2; Cod. L. iv ///
32, 33-3

The merchants of Egypt were no longer capable of conducing the
Oriental trade, as their predeceflbrs had done. Thtir voyat^es did not
often extend beyond Aduli or the port of Aden in Arabia Felix. Many
of them removed their refidence to Aduli, and confequently transferred
their allegiance to the fovereigu of Axuma (or Abylfinia), and if fome

A, D. 527^565, agj

''^r^'^^T y^^^ ^° Siele-div or any other part of India, they failed in
vefFels belpnging to the port of Addi ; and thus the commerce which
for feveral cenrunes rendered Egypt the repofitory of the w;akh of
the weftern worJd. was loft to that country and to the Roman empire

Silk which had never been worn by any Roman man before th^
rexgn of the worthlefs and effeminate Eiagabalus had now come into
general ufe among the rich ; and. notwithftfnding the very Lh prVe Tf
It. It was fought after with aftonifl.ing eagemefs by the opuient and
uxunous mhabuants of Conftaminople. Corifequcntly it fon ed at all
nmes a very confiderable part, at leaft in value, of the importTfrom the

The manufafture of filk goods from raw filk imported from the Eaft
had ong been earned on in the antien Phcsnician cities of Tyre and
Berytus. whence the weftern world ufe . to be fupplied. But Teen-
hanced prices the manufadurers were obliged to nav tn ^Ti^r
the caufe of which will prefently be explaS) iL'it mp:^^^'^'
them to furmfh their goods at the former prices, efpeci^ny^rthe Ro
man terntonev where tliey were fubjed to a duty of ten per c^T
The emperor, hovyever ordered that filk fhould be fold at "he rate of

wet rr''' °^ f^^ I ^r *5^ F^"'^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^s of ou avoirduLl
Av eight) on penalty of the forfeiture of the whole property of the T
fender. The dealers immediately gave up their hucJeTl^^ \ a r
tinely difpofed of their ftock on h Jnd in the^eft way the^^^^^^ twt
upon Theodora, whom, from a common proftitute Tuftinkn bad m.H:
his concubine, his wife, and at laft his affociateri^^nie? n the fl^rfa!

clltedfo^t^L;r::r ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^'^ Scarcity w..immedK^

Juftinian, defpairing, or carelefs. of the re-eftabliihment of the com

ti;^?^f • ^^T/""' J"^^'*^ '' ^"^ ambaflador to ElalSLn (c^ HdUfl
thaeus) kmg of Axuma, requeltine that for thf- fair- r.f 7k •

rea his r„b]e& to purchafe filk. f in India, in ordfrto fell them ?o,t"
Romans, whereby the Axumites would acquire great wea th Tnd he

oArrrVr„d1 tz:^ f'''^" "i ^'^'"^ *'- «oid .ntX Lid:

Ox ineir mends mrtead of enriching their Perfian en<>mif>« t„i;.« „ir
proceeded on the fame errand to ELiphJu, ^to'^Tng Jflhe Ho-

* Al^man«i« .'n 1..*- __» - ._ .1 ■ <«

Alemanu», io his notes on this paSTtat of
Procop.us, makt. a pound of gold contala a l.un-
drcd aure. ; and at that rate eight au.ei amounted

In *3 ! 4 ! o of our modern money.

t I rocopiua, or the emperor, remarks, that the
ftufF now called iVr.V (filk) had formerly been

cMeAM.Jian among the Greeks; and the fame
remark la made by Suidaa, (vo. z,*,,) who adds,
that the emperor wilhed the Axumites to import
the f. k in a raw ftate, (^r4«), whence it appears,
that he was fcnf.ble of the benefit of having the
manuiaaure m bis own dominions.

A. D, i^r-js^^.

a 12

f ■

merites in Arabia Felix, now under vaflalage to the fovereign of Axu-
trta*. Both kings pronrffed to cotnply with Jiiftinian's requeft; but
neither of them was able to perform what he promifed.

I have obferved, that about the commencement of the Chriftian sera,
if not earlier, the merchants of India had taken a (hare of the carrying
trade to the weftward into their own hands f ; and they appear to have
how made themfelres matters of the greateft part of it. In their out-
ward voyages they generally called in at the ports of Perfia for the
chance of a nearer market, and they fcarcely ever failed of having their
whole cargoes bought up by the Perfian merc'iants. By this pre-
emption, and by having the command of the land carriage from the
country of tl^ Seres, which could not eafily be conduced by any other
route than through their territories, there was almoft a monopoly, with
refpe<ft to the weftern nations, of India commodities and manufadltures,
but more efpecially of nlk, thrown into the hands of the Perfian merch-
ants, who fuppUed the remoter nations at their own prices. Such being
the ftate of the trade, the Axumites, who found themfelves generally
difappointed in obtaining lilks, foon delifled fr;.m a fruit lefs competi-
tion; and the luxurious Romans of Conftantinople were obliged to live
without filk, or to comply with the exorbitant demands of their Perfian
enemies.

From this diftrefs, which, though it would have provoked the laughter
and the contempt of their anceftors, was ^It and lamented as a real mis-
fortune by the fenators of the Roman empire, they were relieved in a
very extraordinary and unexpedkd manner. Two Perfian monks, in-
fpircd by religious zeal or curiofity, had traveled to Serinda :{:, the
country of the Seres, and lived in it long enough to make themfelves
mafters of the whole procefs of the filk manufadtare. On their return
to the weftward, inftead of communicating the knowlege to their own
countrymen, they proceeded to Conftantinople, induced perhaps by the
famenefs of their religion, and imparted to the emperor the fecret, hi-
therto fo well preferved by the Seres, ilvAt^Ik was produced by a /pedes
of worms, the eggs of which might be traulported with fafety, and pro-
pagated in his dominions. By the promife of a great reward they were
engaged to return to Serinda, v.'hence they actually brought off a quan-
tity of the filk-worms' eggs concealed in a hollow cane, and conveyed
them fafely to Conftantinople (a°. 552). The pretiouseggs were hatched
ia the proper fealbn by the warmth of a dunghill, and the worms pro-
duced from them were fed with the leaves of the mulberry tree, Ipun

* Koonofu" wn* aUb fcnt on a Gmilar f rraixl to ^ A name apparently compounded of Strtt and

the Asumiteij Homcritct, and Saracens. Hit /w^, th« later of which was given by the Grceka

own account of hit (mbafly ii abridged by fho- und Romant to remote nation* with m little pre.

tips in hiii B'Hiiahrca, p. 6, td. i(Jit. cifion ai Indian ii given by niodero European!.

f See abovcj £•".',• i

[PrU CSI f" Romans^he whole ^yft,,y of the manu^aS^

portam>f.as, fo happily produced, ^^re chf p^^^^^^f ^'^^^^
vvorrai m Europe * and the weftern parts of i^k • w o c , /"f"
eggs^f an.Oxieutal infed became ^^ZLot^O^^^^"^''^''^?^
ture. which luxury and fafluon rendewSqrtA^^'i^^^^
millions of money to Europet.,..r-J *T I"'^, ^''^^^ ""^^^

The infant manufadure was conduced uniier tile nnLui»o r i.
pfiiJor and the management of h^s trSur^ Th. rfif^^ ""^'^^^

at prices prodigioufly bevond rhofe whiri KoJt^ l^^^mtx faW fijkg

asLrbitL

gold for the ounce, and thofp v(^\. wfire.tLred S^fi W.pAOfes of

at twemy-four and upwards.^;^!^.^;?^!^*^''^^^ -Oy^l^colp^r.

Ihe imperial monopoly of the filk trade was feverelv felt hv .!,.'• "
habitants of the antient cities of Tyre and Ber^ ^7 who hoJ^^ ^ T
pended almoft entire!-' upon their manvS-Xr? In ^^^J^®.**^-
emigrated to the Perfian dominions Xre the.;/.^ '"?r( '^*"*
able fubjeds probably compenfrd\hf di^i^t Lr^^^^^^
to the Roman empire. {_Frocop, Atu:cd. c. 35.] ^ °^ *'^^

The weftern parts of Europe were now very little known in th. - a '

c?pius:To;Ta"mrnTb?r'T '^^^^.f P^%- ^-^^^^

,t,P* ^'" '«y»« 'li" 'te Italians aot fome fcp.! firm .ri. - *''l"< f f"rfj'l<' Rf^T^jru!}

fr',''':, "0 But M we can trace th«inigntion. foftened thefi^-, V l^ ™^^' *«♦« ''«»'»«»•

of the fdk.worm Vom Conftantlr,oplc to l;"eecc! .verted the daft J ^ y^ r l' 'r*^*^*' "^ »«'«

S.aly, and ItJy, I apprehend that <jreat author novT^t , J ""'""i °^ barbarilm wli/ch wal

(...n^adcamiiUke i7, matter whiSThe "aJ^^^e llTh^ „ ffcX? ^"'?^*' ""^ ^'"''h d*rfH

of h„ work d.d not require a ftria inveftigation of! of paoaTdomfnl^ * '*"r* "JW «»"k c»«turi«

+ Svijppofing ;t true, a, i. alleged, that fhe Ch°n °f £,27 A 1°'" tl "?^'^" »"<» P™P«ttr

.re porfcffed m,ery remote .gf. the knowlege of dowa ,a J »oi f'T ''if'"^ ^^'^'^ ha*,e foSI'

ipafMndtheart of p?,nting. the monk, Sve 't W^J 1 T** «>rr^ than w, ao»

ha»« rmirM-f*^ - *.__. ■ • . - •""•fc* u*YC i^ yvc nuffht have n.^*r-flr-,i »i._

_ T Svippofing ;t true, as i

e poifcffed in «ery rerno., .^„ me Knowiege ot dowa ta i

thecop,paf^i,„dthean of pnnting, the monk, h^vTit W -T T" "'"■="• "" *« "oi*

would ha,, conferred a more imf^rtant favour work. oV Pn^l-""«^' '*** P"«"'iW 'be eoJ,

moft vsluable improvements wfth them. *The im- havc'sli ,^^f ' • • "", "'•5*'' *«""*» *« wiidit

pmvenrent a,,d extenfion of nawLion br he' c^u^S" B^.:;^'"" °' '"*''"' «'»»'". wUmI

compaft «,ght have opened new felda for com! mil^ T ?"^* 'o-^-^t. by Pythea. and HT-

mercal enterprife, and have furtiilhed fafe^ . u -^ ^"'"'"'^^'"g "^ 'be loft iccada of Lvr

treat, from the euerminatJng fwSof Scvth;7; '""*'' \ " ?"*'*"»7 "» ''•P'""' the want 1^

and A rablan invader,. AnI the uni/erW^^d!^'! *'""' " ""= ""'^ "»"*^'« -''!^^-» of .ptiS'. °^

Vor.. T

Gg

234

A. Di ^5 17-^5.

livers a kind of a fairy tale of an ifiand called Brittia, lying beyond
Gaul and between Britain and Tbulc *, inhabited by the Angles (or
Angili), Frifons, and Britons ; divided in two parts by a wall built in
antient times, which wa« the Iboundary between a fertile and populous
country on the caft fide and the receptacle of ferpents and other
poifonous animals on the weft fide. He had alfo heard, that Brittia was
the land of departed fpirits ; and he gives a ftrange account of the man-
ner of ferrying them over to their ifland f .

The reign of Jufthiian may be clofed by^ obferving, that during the
period of it the number of mankind was greatly diminifhed, and their
miferies greatly increafed, by earthquakes, plagues, religious perfecu-
tions, and the accumulated calamities of perpetual wars with their con-
comitant evils, negled of agriculture and famine X-

547— The north part of the antient Roman dominions in, Britaiw,
after lying almoft uncultivated for fome time as an untenable frontier,
kad ever fince the abdication of the Romans been thinly fettled by the
Pichts along with the remains of the moft antient inhabitants. It was
now invaded and occupied by the Angles, or Englilh, a branch of that
great divifion of the Germans called the Suevians, whofe military val-
our, as the Ufipetes and Tenchtheri told Julius Caefar, not even the
immortal gods could refift. Ida, their chief, fixed his reifidence in the
caftle of Etebbanburgh §, and laid the foundation of the great and flour-
ilhing kingdom of Northumberland, [Caf. Bell, Gall. L. iv, c. 7 — Tac.
Germ. c. 40. — Gildas, cc. 15,19 — Beda Hift. eccl. L.'\,c. 15 — Chron. Sax.1
which his lucceffors extended fouthward to the Humber, the Don, and
the Merfee, and northward to the Forth and the Dune, thus compre-
hending the two Roman provinces of Maxima, and Valentia, except the
fmall Britilh kingdom of Strathcluyd, which, though Northumberland
was generally the moft powerful kingdom in Britain, refifted all its at-
tacks, and even furvived it as a kingdom. Succeeding colonies of the
Angles extended themfelves fouthward, till they interfered with the
eonquefts of the Saxons, and occupied almoft all the country from the
Thames to the Forth, except the fmall kingdom of the Kaft Saxons.

* The Thule of Prccopius is iinqiicdionably
Scandinavia, which, he fays, is an ifland ten time?
as large as Britain, and lying northward ti om the
country of the Danes, having the fun above the
hori/on forty days in fummcr, and pofTcfled by the
Scrit-finni, 6anti, and other iiatione. [Co/Ajir. L.
i>, r. 15.]

f Notwitiiftanding the name of Brittia, the ac-
cdtint of this ftrange country feems more applic-
able to Denmark, or tlie adjacent iffands, than to
Britain. iTlic Eaft A 'lyl's and Mcrkian Ang'oJ,
had not arrived in Britain in the age of Ptoco-
pliis, and the anival of the iirrt Angi-'s in fo re-
r'.ote a country as Nurtliuniberland, .liid fo late as
547, was mod frobahly mjiinown tv hitn, '^'"■

Cam-

den has inferted the beginning of the flory a* hif-
tory, alid the fthofts and their ferry-boats, with
fome other ftrange (lories, as fables, in his Brilan-
ma,/;^. 94, 849, <>(/. 1607.]

X The events of the long reign of Jiiftinian,
which I have thought it nccefl'ary Po notke as me-
diately or immediately affefting the little commerce
now fxifting In tlie wefteri> world, which have no
particular references, are chiefly taken from the
worki of I'locopius, a contemporary writer.

J Now called Bamburgh, rnd well known to
the coafling mariner, and tor the hofpitabic recep-
tion afforded to the (hipwrcfkcd by epifcopal mu-
nificence.

3

»l»

A. D. 564.

^$S

564-^When Gildas who is, next to Panic, tlw moft amient Britifh
writer extant, wrote his lamentable hiftory of the ruin, or excifion

('_excidi.m>f Britain Cnnftandae; Au75i'u,rVor;;p;rC„n;grar»S
igs ot lume tribes or communities of the 'kitons. It

S f^nhrw f ^"^' r • ^'"^ "'"'^=' "^ immunities or the nntons. It
feems 1 robable from their names, that the t«o fiift were of Roman
wK.!"?S'!?'^ Conftantine was of the family of that Conftantine.
who W.S elcded emperor by the army in Britaii in the beginninRof
the fiftn century. [Gi/da Epi/iola.-\ uc-gimung or

Gildas fays, iHi/i. c. i] that there were twenty^ight cities in Britain
befides fome caftles ftrongly fortified. An authentillift of the pSiS
cities or towns of Britain in the f.xth century would be cuxiLrrd
would throw much important light on the (kte of the country ^ut
Iv 'l^f ^ t^ ' '" declamation, is very fparing of fafis, and total,
b^ncgleaful of geography. Nennius, the next oldeft Britifh author, or
more probably his contmuator, in a work which ufed to pafs under the
name of Gildas has given a bare lift of cities, which, being mSch cor!
rupted by tranfcribers, affords very Uttle information. H^ever as
here .s no other after the Romans, equally antient, I (hall here gi'e
u as extradcd from two very old manufcripts by Archbifhop uler
with the modern names agreeable to the fame learned writer and f
ihaUfetoppofite to it the Britifh names handed down to us by H^^y

Cities from Nennius, by Ufher. I
Cair-Guntuig, Winwik in Lanca-

Cair-Municip,

Cair-Lualid, or

Ligualid,
Cair-Meguaid,

or Meiguod,
Cair-Colon,
Cair-Ebrauc,
Cair-Culleint,

Cair-Caratauc.

fhire.
Ferulam at St. Al-
bans.

Carlile.

Meivod in Mont-
gomery.

Colcbejler,

York.

Cair-Seiont near
Carnarvon *.

T1.C Bni.fh monk, m the dark ages having
#ow«/, that Conftamme, the firft Chriftian enf.
pcror. wa« of llritift birth and pareutage. and
prcfammg that other, were a, ignorant T3 Jhem-
Wves. they refo ved alio to provide a burying pUcc
for h,m. or h., fatiier Conrtantius. near Carnarvon,
« here 1,, the year 1283 they even found hi, bodv

Cities from Henry of Huntingdon.

Kair-Mercipit.

Kair-Lion, Carllk.

Kair-Meguaid. - '

Kair-CoUon, Colcbejler.
Kair-Ebranc, Tork,

iKair-Cucerat.

Xyifi Brit. mhf. mlq.p. 60.] Bat, a, khefe
are tery grofi htW, k i, ,t leaft a. probabW,

■ nthe umeof Gnja, wa, fubjeft to Conftanfine.
aBrmfh petty t'ug (not a Romaa emperor) i«
the place here called Cair-Cuileint.

Gga

n^

A>|>r^64.

u:- Gicles^itom Nennius^by^Ufher.
Cair-Grant, Grantcbejler near

I • , 1 •' u\' :"r>d.j eanabridge..o>
Cair-Mauchguid. 'i vA' t ^h r; 4;. in
CSair-Lundein, Londm,
Ciir-Guorthigim.
Cuir-Ceint, Canterbury.

Cair-Guorangon, Worcejier.
Cair-Pcris, Portcbe/ier,

Cair-Daun, Doncajier..

Cair>Legk>Ti , Cbefter.
Cair-Guorichon, Warwick.:

i-< r;!i

Cair-SeiontS''ia .
vi'i fQiMrtdv -
Cairleion on UJk.
Wintchejler ; or
Cair'JVest in
Monmouth -
fhire.
[Dunbarioa.']
Leicefier.

Draiton in Shrop-
fhire.

Cair-Penfavelcoit,P<fr^«/5?y.
Cair-Urnach, Wroxtter.
Cair-Celenuon, Cawfl/f/ in Somcr-

fet.
Cair-Luit-coyt, Lincoln.

Cair-Segeint,
Cair-Legion-
gviar-Uifc,
Cair-Guent,

Cair>Brithon,
Cair-Lirion,
Cair-Draiton *,

Cities from Henvy of Huntingdon.
Kair^Grant, Cambridge.

Kair-Meguaid. t*^-,i Hjy'f <h»i

Y tir-Lundene, Lundon, ^rf j

Kair-Guortigern. u\\ nt>

Kair-Chent, Canterburyi" mI»

Kair-Gorangon, Worcejier.

Kair-Pcris,

Kair-Guorcon.
Kair-Segent,

Kair^Legion,

Portcbe/ier.

Silcbe/ien
Cairleion on UJk%

Kair-Lirion,
KMT-Draiton.

Kair-Urnac.

Letcher.

Kair-Loitchoit, Lincoln.

Some places mentioned by Nennius are omitted by Henry, who has

the following, not found in the car
Kair-Glou, Gloucejier.

Kair-Cei, Cicejier.

Kair-Briftou, Brtjiol.
Kair-Ceri, Cirencefter.

ier lift.
Kair-Dauri,
Kair-Dorm,
Kair-Merdin,
Kair-Licelid-

Dorcbefler.
ruins on the Nen.
Carmortben.

And Alfred of Beverly, whofe lift contains only twenty names, has
^Cacr-Bac'n, Batb ; and Caer-Palodour, Sbaftjbury f.

Thefe lifts being evidently corrupt and imperfedt, and moreover of
an uncertain age,, it would be idle to draw any conclufions from them
xefpedinig the . antient ftate of the towns Juppofed to be mentioned in
t)iencL indeed, I fear, fome readers will think the pge occupied by
^tax ill beftpwed: but I did not think myfelf at liberty to fupprels

*' * * Thi» ha« much' the appearance of an Enzlnli name.

\ Some of rti« modern namei giyen by Alfred and Henry are eTi'dently erroneom, e. g. Silcheftw.

iLDX564-

^3^

what has been repeatedly adduced as a compete w*" of the ft.r« «f
the country m the fixth century ^ ^^ ""® °*^

nan empire with filk Riu rh^fr^^o u r- » , , ^" ^"PP*y the Peiv-

then, to n,ow i ow U tie he valueT.'?^?™^' ^, ,'^"'•"^1™"' ^' "'^

.his the Perfian au<l"chlne?etm/r«™„Tfet^fei" Sl^^.t x'^*
who thereupon made an allianrp ^th T„ft- I ^S^""' theTurks,

and the manuffle rf tie r m" tL tn?*'""'"; "C"".' ™"»'
wi.h Europe, however, proterda rlliJat of S' ™la"* t'Jade'" "v,"^
by a route to the northwar<1 nf th.. n r • \,^"^ miand trade, which,

J Co„«a„tinop,:.rd'Sfl,:5 Z ^^Zt,r.7^t^^^^
ele merchandize, beine, I prefume rhiX ^ ?\c? f^^'"^ ^^^"^-

584-The laft ^ir^JornilirnVdl^^^T^^^^^ ,,

ed Myrcna-rk (htinhj-ti M/.roio »n i • -^ng/ea m iJntain w»s call-

part o^f modem E:^:fd.'tr2;fto,;; SeTts^a^'f' Vit"'^

lome parts as the Thames. "umocr as far fouth m

. 590--The ancient city of MaflUia ror Marfp^^M ft;ii « r , '^
tion of its oriffiml mHiift^, - !i ^ iviarieirie) itiU preferved » por~
Sulpicius SeveSr fS^ frf,.^"* commercial fpirit. as appears 4m
veral paffages o^ G e^orv if Z ^^''^'''' ^^u ^- ""^^ ^^^ from fe-
age. who& t£t tSetl" ' ^f ^°^»h«' =>nd the preceding,
between thfeTfter^coumrierand th^f .'''^^ commercial- mtercourfe
nations of the nortLweTnar s^^^^^^^^ F°t>ably fupplied the

which they were able to pCLt ''^ ^"'"^^^ ^"*""^'

604-The church of St. Paul in London was built bv Ethelhm

• We a« „«^ii„ .„u .... ...... •'^•'^fer .ai3Ha''

yrcm,.ric in the ««, or A^Ar, """'"'*""' <'«n'fy'ng wc»//«<«

proper for a central country, Myrcna.ric in Ihr
A-glo-Saxon fig„ifi„ the ^ImZTjoZ, M

mtnorjir^frt.^^

%i9

A. D. 664.

king of Kent and monarch of all the country on the louth fide of the
Humber. {Bed. Hijl. ecclef. L. ii, c. 3.] Sabereth, nephew of Ethel-
bert, and the immediate king of the Eaft-Saxons, whofe capital London
was, is faid to have alfo founded a church at Thorney on the weft fide
c.f i^ondon in honour of St. Peter, which, from its fituation, afterwards
f;btained the name of Weftminfler, a name fince extended to a large
city, which has arifen between the church of St. Peter and London.
l^ilred, col. 385. — Gervaf. Cant.. col. 1633.]

628 — Hitherto all the churches, and moft probably all the houfes
alfo, in England were built of wood, or of wattles. A church of ftone,
apparentlv the fccond in Britain, (fee above, p. 214) was founded at
Yoi-k jy Edwin, king of Northumberland, and the moft powerful of
all the Englifti kings at this time, who did not live to finifti it. About
the fame time a church of ftone was alfo built at Lincoln : and in the
following age Biftiop Wilfrid reftored or completed that which Edwin
had begun at York, covering the roof with lead, and filling the win-
dows with glafs *, * which, while it excluded the birds and the rain,
* admitted light into the church.* Wilfrid built another church of po-
lilhed ftone at Rippon, which was furniftied with columns and porticoes,
and adorned with gold, filver, and purple. Among the donations to
the church of Rippon by this magnificent prelate, there was one, which
was thought a wonderful work ; the four gofpcls written in letters of
gold upon purple vellum, with a cafe of pure gold fet with gems for
preferving the pretious volume. Unfortunately we are not told, whe-
ther this fuperb book and cafe were executed in England, or imported ;
though the words ' he gave orders to write' and the like, may feem
rather to infer, that the work was performed at home. The fame great
biftiop built a third church at Hexham in the fame manner, which was
fo long and fo lofty, that his biographer thought, that no building on
this fide of the Alps could be compared to it. \_Eddi Vita Wilfridi, cc. 16,
17, 22. — Bedce Hijl. ecclef. L. ii, cc. 14, 16.]

674 — The tafte for ecclefiaftical magnificence being now introduced
in the Northumbrian kingdom, Benedid Bifcop built an abbay at the
mouth of the River Were with ftone in the Roman manner. For this
work he brought mafons from the continent, and alio glafs-makers,
who taught the Englifti the art of making window-glafs, and lamps,
velTels for drinking, &c. of glafs : and thus was the elegant and ufeful
art of making glafs, an art fo eflicntial to our comfortable lodging in
thefe cold northern climates, introduced in England f . Bcnedid made

• The glafs for the church of York mud have pofing it to remain among their pofterity, it does

been Imported, as appears from the fubfequent pa- nut follow, that they would impart the icnowkge

ragrapl). N. B. Eddius, the biographer of Wil- of it to their Englilh enemies. According to

frid, liteii before Bede. Adanman the ufe of glafi was known to the re-

f fitrabo feems to fay, that the antient Britons mote Northern Pichts before this lime. (See aborc

unjcrllood the manufacture of glafs. But, fup- pp. 133, 223.)

A. D. 674. 3^^

many journies to Rome, whence he imported a prodigious number of
ftatues rel,ques. book., and pidures of lEripture hiftory, wherewith he
adorned and almoft filled, his church. [iJ^ Ihft. Jdt W^JrSj

7io~From Nortl.amberland the tarte for fine churches fpread into
t r!^ IT^ k-nsdom of the Pichts. where a church of Aone i^
the Roman ftxle was bu.It by workmen fent from Weremouth at the
requeft of Kxng Nechtbn the fon of Dereli. {Bcdc. Hijl. eccUf. I v

About 630_.Xing Edwin who began the building of the church at
York feems to have beeft alfo the founder of the caftle of EdwyneAurA
(£^w^«r^A) fituated on a precipitous rock in the north part of his do-
mmions. We have not the fmaUeft information of the nature of tiS
archueaureof thiscaftle which communicated its name to the towrt!
bmit upon the flopmg ridge of the hill adjacent to the eaft fide oTu
which m after ages became the capital city of Scotland. '

A filver penny, coined at Eoferwic {Tork), and marked with the nume

i f ;?• " u^^'uf '° ^ '^^ ^^^^'^^ "*«^^ fP^'^i'^en of coinage in his
ifland after the abdication of the Ron.ans, unlefs that of Ethelber kine
of Kent belong to the firft king of that name, who died in the year pre?
ceding the acceflion of Edwin f . ^ ^

I have here thrown together fome notices of the progrefs of eccle^
fiaft.cal and mihtary architedure. and of fome of the^ther arts ia
Britain, which as yet furnifhes but fcanty materials for comme cia^
hiftory. Our attention is now recalled to the Eaft. ""^^erciai

6 1 6— Alexandria, though greatly reduced in the general decay of the
Eaftern empire, and by the removal of moft of the OrienVal Lde t^

IZt'Z^f ^-f '^^^-^^^J^^^ capital of the Mediterranean. TlLTdtyT
with the fertile country of Egypt, was now wrefted from the fucceffors
of Auguftus and Conftantine by Chofroes. the vidorious king of Perfi'
Conftantinople. deprived of the uf^.l fupply of eight milUon^s of mod i

want of Li 'T'i ^"^P?"*"^'^ ^'^^ EgyPN was ready to perifh for
want of food; and the miferable emperor was reduced to the neceflitv
of f.gnmg a treaty (a». 621). binding himfelf to pay annually to ^he Per^
loooTaT'■'^'n^*'°^ 1000 talents of gold,! 000 takut'of filve ,
v,r.^r P f ^'*^/.'°r ^°^^"*' ""'^' "^°" ignominious of all. looa
virgins. Perh;|p6 (forthe writers of the age have left us to coni;aurc)
K was impoflible for an exliaufted empire to pay the tribute. Whatever

•{3o the name ig fpelled in a charter of KiW
IJivid I, the moft anriftit writing in which it is
mentioned ; and the name of Edwin is alfo pre-
ferved, as It . a fpelled by Simeon of Durham and
111 the Chronicfe of Lanercoll, which exprefsly
call. h.ra tl«: builder of the caftle. and alfo give,
the noiy of h» fevci. daughter, being preferved in
U i wt„ch llory, together with its other name of
Maydyn eallle, has furiiiHicd lienor Boyfe the

fmmdation of a foolifh fcble. [Setf Geographical
tUJlral.oru of Stotlifl, hi/iory, vo. EHmburzk, PucU
larum.J

t Ethilber^'s coin, being,. I apprehend. of,un.
certam ape, will bo mentioned in a note under the
year 1066.

t The Roman modius being a fmall matter more-
than tlie Englifh peck, the fupply from Egypt wa».
above two millions of bulheis^

a^o

A.

P-/?'^

wag the caufe, a mofl marvelous change took place, and the unfteady
^tnd pufiUammoui emperor HeracHus became all at once a vigorous and
intrepid hero. As the lands were dcfolatcd, and commerce ruined, it
was as impoffible to t-xiCb funds for carrying on a war as for purchafing
a peace. But HeracKus ftill poflefTed a fleet of gallies, to wMch the
unemployed merchant (hips were added ; and in his abfolute want he
prcfumed to feize the hoarded wealth of the churches, promifing, however
to return it with large intereft (a". 622). By a wonderful feries of vilftories
the circumftances of the two empires were completely reverfed : the Ro-
man arras were carried into Perfia ; the liaughty Chofroes a<ilualiy be-
took himfelf to flight and concealment, and was foon after depofed,
Htracliiis recovered Egypt and the other provinces wreftdd from hi
empu-e by the Perfians (a . 6a8); and he had the wildom not to demand
any acocflion of territory from them, which would at once have weak-
ened himfelf and fown the feeds of future wars. But the arts, fcieriqs,
and commerce^ never recovered. The fplendid vido-ies of Heraclius'
were the laft bright gleam of the military glory of the Roman, or Gre-
cian, empire, againft which there wa* nbw fpringing up in the deferts
of Arabia a ftew, and ftill more formidable, enc ny, deftined with tapid
ftrides to fpread over the eaftern, and a great part of the weftem, world,
and to eftablifh a new empire, and a new region, upon the ruins o}.
thofe of Conftantinople. •

It has already been obferved, that a' great portion of the O'ften'tai
commerce, -.vhich formerly enriched the Roman fubjeds in Egypt, had '
paired into the hands of the Perfians, who appear to have eclipfed the
Arabians in the extent and activity of their commerce.: bat when the
later in the rapid career of their conquefts reached the Euphrates, they
immediately perceived the advantages to be derived from an emporium
fituated upon a river, which opened on the one hand a fho.ter route to
India than they had hitlierto had, and on the other an extenfive inland
navigation through a wealthy country; and Baflbra which they built on
the weft bank of the river (a°. 636), foon became a great ccmmercial city,
and entirely cut off the independent part of Perfia l;oin the Orierital
trade. The Arabian merchants of Baflbra, extended th;ir difcovefies to
the eaflward far beyond the trads of all preceding navigators, and im-
ported diredly from the places of their growth -many In '1' in articles,
hitherto procured at fecond hand in Ceylon, which they furu^ii. id on
their own terms to the nations of the Weft.

640 — ^The vidorious Arabs had now dep riven Heraclius, who after
hisPerfian triumph had relapled into his former lei:ha-?y, of ihe wealthy,
and in fome degree commercial, province of Syria. The iittle com^
merce, now remaining to the Roman empire. aHo fell into their hands
vi^ the city of Alexandria and the province of Egypt ; and the road

A.'b. 640. :i-^

from "Egypt to Medina was covered bv a lnn„ *, • r '»i' *«

• ;H the corn. wh.ch ufcd to f^CoXattopk?''' «tc«nd.>|^to

D45_Thc antient canal betweca the Niteanarh '^^iid 5^t,,v ,

' uve been cleared out. and airai? r«,^ ^ *^^ '*'*' Red lea it (kid t»-

Arabian conqueror ^dToverSr J E^:::'^'^"'T^^''' ^X ^rou, tj

and cheaper conveyanceTrX c^ f ^?'„l?t"',/° ^'"i^' « ^°"«'
country f. J' "- ^^ '«« com and other bulky produce of tbift.

unexampled in the hiftory of mSd r 11 .S ^^u*" '""^"^ "^ 'i^""".
fineft provinces of the world e«.n^- ^a ^ ^***™« "^^-^^^^^ of the

China."and weftwardt^ T^lStcir" The" ^° ^ -^""'"^^ "^'^
theu- commerce, as well as their ^mn.«, 7n ^'^^o"" enlarged
the world fell into their hands ^ '^' ""^ "''"^^ »^^ ^^ole trade^f

predo^;i;a:It in^Tey^^^^^^^^^ Pl-s more

now become very frequent rand L ^h^tT' P*'«"'"''g^« to it were
<levotion. which L probably the ^eafon tharhT"" ""'' T"^^ ^«»^
even encouraged, by the Saracei« X aUowej If? ? k '°'""'"'^' *"<*
on the 15"" of Sept-ember, as AdaCa^ Tht To "^^ *"«"«Jiy held
thority of St. Arculf, relate in his boolT'on^hf h'^f "r^"' ^ ^''« ^"-■
mentioned by Bede. It is probable rL^?!. ^^^ ^l^""^'' h°»ourablv
Jerufalem. was in a great m^eafuretr^^^^^^ '^'' "^'"'^'^ °" «t

the conveyance of Bafforr the R^^f Snh T^'" ^?"™ ^'^'^ ^^^ by

xxxvii, /. 475.] ' ''"■^'^9'—DeGu^^nes,Mem,deiiUeratare,f^

oihers of the Grecian iflands ThT^ ■ , ^P""-- '^'""'«. "d "wny
now for the firn cirae Sed by 5,e ff "'J' °f <f nftanrinople „.^
"gainft i, „i,h a great fleeS am. ™'°'r«",?f Mohatned, who came

ly renewed their altackTwhrhVerTLnv S H?° T^' ""^ """""l-
>h.r.y thoufand men, aid mo7of theTr X'S" fi^lf^^' After lofing
hopes of taking the city: and the ca if ,^1,1Tk ■ ^f'^"^ g«« up aUi-
terms of paying an annMl tribme „f" '">"?""'=<' <? ''«= humiliaiing,!,

-.d 50 flaU t! the RoTan em „fdu^;°,7a''tr„ce°of fi ^° ''«*=^'''
i.."ng reputation of the GrLek^ o^Jtrnt: 'SLt-KUrprJ^e"^;

H h

242

A. D. 668.

due to the ingenuity of an. individual. Conftantinople and the remainder
of the empire owed their prefervation to a new and wonderful inven*
tion of Callinicus, a Syrian or Egyptian Greek, whofe fcience on this
occafion, like that of Archimedes in the fiege of Syracufe, was infinite-
ly more valuable than the ilrength and courage of the greateft armies.
This invention was the famous Greek fire, a fubftance or 'preparation,
which communicated unextinguifliable fire to every thing it came in ^
contad with, and which could be launched from the military engines,
{hot through a tube, and conveyed in every dircAion, even water itfelf
being no impediment, but rather giving additional vigour to its opera-
tion. The fecret of preparing this aftonifliing engine of deftrudion, or
defence, was preferved with the ftrideft vigilance by the Roman (or
Grecian) government above four hundred years, after which the Sara-
cens got pofleflion of the art> It continued to be ufcd in war, till ii
was fuperfeded by the invention of gua-powder, and then even the
knowlege of it was loft.

690 Benedid Bifcop, who made fo many journies to Rome, and im-
ported fo much church furniture to Northumberland, as already relat-
ed, fold a book upon cofmography to Aldfrid, his fovereign, for eight
hides of land. At that rate fcarcely any but a king could afford to have
a book ; and even in the very higheft ranks there were then but few
in Britain, who could read. Indeed, as books were almofl inacceffibie,
reading could be of little ufe.

694 ^The kingdom of Kent is faid to have paid a fine of tbtj-iy ibou-

fand pounds of filver to Ine, king of the Weft-Saxons, for the flaughter
of his brother. ICbr. Sax. ad en.] Notwithftanding the rcffieaable au-
thority of the Saxon chronicle, it is difficult to conceive how fo fmall a
country (for the kingdom of Kent contained only th« prefent flure of
that name) could in thofe days raife a fum, equal, as appears by the
laws of the fame King Ine, to the Talue of 1,440,000 ftieep with as
many young lambs, reckoning 48 (hillings in the money pound, and
one fhilling as the price of a ftiecp with her lamb, as rated in King
Ine's laws *.

The feventieth law of Ine fixes the quantity of the various articles to
be paid annually by the pofleftbr of a fnrm of ten hides of land, or as
much as required ten plouglis : but we are not informed, whether it was
a regulation for the farms of the king's own property, like the farming
laws of Clvxriemagne, or was generally binding upon the land-holders

• William Tlioine, [t;/. 1770 ap. Twyfi!en'\
thAugh comparitivfiy a lite writer, leenu to come
neaier the trutli, when lie rntts the line a*. th--ei
thou/and founds, which he, being a monk of Can-
t'rrbury, may have taken from an authentic record.
Willi-im of M.ilin(bury ruifcs it to JO.OCO marks of

gohl. The conjtfture of Dnflor Henry [W//7. of
Bri/alu, y. iv, /. l%0 (d. 1788] \\vit poundi li.ivc
crept into the text inilcad of ftmitt, JO.OOO pen-
nies being the full wtregild oJ a king, it exiwnu-
ly probable.

A. 0.694- 243

ricfef^r '*''*'"^'*"' '^* ^^^6^°"^ °f tJ^e Wea-Saxons, The ar

10 fats of honey,

300 loaves,

12 ambers • of WeKh ale,

30 hluttres f ,

a full-grown oxen or 10 wethers,

10 geefe,

20 hens,

I o cheefes,

I amber of butter,

6 falmon,

20 pound weight of fodder $,

100 eels.

fin, 2^ 7k ?"* '^'^ P^y™f^'' °^ ^^'"^°^ ^"d ^els» both indeed river
filh ordered by law among the Weft-Saxons, we are told that the Saxom
at Bofenhana on the very confines of the Weft-i xon and South-Saxon
kingdoms, did not know, that filh could be caught in the fea. till Wil-
fnd. a Northumbrian bilhop. taught them to make a feine by joining
their eel nets together {a". 678). whereby they caught 300 fifh in the fea
at the firft haul §. [Bfd>r H^. ecelcf, L.xv, c.i->]

698_T.he remains of the epifco^Mil, rather than commercial, city of
Carthage were utterly deftroyed by the Saracens. Its antient com-

daThTfto ""^^ *"^''^ "' *^^ ^"^ ^'' ^"^^ "°'^^^ ^ commer-

Afrioll'^" '^^ ^Tu^T ^'''F'^'^y belonging to the Roman empire in
Africa being now fubjed to the Saracens, except only the fort of Ceuta
on the fouth Oiore of the Strait, they were invited into Europe by Tu-
han the commander of that fort and of the oppofite coaft of Spain
who took that method of revenging an injury do!ie to him by his fo-
vereign ||. They were alio encouraged by promifes of afllftance from
thejewsof Spam who were unable to live imder the bigotted perfe-
rution of the Gothic clergjr. The fuccefsful inroad of a fmall party,
who returned loaded with fpoil, enflamed the ambition and the avarice
•ot the Saracens to make a total conqueft of that rich country. A more
numerous army landed on the rodk, fmce called from their leader Gebel
al lank, now corrupted to Gibraltar, marched to Xerxes, and fought
the Gothic army, which was totally defeated (a". 711). In a few months

• Spelman fubftilutbs for ainirr the Romao

nieafiirc iimfhora, and i^ives tlic Roman explana-

i"iriof the (jiiantity convaiiifd in it. {Gl,>f. va.

Finm.l Arlmfhnot ITabU of cak,] makes (lie

umphvru above feven galkms ot Eiiglilh wine mea-

lui. . L..inbartl, makes the amber nearly the fami

with the inodei.i firkfn, and fays, the word is not

<|iiitc ohfolefe: and hin cxpiaiiation in tianferibcd

l;y VVIicloc. Bill It in very doubtful wliether the

iJXon nieafiirc had any connection with tne Roman.

t I.anibanl, Sivelmsn.tnd Wheloe make A/w/r'^

reaker a!e 5 but Bromton, who lived much nearer

the Saxon t'tties than any of them, has left it un-

itanHated. The v.ord ig t;n adiettive tixnifyinK

/K-vrf, pure, ftmple. o j o

t DoOor Henry fufpea* a miftakc in this Tcry
triflmff quantity of fodder.

« '1 hat the defcendcntg of thofe Saxons who for
Uveral ages were the m. (I exjicricnced end intrepid
feamcn in the Northern ocean, and mull be pre-
fumed to have alfo be<:n good Cniemien, fhouid
have already lo'l the kuowlege of catching fi(h in
the lea, whicii was juR befide thtm at Dofenhain,
IS rather too wonderffil : and, with all our venera.
tion fiir the hillorlcal integrity of Dede, we nmft
remember, that the (lory is conneacd with a r.ii-
racle.

II The common ftory of the violation of Julian's
da'ighter by King Rudcric fsfrng to hare little or
no tmmdatiun.

Hh2

the whole tsf thSt gnSat j^nihfala, which fortwo c«lrtturies with (lodd the
'attacks of H'tSmef when in the zenith of her militapy glory, fell undei-
•the pbwfet' of the Saracens, excepting the mountains of Afturia, whe4*e
a few tttttonq'uerable fpirits ftill preferved their independence ; atid
whence in af^efra'ges- they defcended tc recover thefovereignty of their
cotiritry i^oiii the pofterity of the Saracen conquerors^ thtott' efellfed
MoorsJ''-'! 'i t"« - !' ■■ '■■ ^ . ": ;,i!.: a '■.

"^ ji6 — A fecond and more formidable attack upon Conftantinople wafs
^^de by the Saracens under the command of Moflem^, tlie brother of
Soliman the calif. Befides a great army, who marched by land' «d' the
'Helldponr,' tfhey had a fleet, faid to confift of eighteen hundred^ veffels,
tv.'eiity <jf tv'hidhj capable of carrying a hundred foldiers each, > w^re
eftefimcd large ftiips;' whence it appears, that the roll were very fmaft.
The Greek fire, conveyed among them by means of fire-fhips, totally
dcftroyed this very numerous fleet, which, being crowded together in
fo narrow a channel, had no poflibility of efcaping from the flames.
A reinforcement of fhips and provifions from Egypt and Africa in the
following year fcaroely efcaped the fame deftrudion. The Saracens at
laft gave up the undertaking as hopelefs : and Conftantinople was a fe-
cond time laved by the invention of Callinicus.

It is worthy of remark, that the mottntains of Libanus, which fur-
nifhed timber for building the fhips of Sidon in the infancy of navi-
gation, were ftill the great nurfery for {hip timbere, vaft ftores of which
Were colleded on the coaft of Phoenicia by the Saracens for building
their fleets.

718, September 4''' — ^The earlieft naval battle recorded in Britifli
hlftory was fought at a place called Ardanefs (apparently on the weft
coaft of Scotland) betweeii, Dunpha-beg, King of Kent ire, and Cel vac
(or Selvac), king of Lorn, thi fovereigos of two divifions or tribes of
the Scots. [Jnn. Ult. MS. in Muf. Briian. Cat. Ayfc. N°. 4,795-]

About 730 — Now, and probably long before (for the notice is con-
nected by Bede with events of the year 604) London, though the ca-
pital of one of the fmalleft kingdoms in England, by its happy fituation
on the bank of the noble navigable River Thames, was an emporium
for many nations repairing to it by land and by fea *. This undoubted
. teftimony of the trade of Loudon ftiows us, that the commerce of
England, which now animates the induftry of all the world, was then
chiefly, or entirely, of the paflive kind, and carried on by ftrangers.

Bede, to whom we arc indebted for this earlieft commercial notice of
i\ . . .

,,. • ♦ |^o<K>i»i* civitM eft, fuper ripam prasfjti ' ccafter'— < and feo i* moniijra folce c«ap ftow.'

« flumim» [7"A<i«^*] pofiU, et ipfa nuiltorum tin- Ceap (low (jnercliauilize pKice) will cxpkiii tlie

• pwium populpium terra .n^riquc iitiiitrtium.' modern name of one of the priacipal trading fti;ccts

[i'.V/* ffifi. tccltf. L. ii, c, 3.] King Allred, in his of the city,
iranflation of this paflage, cidls tlie city • Lundeu- ,\.

^*^,<^ifi'

^ nT: *^«^lwe<3 . by the impartial voi^e, of all fupceeding ages

and^ofevei-y nation, ,tp,,bave been the greateft orBamenCnot only of
Se'^Srl"'* ^^^ f ^«^'«nd. but S-all the weftem world, and
iJie moft^laftwusmflthematician and aftronoraer, as well as the ereac-

of amfen *C?f± ^f ^ ^S«- Almoft the whok circle of the fcSs
ot antient Greece and Rome was known to him ; and it particularlv
deferyeM>ur notxce. that he aflerted the rotundity of the ea^'th fS
Op^m.Jri yp.^y F.ii, ,p.,i^s. 'd. Colon. 1612] and that he was not
condemned as a heretic for his knowlege *.

of?/a;^I^%f '"^"^"k ^'*'"' Spain had now penetrated into the center
rl 1 "^^* ^ ^,** ^""^ ^^^^^^"^ ^eP to Britain. But th- valour of

thet/rem "'th e's ''"^''' °' ^ '^5%'^ '^^ ^^"^^ °^ FranceJt^lel
me torrent. The Saracen army was defeated with prodigious flauehter
ma battle, whiah lafted a whole week ; and France and The coumr es
beyond "were for ever preferved from Arabian coiKjueft.

Notwuhftandmg this check, the Saracens continued the niuft power-
ful people m the world. They were the undoubted. . d thTunr valed

rrean'^nd ''^if''^ '/^ ^'"'^^ '^' ^^'^ ^"^-^ upon the MedS
ranean. and on the Indian ocean. But the Chriftian^ of Europe were

heShldf ^'"'f --y^hannel. bj which the pretiousTods of
the Eaa had formerly been conveyed to them f. An inveterate anti-
pathy^. exited by mutt^l flaughters, and inflamid by^e "glous bLo^rv
wh,ch made the Gbriflitns confuler the Mohameda/s Is dSples K'

• The wonderful proficiency of Bcde in fludy
cold ohiy he eqaaled by his indu«ry in comtnu-
mcat.ng to otJicm cfat UiafarM of bit knowlcKc,
which he d,d in a prodigious number of compoli-
tioiis, one f'umlrfifanJt.Wly.nme ij{ which, flillex-
UDt, and colltacd iti «ight folu) voIuBws, may be
conCdered as a complete body, of tiie learning and
rc.cnce, as well •,« the theology, of the middle ages.
JSehdes his knowlege of the rotundity of the earth,
the MJowing may bt noted at fptcimcna of his in-
Itrii^l...,n9 .n the fciencesconneaed with commerce.

Ki, />. I03 Multiplication tablet, which he
calls Pythagoric tables. (Thcv ore ni figure*, but
that IS a liberty, and a very improper one. taken
by the editor.^

/• '3 J Afthmtticol cafea for tbe cmiift of
learneri, many of wisicb jr^ ftill retained in our
■nodern book, of arithmetic. One of l.em (howi
that JO ft)iUtng» made i. pound, at leaft in wfight.
in the Northumbrian kingdom , • M dtfcus qui
' penlat libias ao five folidos 6co ;' am the foT .
tion of tins ^ucllion prove, that the pound cor.fHK
ed ot u ounces Another fuppofe, a man leavinK
30 glaf. bottles (' ampulla, v.trea.') to his fon.:
th», »„fef8 ,t wa. copied from a w, ,!, compofed
ui a mo., civihzed country, may feem to infer thu'
gluU bottle, were common in Northumberlai-d

/. 163 rhe circumference of the eaith zcz.oco
ftadia i copied from Eratotthenes. See above c
94' ^'

P; 387 The revolution of Saturn in jo years.
K-:erm.2 Mars iuj, ,;„. fun in 365iday,
«*creiB be follows the antients. '

,,_^J^'^ 4f'J. Rvlca for conitruaing dial., and aaro-

t It ha. been fuppofed, that, after the Saracen,
got pofTeffion of Egypt, the communication be-
tween India and \ ope through Alexandria ftiU
continued .is before j and I thougl.t fo myfelf. all
upon examimilion J found „• authority whate»er
for any intercourlc T ,he Chtiftians with AUxan-
dna before she bv.Mininp ot the ninth century. In
the a.>nu(l.tot .1 di-Vnefs of hitiory in th.fe be-
niphtid age. prot Ac prelumption. muft be re.
ceivedtor ■ ^'^ better evidence : and we find
that bcf^r pt fell into the hand, c ; the Sara!

cci!., A .gj, of iraportanaj in Europe were exe-
cuted up.r. the Egyptian papyrus ; but after that

?W» .' ^^ ""r"^",'" pajchment. Thi. amount.
alinoR to a proof, that the trad* with EevDt tl e

only eonru,, .,o,lucingthepapyrH.,^VH,Tnter'n.pi.
e^[ ifwrjhir, Antiq. UaL V, ii, «/. 83a >,

:-^5^'''

246

A. D. y^i.

impoftor (or of the devil), pagans, and enemies of God *, while tlney
on the other hand abhorred the Chriftiafts as idolaters arid enemies of
God, was an aJmoft infuperable bar to commfercial intei-courfe. Bm
the mutual alienation produced little or no inconveftienc6 to the Sara-
cens, who found an, ample fcope for commercial entferprife Withih the
vaft extent qf their own dominions. The fcanty fupply of Oriental g<6ods
from the fairs of Jerufalem, and perhaps a few other privileged places,
being very inadequate to the demand, fome merchants were tempted
by the increafed price to tmverfe the vail extent of Afia in a latitude
beyond the northern boundary of the Saracen power, and to import Tjy
caravans the filk? of China, and tii* valuable fpices of India, which,
with the expenfe and rifk of fuch a land carriage, muft have coft a moft
enormous price, when they reached Conftanrinople, where they were,
notwith (landing, eagerly purchafed by the luxurious and wealthy cour-
tiers, whofe demands for filks the manufiidnres of Greece were not
capable of fupplying to their full extent.

Next to thole of Conftantinople, the citizens of Venice appear to
have been in this age the moft tiiftinguifted among the Chriftians of
Europe for commercial efforts. The origin and dawning profperity of
this city have been already noticed. The total want of terri!:ory di-
reded their attention and their hopes to the lea, which was at once
their frontier, their fortification, and the only 6.eld to be ploughed by
their induftry. The perpetual wars, and the rapid fucceflion of con-
querors, which had for feveral ages convidfed Italy, drove into the
rjfing city a gradual and conftcint accefCon of free-fpirited, induftrious,
and wealthy, inhabitants, the trueft fource of the profperity of any
Hate. Their veflels now ventured beyond the limits of the Adriatic
gulf; they doubled the fouthern extremity of Greece, and made voyages
to Conftantinople and other places. They carried home valuable' car-
goes of filks, and all the rich produce of the Eaft, the magnificent
purple drapery of Tyre, and the furs of ermines and other northern
animals ; all which they fold with prodigious profit to the nations of
the nortii and weft parts of Europe. Ii is a melancholy confideration,
that human creatures, the produce of the wars, formed alfo a principal
article of their trade : and it is much to the credit of Pope Zacharia,
that he purchafed, and gave liberty to, a number of Haves of both
fexes, whom the Venetian traders were going to carry o\. v to the coaft
of Africa to be fold to the Saracens. [Monacb. Sangali. de reb. Car. Mag,
ap. Muratari Antiq. V. ii, col 409 ;- Vita Zacharia, ib. coU 883.J

• This narrow-niincU'd and ignorant miTrfpre-
fcntatio.i cuntiiiucd for man)' ug<rs to difgrace the
jiages of the ChriHiaii writers, with the cxcfptfon
of a very few ; ninonjr wtiiHii William of Malmf-
Iniry ikfcrvc.fi to be n ticed, vvlio, with his ufunl
vipcn'otity cf judgment, obfcr.i- that ' the Sar«.

• cells and Turks worftilp CoA the Creator, eHeein-

• iiig MahomM not a fod, but the f?r<iph»t of

• God.' IGrJt. ng. /ingl.f. 43 b] Mathew Paris
[/I. 426] alfo fayn, tli.-it the Sarr.cens Mitve in
one God, the creatcr of all th>n?a, anU ^tiMl
idak.

A' P» 73?' 347

After feeing tlie deplorable decoy of fcience among the Greeks and Rom-
ms, as It appears in the work of Cofmas, &c. it is not a little furprifmg
that fuch remote coujitries as Britain and Ireland Ihould produce fomf
geinules who foaied above the davknefs of their age, and ventured to
aflert, that the earth, which we inhabit, is a globe, and that there are
people on the oppofite fide of it. Virgil, bifhop of Saltzburg m Ger-
many, for mamtamxng thefe truths was condemned as a heretic by the
philanthropic Pope Zacharia, who was greatly alarmed at fuch 'dan-
ger-oi^doarine. In the ftrange revolutions, which often took place in
the aflaus ofthe clergy, the heretical plillofopher was afterwards can-
oniaed as a lamt, I know not for what merit, but furely not for his
jcienca Ireland has the honour of having pjoduced this enlightened

753—The Saxons and their affociates, wito raHke tReir fiHTappear-
ance in hiftory as the tremendous mafters of the Ocean, and the dread
ot all the maritime provinces of the weilern Roman empire, feem after
their complete fettlement in Britain, and their converfipn to the Chrifl-
lan rdigion, to have entirely changed their national charader The
uie of arms was generally abandoned; all thoughts of naval affairs were
given up ; and their fhips, the chief inftrumeat of their conquefts as
no longer of any ufe. were aUowed to rot upon ihe beach. Vaft num-
bers of people of all ranks, kings and queens not excepted, perfuaded
that a hfe of retirement from fecular cares and bufmefs was the moft
pleaUng to the Deity, renounced tixe world, and fliut thcmfelves up in
monaftencs f. The event was fuch as feems to have been almoft pre-
dided by Bede. [Hi/l. eccks. L. v. c. 23 ; Epi/l. ad E^bera.] The mi-
lenes which the nations had fuffered from their nnceftors were now as
tully mflifted uj^n them by the ferocious roving warriors defcended of
their own remote anceftors-, who, under the names of Danes Norwe-
gians, or Normans, fucceeded to the nuv il dominion of the Northern
ocean The firft outrage of thofc plunderers, which is recorded was
upon the coaft of Thanet. {Cbroml. Augujlin. ap. Twy/den, col. 2.2^0.1
Succeeding mcurfions harafled and ruined England, till the invaders
effec^d fettlements for themfelves in tlie eaft part of the country • and
at laft a dynafty of Danifli kings were for a Ihort rinie feated upon the
throne of England, ^

• Wc have feeo the tatundity nf the earth cob-
dennied a» lierefjr two hundred years befofe this
lime by Cofmas, •n Egyptian Gfcck, and now by
the infallible head of the iiuinan church. But
Jphotiuf, the p»iiiarch o»" Conllaijliiujple in the
ninth century, was more enliglitened, for he rep«-
J»«ails a namuWs »uthnr, j^jpsrently Cofniw, for
ikiiyaig that the earth it a globe, riiiiliollitca,
«</. 36.J

t ' It u laid, tUt in the lu'ulh orutury there

• were in tliis kingdom more monks than miliiary

• men ; and to this bad pollcv fome have not
' fcrupled to attribute the fjccels of the Danes in

• their feverid tilitationf.' IHavrimi't Ilifl. tf mi.
/>c, y.'u, t.idl.'] Tliat Scotland was not alio

conquered hy the northern invaders, mry with
great probabilitjr be afcribed to the fmaller infl li
ence of monatlic fuperftitioti in that Icfs opulcn*
CBUUtfry.

248

A, D. 795.

795— We now find the firft certain account* of the northern piratical
rovers, called Normans, Norwegians, Danes, or Oftmen, landing in Ire-
land and the iflands on the north fide of it, nxany of which were fettled
by monks, moft of whom they drove from their monafteries. [^na. Uit
ad an. 794. with Uferii Brit, ecchf. antiq. p. 958.] There is no ycafoii
to fuppofe that the north part of Britain could efcaiJe their ravages,
though there is no certain account of any invafion of it by theoiitiii
about forty years aher this time. nnri h,.,, .»^»

796— i he commerce of Britain, which fince the time of the Romaa
dominion m the ifland had been almoft totally extingui{hed, appears to
havebegurito revive about this time. Some Englifh tradera reforted
to the continent ; and they even went as far as Rome,, and perhaps Ve-
nice. Some of them, in order to evade payment of the cuftoms exad-
ed from them in their tranfit through Fiance, pretended to be pilgrims
on their journey to Rome, the baggage of all fuch being exempted from
duties. The Englifh goods, which were of fuch valpe in refpe<?.l to their
bulk as to admit of being fmuggled in a traveler's baggage, were pro-
bably nice works in gold and filver, in making which the AngVo-Saxon
artifts appear to have been eminently /kilflil*. Reliques, images of faints,
pretious ftones, books, pidures for churches, and drefles for priefts, were'
probably the chief articles of the homeward cargoes. The French col-
ledors of the cuftoms, difcovering the deception of the pretended pil-
grims, obliged them to pay the duties upon their goods ; whereupon
tliey complained to OfFa, the moft powerful of the Englifh kings, in
confequence of which an embargo was laid upon the ihipping On bothj
fides for fome time. But when Offa had compelled all the other Eng-
hfli and Saxon kings to acknowlege his fuperiority, Charles the Great
became willin,-; to enter into friendftiip with him, without, however,
giving up his claim to the cuftomary duties on merchandize. I have'
already (p. 60) given a tranflation of the oldeft commercial treaty in
the world ; and the reader, I dare fay, will be plcafed to fee a tranfia-
tion of Charles's letter to Offii, then in ^Stdi the monarch, of England,
as far as it relates to commercial objcds, as it is, properly fpeaking, the
very firft of the many commercial treaties between England aad the
other countries of Europe. It begins thus: >4,.«,;) . ,

' Charles, by the grace of God king of the Franks and Lombards,
and patrician of the Romans, to our venerable and moft dear brother'
Offa, king of the Merkians, greeting. Firft, we give thanks to all-
mighty God tor the fincere catholic faith which we fee fo laudably
exprt-fled in your letters. Concerning the ftrangers, who, for the love
of God and the falvation of their fouls, wifti to repair to the thrcfholds
ct the blefled apoftles, let them travel in peace without any trouble.

■ *, "^'7 ^"f""* "°'''" '" ^'^^ *'"^ f'l»cr JB tbefc aget wtre famout cfcn in Italy. IMmateri jImj^.

A. D. ^^96/

hb

* Newrthelefi, if any arfc fbtmd among them not ih the ferVfte ^r.y
' teSKr li!;.r ""i"' *^^' "^^-^hants fhall have lawful pro-

i. wan, Kafon to Wul^fh. '1 T ■ '" '""^'"^ ""'' '^'™«- There'

felves into every wSy SLl \!? l^^°S-"''- *""■" *'•"=»'' 'hem-
thi, ■ remote ki^gTm, ^1,^^^ infer'trL '' T' ^"""""^ '"">

Jlr^^^a^Lf':lr ^'■"lemagne), i„ co4^ue„'cVihis e>,.
crow4,Trm by'rhf HeT'^pTror''? rK°'V °' ""= P°P=' "™

..ZrJ'i'^y y* ''"'"^f" "bout chiefly by the
ot the ambafladon fent by

'--'''ifofAic'ni.:i;,lt^r^^^^ the gr«t cmbelh-rhcr of ScottM. hiftory. havuig
Offa to Charles, TMfireat mon«rch wl, f^Ml ■ S"'" '/" f'"^'"" "/ hu authority to the ftorv it
lighted with the Ulcntf .^d kanltofXcl And ^""'^ """T'"''"'' bch-cved^ni I«e!y.^M
that he trmreatedh/m tb remain w-l. fn'm in orde; fretdS'* T'.'V".''^ ''>'.'''= ''^'■* ''^ 'ft^b'^cd
tomlln,ahkful^8. Andta thj. Wr "d ,,a Eenl^' r ^ ^""^ ,=«*«r Sir George
..whofhpnl'. hade's 'Rte.^'2?P^^

lift .. ' M '"l^^'l"'^ '"™"^^y "f 'he benighted
w Hem worU the French a,-e ."n . great me^afure

notle'c'Trf''?' ?f Engiand have takrt, but Iftfle
notice of Charles's letter, .vhlch is an authentic

and the later Scoltifh hiftorian,. thinking kTZ

lillT^^^ • 'HV""'"'"^>' "»« '^ '^«'"W »>^ve
attiacted the iimiir .»f r,. ,r..,, • ,,. .

ly UonouraWe for their country that it fliodd have K3,','^j ",""'»''• »''^" °f ^t. Albans
attraaed the notice of fogreat\ pr uceasSiT IffXf ' ""f ''"''"?' " '■^'='"'°"' "' King Q
."lr/fr^^P^•^^8^-h%inF^ginhart^e^ S^'r'^ri.'",T''""!'-> -^ -« cj^t^d

e k.ng. (. ris',.) of tl« Scot, (unqueftionably
.lie Scot, of I„l,nd) a, the h^ble fervant. oV

■ni i I ■"'\" P'"*/ °f =•" ""'■''«'« between him
nd Achaiu,. king of the Scots in Argyle. V^Z

low... » wnter contempowy with Fordcn, \^„

"othing of the alliance, nor of any one eve„rof

the .ejgn of Adiajus or Eokal ; fSee hi* 0«l;L/.

' '.«vi//^/^«/w. /?. vi, . 4 Eriic^;^

h.M 'Pk,™ --J -••-»•"•">«'?'=> oir Robert Sib-
bald, rhomas Rudd.nian, «nd other writers, whofe
profeffed. hne of iludy led them to a more cHtical
.nvrft,^.at,onof Scouirt, hl.lory, has noticed I,
yoiu, m his work. It would be eafy to Ihew that

cvir exifted, but it would lead me into a differti!
t.on very foreurn to the nature of this work '
f Mathew Pari, remarks, probably fi-om tradi-
tional report that Vuliig, ,bbat of St. Alb^s. a
Ujourite, and perhaps a relation, of King ok».

ous abbat had filk, imported on purpofc Jb^- h^^
own ufe , or we cannot fuppofe, tKTmt 1 ,
proper prefent frvm the gi^teft foverefen orthj
continent to the greateft lovereign in Br",in. w«
common m the weftem part, of the worid

t opelman thinks that the Excerpts of Escbtn
may have been written about the year 7jo. He
poflelTeJ the- ice of York from 73? to tcI
li

350

A. D. 800.

ter tv^o dukes nf Venice *, and a duke of ladera in Dalmatia, are laid
to have received at his hands a confirmation of their dignities.

Amidft the devaftations and flaughters of a reign offorty-fevenydars,
palled in perpetual warfare, Charles paid fome attention to learning and
Icicnce, and apparently alfo to commerce, though he fliowed great ig-
norance of the principles of it, when he allowed the priefts to make a
canon, declaring all intereft for the ufe of money to be finful. The
fairs of Aquifgranum (Aix la Chapelle) and Troyc were frequented
during his reign by traders from moft parts of Europe : and the weight
ufed at the later has been generally adopted, and is now ufed by us for
weighing gold and filver. He colleded what was then efteemed a great
library, and he founded the univerfities of Paris and Pavia, which ftt
the example to fimilar iiiftitutions, wherein the lamp of fcience, though
it burnt but very dimly during feveral dark ages, was at leaft preferved
from utter extinction. He ftudied aftronomy under the Englifh philo-
fopher and poet Alcuin ; and his taftc for geography may be prelumed
from his three filver plates, on one of which was engraved a map of
Conftantinople, on another Rome, and on the third and largeft the three
parts of the world, viz. Europe, Afia, and Africa, each inclofed in a
circle. To curb the maritime depredation* of the Normans and Sara-
cens he kept fome Ihips on the Ocean and the Mediterranean ; and he
reftored the light-houie at Bononia {Boulogne), that it might direft his
fliips in the night. His attempts to join the Meufe with the Saone, and
the Rhine with the Danube, though intended only for the purpofes of
war, if they could have been rendered effectual and permanent, would
have been ufeful to inland navigation. [Eginharti Vita CaroU me^ni. —
^imon. Gejl, Franc. L. iv, cc. 68-102.]

808 — Charlemagne, having fubdued the remains of the old Saxons
on the north fide of the Elbe, ereded two caftles on the banks of that
river to curb the Slavi and other hoftile tribes. In two years after, one
of them, called Hochbuchi, Hocburi, or Hamburgh, was taken and de-
ftroyed, and next year it was rebuilt. [E^inbarti Annales ad an — Alberti
Stadenfts Chron. ad /?«.] After many unimportant revolutions of de-
ftrudion and renovation, the caftle gave birth to a town, which has
grown up to be the celebrated and important commercial city of Ham-
burgh f .

813 — In the later end of the reign of Charlemagne the merchants
of Lyons, Marfifille, and Avignon, confiding in the power and fame of
their fovereign, and the friendfliip fubfifting between him and Harun
al Rafhid, the powei ul and famous fovereign of the Eaft, joined in, fit-

• They are called Willtnis and Beatus by Ai- f Hamburgh, like other cities which have ac-

moniue. {L. iv, c. 94.] But I fee no fuch names, quired fame and opulence, has fome fables of an

i.or any conjunft dukes, in the catalogue of the earlier origin than what can be warranted by htf-

Bukes or doges of Venice. tory, ^

A. D. 813.

H^

ting out veflels twice a year for Alexandria, to which no Chriftians that
we know of, had failed, fince it belonged to the Saracens. TheSerie
1 Vu'^ '^' ^'^^"^^ °^ ^-^^^'^ ^^^'^ ^°^veyed by thofe merchant
up the Rhone and the Saone. and re-embarked on the MofeirvvhTch
carn«l them to the Rhine ; and by means of that river they w;r7dif-
perfed through Germany and the northern countries. And Thus the

weftern nJrt «f V g^",^"-^* ["f ^^ants for the Chriftian nations in the
wfthSfrll ^"'•^f • A Jew.& merchant, who was a favourite
with Charlemagne, alio made frequent voyages to Paleftine. and return-
ed with pretious merchandize, hitherto unknown in the Weft. [Momc/j
San^. L. i, c. 1%, ap. Mur atari Antiq. V. i, col. 895.]

823— The Saracens now the only maritime power in the Mediter-
ranean, after plundering moft of the Grecian iOands, took polFeflion of
Crete, which, from the town wherein they fixed their chief refidence
thenceforth got the name of Candax. afterwards corrupted to Candia'
Ihisifland. fo happily fituated for commerce, is equally well fituated
for pra^datory naval war ; and it was in that way that it^s new mafters
chiefly employed their talents, to the unfpeakable diftrels of the wretch

fn/ •'??' i ?^ ^'^^^ ""™P'^« ""'^ "^^ «^her Chriftian ftates border-
ing on the Mediterranean.

oiil'f ^^^r^"""^ ^¥ '^'^'^ '*^*^'= calif Almamon, who went beyond
all his predecefiors m the encouragement of learning and the fciences
two menfurations of a degree were made, one on the plain oSaa'
and the other on that of Cofa. ^ ^maar.

It is worthy of remark, that the light of literature and fcience fhone

7LTf^ ?' -^"^^u'^ ^f ""^ '"^""5 ^^^ ^^'•''^^^"^' ^d particularVamong
hofe of Spam when all-<,ver the Chriftian part of Europe the human

acuities were debafed by the moft wretched i•uperftition,^hebehef of

die moft pvepofterous miracles, and the idolatrous worfhip of imageT

Chymiftry, a fcience fo important in our modern manufadures. which

had been pradifed m Egypt from the earlieft ages with ftationary im-

perfedion. IS indebted to the ingenuity of the Saracens for many of ^s

moft valuable improven-ients. The alembic for diftillation is believed

cd by t em^ To them we are obliged for the introduction, or. as moft
people thmk, the invention, of the fimple and comprehenfive fet of fi-
gures now univerfally ufed in arithmetic, which is one of the moft im-
portant improvements that ever wtis made in any of tiie fciences con-
neded with commerce In fliort. the very names of alembic, alkaU
almanack, algebra, alchymy. elixir, zenith, nadir, azimuth, cipher &c
remain perpetual monuments of the Arabic derivation, or conveyance

♦ This curious and important notice reft* on the authority of PouUin de Lumin;. V UlO I i
^ 3.] «l.o iK,. .ugUacd to produce his vouchers. [See m].. d.SZZ^V^^lll^"/^^^^'^

\'\ 2

<»s«

A. D. 81^-833.

eo«s, of feveral branches of our fcience. In muft be acknowlcRcd ihat
their flutlies were often perverted to the abfurd purfuiti of aftrology,
the philoiopher's ftonc, or tranfmutation of the bafer metals into gold,
and the elbir of heahh, which was fuppofed to confer a perpetual re-
novation of youth and vigour. But fcientific refearches, notwithftand-
mg the piirtial abufe or wrong di.edUon of them, muft ultimately tend
to the increafe of human knowlege, and thereby add to the felicity of
mankind. During the five darkeft centuries of European barbarifm
the Saracens were the only enlightened people in tlic weftern world.
There are indeed a few individual inftances of heaven-bom geniufes
among the Chriftians, who, furmounting the difficulty of an unknown
language, and defying the terrors of excommunication, ventured to
learn icicuce among the Saracens, and to dilTeminate fome fparks of it
among their rude and benighted countrymen, who in return treated
them as conjurers and articled fervants of the de>'il. To their intrepid
thirrt of knowlege Europe is in a great meafgre inc.ebted for the revival
of fcience, ^yhicl^, as it increafed among the Chriflians, fell off and lan-
guiihed among the Saracens, who are not no»';diftinguiflied by any
ilrong attachment to fludy.

8^5 — About this time there was prefented to the emperor Louis a
preibyter called George, who undertook to conftrudt organs, hitherto
fcarcely known in France *, as they were made, in Greece, [ytimon. de
gejUs Franc. Z.. iv, c. 1 14.]

827 — Egbert, king of the Weft Saxons, who had pafled his youth in
exile, and learned the arts of war and government under Charles, the
greatcft prince in Europe, was recalled to his paternal dominions in the
year 800. In twemy-i'cven years he fubdued, or reduced to a ftate of
dependence, all the other Englifli and Saxon kings on the fouth fide of
the Humber ; and he is thenceforth ufually accounted (though not with
ftrid propriety) the firft moiiarch of England.

This fame year, according to the annals of Ulfter, there was * a dread-
' ful invafion of Ireland by the Englilh,' which, if I miftake not, is omit-
ted by all the Englifh hiftorians.

828 — Ten Venetian fiiips went to Alexandria in violation of a law of
the ftate ; and they were, for ought that appears, the firft that ever
went from Venice to that port. The raoft noted part of their home-
ward cargo was the (fuppofed) body of St. Mark, which they furrepti-
tioufly carried off with them. \_Chron. Atid, Danduli ducis Fenet. ap, Afu-
ratori, Script. F. xii, col. 170.J This notice, though in other refpeds

• An organ liaJ been fcnt from Conflantincple organ, tlicn a wondfrfiil thing in England, wts

to Pepin king of France by tbc einpcror Conftan- prefcnted to the church of Mahnlbiiry by Dunf-

tine Copronymus. IMiirlan. Scot, ad an. 757 tan. [It^ilL Malmji. ap. Galf, p. 366. j Orguna»

tifpiilanni Chron. ad an. 754, ap. GoUUiJl. — Jftmon. if tlicre 19 no miftake in the iiatne, were in Ireland

L. iv, e. ^4.] In the icign of King Eilgar an before the year 814. [^n«. t///. aJ an- 814.]

A, D. 81S,

HS

of iittle,confequenc(% majr be confidercd as a pretty Rood oroof thar th*

Amam Genl ^^dPr "^.^^ ^^^^''^e a,es before chistime^
folSwIl ;^ , ^/a mantxme dtiek on<«be weft fide of Itair

tolJow«d..the example of Venice in trading to Alexandria Cf Vw
tTAik never became very confiderabl*- i-.ii ^vf. ? '*'«-'^'l""a > twt their
placed in their h.nds S ^a^res of tSl We/™?"^ '^' ^^ ^^^

^ tT'r:!;^^^"'.^, t'h "■*= «f- -" -ly t:°:h'.d

in the ycJTsli IJ^Uu] '''""'«"" " J^-"*"' "«'" « dated

.he Pich„; and '^^ncSt^U^^e^'ttTn- °* "'' ™T7 "''

ib kitiL's of th«- Piri,..\ ""= *-'ngs or the Scots (iometimes ca ed al-

curfioL. b^b^^t.gT!SLeSifl°"' ^'""^ y^'' by pr«Kiatory in-

ous trib-uel w^ikef^riSf "by M^d^^^ by exading gLv.

Ireland, and drowned irLoXvL r Hk 1 "^'"^1 '''^"^ ^

x-oun vaxrf.. Wis. countrymen, however,

tlmnhcufcd. byfcven.b who haw ud oSn " rJi f ""V^'i 'k"" '^^ ' beamSful genius a" d

frft no .ce of a Dnufl. fifhcy as a lom.nercial ob-

bought £(h upon our north coall in that, age

been able to venFv), the name of the Pfchts, the
people on the e«l( lidc of the country, to W. 'h

liey had the eaiieft «ccef«, onght furely to be fib

Uuted for that of the Sc^t,. Ibofc domTnion vt
.It tins time reitnaed to Dalrieta, nearly the fame
w.tb the prefect (hire of ArgyL But I .nucl!

,„j 1 -■"■'• "<-"i.iuiiu, v>aies, and ire-

Uyfflm (orDubhn), that Froda ,va. poifoned.
ar.J Thorg.I,, after reigning long in Dvfflin was
c.rcamvcnted a,d ilain by tifc Iril. W^h 11 my
rrfpea for the venerable Herodotus o^ the North.
1 apprd,cnd he ia here confounding two perfon

behevc that thij e»ent wai recorded in the Iri(h

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though they wftrc, driven out: of the reft of the iflaad, were fo well e(ta-
bUthed inJDtibiin, that they fortified 4t> and held it out againft the Irifti;
and »ew colonies i of them afterwards took. pofTefliGn of almoft all the
ift4ritiwe parts of th.^ iflawd. They improved the fortifications of Dub-
lin; they built or fortified Waterford, Limerik, and other cities : and
OJaf, the rooft powerful c^ief among themk aflSjming the tide of king
of Ireland and the Jfles, compelled the Irifli to pay him tribute. Hence-
forth the native lx[(h ¥r«re atlmoft fbut. up in the central part of the
country, while the l^orwegians and Danes, under the names of Oftmen
(i. e. EafterniJneii)^ G*q1sj Gentiles, Pagans, &g. were the chief, or ra-
ther the only, cptmmercial people in Ireland, and continued for foveral
centuries tQ c«rry on trade , with their mother countries and other places
pn the weft coafts of Europe from their Irifh Settlements, [j4an. UU* ad
nn. 844, 852 — Giraid. Comir. ftop. tUb. L. iii, cc. 40 et Jtqq.'—iand Jee
Uffmii Brit, eccks' antifi ppi 86c^ 717, for other authorities.}..! Vu-i^^f^

849. — Amalfi, Naples, andGaeta, maritime cities of Italy, were wow
in fad independent, though prcfeljing a flight acknowlegement of al-
legiance to the Greek empire. Their, pofieffion of {hipping prefumes
that they had fome commerce ; for in thefe times the Italians do not
appear to have had any. veflels calculated folely for the purpofes of war.
Their fliips were now employed in defending Rome from the attack of
a formidable army of Saracens, whofe qaimerous fleet, by the fcafonable
intervention of a fudden fquall of wind, was completely deftroyed : and
the pontifical, and once imperial, city of Rome, was faved from the do-
minion and the religion of the Saracens by the merchants of thofe ci-
ties.

But the beneficial efFedts of the induftry and profperity of thofe cities,
and of Venice, extended as yet but a very little way beyond their own
boundaries,. The ^eateft part of Italy had lain wafte during feveral
centuries ; the cities were ruined and depopulated, and the wild beafts
had refumed the pofl't:iiion of the uncultivated country, which was co-
vered with woods, and deluged with ftagnaat waters. Such was now
the condition of Italy, once the moft highly cultivated country in Eu-
rope ; and fuch it continued throughout the ninth century. [Muratori
Script. V. ii, part'\\, col. 691 — and fee other authorities colleded in his
Jlhtiq. V. ii, coll. 149, 153, 163.] The defolation of the other parts of
Europe, though not ^<i amply attefted, appears from the few writers of
thofe dark ages to haVfc been ftill more exteniive.

'While fuch was the general ftate of Europe, the commerce of thofe
which were cftcemed commercial communities could only be confider-

Annals manj years before any fon of Harold Har.
fagiir was born.

Latei- Iri(l» wvitera have embdlifhed tlic death
of Turgea with a ilritegem, perhapa borrowed

firom that of A!e*and«r, the fon of AmyrttaS king
of Macedonia, who rut off the Pcrfian ambaflfidbra
by means of young men In women's dreft.

AvD.t4^

•55

able^bycoiftparifon w,th>rtifrt6tal't.am of it among theit neichbburjr.
and that the com««trcbl ime^^ourfe, or imercourfe^of a^^ kSd L ila
ly, wasnotvfeitconfiderablc, is evident from the wLb^nnsVor the"

aJ}j'f''f^^'i '.*'« '^'•^^'"n empire, and the conqueft of Perfia **'
florid to the viaonoua Arabians the antient maritimrcommerce ohrt
dm^vvnh a very great augn.entation. But the princ^al feSTdie trad:
bad long been removed from the fouth coafl of A?ab a to 4e Pe?fil
gulf, as we Jeam from the Ghinefe annals of the feTenVh ;nd dlrH
centuries t. and more particularly from an account S„ by Sdim^^
an Arabmn merchant,. which, as a valuable monum^tit of OriLtfl ^r^'
Ttot t^'rd ^^^^'""'rS -^1»« -dilated C ^er^rwe^ecd"^^
«! , v^^i T' '*; '^*= ^^"P^^ °^ *^« Erythraeari'.fea.

r/laferdtSrhaf '^^^'""^^ (and v. have no pant uiar accou^^^^^^^
any ater date) had never gone b6yond Siele-div Tor CevlonVt Th^l
yems now traded to every part of fhe continent a f r a? he fouth coaft
of China, and to many of the iflands; of all which he gives dSt^^s
whereof very few can be reconciled to our Jd^as m aSatiom of n«''

jKe fecond e^nfury (Ste above, p. ,94, or Mr. D«
UMipie^ u <mot«l ,„ the preceding iH»te). But
«•<! Know no paidcular. of their foutc or their
trade : and, with fubmiilion, I may obffr>e, that
ai tbctr navigation extended no farther than Cey.
W". in the fixih century, and cv.;n that wndqr .,

bZJVrJ'f^^' '""'"^ '""•^''''nta of Amalfi,
being at Tarifntum, were invited by the keeoer.

°i :v?"t7 '' '"''r '■" *• "'^^-^ being „:s

offer -^inJ '"'^^hant. were giad to accept their
oner, and ga»e them money to purchafe viftuals
and wmc for them, [Wl-^vm-. SJ,r„i,^y^T

frf"^ 37th di^ri^tlTnln jjg. IT. ui.'^iJi

n,it ^'" "i' /''formation derFveJ from ttiafe an'.
Tw^lf^'"^ to the „uftti.n ,„d Mul^

pofcd to hav, traded to ChiBa by fe» a, early S.

foreign flag (to borrow a modern phrafej, iny ae.
couoftrf earher uavij^atioo* to more dirfaat porta

J C«o-fu doe. not appear among the oW ntmes
"f X-'.'»''gl-''eu or Ca-iton, give., by Martin Mar-
t«uu, « Thevenot', %^, ,,,;,,,; ;., ;: . 7" .
In S.r George Staunton's £«;,^' /, ^& K

356

A. D. 95 li*

per cent on the goods in kind, and reftore the remainder to the mer-
chants. The emperor has a right of pre-emption ; but his officers fair-
ly, and immedia«cly, pay for what he takes at the higheft price of the
articles. >

Can-fu is a place of great trade, to which all forfcign merchants refort.
The Mohamedans are fo numerous in it, that a cadi, or judge, of their
own religion, is allowed to prefide over them, under the authority (jf
the emperor. ' • ,1 Ki

Chinefe Ihrps trade to Siraf in t! Perfian gulf, and there take in
goods brought from Baflbra, Oman, and other places, to which they do
not venture to proceed on account of th2 frequent ftorms and other
dangers in that fea *. From the account of their route, which is cott-
ftantly along the fliore, the Chinefe of this age appear to be rather more
timid navigators than the Arabs and Egyptian Greeks were many cea-
turies before f» '/'^vi J '..<'-*

China is more populous than India, and the cities are numerous and
well fortified. The only coined money among the Chinefe is of cop-
per. They confider gold and filver, which they have in great abund-
ance, merely as merchandize, in the fame manner as pearls, filks, or
other goods. The Chinefe of all ranks drefs in filk, in fummer and in
winter. They have no wine, but inftead of it a fpiritous liquor made
from rice (which we now call arrak). Their general drink is an in-
fufion of the leaves of fah (tea), the duty upon which brings in a vaft
revenue to the fovereign. They have an excellent kind of earth, where-
with they make all forts of veflels for the table, of equal finenefs with
glafs, and equally tranfparent. For meafuring time they have dials and •
clocks with weights. There is no land tax in China. Every male child
is regiftered when born ; at the age of eighteen he begins to pay a ca-
pitation tax, and at eighty he becomes entitled to a penfion J.

• Father Michel Boym, who rcfiJed fo long in
China as almoft to fcrgct the Italian language, in
a narrative drawn up in the year 1652, agrees re-
markably with Soliman, He fays, that informer
times the Chinefe took in cinnamon at Ceylon, and
carried it to Ormm in the Perfian gulf, whence
other merchants conveyed it to Aleppo and Grrece.
Sometimes there were four hundred Chinefe veflels
together in the Perfian gulf, loaded with gold,
ftlks, pretiout ftones, mun<. porcelain, copper,
alum, nutmegs, cloves, and cinnamon, an article
of which they carried large quantities. \_Rclathns
di la Chine, in Thevenot > Koyaget cur'uux, V. ii,
/• »5 oflajlferies of pages. 1

f We may thence conclude that the f<I}}poG-
tioii of the mariner's compafs being known to
them long before tht« time is deftitute of founda-
tion.

X It has been doubted whether the Chinefe
ever failed as far as the Pcrl'iau gulf. They do

not indeed fail fo far now ; but that might pro-
bably be at leatl as much owing to the jealous po-
licy of their government a? to want of knowlege
or ability, till their knowlege fell off from want of
pra£lice. The authenticity of Soliman'e relation
was fufpefted, when it was firft publifhed in a
French tranflation by Eufebius Renaudot in the
year if 18 ; but Mr. De Guignes has fince remov.
ed every (hadow of doubt, by attefting (in the Jour-
nal det Savans, Nov. 1 764., and in the Memolret
de litteraturt, V. «*xvii, p. 477) that he had found
tTie original Arabic manufcript in the king's libra-
ry at Pat-is. Independent of that fupport, its ere-
cUt feems to be abundantly clear from the artlefs
and genuine appearance of the narrative { and it it
highly valuable, were it only for conveying to u«
the earlieft notice of clocks, tea, and china-ware,
articles now fo common in every houfe. The mag-
nificent piece of mechanifm , prtfented to Charu-
magne by Harun al Ralhild was evidently not a

clock,

■A" ©. is*

*w

fell m» buliaDdt 1 1 maffiirii ^11 Kl ■ u f Arabian merchantt;

the rivn of tlK country, he nraaifed ^dT^^Z^^^' l """"P'"" '

lxtJir„Qfnone from India) aelivereethS^rll^ f x ^ ^"^'^ (and we

Arabia*. p^,fecmmgl/r«^^^^^

fea wj^s written; and rfience the w^f^Jft^ f r^ * **^^^ H-rythraean

^frica. were fo warded IS veSs^duaS"^ ^^'^^^^^^^ ^^"^P^' ^^

the pavlg«i^ ,,f ,h« Red T^tZny dt^^^^^^

foreign navigator, fiom proS^ding any feffin it w5 ''if ?'

the Red-fea coafters carried rh^ ^^J * r^ • ^f*. ^^^ ^^ ^<*^^ that

rthat if ftriaiy trfe the vSri IT?'"'^^'" "^T '^ ^ile ; and

canal which was'^rfCW by A^uXi '^^"^"^'^ '^'

And thus' we find the tradeTt^Red^L r?''?^^'/*^^^^?'*-
«ate in which it was undef t2^ ^^I^l^^^^^^^ i^:^

clock, but -a dtpfydra,.or w«er time-meafurer :

hu77 ^r_f"""- .^ "» '• 9J3 and th.t, which
his father !>«,» tweived from Pope Paull. v«a.
probably on Ac fatne principle. Uiough I ha»e not
nic' With any particular account of it. For tlie
anticnt ««rr»uoe Tdra^ fuppofed by forn. to ha,.
b«n Oic porcelain of China, fe* abo,e. p.

iixriga foUir, vruda, and twelf fotJiur gnrfan.
•.ml f« fothur gcard.,'-A. it i» not uf'rf
with me to depend on the infallibiUty of any
pwfon, I c«not help havin^f fome doibt .. i.
the propriety of DoAor cVon'. tranlla.ion ;
^.d I .ubmjt to thofe. who underftand the
A..«Io-Sa»on belter than myfelf, whether gr»fan
can, withwit any better warrwt, be trwflated
coal (. carbonum foffilium') feeing tlm S-
ju., ^f-a graf^n, fignifyin Mafo Cothic.'^Ice.
hi"d.c. and Anglo-Saxon. „ Jig, car^, ''^
or rvr<,w, and copfeviuenUy may apply to am?

coal ; and .ndecd it may as well be turf, which i.
alfo dugoutof the ground, though no fo Seen

wouWh^ i' "l ^T^o*'. that interp,rhi4i,«
wonid be apparently nght. It, ,ari6u. ^^JZ

lot WOrU, a vnrJ n» 2.J.r.-. rmP

" leJoc'i oditiea

are eurtb.

trnilaSion It entirely omitted in Whef
of the Saxon chronicle. ,,

+ Bai'chu frems the fame, who fs called the rbbiP

t 'i'hefe two article, of Ori.-atal infomaHoi, irrc*

cnaiK <rf Simf, wiiof* work, in a great meafure .
comment upon that of Solinian,%».7^bK
along With It by Mr. Rsnaudot. P"''"'*«l

Kk

lyi

258

A.,D.,877.

the conveyance by the canal, nearly in the fame ftate that it is in the
prtfent age *. 1 < ■

878 Syracufe, fornierly great in commerce and naval power, had

fufFered a gradual, but continual, decline from the time when it fell
under the Roman dominion till now, that it was contradted to its orijgi-
nal limits in the fm-^U illand of Ortygia, and dwindled into a village.
Neverthelefs, its infular fituation enabled it to refift the power of the
Saracens, who had begun the conqueft of Sicily iH the year 3^7, for
above half a century, when at laft the reduction of that obftinate little
city completed their conqueft of the largeft and moft fertile of the Me-
ditercanean iflands (21" May 878). [Ciron. Sic. ap. Muratori Script. V.
i,/»flr/. ii, /!/>. 244, 245.]

Sugar-canes appear to have been cultivated, and their juice made in-
to fugar, in the fouthern countries of Alia, and fome parts of Africa, in
the earlieft ages. But they were probably unknown in Europe, till the
Saracens introduced them in Sicily, the fertile foil, and warm climate,
of which were favourable to their produdion. In procefs of time the
canes were iranfplanted from Sicily to the foUthern provinces of Spain,
whence the cultivation of them is faid to have extended to Madeira and
the Canaries, and finally to Brafil and the Weft-Iiidia iflands, if they
were not indigenous in the later f . ' , ; ,

Notwithftanding the pious endeavours of Pope Z^charia, and an ex-
prefs law of the ftate of Venice p?fled in the year 864 agaiilft the flave

* Though the inoJern Arabs do not ptrmit fo-
reign veflels to so higher than Jidda, fome Brit-
ifli navigators, m fpite of the prohibition and the
increafing fhaliownefe of the Red fca, have failed
quite to the licad of it in vefTcls drawing more wa-
ter than any that the antient Arabiaai, Greeks, or
Ethiopians, fiad upon it. .

\ Tiic champions of the crofs found fugar-canes
in Palelline, Egypt, Cyprus, Rhodes, &c. But,
tnough the detcnption of fugai-c»nes (or houey-
canes, • cannK mellisM growing near Panorm'usin
Sicily, given by the Siciuan author Falcandus [of.
Muralor; C '1>I> vol. vii, col. 258], who wrote m
1 189 or I I, is perfedly jull and accurate, the
accounts ot ihe procefs of making fugar f zucare,
<Sr zuchara') given by Jacobus de Vitriaco [lijfi.
Orient, a. 53, S6], who wrote about 12C0, and
thofe by the other hillorians of the holy war, are
very dcfeftivc and confufed, as defcribing a thing
little known. Indeed, wc muft fuppofe, that the
fugar in Paleftine was of very bad quality, or very
trifling in quautity, as we find fugar one of the ar-
ticles brought to that country along with cinna-
mon, pepper, &c. from Babylon by 3 caravan,
which was plundered by Richard I king of Eng-
land. [G. * Finifau/,ap.Ga/e, V. U,p. 407.]

I have not been able to afccrtaln the date of the
iiVtroduftion of the fugar-cane in Sicily by the Sa-

racens. According to Raynal [_H^. phil. tt. pol.
F, \i,p. lifiid. 178*] it was not liji about the
middle of"^ the twelfth century. But he never
quotes authorities : and the Saracens had loft the
dnmiiiiun of the ifland long before that time. Thut
fugar-canes were iirft planted by (be Saracens in
Sicily, is generally allowed ; jmd .ley probably
introduced them, foon after they got poneffion of
the ifland. See Gibbon [K x, /. iii, «/. 1192]
v.ho, very contrary' to his general practice, has
fteglefted quoting his author'ity : but his profound
rciearch and approved accuracy cntlde hijnj be-
yond mod writers, to be credited for the fidelity
of his afiortiDn. — Along with the authors here
qnoted, fee Albertut Aquenjts, Pulcheriut Catnuttn.
fit, aud JVUIultnus Tyr'ms, all in the G^a Dei per
Francos.— Dt Cuignts in Mem, de Vacademie, V.

xxxvii,/. 509 Eaivardj^i Hijf. oflfie IVef-Mies,

K ii, /. l^.—Mofeley'j Hjfi. o/fugar.

It is not improper to obfervc here, that the cul-
tlvation of the fugar-canc is now neglef^cd in Si-
cily, owing (as Brydonc in his Taur in SicUy in-
forms us) to the enormous duties im^fed upon it :
and certain it is, that that moft fertile ifland, per-
haps the mother of all the fdgar-canes in the v.ti\-
em world, now receives Aigar from Btitaiii and
other countries.

I

\t

A. D, 878.

^§

trade, it was found riecehary to Worce the prohibition by a new and
ftnaer law. hich made it crimina: for anv Venetian to permit any

Alfred, at his acceflion to the crovm had found England almoft
entirely over-run bjr the Danes, and had been even obliged to abando^
his kmgdom to their rage, and to conceal himfelf. with fhe few fa' thful
luhjeds who had not deferted him, from their ou;fuit. Emerlin^ fi,?
denly from his concealment, he now gained a great and dedKdoi
over the Danes, fecure in the belief that thAnglift coSd no ^on!^
prefume to make head againft them. The confequence was that £'
fred recovered pofleffion of nearly a half of Ei.gland. the Danim kkll'
Godrunbemg by treaty reftrided to the eaftern pa t of the count^/
and profeffing himfelf a Chriftian. By this treat /there wa? i nT n'!'
tion fettled as inhabitants of Britain *. ' ^ ""^^ °^-

886~Paris, though the capital feat of the French kin-s was ftill .
fmall town contamed in the little ifland of the river s"fn; T/ft oi v
was when JuhusC^far gave the firft hiftoric notice c^' It^^J^a^

London, which appears to have been almoft totally dcftroved'^nH H>'
populated by the Danes, was reftored by king Alffed n fhr.li ^"
manner and foon after filled with inhalltants! thfhad be/n ^S^en
into exile or kept m captivity by the Danes. [V.r. p Ti i ^^"^

890-About this time the idands adjacent to The north Urt of BrJ
tain were occupied by a colony of Norwegians, who." nwil 4 to f!
mit to Harold Harfagur. the firft fole king of all NorX h 5 n^^^i^
fea m queft of independent fettlements. Thefe fugS fluent v

mroT^r'^' r^ f '"'''"'J: "^'^ P^^^^^^-T invafions^Thlch pr^oS
Harold to follow them to their iflands with a powerful fle/r RW

fubdued the Orkneys and Hialtland r^./w/rblwed ttlZ
one of his nobles, as an earldom to be held of the crown of No wan^ T

.hIM ' v' ""^ '^^^^'l ^'^^ °^ ^^°^^^^"d' ^^hi<=h had been oftTn 4i
edbythe Normans m their voyages to Ireland, were nowTaTre t
mealure peopled by them ; and. as being more foutherlv Zn ShpKn f
and Orkney, they were called in their language by the JeneLl n r

Sudureyar (i. e. the fouthern iflands). Ha old fent XeH!. kT^ °*
whofe ample eftates in Norway he Uerflfrn o^ortunitT
upon, to reduce thofe iflands. ar.d to govern them This llementt

pendence upon, the fovere.gns of the adjacent
mam land, it was probably very flender. The
fucceed,r.g earl, of Orkney feizei upon Catneft.
(then nciudmg the fhjre of Sutherland) and for
It heir fuc eflora acknowleged themfel/cs vaOalj
of the cro of Scotland.

Kk2

• Thi. treaty of partition may be feen among
the lawt of Alfred.. *

t We know from Atiamnan's Life ot Columba,
that m the f.xth c«ntury the Orkneys conilituted
a petty kmgdom, which acknowleged che fuprcm-
acy of the neighbouring kingdom of the Pichts.
uiit, It they had now any conneftion with, or do-

a>€o

Ai>D.i^9i*,

Uwt K.«Ulv wbea fad- got Woaielf- eIl?dbiUfhfid in his guve;mmcnt, «\nd, bod
poneUiated the affecJtious of the chiefs by intormatriages with hi«i^^
mily, fet up for an independent ibverei^ ; and fronx him the ki»gs
and lords of the Iflcs are defcended. Thus were tl*e Norwegians add'-
ed tQi the natioBs inhabiting the Britiih iflands- :> iinavji \<d

T\k arts aad fl0ianufa<2ures flouiiftied ia fome debtee i^ thofe raajote
iflands} and the drapery of the Sudureyans was even famoiw in the
northern parts of Europe*. They very foon bcetrae fo populovw^ tiat
they fent out colonies to the Feeroes, to Iceland, and even to France.
This laft colony joined a band led by the famous Hrolf or RqUo, the
fiffc duke o/ Nornjandy, a fon of the firft e^rl of Orkney, and thp an*
ceftor of the Norman kings of England. , . . w

The ufurpation or conquefts of Harold alfo gave birth ta other fet-
tlements in the northern extremity of the world, which, ^as hijJierto, in
a great meafure unoccupied f . Of thefc the moil diftinguilhedwas ker
land, which had been accidentally difcovered in the year 86i, re^iiked
in 864, 865, and 874, and began to be fettled in Syft- It now recdvi; '
a confiderable colony, which fpread over ail the extent of the iflaad;
and this, unlefs we may perhaps except fome of thofe of the anticnt
Greeks, is the only colony in the world, prior to the recent European
lettlements in America, of which we have an accurate and regulaa; biJf-
tory from its commencemeni-. About the beginning of the tenth, cear
tury the Icelanders eftabUlhed a colony in GreenJandv which in«reafed
and, profpered for near four hundred years, aftex which the intereoarfe
bptween Greenland and the reft of the world was interrupted by the
iacrcafing rigour of the winter in chat inhofpitable cUmate, by which
in all probability the colony periftied. We Ihail alfo have oceafion to
notice, the Iceknders as the firft European difcoverens- of America abom
the y,ear 1000.

Navigators accuftomed to depend oa the almoft-infalUble flift ance
of the compafs and quadrant, and of arithmetical and aftronomical
tables ready conftruded by men of eminence in the various dcpart-

• A northern poet defcribing the magnificent
(Ireftttfa Hero of the feventh century fays, it was
if uii by the Sudureyans. See Johaftonr's Note
00 Su xl o( hi» LoiUroiar-juiiLi. The f»Gt may
be true, tirough it ia ctrlainly antedat«d.

f We learn from Procopnis, £Be!l. Gothic. L.
ii, a 15] that .ihout.tlic tniridtie of the fixth cen-
tury a ooafiderable body of the Hcruli migrated
northward, palled the country of the Danes, and
fettled in Scajidinavia, called by him Thuli, the
ioliabitants allowing them to occupy t> part of
their land*. See above p. at^, note * . —
Ohther, inhia narrative preferved by King Alfred,
afliirei us, that the northern part of Norway wa»
uitinhabited in his time. And Snorro Sturkfon

partieularizea the name* of feweral prawnoes of
Scandinavia, which were now for the- fiiift time
cleared and inhabited by people retiring from the
country conquered by Haroldi — ^Thde unqutf-
tionable tcllimoniea (how, that the nutiou of tJie
antient redundant population of the great northern
p«nihfula, called by the genera] name of Scandua*
via, haa no foundatien in truth, but, Kke many
other generally-received opiniona/- hM pofled with-
out examination upon the credit of being frequent*
ly repeated. It» foundation is a fooliik expreflion
of JorpGndes, who caila Scandia (or Scandinaviai)
q^vui gditlun, the warchoufc, or workfhop,,of nai^
tions.

A, 0/890. ^^

mcnts of fciencc. wiU U aftooJihed:, when «t|ey ifeflea oa the intrepid
fpmt of ihofe adventurous fons of the Northern ocean, who. affuredlv
deftitute ot the compafs, for wZ^ich they fubftituted the flight of birds •
and with very poor fubftitutes for the other guides, dared to commk
their barks for feveral days, perhaps often weeks, to a boimdlefs cx-
I^nfe of oceaa, and truft their liwi to the chance of feeing the fun and
toe itars^ ,. .i.v... ? . , ■ 1

During icvertl centuries the iiee mA independeri*'- inhabitants of
keland drove a confidfiraWe carrying trade ii«ihe Northern ieas, their
fliipsvifwihg Bntmn. Ireland, and the adjacent ifland*. France Ger-
many, >od all the northern parts of Europe. Jn that fequeftered cor-
nerot the world hberty, xnduftry, comnaerce, and learning, flouriihed
m the dark ages ; and they continufed to embelliib and to dignify that
poor liland, tiU it fell under the domi&ion of Norway m the y«ar 1 26a
i-venin the profent <lay its literary eminence remains to conlblc k ij^
lome degree for the Ms of iti other advantages. i ,

897w.Alfred was the firtt of the Engliih kings, who had the iudg«-
menc to perceive, that an ifland without a maritime /oree mull ever be
at the mercy of every piratical plundei-er, and that a maritime invader
could only be repulfed by a wdl-appointed navy, the braveft and beft
dikipiMMd army bemg o^' but little avail againft an enemy, who by his
mvallupdnority could chafe and vary hi$ points of attack at pleafure.
He therttfor detepmmed to meet the invaders upon their osvn ele-
ment J and. the very earlieft of his naval efforts were crowned with fuc-
«te.r.Hi* f^rior genius did not merely imitate the veffels of the
iJmes&etnions, but concsived anew model ^f conftry^aioti vwth im-
provements upon theirs. His gallie* wew alinoft twice as long as thofe
of i,be enemy, and carried fixty oars f, fome cf them even more j they
made better way, and were kh crankor lefs apt to rolJ J. By ait unre-

• Arngrim Jona« telli us, that when Flok, a

Arngi
fa«no-j» NorwtgUa navigator, was going to fet
uutfrcTO. Slwt&odforlc^landj then calkd Qar.
UaHhoIm, he took on board fome crow«, i^raufe
the mariner' t compofs luat not yet in ufe. When he
thought be had nMide a cpnfidfralie part of hia
way, he threw up one of his crowt, which feeing
land aftcrn.flew to it} whence Flok, conchiding thaf
he was neater to Shetl^iia (perhaps rather Faroe)
than any other land, kept on his coutfe for fom«
time, and then feot out another crow, which, feeing
no land at all. returned to the veffeli At l*ft ha^
mg run the greatell part of his way, another crow
was fent out by him, which, feeing land ahead, im^
mediately flew for it j and Flok. foJlowinr his guide,
fell m wjth the eaft end qf the iflhnd. Such was
the (iinple mode of keepinz their reckoning and
fteering their courfe. wniUki by tliofe boij navi-
gators of the nnrmy Ncrtlicm ocean. The aQ>
uent natives of Taprobwi (Ce^onJ ufed the &nc

expedient when fkimming along the tranipii) fur-
faceoi th« Ifldiaa ocean. TPJ^U HU. not L»
yi> c. j».] ^

f rtenry of Huntingdon and Bromton fey forty
or more oars. The tranfpofition of L and X
makes the diffierence.

% The ^on Chronicle, Florence of Woreefter,
Simeon of Durham, and ;he Chroni-Je of Melros,
add, that the veffeU were loftier than thofe of the
old conttruftion, in which there fcems a miftake ;
for greaer height muft have mad* them cnuiker|
Ta a'i«^»n«>n»H«'!?th wm accompanied with-

faffioent additional brsr.fh, vriiich in row.<raUie&
they Brobably didnotftttend to.

• The form of the Saxoa fl)i|>rit tJK end of the
• eight centnnr, or the beginniag oflh* nirth, J*
happily preferved in fome of the ancient manu*
Icnpts of that date s they wwe fctrecly mot*
than a very-larffc boat, atid-feem to-be built o£
ftottt planks, laid one over the other, in the m^

*s)54

A^^'W^^.

I

TOitting attentron to his fllferthis iiruftriotts'f rincc, whdHffvtiy witli grc^t
propriety be called the fat her qftbeBritiJbnavy, protc^ed hisrtiores rmtji
frem invafions ■, and he alfo kept his Dani/h allies of • the eaflcrn pari*
of England more quiet, than their own inclinations led them to be. '^

'871-900— ^ At the acceflionot Alfred, England, owing' to the long-
continued ravages of the Danes, had 'Fallen into a flat* of degeneracy,
rather below barbarifm. Scarcely a nobleman could read, ivnd there
was not, by Alfred's own account, one perfon on thsibuth fide of the
Thames capable of tranflating a comnK>n prayer from Latin into Eng-
lilh. Alfred himfelf, though he was fent to Roma (which was, nexfto
Confiantinopte, the feat of what little learning remained in the Chrifi-
tian wot^kl) jwhen- he was five-years of age, returned to England without
learnings to read, afid coi^tinued ignorant till his twelfth year His
great proficiency in learning and fcience, though he had she advantage
of not being heir apparent to the crown till his eight^nth year, ik
truely wonderful, confiderixig the grofs darknefs of the age, and the tur-
bulent ftate of the country His literary works alone, which are ftill
extant, are fufficient, independent of all his other excellencies, to im-
mortalize the name of their author.

When the treaty of partition with Godrun gave the miferable coun^
try fome refpite from trie horrors and devaflations of war, Alfred, ever
intent upon augmenting the knowlegcand the happinefs of his people,
applied to thofe very countries, which had formerly been enlightened
by the learning of England, for teachers to reclaim his fubjeds from
ignorance ; fo that by his paternal care the youth were at leaft taught
to read. It has been a matter of fierce conteft, whether theimiverfity
of Oxford is of higher »ntiquity>,^r owes its foundation tp Alfred. He
kept up a frequent correfpondenipe with the po^ie, and aUbwith Atwl
the patriarch of Jerufaleni, who fent hirn feveral valuable prefents of
Oriental commodities.

Alfred was the firft native of Britain, that we know of, who made
any attempt to extend the fcience of geography beyond the bounds of

< ner aa is done in the prcfent tiu$ ; (beir heads
' and fterns are very erett, and rife \\\jgh o\it of tne
' water, ornamented at top with fome uncouth
' bead of an animal, rudely cut ; they have but one
* mail, the top of which io alfo decorated with a
' bird, the head of a bird, or fome fuch device ;

< to this mail is ma^c f.^ft a large . fail, which from
' its nature and. contlrui^ioQ could only be ufdul^
« when the vcflel went b« "ore the wind : 'he fliip
' was {leered by a large oar with a flat end very
' troad, paffing by the fide of the ilem ; and this
.< was managed by the pilot, who fat in the Aern,
' and thence iflued his orders to the mariner^.'

The above arc the words of Mr. Strutt. [^Chron-
i^ of England, V. \,p. 337.] From b's engrated
copy of the drawings, I fee nothing to hitidct the

f^it to be trimmed by its clues (or lower corners)
fo as to go witli the wind on ttie beam, if not even
nearer, though the yard has no braces. The mail
has two fhrouds leading to (he gunnels, one fore
{lay to tiie head, and two back Uays to the Hern.
If I were not aware, that the {igures uf men are
generally made much too large, in proportion to
other obje^ls, by theartiils ottlic dark ages, thcfe
boats might be faid to be not above ten or twelve
feet long. The jji'rd on the m. ".-head turned on
a fpindle to {how the wind, as appears from the
delcription of Cnut's fleet in tl>e Encomium of
Emma, [a/. Du Che/he, p. 166'] which exhibits the
appearance of warjil^e mvPt kV^.'^f^ .IVpafiS fa-
ther too pompou^.j ^ ,i,„^^i^g-i ly ^:;,^ ,. ...

A. D. 871-900. '

a6j

Ptolemy's knowfege ; and he obtained from Ohthcr and Wulfftan fuch
informatioii' of the Baltic feit sj^lth thti Adjateilt conritries, Aftd 6f thH'*!tl
treme northern' regions ofEurOj:^, as far exc<*cdea thit of hrofdfed eedl
graphers, either before or after his time ». till the loute of Ohthcr '«as
retraced in the yeaiM 5V3 "b^ the ' Eh|rM(h navigator Chancellor, ^hb
was (iippofed the orlgittardifcovefiir of the northern pafftge to Ruflia
rhe royal duthor haiJ hinirelf pfef.r^led the accoiint of the voyages toct-
formedby thdfe nrft^igawrs. '(:)Il.thtr,.H Nor«^r«*gian. cbafted alongVhe
country of t!he1«ln;f. 'nkisM'tbll^ Tiajilibd. pafled the North cape, and pe-
netrated irito the gr^t bay (Qnen fe, or White fea) where Afchaneel
now ftands. from his relation we learn, that in that age the northern
pWj5le Were acctffllimed to catch whales attd ftars, of the flcitt$ of ^hich
tbet mide-Mpes df hUfizes, and alfo horfe-whales, the tekh of which
Were valuable as Well rti'^ieir /fcJiiH Which were likeways ufed for- mak-
ing Vbpt^s'.';Whales^dffdr^y-€ight Atid fifty elns (72 and 7c ftet^ were
fo ntitrierous 6tt the doaft of Norway; that Ohthcr with the help of five
l*t-i'1?^^ \^'y f,;^?!»'«*tWo day.. Ohther alfo made a^W
ui tbe Baltlc^^ And Wulfrtart UkeW^y*) navi^fid the Baltiea* ftfS
th^fcbUtit.^iiow Wiled PrumhV Heremafked, that ihte people of' that
cduntry brewed lio ale.^becatW: thij^^'had (hch plenty of honey Cndtfed
many CttitHinCs'be^fotie *>y iyh«as/thar mead' Us the common drink
of the ineaneft of the pCbpte. While {He rich drank mare's milk, or per
haps rather a fpintous liquor prepared from it.

!>erha^s the l^^ersf tjf^th^ m^^^ of J«rufalemartd his prfefents
may hay* fnggefted' td Alffed tlie db%n af fetiding i^eHef to the Chrif-
uans.of St. Thomas n India, 'aiid atteWptlngb eftablilh a commercial
intercourfe with thjt cdiintry. We arfe'tbld' by William of Malmf-
bury, that Sighelm b.fhop of Shir^bifrn was ferit by the kifig'witlY manv
gifts to Sc. Thomas, that he accompliflied his e^tpcdition profp^roirfly
and, Which Was thought very wonderful, perietrated fcvin to 'India
h-om which he brought aroniatic liq;udrs, or oils, and fplfendid- jewels'
ome ot which were ftill remainMg in the treafury of the church when
hewrotet [Gfi^. r^^. ^//^/./ ^ aj' G5^./>.«/j^/ ,4, a.] This import-

• Stbaflian Munfler IGtogreplia vHm H noi>a,
LaJilU 1 540] makes Norway, Oreciilanll', ami
Newfoundland (or the land of cods) "
tinent. Such was the retrogradi^
grapliital knowlege in EuiopC;
tccnth century.

+ It is a pity that AITcr, wh6 fawtliofe tetters,
Ii.i8 not favoured us with any extrafls from th^m
They were probably much iriorc Intereftio
til ■ " "
hi
mitt

X Such is the meagre ieeolint 'we'liSvitbP fo

jpiccio, thconly other relatera of it, arc ftill more

, , „ - "''*<n<'fcircumffanccs. It ismuch totereirrct

cods) all one coq. ted. U.at the king J,i:nfdf has not left us anf a.
ie pr(igreft tfrot,^. tm.nt' of Si^helm-^s travels hy laii J^ !.n3 ^^^ter

*<Jnhy of being rec led than theVoya~M'of"oh^
<Her and Wulfltan, which he ha, related wl.h a"
gfee of mimittncfs. ~" "'

important an event as an Engllfh expedition to
l:idia: and the Saxon chronicle, and Radulf de

ntmg I ^

not bo Ihiftly truJ' 111 ;ts'''fu!l<.'ft'*l'iteiit'
went from Enj;lan.l t^' R -;:'.e i,, t!

r ft&r^V'Jhoiigli Ir^iay pirUsps

stM,,;.-.-,

steh,

year SS-), atd
pri.lially

-^•><P)%fc»M'

aji<m probabW furniiJM 6h«; present niide, by, Alfred .tf^.Affcr his., bi«T
^*{>hef. ^^hi^ cqnfift«4 ftf * (^ry )^rctioii* yob^of £%, ,fnd.,a* axudu
ikmvit'in'H ft*t»ng map vras aW«? tp cvry> t^-^rM ^*f^iJ^re4if />• 59»

<^J3A!! forci|ner?, who C35ce|!e4 J^. gipy jjfefv^ |)fanch o^ k^o^vlcgfe pr ji^
rMlmKiil er^ilesii ^^eireftwdt a ywcQoi«c<wption and liberal exjjwwrsvgnh
niMit frohi AlfreiJ* By* rtieir help lie reboilt the towns, wbic^, wcxp
gflHcrally in * ruinous condirion; and he took tl»t 9ppgrtui^fy,tq,iB^^
troduce a fafer and noorc elegant ftjle of buUdiAg by ^ftiw*nfi "ope
or brkk ibr timber, v^hich hitherto bad beon altn^O: t^e oaly i|^|^ri^
uitd in building. < , ' ; t ,

ff-^ «!LUhou|h; glaft for ma^^oms was introduced in N??rthura,tigr]ai4,4' \
long ago arf the yeat" 62^, and a itiaau^aory of glftfs ya*,cve^ ?Aabliih»
cd i« that kingdom by the care of Benedi^ BJfcqp in $^7^,a» aiready
obicrved, the ufe of that noble convenience had either jioj extended ia-
to »he fouth patts of England, or was now loft in, the oonyulfiftns of tl^
Daftilh inv^fions. So h w^s, that ^e churches in. King Alfil^d's domi^
nion» were deftitute bf gla^ windows ; and the way <^nd,!ep^j?hiph ]be,
burnt day and night for i«eriif*ini^g the tifflie. Were expafej ^^ ipc yiiiji^'
which made them btim ifregijlriri;^. He therefor i^vefitedlanterns,
which he ftirnilhed with plates qf horn, fcraped fo thm af to be pellij-.
ctd, glafs being apparently ina<:ceflIbteit*ioiigh it couW no^ be unknown '
to him* ' 1' •' .^ ■■'■■' '■ '4*- '•'■'•'Af •'"'• ,.>>-''i :■'".■)'>•- I ■■../ .jTj.i

For the itx6^(^caf aW «f^al 4ilhi!J«^bto'f^(i^,clJ,' Al^^S'^uJ'iS"'
the whote of hh kingdonA into diftritSfe tailed hurtdreds, and cac^ qjf
thefeinto ten tirhings. He is ^Ifo fuppofedthe atithor of tjje ^livjuffli /
into Aires or counties; but thefe apjpear to have beta &» antient in has
hereditary kingdom of Weflex as Kmg In^, if we may depend on the
genuinencfs of the laws qf tha^?, jnoparch, f. Alfred ipay perhaps have
extended that kind o^ diviiion tp the other parts of England fuhjed to
him. He ordered a general furvey of his kingdom, the particulars of
which were recorded with the greateft accuracy In the book of Win-
chefler, which appears to hatve furnilhed the model of the celebrated
Domefday book of William the Conqueror. He revifed the laws of
the Anglo-Saxons, an^ feleding the l»ft of them, and thofe qf other

the liituft of i^afi, for be cdoTpim'li^ Wife i!}r . .
ttarffptrency. ' *<'

Lantern, arffuppofed to be 'riltdesj iiil 1»5?' '
Plautu*. who itihrtion* canning fire in a hprn.
But their being knovrt ^' antie^t Rome <!lf>ei nM
hinder them from mat ajfci' new ini^cnilctp if
Alfred'!. " '»rr,,i- . • ■y.'^u.

t In the 39«'i law bf King Infc we fiud ♦ ?fcilfc|
as a divifion of the kingdom, and in tfitYd* ip'^
nentioned as the diitrift or province of an • eald(^>
man,' apparently the fame kind ot officer. wht> ii
called fcimian (or (hirref ) in the i**. j jfy/

prubafaljr g(K-a pairage fronv fotnc of the Italian
porta to Alexudria or Phoenicia. It is not im-
poflibie. (;hou(^ very difficult for aCbriftian) that
he may have made Iim way. to the foi'th coaft of
Arakiat or to BaObr*,, iM have prooeeded even
to India* But if he pKrobafed Oriental commodi*
tiea in Alexandria, Arabia, ur Bafibra, any of
tbe£t placet would be confounded with India by
hit countryveo, who were igabrant of the geo-
graphy of c«uatriei mncit oearcr to tiiem.

* His biographer Afliir wai ac<)iiaint«d with

IJ

A. D. 871-500.

^^5

by a jury 'f twelvfmcn of%a r^hlr'aVert?:?^ ^^.^

nble equal with that of the party Xfe Hfr o? ^ nearly a. pof-

was ^ lead fome! li ^mp'';ove °^^^^^^ and n^enfe, proves that 'there
cayed towns, encouragement of Trts'/ f^^^"^' defloration of de-
tention to the diftributioTof iuftS ?^ i r**' f ? ^^emitting at-
tenfion of commercet ^ ' ''^ ^'"'"^ '^' ^«^ '° ^^« <^«-

yet^r^lu^h^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

from his wiU, wL a is foTtui^elv extam h ^t '^? daugh..rs: and.
ney cannot be fuppofed to Save exce ded ^hi:^S^" ^f °' ^^^^^ "^^^
in weight to about nine thoufIL r^^^^^^^^^ of mode " °°""'^' '^""^
fred was a good (hepherd, more iCSuponT. 1 V rh"'^' ^"i -'^-
mg, his flock. He is almoft the only cSer t %.ft ""^T ^^*^"-
writer has charged with anv rri^^^I ^^^!^^^/ ^^ hiftory, whom no
tfTemblage of hfs vTtL Xd tTlL?, weaknefs: and the whole bright
pidure of a heavenTornge^us'S o^ufoPl'd^'r'T '?^ ^^'^"^'^
darke. ages, and diflinguffl^es ^tSf Tru^e^ fX'^^tt ^ cl J^

war. w,s tncd for murder bv • jury of twelvfTod.; *"'"'''" '""""' '" " ' '- ' " " "

Fo, example, of the wneral Jc of trial by jury in
the^n„ddle .jje. kc5^„a^', Glfurj, v^ ^Zta.

England had a moft wonderfuUy.«tenf,ve trade
jn the reigi. of Alfred. They arfert that he f«nt

,1ir:rr*r ""'••i" ^"di*— Were they aware,
that thofe ft.p, or fleet, muft han doubled the
Cape of Good Hope? They add, that he buOt
other (hips for trade a, well a. for wv, and lent
them, together with tompeteot fuoM of money
to merchant,, who. thu. royally fupported, traded
to Alexandria, and even to India ! foUowiu^, no
doubt, the tnift of the kJnjS fleet. The/ X
tell u., that the voyagja of Shther and WufflUn,
were undertaken at Afred'. defir*. with a ,iew to
>he extenhon of commerce. But Alfred himfelf,
' ^'■^ ^«"='' authonty. teU. u» they were perform!

Vol. T.

L„„ .^ ""'"/ proceeaed Irom the th rft of

knowlc« natural to a man of learning and fcf.
ence -.'The thirtieth of Al',ed'. Uw.low'th.;
merchant lh>p. fometime. arrived in Engird b, t

c-rgo.--J.he onljrnotwe 1 can find of any ex-

ed exportation, ii a prcfent of the famou. Bri.ifl.
U^' '°K^"^ •-'''ifhop of RhTim.'TnV^n *
Upon the whole .t muft be «:knowlcg«l, thit ^
frnfc of the .mporunce of commerce. Sfwbi^h „i
Chriftian nation out of Itdy had the. any idT
do«notaopear to have fonLed any part of ihs*
great and Wf-^^quired knowlegc of aR whofc
Jiuftnou. charaaer ftaad. i« w n«d of «V S
tious cmbcllilhment.. ^

What I have f.id of Alfred U eitraaed from .
irLh? T;""' '"l*^" °^ *"■• "^ontemporaryT^^

fft Sti r • T'' '^°'"5 '««••«:• from th7e«rii,
elt of tht fucceeding w.it«i. . ^,

LI

kvV^

A. D. 871-900.

of kings, tvhofe names hre' ef no ufc ift hiftory, but to mark the revol*-
tion of dark or flmguinary years. " •?

pi 2 Hrolf, or Rollo, after long infefting the coafts of France and the

adjacent countries with piratical invafions, now by a treaty with Charles
the Simple, king of France, eftablifhed himfelf and his followers in the
province of Neuftria, which from them has obtained the name of Nor-
mandy ; and he became the father of a race of dukes of Normandy,
whofe ducal title in the fifth generation was adorned with the fuperior
fplendour of that of king of England. Ar—.^, >

900-925 King Edward gradually recovered the dominion of the

country, which had been ceded to Godrun. He clofely followed the
example of his father Alfred in his attention to his fleet, and in reftor-
ing and fortifying the ruined towns, particularly in Chefliire, the Peak-
land of Derby, and Nottingham-fhire, which bordered on the Northum-
brian kingdom, then pofleffed by the Danes ; and he even feized and
fortified Manigecealler (fuppofcd Manchefter) within the limits of that

kingdom.

About 930— King Athelftan enaded, that the money (hould be the
fame through all his dominions, and that no money fhould be coined but
in towns, of which the following lift (hows which were then the places of
chief importance in the kingdom, and alfo lets us know, that the clergy
of the fuperior ranks fhared with the king in the prerogative of coin-
mg.

aviin o'j mail jon ■i-hh

Cantwarabyrig {CanUrbury), to have feven coiners, viz. four for the

king, two for the archbifhop, and one for the abbat.
Hrofeceaftre (i^ocit^fr), three ; two for the king, and one for the biihop.
Lundenbyrig {London), eight coiners.
Winteceaftre {Wincbefier), fix.
Lewes, two.

Hseftingaccaftre {Ha/lings), one.
eyflfeceaftre {Cbichejler)y one.
Hamtun {Southampton), two.
Werham {Wareiam), two. ^.
Eaxanceaftre (£A<f/<?/*), two«i/' . f
Sceaftlbyrig {Sboftjbury), two.
Other burghs, not named, one each.

It follows of courfe, that there were artificers at every one of the
above towns cap.ible of working in filver, and '?ngraving the dies ufed

in coining.

Even in the more remote kingdom of Scotland, we find at this time
a cafe for containing the gofpel at St. Andrews, which was covered with
filver, moft probably by a native artificer, and had two Latin verfes in-

A' I). 95^.

%€^

fcribcd upon it byaScottiffi engrayer. [Wyntmn'x OoHyhil, V, i, p.

About this time maiiy {hipg from the adjacent parts of Norway, and
alfo from Denmark and Saxony, frequented Tunfberg, aport o/Nor-
way. at the head of the bay oppofne to Yutla^d. Biom, viceroy of this
part of Norway under hi^fether Harold, decUning his ufual occupation
S/T^'sT in trading voyages. iSnorro, Hi/. Har,

938—Athelftan having taken advantage of the death of his brother-
in-law Sitnk the Danifh king of Northumberland, to feize upon hL
domm.ons. Aulaf *. the fon of Sitrik by his firft marriage, in order to
recover hw heritage, procured a very general confederacy o the neieh-
bourmgkiags among whom was Conftamine king of Scotland. L
Brmfh kmg cf Cumberland, and the Danifh and Norwegian kings of
Ireland and the Ifles The allies entered the Humber with a fleet, faid
to confift of no lefs than fix hundred and fifteen (hips f. and proceeded
to Brunarxburh. (probably Bum in Lincoln-fhire) wheie they were met
byAthelftan; and there enfued one of the moft obftinate. and moft
celebrated, battle* recorded in antient Englifti hiftory .which began in the
mommg and oontumed tiU the evening, when Athelftan remained
mafter of the field. Five kmgs. and feven great officers, were flain on

a1 m A '^V *"^ '^"^^^ ^^^ Conftamine efcaped to their ihips.

Athelftan does not feem to have had any fleet to oppofe to that of his
enenues which appears to have retired unbroken ; and we afterwards
hndAulaf and his nephew Regnald joint kings of Northumberland.

The fame of this great battle is faid to have fpread all-over Europe,
the feveral kmgs of which courted the alhance and friendfliip of Athel-
ftan. by embaffies and prefents. The king of Norway fent on this oc-
cafion a magnincent finp, with gUded beaks, or roftra. and a purple fail
her fwes being guarded all round with gilded ftiields t. The Germai^
emperor fent aromatics, fuch as had never been fcen in England, gems.
running horfcs a veOel of oynx with figures carved upon it with woni
derful art. the Iword of Conftamine, the lance of Charlemagne, a crown
"^'\ u°wx^^ '^"^ pretious rtones. fome fuperftitious reliques &c

Athelftan, who appears to have had a higher idea of the importance
ot commerce, than could be cxpecled in an age wherein only the cleri*

So he «ppe«r» to have been called on hi'» own
coin!. I believe hii name ouglit mther to be
Olaf, M tlie northern writer* ^cU it. In tliofe
dgei uniformit;p of fpclling was not at all aUeiidcd
to.

t Some authon make the number of (hip«

much grt-atcr,

t William of Malmfbury {Grfi. rrg. j4ngl. f.
ii a] ealli the king of Norway Harold j but the
«hri)iiylogy aufwcrs better to one of the foui of

Harold Harfacur. Ho fays, the ro(lr« of the
Ihjpwcreoffroldj but that muft be taken with
.lUowance. To be able to gild upon metal. ( for
we cannot fiippofe the roftra to have conCftfd of
maflcs of fohd gold) fo as to refift the corrolion
ol the Ult water, may be confidered as a mark of
very great progrefs made in that art, efprcially if
we attend to the remotcnefi of Norway from thofc
coiintrtei which were then clleemed the moft civil,

LI a

9C^

AfP^piK.

fiai,apd .roilitafy piofeffions ,wcij:c tixQpghi: honourable in .^ur<^, aU^red
his.fubje<Ss to engage in it by a law, which conferred the rank ,cȣ a
ti^^mi^, im every mercjiiant, who made three voyage? over the fea withf
y^U^i ^d cargti j»f l^is own. The premium, thus h( d out to commeiv
ci^I en^erprile, W^s yfry.judipiouilj chofen, as, by rendering.it the pa^
td rank as well as to Wealth, it operated upon the two mofl powerful
pafljoni of d?^ human breaft. It proves, however, that there muft h^ve
been l?ttt very few merchants in the kingdomt,,who„jy;^p,,-cftE»bk4Jf
t]t«i»,rajftng themfelve? to the 9ftler of nobilityv^T^q ^f{r ai -^r /imi) f'r;*
h9^7-r>l^<i'^, frorn; Cafhnaer,^ to Cape Conaorin, was now pretty well
Lpown by the Arabs, and is defcribed by Maflpudi, with, it* divifipn into
i*ver5il potent kingdoms, a« follows, The kingdom , of iSi^jia^jacep*, to
^fie,;R4.Yer.Sind, go:, Indii^. .Cano4ge,:or BourouK, jiq^r, $h^ XS5>Pga»
Camihere, a cpun.try full oif towns and villages, and entirely furround-
^(4 ,9y,a ^upendous wall pf impaflable mountains, the only entry of
^^1^ i^.jClofed .bo^ a, gate. ^.,, fhc dominions of the great Balhara, (;a
l>erm'anent title Tike Ph^iT^Q^ or Augwftus f) or the king of kings,
Y^hofe capital.;s called M^nkir.or tbe,grpat Jlpula. , The Arabians were
^UcK favoured by the Balhara, ; (doubtjueis for the advantage of their
qomnijerce) and were permitted to. build, mofques for the performance
9|",theiiv religious worihip. Moultan, , liejtxv^en G^nodge and the Ara-
bian or Saracen donunions,in Perfia., Manfura, aJfo near the Indus.
Xp the fouthward of all thefe is the kingdpnri of Zanedg^k or Zindge,
gpvesned by the IV!ehrage, or great raja j anid beyond, it the kingdom
of Comar (or Comorin).

i;.^rhis description gives reafon to heUeve, that the commerce from
ilxc .Weft ftill continued to be chiefly upon the weftern fide of India ;
arid it is valujible, as giving a view of . the progrj^fs,.j^' geographyjiH
fciqic^fo infeparably connected with commerce. - , vn -f^nr'

From India, our author proceeds to China. Canton had now recover-
^4 iVpm the calamities, which, he obferves, it had fuffered under Bai-
chu* and it was again reforted to by many Arabian merchants from
Baffora, Siraf, and Oman, and alfo by veOels from India, the iflands of
/.anedge, Senef, and other places. He fays, that traders went to China
not only by fea, but alfo by l-uid, through Korafan, Thibet, and Ileftan,
which laft is a country mentioned perhaps by no other author, and fup-
pofcd to be inhabited by a colony from Perfia.

He next gives an account of Africa, which, though brief, is in fome

* TJih fiiigubr country, the paradifc of India,
is nol fu completely locked up as Mafl'uudi was
H'Dde to brlkve ; fur in 1783, Mr. Furiler tntcr-
cd Caitinit'tc al lli«- upper part uf it, and following
thr comTc uf a navigable river, (Ik exiAcnce uf
which MafToudi vv:.s not apprized of, went out at
the lower part t.f it. See Major KenneWt Mtmoir,

p. 102, and the map. See alfo the map of the
third fcflion corre«ed, which exhibits fcven ro«d»
through the mountainous boundary of Calhmcre,
+ The name and fupreniacy of the Baihara were
noticed by Soliman, the Arabian merdiant, about
a ccnturv before MulTuudJ.

I

Aia>%f

^

froj Oman and^Sit^^^raded to Scfkh, .^ich prodticed abtindkrie?S

pat>HiCfllacfcWiht of all th4 <.otntrics occdtiJ^ bj^V MoKrdatL^n
his time, as m the preceding cehtur^y.'Sii'af Was the chief port of Perfia

whom pofftfTeti forttines of four millioWi6^ diftari;' arid fothe ftlH niS*
Hbt*uiwa« the eirtporitim of Kfehnati (gr. C.w^«/fl) - the people Jf
th£rtc6untry cultivated fugar. and T^re floted for itkduftry and prabity

I'ilS^' 4 L^""*- ''^^^''^' thei-^ %ere merchants who ttadJd in 3i
pfawts?.'^ The touftmes adjacent tti the Gdfpian fea prod iced ereat nuan
titieijW M*e^6rthar;of RfeHi ih ifhoralkn^was molf eTeemed"
the^.^^g>ibFthe fiik-womiSfceiTig carried 'the^ee to oth^?^ pkc^^ f^
, ?« "ii^^"-/^*'^'"'*^^''^ S^^ "^a«"fa«^"res of flik. woof hair and
^"f^Tu ^^f^^}^^^^-<^^n^^ in hanging.and'carpe ,Stte7
poffefTedjhe beautiful cbldiirfc*llfcd#.m!.2., which the author underS"
rll^Z^'V! ^'"^' The paperm.de at Samarcand was the beft ?^.
the wofldl^ Kh02r (a cbUnh^'^ti the north-weft coaft of the Cafpian
fea)conhiiht^t^«^i,itfohir.th* tm<i 'Of a dark colour and refemSS^
the Hindoos, and the other white people, who made a practice of felHnl
their childrtrt;. ^ Ther^ ^erd i^ft^ vtVels trading between the fS
Jr"4,<'^;^^ Cafpi^^'fea. dr feaiof Khbzr. Trabzoun (or TrebifoS on
the mclcfhi) >.as mathfrequettted by meirhants. In AnS (A^^
tioch), and many other 6ttitii of Af^i'. the water, an objed of the firft
ntcentidn to an Arabian obftrver, v. « made tq, flow through the ftreets
and into the chief buildings. Efta^tieria (Alexandria in 4ypt)! hough
hoX i^ .^<=^"oned s not noticed as a Place of trade : ir?e hund^S>
houfes, built of marble, conramed all tW inhabitants. In Baieh I
country adjacent to Upper Egypt, there were the richeft gold miLs'in'
the world ; and thence Egypt was fumifhed with flaves. A community
of white peoplfe fettled in Zingbar (or Ethiopia) imported arTlerof
food and clothing mto that country. The author notes the ^reat ex-'
rent of the land of the Blacks, bordering on the Ocean (apparemlv the
C.uli of Gumca) on the foutl, and bounded by dderts oKe ZiS'

"sm him. '

:«ijac^i(ituati^ti obliged fill tb^t was brought to them to Conoe in ©tithe
Wft fide of their oountry *. ' Their Ikins vrttt obferved to be of a fever
and dt«per blaick than t!)ofe of the Habeftii (Abyffmians) or Zingiam
(Etiiiopwins). In Andalus (Spain) there were feveral mines of gold
ami filv^r-. iQjief(ai Jg<t^>^('iy of J^» ffaulai, tranflnud by Sir William

Qjcjl,Iri ttie bojilc olTaaics, ''*^ittefl by the ettijitror iLeti, iittd #an-
ici-ibed by his fon Conftantine Porphyrogenitus, the gallies of the im-
perial navy are direded to be of due length, amd to carry tvjo tirej of
oars, one diove and another fjeio-ai). On this reduced fcale, we (hall find
the anticnt conftru«aion of the gallies retained ia the Mediterranean, at
l^ft CO the end of the twelfth century. if ^^ t j^I . - • vi;.

..Among the laws of Conftantine, entitled the Bafilics, there is an ab-
foliite prohibition of taking intereft for the ufe of money ; a fufEciet^
proof, that the value of money, and the principles of commerce, were
as utterly unknown in the Greek empire, as they were in the weftern
parts of Europe, where a canon «f fimilar import, paffed in the reign of
Charlemagne, was fo managed by thcpriefts, th?t they made themfelves
the arbiters of every bargain between man and man."^^''-' ^

960 — About this time, or pernaps fomewhat earlier, the woollen nia-
nufedlure of Flanders commenced, which continued fiouriftiing and in-
creafing for feveral centuries, during which the chief part of the cloth-
ing trade of Europe was in the hands of the Flemings. At firftthe fales
were moftly to the French, whofe fertile and comparatively well-cultiv-
ated foil, enabled them to purchafe fine woollen cloths from their in-
duftrious Flemifli neighbours. On account of the fcarcity of money
, the trade was carried on moftly by barter, to fiicilitate which Baldwin,
earl of Flanders, who fcems to have exceeded moft of tlie fovereigns of
his age in difcerning the real intereft of himfelf and his fubje<as, fet up
weekly markets, and eftablifhed regular fairs at Bruges, Gourtray, Tor-
hout, and Mont-Cafel, at all which he exempted the goods fold, or ex-
changed, from paying any duties on being brought in or carried out.
[Meyeri Ann. Flandr.J. 1 8 b — De Witt's Intereft ofHQUana\, p. 47- £»^'-
tranji:\ <\^-," \

i.jiii

• The trade with th;: Negroei was moft pro-
bahly entirely managed by the Moorifh caravans,
uulefs the feanwn of Morocco ventured to double
the ftormy capei, vliicli in «fter ages fo long con-
tinued bugbi'ars to tlie Portugucfe navigators. _

f It mua be acknowleged, that the authority
of X)c Wilt, though very refpeciable, is much »oo
wodern for an event of the tenth century. But
it is corroborated by that of Giraldus Cambrcnfii,
[//»'«, Camtrit, L. li, c. a] who afcribes ^eat fltill
in the woollen manufadure to a colony of Flemings,
who fettled in England in the enfuing century.—
Geivafe of Canterbury [«/. 1349J lays, that the

buCnefs of weaving it familiar, and, as It were, pe-
culiar to the Flemings : and Ralph de Diccto
[«/. 518] marks them as a manufaciuring nation.
—The liigh value of wool in England (which will
be noted under thf year io66) (cems to infer that
it »ra» exported j and Flanders wm apparently the
only country that could have a demand for it, and,
being adjacent to the River Rhine, wa» apparently
the country which fent filver by that river to pur.
chafe * the moft pretiout wool,' «nd other «iliclei
of Englifh produce, «s wc tre told by Henry of
Huntingdon, in the beginning of his hittonr.—
"" • ' ,(,, ^eavtr, twice given to Flan.

dcr*

The epithet of iht waver, twice given

-, 563---.Ainpng many odier donations and privileges granted by Kinr
Ed^r to the abbay of Medeflu^raftede, (afterwards called^ Peterbii^chj
there was the right of having a mint ^t' Stanford wi^l^ one cmher. ' {pbr.
Sax. ad. aa.] None of the towns, nanried as coining placeis m 'KVtAd^s
law, were near fo fiir north as thi? on*;. -;..,.(,

964— According to a pompous chartfer, afcribed to Edgaf , * tlie greHC-
« eft pfirt of Ireland, with its pioft noble city Dublin,* was Ihbjec^ to
him. But the Irifh conqi]c{ls, achieved for Edgar Ibj tHe m^riks, 'are
unknown to the fober hiftorians of England, as well qs to thpfe of Ire-
land. The later relate, that for fome yerrsbef):|re ibis time ti\xh\m
was taken and retaken alraoft every year by tbe natlye Trilh and Off-
men ; and that their perpetual wars.with the Qffmen.gndamofig t'nern-
felvcs, had reduced the ljti(h, a people, deftitate of commerce, to fijch a
tremendous excefs of mifery, that *tbe father fold, his fon and daughter

' for meat.' {Spdmnn, ConciLj. ^^.^--WaraiAntia, Bhernrh. i li^^.
Uit. ad. an. g6^.'\ ;^' "^v^, .* .JT...T..>f«r>>iu/,t>r.rtf

968— The .emperor Otto firft opened the iiiver' mines iil the Htxay-
nian mo\|ntains, whicl^ hav^ greatly enriched Germany; and he built
the town of Goftar near them., whence they are now called the miiies

of Goflar. {Spener Bft. Germ, pragmat. y.up. 35^ C^vfrit Biji. mm-

dhp. 450.J Some think dxi. fflver mine? of Chemnitz in Hungary more
antient than thofe of Goflar,,

969— According to the conteqiporary teftimony of Liutprand, bifhop
of Cremona, and ambafladoir from the Weftem to the Eaftern Roman
empire, the trade andnavigailionof Amalfiatthis tirae emulated thofe of
Venice. The Amalfians, though poITefling a very narrow trad of country,
acquired wealth, and fupported liberty, by their foreign comrh'erce,
which extended to the oppofite coaft of Africa, to Conftantinciple, arid
tolomeoftheportsin the eaft end of t^ie Mediterranean : and they,
together with the Venetians fupplied Italy and other parts of Europe,
with the pretious produce and rich manufaduresof theEait. tAfuraiori
Script. F. \i,p. 487 ; ulntiq. V. ii, p. 884.J

'97° — B^« the commerce of the Saracens in the Mediterranejiri was
much more extenfive than that of the Chriftians ; and they were aHb
fuperior to them in naval power, and particularly in the fize of their
veffds. Abdirr£lrtian,theSara«rehfuhan, or calif, of the greateft part
of Spain, built a veflel lai'gtyr than had ever been feen before, and k)ad-
ed her with innumerable articles of merchandize, to be fold in the eaft-
ern regions. On her way ftie pjjct with a (hip rarrying diipatchcs from

jf»mG<S^(yViM,a{>^pom/lRidarJ:yur^^ „ l,e mtrocfucw a pcrfon

*"»''•> +3J3 migin r«fM c^uaUy to wopikn, ,»44r4ng,liiinWf to England £>. 106] and Rlv-

or ^ly other, go^» ma«k mtlw Uxim.--All,»i>tle iflg s<f fpm^i ,ti.nc«, « V\^r>&ctt,tby\,eav,r made

amM, aouniUcd »b»ut .the :y«(H- wgft. 4,ji to '..piptwui clothing tor thw fr?m thy own mate-

tiiem may be added Mathtw of \VcftiniijiUr, v fiaU,'

ij2 A. D. 970.

the amir of Sicily to Ahnocz, a fovereign on the African coaft, and pil-
laged her. Almoez, who was alfo fovereign of Sicily, which he govern-
ed by an amir, or viceroy, fitted our a fleet, which took, the great Span-
ifli fhip returning from Alexandria, loaded with rich wares for Abdir-
raman's own ufe, and particularly beautiful (laves, among whom were
fomc wbrnen very fkiiful in mufic. [H^. Saracen, ap. Muratori Script.
V.i, part ii, /. 352.] We Ihall afterwards meet with feveral other great
{hips biiilt by the Saracens in various places. It was probably in imi-
tation of thofe built in Spain, that the Chriftian Spaniards introduced
the ufe of large fhips, for which they were diftinguifhed at Icaft down
to the age of Philip II, whofe invincible armada confifted of Ihips much
higer than the Englifli veflels oppofed to them.

The moft illuftrious charader of the tenth century was undoubtedly
Gerbert, a native of France, and a monk of Fleury. Born in an age,
which is juilly reprobated by hiftorians as overwhelmed with the deep-
eft fliade of that mental darknefs, wherein Europe was buried for fo
many centuries, this heaven-born philofopher furmovmted the prejudices
of education, and, in defiance of ecclefiaftical cenfures, withdrew from
teachers who could add nothing to his ftock of knowlege, to feek from
the profeflbrs of a different religion the treafures of fcience, for which
he fo ardently thirfled, and which they alone of all the people of Eu-
rope then pofTefTed *. At Seville in Spain he learned the language of
the Arabs, and foon made himfelf mauet of their fuperior kmowlege in
aftronomy, geometry, mechanics, and apparently arithmetic. On his
return to France in the year 970 he liberally imparted to his country-
men the fruits of his fludies. His mufic, his hydraulic organs, his me-
chanic horologe, &c. I fay nothing of, as not fo immediately conneded
with commerce ; but that part of his imported ftock of knowlege, which
moft erninently entitles him to the gratitude of the Europeans in all
fucceeding ages, and efpecially of every merchant, was the glorious fci-
ence of ARITHMETIC, as XiO'ff pradifed by means of the numeral figures,
which the Arabs had brought with them from the Eaft. It was thought
a moft wonderful thing by the French, that the fame figure could ex-
prefs one, one hundred, one thoufand, 8cc. and the rules of arithmetic,
which he pubUfhed, could fcarcely be comprehended by the moft labc*r-
ious ftudents, even in the twelfth century f . It is, however, not impro-

♦ Sclden quotci (from meinory) fomc author
of thofe agei, who cMls the Hudy of natural pbi-
lofophy and the arts Stu^a Saractnorum, [Titlet of
tcHour, prtfaee.'}

f ' Abacumcerti primu) a Saracenis rapiens, re-
< gukt dedit, qiue a fudantibut ahaciftin nx intclli-
' gumnr.' [/r.Jfo%»./. 36 a.] Whether th«
wa« owing to the want of comprchenfion in the
ftudents, cr to the imperfeftion o* the rules, it is io.-
poflible for ui to know, as Maflbn hii« moft hnuge.

ly withheld from the public Gerbcrt's treatife up-
on arithmetic, though he acknowleges he had it
ii his pofTefGon, and at the end of the ido"*
epiftle, which was prefixed to it, even gives a fpe-
cimen of it as follows.

' De fimph'ce.
< Si multiplicaveris frngularem numenim per
' fingularem, dabi* tuiicuique digito fmgularem, et
* omniarticulo dccem, diferte et r.onverfim, Sec.'—

aid

A. D= 973; ^>^^

b»ble, that, within five years after Gerbert's return from SpaiBr foKWr
native of England had learned at leaft as much of the new arithmetic,
as to combine the figures 975, which are fuppofed to be inferibcd »»oft
an antient portal of Saxon architedure at Worccfter *.

By the favour of Robert king of France, and Otto ejnperos crf^ Gexf--.
many, who had both been his pupils, Gerbert was promoted fucceflive-
ly to the fees of Rheiras, Ravenna,, and at laft Rome itfelf under the-
name of Silvefter It The ignorant vulgar and the envious preteiKier*
to fciertce agreed in afcribing the. wondera of his- fuperior knowlege to
a compact with the devil ; and a number of e/travagant fidions were-
invented to fupport the flander ; whereupon William of MaUij(bury„
though nqt entirely above Planting to the abfurdity, obferves, thatit
was common to afperfe the fame of learned men, and to afcribe their
pre-eminence to intercourfe with the devil f . Such is too often the un?.
grateful return made by mankind to their beft benefadors ; and fuch.

Tind fo hf cnndjidp Kil edition pf Gerbert'tEpiftlw.

[Vide Pr^/.ttfiHt.-]
Daftdr Noith [^rchgtldgla, V. x] bai addaced

many arguments to prprt, that the Arabiaos were

not yet mafter* of that kind of numeration by

figurei, to which we gi»e their name. Without

prifuming to detcnnine on either lide of fo diffiruh

a qucftion, I may he permitted to obferve, that hia

pofitive evidence reds chiefly upon the authority of

TheophmiM, • the father of mnny i h'«,' IGMort,

V. 'X,fi. 3532 an4 Ihat hi> other argumeoM are of

the negative kind: It is not at aU Angular, that

the evidence! of Gerbert'a introduAion of thii moft

important fcience into Chriftendoro are but flight,

when we advert to the e«traordii»ry darknefs

of the a|e, in which he ftione a folitary flar ; but,

as there m not equal evidence of the introduAion

ofitby anvothtr perfon, and it w<w introduced

by fomtbody, the balance of evidence is in favour

of Gerbeat. The benevolent inventors of artt or

improvement, which add to the bappinefs of man-
kind, have fcarcely ever received their due praife,
thoMgh time hai in all ages been laviflied upon the
deftroyera^dfcourges of the human race. When
not 6rie grf thoufand" could read, and ftill fewer
conwmti tbendelvcs with aritlimetic of any kind,
we need not wonder that the knowlege of it fliould
fpread very flowly : and, indeed, the progrefs of
any improvement muft have been very ta.dy, be-
fore the propagation of knowlege was facilitated
by the art of printing. I have already obferved,
that the introduAion of fdkworms in Europe wai
V .known to Mdore, bifttop of Hlfp'alis in Spain,
when manufaAures from their filk had been efta.
biifhed a hundred years in Greece. — It muft be ac-
knowleged, that Bzoviui, in his treatife, entitled
' Silvejitr II a cahdmnKi vmtScatui,* has not a wor<|
of arithmetic : bnl fuch « matur WM of little coa-

Voi. Ij

fequence to an author, who feti out with deducing
the parentage of his hero fVom Hercules, and la*
hour* to vindicate lira from tke guUi of acquirmf^
fcience from the, Saracen^ of t>paiii*ir4ii« chief,
glory, and probably the caufe.of his exaltation.

* The time when numeral figureij were intm.
duced in th:a country hat baen much difpnteri br>
the learned.; and, confequently, the gcnuincneft
of this date is denied by thofe who do not alloiT
them to be fo antient t <» it alfo that of 1090*;
fuppofed to be remaining on the fill of a window
at ColcheRer, and fome others even later. [See
Philofopbical tnmfaaioni, V. xx\,p 287, and Z)od^>
Nortb't Effay aiovt mentiimtd.^ But nothin'g ca»
be concluded on either fide of the qucftion from
fuppofed numbers, which require conje6hire to read
tlwna, and which, if they were p^fedUf plan»,
might be only renovations of more antient fculp.
tures.—The introduAion of our num»;ral figure*"'
is a fitbjeA well worthy of inveftigation in a judi.
ciout treatife.

f William of Malmfljury confounds Gerbert
(or Silvefter II) with John XV, between whom
and Gerbert there were no fewer than four pope*.
Sergius, who fucceeded to the papal chair in one
year after the death of Gerbert, infcribed on hir
monument an epitaph, containing an CTc^Jent cIm^<,«
raAer of him. The continuator of Aimonius,
who wrote in France about the fame time that
Malmfbury wrote ""i England, calls Herbert fimply
a philofophcr, and fays, that his elevation to the
popedom vfas at the unanimous delire of the whole
people of Rome. But neither he, nor unfot thef
writers of the age immediately afier that of QjnJ
bert, has one word df devils, or any thing fupeK.
naturid. — Marvelous flories imgniVe prodigipuilY
by retnotc^efs of time ihd plac*.

f-j^rtut

Mm

'-flfi^^M^ .

«74

A, D, 972,

was the method contrived by malice and iejnorance toatwft their invol-
untary admiration of this illuftrions chara<fter.

^<^2 — ^Tlie filver mines of Rammelfberg in Germany are faid to have
been difcovered at this time. They feem to have been exhaufted in
afcont forty years. [Rimius's Memoirs of the boufe of Brunfwick, p. 258.]

973— .The monks in their great zeal to extoll their creature and pa-
tron, King Edgar, have turned his hiftory into romance. The (implc
and unimportant fad, that he aflembled his fleet at Chefter immediate-
ly after the ceremony of a coronation, or conCecration, at Bath, and
that fix kings (moft probably all of Wales *) met him there, and enter-
ed into an alliance with him, [Cbr. Sax. ad. an.] has been diftorted by
the grofs impudence of monkifh exaggeration for various purpofes, one
of Which was to fliow what a prodigious fleet he had ; for the different
writers reckon it from three to four thoufand fhips : and thence, among
other ridiculous pretenfions, it has been infe. red, that this founder and
fupportcr of forty-eight monafteries, was fovereign of the feaf.

975«_It does more real honour to Edgar that he made a law for an
tmiforraity of money throughout all his kingdom, and for the general
ufe of the Winchefter mealiire. [Edgari leges, c. 8.]

978 At this time the herring fiftiery was very plentiful on the coaft

of Norway ; and it appears from feveral paflages of Snorro, the Hero-
dotus of the North, to have been confidered as an important objed of
attention. But whether the Norwegians only ufed the herrings for im-
mediate home confumption, or falted and exported them, we are not
certainly informed, though the later fecms very probable. One circum-
fiance, well deferving our attention, is, that the abundance of herrings
and corn is marked as the charafteriftic of a beneficent reign, which
proves that the wifeft of their kings were careful to encourage the filh-
eries and agriculture. [Snorro, Hiji. Olaji "Trygy. c. \6; Hiji. Olafi SanSli,
c. 22.] And this, if I miftake not, is the earlieft undoubted account of
a herring fifliery.

• The apparently-real fubinifllon of a great
number, perhaps the w)iul(, of tlic Wcllh kings to
Alfred, is tv -orded by Affcr, himfelf a '.Vclfli-
man. {Vti* JEdfrtd't, />/>. 47, 49, id. Oxoa. 1 72i.]

f A ftrong prcfumption tliat Edgar's fleet mult
have been very inconlidcrable, is, ths* the fleet,
which his fon Ethelred raifed by a requifition up-
on all the lands of the kingdom, and which is ex-
prefsly faid to have been the mo/l numtrout that ever
wasjeen in England, was foiijd infuiBcient to re-
pell the northern invaders, or even to guard the
entrance of the Thames ; and a great part o£ it
wM daOied to pieces in a ftorm, which would not
have happened, at leall not to fo great an extent, if
it had been built by carpenters acquainted with
tkeir butkiefs, and manned by experienced fcameo,

trained to the proper management oF veflels In
Edgar's reign. l^Chron. Sax. ad. ana. IC08,
1009.]

Edgar^sftupendousfleet is completely outdoneby
the thirty thoufand (hips, and nine million of mcHy
brought by the king of the Huns againfl Frothi
hin Fredegod, an ante-hiftorical king of Denmark,
who defeated the king of the Huns, and flew every
one of his men. The lajileus of the Englifli, and
emperor of aU the kings of the iflands in tiie
OceanI was alfo furpalTed in titles by Frothi hin
Fredegod, kir ; of Denmark, Sweden, Britain,
Scotland, Norway, Saxony, rrifir Ungary, and
all the countries of the E»(l as far as Greece.
It is eafy to mullcr (hips and men, ind evea vaflal
kings, upon paper ; and titles coil' nothing.

A»D,

993-

'75

.' 993— .The fiourifliing commcree of Venice had long ago created its
natural attendant and fafeguard, a powerful fleet, the firft effort of which
recorded in hiftory, was the fuppreffion of the pimcies of the Dalmatians
in tne year 823. [Cbron. ylnd. Danduli, ap. Muratori Sdriptores^ Fljoi,
col. 1 75.} But as thofe reftlels corfairs continued to infeft the Venetian
trade, the republic now equipped a refpedable fleet, which took many
veflels belonging to the pirates, deftroyed Narenta their chief port, and
fubdued the whole province of Dalmatia, to which they foon after add-
ed Croatia, another piratical ftate. Having now acquired an ample ter-
ntory, and the unrivaled fovereignty of the Adriatic gulf, the Venetiaas
conferred upon the^V chief magiftrate, the doge or duke, the additional
titles of duke of Daunatia and Croatia. They had lately obtained from
the Greek emperors a favourable grant of liberties and immunities for
their navigators and merchants throughov*: the whole empire ; and they
alio obtained from Otto, the emperor of C i ,any, a confirmation of fe-
veral privileges in his dominions granted to them by his father, and a
difcharge from the obligation of delivering a palliui.-. which had been
claimed by his prcdeceflbrs as fovereigns of Italy (a», 998) *. f Danduli
Cbron. coll. 223, 225, 2'i'j, 231.]

The Chriftians of the northern and mountainous parts of Spain, who
had preferved themfelves from the yoke of the Saracens, were now re-
covermg a part of the territory of their anceftors ; and they alfo refura-
ed the iron and fteel manufaaores, for which their country had been
famous before it fell under the dominion of the Romans. About the
^u^x,^\.*^* ^^"'^ century they began to carry on fome foreign trade,
chiefly from their port of Bilboa f . But they were very far from being
comparable to the Saracens of Spain for cultivation, opulence, or civi-
lization.

In the long and difaftrous reign of Ethehed, which is reckoned from
the year 978 to ioi6, the EngUfli were opprefled by a continual re-
petition of miferies, greatly exceeding the meafure of their former ca^
lamities. The Danifli and Norwegian robbers, now united, and led by
Swein king of Denmark and OlafTrygvafon, who afterwards became
kmg of Norway, fpread the horrors of flaughter, captivity, and defola-
tion^ over all the country. After wafting the lands, and utterly extin-
gmfliing all cultivation and induftry, they compelled the miferable peo-
ple to brmg m provifions for their fubfiftence ; and they moreover ex-
torted, m the name of tribute or the price of peace, but in reality the
premium for invafion, the enormous fums of ten thoufand pounds of

X *A ^"n"^" ^^^ ^t"",!"" '■?•' P'^*'e""=d « flight emperors renounced the.r claim to the fovereignty
d>v.ded allegiance to both empire., which withV of balmatia and Croatia. ^ ^

fLlllW }• 9°°f """""P Va» P"hap3 never f I I'ave taken this notice of the trade of Bil.

£ wh/„ rJ'"^"'^''* I"' '""'^ ^T •«^\"''«l- boa from Mr. Anderfon. though I have oot founJ,

led when the Venetians became mailers of that em- hi* authority for it.
pire. It was not till the year 1085 tliat the Greek

M m 2

^7^

A. D. 978-1016.

Hlver in the year 951 , fixteen thoufand pounds in 994, twenty-four
thoufand pounds in IC02, thirty thoufand pounds in 1007, and forty-
eight thoufand • pounds in 1012 ; after which the greateft part of the
country funk under the power of the Danes, whofe king Swein died in
the year 1014 in England, of which he iiad been for fome time the real
and abfohue fovereign.

Hiftorians attempt tv) account for thefe uninterrupted calamities by
laying the blame ou wicked, incapable, and treaclierous, minifters and
generals, to whom the weak king entrufted the condud of government
rnd the defence of the couuiry. Certain it is that the Englifli armies
appear to have been totally enervated throughout this reign, and that
the fleet raifed by a requifition upon all the lands of the kingdom,
which was more numerous than that of any preceding king of England,
anfwered no purpofe but exhaufting the ftrength and treafure of the
country, and encouraging the enemy.

The city of London was burnt in 983 or 983. Stow [^«fl/w, p. 114,
td. 1600] copying from Rudbum, an unedited writer of the fifteenth
century, fays, that the greateft part of the houfes were then on the weft
fide of Ludgate, and only foine fcattering houfes where the heart of the
city now is ; and that Canterbury, York, and forne other citijjs in Eng-
land, then furpaflfed London in building. The fea contributed to the
diftrefs of the times by an extraordinary inundn.ion in the year 1014,
which fwept away feveral towns and a prodigious number of people.
To complete the general calamity of England, it was haraflTed by civil
difl^enfions, and afflided by contagious diforders, which deftroyed both
man and beaft, the neceflary confequence of famine and unwholefome
food.

London foon recovered from the conflagration ; and the citizens dif-
tinguiftied thcmfelves as the only people in England who made any
ftrenuous or effectual oppofition to the enemy. In the year 994, when
Olaf and Swein came up the river with nin«ty-four Ihips, and attempt-
ed to burn the city, they were repulied with more bravery than they
fuppofed any citizens were capable of. This perhaps inclined Olaf more
readily to accept Ethclred's propolal for buying him off from the con-
federacy : and it is remarked, that he honourably adhered to the terms
of the treaty, his piracies being thenceforth exercifed in Northumber-
land, Scotland, the Iflands, Ireland, and France. The Danes were fruf-
trated in all their attempts upon the city in 1008, and in 10 13 they
were again repulfed with their king Swein. It is upon this occafion that

• The Saxon Chronicle has only eight thou-
fand ; but Florence, Simeon, &c. hate tranfcnbeJ
from copies wherein the number Hood 48,000,
\»liich actotds with the progreffive augmentation
«f the txtoifion. The fumi thui paid to induce
ihc Nor'.hirn inTaJcrs to defift from, or rather to

repeat, their deftruAive »ifit3 by an exhauftcd
country, poflVning 11c minci of fdvcr, that we know
of, and fcarccly any commerce, may ftagger cre-
dibility, though vouthed by the refpedlable au-
thority of the Saiou Chronicle and tlie oldtft Eng-
lifli hiftotiana.

/a. D. 978-iOLi(ii

■AJ"^"

we have the earlieft certain notice of London bridge ; for we are told,
that in coming from Wincljcfter to London many of the Danes were
drowned in the Thames, becaufc they negledled the bridge *. .[;

Amidft the defolations of this unhappy reign, but mod probably In
the early part of it, fume attention was paid to regulations for internal
and coafting trade, both of which were apparently oa a fmall fcale for
articles of fubfiftence ; and -England had even fome paflTive foreign trade,
as appears from the twenty-third chapter of the laws enaded by Ethel-
red and his wife men at Venetyng or Wanating QVaHtage in Berk-fhire),
according to which every boat arriving at Bilynggefgate paid for toil
or cuftor.1 one halfpenny ; a larger boat with fails, one {^nny ; a keel
or hulk, four pennies ; a veffel with wood, one piece of wood ; a boat
with fifli coming to the bridge, one halfpenny, or one penny, according
to her fize. The men of Rouen, who brought wine and large fiih f ,
thofe of Flanders, Ponthieu, Normandy, and France, fhowed their goods,
and cleared the duties i^ ; as did alio thofe of Hegge §, Liege, and Nivell.
The emperor's men who came with their ftiips were deemed worthy of
good (or favourable) laws ; but they were not to foreftall the market to
the prejudice of the citiaens, and they vere to pay their duties. At
Chriftmas thofe German merchants paid twt grey cloths and one brown
one, ten pounds of pepper, five pair of men's gloves, and two veflels j]
of vinegar. The fame dues were alfo levied from them at Eafter.

[5/-0/»f0», fo/. 897.] 57/ ,»■

The merchants, called in this law the emperor's men, are fuppofed to
have been the predeceflbrs of thofe who were afterwaras called the Mer-
chants of the 'Teutonic gildhall. >><('(•

At the fume time the number of coiners in England was reduced to
three for every principal port, or town, and one for every fmaller one,
who fhould be anfwerable for their workmen as to the quality and jull
weight of the money. The market weights were alfo ordered to be uni-
form Trith that of the money, viz. fifteen orce (a Danifli denomination)
to each pound. [Bromton, col. 899.]

• A briMpe ?.t Lortdon is mentioned in a law of
Ethelred ofuncertain date, but fuppofed by SpcU
man [ConcUia, p. 132] to be prior to lu« treaty
x-ith OUf in 5194. Stow purvey of LonJoii, p. 48,
III, l6i8] dates thi»iir<l notice of the bridge in
994, but the Saicon Clirooicle expreMy in 1013.
William of Malmibury [/. 38 b] fccms to have
(OiifouiideJ the two fieges of London by Swein,
and thus mifled Slow. We may howjevtr.prefume,
from I'undry notices In Domefday book, th.-it bridges
had long bc^n common even in the inbnd and re-
mole parts of England.

Snorro Sturlefon relate* that Olaf Haraldfon
affilled Ethelred to recoTer London from the Dan-
i(h king Cnnt, the fan of Swein. Meeting with
an obllrudioD from London bridge (the breadth

of which is remarked to have been fiifficicnt for two
carriages) OUf made fall his Ihips at high water
to ti.? wiwJen piles pf it, and then, rowing tliem
tigoroufly down the river with the cb!) tu\o, he
fhook down the bridge, ahd LtMidon thereupon
fubmitted to Jithelred. IHiJl. OJafi ctenai, r. 1 1 . J
This Qratagem, I believe, is not mentioned by any
of the Englifh hiftoriahs.

t ' Crafpifce.' See the Glo/Tary to tlie S^rlf-
toret decern, in vo. Cralpifcis.

± ' Moriftrabant res fuas, et extolneabant.'

J So it is printed in Bromton's Chronicle. Tfi''«
law is not publiflied by '^arnbarf!, Wheloc, SpcU
man, or Wilkins.

II « Duos cabillinos colennos,' the meaning of
which the gloflarift )• imable to explain.

S^fB

A. D.. 978-1 cri6.

A council held by the wile • men of F.ngland and the counlelor% of
Wales, for regulftting the intcPCburfc between the two nation*, doling
this reign as is iiippofeti, icarceiy deferves notice in commercial hiftory.
By it fix Engiifli and lix WcUh law-men (or men Hcilled in the kw)
vrere appointed to fettle all difputes between individaals of the two na-
tions ; and the rates of compenfation for flavcs, cattle, &c. were afcer-
tained. {LrimbardiArcbaionoma.f.i)0,ed.ist%.\

996-1 ooo~-01af Trv^valbn, having by his piratical expeditions acquiiU
ed feme kaovrlege of the produdions and the wants of various countries,
After his acceffion to the crown of Norway endeavoured to encourage
commerce in his own country. With this view he founded Niduros
(i. C. Nid's mouth), and appoint* d it to be an emporium for trade, as
it ftill remains under the name of Drontheim. [Snorro^ Hi/i. Olc^ tryg,
€. 77.]

King Olaf went beyond iiU his predeceflbrs in his attention to mari-
time affairs ; and he built fome fliips of war largor than had ever been
hen in the northern feas. One of thefe, called the Drcki (or Dragon),
was feventy-four elns * by the keel ; (he had thirty-four benches for the
rowers ; her fides are faid to have been as lofty as thofe of (hips of bur-
then ; and her head and ftern were finely adorned with carving aUv^
gilding by an artift, whofe name was Thorberg Skaffhog.

The battles of the northern nations were moft frequently fought up-
on the water. Their warlike fliips, or gal lies, were long, narrow, and
low ; and they were adorned with figure heads, the ufe of which ap-
pears to have come down from the carlieft ages. Befides fwords, bows
and arrows, and pikes, they took onboard a quantity of flones to throw
into their enemy's veflels. A parapet, or breaft-work, compofed of
fhields, was fet up around the fides of the fliips f . Like the antient
naval combatants of the Mediterranean, they drove the beaks of their
gallies by the force of the oars againft the fides of the enemy, and the
battle was fupported chiefly on the fore part of the deck. It was a great
object to have the heads and fterns lofty for tho: fake of pouring down
ftones, darts, &c. on the enemy's deck. They generally endeavoured
to grapple their enemy, and board him. Sometimes by mutual confent
the holHle fliips were bound to each other, and the men fought hand to
hand, rill one of the fliips was overpowered. [Snorro, Hift, Olafi Tryg.
cc. 1 24" ia« , //;//. Olafi SanSii, c. 47 ; Hift. HaralM Hardrad, c. 2 — torfeei
Orcadf , /. ; cv 14, 22, ^; J

ThaL i^icigu articles of elegant drefs and ornament were not un-

* The ein of Norway is equad to a foot and a
half of our raeafure, as 1 was iaformed by Doftor
Thorkeliii, the leaniei) keeper of the Oaiiilh royal
library. The keel of the Dragon therefor mea>

fured 1 1 1 feet, which is equil to the length of our
large modern frigates of ja or 36 guns.

f The fliieldt, &c. fome(ime<i now painted upon
the quarter-cUths, feem to be a veftige or memo-
rial of tliii cufiom.

in

A. 0. 9^6^1000. aTQ,

known in thef:: remote regioni, appears from the fbllowiifg defoription
Sigurd Syr, the ftepfather of King Olaf the Saint, who is noted as a
plain roan, a good termer, and a lover of peace, could on extraordinary
occafions drefs in breeches, or troul'ers, of Cordovan leather, and clothe*
made of ftlk, with a fcarlct cloak over them. His fword was richly
adorned with carving in gold, and his helmet and fpurs were gilded.
His horfe had a faddle embelliflied with golden oijiaments, and a bridle
(hinmg with gold and gems. Thofe articles of finery were not, bow-
ever, fo often acquired by fair trade as by piracy, thjn the chief trade
of all the northern nations; for, though fome of the Vikveriar (people
of the fouth paJTt of Norway) are faid to have been confiderable traders
(according to the eftimatior. of their age and country) to England, Ire-
land, Saxony, Flanders, and Denmark, yet their attachment 'o trade did
not prevent them from, forpetimes amufuig themfelvcs with piracy when
they fovmd an opportunity, arj takir^g fr-e winter quarters in the coun-
tries of the Chrifti ms *. [Snorroy Ui/f. Okfi Sanai, fc, 3 1 , 32, 62.]

About this time periodical public markets, or fairs, were eaabliftied
in feveral towns of Germany and th< northern kingdoms ; and a prin-
cipal part of the merchandize brought tc thenvin thefe days of rapine
confifted of flaves taken in the wars, which were indeed often made
merely toe the putpofe of carrying off captives. Helmold relates that
he faw leven thoufand Danifli flaves at one time expofed to fale in the
market at Meklenburg. The common price of ordinary flaves of either
fex was about a mark (or eight ounces) of fUver ; but 'bme fema.e flaves
for their beauty or qualifications, weie rated as high as three marks.'
[Iborkelin's EJJay on tbejlmie trade, pp. 4-9.]

1000 or iooi_It was in the laftyear of the tenth century, or the firflr
year of the eleventh, that the adventurous fpirit of the northern navigators
of Iceland carried them to a country fituited fouth-weft from Greenland
and haying^in the fliorteft day the fun eight hours above the horizon'
which infers that it was j>bout the forty-ninth degree of latitude. The'
fertile foil was covered with 'vood, whence they called the country Merk-
land ; but having difcovered hat it produced grapes fpontaneoufly they
altered the name to Winland. The rivers were well ftored with fifli and
efpecially with large falmon. The natives whom the Icelanders never
law till the third year of their voyages to the country^ were a diminu-
tive race, who ufed boats covered with leather, and fought with bows
:vnd arrows. Thefe people, after having a flcirmifli with the Icelanders
traded with them, giving them fine furs in exchange for their goods '

Several of the flups, which failed from Iceland for this new-found land
carried a xi umber of families in order to eftablifli a permanent fettle-
ment, which appears to have fubfifted at leaft above a century, as we

^^<»

A. Tk *o©o or looi.

find that a bifliop went from Greenland in the year 1 1 ?^i to convert the
colonifts of Winland to the Chriftian religion. After that time there
is no further certain account of the colony, and the conhedtion between
Iceland and Winland feems to have been entirely dropt *. But if there
is, as has been aflerted, a tribe of people in the interior part of New-
foundland who differ in perfon and manners from the Efkimaox of the
north end of the ifland, they may not improbably be fuppofed the pe*
mains of the Icelandic colony f .

Winland was evidently fome part of the continent at the mouth of
the River St. Laurence, or Newfoundland, more probably the later ; and
the vagrant natives, called by the Icelanders Skrelingur, were Apparent-
ly the Eflciimaux.

The accidental difcoverer of this wefteni land was Biorn, the fon of
Heriolf ; and Lief, the fon of Erik Raud, fitted out the firft veflel which
failed purpofely for it. Snorro, the fbn of Torfin, was the firft perfon
of European parentage bom on the weft fide of the Atlantic ocean ; and
from him descended a family, which long flouriflied, and probably ftill
flourifties, in Iceland.

As the difcovery of America by the Icelanders, though an event ex-
tremely curious and inteiefting in the hiftory of mankind, is not fo ge-
nerally known as it ought to be (even fome of thofe who have profefl^
edly written upon the difcovery of that continent being ignorant of it),
it is proper to obferve, that it is moft unqueftionably authenticated by
the teftimony of contemporary authors, and others who lived foon after;
all of them long before the generally-fuppofed firft difcovery by Colon,
or Columbus %. Therefor, without detrading in the fmalleft degree
from the merit of that illuftrious navigator, who fet out upon fcientific
principles, and with fome previous afl!urances colledled from the acci-
dental difcoveries of preceding navigators, to fearch for a weftem route

• According to Doftor Fotller'i expofition of
the geography of Zcho'b »oyagc, Winland was af-
terwards calleil Eftotiiand, and it was in a floiirifli-
ing condition in the fourteenth century. See For-
fer'i Difcovtr'ui in the North, pp. 1 88, 203, Engl.
tranjl. and below under the year 1360.

f Whether thofe people arc of Norwccian ori-
gin or not, may be very eafily afcertainedlby their
langiiagc, which to a proper judge mull appear,
through all the fluduations of eight centuries, to
be radically Norwegian, if they are the remains of
a Norwegian colony, though they may hare loft
all traditional knowlegc of ihcir anceftort, if any
perfon in Np'vfoiiiulland, properly qualified, would
take the trouble to make the inquiry. Such an
inquiry I have myfelf fet oa foot, but hitherto
without fuccefs.

X Adam Bremenjii dejitu DanU, p. 36, tJ. l6i9 ;
he died in 1076.— Or^r/Vi Vitulii Hjfi. itdef. ad

cm. icq8 : he flouriflied about w^.-^Snom Shir-
le/oH, Hifi. Olafi Trygv. ft. 105-111 : he was the
earlieft general hiftorian of the North, and was re-
peatedly chief magiftrate of Iceland, A. D. 1115-
ilj2.-"The Flaleyan manu/cript in lb* king of Dm-
mttrVt library, which was tinifhed in 1394. — I fay
nothing of Arngrim Jo- i», Torfaeus, and other
northern writers, who have floutifhed after the age
of Culumbus.

Forfter in his Hjflory of Voyaget, life, in ibt
North, and Mallet in his InlroduHim /s tht hiftory
of Dennmrk, have given accounts at fome Iciigtk
of the difcovery ana co'onitation of Winland: yet
though Engliih tranflations of both theft works
have been publifhed, it is furpriiing haw many
people there are, even among thofe of general
ream'ng, who believe that no European ever ftt 11
foot in America before Columbus.

A. D; looolbr iooi.

2Si

to India; we muft acknowlege that the reputation of the firft difcovery
of lands m the weftem hemifphere undueftionably belongs to Biom.
Straw ci7iQyE< °

1 000-1024-- jToni the regions of: the North-weft, where commerte
was yet m us mfaTicy, our attention is now called to the Eaft by the revo-
Juaons of, probably, the firft civilized country in the world, where manu-
ladtures, commerce, and fcience had attained to maturity many centuries
before any human footftep had penetrated the Britifh woods, or preffed the
Norwegian fnows. The great, rich, and populous, country of Barattu *

e r ir^ Europeans India or Hindooftan, had never, that we know
ol-, fuftered to any great extent the violation of a foreign conqueft + till
itwasmvaded by Mahmood, the Turkiih prince or fultan of Gazna
who in twelve expeditions fubdued the greateft part of the northern
provmces (or of the proper Hindooftan), as far eaft as the Ganges, and
as far fouth as the Nerbudda. This delightful country has ever fmce
been fubjed to various dynafties of princes, all of foreign extradion

1 01 3— From the accounts written by two Arabian merchants we
have ieen that the Chmefe were a more commercial and enterprifing
people m the nmth century than in the eighteenth. About this time
it we may depend on the information, perhaps traditional, obtained by
Hugo Grotius t [^««. de reb. BeJg. L. xv, p. 702] they extended their
conquefts throughout the In'dian feas, and, with confiderable expenfe of
blood and treafure, made themfelves matters of Ternate, Tidor Motiel
(or Motir) Makiam, and Bakiam, iflands celebrated for the produdion
oHpices, efpecially cloves, and kept pofleflion of thern about fixty years

i^a '!* , ' r^'^ "^""^ occupied by a colony of Malays, whom the Arabs,
allifted by the Perfians, drove out, and eftabliftied themfelves firmly in
their place 5. ^

Hamburgh, which had been feveral times deftroyed by its turbulent
neighbours, was now rebuilt with wood in a more magnificent manner
than before, and was foon repeopled by its difperfed citizens and an ac-
celiion ot new inhabitants. lOriginal authors, ap. LambeciiOm. Hamburg,
p. 43.J -^ <=>

ioi6— The filver mines of Rammtlftjerg no longer anfwering the ex-
pectation of the proprietors, new ones were feaiched for and difcovered

lor this Kenuine name I am indebted to Ma-
jor Remifll'a Memoir nf a map of Ulndoojan. Qii.
15 not Maralta the fame name ? Hut it may per-
haps lie doubted whether fo large a country ever
was comprehended under one indigenous utncral
name. °

t The impreffion made by Alexander on the
ttcllctn border of India was neither txtcnfiv nor
permanent. The more antient conquelk afcribed
to llachus, Ofiris, Sec. fecm to be little better than
ti(.tioiis of romantic Greece :

Vol. I.

Quicquid Grxcia mendax
Audct in hilloriis.

t There is no account of any fuch conqueft at
this time in the Hi/loria Sinica ap. Thevtntt, K ii.
But the commercial enterprife of the Chinefe re
niain«d in full vigour in the thirteenth century,
when Marco Polo was in their country.

§ Grotius obfervcs that Moliicco, the general
name by which thofe iflands are known to us, and
fiiltan, the title of the fovereign, are Arabic woidi.

Nn

2dj

A. Dn 1016;

in the Upper Hartz (the Hercynian foreft of antient geography): They
were worked till the year 1 181, when they were ruined by war, and ne-
gleded till the emperor Otto again worked them in the year 1 208, when
another war again involved them in ruin, from which they were reco-
veri in the fixteenth century by Emeft prince of Grubenhagen, who
gave great encouragement to all who would engage in working them,
and built a town for the accommodation of the labourers. Tbefe mines
ftill yield a confiderable revenue to the houfe of Bninfwick. [Rima^x
Mem. of the houfe of Bntnfwick, p. 258.]

The citizens of London were now of fuch confequence, that they, in
conjundion with the nobles who were in the city, chofe a king for the
whole EngliQi nation. The obje<5t of their choice was Edmund Iron-
fide, the fon of the late king Ethelred, who, after a brave ftruggle,
wherein he was well fupported by the city of London, at laft funk un-
der the fuperior power of Cnut, who had fucceeded his father Swein in
the command of the Danifh army, and had been chofen king by the
Danes and a great part of the Englifli.

During the war between Edmund and Cnut, the later, in order to get
his fleet above the bridge to befiege the city of London, dug a ditch, or
canal, fuffiicient to carry the fhips, on the fouth fide of the river, by
which he pafled the bridge, and kept the city clofely inverted, till it was
relieved by the arrival of Edmund.

101 8 — ^Cnut, now the acknowleged fovereign of all England, in order
io reward his Danes, and induce them to return quiedy home, levied
eleven thoufand pounds of filver from the city of London •, an<J feven-
ty-two thoufand from the reft of the kingdom ; a moft wonderful fum
to be coHedted in a country already fo drained by the great and fre-
quent extorfioiis of his father. Of all his forces Cnut retained only forty
Danifli (hips ; fo well was he fiitisfied of the good will of the Englilh.

1 020 — ^Thc citizens of Amalfi, whofe fpirited commercial exertions
have already been repeatedly noticed, were now in very great favour
with the rulers and people of the Mohamedan countries in the Eaft,

* becaufe they imported many articles of merchandize hitherto un-

• known in thofe countries.' They had already obtained perraiffion to
eftablifh houfes, or factories, in the maritime towns ; and, becaufe they
had no houie in Jerufalem, the calif of Egypt gave them a letter to the
prefiden'. of that city, who afligned them fuffkient ground for building
upon. The merchants immediately built two monafleries and an hof-
pLtal for travelers, whereupon many Chriftians repaired to the holy city
on account of religion as well as of trade. An hofpital for men, dedi-
cated to St. Jolm, and another for women, dedicated to St. Mary Mag-
dalen, were afterwards added. The keepers of the former became fam-

• Florence of Worccfter makei the fum paid by London fifteen th»Hf»nd pound*

^. D. loao.

183

ous in hiftory by the title of Hofpitalers and Johannites, which in the
(!liangea of their fortune gave place to that of knights of Rhodes ; and
now they are called knights of Malta. {WUlietm. Tyr. L. xviii, c. 4.. —
Brtncman. de rep. Atnalf. ^ ^.} .<^ri(tT,*,*ff4Vf.J ,

1028 — So fer was Cnut from entertaining any apprehenfions of an
inclination to revolt among the EngUfli, that he made frequent voyages
to the continent, where he enlarged his dominions by the conqueft of
NcMTway. This acquifition, which united all the maritime nations of
the North und6r one fovereign, was eflfeded chiefly by Englifh fnips,
and by the help of his Englifli fubjeds, whofe courage revived under
the conduft of a general capable of direding it.

Some of the (hips of Cnut's fleet (but whether built in England or
Denmark, we are not told) exceeded in magnitude the largeft (hip built
by Olaf Trygvafon king of Norway, or any other Ihips hitherto feen
upon the Weftem ocean. [Snorroy Hijl. Olafi SanBi, c. 158.]

1 03 1— Cnut alfo made a journey to Rome, * becaufe he was told by
' wife men that St. Peter kept the key of the celeftial kingdom,' where
he fpent a great deal of money. There he met with the emperor Cun-
rad and other priixies, from whom he obtained for all his fvibjeds, whe-
ther merchants or pilgrims, a complete exemption from the heavy tolls
ufually exa<^ed on their journey to Rome. [See Cnut's own letter ap.
Will. Malmjb.f. 41 b.]

Cnut is believed to have eftablifhed, or authorized, mints at a greater
number of places than any other king of England ; and the following
modernized lift of the names, found upon money coined in his reign,
fliows that at leafl: thirty-feven cities and towns had that privilege.

Briftol,

Cambridge,

Canterbury,

Chefter,

Colchefter,

Crookhorn,

Derby,

Dorchefter,

Dover,

Exeter,

Gloucefter,

Haftin^s,

Hereford,

Hertford,

Hythe,

Himtingdon,

IpCwich,

Leicetter,

Lincoln,

London,

Manchefter,

Norwich,

Nottingham,

Oxford,

Rochefter,

Sarura,

Shaftfoury,

Shrewlbury,

Southampton,

Southwark,

Stamford,'

Sudbury,

Tamworth,

Thetford,

Wells,

Winchefter,

York *.

' — - . —- — J

1036 — On the death of Cnut the citizens f of London were again a

This lift ii extrafted from a Catalogui of the
coiiu of Canute hn^ of Denmark and England, Ato,
'777/ publiflwd in confcqueoce of a great variety
of hJs coini being" found in the year 1774 in a
peat mof« near Kiixwall in Orkney, -whither they
riiight be conveyed -rither by trade or by piracy,
in thofe ages the chief trade of the Norwegian in-
habitants of the Orkney iflandi, which were fufc.
jcft to the crown of Norway till the yew 1468.

f The Saxon Chronicle calla them feamen or
navintur* (^ lithstmen'). Ttey were probably
merchants wuo went in their own vcfTcls. William
of Malmfbury on this occaflon obferres, that the
citizens of London, by their great intercourfe with
the Danes, whom he calls bartariAns, referobled
them Tcry much in their flianncrs.

Nn 2

2 $4

A. D. 1036. '*

confiderable part of the eledors, by whom his natural fon Haroldwas
made king of England.

1037-1054 — Scotland was at this time governed by King Macbeth,
whom the flatterers of the pofterity of King Malcolm Kenmor have re-
prefented as a tyrant and an ufurper, whofe hiftory Boyfe has turned
into a fairy tale, and Shakfpeare into a dramatic romance. The little
we know of him, which is rather more than we know of moft of his
predeceflbrs, entitles him to fome notice in this work. The original
part of the Latin Elegiac chronicle of the Scottilh kings fays, that Scot-
land enjoyed plentiful feafons during his reign ; and Wyntown, copy-
ing from it and fome other impartial antient record, fays, that
' All hys tyme wes gret plente
' Abowndand, bath on land and fe.'

[Wyntown' s Cronykil of Scot'cmd, B. vi, c. 18, //. 47, 408.]

The only influence a king of Scotland could poflibly have in pro-
ducing plenty by land and fea muft have been by mild and judicious
government, by giving encouragement to agriculture, the prime fource
of wealth in every country, and to the filhery, that inexhauftible fecond-
ary fund of wealth, wherewith bountiful Nature has furrounded Scot-
land. That Macbeth's government was beneficent, and eftablifhed in
the affedions of his people, notwithftanding the claims and efforts of
the rival family, appears from the comparatively-long duration and
tranquillity of his reign, and from his venturing to delegate his power
in order to make a journey to Rome in the year 1050. As an addition-
al proof of his merit I may adduce the abfurd obloquy thrown upon his
memory. That Scotland in his reign enjoyed fome foreign commerce,
the bafis of which was probably the filhery, and that a balance of caih
was even paid by the neighbouring nations, is fufficiently evident from
the great expenle of his journey to Rome, where his charity to the poor
was confpicuous even in that general relbrt of wealthy pilgrims. [Mari-
ani Chron. ad an. 1050.]

1050 — About the middle of the eleventh century Sliafwig {Slefwik),
or Heithebu, is defcribed as a port of the Barbaric, Baltic, or Scythic, lea,
from which fhips fliiled to Slavonia, Semland, and even to Greece, by
which name we are furely to underftand Ruflia *. Ripa was a port on
the oppofite fide of Yutland, whence veflTels failed to Frefia, Saxony,
and England. Arhufen, on the eaft fide of Yutland, was the port of
departure for Fionia or Seland, Sconia, and Norway. [Adami Bremens.
Lib. defitu Dania, p. 2, ed. 1629.]

At this time, if Adam of Bremen [p. 17] was rightly informed, Swe-
den was full of foreign merchandize : but this account may be taken
with large allowance.

• ' The name of
/. 2 20, Note, when

ks was applied to the RufTiani even before their converlioii.' IGUibor., F. r.
igiiial authors are quoted, j 4

A. D. 1050.

28s

Adam of Bremen and fome other old German writers fpeak in ftrains
of high admiration of the populoufnefs and wealth of the great commer-
cial cities of Winet and Julin, both at the mouth of the River Oder on
the fouth fide of the Baltic fep. But as all things are great or fmall by
comparifon, and as it is diffi.jult to conceive how any pert of the Baltic
fea could poflibly have a very great trade at that time, and more efpe-
cially two adjacent ports, we muft believe that thofe accounts are pro-
digioufly exaggerated *.

The rotundity of the earth and the theory of the inequality of the
length of the day were known by Adam of Bremen ; and we do not
hear of his being excommunicated or reprehended for his know lege.

1052 — Pefenefea, Rumenea, Hythe, Folces-ftane, Dofra, and Sand-
wic f , are noted as ports having ftiips, which were all feized and carried
off by Earl Godwin, after his fon-in-law King Edward had driven him
out of the kingdom.

1063 — The commercial republic of Pifa on the weft fide of Italy was
now in a flour ifhing ftate. The Pifans, df fpifing the narrow didates of
religious bigotry, made frequent voyages to Panormus (or Palermo) in
Sicily, where they traded with the Saracen inhabitants. They alfo trad-
ed to the coaft of Africa, where, fome time after this, conceiving them-
felves on fome occafion to be injured, they led an army againft the royal
city of Tunis, of which they made themfelves matters, except one ftrong
tower, in which the Saracen king or chief was obliged to ihut himfelf
up. [Galfridi Mnlaterra Hiji. Sicul. L. ii, e. 34 ; L. iv, c. 3.]

1064 — About the fame time the Genoefe appear to have had a conv
fiderable fliare of the trade to the Levant, or eaft end of the Mediter-
ranean. A fleet of their ftiips, which arrived at Joppa, after the mer-
chants had bartered their goods among the maritime cities, and paid
their adorations to the holy placs, brought off the remains of a com-
pany,' or rather an army, of pi'efrims, who had traveled over land from
France and Germany, as we learn from Ingulf, an Englifli hiftorian-,
[/>. 74, ed. Gale] who was one of the number.

1065 — The church of Weftminfter, which was founded, ox rr;found-
ed on a larger (cale, by King Edward, was the firft fpecimen m Eng-
land of a kind of architedure, which, according to William of Malmf-
bury, [/52 b] afterwards became very general. It may be prefumed
to have been that which is generally, but feemingly improperly, deno-
minated the Gothic %•

* Helmold, tlic author of the Chronicle of tlie
Slavi, who wrote about the end of tlie twelfth
century, fays, that the reports of the wonderful
wealth of Winet are incredible. It was the greatcit
city in Europe — and it was reported tliat it was to-
tallv dcftroycd by fome aameleft king of Dcnmirk.
l^Ciron, ii/av. L- i, t. 3-3

f Now called Pevenfey, Rumney, Hyth, Folk-
fton, Dover, Sandwicli.

J If the Gothic architefkure wag not iutrodiiced
in England till the reign of Henry II, as is gene-
rally luppefed, what kind wat this i

a8i

A. D, 1065.

' in kht reign of Edward the Confeflbr the Englifli Tccovered thfeir miA
litary and naval charadler, chiefly under the condudl of his brotlKr-in->
Jaw Harold ; for the king himfelf was much better qualified to perform
the offices of a monk than to difcharge the duties of a ibvereign. On
the death of Edward without iflue, his nephew, Edgar Atheling, who
was under age, was fet afide, and Harold was chofen king (a". 1066).
He appears to have been, after Alfred, the greateft of the Saxon princes ;
and like him he was fenfible that a well-appointed navy was the natural
Safeguard of England *. As foon as he became king, he was threaten-
ed with an invafion by William duke of Normandy, who alleged that
the late king had promifed to appoint him his fucceflbr. Knowing the
great power and military talents of the duke, he provided a fleet of
above feven hundred (hips, which he ftationed on the coafl: oppofiteto
France. Unfortunately a part of it was called off by the unexpeded at-
tack of the fleets of Norway and Orkney, led by Harold Hardrad J king
of Norway, whofe life paid the forfeit of his unprovoked hoftility. And
William, who landed on the fouth coaft almofl: at the fame time, would
probably in like manner have expiated his unprovoked attack of a people
who had never injured him, had not Harold been flain by a random fliot
n£ an arrow, after fupporting with his army, fiitigued by their niarch
from Stanfo'-d to the coaft of SulTex, a battle of a whole day with great
courage and condud, if we except his nrifcondudl in fighting at all. But
the prudence of allowing an invader to wafte his ftrength and the ar-
dour of his troops by delay was unknown in the art of war of that age.

Even after the difafter of Harold's death the fleet of England was
fuperior to that of the invaders, which it kept blocked up in the ports
of Pevenfey and Haftings. The fleet of William and his allies is moft
dilbordantly numbered, from feven hundred to three thoufand fhips, by
the various writers upon that famous expedition.

Soon after the death of Harold, the Englifh, finding themfelves with-
out a leader, and influenced by the clergy, fubmitted to William, who
on the 25''' day of December was crown.,d as king of England in Weft-
fnijifter abbay.

The acceffion of William conftitutes a new aera in the hiftory of
England, which is thenceforth much more fully known than in the
preceding a^'cs, its affairs being now much conneded with thofe of the
continent, and illuftrated by a continued fucceflion of good hiftorians,
domeftic and foreign. The materials for commercial hiftory, and par-
ticularly of that of this ifland, will confequently be more ample in the

• The fuppreffion of the Welft. in the reign of + Th.! name of Harold Harfagur, given to thi.
tdward was efteaed by Harold, cliiefly by meani king by moil writers, is one of the many Inftancei
of a fleet of flupi, wherewith he failed from Brif- of the adioBS of lefs celebrated tluraaer* being

L* .^ «1« ^T/.*",'' ""' °^ Northumberland, traniferred to more famous perfonages of the fame
which airmed Malcolm prince of .Scotland againll name.
Macbeth, w» -it.e Danilh than Engliflj. ,

A. D. i«65.

«S7

fuccee^ng ages than in the paft ; and the; labour of tht writet wiU not,
as in the preceding part of this work, confift chiefly in fearching for
materials, but in feledting thofe which aie moft worthy of being laid
before the reader.

Before proceeding to what may comparatively be called the modem
hiftory of commerce, it will be proper to introduce fome notices con-
cerning the trade of the Anglo-Saxons, which could not conveniently
be referred to any particular dates.

Before the eftabliftiment of the feudal fyftsm in this country, which
the beft antiquaries feem agreed in afcribirig to the Norman kicgs,
[See Spelman^ Gloff. vo. Feodum] landed proper\':y was more abiblutely at
the difpofal of the proprietors, than when all ellates were held by feudal
tenures. From the hiftories of churches and abbays, (of which many
are extant in manufcript, and alfo feverals publilhed) we have numerous
accounts of fales of eftates *. We find five hides of land at Holland, on
the coaft of Eflex, fold for twenty pounds of filvei ; [Hi^. Eliens, ap. Gale^
p. 481] and it appears, that the price fcarcely ever exceeded five pounds
of filver for a hide of land, even of the beft quality f . So low a price
of land affords tlie cleareft demonftration, that the country was very
thinly peopled, and that few of the people were in opulent circum-
ttances.

Agriculture, which was in fuch a flourilhing fta.te in Britain when
under the Roman government, was much negleded during the long
wars between the Britons and the Saxons, Angles, &c. and it never re-
covered its former degree of perfedhon during the whole period of the
Anglo-Saxon government. There is not, I bdieve, any authority to fay,,
that one cargo of corn was ever (hipped from England in all that long
fucceffion of ages. It is unneeeflary to add, that a bad harveft brought
on univerfal diftrefs \.

* See tfpecwlly the Hiftorie* of Ramfcy an'l
Ely, ap. Gale, Scnptorrt, V. i, 1691. The later
in particular is full of fuch putxrhafet, many of
which, even by the account of a monk of the
abb ty, apipcar to have been fraudulent.

f There i» great difference of opinion concern-
ing tlie quaiuity of kind contained in a bidf, which
appears to have varicU from 96 to 160 acies.
The average price of an acre of good land may,
therefor, be Hated nt about half an ounce of filver.
la the reign of Cnut two mills were purchafed
for two marks of gold ; but I know not if it was
a fair prkc, for the cftate to which titty belonged
was acqnired by a fwindling trick. fW?/?. Bumf,
f. 443.] _

J Tlie langtnd condition of agriculture is evi«
dent from a grent part of the country having re-
vertird to the na;ural ftate of an uucultivated fortil,
which was only ufeful for feeding hogs and wild
annnals, and fuinifhing fuel aod timber for build-

ing. In the reign of Edward the Confeflbr

Leofftan, abbat of St. Albans, cut down the trees
adjoining to the (jreat road called Watling-ftreef,
beginning at tht Chiitem, and proceeding almofl
to London, that travelers might be Icfs expofed
to the depredation!' of robbi:rt, who kaunted the
wood, which was alfo occutiied by wolves, bognv,
wild bulls, and deer. And re gave a grant of the
manor of Flam(bead to Thiirnoth, on condition
that he fhould clear the wood of noxioiu animals
and robbers, and make good the lofs fuKained by
any perfon robbed within his diftnft. The wood,
however, was not fufficiently deared, or thinned,
between St. Alban's and London ; for we find,
that Frederic, the next abbal;, gave the manor of
Aldenham on the fame terms to the abbat of
Wedminller. After the conquell many of the
Englilh fled from the oppicfllon of the Normans
to the woods, wJiere they fupported thcmfelves
by plunder.- [AT. Park Vit. albatum,tb. 45, 46,}

Whru'

A. D. 1066.

The fertile and extenfive paftures of the Britifh iflands, exempted,
hy the changeable nature of our climate, from the long-continued
parching droughts, which frequently deftroy the grafs in other coun-
tries, have, from the earlieft ages that we have any account of, nourifti-
ed innumerable hcids and flocks, from which the natives derived the
pi:incipal part of their food, their clothing, bedding, arttiour, and even
their boats. The flyins alfo furniftied an article of the rude commerce
of the Britons, before they became fubjed to the Romans, And,
though there is not, I believe, any pofitive authority to eftablilh the
fad, there can be little doubt, that the Flemings, the great manufadur-
ers of fine woollen goods for the whole of Europe, carried great quan-
tities of wool from this country in the period now under our confider-
atiou, as, we knpw for certain, they did in the following ages : [A/.
W^m.p. 396] and we may thereby account for the difproportionate
price of the fleece, which feenas to be valued at two pennies in the 68"'
l*w of Ine, king of the Weft Saxons, whereas the value of a flieep with
Hx lamb, by the sfS*" law of the fame king, was only one fliilling, i. e.
either five or four pennies. By the 8''' law of King Edgar, the higheft
price which could be taken for a weigh of wool, was fixed at half a
pound of filver, being, if the weigh contained then as now, 182 pounds
of wool, near three fourths of a penny for a pound ; a price which, as
far as we are enabled to compare it wi^ the prices of other articles,
may be thought high. ,,, ms^M-.u

We know that lead was frequently ufed for the roofs of churches and
other bi'ildings ; and we know from Domefday book, that in the neigh-
bourhood of Gloucefter, there were iron works in the time of Edward
the Confcflbr, which had probably been kept up fince before the invafion
of the Romans. Though there is no account of the exportation of any
metals in the ages now under our confideration, it is reafonabie to fup-
pofe, that the demand from other countries muft at all times have pre-
vented the owners of the mines from negleding them ; and we may
prefume. that at leaft lead and tin *, if not iron, formed a confiderable
part of the few exports during the Anglo-Saxon period.

It may be prefumed, that horfes had been fometimes exported, as
King Athelftan made a law againft carrying any out of the kingdom,
unlefs they were to be given as prefents.

When the country was almoft covereil with wood
fo near the capital, the remoter dittrifls muft af.
furedly have been in a lliU lower degree of culti-
vation, of which indeed many pofitiie proofs might
be adduced, if it were ncceflary.

* Mathew Paris {Hift. p. 570] fays, errone-
oully, that from the creation of the world to the
year I J41 no tin had ever been found anywhere
but in Cornwall. Camden \_Britan. p. 134] fup-
pofes, that the Saracens worked the Cornilh mines

in the times of the Anglo-Saxons ; and he fays,
the exhaufted mines are called in Corntfh Altai
Sarifin, which he interprets the leavingt of the &i-
racent.

Raynal [//i/?. phU. et polii. V. ii, p. \T!,ed.
1782] fays, that in the feventh century the Sax-
ons carried their tin and lead to the h\r\ ellablilli-
cd in France by Dagoljcii. It is a pity that that
valuable author never produces his authorities.

A. D. 1066;

a#9

rt wiU foiLid ftfunge to the ears of many, that human creattiiw, not
Africans of a different colour, b«t white i^-ople, natives of Britain cort**
ftituted an arttcle of trade in thofe days. The people of Briftol 'wert*
great dealer* ui Oaves, whom they generally exported to Ireland. ffV
Malmjiur. Vtt. Ut/iani, in ^nj^lia facta, V. ii, f. 258._Gi>. Cambr. Him
exp. L. 1, c. 18.3 Some Northumbrian flaves were carried as for as
Rome, where, being expofed to fale in theflsve-market, their handfome
hgure fo engaged the compaflion of a rronk called Gregory, that he
aherwards. when he was pope, fent Augaftine to convert their nation
to the Ghnftutn religion, who, inftead cf proceeding to Northumber-
land, took up his refidence at Canterbury. [Beda Hifi. eccUn L ii

c. l.\ -' J t

The foreign trade appears to have been chiefly carried on by {gran-
gers, and was therefor a paffive trade on the part of England The at-
tempt of Athelrtan to allure his fubjeds to avail themfelves of the na-'
rural advantages of their infular fituation would not have been either
necefTarj- or proper, if many Englifh merchants had traded to foreign
countries, or if many of them had been capable of fitting out and load-
ing a veflei.

The internal trade of England muft alfo liave been on a very dimi-
nutive fcale, when the prefence of two or more witnefles, of the chief
magiftrate. the fli.rret, the prieff, or the lord of the manor, was necef-
iiiry to give validity to a bargain of more than twenty pennies If we
may {Hace any dependence on the laws afrnbed to Edward the ConfrfT-
or. the clergy were entitled to draw their tenths even from the profit*
ot trade, which was a fafe and good trade for them.

The inland tt-ade was aflifted not only by the many navigable rivers
which mterlcd England, but alfo apparently by artificial canals, where
the ground was level. Abbo of Fleury defcribes the kingdom of the
haft- Angles as bounded on the weft by a rampart and ditch. \See
Lamdem Br, tan. in Cambridge-Jhire, where fever alfucb are noted.-] A canal
m Huntmgton-lhire, called Kingsdelf, is at leaft as old as the year 067

\u.Zl r'"'"' '"^^—"t ^ri-n t- ^J'^'' ^- ^57] It is not impoflfble; ^
that thefe canals may be of ftill higher antiquity, and may owe their
ongm to Roman policy and Britifli labour.

Though the fubjedion of the Englifh by the Danes was fatal to fom^
gre;it families, it muft be acknowlcged that it was highly advantageous
to the great bulk of the people, and more efpecially to fuch of them as
were engaged in any kind of commerce. The merchants of all the
northern countries of^ Europe, pofTeffing any quantity of fhipping. being
fellow-lubjeas m the reign of Cnut, navigation was perfeftly free frorn
the danger ot pirates, and trade was fafe. The fubjedts of fo great a
king were alfo, upon his account, more refpeded and tUvoured in other
parts ot Jiurope, as we have already had occafion to obferve.

Vol. I. O o

39Q

A. D. 1066.

Concerning the manufadures of this country, the meagre chronicles
of the times now nnUer confideration afford Uttle addition to what has
been already faid upon the introdudion of the art of making glafs in
Northumberland j except in a department, which might be fuppofed
to belong to a ftate of fociety vaftly more advanced in refinement than
the Englilh then were. We have undoubted proof that the Englifli
jewelers and workers in gold and filver were eminent in their profcfl-
ions, and that probably as early as the beginning of the feventh cen-
tury (fee above, p. 238) ; and certainly as early as the time of Alfred.
A piece of ornamental work in gold, with an infcription fhowing that
it was made by the order of that great prince, is preferred in the Afli-
molean mufeum, and engravings of it have been repeatedly pubUfhed.
Though the drawing of the figure upon it proves that the arts of defign
we.e in a very low ftate indeed, yet the nice fculpture of the goldfmith's
tools has been greatly admired. [See Hickefti Tbe/our. ^h{gL Sax. K i.
pp. 142, 173 — yiferii Vit. jE/fredi, pp. 43. 171, ed. 1732 — Pbiiof.
tranfaB. n\ 247.] So great was the demand for highly-finilhed trinkets
of gold and filver, that the moft capital artifts of Germany reforted to
England ; and, moreover, the moft pretious fpecimens of foreign work-
manftiip were imported by the merchants. The women of England
were fo famous for their tafte and fkill in embroidering with filk of
various colours, and with threads of gold and filver, that embroidery
was now called Englijh work, as in antient times it was called Phrygian.
William the Conqueror fent to his patron, Pope Alexander II, the ban-
ner of King Harold, which contained the figure of an armed man in
pure gold, and along with it feveral other ornamental works, ' which
might be greatly admired even at Conftantinople.' The prefents knt
by the fame conqueror to the church of Caen in Normandy, ^vere ' fuch
' as ftrangers of the higheft rank, who had feen the treafures of many

• noble churches, might look upon with delight ; and even the natives

• of Greece or Arabia, if they were to travel thither, would be equally

• charmed with them.' What renders thefe praifes of the Englilh male
and female artifts the more valuable, is, that it is beftowed by foreign-
ers *. [Gul. Piaav. ap. Du Cbffne Script. Norm. pp. 206, 2ii.—Muratori
Jntiq. V. ii, coll. 404, 405.] , j ^ m j u

The imports of England in thofe ages comprehended filk, .ind other
expcnfive articles of drels, for the great, pretious ftones, perfumes, and
other Oriental luxuries, purchafed in the ports of Italy, and probably
fometimes at Marfeille. To thefe may be added books, and alfo, what
will appear furprifing to a modern proteftant reader, dead carcafes, legs,
arms, fingers, toes, and old rags, fuppofed to have belonged to the can-
onized faints.

• See alfo the account of Matildin, a woman very ikilful in the art of dying purple, and adorn-
ing the drelTes of the rich with gold, gems, piaurts and flowers, by Ailrcd, a native vrriici.
[C'ii/. 409, fl/>. Tuy/den.J *

A. D. 1066.

39!

With fuch flcnder refources as the foreign trade of England appears
to have furniftied, it may be afked, how the country could raife fuch
fums as were repeatedly paid to procure the forbearance, or to allure
the im-afions, of the Danes ; to fay nothing of the permanent taxes of
Dane-geld and Peter-pence, the later of which, with the innumerable
pilgrimages, made a perpetual drain of money to Rome. As we can
fee no reafon to fuppofe that the little trade then carried on produced
any regular or lading balance in ca(h, we muft believe, that thofe heavy
demands were fupplied, either from mines of the pretious metals, though
unnoticed by any hiftorian fiu^e the beginning of the Roman dominion
in the ifland, except Bede, [Hift, ecclef. L. i, c. 1] or from the remainder
of the vaft treafure, which the fertile fields, the copious mines of tin
and lead, and the other valuable produftions of Britain, long continued
to draw from Rome and the provinces of the empire iti former ages.
That all thofe heavy drains did not txhauft the flock of the pretious me-
tals in EngUmd, is abundantly evident from many fadts to be found in'
antient writers, which fhow, that the kings, the clergy, and the nobles,
were ftill very rich. King Cnut expended vaft fums in his pilgrimage
f^ Rome, as already obferved. Edward the Confeflbr built Weftminf-
itr and other churches at an uncommon expenfe. The great quantity
of money, found in Harold's treafury, enabled William to be incredibly
liberal to the church of Rome, as his biographer exprefles it *. Egel-
nofh, archbifhop of Canterbury, being- on his return from Rome, made
a purchafe at Pavia of an arm of S». Auguftine (or of fome other body)
for one hundred talents of filver and one talent of gold f ; an excellent
bargain— for the knavifti feller. {W. Malmjb. f. 42 a.] But, what was
at leaft equally aftonilhing, we are told, that Elfsig, abbat of Peterburgh,
m the year 1013, in the very midft of the convulfions, gave five thou-
fand povmds of filver for a headlefs carcafe. \Chrotu Sax. od anr^ Of
the opulence of the nobles I fhall felea only one example, which, after
makmg a large dedudion for the exaggeration of tradition, fliows that
they were very rich, and the court very venal. Earl Godwin appeafed
the wrath of King F " icnut by a prefent of a galley with goMen (or'
gilded) roftra, carry -hty foldiers, each of whom had two bracelets

on each hand containing iixteen ounces of gold, being in all 320 brace-
lets and 5,120 ounces of gold; a fum equal in real effedive value to at
leaft two hundred thoufand pounds of our modern money. We are fur-

ftood to be mere monkiih rant. XW. Mdmlh. at>.
Gfli-,/..3io.] -^ ^

t As the writers of the middle ages often affeft-
ed claflical words, when very improper for their
fiibjoii\, it is probable that tins important purchafe
was tranfaftcd in mure modern money. Surely
100 pounds of filver and one pound of gold was not
too fmall a price for a rotten arm.

O02

• « Pecuniara in auro atque argento, ampliorem
' quam didu credibile fit.' [Cu/. PiUav. up. Da
Chtfue,p. J 06.]

Ine king- of the Weft Saxons is faid to have
given near three thoufand pounds of filvtr, and
about three hundred pounds of gold, to adorn a
ohapel at Gbftonbury. Buv". this mull be under-

^^

A. D. 1066.

ther told that eren the battle-axes, fpears, &c. of thefe Iplei^id foldicM
were cornpletely covered with gold. [fV. M(dmjb. /. 43 a.j Of the
wealth of the great body of the jpeople nothing is recorded ; and there
was moft probably nothing to be recorded, except that they were de^
vourcd by the unconlbionable avarice of their fupcriors. \W. Maln^
/57 b.]

Slaves and cattle conftituted that kind of property, ulually transferred
with the foil, which is often mentioned by the early Englith writers
under the name of living money ; wliereas money nwde of metal was
called dead money.

It feera* agreed upon by the learned, that, during the Anglo-Saxon
period of our hiflory, the nominal pound in money was a real pound of
lilver in- weight ; and th?t weight may, with great appeaiaiice of truth,
be prefumed to have been brought from Germany *. Authors agret,
that the pound was coined into 240 pennies ; but they vary greatly as
to the number of (hillings of account contained in ihe pound, fomc
reckoning forty-eight (hillings of five pennies each, lome fixty, and Come
only twenty. The fliorteft abridgement that could be made of the ar-
guments and proofs in fupport of the various opinions would be too
tedious to be admitted in this work, and would dill be unfatisfiidory to
thofe who wi(h to inveftigate the matter. I fliall only fugged, that it
is very probable, that in different parts of England, or in difterent ages,
the kings, who did not think of introducing a depretiatcd nominal
pound, divided the pound of filver, the only metal generally ufed for
current money, into a greater or lefler number of parts, which ftill re-
tained the fame names of pennies and (hillings, though the later was
probably not a real coin till many ages after. The mark was alio
not a real coin, but a denomination for two thirds of a pound, and was
apparently introduced by the Danes in the time of Alfred. The man-
cus, according to ^Ifric, [Grammat. p. 52] contained thirty pennies,
and is luppoied to have been a gold coin f , a little better than a third
part of our guinea. The thrymfa, ora, fceata, and the brafs ftyca, were
coins, or denominati is of money, concerning which the learned are
not at all agreed.

The proportion of filver to gold, in the Anglo-Saxon times, is gener-
ally believed to have been twelve to one.

The Yutes, Saxons, and Angles, appear to have furpalTed the people
of the northern countries of Europe, whence they themlelves came, in

• The oKl Saxon pound contained 5,400 grains Tallts if Englip> (oinj. — Clarlt on coins, — FZfrt-

of Troye weight, or 12 ounces of 450 graint each, woori'j Chronicon pnatijum, life.

The ftaiidi'td ounce of Co'ogne and Strafburg con- f This fiippofition is againft tlie general helie^

tains at prefent 451. 38 grains ; a relcmblance, or ihat no gold was coined in Eiigland before the

rather identity, not to be afcribed to accident. year 1344. See PiyjffV Difftrtatiott no Anglo-

For the nature of the Saxon tnoney, the reade Sixon rem liiij.
may confult Hickfjii D'ifciiatio e^iJlolarit.—TMa' s

A, IX 1066.

*93

coining money; an important point in the progrela of civilization,
which tlic Scandinavians had not attained in the tentii centur/ •. Spe-
cimens of the coini of the various kingdoms in England, from the be-
ginning of the feventh century f , and alfo of the monarcha of ail Eng-
land, are preferved in cabinets; and engravings of them have been
repeatedly publilhed.

No Scottifh coins have hitheito been dilcovered of any king jYreccd-
Ing Alexander I ; if thofe afcribed to him are indeed his ; for the total
want of numbers and dates, renders the difcrimination of the antient
c/^ins of kings of the fame name almoft impoffible. [See Anderforis Di-
ptomata et Numfmata Scotia, tab. clvii, with Rtii' 'man's jadkious Preface,

PP' 57. 97-]

From the tmqueftionable authority o^ omefday book X the follow-
ing particulars are feleded, as illuilrative of the condition of foroe of
the ports and trading towns, and as containing hints of the ftate of com-
merce in England, in the time of Edward the Gonfeflbr.

Dovere paid to the king and the earl (,v%: The burgeiTes were
bound to find twenty fhips, carrying tw«nty-one men each, for fifteen
days in a year ; and they were therefor exempted from fac and foe, and
were free from toll throughout all England.

In the city of Cantuaria (Canterbury) the king had 51 burgefles pay-
ing rent or cuftoms C^gablum), and 31a liable to lac and foe; and
three mills of 40 fhillings rent.

The city of Roveceftre (^/ltocAg/?<jr^ paid 100 ftiillings. - f.?'i. r.

The burgh of Sanwic (Sandwich) paid £1^, and rendered the fame
fervices to the king as Dover.

In the burgh of Pevenfel (Pevenfey) there were 24 burgefles in the
king's demefne, who paid fevcral fmall fnms for rent, toll, port-dues, &c.
There were other burgeffes fubjed to the bilhops, the priefts, &c.

The city of Ciceftre (Cb'tcbejler) paid 100 {hillings, wanting one
penny.

The burgh of Lewes paid ^^6 : 4 : i ;. ; and th? king had r 27 burgefles
in his demelhc, who coUedcd 20 Ihillings for marine lervice.

• In the tentli century, when HolkoUl bought
a beautiful female (lave at the great fair in Brcn-
luyai near Gotlicnburg, he weighed three marks
ofiilver, wluch he paid for her to Guli, a rich
inercliant of RcilTia. \L(JxJthfagas MS. in mufeo
Rrit. Cat. jiyft. 4861 ; out rf the Lelatidic manu-
firipts pr.Jeni,J iy Sir Joftplj Jiankt.']

The piece marked with thric crowns, and
afcribed to Olaf, king of Sweden about the year
(Joo, [Zfr (•««.•// T'lrfaur. numm. Suea-Golh. tat. ij
is of vtry donhU'ul age. The earlfelt undoubted
Swedifh coinj arc of the twelfth century. About
|ht beginning of that century Anketil, a very
ingenious Englilh goldfniith, wai iBTited by the

king of Denmark to fuperintend his tvorks in ffold,
and be the keeper ofhis money, and chief bunker,
or money-changer (' trapezita'). He lived feven
years in Denmark, and very probably coined mo-
ney there. [Af. Parj, Fit. abial. p. 59.]

f Camden \^ Remains p. 181, M. 1657] fays,
he had feen a coin of Etheibcrt, the iirll Chrillian
king of Kent, who died in the year 6i6. 1:
might however belong to one of his fucceffors of
tlic fame name.

X It was i«lKd the ioti of JVinchtfler (* Liber
* lie Wlntoiiia') by the coinpilers of it : but
D^'ne/diy iook lias afterwards become the eilsbliih-
ea -jme.

i

394

A. D. 1066.

Gildeford paid /^i 8 : o : 3.

In Sudwerche (Southivark) the king had a duty upon Ihips coming
into a dock (' aquae flud'is,' — ' exitus aquae') and a toll on the ftrand.

In the burgh of Walin.. eford the king drew /^ii of rent or cuftom
(' gablun/), with fome fervices. There was one coiner.

In Doreceftre (Dorcbe/ler) there were 172 houfes, which paid the
gelu often hides of land, viz. one mark of filver for the king's houfe-
hold. There were two coiners, who paid one mark, and alfo 20 {hil-
lings each.

In Bndeport there were 120 houfes, paying, as for five hides, half a
mark to the houfehold. There was one coiner, who paid as thofe of
Doreceftre.

In Warham there were 143 houfes in the king's demefne, paying one
mark as Doreceftre ; alfo two coiners, who paid as thofe of Doreceftre.

In the burgh of Sceptefljerie (Sbaft/bury) there were 104 houfes in
the king's demefne ; and they paid to the houfehold two marks, as for
twenty hides. The abbefs had 153 houfes in her diftrid. Three coin-
ers here paid as thofe of Doreceftre.

The burgh of Bade (Bath) gelded as for twenty hides, when the
ftiire gelded. The king had 64 burgefles paying £,i\. -, and other fupe-
riors had 90 burgefles paying 60 ftiillings. This burgh, with Eftone,
paid £60 by tale, and one mark of gold. It alfo paid X30 to the queen.
Moreover, the coiners paid 1 00 ftiillings.

The city of Exonia (Exettr) paid no geld, except when London,
York, and Winchefter, paid, and then half a mark for the army, with
the military fervices due from five hides of land. Twelve carucates of
land near the city paid no cuftom but to it.

The burgh of Totnais fT>3/»^j belonged to the king. It contained
95 burgefles ; and it paid;^3, the filver of which was proved by the fire
and the fcale. This burgh performed the fame fervices as Exeter ; and
fo did Barneftaple and Z '■ ')rd, both belonging to the king in demefne.

The burgh of Hertforde was rated as ten hides. There were 146
burgefles in the king's foe.

Bochinglieham (Buckingham), together with Bortone, paid as one
hide, the whole of its dues, amounting to /^lo by tale. There were
26 burgefles.

The burgh of Oxeneford (Oxford) paid ^^30, and fix ' fextaria' • of
honey, together with the military fervice of twenty of the burgefles
when the king was on an expedition, or /^20 in lieu of it.

The city of Gloweceftre paid £^6 by tale, and 12 ' fextaria' of honey

* icx/ar/Km 19 generally tran(]ated^a//o«. From widow Tliova paid annually to the abbay of St.
the commutation paid for the honey due by War- Albans one fcxlarium of honey, containing thirty-
wick, it appears to have been a much larger mea- two •■■nces, in the reign of Edward the Confcffor,
lure. But there were alfo fmalUr _/>*/flr/.;. The [W««. Prfw, /'?/. <iWa/«m,/>. 45.]

A. D. 1066.

29«r

of the meafure of the burgh, 36 dicres of iron, and 100 iron rods for
nails (or bolts) to the king's fhips, together with fome other petty cuf-
toms *.

The burgh of Wincelcumbe (Wincbcomb) paid J[^6 of firm, or farm.

The city of Wireceftre (IVorceJler) paid to the king and the earl
£1^ ; and when the county paid geld, it was rated at fifteen hides. It
paid the king no other dues, except the rents of his houfes. The coin-
ers paid 20 fliillings each on receiving their dies at London. In Wor-
cefter-fliire the king had ftiares in the fait works, or duties from them.

In the city of Hereford the king had 103 tenants, (fome of them
without the wall) who performed certain fervices infiead of rents, as
did alfo fix blackfmiths. Seven coiners gave 1 8 fhillings each for their
dies, and a duty of 20 IhilUngs. The provoft (' praepofitus') farmed the
cuftoms iox £12 paid to the king, and £,6 to the earl.

The burgh of Grentebrige (Cambridge) was divided into ten wards,
and was rated as a hundred.

The burgh of Huntedun (Huntington) had 256 burgtfles paying cuf-
toms and geld to the king; and it paid £\o of ground-rent (* land-
' gable'). There were three coiners in it.

In Northantone (Northampton) there were 60 burgefles, and as many
houles in the king's demefne.

The city of Ledeceftre (Leicejler) paid £go and 15 ' fcxtaria' of
honey. Twelve of the burgefles attended the king's army; and, for a
maritime expedition they feni four horfes as far as London to carry
arms, &c.

The burgh of Warwic, with the {hire and the royal manors, paid
^'65, and 36 ' fextaria' of honey, or £2^ : 8 : o inftead of the honey.
Ten burgefles of Warwic went to the king's army; and for maritime
fervice the burgh provided four ' batlueins' or failors, or ^^4 inftead of
them.

The city of Sciropeiberie (Shrewjbury) paid geld as for one hundred
hides. There were 252 houfes, and as many burgeflies, paying annually
X'y : 16 : 8 of rent (' gablum'). The fervices and cuftoms due to the
king were very numerous. He had a tax upon marriages, of 10 flnllings
from every maid, and 20 ftiillings from every widow. There were
three coiners paying 20 fliillings each to the king. The whole duties,
&c. paid by this city, amounted to £Tp annually.

The city of Ceftre (Cbejler), with its dependencies, paid geld as fifty
hides of land. The king had the geld of 431 houfes, and the biftiop,
of 56, in the city. The city paid ten marks and a half, befides a farm,
or firm, of;^45, and three timbres of martin's (kins ; and it was liable
to a great many cuftoms and penalties. If a fliip arrived or failed with-

^ • The copious mines of Iron near Gloiiceller are noted in the following century by Giraldm
Cambrcnfis, Itin. Cambrit, L. i, e. 5.

29^

A. D. 1066.

out the king's leave, fbe was fubjed to a fine of 40 fliilling» for every
mati in her : if a (hip came in againft the king's will, fhe, her cargo, and
lier men, became forfeited to the king and the earl. Ships coming in
with the king's permiflion might difpofe of their cargoes, paying at
their departure four pennies for every laft. Thofe who brought mar-
tin's fkins * were bound, under a penalty of 40 fhillings, to fhow theiB
firft to an officer, who mi^ht buy for the king what he wanted of them.
There were feven Coiners m this city, who piiid ^^7 to the king and the
earl ; and there were twelve judges chofen from the vaflals of the king,
the bifhop, iand the, earl. ,0 , ' ,> rttoH,

In theburgh of Snotingeham (Nottingham) there were 173 feurgefles,
and it paid^^iS, Two coiners paid 40 fhillings. The navigation of
the Trent and the Fofle, and the road to York, were carefqlly prefen'ed.
The filhing of the Trent belonged to the burgeffcs.

The burgh of Derby f contained 143 burgefles. There were 14
mills belonging to it. The burgh and the mills paid in all £^4.

Ih the city of Eboracum, or Euryie (Tork), there were fix divifions
or wards (' fcyrae'), five of which coAtained 1,418 inhabited houfes, and
the archbifiiop's divifion contained 189. The burgefles. of this city
were exempted from paying reliefs %.

In the city of Lincol (Lincoln) there were 1,150 inhabited houfes,
and twelve luw-men (or judges) having fac and foe. •

The king's burgh of Stanford was charged as twelve hundreds and n
half in the rates for the army, the fleet, and Dane-geld, amd paid a firm,
or farm, of ^15. It had fix wards, five in Lincole-fliire, containing
141 houfes, and the fixth beyond th*^ bridge in the fliire of Hantun
(Northampton), which paid all cuftoms along with the other five, except
the rent and toll due to the abbay of Burg (Petcrburgh). There were
swelve law-men invefted with feveral privileges.

Torchefey (Tork/ey) was rated at^iS. There were in it 213 bur-
geflTes, whofe cuftoms were generally the fame with thofe of Lincol :
but they enjoyed fome immunities, in confideration of being bound to
convey the king's meflengers in their boats from their own town to
York.

Melduna (Maldon) paid altogether ^^13.

In Coleceftra (Cokbejler) the king's burgefl!es paid two marks of fil-
ver, andalfo, as a compofition for the rent of fix pennies on every houie,
/J 1 5 : 5 : 4, of which ^'4 was paid ^ the coiners.

In Norwic (Norivicb) tliere were 1,320 burgefles. It paid, on vari"

* Maitln'8 (Itins are mtnliont-d in the Ubtl of \ Derby it mentioned in Snutingeham-lhire as

l',vj'liJh{,oiice, publifhrd by Hakluyt, IVtiofu, V. i, a part of it.

/>. 199, cd. 1598] among th« commoditie* of Ire. % The other town* of Yoik-ftire, now fo 6pu-

kind, from which ihey were i.o doubt imported to lent with their (liiuiidiing niainifafturts, are only

Chcilcr. Pcih»| s ftiiue wcf alfo brought from noted «» farming villager.
Ciermany. See htluw, under the year 1 1 jC. ,1

A. D. 1 066.

igy

ZnZt-i^l fol ;,f^, ' • '"«'-'• »f """y ■■ '' »"•" provided a
kintraX iri:""'*^ ''"'' '° ''"«"^«- -"' I»W ^^7 by .a,e .0 the

In the burgh of Gepefwiz (/;>>/fA) there were 808 bureefles oavin^

Dunewic (D.,w,<-«) had ,20 burgeffes, and paid £10 •.
brnkfe^s'lhlT'^K '!"■>,''" ""'.^'^ '«"'"='' '" Domefday book,

K^^te-op-; ^-t^eraC^'.-- T" ^™- "-

the ye™ ^Zlt7h^r ' '"""P"''^ 0""^ ^^^ ^^^"" °^ Edward I in
f^rvf.!. ; n? 5^ ^'''''"^ P°"'' '^'^'^ '' ^-eafon to beUeve that the
fervice of fhips and men was required of thofe ports ^certa'nly of Do
ver and apparently of Sandwich) in the time of Edwarrthe Confeffor"
SviclstroTt'famta^ -'^ Privileges granted in rett^'^for'^h'^^
fl. P &c wL rh fame antiquity. It is probable that the numbers of

S; S;t wT:^Ll^r ^'^ ^^- t. [See .W.^^^:rC:

party o?thrkin/"t ^h'^^' "^ ^"^^'"^ ^PP^^^ '° ^^^' been the pro-
party ot the kuig, or other patrons or over-lords, to whom the inhabit

ants looked up for protedion, and whofe fuperi;rity the^ackVowleee^^^

by payment of a rent or burgh-mail. Every cit/and burgrS^^

own i^rticular conftitution, and was governed by one or mfre mi f

Alflie. [barters quoted tn Stow^s Survey, pp. 847. 913, ^d. 16,8.] It

'"'gh. «cc. a. they ftand in the oiicinal Th; ^^^'% 'PPf""'""' "f'd by the wr.ter, ot the age. .
O'^iTrng of tho „.!« ;» alfo CKai followed e.nre^i ;^"lT' n' ^'' ^i""*^'*^*" ''^ ""' '^'"^'>-
il.ot.Rh fome of them, a, Cantuaria. ]^xS &c *^ i^omefday book.

\T T

Vol, I.

PP

t^fi

A. D. 1066.

appears from the chaarter of William the Conqueror, thw London en-
joyed fome privileges fuperior to thofe of other cities : and it feems prob-
able that the fupremacy or confervancy of the river was vefted in the
city at this time, or earlier. (See below under the year 1070.) The in-
habitants, orburgefles, alfo enjoyed the highly-prized privilege of hunt-
ing in the extenfr e chaces of Chiltem, Middlefex, and Surry, as vre
learn from the confirmation of it contained in the charter of Henry 1 to
° the city. !

There feems no reafon to believe that in thofe times there was any
town in Scotland, or in Wales, which would now be called a good vil-
lage, though, in the eftimation of the laft writer of the Pichtifti Chron-
icle (one of the moft antient extant monuments of Scottifh hiftory,
which was finiflied in or about the year 972), Brechin was a great city.
It is now but a village with the rank of a burgh ; and there is not, I
believe, any reafon to fuppofe that it ever was much larger, though it
has been a bifliop's fee.

To the gleanings of the commercial hiftory of the Anglo-Saxons it
may not be improper to add a fhort account of their manners, from the
obfervations of a judicious hiftorian, who, living immediately after the
conqueft, had an opportunity of marking the features which diftinguifti-
ed the Anglo-Saxon from the Norman charader, before they were obli-
terated by long-continued intercourfe.

Before the conqueft learning appears to have been almoft at as low
an ebb in England, as it was at the commencement of the reign of Al-
fred. Few of the clergy could repeat the offices of religion ; and a cler-
gyman who was mafter of grammar was efteemed a prodigy of learn-
ing. The nobles abandoned themfelves to the excefles of gluttony,
drunkennefs, and promiibuous concubinage, not fcrupUng to confign
the objects of their luft, and even their own offspring, to the miferies
of flavery for a little money. They expended their whole revenues in
riotous entertainments, without any degree of elegance or tafte, their
houfes being fmall and mean. Their upper garments reached only half-
way down to the knee. They cut their hair, and ftiaved their beards,
except upon the upper lip. Their arms were loaded with weighty gold-
en (or gilded) bracelets. And their /kins were marked with painted fi-
gures *. But the hiftorian candidly requefts his readers not to apply
tins xmfavourable charader univerfally to the Englifh. He himfelf knew
many exceptions to it, as well among the laity as among the clergy.

• lliis fuftom of painting the flun, the truth of of the ifland tlie moft remofe from the country of
which cani,.;t be qiitllioned, will fecm lUanre to the Pichts, who, we a'c gcnenilly, bnt erroneouf-
mauy p ople. The praaice had been prohibited ly, told, were called PiSi [painlni people) by the

in liiclyih canon, or chapter, of a council held in Romans, becaufe they rt/oir retained the c uftom of

the nrcfcnce of the kinp of Northumbciland in the painting tiieir (kins, after it was given up by the

yeai'7K7. {^SpJmr.iiy (oncH. Brilann. f. i^<).'\ But other nations of Britain.
;.c fft Uial it ftill picvailtd, and even in that pan 3

A. D, ro66.

299

[Will. Maltnjb. f. 57.] We muft, indeed, fay, that a very different na-
tional charader might have been expeded in the long-continued reign
of a king thought vt^orthy of a place in the calendar of the faints.

About the fame time that the duke of Norpiandy got pofleflion of
the crown of England, Godred Crovan, an adventurer from Iceland,
ufurped the maritime kingdom of Mann and the Ifles. He afterwards
reduced Dublin and a great part of Leinfter under his dominion : and
he is faid to have kept the Scots of Ireland in fuch a ftate of depreflion,
that he did not permit any of them to poflefs a veflel or boat with more
than three nails in it. [Cbron. Mamia ap. Ccmdeni Britmn. p. 840.]
This, if at all credible, muft furely be underftood only of the wicker
boats covered with hides ; and indeed it does not appear that the native
Irifli, or Scots, who were now fliut up in the interior part of the ifland,
could have any occafion for fea veflels, unlefs fome of them lived in the
maritime towns under fubjedion to the Oftmen.

1068 — Spain, after being fully conquered (except the mountainous
dift^ids on the north coaft) by the Saracens, and colonized by the na-
tives of Syria, Perfia, and Arabia, among whom were the defcendents
of the moft antient commercial nation of the Sabseans, long continued
to flourilh in fcience, manufadures, and commerce, beyond any coun-
try in the weftem part of the world. The port of Barchinona (now
called Barcelona) became the principal ftation of the intercourfe with
the eaftern countries bordering on the Mediterranean fea : and the ma-
nufaduring arid commercial importance which very foon diftinguilhed
that city, and have in fome degree continued to diftinguilh it down to
the prefent day, feem to infer that its inhabitants may boaft of the real
honour of deriving their blood from the moft enlightened of the weft-
em nations of Aiia, with probably fome fraall mixture of that of their
Carthaginian founders *.

The deicendents of the fmall remainder of the Goths, who had taken
refuge among the mountains of Afturia, made frequent, and often fuc-
cefsful, attacks upon the Saracens, and gradually, though fcarcely in as
few centuries as theie employed months in the conqueft, recovered the

• Barcelona is faid to have he.n founded by
Hartillc.ir, the father uf the great Hannihal, wlw
trom his family name, Barca, called it Darciiio.

Thoiigh few of the modern Spaniatde, who
rrekoii it an indelible difgrace to have any mixture
of Arabian (or Moorilh) blood, will be willing to
acknowligc ilitnifelves indebted to intidels fi)r any
acquifilions in fcience or civilization, Don Anto.
nio de Capmany, led by his rcfearchej to fee the

prcdeceffurs : and probably his cc. trymen of Ca-
talonia, as the moil commercial people in Spain,
may have retained mure Arabian vocables than
thofe of the other provinces. Algodon, cotton, al-
miray, adminil, alfondech, the original name of the
exchange of Barcelona, (which thence appears to
have been an Arabian foundation) figuifymg gene-
rally a phice iuhii-f merchiiiils tranfuS their hujinefs
(called/Hn.//V-uj by the Latin writers of the middle
truth, and to line more liberal ideas, owns [K i, ages), azucar,yi(ifar, are a few of the many wtirdj
torn. /I. »A] I hat many of their commercial aiiu that a Sp.-.iiiai-d, dcfaous of the honour of deduc-
maritime terms are derived fiom the Arabian Ian- iiig Lis genealogy from the moft enlightened n«-
guagc, or, in other words, that they acquired com- tiyns of antiquity, might adduce as proofs.
iiicrcial and maritime knowlcge from their Arabian

P p 2 ' •

iP9

A. D. iq68.

whole peninfuU out of their hands. Charlemagne, the mighty fove-
reign of France, Germany, and Italy, alfo found an opportunity of in-
terfering in the affairs of Spain, and conquered a confiderable part of
the country ad^cent to the Pyrenaean mountains, the governor .^f which
he appointed to refide in Barcelona. About the yeat 900 the governor
of Barcelona made himfelf independent of Charles the Simple, king of
France. His fucceflbrs, the counts of Barcelona, appear to have wifely
attended to the manufaduring and commercial interefts of their fub-
jeds ; and their country confequently became profperous and opulent.

In the year 1068 the ufages or cuftomary laws of Barcelona were col-
leded into a code (' el codt^o de lot ufages Barcelonrfes*)^ under the au-
thority of the national aflembly, in which Raymundo Berenguer I,
count of Barcelona, prefided. By the law, n". Iviii, ufually known by
its firft words, ' Omnes quippe mves,^ all veflels arriving at, or failing
from, Barcelona are afTured of friendly treatment ; and they are de-
clared to be under the protedion of the prince as long as they are upon
the coail of Gataloniii *. This judicious and hofpitable law was confirm-
ed and amplified by his fucceffors, the kings of Aragon f , in the years
128.^, 1289, and 1299 ; and the code is to this day the bafis of the con-
ftitution of the province of Catalonia, of which Barcelona is the capital.
By the wile and liberal policy of admitting the commerce of all nations
without regarding difference of religion, and the fagacity of the fove-
reigns in relaxing the rigour of the feudal government, Barcelona, after
i% fell under the doniinion of the Chriftians, continued to be the chief
trading port on the weft coaft of the Mediterranean fea, and diftributed
the rich merchandize of the Oriental regions to the other Ghriftian pro-
vinces of Spain. {Capmany, Memorias biftoricas de Barcelona, V. i, Com.
pp. 21, 23, 25, 22 1 ; r. ii, Notas, p. 5 — Benj. Tudel. in Purcbas's Pil-
grimes, B. ix, p. 1438.]

1070 — William, now king of England, being fenfible of the great
importance of the city of London, endeavoured to conciliate the good
will of the inhabitants by a charter confirming their privileges ; and, in
order to render it the more agreeable to them, he made it be written in
their own language, though he is faid to have had an averfion to it, and
to have done all in his power to abolilh it. The charter, tranflated into
modern Englilh, is as follows.

' William the king greets William the bifhop and Godfred the port-
' geref, and all the burgefles in London, French and Englilh, in a friend-
V ly manner. And I make known to you, that it is my will, that you be

• Is there any earlier notice than tliis of the count of Barcelona, married tlic infant ilaiightci

prottdion which a velTtl enjoys by being witliin and heircfs of Ramlro king of Aragon, and thence-

thejuriidiftion, or undir the guns, of a neuiial forth Barcelona ana the province jf Catiiloni.i !;;n

power? ■

{■ 1.1 the year 1137 R.iymundo Ber.ngiicr IV,

been united to that kjiigdon

A. D.

1070.

301

' all law-worthy *, as you were in the days of King Edward. And it is
' my will, that every child ba his father's heir after his death f. And
' I will not fuffer any man to do you any injury. God keep you.'

Though I do not rind the commencement of the jurifditSlion which
the corporation of London have over the River Thames as their har-
bour, they appear to have poflefled it about this time : and they alfo
ferim to have but recently obtained it ; for the limits of it were not pre-
cifely afcertained, as appears by a difpute in which they were engaged
(A. p. 1090) with the abbay of St. Auguftine at Canterbury for the
fuperiority of Stonore, Stanore, or Eftanore, a village near Sandwich,
which they claimed as belonging to the port of London But it was
awarded to the abbay by King William II : lT6or;i, Ghron. ap. Twy/dfru
col. 1793] and indeed it is far beyond Yendal or Yenland, which has
been the eallern boundary of the city's jurifdidion for many ages by-
paft.

About this time the city of Bergen was founded by Olaf the Peace-
able, king of Norway. The fafety and commodioufnefs of its harbour
have rendered it in all fucceeding ages the principal emporium of that
kmgdom. [Torfai Hift. N<yrweg. V.'iv, p. -ji.}

1077 — At a time when Europe was only beginning to er.ierge from
the darkeft night of ignorance, the light of fcitnce fhone out in Aria,
eveti among the Turks, under the aufpices of the fultan Gjelaleddin
Mehcfhah, who aflembled the aftronomers of the Eaft in order to redi-
fy the diforder of the antient Perfian calendar. The refult of their la-
bours was a computation more corred than the Julian calendar, and
nearly equal to the Gregorian. [Hyde, Hift. relig. vet. Per/, pp. 1 96-211.]

io8o_Kmg William fent an army againft Scotland under the com-
mand of his fon Robert, who, after paffing the border, immediately re-
treated to the banks of the Tine, and founded a new cajik at tbe antient
village of Munekeceaftre, which has given origin and name 10 the po-
pulous, adive, and wealthy, trading town of Newcaftle. [Sim. Dunelm.
ap. Twyfden. <ro/. 211.]

1082— -William, defirous of putting liis kingdom in the mod refped-
. able (late of defence, and confidering the caftle of Dover as the key of
England, gave the charge of the acljacent coaft, with the fliipping be-
longing to it, to the conrtable of Dover caftle, with the title oY warden
Sf the cinque ports; an office refembling that of count of the Saxon coaft

• Men of ftrvlle conciirion, efpecially fucli as
were ill dcmi flit (' ilomiiiio"), weie not law-wor.
tliy, or entitled lo tlie protection of the general
l.iw, b;it were judged by llicir lords, as is obfervcd
by Dodor Drady ITreat}/, i,J lur^hs, p. i6] in his
reiiiiiiks on this cliartci-, or proteclion as be cliiifes
to cjll it.

•f I:i the laws aftribfd to King Edward llie

Confeflbr, the property of a perfoa who dfed with-
out a will is direifted to be divided wjually arnonjr
hrs children, without a word of either the cluirch
or the over-iord. [L^yw Edtu. c. 24, in Setdai's
edilwn of Eadmer, p. 184.] But the inhabitant*
of moll towns held their property at the will of
an over-lord ; and London was diilrngnilhed by
being c-xempted from that fluvifh coiiditiuh.

301

.}„

A. 10. i68a.

(comes littoris Saxouici) in the decline of the Roman power in this iliand.
The five ports, according to Bradlon, an eminent lawyer in the reign
of Henry III, were Haltings, Hyth, Romney, Dover, and Sandwich, to
which Winchelfea ai'd Rye have afterwards been added as principals,
together wdth fome fnaller ports as dependent members. Thefe towns
were bound to fumifh and man fhips for the defence of the kingdom
upon forty days' notice, in proportion, as may be prefumed, to their
opulence and commerce ; but for the quotas we muft wait for the more
copious information of liter times *.

1084 — ^The Venetians were now fo powerful in fhipping, that their
alliance (for there was r.o longer any pretenfion made to their allegi-
ance) was earneftly folicitei by the Greek emperor to protect his weft-
em coaft from the invafion of the formidable Norman chief, Robert
Guifcard; and their fleet (iu the year 1081) poftponed, though it could
not prevent, the furrender of Durazzo. In 1084 the Venetian fleet,
nine veflels of which were remarkable for their great fize and ftrength,
in conjundion with the emperor's own fleet, difputed the comn)and of
the Adriatic fea with Guifcard : and in return the emperor beftowed
on the Venetians a number of varehonfes in Conftantinople, with many
commercial advantages over othiT nations in his ports, together with a
folemn renunciation of his claim to the fovereignty of Dalmatia and
Croatia.

1086 — King William, that he might know the exad value of his de-
mefne lands throughout all England, and alio the value of every other
eflate, whether belonging to the chu.xh, to incorporated cities or burghs,
or to private perfons, ordered a general furvey of the whole kingdom
to be made. This great work, which was probably an imitation of the
furvey made in the reign of Alfred, took up feveral years in the execu-
tion, and was not completed till the la.1 year of his reign, if indeed it
was at all completed, for the fhires of Northumberland, Cumberland,
Weftmerland, Durham, with the greaieft part of I^ncafter, are omit-

fliips, \nd enjoyed prlvilegen, in tlie time of tlic
Coufefl jr (Sec above, p. 293), tliDiigh it is pro-
bable th« the nanif of Cinque ports (evidently of
Norman oiigin) was not then iiied. In the Saxon
times we 'iiid aiTcKiaiions of five towns and Icvm
towns unoer the collective names of Kf-burgaa and
feofon-Lurj-as. Skc C/.<ron. Sox. aJ an. IC15.

Lord Co'ce ^Injlilutet, li. iv, ch. 42] fays, that
Dover, Sam. with, and Romney, were the poits of
fpccial note lefore the tonquell, that William the
Conqueror at'ded Hallings and Hyth, and that
the anticnt to\ ns of Winchelfea and Kye were af-
terwards annex -d. But a charter of the fcventh
year of King Jthn vi.fcn! to frecdi»m8 enjoyed by
Hyth in the tines of Edvsard, William I, Wil-
. liam n, and Hei.ry I. [See Jeakct.pp. 47, 12 1.]

.* The date 1083 is here given upon the faith
of Jclkes, the ed;tor of The Charters of the Cinque
ports, ivllb annolatiotu, &c. who lays, that, when
William the Conqueror deprived his maternal bro-
ther of the curtody of Dover callle, he inverted
Joh I Fynea with the office of conllahlc of Dover
callle and warden of the Cinque ports. But as
the oldett charter extant is that of Edward I in
1278, and liillorians afford no fatlsfattory informa-
tion, it does not appear that the origin of the pri-
Tilcges of the Cinque porta can be traced with any
•degree of certainty. Edward's charter refers to
liberties enjoyed by them in the reigns of Edward
the Confeffor, William I, William H, Henry II,
Richard I, John, and Henry HI, all whofc char-
ters are loft. From Domefday book we are furc
that Dover, and apparently Sandwich, furnilhcd

A. p. i<>86. ^^

ted. But of alt the other parts of England there is an accurate and
minute regifter, excepting only the capital cities of London and Win-
chefter *. ♦

From this authentic record, known by the name of Domefday book,
I have already given the condition of feveral cities and towns, as they
were in the reign of Edward the Confeflbr ; and I fhall now give a vieMr
of the fame, as they were at the end of William's reign. ' *^

Dovere was burnt on the arrival of King William in England. It is
however rated at ;^54. The (hips are greatly incommoded by the agi-
tation of the water, occafioned by a mill at the entry of the harbour,
which was not there in the time of King Edward.

The city of Cantuaria {Canterbury) contains ara burgefles under the
king's fac and foe. The three mills pay io8 (hillings, and 68 (hillings
of toll. '■ >■ Hfr-.

The burgh of Roveceftre {Rochefter) is valued at jTio ; bat he who
has it pays j^40.

The burgh of Sanwic {Sandivkh) pays ^^50 of firm (or ferm), and
fort/ thoufand herrings for the ufe of the monks. The houfes are in-
crcafed to the number of 383 (or rather 393).

In the burgh of Pevenfel the earl of Moriton has (ixty burgefles, and
ft'veral other fuperiors have eight, two, one, &c.

The city of c;iceftre is increafed by 60 houfes, and it is now rated at
£lSy but pays l^^.

The burgh of Lewes pays 38 (hillings more than formerly. The
coiners pay 20 (hillings each, when the money is called in. One half-
penny is paid for every ox, and four pennies for every man (llave), fbld
within the rape.

Gildeford is rated at ^(^30, but pays ^^32.

In Sudwerche {Southwurk) the king's income is rated at £16.

The burgh of Walingeford pays the lame cuftoms as formerly. The
coiner has his tenement free while he is employed.

In Doreceftre there are 88 houfes, be(ides 100 which are totally de-
ftroyed.

In Brideport there are 100 houfes, befides 20, fo much damaged that
the tenants pay no geld.

In Warham tiiere are 135 houfes, and 150 totally deltroyed.

In the burgh of Sreptelherie {Shaftjbury) there are 66 houfes remain-
ing, and 38 deftroyed in the king's demefne. The abbefs has in

* This antient ftatilHcal account of Engbind,
wliich well dtfervcs the char.ii'tcr, j;ivcn to it by
ioiiii' c)t our grrattll anlicitiaiies, ol the moft an-
lient .iMil vfiicrable record tliut this or any other
eouiUiy cm boall of, [Sie Sfe/maii'. Gl^fnry, vo.
liomffiia. — AylnJJl's CaLnJar, p. xviiij tliough in-
tfiidtd chiefly as a Uiiiidard of taxai-Ki, coutaiiw

a prodigious fund of information, not only upon
the (late of the country iind of the towns, but alfo
upon th« condition of the ptople, tlie manners and
cuiK)ins, to fay nolUisg of authentic fsmiiy hit
tory, and alfords ample materi.ila tor the refledion
and invtiUgation of lliol'i; who wifh to dig in ihc
copiuui mine of Englilh antiquities.

304

A. D.

V^56,

faouiles remaining, and 43 totally deftroyed, in her diftrid. Slic ha< ^}fo
15 1 burgefles ; and flie has 20 unoccupied manfions.

Th© burgh of Bade {BatV) belongs to the king. (Some other notices
concerning it are rather obfcure.)

Briftow pays to the king \ 10 marks of filvcr, and to the bifljpp^U
•iftarkfl. with one mark of gold.'*^"^ ^* ** '" '"" ••>^^"^^''*''

In the city of Exonia (Exete^) the king has 315 holifcs paying qvit-^\
torn. There are 48 houfes laid wafte fmce the arrival of KJing Williai^
in England. The city pays /^ 18.

The burgh of Totnais has 49 burgefles, 9 of whom live witljout tjtt
burgh. It pays £S by tale. ' "

! The burgh of Barneftaple has alfo 49 burgefles, and 9 of them with-
out the bt»r*H. , They pay 40 fliillings by weight to the king, and 3o
fliillings by talt to the bifhop of Conftance. Since the king's arrivaVm
England 23 houltn have been laid wafte.

The burgh of Lideford has 69 burgefles, 41 of whom are without the
burgh. They pay 60 fliillings by weight. There are 40 houfes laid
wafte fince the king's arrival in ILngtand. • '

Thefe three laft burghs are bound to the fame military fervices by
land or by fea. * ' -'''•■' r .i >4v ,'SJ.ii /^ , '

The burgh of Hertford; t^ichpifd'gefd ks ten hides lii^We time of
King Edward, does not now.

Bochingheham now pays £16 of white filver. In other refpeds it re-
mains as before. .. 1 iU,. ..'.C

The burgh of Oxeneford (Oxford) ^nys'jC^l' WWtowA there are
243 houffes paying geld, and 478 not in a condition to pay any. Many
other payments are exa<5tcd from Oxeneford, moft of which are paid
along with the county.

The city of Gloweceftre pays to the king £60 of twenty in the ora
(' h lib. de XX in ora') * ; and he has alfo /^2o in coined money (* mo-
• neta'), together with fome other dues.

The burgh of Wincelcumbe, with three hundreds jointJ tp jitj^ ppys
;^28. _ ,< ^i"' ...

In the city of Wireceftre (JVorceJer) the king has what formerly the
king and the earl had. It pays £2^, : 5 : o by weight, and many other
dues. The king has alfo taken the falt-works which the earl had.

The city of Hereford is polfefled by the king in demefne. The Eng-
Ufli burgefles retain their former cuftoms. The French burgeflTes for
12 pennies are free from all claims, except forfeitures for the breach of
the peace, heinfare, and foreftell f . The city pays to the king £60 of
white money by tale. It and 1 8 manors, which pay their firms in it,
are computed at ^^335 .18:0.

• For the meaning of ora fee Spelman't GloJJary, vo. Libra yingle-Normaniiica,

t Heinfare, drftrtion from the mijler' s prvict. — VoTv'XeW, forrjlallin;, I

A. D. 1086. 305

In the burgh of Grentebrige {Cambri4ge) 28 houfcs were puUed ik^'

•M^nHihr ^•• 7^*^f°"?^ arep annually, and the kround-mt

( landgablum') IS fomewhat above £7. .;««.#.. -.»«.^

In the burgh of Huntedun there are now no coiners. J"*'""^^

In Northanton there are 14 houfes now laid >vafte, and there arc 46

remammg. There are aow alfo 40 burgefles in the king's demefne in

the new burgh.

The city cf Ledeceftre {Leicejler) pays along with the fhireX;4a : 10 : »'

horfe. The king has ;C3o from the coiners. *^

nn 1 .i^^^^'^t"^ ^u'^''^ ^^^ '^''S has H3 houfcs in his demefne,
and the kings barons have r:2, from all which the king di-aws geld. V
in the city of Sciropefterie {Sbrewjbury) the EngJi(h burgefles com-
plain that they are compelled to pay the whole geld paid in King Ed-
ward. time, though there are 51 houfes (• mafura') deftroyed for the
earls caftle. 50 others lying wafte. 43 occupied by French burgefles,

fefhIn\\'oVheyfd!" ^^ ^'"^^^ '^'"«"^^" '«^' '-^^^--"•
In the city of Ceftrej:c^^^r) there were 205 houfes lying wafte when
It came mto the poi&flion of Earl Hugh ; and it was worfh only /:4
It^hasjiow recovered, and is fanned from the earl for X;7o and one mark

The burgh of '^hotingeham {Nottingham) now pays £^o. The bur-
gefles complain of bemg deprived of their right of fiftiS^g in the Trent.

The burgh of Derby has now only 10 mills. The burgh, the mills,
and the village of Ludecherche, nay C^o- The burgeffi alfo i^y a
Martinmas n thraves (' trabes') of com. ^ * v p«y 4t

In the city of Eboracum {Tork) one of the divifions, or wards, is laid
wafte for buildmg the caftles Of the houfes in othe; four w«ds 4S0
arc lo much decayed as to pay only one penny each, or even lefe ; C40
houfes which are quite wafte, pay nothing ; and 145 are occupied by
Frenchmen In the archbiftiop's ward 100 houfesf befides LIZ
court and the houfes of the canons, are occupied.

•vre laid w.?ftJ f ^"•M•^ Ci'W«)^ there are 900 burgefles. 1 66 \m&
a.e laid wafte for building the caftle, and other 74 are lying wafle not
by^the oppreflion of the ftiirref, but by the mi Jortune/of |overt; and

f I^'^J^'^C' ^ u ^^ °^ Stanford pays £so of firm or farm. The wliole

of the king's cuftoms amount to ^^28. -, n
Torchefey has now only io2 burgefles. It is rated at /"ao. ' ' "' ''
In Melduna (Af«/^o./J the king has 180 houfes occupied by the bur,

gefTes, and 18 lying wafte. It pays £16 by weight. > «« P'^ -.

At i<aganeia m the hundred of Rochfort there is a vineyard coatain-

4Jig fix arpentg. which, when it thrives, yields 20 modii of wine

O !■

3o6

A*D. 1086.

In NoTvvic there are 665 Englifli burgcfles paying cuftoms, and 4.80
• bordarii *,' who are too poor to pay any thing. It pays £'jo by weight
to the king, and t 00 (hiUings of gerfum to the queen, and a gofhawk. f
(* afturconem') andi £21 to the earl. In the new hurgh there were 36
French and 6 Englifti burgefles, each payinf; one penny of cuftom year-
ly. There are now 4.1 French burgefles in the king's and earl'* dc*
melhes. Roger Bigot has 50 burgefles, and fomc other fuperiors have
fmaller numbers. The bifliop may have one coiner if he pleafet.

Gernemua {Yarmouth) pays ^^17 : 16 : 4 of white money to the king,
befides payments to the carl, Ihirref, &c. Twenty-four fifhermen living
in this town belong to Gorlefton, a manor on the fouth fide of the River
Yare.

In the burgh of Tetford there are 720 burgeflies, and 224 empty
houfes. It pays ^^50 by weight to the king, and £20 of white money
with yC6 by tale to the earl. The king has alfo ^40 from the coinage.

In the burgh of Gipefwiz {Ipfwicb) there are no burgeflTes paying
cuftoms, and 100 poor burgeifcs unable to pay any geld to the king,
except one penny each for their heads. There are 328 houfes now
vvafte, which yielded geld in the time of King Edward. The coiners
are now rated at ^20 ; but in the four laft years they have only paid
£2^] in all. iixo.iil '.'n^iniv,', yv hyf)

Dunwic contains 236 burgefles and 178 poor men. It is rated upon
the whole at ^^50, and fixty thoufand herrings as a gift.

From thefe cxtrads, compared with thofe of the reign of Edward, it
appears, that, though the towns were generally reduced in their build-
ings and population, moft of them were charged with rents, cuftoms,
and other payments, vaftly higher than in the preceding period ; and
that the king was glaringly partial to his French fubjedls.

The king poflfeflied 1,422 manors enumerated in Domefc^ay book,
and many detached farms, befides what he may have had in the north-
ern ftiires, which are not inferted in Domefday book. From all t! fe
he received his rents in the real produdicms of the land. He had alfo
quit-rents from his vaflals, danegeld from the whole kingdom, rents,
dues, and perquifites of many denominations, from the towns, the cuf-
toms upon trade, the cafualties of wards, reliefs, forfeitures, efchcats,
fines, fees in courts of juftice, &c. which altogether made up a very
ample revenue. Hence, notwithftanding his wars in France, and his
profufe gifts to the clergy, abroad as well as in England, William left in
his treafury a quantity of filver, which, when taken pofl'eflion of by his
fon, was found to weigh fixty thoufand pounds, befides gold, gems, and
very many other royal jewels. \^Ingulpb^ p. lou, ed. Gak.]

The whole lands of England were divided into 60,215 knight's fees,

• The antiquaries are uncertain of the meaning of bordarii.

f See BLuat't antitnt ttnuret, art. Pecitham. It it elfcwhere explaintd an Afturjan horfe.

A. D. 1086.

3<»7

wliereof the clergy pofleffed 28.1 15, almoft a half of the country; and
as T, 42 a belonged to the king, the whole of the barons h«d 30,678.
There were 45,011 parirti churches, and 62,080 villages, at this time in
England •. ° ' ,

Of the ads of William for the benefit or the hurt of commerce we
know very little with certainty. The numerous fleet brought over by
him, when not engaged in ferrying himfelf and his armies to and from
the continent, wai probably employed in trading between his old and
new territories and the adjacent coafts of France and Flanders, which
were all now conneded with the new matters of England. Hence it
might be fuppofed, that, after the (hock occafioned by the conqueft was
got over, the trade of England muft have been greatly enlarged in this
reign : and we are told by William of Poidou, that he invited the refort
01 oreign merchants by aflurances of fecurity aud protedion. But un-
''r.^l?*.*'?^'^!^*'*" in the port of London, concerning the ftate of
wiijch m his time we have little or no information, we have juft feen
moft unqueftionable proof that almoft all the other ports, and in gene-
ral all the towns, m England had declined very much from the condi-
tion they were m previous to his ufurpation. ,. ,,^. i*.

We may judge of the turbulent ftate of the country from the law
which direded that markets fliould be held nowhere but within burghs
waled towns, caftles, and fafe places, where the king's cuftoms anci laws
could be fccured from violation, the caftles, burghs, and cities, being
founded for the defence ot the kingdom and the protedion of the peo-
ple. And they were indeed a moft valuable protedion to one clafs of
the people ; for m England, as well as on the continent, a flave if he
elcaped from his mafter, and lived unclaimed during a year and a day
m any of the king's cities, burghs, or caftles, thereby became a free
man for ever. [Le^es Edw. et Will. cc. 61, 66, in Selderfs ed. of Eadmer
pp. 191, 193.] And the name of free-men, by which the members of
thole corporations are diftinguiftied. appears to be a permanent memo-
rial of the once-unfree condition, and fubfequent emancipation, of a
great proportion of their predeceflbrs.

I might be charged with negled if I were to fay nothing of the firft
appearance of the ^or AJierling, as a diftinguiftiing appellation of ftandard
money, which has been much contefted, as has alfo the etymology of it
Inftead of the money of England being firft fo called from an improve^
ment made m the reign of Richard I or John upon the coinage by arti-
hcers from the Eaft country, or Germany, called Efierlings, as has been

of England in the rcign of Wi'Iliam I. But the
opinions of our antiquaries upon both thofc poi'nti
are fo very difcordant, that I dare ;.>.t pretend to
adopt anv one of tlicm. They are colkaid and
compared by Lord Lyttlcton in his notes to the

» 1 hefe numbers are taken from Thomas Sprot,
■i monk of St. Auguftine in Canterbury, as quoted
liy Spelman in hia Glojarj, vo. Fetdum.

li wc knew the value of the relief of a knight's
ffe, and the proportion between it and the annual
vihie of the ellate, we might afcertain the rental

1 — / — .— .-• «y •kk^.bwti «i« (iin 111.

lecond book of his Hifiory of Henry //.

gojB

A*<D. 1^8^

foppofed.pit i^ certain that it >was caHed^^ffn^ ift the reign of^he €km-
queror, as appears from thfriinqueftionable teftimony of Ordericus'Vifi-
talis, an author Gontemporary with that king *. ):> ^ '

In the yestr 1086 n.oft of the principal ports of England were de-
flroyed by fire. The greateft and moil pJealamt part of London was
conl'umed, together with the cathedral church of St. Paul's. In order
to guard againft fuch misfortunes in time coming, Maurice, the biihop
of London, began to rebuild his cathedral upon arches with ftones im-
ported from Caen in Normandy, but upon fo vaft and magnificent a
plan, that it was not completed when the Chronicle, which comes down
to the end of the year 1199, under the name of John Bromton, was fi-

Jlifhed. [Qbton. Sax^ ad an — W. Malmjb. Geji. pont. f. 1 34 b Bromton,

eoli 979..^ — Stow* s Survey, p. 613, ed. 1618.]

1090 — Sicily had now been above two centuries under the dominion
of the Saracens, when, after a war of thirty years, it was completely
fubdued by Roger, a Norman knight, who became the father of a race
of kings of Sicily. With a liberality, far above the general ftandard
of the age, he permitted the Saracens to enjoy their property and their
religion, by which jiidicious condudl he retained as his willing fubjeds
a race of people, who were capable of inftrufting his own followers in
Icience, manufadures, and commerce. [Malaterra ap. Muratori Script,
V. V, coll. 574, 595.]

1091 — The account of the pofleflions of the abbay of Croyland at
this time prefents a pleafing pidure of the dawning of fcience and li-
terature in England. They confifted of a library of above three hun-
dred original volumes, and above four hundred lefler volumes (perhaps
tranflationsj : alfo a wonderful machine reprefenting the fun and the
planets, the zodiak, the colures, &c. all in appropriate metals. There
was not fuch another ' nader' in all England f as this one, which had
been prefcnted by a king of France to a former abbat. Unfortunately
all this ftore of intcUedual wealth was confumed by a fire occafioned
by the careleflhefs of ibme workmen : and without that difafter we
fliould, perhaps, never have known of its exiftence, [^Ingutpb, p. 98,
ed. Gale.}

1 093 — ^The commercial hiftory of Scotland, whereof we fee the firft
dawn in the reign of Macbeth, may be faintly traced during that of
Malcolm Kenmore in the encouragement he gave to merchants to im-
port many articles of rich drefs of various colours, and other foreign
luxuries hitherto unknown, which were bought by his courtiers, who

^ See the learned Somner's Glqffiary to Tivyf- which derives the name from the Eaft-couiury or

lien's S^riptDra dcam, vn. EJIerHngm, where fevcral Efterh'ng coiners fecuis tlie mult natural, tliough

inftances of the life of the word/^ir/i/if before the genci.illy mifdated.

age of Richard arc produced. As for the etymo- f Are we to fiippofe from tliis exprefllon, that

lugiee, fome of which arc foohfh enough, that there were many nadcrt in England I 3

ArD. i 9^

309

were refined and poUAed by the example of Margaret his queen, the
granddaughter of Edmund Iroiifide king of England, who was bom on
the continent of Europe, and bred up, partly there, and partly in Eng-
\mAv [Vita Margareta in BoUandi A£ia fanSiontm^ Junii, V. ii, p. 330.]
The trade may be prefumed to have been entirely palfive on the fide of
the Scots, who, however, muft have had native produce fufficient at
leaft to pay for the goods imported ; as we cannot fuppofe, that the
foreign importers were entirely paid from the annual fum of ninety-fix
ounces of gold, received from the king of England agreeable to the
treaty of 1091, [Sim. Dun. col. 216] which was. probably never paid
above once or twice *. ,,11 j^firt; .o.^i i ijs^/ -^rii I0 .

i095_The Chriftians of the Weft, enflamed by the frantic zeal of
an enthufiaft called Peter the Hermit, and the artifices of the popes,
now undertook to drive the Saracens, or rather the Turks, out of Jeru-
falem and Paleftine ; and as they fuppofed themfelves engaged in the
fervice of God againft his enemies, they dignified their enterprife with
the name of the holy war. The iranfadions of it no further concern
this work, than merely to obferve occafionally, how the population,
wealth, and commerce, of Europe were affeded'by it. As no rank, fex]
nor age, was exempted from the perfuafion that paradife was the certain
reward of fighting againft the enemies of God, the armies, or mobs, that
emigrated from every part of Europe, were innumerable. The quait-
tity of treafure, which they exported from their own poor countries to
add to the wealth of the richer countries they paflTed through, and of
the Turks, was only limited by the utmoft ftretch of the abilities of
the individuals ; for ah the princes and barons carried with them every
penny they could poifibly raife by any means, however oppreflive to
their vaflals, or ruinous to their own fortunes and families ; and their
example was followed by the inferior adventurers. Thole who remain-
ed at home were nolefs eager to have the merit of contributing to the
expenle of the cxjxnlition.

From this wonderful perverfion of reafon, wealth, and military en-
terprife, the over-ruling providence of God brought out fuch advant-
ages to the great body of the people, and particularly to the opprefled
inhabitants of the cities and towns in moft parts of Europe, as in a
great meafure made amends for the depopulation occafioned by 'it.

The powers and prerogatives, ufurped, or chiimcd and exercifed, by

* Robtrt i!c Cruniie, in hit poetk-iil parapltrafe
iif Lin^/oji's Chronicle, [/>. 88] reveries the pay-
niei.t, and makes Mrfltolm pny to William no lefs
i\\m forty ihoufand psumls, a film <qual in tfticaey
to at lealt five millioi)8 of niodcin money, wliieh,
il it were t!ue, would give a very ma^rnilicent idea
indeed of the eummurce of Scotland. But, inde-
pcnJeui of in btinj in contradiction to a betttr

author, the raonJlrous gr«alnefi of tlie fum would
fuffiticntly prove it to be utterly incredible. Tlie
lum, found In the treafnry of Wiillam the Con-
queror, which was tiuiught wondei fully great to
he accumulated from the revenues of £»^!)nd, ,>ur.
jng the wiiolf of his oppreflive r^i^-^, w.is bnt /1st\
thoufanil peumli. Great fum« «re tatilv rsifcd upo>i
papvr. • ■*

3»«>

Ay D. 1095,

the nobler i« ev^ry feudal kingdom of Europe, had reduced the autho-
rity of tlxe fovereign to a mere ihadow, and the condition of the great
body of the people to the raoft abjed humiliation and mifery. Of the
condition of the fovereign, and thofe clafles of the people who lived in
the country, it is not neceflary at prefent to fay any thing. Every city
and town, or burgh, had a fuperior lord, to whom the inhabitants were
bound in fidelity or allegiance, and to whom they looked up for pro-
tedion from the opprellions of other lords. But for that protedicu,
which the weaknefs, or want, of government rendered neceflary, they
paid a ftipulated rent, and performed many galling fervices (of which
every place mentioned in Domefday book fumifhes an example) befides
fubmitting to the privation of rights, which ought upon no account
whatever to be alienable. They could not pretend to be matters of
their own property ; nor could they even call their children their own,
for without the confent of their lord they durfl not difpofe of them in
marriage, appoint guardians to them, or leave any thing to them at
their death *. Such a conftitution, by crufhing, or annihilating, the
native energy of the mind, effedually prevented any wifti or attempt to
make the fmalleft progrefs in fcience or commerce : for the citizen, (if
the name may be applied to fuch abjedl charaders) no more than the
farmer, had any inducement to improve the property, which was en-
tirely at the mercy of his lord. Such was the ftate of almoft all the
cities and burghs of the Chriftian part ot Europe, a few in Italy ex-
cepted, when the frenzy of the holy war broke out. Then many of
the princes and barons, in their eagernefs to raife money for their equip-
ment, fold their fuperiority over their vaflal towns, fome to other lords,
fome to the clergy, but moft to the community of the inhabitants them-
felves. By fuch fahs the exorbitant power of the great lords was much
lowered, while that of the fovereign was proportionally exalted ; and
the inhabitants, freed from the flavifli fubjedion to a fubjed, generally
applied to the fovereign for charters, which he gladly granted, em-

" In many places the fuperiors were not fatis-
fied with having a negative voice in the difpofdl of
their valFals' children in marriage, the motl im-
portant event in the life of the individual, but ac-
tually bellowed them according to their own in-
terell or caprice, without paying any more atten>
tion to the willies of the parents or the iach'iia-
tlon of the parties to be mairied, than a farmer
pays to thofe of his cattle, when he couples them
for propagation, or when he fells, or fluuj^hters,
their calves or foaln. Any relaxation of t!ie n^jour
of the lord's prerogative was granted as a fponta-
neouii favour (though generally well paid for) and
by no means a. tiie rtlloration of an inherent right.
'J bus Otto, Aht-ncjrii, and her fon John king of
England, as princs of Aquitaine, granted to their
tr.cn of Olerou the liberty of difpoling of their

children, felling their wine and fait, and making
their wills: IFaJrra AngHt, V.\, pp. loj, III,
112] »nd Richanl earl of Cornwall, when ading
as emperor of Germany, gratioully renounced in
favour of the burgeffes of Frankfort bis preroga-
tive of difpofing of their daughters without their
confeut. IPj'tjf'l Abre^i di Phift el drait d'AUe-
miit;ne,p. 373, ed. 1758.] And to come home to
England, Kmg John, in his charter to Dnnwich,
permits his burgelFes of that town to difpofe of
their children as they think proper, within hii
dominions, and to give or fell their lands and houfct
in the town. He alfo allows the widows to marry
by the advice of their friends. Fur this charter,
and renovations of it, the burgeffes paid large fums
to King John. ^CbarU in Brady on hurghs, up-
ptnJ.pp. ic, II.]

A. D. 109^, ^11

powering them to eled their own magiftrates, and to make laws for
their mternal government ; and alfo conferring on tbem feveral exchif-
ive privileges with refpe<a to their trade or manufaaures, which might
perhaps, be proper at the time, but which the progrefs of knowlege
and hberahty has m many inftances quietly fnfFered to fmk into oblivion,
or at leaft difufe. The inhabitants of cities and towns, reftored to the
condition of men, ventured to acquire property ; their numbers were
augmented by the acceffion of many refpedtable perfons from the coun-
try ; and m procefs of time towns, inftead of being defpifed, as the re-
cepmcle of the meaneft and rudeft clafles of the people, were diftin-
guilhed from the upland, or landward, villages, as the feats of fcietice
and urbanity, as well as of commerce.

In the trading cities of Italy navigation, and all the arts and manu-
fadtures connefted with it, were already confiderably improved. As it
was from them that the warriors of the weftern nations generally took
their pafliige for the Holy land, they were greatly enriched by the fums
paid for the tranfpor ration of fo many myriads of men, women, and
chudren. horfcs, and baggage, and for the fupplies of provinons and all
kinds ot military ftores and neceffiries, which they alone fiirniftied to
the crufaders. By thefe profitable employments, which continued for
about two centuries, a very confiderable part of the treafure of the cru-
laders centered in thofe cities, and invigorated their uiduftry and com-
mercial exertions : and by their example, together with the circulation
ot their wealth, the indultry of the reft of Italy was aroufed, and called
into profitable employment. Such were the beneficial effeds of the
holy wars to thofe cities, which continued to manage the greateft part
of the commerce of Europe, till the difcovery of America and a diredt
route to India placed the weftern nations, till then at the extremity of
the world, in the moft favourable pofition for the commerce of both.
hem.lpheres, and Italy, from being the center of the adive commerce
ot the weftern world, came to be almoft in the fituation of an inland
country, unconnedcd with, and out of the track of, the moft important
navigation. *

Even the countries which furiiiilied the moft numerous armies for the
lioly wars, and confequently fuffered moft from depopulation and ini-
poveriOiment. were, in time, roufed from the lethargy, into which they
Had hillen almoft immediately after their governments were eftablilhed
upon the lubvcrfion of the Roman domiiuon. The powers of the hu-
man mmd, though funk into the loweft abyfs of ignorance and bigotrv
could not fail to be ftimulated by the fight of countries, comparatively
enlightened and enjoying many of the comforts derived from know-
lege and mduftr)'. The weftern pilgrims Ciw with furprife the refine-
ments and opulence of the commercial cities of Italy, and were utterly
altouiflied, when they beheld the magnificence and fplendour of Con-

312

A. D, 1095.

ftantinople, where they moreover faw manufadures unknown in the
reft of Europe, and a confiderable commerce. Nor did the mutual
averfion entirely prevent them from perceiving how much their Moha-
medan enemies were fuperior to their own countrymen in fcience and
manufadures. The few, who returned home with expanded minds and
improved tafte, carried with them new arts and manuiadures, and new
plants and animals, which were naturalized in their own countries,
where they wiflied flill to enjoy the conveniencies and luxuries they had
been accuftomed to when abroad. By their example the tafte for fuch
enjoyments was communicated to their neighbours ; and as it became
neceflary to improve and increafe the native produce in order to anfwer
the increafed demand for foreign merchandize, the numbers of veflels
and feamen, and alfo of manufadlurers and merchants, at leaft in the
free ftates of Italy, were greatly augmented.

For all thefe, and many other improvements in the condition of man-
kind, the weftern world is indebted to the moft frantic enterprife that
ever was undertaken by a number of independent nations in conjunc-
tion, and which was intended only to promote the intereft of prieftcraft
and the delufion and deftrudion of mankind *.

Before the pradice of infurance reduced the hazard of the fea to
arithmetical certamty, it was more neceflary than now for the owners
of veflels to divide their rilk by holding fhares of feverals, rather than
embarking too much of their capital in one bottom. Accordingly
about this time, when infurance was certainly unknown in England,
and perhaps even in the commercial ftates bordering on the Mediter-
ranean fea, we find a half fliare of one veflel, and a quarter of another,
belonging to Godric, a native of Walpole in Norfolk, who, after fol-
lowing the bufinefs of a merchant ftxteen years, became a famous faint,
and was honoured with a vifit of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene.
[M. Paris, pp. 64, 1 1 7.]

1098 — Magnus Berfoetta (the Barefooted), king of Norway, made fome
expeditions among the Britifti iflands, the moft important of which
feems to have been about this time. Landing in Orkney, he depofed
the two conjunft earls, and then proceeded to the Sudureyar (V/eftern
iflands), Mann, and Anglefey, plundering every one of them, except
Hyona, the fandity of which he relpeded. Next direding his hoftili-
ties againft Scotland, a peace was concluded upon condition that the
king of Scotland fliould refign all pretenfions to every ifland, between
which and the main land a veflel could fteer with a rudder. Magnus
availed himfelf of the diftindion, which feems to have been intended

• It mud be acknowlcged, that Silvcfter II (or churcli of Jerufalem, tlie fruit of wlik;h was a littie

Geibert) one of the moil riilij^htciied of the popts, prehminaty cnifade, imdertakcn'iii tlie year 999 by

(owed the fiift feed* of this frciny by a letter «d- a fleet from the commercial city of Pifa. [A';/,

dieffed to all Chriftiaua in the name of the dillrcifcd Punlif, ap. Murator'i Hcript. K iii, />iiil i, p, 400. J

A. D/jo^S.

3*a

to except the iutk periicles of tUe. fhtwe, ioi'Mlaiesl ojtijy :« high ^i^fHV
and got a light veflel, wJaerein he fet with the lidm in hi* h^n4. dr#fr
ged acrofs the narrpw neck (Tarbat), \:-hich feimatts Keatire frQn»,tbf
main part of Argylcnfliire : and the Scottift king, not finding it ^v»t
dent to difpute Magnus's logic, was. tliereby tricked out ©f thst fy»
peninfuh, which, Snorro properly obferves, was more valvf»ble tb«»
any of the iflands, except Mann. Thus wer« alipoft all the leiTer Br*t-
ifli iflands, with a part of the main land, completely detached f?«m
the fovereignty of the country they naturally belong to, and jftajk ,»
province of a diftant kingdom *.

In the laft of his weftern expeditions Magnus made himfclf mafter
of Dublin, and loft his life by a fudden attack of the Irifli. [S/torr^^
Hj/i- Ma^ni Berfaetta, cc. 9-27.]

1099 — On the firft day of the new moon of November in the year
1099 the tide rofe fo high, that u di-owoed fome towns and villages, and
fwept away vaft numbers of cattle and flieep. {Chron. Sax. and Flor,
Wig. ad an.) The part of the coaft, where this inundation happened,
is not told. But the fhort account of it has apparently given rife to the
tradition of the origin of the Godwin fands, whkh, we are told, com^
pofed a part of the eftate of Earl Godwin on the main land of Kent.
But it cannot be fuppofed, that the water continued at the extraordi-r
nary height to which the fpring tide, with undoub' '1y the concur-
rence of a high wind, raifed it ; and it is more ratioi.. o believe, that
the Godwin fands owed their fo (nation, or rather their appearance
above water, to the fubfiding of the fea, which is certainly known to
have receded, or, i*^ other words, become Jbal/ower, on the adjacent
coafts of Kent.

1 1 01, Auguft 15"'— On the death of William II, his brother Henry,
tlie youngeft fon of William the Conqueror, fenfible that he could have
no title to the crown, if his elder brother Robert, then abfent in the
Holy land, was aUve, and being very eager to recommend himfeif to
the favour of both nanons, made magnificent promifes of redrefling
the grievances of the preceding reign, if he fhould be king. But the

• Tlie northern writ* ni have not acciiratdy diftin-
giiidied the two, or perliapi rather three, expedi-
tions of Magnus. Snorro fays, tli»t tlie king of
.Scotland, with whom Magnus made tlie treaty,
was Malcolm, wliich, if the firik of hit expcditiont
is rightly dated in IC96, is impoffibte ; for no Uif-
loric event Is better afcertained, tlian that Malcolm

fell in battle on the I J '* of November 1093. Lefly _ „ _.. _. _

and Buchanan, lattScotti(h writers, improving up, Wyntgwn, ngicc in placing tlie conqiiefii of the
on a blundering interpolation of Bower's, have idands by W^gnus in the reign of Elrar ; who
r:i.i.le a (lory of Donald, the brother of Malcolm, feems to have been a weak prince, as he is
'iribing Magnus to afllft him !n ufurping the crown " * • - ■

<if Scotland, for which IVrvicr, tliev fny, he gave
him all the iflands, wliich, they hippofed, were

Vol. I.

till then fubjc<a to Scotland. But the Chronicle!
of Haly-rud, of Melroa, and of Mann (a Nor-
wegian colony), Fordun and Wyiuown, the ear»
licit general hlftorisns of Scotland, and even Boyfc,
fond as he is of fable, have not a woid of any Inch
agreement.

The Chronicle of Mann, Florence of Worccfter,
William of Malmlbury, Simeotr of D«rii»m, imt!

-^ - 1 — , — ■ - .. cofn-

pared by a writer of that .ige to the monklih king

of England, Edward the ConfeflTor.
rt/. TwyfJen, cof. 367.]

Rr

3^4

A. D. 1 1 o I ,

clergy and people, knowing that his father and brother had paid no at^
tention to their verbal promifes, defired him to exprefs his good inten-
tions in writing. He accordingly executed a charter, wlurein, in order
to plcaie his Engliih lubjeds, he engaged to reftore the Saxon laws of
Edward the Confeffor, as they had been amended by his father ; and
to his Norman iubje<Sts he promifed un alleviatiorx of ibme of the moft
galling of the feudal prerogatives of the crown. But, if this charter
had been obferved, as it was not, the only article of it, which could
have meliorated the condition of the great body of the people, is a
charge, or recommendation, to the barons to make a proportional alle-
viation in the feudal burthens of their vuflals. No fuch words as com-
merce or merchant are to be found in the charter *.

The city of London appears to have now rifen to fuch confequence,
that the new king thought it proper to give a particular charter ' to
' his citizens \ of London,' wherein he grants them the farm of the
county of Middlefex to be held for an annual payment of ;C3Qo> with
ix)wer to appoint a {hirref and a jufliciary out of their own body. The
citizens are exempted from anfwering any fuits beyond the walls of the
city, and releafed from the payment of fchot, danegeld, and murder J,
and from the trial by duel §. They are delivered from the opprefllon
of the king's retinue and others taking lodgings in their houfes by force.
They and their property of every kind are exempted from paying toll,
paflage, laftage, and other cuftoms, throughout all England and in all
the fea-ports. The churches, the barons ||, and citizens, are fecured ia

• Thi» charter wal the founUation and model
of the more famous one cxtorteil from King John
by the baronn. \^Mit. Paris, p. Z^'^.—Spelmanni
doff. vo. Miigna cl.iarla.'] And it proves, that the
privileges, wliicli John was compelled to grint,
were not mw encroachmciiti upon the royal prero-
gative, as foine have pretended, hut reftorations of
the rights of the barons (not of the people) which
h.id hteu ufurpcd by the crown.

f The tcnn ciliu'tt begins now to be iifcd in
England. In the ciiarttr of William I to London
the inhabitants are ciUed ' burhwaru', burgliers,
or burgclliss. There ia, I believe, no fuch word as
ciliien in Domefday book, tlie inliabitantt of the
places called dlies being (tiled ' burgenfes,' bui-
geflcs, at well as of thofe called lurghi,

X U may feem furpriliui; that u king (houlJ
*•■■: I a general paidon for fo atrocious a crime as
ni'^der. liut the word ' murdrum' fignifits not
only murder, but alfo the fine payable for murder ;
for in thofe days every man'* price, or the fine to
be paid for mnrdcring him, was fettled by law ac-
k'ordiiig lo his rank. The community, m whofe
diftrid the murder happened, were liable for the
penalty, if the criminal could not be found : and
it rnuit be fioin this liability that the citizens of

London were freed by tlic charter. See JBiat/y on
burghs, append, p. 25.

§ • Nullus eorum faciat bellum.' In the Latin
of the middle ages btlLm, befides war, its claflical
meaning, fignifics more frequently a biulle, and
even a comijl between Ituo indlviiluiilt, or a duil.
That the later is the meaning here, appears from
the word ' duellum' being fublUtuted in the re-
newed charter granted by Ilenry II, for ' helium'
in this one.

II Spelman [_Glrf. vo, Baro] underftandt ' ba-
' rones' m this charier as meaning llie principal
men of the community, who were empowered le>
hold courts, as dilliuguilhed from the red of the
citizens (' civcs') : and he adduces, as a ilmilar ac-
teptation of the word, a brief of Henry I, diredl-
ed to Fulcher (apparently the chief magillrate),
Eiillace the lliirref, and all the barvus of Loiidour
defiring that the alibat of Ramfay may hold his
lands of the city of London. He obferves, that
the title of baron was alfo given to citiitens of
York and Cheller, and burgelfes of Warwick and
raverfliam, and in Fiance to the citizens of Boiu-
ges. — But Mathew Pari' ^pp. 749, 863,974] ap-
pears to give the title 10 a much greater nnnibcr,
or lalhci to ihc whole, of the citizens ; and parti-
cularly

A. D. iioi.

315

the peaceable enjoyment of their jurifdiaions with all their cuftoms ;
I lid It IS declared, that no citizen fliall ever be amerced in any fum
above a hundred (hillings, that being the amount of Jiis were ♦. They
are diredkd to hold the court called br/^in^ f every Monday. And their
right of hunting (a diftinguifhed and highly-valued privilege in thofe
times) m the Chiltern, Middlefex, and Surry, was confirmed to them'
as amply as their anceftors had enjoyed it.— The charter alfo contains
feveral other privileges very favourable to the citizens with refped to
the recovery of their debts, and a power to recover tolls and cuftoms
unlawfully exaded from them in any burgh or town. IWilklns Lest
Anglo-Sax. p. ^35.] ' ^

1 1 02 — In the beginning of the twelfth century (and how long, be-
fore we know not %) paper made of cotton was commonly ufed for books
and other writings. A charter, dated in thj year 1102, is exprefsly
fliid to have been written upon cotton paper (' charta cuttunea' §) in a
renovation of it by Roger king of Sicily in the year 1 145. This paper,
which had now become common in the Eaftern empire, in a great mea-
fure fuperfeded, or rather made up for the want of, the Egyptian pa-
pyrus and parchment. It is perhaps to the invention of it that we owe
the prefervation of fuch of the authors of antiquity as have come down
to us, as the fcarcity and high price of parchment had been the de-
llrudionof many ofihem; for the monkifh librarians never fcrupled
to erafe the writing of the moft valuable claffic author, in order to cover
the fame parchment with the more pretious miracles of a f:;vourite
faint. The cotton paper, however, was found not fufficiently ftout
and durable for important writings ; and therefor the emperor Frederic
II, in his Sicilian conftitutions in the year 1221, ordered that public
writings and fecurities fhould be written on parchment only. Still,
however, the cotton paper maintained its ground for other purpofes, till
It was in its turn fuperfeded by the invention of a better kind, made
of linen rags. [Montfaucon, Efaifur le papyrus in Mem. de litterature, V,
VI, p. 605 \\..—Schwandneri Specimen linea charta anliqmjfima, p. 6.]

tularly in theyear i2?8 he calls all the ci'tfzens,
alTcmbled in Gildhall, baroos. The infcription
' Sigillum baronium Londoniarum', on the city's
feal, appended to a leaff in the year 137^, [5/owV
fuiviy of London, p. 586, td. 1618] doe's not clear
the doubt.

• /*/"■'! the price of a man, or fum payable
for killlne him. Sec above, p. 314, note %.

t Hupng (not huftings) is compounded of the
Anglo-Saxon words hus, houfe, and thing, legiflor
livt, or judicial, ajjimhiy. The two words have the
fame meaning in the Icelandic language, and with
little, or oftner no, variation of fpelling, in all the
•tiier Gothic languages.

% The art of roakmy paper has been known ia

China 1600 years ago, according to Raynal. [^wf,
philof. tipolit. V. m,p. 146, ed.\^%^.\

§ It was alfo called riarta bombjcina, the word
iombycina being in thofe ages extended to cotton,
which is ftill called tambaccia by the Italians, from
whom we probably got the word bombajl (now on.
ly known in its metaphorical fenfe) for cotton,
and bombaftint for a fluff made of cotton, feeming.
ly the fame which was called afterwards %fline an<L
fujlian.

II Montfaucon carries the ufe of cotton paper
as high as the ninth century, and that of h'neit
paper as high as the twelfth. For the later he
quotes Petrus Mauriciiis [Contra JuJtot) who
wrote about the year 1140, and fays, tliat bookt

R r 2 up

^i6

A, D. 1 1 02.

The earlieft certain noti€e of a. gild, fraternity, company, or corpora-
tion, of tradefmen in England occurs in the record of a payment of fix-
teen pounds into the exchequer, made by Robert the fon of Leueftan
for the gild of weavers of London in the reign of Henry I, the year
uncertain. In the reign of Henry II they paid annually two marks (fix-
teen ounces) of gold, or twelve pounds of filver, the value of the later
being to the former as nine to one. IMadox'j Firma burg't, p. 191, for
tbe authorities.'^

II 08 — King Henry I enaded fevere laws againft the frauds of coin-
ers. And becaule the money, which was bent or broken, was general-
ly refufed, he ordered, that no perfon fhould refufe any penny, or half-
penny (which he alfo ordered to be made round, inftead of femicircu-
lar) pr even a farthing, if it was entire. [/?. Hoveden,/. 270 a *.} He
alfo direded that the mealure of the eln or yard fhould be of uniform
length throughout his kingdom ; and he made the length of his own
arm the ftandard of itf. [Knigbton, col. 2375.]

1 1 II — A vafl number of Flemings, driven out of their own country
by an extraordinary encroachment of the fea, had come to England in
the reign of William the Conqueror, hoping for fettlements and pro-
tedion from the influence of the queen, who was of their country.
William, glad of fuch an accefllon of foreigners, ftationed great num-
bers of them upon the northern froiitier, chiefly about Carlile, and
others throughout the refl: of the country. King Henry, now finding
that the Flemings did not well agree with his other fubjeds, tranfplant-
ed the whole of them to a diflrid taken from the Welfli, called Ros
(now a part of Pembroke-fliire) where their pofterity can be diftinguifli-
ed from their Wellh neighbours to this day. They were a brave and
hardy people, equally quaUfied to handle the plough and the fword;
and they were alfo Ikilful in the woollen mjuiufadure, the great ftaple

?re made of the flci'ns of various animalf, of an
Oriental plant (tlic papyrus), and ui fcrapin^^s r,f dJ
chth (« ex ral'urij vetermn paiinorutti'), whicli,
Montfaucoii fays, mull afuredly xncin paper made
of linen rags ; a concluliuu, which docs not ftcm
ncceflarily to foUow from tlie words of that author.
Might not the rags of old cotton cloth be then
employed in the manufadiurc of paper, as well a«
iiew cotton ? The fame words of Mauricina are alfo
quoted by Muratori [/Intiq. K iii, cal. 871] and
others, and have Icil fcveral writers to believe, that
paper made of linen rags is at old as the twelfth
•ciitury, of which, 1 believe, no fatisfadtory proof
has yet appeared. See below at the year 1243.

* The older authors, Florence, Simeon, &c. as
publiihed, are unintelligible upon this fubjrfl, from
the want of two words, to be found only in Hove-
den. The penny, containing; the two-hundied-and-
foilicth part of a pound ut filver, was for fcveral

centuries the largeft filver coin in Britain, and was
equivalent in real value to at Icaft tea Hiillings of
modern money. ( See the prices of corn, &c. about
this time in the Appendix.) It had on one fide a
crofs fo deeply indented, that it could tlierehy be
eifily broken into halves and quarters ; and fuch
broken pieces appear to have been the only mom y
fmaller than pennies, till now that Henry coined
halfpennies. The litll coinage of round halfpennies
and farthings of filver is afcribed to Edward \; but
we fee the coinage of round halfpennies by Henry I
related by Florence, Simeon, and Hoveden, who
all flourilhcd before Edwaid was born. Copper
coins were not introduced tdl fcveral centuries after
this time.

\ The Itandard muft have been very uncertain,
even though there had been u mark on the king's
fliouldcr to afcertain the point from wlileli the mca-
fam fhould commence.

A. D.

nil,

3^7

of their country, and in general commerce : fo that in every refped
they were a moft valuable colony, whether confidercd as a barrier
againft an enemy, or as the firft founders of the manufadhire of fine
woollen goods in England *. [Fior. Wig, p. 655.—^. Malmjb.f. 8n b._-
Gtr. Cambr. p. 848, ed. CamJ.] j j j ^

May 22^--Henry V emperor of Germany, being at Verona, gave
the duke of Venice a charter, afcertaining the dominions of the re jublic
on the mam land of Italy, and difcriminating them from his own Italian
territories, among which he reckons Luca, Pifa, and Genoa, though
theie cities had generally adted as independent fovereign republics lone
before. He prohibits his lubjeds from divlreffing any Venetian veflel
ftranded or wreciced on any part of his coafts, or ftt)m harbouring fu^
gitive flaves belonging to the Venetians. He gives them liberty of tra-
velmg by land or on the rivers ih all his dominions, and in return re-
quires for his own lubjedts only 'the liberty of the fea and the mouths of
the rivers m the Venetian territories. The charter (which is very Ion-
for that age) contains many other privileges granted to the Venetians''
luch as the unmolefted property of eftates, liberty of pafturage, cutting
wood, &c. in his dominions. {^Refpub, Venet.p. 440.}

1 ^M '^T^ ^y ™r^. ^•'L'^''^ ^^^ exaggerated ilunibr ^or fuch he intend-
cd It) of Donizo, [fTita Matildts comitiffk^, c. 20. ^p, Murmon Script. V. ivl
Pifa was now polluted by the reiort of Pagafcs, iFurks, Libyans, Par-
ihums, and Chaldseans. It is one of th« few p^fing'circumknces oe-
oiirrmg m the hiftory of mankind, that fo m^ focia! anrf^ beneficial
miertJourfe fiibfifted at this time to offend thi#>tefty ^tonkj^

Ihe cmzens of Pifa had their full (hare of the a<ilsintaK8 deri^ediiv
tlw tmding communities of Italy from the Holyj^r. Tatt^id prince
V T^ ^V^y^^"^ '.'''? engaged, in conTTderanofl of the affiftance
turnifhea by the Pifans m fubduing the Greeks of Laodicea.no'eive
them a place 4n that city, and a ftreet in AntioCh, and 'to grant immu-
nity from 6uftom.fo their ftiippirtg with liberty to ewn^ «nd go at their

^ I T" }^.t^''^^^'^^ P''"^« °^' Antioch, th« kings »f JeruHtlem,
and other Chrift.an princes who hud acquired, ^r espeded to acquire
territories m Aha. gave manv charters to the Pifans. between the Vears
no« and 1216, containing fimilar grants of very ample privileges- and
l^yn^nts, mude or promifed. lOrigiml chnrtetsin Muratoris Amiq.Y.

of Vh^"^""' '^,P!^»«« were' not without thek ihare of the calamities

.^ n . fr' r '^\' ""'^l ^'^^ ^'"^ "' ^^^"' ^^^^ 'J^eir iOands of Sar-
dinia and Corfica taken from them, by the Saracens. The idands were
recovered by the alfiftance of the Genode. But the divifiou ot'the
conqueft, With probably tlie exafperation of commercial jealoufy, im.

3'i8

A. D. II 20«

mediately kindled a war between the allies, in which the Genoefc, witli
a fleet of eighty gallies and four great fliips -carrying warlike engines,
befieged the harbour of the Pifans, and obliged them to fubmit to their
pleafure refpeding Clorfxca (September 14"^. The peace was almoft
immediately broken, and a fanguinary war, fometimes interrupted by
infincere pacifications or truces, continued to diftrefs the two neigh-
bouring and rival republics for almoft two centuries. [Stella Ann. Gen.
and Cbron. Pi/an. ap. Mur atari Script. /^. vi.] ■.,,

II 13 — A cathedral church was founded near the north bank of th#
River Clyde by David, earl or prince of Cumberland, and afterwards
king of Scotland •• The foundation of this church is entitled to no-
tice in commercial hiftory, btcaufe it gave birth to the ciiy of Glafgow,
which, after flumbering through feveral dull centuries of monkiih floth
as a bifhop's burgh, has in later times flione out as the center of the
raoft vigorous commerce and the moft extenfive manufailures in Scot-
laiuj.

1 1 20 — The pearls found in feveral of the rivers of Scotland were at
this time in great requeft. King Alexander F is faid to have exceeded
all men in that fpecies of riches ; and his pearls, on account of their
large fize and fc.perior brightnefs, were celebrated and coveted in difiant
countries. [Nicolai Epiji. in Angliafacra, V. ii, p. 236.]

1 1 21 — Scotland muft have had confidcrable intercourfe with foreign-
ers, and alfo poflelled fome degree of opulence, when even the king of
fo remote a country could enjoy the foreign luxuries of an Arabian
horfe, velvet furniture, and Turkilh armour. All thefe articles, toge-
ther with other valuable trinkets, and a large eftate in land, were pre-
fented by King Alexander to the church of St. Andrews. {Regi/ier of
St. Andrews, a venerable contemporary record.-.JVyntown s CbromcUt iKr i»j

p. 286.] ,.-\aA

Henry king of England made a navigable canal of feven miles in
length from the Trent at Torkfey to the Witham at Lincoln, in.to which
he introduced the water of the Trent f . {Sim. Dun. col. 243.]

1 1 26, September 9""— .The popes were very eager to fupprefs the
pradice of lending money at an equitable rate of intereft, which, like
all other branches of trade, muft naturally find its proper price in a fair
and open competition, in order to engrofs to their own fecret agents
and creatures a moft oppreflive trade of lending money at exorbitant in-
tereft. In a council of the clergy of England, held at Wcftminfter un-

• The church muft have been founded in the
year 1 1 13, if not earlier; for John bifliop of Glaf-
gow appears in the foundation charter of the abbay
of Selkirk, which in that year was ftocked with
iDenks of Tyron. [^Dalrymple't ColkS. p. 404^-*
JSim. Dun. col. 236.]

t DoftorStiikely [^Account of Richard of Cirtn'

ccjlcr, p. 25] fuppofes, that the Trent originally
ran ean to the (ea (as it a^ually appears in Rich-
atd't very curious map of Roman Britain) and
that it was carried northward into the Humber by
Caraufius for the benefit of inland navigation. If
Stukely is right, Henry's work was a rrftoraUM
ef the river to a pan of its antient chsnneL

A. D. i 1 2^6.

!'

y

derthe diraShon of the pope's legate. tjU clergymen were ordered
to abftain from intercft and bafe lucre •■ on pfain of degradation.
iSm. Dun. ap, rwyfden, col. 354.] Under the operation of fo ihjiKHcious
4t«ettriaion, the clergy, who could not engage in trade themfclv.». +
were obhged to keep their money dead befide them, as few would chufc
tch run any riflj ot lofs or inconvenience by lending it, when they could
derive no emoluinent from it. But fome laws are fo prepofterx)U8 that
they become void by a tacit general confcnt without being forma Iv re-
pealed : and that fuch was the fiite of this one, may b-- inferred from a
more rigid renovation of it in a fubfequent council of the clergv held
at Weftmmfter (,3'' December 1138) under the dire-aiou of Smother
papallegatie. [Rtc. Hagujldd. col. 327.] • ,oKf..,n °

-^ rijo— The Venetians obtained a charter from BaldMnlT; kine of
Jerulalena, oonvdymg to thtin themoft ample powers, privileges -mrl
immunities, m all cities^ lubjed to himfelf and his barons ; fogether
with the property ot the third part of the cities of Tyre and Afcalon
when he flxould take them from the Saracens by their help. \Ghart\
Muraton AnUqV, ii ../. 919.]. We have already feen fimilJr grams
made to the Pilans {abcv,,p. 317) and many fuch were obtained from
time to time by the commercial ftates of Italy, who, leaving to the
weftern nations the glory of being the principals m the frenzy of ruin
ing themfelves for the aggrandizement of the popes, wilely drew to
themfelves the profits (negleded indeed by their weftern aUies) of tr.ff
ing under the protedion of the armies of the crofs.

The melancholy confequence of wooden buildings being crowded to-
gether was fatally experienced in the city of London in tw6 dreadful
conflagrations. In the firft (a-. 1,32) almoft the whole of the city was
burnt down The lecond (h». i 135) began at London bridge, and Z
tendmg weftward as far as the church of the Danes (now St. Clement

T!^',''''u ""I'^^'^/^^y^^'^S^" itsprogrefs. and among the reft the
cathedral church of St. Paul. {Mat, Wejbn. pp. 241 242 ]

King Henry about the later end of his reign was induced, by the

compla,mcs of the tenants of his demefne lands, to convert the rents

formerly paid entirely, or almoft entirely, in the real produce of the

foil, to a hxed rate in money ; whereby the tenants were relieved from

the laconvemence, expenfe, and oppreifion, they often fuffered in con-

• ' Ufuram ct turpe lucruni.'_A« the contriv-
trs of thofe canons made no difference between the
raoll (.loderatc and the moll exorbitant interelt, the
name of iirmy (in uiodern language rcfttiaed,
tl.oupK rather Improperly, to the later) was indif-
cnminately applied to any allowance or comperifa-
Hon given for the life («fnra) of money ; and it ii
here joined with bafe or dkgraccful lucre iii order to
make it appear equally criminal.

t The council held at Weftininfter in 11 75, .

JMo^mg tht mJluMtu of the father,, prohibited
monks and clergymen, under the pain of auatluma.
from trading for profit. ISpelmau Comil. F. ii
^' ',°3:J There are in the councils many other-
prohibu.on. againft the clergy engaging i„ trade,
one of the reafon, aflitrned being. Icuuf bun.^
a^afttmg cannot be trtmfaa^d •withuut fin. Ct ^jjg (
l^cydidnot think it any fin »or idle aVonc, t.
conluiue the produce of other men's iaduihy

3io

A. D. .ii^^o.^

veying the kiog's part of their crops, aniu^aJs, Que. tp diftant places ; and
the king ohtained Ji, revenue, more convenient, ^^ nvMtt eaiily ap|>lH^,
able fo every purooJEe whatever, ipiahg. de. Jcaccariit^ /,, i, c. 74 tl

U36, 1 13B — ^The commercial city of Araalfi, and fawE neighbouring
cities, fubjedl to, or allied ^vith, it, were twice taken and deftroyed, or
pillaged, by the forces of the rival commercial city of Pifa, wjbich for
foroe years part had repes^edly triumphed over the Sai;aq,ens of Afrif^j
Spain, and the Balearic iflands. [Cbran. Pi/tuh and Brevjaxiam Hifi. Pifan.
in Mur atari Script. V. vi.] But Amalfi recovered in fome rntiilUire ixoitt
thefe difaflers, and dill poUellbd fomc degree of commer(^ial and i)Atiti-
cal eminence. . . , v

The maritime laws of Amalfi were adopted in the kingdow pf Naples,
according to Freccia, a Neapo^itaoa authoj: of the luteenth c;entur.y, who
fays, that in his time maritirop controvcrfies continued ttt be determiOf,,
ed by the tahk of Amnlfi in preference to the Rhodian law. r$fiQ Mr<ne'
man Dijf. de rep. Amulpbitaua, § 18.] . I believe, the tirs^ wheijl tUcfe
law5 were enacted cannot be accurately afccrtained. ,^1 ^ ,«fioJ '1

An antient and authentic copy of luftinian's Pandeds, discovered at
Amalfi, when it was taken by the .Pifans, ha» been generally fuppolid
the original of all the copies ijow extant in {Europe, Thoygjb the Pan-
ders were undoubtedly known in France before this time (as appears
by quotations taken from thenx by Jyp de Chartres, wh^ died i» thiC;,
year 1 1 17) the difcovery of the Arpajfit^n copy, and the nunifrous.tranr <:
fcripts made from it, gave a ne>v fpr^ig to the fiudy of the Roman civil
law, which quickly fpread from Italy over the reft o& Evurope- [See
Brencman H'tft. PandeSl.} The Pandects were knQwn,- in England at leaft
as early, as the year 1 140, [^eld^n dd Fletam, c. 7^ and ^in.the co]Uj;iie of
the twelfth century, they wf;re fludied in every part of Eurppe ; find
henceforth property became more fe^ure, and i^hp^^ate of (ocfpty wi^
improved. , [See RpbertfotCs Hj/i. qf Cha.V^, V.,Up.\^Z%f ed* i792^8w.l^,j

1 1 39 — Though the commercial figics of Italy regujlated their gaverjir ,
menis, eleded their magiilrates, made war and peacp, and a^cd in,allj-
r^fpedls ^s independent fovereigjns., yet, all of xlufm, j;xseW;,,V^yi'^rt
ad^nowlege4 the fupremacy of the king, or enmeror^ ol", Germany in
his chara.dei' of emperor of the Romans. Jn th^ ci^irafter Gonrtwi
gave the (j^noefe a charter, ^mpovfecing thero tocoio rapuey of gold
or other metals, having on one fide the crofs, the ftandard of Genoa, ,'
with the words * Conradus rex R(manorum,\ and on, tKe other fide tho
word * "Janua^ for the name of the city. [Stella An. Gen. ap. Muratort
ScU'lpt. V. xvii, col. 974.]

'About the year ij'jo the Genoefe, I^eing profperous and opulenjt, bar
gati' to thmk of enlarging their territories, and obliged the people of
feVerat neighbouring' Vowns, or little ftates (for almoft every town had
a dependent diftrid) to fwear allegiance to them. Without cnumerat-

A. D. ii39. 3ai

ing the petty ftates incorporated with Genoa by conqueft or purchafe.
but moft frequently by the later, it maybe fufRcient to obftrve, that
all the counts, marquifes, lords of caftles, and alfo many cities, which
had acquired independence of the emperors or other fuperiors by pur-
chafe or by takmg advantage of the convulfions of the times, throuirh-
out the whole extent of the Ligurian coaft, became, one after another
fubjed to the powerful city ox^ Genoa, upon fuch terms as they could
make for thcmfelvei ♦. [Cq/^ari Ann. Gen, L. i, ap. Muratori Script V
VI. — Mvratori Antiq. ^. iv, fo/. i6i.] ^ " *

What is here faid of Genoa hoWs equally true, though on a fmalier
fcale, with rer,.ea to Pifa, and the other chief cities of Italy

1140— Adclphusearlof Nordalbing, having acquired the province
of Wagreland. then alraoft depopulated by the expulfion and Slaughter
ot the blavi, and finding the ruins of a town on a peninfula formed bv
the jundion of the rivers Trave and Worhniz, which he thought an ei

''f nSll^'^u^^'".? ^"''°"''' ^^'^ ^ ^"y *^"«' "^^ gave it The name
ot Lubeck. The adjacent country was foon occupied and cuhivated by
mduttrious people, whom he invited, and encouraged by grants of lands
to remove from Flanders, Holland, Fufeland, &c. and Lubeck. fituated
m a country naturally fertile and interfered by navigable rivers foon
became a celebrated emporium, having many veffcls belonging to the
inhabitants^ The trade of th« neighbouring cities was fo much eclipfed
by It that Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony, who appears to have been
over-lord ot the country, demanded of Adolphus one half of his new
city as a compcnfaticm for the lofs he fullained by the diminution of the
trade of his city of Lunenburg, and, on his refufal, prohibited the fale
of any kind of merchandize at Lubeck, except articles of food. He
alfo fhut «p the fountain* of fait at Thodeflo, in order to promote the
fate of the fait of Lunenburg, and ordered the feat of the trade to be
transferred to Bardwik. A conflagration, which happened in the year
ii58.wt>uldhavenimcd the city irrecoverably, if Adolphus had not
then refigned It m Henry, who, to induce the citizens to r,- .'Id their
Houles, immediately revoked the prohibition of trade, eftabli. " i mint
and a cuftom-h<mfe, and fent roelTengers to all the coumnr ; of the
North to mvite the merchants ttf trade with Lubeck. Thus fupr rted
the aty innmediately fprung up out of its afties, and the number of in-
babitantt dbyly increafing it foon became more profperous than before,
W^ta Adolphi ex HelmUi AHn.^BertU Rer. Getm. L, ui, /. 177.]

' \* T^"^^^*' °^ "^^^ ^^^ Roman empire in Europe (at this time
nearly the fame m extent with the modem European Turkey), even in
itt degenerate ftate continued to cxcell all the reft of Europe in the qua-
hty and variety of its manufaaures. and in the ingenuity of its work-
that the Genoefe aod Pi&n» conteftwi the fo>-creignty of Sar£am

* It has already been obferred;
and Corfica.

Vol. I.

Ss

.>?«'

A. D. I f 46.

men and artifts. Thai country alone, at leaft of all the Christian ooun*-'
tries of Europe, poflefled the valuable flock of filk-worrtis; which had
been tranfplanted from the remotcft extremities of the Eaft about? four
hundred years before; and the Greeks were the only Ghriftians of Eu-
rope, who manufadlured the ftill pretious and coftly articles of luxury
fabricated from the fpoils of the filk-worm. But now the time was ar-
rived, when that manufafture was to be more widely difperfed. Roger,
the Norman king of Sicily, invaded Greece with a fleet of feventy gal-
lies, and carried off the wealth of Athens, Thebes, and Corinth. But,
what was infinitely the moft valuable part of the prize, and what pecu-
liarly diftinguifhed this war from all others, which have no other con-
fequeiKes than the exaltation of one individual, the deprefllon of an-
other, and the mifery of millions, was the rapture of a great number
of filk weavers, whom he carried off from thofe cities, and fettled
Palermo, his capital city. By the king's order the Grecian prifon it
taught his Sicilian fubjeds to raife and feed filk-worms, and to weave a.i
the varieties of filk fluffs. And fo well did the Sicilian pupils profit by
their inflrudions, that the filk fabrics of Sicily, about twenty years af-
ter the tranfplantation of the manufaiShire, are defcribed as excelling in
variety of patterns and odours ; fome with gold intermixed, and adorn-
ed with figures or pidurej, and others embellifhed with pearls. iOtto
Frifing. de geji. Friderici, L. i, c. ^^^ ap. Murator't Script. V. vi^coL ^68. —
Falcandi Hiji. Sicul pr^. ap. Muratori Script. V. vii, col. 256.}

Though all the Chriflian part of Europe, except Greece, had been
ignorant till now of the art of mmaging the filk-worm and the produce
of its induftry, the Saracens had before this time obtained the know-
lege of the various operations of the filk manufadure. and fpread it
over all their wide-«xtended' dominions. Lilbon and Aloiea'iii, two Sa-
racen cities of Spain, were particularly famous for their manufaiSures
of filk : and the iflands of Majorca and Ivica paid their tributes to the
king of Aragon in filks of Almeria, or more probably in filks made in
imitation of thofe of Almeria. {Oito Frijing. op. Muratari Antiq. V. ii,
fo/. 408. — i/cw<frfw, /. 382 a, b.}

By thefe means was the important manufadlure of iilk laid! open to
the ingenuity of the weflem nations. 11

1 147 — L^on was taken from the Saracens by Alfonfoj the Sovereign
of the newly-ereded kingdom of Portugal, chiefly by the afliftance of
a company of about fourteen thoufand adventurers, confifling moflly
of Englifh, with fome Normans, Flemings, and others, bound to the
Holy land *. [Chron. Norm, ad an. — Vit, Pont. Rom. ap. Muratori Script.
V. in, part, i, p. ^^B.—'Hetir. Hunt,/. 226 a.] The Saracens of Almeria

• The NttherlandetB claim the Mi merit of this opportune afliftance, in confequence of which they
enjoy certain privilege! in Furtugal, conferred upun them by the gratitude of the fovercigc.

fcholtn't Foyage:, p. 460, EnjL Iran/l,"}

[Z,w.

A. D. 1147. 322.

being exceedingly troublefome to the Chriftians, the Genoefe, at the
requeft of the pope, fitted out a fleet of 73 gallies and 163 other vel-
fels, wherewith they attacked that city, which, with the afliftance of
the count of Barcelona, and (according to our EngUfli hiftorians) of the
above-mentioned adventurers, they reduced. The Genoefe, after paff-
ing the winter in Barcelona, in the enfuing fummer aflifted the count
in taking Tortofa, for which they had one third of the plunder. {Stelltt
An. Gen. ap. Muratori Scnpt. V. xvii, col. 982.]

Norwich, which William of Malmlbury {Gejia pontif. f. 136 a] calls
a populous village (* vicum*) remarkable for its merchandize, was now
rebuilt, made a corporation (• communitas'), and given by King Stephen
as an appanage to his fon William. \Membran. ant. ap. Camd. Brit. p.
422, ed. i6co.]

ii53-7-7^e Scots loft their good king David, under whofe equitable
and auljpicious government the commerce o( the country had begun to
floufifti. He was the youngeft cf King Malcolm's f.x fons by Queen
Margaret ; and he pafled his early youth at the court of England under
the eye of the queen his fifter, who was a patronefs of learning and the
arts. Having thereby acquired feveral branches of fcience hitherto un-
known in his own lefs civilized country, he made great improvements
in the agriculture, horticulture, and architedure, of Scotland after his
acceffion to the crown. He alfo made foreign merchandize abound in
his harbours, exchanging the produce of Scotland for the wealth of
other kingdoms ; and he gratioufly attended to the applications of all
pertbns, whether clergy or laymen, ftrangers, merchants, or farmers.
[A/red* ap. Fordtw, pp. 465, 473 ed. Heartie; or ed. Goodall, V. ii, pp.
302, 305.] We have alio very good realon to believe, that he intro-
duced new manufodures in his kingdom : for, us we know, that about
twenty years after his death the towns and burghs of Scotland were
chiefly occupied by Engliih inhabitants, \_W. Newbrig. L. ii, c. 34] their
fettlement may with the greateft probability be afcrioed to David, who
would doubtlefs wifti to eftablifh in his own country the arts and manu-
tadurcs he fhw pradifed in England in a comparatively-improved ftate
during his long refidence in that kingdom. His law ., containing regu-
lations for the manufadurers, dyers, and drefiers, of woollen cloth, (re-
ferred to in the charter given by his grandfon William to Perth f) were
apparently intended for the regulation and encouragement of thofe va-

• It mud be rumtmbend, that AHrrd, ElrcU,
or Ethilii;d,lli(; author of I'lis iuftriiiatioB, though
profcfTfdly writing the prailVs of I)aviJ in the work
litre qiioicd, vi-;i» an c»e witnefs of what lie relates,

' a wiitcr of refpcCtablc authority

.1111

t A traiilUtioii (jppareutly a
liic charter of Perth may be fewi

very bad one 1 iif
ill Coil's Afuf-t

ihrtntdk, y. ii| />. 6. The ucglcd of my applica-
tion for a copy of the original (and it is not \wg)
by a perfon who had it in his power to oblige mc
with It, was one of three inilances tjf fuqh cqqduS^
I have met with in the courfe of coUcAing mate-
rials for this work.

S s a

1»4

A. IX ii5$>

luable n«^ fuiijtt^h, by whofe- inftrudion and example herhopcd to. vtin-
der the natives of Scotland more induftrious and civilized than they had
hitherto been; and it is alio probable that fome of thenewtownsieredt-
ed by him, [jiilred^ ofK ForeUm^ p^ 473] were deiliiicd fqr the receptioBi
of thofe Mew inhabitants. Several laws for the regulation of weigbts
and m«afure&wer€ enafted by him. \A&s, James 1, c. 80, or 70 ofMsf'
ray't *</.] jAiad, though the book, generally knowa by the same oTtj?^
giam majejiotem, and profeffitig to contain the antient laws, <rf Scotland,
coUeft^d, as was fuppofed, by order of King David, is now geaieradly
abandoned as an ill-condu6ted forgery, there feems reafon to beiiete,
■tbat'/A<f laws andcu/hnu of the Imrghs <f Scotland were zeaUy eplla<^d
and committed to writing, and moft ^ them^ probably ena^ul^ in M&
reign*. By thefe laws ',1 % -, ,i; ■ .,; ^u ym i ■■] ."hm,.

c. 10) All goods brought by fea were to be land«d prior to their fale,
except fait and herrings, which might be fold onboard the veflels.
Ci 17) The vaflal of an earl or baron, who bought a burgage, and re*
mained a year and a day ia a burgh without being molefled or clainted
by his lord, was declared a free man for ever f. ■•. *'n

c. 18) Foreign merchants were not permitted .to. bay wooly^Jondefifti^r
other g»iods from any but burgefles.! >>t\ui-nu> ■ ^^ ^h Mam

c. 22) None but burgefies weie pernjitted to buy wool for dying ©r
making into cloth, or to cut cloth for fabj > 'Bun < the owners o^&eep
were allovvTcd the free ufe of their own wool a—., *■■.,'' '\,

Rcom c. 48 it appears that fome of the merchants of Scotland traded
JO foroign countries ; and their land* were declared exempt from feizure
for any claim whatever during their abfcnce,. unldfl they appeared to
ablent themfelves on purpose to evade juftic&i -aw ,li y-innH- i.*- 1 '
c. 52) The burgeffes were required to have tlr^ meafures of loagth
and capacity, and their weights, marked with the feal of the burgh,
V A filver mine (' argentaria'), which King David worked in his pro-
vince of Cumberland, [Jk Hagi^ald, col 280] is the earlieft in firitaia,

* It mud be acknowleged that feveral chapters

of the Legtj lur^orum, wherein provofts and bailies

.'iippeir at the only magiilrates of the towns in

Scotland, which !«uig «A«r David's rdgn were ee>

noraliy gsveriied by aldermen, were evidently ni-

rjtnftted after the fourteenth centiirv. Neither

norally gi
Urjtnftted
are th« wordo

t late learned and worthy judge, and alio a Icarn-
'ed kecpir of the records of Scotland, to fay that
ihfife laws arc mcntionedby Ualdre(t (rather Ailred

I'r Ethclred) a contcmporaiy writer, any proof;
%t tVi-'y nrt interpolated by uowar in his continua.
♦Irm 6t Ferdwn, arid arc not In the works of Aiirud
W'FflTrdon. Biit, tl.ough fome parts of the laws of
the btirghs, as pohliOied by Skene along with his

freateft part of them, are as old as the reign of
_)aTid I. A charter of Iiis grandfon, King, Wil-
liam, requires all petfons reiorting to the fair at
Glafgow to obferve thi affife of hi. hirghi : IGii'
/oit*i Hijl. of Glufrov),p. ^01] and ihe laws end
enfiomt of tie hur^t undoubtedly conllituted a part
of the ellahiifhed law of the land before the death
of Alexander III, as appears from an antient re.
cord prcftrved in jlyloffe't Calendars, p. 33c. and
in pleadings of tlie year i2$i,pubti(hedby Ryley.
TPtat. pari. p. 147.3 ■^"^ no one can Aippofe
that they were enafted in the turbulent aenod of
the regency. ' ' '

f This regi.ilation, aftd fom« itKers in tht Scot-
ti(h bi(**h laws, ire copied from thC fingli/h laws

'J^cliVioi iwa/»;farfin, have been inferred m later ages, afcribcd to Kirg Edward the
it is undeniable that othri' parti, probably the aboTC,' p. •307. '"' '

igli
CcJnfcflbr.

See

A. IX 175^. 5^5

of which I have found any particular or certain notice iiace the time of
the Romans, or at leaft of Bedc *. .!,,„ ,m ,, i i ,i<

Jtisof more importance to obferve, that in hir reigr the Firth of
Forth was fcequently covered with boats manned by Eni^li{h,,5cottiih,
and Belgic, fifhermcn, vrho were attraded by thft great abundance of fifti
(moft probably herrings) in the neighbourhood of the Uland of May.
[A contemporary writer, MS. Bib. €ott. Tit. A, xix, / 7a k] This, .if 1
miftake not, is the very firft authentic and pofitive notice of a fifhery,
having any claim to confideration as ^commercial objed, upon the'
Northf-Britifli coaft f . id l

i^] :.! Ii35-i 1 54,--The mifcries of civil war were felt in the g.-eateft extrem>.
fey in England during the unhappy leign of Stq)hen. The vaft trea-
fures left by his predeceflbr were exhaufted in fuppocting the foreign
mercenaries, whon he was obUged to emjdoy to rciift the claim of the
lawful heirs of He 7 I, and to cnifti the difcontents of the people :
and he was driven to the wretched expedient of corrupting and dimin-
ifliing the coin, which, however, was afterwards reftored to its due pur-
ity and weight. In this difaftroas' reign 1,115 new caftlcs were built
in £ngiland by the earls and barons ; and there were as many petty ty-
rants, as there were caftles, every cme of whom exercifed the powers of
fovereignty^ carried oix war, opprefied the people, and ifToed money of
hirown coinage. In a word, the miferable people were utterly ruined.
[W. Malmjb.f. 105 a.—/?. Diceto, cpI. S2^-^W. Newbrig. L. i, c. 22.]
r^hFroan the general calamities of England the country north of the
Teefe was exempted by being under the mild and prudent adminiftrft-
tion of David king of Scotland. \Bromton, col. xo-^d.^

1 154— Henry II, the new fovereign of England, by his marriage with
Eleanor dochels of Aquitaine (the divorced queen of Louis the Ywmg,
kmg of France) which took place about two years before his acceffion'
acquired the bcft wine country in France. By that addition to his he-
redit»y dominions he became nnafter of all the well fide of that king-
dom from the Pyrensean mountains to Picardy : and confequently, after

♦ There fetms to l,Hve been at leall ao Mpefta-
tion of frndiiiggold in Fife: for King David gave
» grant to tli« abbay of Dunftmiline of all tlie
Jitlut of Bold which might ■Come to him frem
Fif* apd Folhrif (or rather FortLrev, the upoer
pait of the pjcniiifula). \^Chart. qu. In Dalrjmfe't
jfnnais, f^. i, /. J97.] But, that any gold vras
tver obtaijitd Trom a mine in tliat part of the
eountry, does not, I believe, aaywhere appear.

f O^ere, if it it pot alfo the earheft notice of
EnigVift fi(henhen going fo far from their own
port! en a filhing voyage, if they were, indeed,
lubjefls of England } for in tiie age of the wrjur
here quoted the Scoltifti fuhjedi on the fouth Cde
of the rirth of Forth were called Eiigliflu, u I

have made appear in Gtograpbical ilhi/lrafiont v/
Scotlj/h hiflory, under the artitlcs jin^li, Loulhian,
Northymbra-laad, Scot/ami.— Perhipt this almoll-
unknown paflage may alfo give the pcopU of tht
NetherUnda the moft antient authentic information
of a diftant fi(hiry reforted to by their Belgic an-
ceftora, the fteady and prudent prcf-cution of
which made tJiem high and mighty among the na-
tiona of Europe.

An account of a Seottifh filhery, apparently un-
founded, has aheady been infeited (/. s;,3). from
Mr. Anderfon, whofc author I have uidcavoured.
to difiover. A fifliery iu the reign of ..Kiug Mac.
bcth bai alfo been prefumcd (/. ag^J) upon grob-
afcle groundi. ■ ,, ,

326

A.tBi i%4f'.

his accefKion to the cfowu of Enj^and, the mtrchants bf all the French
ports on the Ocean, except Boulogne and Calais, were fellow-fuhjeds
with thofe of England; a circomftance, which mufl certainly Imve been
very favourable to the commercial interelts of both countries.-, rif;i| ttni

But Henry, ; fat from being fatisficd with the pofleffion of England
and about a third part of France, vcryifoon caft his eyes upon Ireland
asa convenient addition to his dominions. He had no pretext of a quar-
rel with the Irifli : but he propofed to reform their I'eligionarwi their
morals ; and for fuch a pious undertaking it was thought proper to 'ib-
licit the approbation of the infallible head of the church. His ambaf*
fftdorwas inftruidcd to reprefent to the pope his zeal for enlarging the
bounds of the church, inftruding the ignorant, and extirpating vice,
by bringing Ireland under his own dominion : and, as all iflands belong
to the holy fee, he defired to !:« advifed and authorized by the pope;
and he took care to promife an annual payment to St. Peter of one penny
out of every houfe in Ireknd, and engaged to fupport the rights of the
churchin that ifland. rmwiit" .-isrntrj'

The chair of St. Peter ^vas at this time filled by Adrian IV, the only
Englilhman who ever attained that fummit of ecclefiaftical ambition.
But the partiality of the pope, if he had any, for the fovereign of his
native country, could be but one of his motives for promoting Henry's
ambitious views. The king had acknowleged his right :o the fovereign-
ty of all the iflands of the lea, (is Great Britain not an ifland ?) and
he had promifed a large increafe of the papal revenues. Moreover, the
Irifti were very undutiful fons of the church : for, though it is well
known, that, when the English (or Saxons) were funk in the grofl!eft ig-
norance, the Irifli poflefled fo great a ihare of what were efteemed re-
ligion and fcience in thofe days, that their country was called tbe ijland
of faints, and many parts of Britain were indebted to them for the firft
rudiments of religion and literature, they were afterwards far behind
the reft of Europe in conforming to the innovations, and fubmitting to
the encroachments of the fee of Rome. 'They were accufed of marry-
ing within the degrees of confanguinity, forbidden by the church of
Rome, without purchafing ecclefiaftical difpenfations ; their clergymen,
and even bifliops, were married ; they fcarcely ever admitted palls from
Rome ; they negledted the payment of tithes and firft-fruits ; and in
fome parts of the country they ate flefti in lent. Thefe were crimes
fuflicient to draw upon them the difpleafure of the pope, who fent
the king a bull encouraging him to proceed in the conqueft and con-
verfioii of Ireland *, together with a gold ring, by which he appeared
to afllime the rijht of beftowing the inveftiture of the ifland as a vaflal

• The pope's bull, or rommiflio- may be feen raldi Camhrmt» Hib. eKptgnata, which tlfo con-
in Rymer't Failern AnglU, F. i, ^. 15, and in tains the origin and progrefi of the conquel\ uf
mod uf the EnglKh hilluriiins, particularly in Gr- Irehtitd.

A. D.

II

54-

3*^r

kingdom. The bull and the ring were both laid up in the archives at
Winchefter, to be produced whenever a favourable opportunity fhould
offer. > And this was the firft ftep towards the union of Great Britain
and Ireland.

!» At this time Scheriffal Edriffi, a Saracen fubjed of Roger king of
Sicily, wrote his Geographical amufements, which he prefented to that
prince. Ke follows Ptolemy in conneding the fouth part of Africa with
the eaft part of Afia ; and, if we may judge from the Latin tranfiation
of his work, he knew little more of the north parts of Europe than that
antient geographer did. He relates, that fome of the Saracens of Spain
had ventured out upon the Ocean, in order to difcover the extremity
of the world, and, after eleven days failing, had turned to the fouthward,
and landed in the Canaries, where they learned that a king of one of
thofe iflands had alio been out on a voyage of difcovery, and, after be-
ing a month at fea, had lately returned home *. [See Mem. de I'aeade-
wfV, r. xxviii,^. 524.]

1 155 — The arrival of the emperor Frederic in Italy ftruck fuch ter-
ror into the Genoefe, that they fortified their city \*ith vmreraitting ex-
ertion, and even the women and children laboured in conftru<Sing the
walls. The remains of thefe walls, far within thofe ereded in the years
1327 and 1347, {how how fmall the city then was in comparifon of the
( xtent it afterwards attained. {Siella An. Gtn. ap. Muratori, Script. V.
XTii, coL 974.]

• While the Genoefe dreaded a conteft with the military forces of the
emperor of the Weft, whofe dominions were invulnerable by their naval
power, the emperor of the Eaft, thefucceflbr of the Roman fovereigny
of the world, was courting their friendfhip by a treaty, binding him to
pay for ever an annual pfsnfion of two hundred perpers f and two palls
(rich robes) to the community, and another of fixty perpers and one
pall to the archbiftiop, of Genoa, and alfo to gi^e them a fadory or
comptoir (' fondicum' %), and a church, in his capital city of Cwiftantin-

>,• Cao thi» be true I Had the Satawjis the ufc
(if the compafs ) Could the Canary king, who
liirelyhad no compaf*, ever find hia own ifland
.ifter being a month at fea I This curious inform^
ation fhowi, howevsr, that the notion of the ex-
igence of weftern lands prevailed in thofe ages in
tcveral countries : and to the fame notiun^ probab-
ly, the land called Cokaigne, far in the fea be-weft
Spain, owes its imaginary exiftence, as it is de.
Iciibed in An £ngli<h poem of the twelfth century,
preferved in Hicke's Tbtfauiut linguarum fepltn-
trionalium.

f Perferi, or hyftrftri, vrere gold coins ftruck
by the emperors of ConiUntinople in this bo-c ;

[Du Cange Gloff. Let. vo, Hjperptrut\ aud they
ad alfo other coini called ly»4>Hlu, /cy/ali, and
mkla/aii. Dnt, though the value of Uie couta of

antient Greece is known with tolerable certainty,
that of the Grecian coins of thefe later dark ages
is, I believe, totally unknown. From the pay*
ment of the arrears of a fimilar tribute to Pifa, in
the year 1 17a (which fee), there feems reafon to
believe, that perperi and byzantii were the fame.

t In the principal commercial cities, fuch aa
Conilantinople and Alexandria, the merchanu of
each trading nation had their own appropriate
funditvs (called by the lUiHiirA fonitchi, aqd by the
Catalans olfundtch, the name being apparently
Arabic), in which they lived atid ftored theit
gO(}ds, every individual paying a rent for his ac-
commodation. Such, in England, were the Teu-
tonic gild hall, and, in later times, the Steelyard,
in London, occupied by the merchants of Ger-
many ; and, in Scotland, the Red hall \» Derwick,

occupied

m

A- D. 1 155.

ople, a«4 to reduce the cuftoms upon their merchandize, from a tenth
ro a twenty-fifth, or from ten to four per cent. William, king of Sicily,
alfo endeavoured to gratify the commercial jealoufy of the Genoefe by
a treaty, engaging to cxpell the merchants of Provence and France from
his territories (a". H56). Thus were the political events of the neigh-
bouring nations made to promote the commercial interefts of the Ge-
noei'e. Neither did they confine their friendly intercourfe and connec-
tions to Chriftian fl:ates, nor were they fuch bigots as to fuppofe that
difference of belief in matters of religion had any concern with com-
mercial connexions, but entered into treaties of friendfhip and com-
merce with the Saracen kings of Spain and Morocco in the year xi6i *
ICqfiari AnntUes Gen. ap. Muratori, Script. V. vi, coll. 365-277.}

1156, January 6^^^ — The maritime kingdom of Mann, fbumJ d by
Ketil about the year 890, as already obferved, comprehended Mann,
an4 all the iflands on the weft fide of Scotland, and flouriihed i confi-
derable power, being frequently formidable to the adjacent coafts of
England, Scotland, and Ireland. But King Godred, tht 'on of Olaf,
having loft the afiedions of fome of the chiefs by his tyranny, they fet
up Dugal, the fon of Somerled, lord of Argyle, by a daughter of Olaf,
as king againft him ; and after a bloody naval battle, the iflands were
now divided between the rivals by a treaty, which, the ch^ronicler of
Mann fuys, proved the ruin of the kingdom^

1 1 56 — ]'>om the confidcrable number of Englifh hiftorians who
fiouriflied in the twelfth century, with fome help from other writers,
and from charters, &c. we liave a pretty gnod account of leveral
of the towns of England, and even of fome of Uioie of Scotland, about
this time.

London being now eflablifhed as the capital of the kingdom, nu^
of the nobles and bifhops had handfome houfes f in or near the city :
but the houfes of the citizens were generally built of wood, and thatch-
ed with ftraw j and thence tha city was hable to frequent fires. Fitz-
Stephen, a writer of this age, fays, that the citizens were remarkable
for their politcnefs, the elegance of their drefs, and the magnificence of
tlicir tables, and that their wives excelled in every .;rtue. The citizens

occupied by thofe of flanderi. And they paid
renti to communitiet ax to individuals. The mer-
diante of the Steelyard paid £10 13:4 fterling
to the city of London [&««>'/ Surwj ef hondoa, p.
433, tJ. 161 83 ; and the widow of Robert Guif-
card, duke of ApuUa, gave the rents aizkfundicKs
in Amalli to the muiiattery of Moiitc Calino.
[Cbrom. Co/in. L. m,-e. 56.— See alio Hailuyt's
y<Htiret, V. it, /. 199, where \.)^t featecbi at Ak'l-
andna itexphuied to be * an houfe of tratique a«
tbe Sti!yard.*J

* \ iiave not inquired, whether they thought it
mvrx\^ tbeif while to purclmfe a licence from the

pope for trading with iofideli, a« the Portuguef*
repeatedly did in later time*.

f The ftone houfe of a citizen of London ia
mentioned by Btnediatu AUaj, V. i, f. 197.—
Geffrey Martel in jthc reiga of Henry II Md a
piece of land with a ftone houfe in Loadoo. [Ma-
A)x't Formmkn, p. 178.]— The houfes of fome
Jtws in London, appear to have been of ftone in
t he year 1 a l J . f Ai*/. C^laJI, qu. in Sitw's An-
W«,/>. 258.1 Theace it may be prefuaied, that
thehoufct of tbe noble* and bifhopa \«-ere not ef
inferior matcriali„ though thoie of the middle and
infiRiar rank* were of wood.

A. D. 1156.

3*9

wefe diftinguifhed from thofe of moft of the fmaller towiis by the a^i-
pellation of barons *. With a pardonable partiality, Fitz-Steph6n fays,
that no ity in the world exports its merchandize to fuch a diftance :
but he has unluckily negle<fted to inform us of the fpecies cf goods ex-
ported, or the countries to which they were carried, nonv-. of which
were very diftant, according to our modem enlarged ideas of naviga-
tion. Among the imports ha enumerates gold, fpices, frankincenfe
from Araibia ; pretious ftones from Egypt ; purple drapery from India ;
palm-oil from Bagdad ; all which he might, perhaps with more ftria
propriety, have derived immediately from the trading cities of Italy.
Furs of various kinds, he fays, are brought from Norway and Ruflia i
arms from Scythia ; and wine from France. The venders of the vari-
ous commodities, and labourers of every kind, are dayly to be found in,
I heir appropriate and dillind places f; and every Friday a market is
heM in Smithfield for horfcs, cows, hogs, &c. The city, with the fub-
urbs, contains 1 3 large conventual churches, and 126 parochial ones.
According to our author, no fewer than 60,000 foot and 20,000 horfc
iflhed from the city in the reign of King Stephen t The city is ftrong-
ly fortified with caftles and turrets, and furrounded by a wall with fevea
gates, exc^t on the fouth fide, where the river has undermined the an-
tient wall, which the protedKon of the palatine tower at the eaft end of
the city now renders, unneceflary. The king's palacq at Weftminfter is
two iTiiIes fl-bm the city § ; and the intermediate fpace is almoft filledM
up with the houfes and gardens of the citizens 1|. On the north fid<^
are open fields of corn and grafs, and a Lake f , with feveral ftreams turn- '
mg mills ; and beyond thefe there is a foreft, wherein the citizens take
the diverfion of hunting. {Stepbanidis Fita Thotnce Cant.] , '

Williaiii of Malrtifbury, an author gf the fame age, fays, London is a
noble city, renowned for the opulence of its citizens, who, on account *

40,000. But ai it is now known from the fub-
lidy roll of the year 1377, difcorered by Mr. Top-
ham, that the taxable perfons of both fexet abo«c
fourteen jean of age in London, were then only
23,3 1 4, itisiiot probable that the number of th^J
under tourteen, the clergy, and thofe living on
charity, would altogether briog the number creij
up to 40,000 : and it ruay be prefumed, notwith.
(landing the ravages of the peftilence in the yew
1348, tliat London was not more populous in the
twelfth than in the fourteenth century.

ij Ludgate was then the weftern boundary of
the city.

II Tlicfe were the country villas of the citi«s(M,
to which they retired from the noife and crowd of
the city. The fame .ground 'm now covered with
ftreets almoft as much crowded as any of thofe in

• Whether all the citizens of London, or only
thole who poflefled fonie civic pre-eminence, were
called iaroHs, has been difputed, and, I fuppofe,
cannot be clearly determined by any fufficient au-
thority. Sec above, p. 314.

f The authority of Fitx-Stephen has been
flrangely adduced to prove, that the Steelyard,
Viiifry, &c._ were the appropriated wharfs of the
various nations trading to London in hra time.
He fays no fuch thing. The ellaUilhment of the
Vintry in particular will be accounted for in the
year ijoo.

t The copy of our author, from which LeUnd
made his excerpts, had only 40,000 foot. \^Coi-
ledanea, V. iv, i. a4l.] Either of the numbers is
mod enormonrtv c«a;{}>cratea, If it 15 meant that
London alone furiiilhcd I'o many fighting men of
Its own inhabitants, Peter ofBlois, arqh-deacon of
London, an author of the fame age, {_EpiP. ad In-
nocent, papiim.'] ftatcs the whole population of
London, men, women, and children, to be only

Vol. I.

the city.

f Now Moorficlds, part of which has been late-
ly adorned with the elcgaiit buildingi of Fin/bury
fqi- —

Iquare.

Tt

33® ' A. l5.^ '^5<J«

of the greatnefs of the city, are confidered aS' people of the'firfl:'<judlitv
and noblemen (* optimntes et procctcs') of the kingdom. It is fillpcJ
with merchandize, brought by the merchants of all countries ', but
chiefly thofe of Germany ; and, in cafe of fcarcity of corn iW'other
parts of Englanu, it is P. granary, where it may be bought fcheapefthaii
anywhere elfe. [Sfovel/.jf. loy a ; Gr/lti pontif.f. i^^ h/j '■ "' '

Another circumftance, tending to Ihow that London was cOiii^aiilif i*ly
an opulent and commercial city at this time, is, that it was th^ head-
quarters of all the Jews in England ; a people who have never failed to
follow wealth and commerce, and who have generally contributed
largely to the advancement of both where\'er they fettled. One of the
many hardfhips, impofed upon that race of people, was an obligation to
carry their dead from all parts of England, to be interred in one gener-
al cemetery appointed for them in Red-crofs ftreet in London, till the
year 1177, when Henry 11 gave them permiflion to purchafe burying
grounds in other parts of the kingdom. [Bromton, col. 1129. — Stoiv^j
London, p. 553, ed. 1618.]

Nothing particularly illuftrative of the fiatc of the Cinque ports about
this time has occurred to me.

WiUiam of Malmfbury \CeJlaregum,f. 28 a] fays, that Exefter, which
was fortified with towers and walls of hewn ftone by King Athelftan,
though it was deftroycd by the Danes in the year 1063, ICiroh. Sax. ad
an.} and though the country around it is ftill in fo poor a ftate Of ciil^
tivation, that it can fcarcely produce a crop of the moft indifferent
kind of oats, has now become a magnificent city, filled with opulent
citizens ; and being the principal port for the mineral produdions of
the adjacent country, [//. Huntind. f. 171 a] it is fo much rcforted Xo
by foreign merchants, that every thing, that can be defired, may be
purchafcd there in abundance. ■' '- ,- - -^-^ " ;i-w,a.sj

Bii(lo\r, according to William of Malmfbify, \Gejfa ponti'f. 161 a] is
a celebrated town, and a port for vefTcls coming from Ireland, Norway,
and other foreign countries. Henry II, in the eleventh year of his
reign, gave the burgefles a charter, exempting them from tolls and
fome other imi)ofitions in England, Wales, and Normandy.

Gloucefter, according to William, ,[/. i6r a] is a city fituated in a
valley remarkably fertile, and particularly famous for abundance of
excellent apples *, which keep good through the whole year. It alfo
excells all Enghnd in the abundance and pleafant tafte of its grapes ;
and the wine made from them is entirely free from harflinefs and four-
nefs, and very little inferior to the wines of Franco.

• When prnlfiii}j the apples of Glouccftcr-fhire,
he lias not a worj ot'tukr, tliuiigh it is mcntion-
fil a 1 being provided long before hid tia)c aK)jig with
wine, mead, ale, pigment, and moral, at Hereford
(to this day the eciiler of th( cider eoiintry) for
the ufc of King Edward the CunftlTor ; [//. Ilun-

lindun.f. 210 a] and in liis own time the farmer of
Windfur was allowed fix (hillings and eight pennitt
for wine, perry, and eider, for the u^ of King
Henry W. [MaiLx't Hi/I. oftlii exch.q. f. x, J 12.]
Probably cider and perry were raie, and only uf«d
by people of the highell ranks.

A. D., 1 156.

33.^

Winchefter, Iwwever, appears to have been confiiier(?d;l^y,»jjyith?r au-
thor ot this age, as the raoft famous plage in England for wimA Ul
J^^niind.f, 171 a.] m'^i.

Cherter is. according; to William. '[/ 1^4 t] ijtilste^lq'a popr
^°!i"i!?' P^^pawing Icarcely 3ny wheat : but there is abundance pf cattle
and fiih : the poor hve on milk and butter, the rich on flefh y and bread
made^ofba^rley or rye ■[• is thought a dainty. Some trade Nvitli Ireland
ruppUes the place with luch neceflaries as Nature has denied to it.

A more flattering picture of Chefter is dravyn by a monk of the fame
«ge, called Lucian, who iays, that it is enriched and adorned by its river,
and that fjiips come to it from Aquitaine, Spain, Ireland, and Germany'
whereby the citizens are furnifhed with all good things, and are enabled
to, drink wine trequently,, plentifully, and profufely. Tap. Camd. Brit.
P'A59•^

Donewic {Danwich) is called by William of Newburgh [/.. ii c. aol
a famous fea-port town, flored with various kinds of riches t ' -^ -■

Norwic is called by WiUiam of Malmibury ^; 136 ajja populous
town, lamous tor us commerce. .f-li V/

Linn is defcribed by William of Newt3urgh'[L. iv) f];] as a city
(' urbs') diftmguiflied for commerce and abundance, the refidence of
many wealthy Jews, and reforted to by foreign veffels.

Linx;oln is celebrated by Alexander Necham, a poet of this century,
[d/. Camd. Brit, p. 404] as the fupport of the adjacent country and'
llored with good things. The canal made by Henry I (fee above p.'si 8)
made this city, though far from the fea, accellible to foreign veffel's, and
gave it the command of an extenfive inland navigation, whereby it be-
came one of the moft populous feats of home and foreign trade in Eng-
land. iW. Ualmjb. Gejlapont. f. 165 b.} ^

Grimfby is noted by the Norwegian (or Icelandic) writers as an em-
porium reforted to by merchants from Norway, Scotland, Orkney and
the Weftem iflands. {Orkneyinga fa^a, p. \ ^2.'\

York had been repeatedly deftroyed, by the furies of war, by the ven-
geance of William the Conqueror, and laftly by a cafual conflagration

* ^funy proofs ni!>rlit be adduced to (liow, tliat
vincB were cultivated to a grfatfr extent in fcvcral
pjiis of tliis coiiiury formerly than How, and that
canlkltrahle quantities of wine were made from
them. Sec the extraft from Doinefday book,
above, p. ^oj, and more indancfS from the fame
record, culkfted by Sprhnan. [Gl'jJJ'. vo. Arpen-
„:t — n,,U Ilifl. ((.Iff. L. I, c. 1.] In (he reign
of Henvy 111 the bilhopi) of Lincoln and Bath
liad vineyards ; and in ihat of Edward III the
earl of Lnncaller had vineyards in the neighbour-
hood of LticelUr. [MaJnx's Hifl. of ihe fxchtq.
t. xi, j; z,—Knyghtr:n,ciiL 2554.]

t In the orijrinal./iTso ; a word not in the die-
tKuiarR-8 or gloflariesi, and which Fleetwood \^Chron.
prnitf.pt ires for 1387] fays, be knows not. Btit
a former proprietor of my copy of Fleetwood ob-
ferve!;, in a mannfcriiit note, that he finds ///{,
geaerally nfcd by tlie writcn of tliofc ages tor

rye,

X In the reign of King John, Dtmwich paid
about twice as much rent to the king «« any other
town upon the iieiglikiurlng coalL IBraily c/i
^<!lr«h!, Apifnd p. II.] But it woiild be loo
ralh to infer from that circuiuttance, that it was
twice as opulent.

Tt2

9^:1

n^

A, I^ ii^-

in the reign of Srephen. Yet it ftilJ retained f(Mne mMkti of Rwman
degance, and is defcribcd by William of Malmlbury, [/. 147 a] a*<%
large metropolitan city, lying on both fides of the Oofe, and rcceivihg
in the middle of it vefleh from Germany and Ireland.

Whitby, Hartlepool, and fome other towns on the eaft coafti poflfeff-
ed vefiels and other property, of which they were robbed by Efteyn
king of Norway, about the year IJ53. [Saorro Hi/l. MagnlBlkda,
€. 20.] v;f hfijibti ifi .'nm\ ftm! Mbint otf! vmu-wMu^ >

Berwik, a noble town at the mouth of the Tuid {tweed), belonging
to the king of Scotland, \W. Newb. L. v, c. 23] is at this timediftta-
guiftied as having more foreign commerce than any other port in Scot-
land, and many Ihips. One of them befonging to a citizen called Kihit
the Opulent, and having his wife onboard, being about this time taken
by Erlend earl of Orkney, Knut hired fourteen veflels, with a com-
petent number of men, for one hundred marks of filver, and went in
chafe of the pirates, who had anchored "or the night at one of the ad-
jacent iilands- ^Torfai Orcades, L. '\,c. 32.]

Invyrlyth is merely noted as having a harbour befide it, mentioned
in a charter granted by King David to the abbay of Haly-rud. [Hay's
t^indicathn of Eliz. Mere.] In later times it has been called Leith, and
is the port of Edinburgh.
.-•Vi Strivelin {Stirling) had fome veflels and trade, part of the duty
(' canum') of the veflels, with a falt-work, and fome other branches of
the royal revenue, being given by the fame king to the abbays of Cam-
buflcenneth and Dunfermline. [Chart, in Nimmo's Hiji. of Stirling, p.
508 ; and in Dalrymple's ColleB. p. 386.]

Part of the duties levied in the port of Perth were afligned in the
fame manner. [Chart, in Balrymple, p. 386.] Necham, the Englifh
poet already quoted, fays, *^ that the kingdom is fupportcd by the opu-
' lence of this city:' [ap. Camd. Brit. p. 708} and it was at this time,
properly fpeaking, the capital of Scotland.

Abirdene was known in Norway as a trading town. Efteyn, one of
the joint kings of that country, being on a pirating cruife alc«ig
the Britiih coaft about the year 11 53, landed and pillaged it. [Snorro,
H'l/l. Magni Blirkia, c. 20.] But it loon recovered from that misfortune,
and was a royal refidence in a few years after.

Abirdon {Old Aberdeen) had a port, the tenth of the duties of the
faips being granted by KingDavid to its newly-eredled bifhoprick. [Cburt.
in Bib. topog. Brit. N". 'n\,p. 3.]

Duffeyras (perhaps Bavf) on the fbore of the Moray firth, i» merely
mentioned as a commercial port and town. [Orkneyinga faga, />. 3 2 j.J *

♦ All the charters and books, quoted for this except the works of Bromton and Torfziis ; and
licw of the trading tnwns of Britain, were written they were careful conipiltrs from authentic rccord».
in the twelfth, or ea y in the thirteenth, ceotury-j

,*-.;. .!•

A. D. 4 1^4.

Hi

f if find no certain account of amy trading ports oa the"T7)9ft fide ©f
Sootlafid in this age ; which is no wonder» as we know of but two on
the weft fide of England f. ■

Frotn ieveral notices difperfcd thrcugh the authors quoted for thi«
Tiew of the chief commercial ports of Britain at this time, it is evident
that 5thc foreign trade was almoft entirely condufted by foreign mer-
chants. , , , ,, ,

Concerning the trade and ports of Ireland before the EngHlh €oa-
queftj Httle can be'add^d to what has been already fuid [p. 254] of the
Oftinen in that ifland, und of its intercourfe with fome of tht« Englifli
hai-bours, juft mentioned J. The Irifli made fome cloth from the wool
of theWack ihecp, that feeing the moft general cobur of their flocks,
by which means they obtained a durable colour without the labour ©r
expenle of dyin-g. l^ey had alfrt cbth of other colours, with which
they made party-coloured oraaments for their hoods :• and they ufed
woollen ftofts (• phalingis laneis') for their cloak)* or plaids, and alfo for
their trowfers, and thefe were dyed. If to thefe we add lances, javeKns,
and battle-axes, excellently tempered, we complete the catalogue,as far as
we have materials, of the manufaaures df the Irift, who were a paftoral
people, not yet generhlly advanced into the ftate of agriijultors, and far
lefs ot manufacturers. Some foreign merchants brwjght gold to Ireland •
but we arc not told, what- the Mfh (wiio, Giraldus Cambrenfis fays'
thirftcdfor it like Sparaards) gave the foreigner* in exchange for it ;
nor what the people of Wexford gave in return for the wheat aixd wine
imported from Bretagne. [<?/>. Cnmdr. Topogr. Hib. M, iii. <?. 10 c- Hid

expug.L.\,c.:^:] .\.H, .,'»;., pv,, ,

It appears, however, tfiat ■ there were greater ftort-s of fthte pwtious
metalfe m Ireland th.m could well be liippofed. Large fums of gold and
lilver were frequently given for the ranfom of men of rank taken in
battle: and duties or rents, paid in gold or filver to ecclefiaftical efta-
blidiments, occur very often in the Irifh annals. At the confecratipn
of a church in the year 1157 Murha O-Loghlin king of Ireland gave a
town, 150 cows, and 60 ounces of gold, to God and the clergy ; a chief
called (-)-Curroi gave alfo 60 ounces of gold ; and Tiernan O-Ruark's
wite gave as much § ; donations which would have been cfteemed very
great in that age in England or upon the continent. Wliat fuperfti-

i" Mai.y other part* of England probably had
fcinw tr»ile and flvppinjf at lliia-tinie ; hut, for want
of particular and tunti ir.porary authority, they can-
not Lc ijarticnla!i/.>.d.

X Though Giraldus Cambtcnfm wrote a Tbfm-
fraphy of InLituI and a Nijiary of the conquffi of
JrcLinii, he jjivts vtry little informatiun of the
rtali- of 'ts tiiidc, ur ut its poits. What William
of Malmlbury fays f/". gi a] of the dillrefs the
Infli would hifftr, it they were deprived of their
trade with linglund, fteni? coatrai'JcKd hv v.hat

he hiinfelf fays If. 164 h] of the city of Chcfler
tJepnuAii^f upon Irekad (w a fupply of tke nccef.
farici of life.

ij •kvctal iiiUanceB of thefe ways of laying out
money occtir iii th« Amaktf uyicr, (nev«r y,t
printct') paviicuUtly attlw years 1004, i<!»9.
Jlcfl, ri;7,iir)i; and fit /fdrc'/ y/j.'ij. //.•,?,-r//.
/>. I ;8, <•,;/. 16^ (, for fome inlfanccs helciigiiig 10
years iei'l blatik iii the nianufcript bdonTini^'tolhe
13riufli polcum, from w-hich I tnadc irv°citi.iftv.

554

A. D. 1^(56,

tion f6 liberally gave, fome fpecies ot mduftry muft have acquired i ajul
that was mod probably the pafturago of cattle, an employment to whiol>
the foil and climate of Ireland have in all ages been extreisieJ(V;f. c ,
able, and w>hich was moft fui:able to tiie lUlfettled ftate of ^icJy tJ>en
exifting in that- country ; unleis wc will fuppofc that the rpiia.. of -kt;.
Jand, which, though \wiiu>ticcd by any writer, feem to have ^ n ;.^
fome time very prod u6tivc, were fHll capable of fupplyirvg the lUJi's '..n
ledted in the coners of the chiefs and the clergy. •nuhyia Hi'*'tni<

jrlPuring the civil war betwcca*King Stephen and the erupr-** :\<^
current money of England Iwd been very much debafed, pan • ;, ^\i»
frauds of the coiners taking advantage of the convulfed ftate of the Uing-
dom,' but chiefly by almoft every baron ufurping the prerogative of
iflbing money coined by his own authority *. In order to put an efl5t:<S-
ual (lop to fa great an evil, King Henry made an entire ne^v, coinage
of the money of tl)e kingdom ; and,, as fooa as it was completed (which
wlas in two years) he prohibited the currency of ;my other than his own
new money f- [/?• Hovedtn,/. 381 h.-r-^M. Paris, p. 97, — Jn».,fVaveri,
ap. Gale, p. 159.] jiUu juj^u, uioii o-ji . uiuir.Jjiiuw

Several of the bifhops and abbalts of Englind had a right to coin
money. \Se^ above, pp. 266, 371, 306.— -i^'Wiva, F. iii, p. 81; Fi v, p,
755, — and all the hooks Uj a Englijlj coins^\ I fuppofe, the king did no;
prel'ume to deprive them of any of theic rights or privileges. ,, . ,, „ ,j

In Scotland, at leaft the bifliop of St. Andrews had the rigUl<i<rf,«W'«
ing money. [Wyntown's fVjron'ule of Scotland, V. i, p. 396.J . j ,,7,, ; ; ,,

About this time the proportion of fdver to gold was nine for one.
[Madox^j Hijl. of the excbcq, c. 9, § 2.]

1 157 — Now, and aUb at other times, Henry raifed money by rcqyiring
gifts from the fhires, burgl>s, bilhopg, barons, and others. The opulence
of the city of London appears from the largcnefs of its gift on this occa-
lion, which was no lefs than j^i,o43 (equivalent to above ^^30,000 of
modem money) and exceeded the joint contributions of the fliires of
Lincoln, Somerfet, Eflcx, and Knit, together with thofe of the bifliop
of Bath and the abbat of St. Alba is. [Madox's Hiji, of the excbeq. c. 17,
§ 2.]

Frederic emperor of Germany fcnt ambafladors to the king of Eng-
land with prefents, and a letter defi'.i.g t^? have a treaty of friend^iip

• The great lord* on the continent afimed, or
were indulged in, tlic privilege of coining money.
Tn Fiupce thtv could not coin gold or filvtr with-
out the king's exprefs pcrniiflion, an infiani^' of
which we liavc in n diph>ma granted by Lewis XI
in October 1465 to the quena (earl) of BretaCTe,
permitting him to coin money of gold. \_Du
Ctini^t) Ghfi. Lat. V. iv, cA. 87 1. J

f Henry of Huntingdon, who probably \rrote
fuon after thc-refomiatiun of the money, fays in

tile beginning of his Hiflory, that the money of
England was made of pun filver : but he mult be
imderdood to mean filvcr of the legal ilandard, at
oppi ""-d t !ic adulterated filver i"? the preceding
reign, and perhaps alfo to the coins of other coun-
tries, fome of which were now made of fdver much
inferior to the Englilh ftandard. The money of
France, in particular, was fo much debaird about
tliiq time, tluit only a half of it was filver. [£«
BliUKf Trajti del moHoyt, p. xviii.J

A.D. 1157.

m

frkli him. Henry made a fuuable return of prefents, aiid in liiis apCwer
thankfully accepted the emperor's nlliance, which, he hoped, firnqng
other benefits, would promote the fecurity and freedom ot* t^pnamesqe
between their territories. [Radevie. Frijhig, Gcjia Frlderid, Zm i, fi, 7,].,
-J* 1 60— The friendfliip of Henry was courted, not only by the Chrifi
mn princes of Europe *, but alfo by the Mohamedans. The king of
Valencia and Murciain Spain foon after lent him an embaiTy with mag-
nificent prefents, confiding of the rare and rich produ<nioas of the Ealjt,;
and a. proper return was made by Henry. [(Miron. No/m. p, 998.] ?ut
whether any commercial arrangements were produced by this firft
fritJndly intercourfe of a king of England with a difeiple of Mpham^d*
we are not informed. If there were any, iliey moft, probably concernjcd
only Henry's tubjedts in the fouthem provinces of Prance. ■ , ,,,. j

The following hints are coUcded from the uariative of Benjamin, a
Jew of Tudela in Spain, wlioie travels over a great part pf the knpwsn
world, begun in the year 1 160 and continued to the year, 1x73, ^prd
more information concerning the ftate of the commercial part of the
world, than can eafilybc collected from all the other wrjters oC tUe age.

Barchinona {Bortehna in Spain) is an emporium frequented; by the
Greeks, Piians, Genoefe, SiciHans, Egyptians of Alexandria, ai>d tlie
people of the land of Ifrael (Paleftiue). — Montpelier is a place of grcftt
trade, whither, by means of the Genoefe and Pifiins, people of all n^
tions, Saracens and Ghriftianfi, and among the reft, the Englifli f, refc :i
for traffick — Genoa^ an independent city, governed by magiftrate? qhofej)
by the citizens.— hi Thebes there are 2,000 Jews, worker* in fcarlci; a^nd
jiurple. — Conllantinople is a city abounding in wealth, and fuperior,tq
all others in the i^-orld, except Bagdad. The people are enervated by
luxury and diffiixxtion, and too lazy to carry on an a<Si,ve commerce j
:md therefor rAcrehartCs from every part of t|ie vforW ?efort ^o it l^y
land and by lea %. About 2,000 Jewilh merchants, m:muf^chirers of
ftik, &C. and tradefmen, many of them very opulent, live in the fub-
nrb called Pera, not being permitted lo relide in the city.— In Antipch
the houtes of the rvobles are fcrved witJi water cpnvcyed in wooden

• Til'.' agibiifljdors of NUnucl en-^eror of Con-
ftantiiiopic, Frcdfric emperor of Germany, the
arcKbflnop of 'I'licrs, tlif duke of Saxony, and the
rail of ridnders, and alfo the advocates or ambaf-
fadom of tho kings of Callilc and Navarre, who
ciine to fubmit a coiitroveify between their fo-
virijf>>ns to the arbitration of Kiiij; Henry, were
«ll at VVeltinintter in Novcmbir 1 177. [ iV/. Pj.
ris,p. 132.3 A» in thofe ages anibalfadorB were
fieri'r ftnt but upon extraordinary occaiions, the
aHembbgc of fo many in one court mull have had
a wonderful cdti't in iitiprelTing the Enghlh with
high ideaii of the wildnm and power of their own
lovereign, and, by iiicieafing iiig reputation, make
it real incrcafc of his po\v<'i.

f We fliould «crtainly deceive ourfelves, if we
were lo fiipimfe ihat Englirti traders got to Mont-
pthtr by fading througil the Straits of Gibraltar.
The nature of their trafiic is perhaps fuffic'entlv
defcribed by fayiug, it was cunduded b"' jint of
the Gciiocfc and I'llians.

X Not to interrupt Benjannin's narrative, T here
obferve [from Gufheri itllL Quifi. c, 8] that the
lilbiiig vefffla (tbey are caUed fl^ips) belonging t^
Conllautiiiople were 1,9 fewer thai) fifteen bun-
dred; and tie multitude of warlike und mercantile
vciTcls, affcmbU'd in its mod fecure h:iibour, wai
innumerable. There is reafoii to believe that very
few of the tnercajitilc vefftlj belonged to citiien*
of Conllautiiiople,

33^

A. D. I i66i

pipes from a mountain in the neighbourhood *. — Damafcus is alfo fup-
plied with water by pipes. — New Tyre, a pbce of ronfiderable traffick
with a noft commodimts and fecure harbour, (tills keeps up its moft
antient pre-eminience in manufactures of glais-ware, and is alfo famous
for excellent fugar f._The ifland of Nikrokis | in the Perfian gulf is a
itore-houfe for Indian goods and the produce of Perfia, Sinaar, Arabia',
&c. the inhabitants being fadtors for the variety of ftrangers concerned
in the extenfive commerce of which it is the center.

Some of the countries bdyond Nikrokis, vifited by Benjamin, are not
very cafily to be afcertained. In the ifland of Clieverag he was informed
that Sin (firppofed to be China) was at the diftance of forty days failing
in the Eaft ; and that beyond it there was a frozen fea, and fuch as
ventured upon it were killed by the cold. In Egypt he remarks the
abundant population, but has fcarcely a word of the trade of Alexan-
dria. Pafling over into Euroi^e, he traveled as hr as RuTia, a country
covered with woods, and producing animals called wc'werges and zeb-
•linatz, fuppofed to be grey foxes or grey fquirrels, and fables §.

The city of Keffin being deftroyed by Henry the Lion duke of Sax-
ony, the materials of its ruins were employed by Pribiflaus, the lafl
king of the Heruli, to inclofe a neighbouring village called Roftock,
the foundation of which is carried up by tradition to the year 329.
Being thereby rendered more fecure, if foon alTinned the appearance of
a city, and became a place of coufiderable commercial importance.

1 1 62, June 5''' — The G^enoefe, having come to ari agreement with
the emperor Frederic, received from him a diploma, which, in a pomp-
ous preamble, fets forth his defire of cherifhing and proteding aU his
faithful fubjeds, efpecially thofe from whom he expeds the moft va-
luable fervices and devotion to the empire. And therefor, becaufe he
had heard that the Genoefe from the firft foundation of their city had
railed there heads above all other maritime ftates. and he (hould have
occafion to make ufe of their fervice, efpecially in naval war, he makes
known to all the fubjeds of the empire, that he grants to the confuls
and community of C^noa, as a fief, the power of levying military forces
between Monaco Tnd Porto Venere, whenever they Ihould have occafion
tu raife any, faving, however, their fealty to the empire. He grants

• Ebn H«(ikal, an aathor at Ifaft a ctiitury
earlier than Benjamin, obffi vei that ' the water
flowa lliioiigli the (IriLtaanclamiclft the chief build-
ing?' of Antakiah, or Aiitioch. [i'/r IVillum
OuJt,\y's Inui/liitwn, p. 44.] He alfo notices the
fame nccomnioiliit ion in many other towns of Afia.

\ iSupir wa(, however, one of the vtiyc\i%brtju^ht
to raleiiinc tiom Babylon by the caravan plunder-
ed uy J^ iug Richard.

t This feem» the fame idand, wliich is called
Kif-her -()rriiia by Abuifeda, and Chili (or Klfi)
jy M.ireo I'olo. It feems to liave fucccedcd to

the trade on the decline of SIraf, which was the
chief emporium in the ninth century : arul it, in its
turn, waseclipfed by Orniusj. [Ste Mem. de lilltt-
ature F. xaxvi'i, fif. 476, 508.]

\ The veracity of Benjamin lias been much
qui;IUoned ; and in hilloiy he certainly wanders
widely from the truth: but what, he fays, be faw,
fecms to be wortiiy of credit. Perhaps his greateft
f;r,dt is being a Jtw. He is very careful in noting
the number of Jews in every place vilited by him;
and it is obfervable, that a great ptoportiun of
tlicm were dyers of wool.

A. D. 1 162.

W

them the power of chufrng their confuls, difpenfing juftice, and punifh-
ing crimes, withm their diftrid. He confirms to them all their pofllf-
lions at home and beyond fea, particularly Syracufc with a tradl of land
adjacent to it. He moreover grants them a ftreet convenient for their
merchants, together with a church, a bath, a fadory f • fundicus'), and a
bake-houfe, m every maritime city, which he may hereafter fubdue

whlfr" Tu^a^a t"^ ^'''''' '"^ ^^''^''^ ^^^"-g^^ ^^ every country',
which they fliall aflift him to conquer. He alfo grants them one half

of the gold, filver money, and filk, which they (hall take, the other half
being tor hirafelf ; and a quarter of all the gold and jewels, which (hall
be furrendered to him. H.; gives them the power of appointing one or
more of their citizens to refide in every country to which they trade
m order to difpenfe Juftice according to /jis laws and good cuftoms!
And (what was perhaps the moft agreeable of the whole, if indeed he
had the right, or the power, to make it effedual) he authorizes them to
prevent the French from failing to Sicily and the coaft of Calabria ; and
he lubjecls the Venetians to the Hime reftridions, unlefs they {hall con-
ciliate his favour. [Diploma ap. Muratori Antia. V. iv, col. 2U 1

Ihe delegation of the command of the fea by a prince, who, with a
founduig title, poHefled no maritime power himfelf, probably encou-
raged the Genoele in their pretenfions to a fovereign jurifdidion upon
the fea winch they already exercifed by granting licences to the merch-
ants of other nations for trading by fea. whereof their encomiaftic
iHftonan, Baptifta Burgus, has adduced feveral examples which feem to
reft upon very flender authority, and alfo lome which appear to be
more authentic, viz. In the year

1 , 54— the citizens of Luca were permitted to trade upon the Genoefe
lea with merchandize allowed by the laws f Genoa;

ii56--Azolino of Placentia was i>ermittfd to lend a veflcl annually
to any port he thought proper with merchandize to the value of /i co •

1 1 84— Drogo de Confilio and his brothers were permitted to fend a
vellel annually to any port with a cargo of the value of /400, as citizens
of Genoa ; ** '

1 1 89— Cenlio Roniano was permitted to go in, or to fend, a velTel
anywhere upon the lea of Genoa, free of any exadion, and ca-TvinE a
cargo amoummg to ^-200, wl.cther belonging to himfelf or to others

For theh- his authorities are the records of the city : and his being
able to find fo tew m the courle of fo many years ftiows, that they were
but leldom applied for. ^

n65_Axel (or Abfolon) bin.np of Lunden. having conftruded a
tort at an excellent harbour on the tuft lide of /eknd (or Seeland^ in
order to proted the merchant ft.ips from pirates, ibinc filhcrmen built a
few cottages belldc It ; and an inn being alio built for the accommoda-
tton ot Itrangers, the name of the place was changed from Axel-hus to

\oi. I. U^j

338

A. D. 1165.

Kiopmans haven (the merchants' harbour, which we, after the Germans,
call Copenhagen), and it grew up in time to be a confid^^rable commerc-
ial city and the capital of Denmark. [Bertii Rer. Germ. L. iii. />. 139.]

We have feen the herring fifliery on the coaft of Norway an objed
of confiderable importance in the tenth century : and it is probable,
though we have no certain information of it, that they then proceeded
up the Baltic, and were taken by the nations bordering upon that fea.
About this time we have the firft exprefs notice of a fifhery for herrings
within the Baltic, which was at the ifland of Rugcn,and fo confiderable,
when the ftormy winds of November * drove them out of the Ocean U)
take fheker in the narrow channels of the Baltic, that great numbers of
veifels from various foreign countries ufed to repair thither to load with
herrings. [Helmoldi Chron. Slav. L. ii, c. 12.]

About the lame time the Dutch date the commencement of the her-
ring filhery on their coaft. The people of Ziriczee caught herrings on
the coaft of Briel (or Voorn), an ifland at the mouth of the Maefe (or
Meufe) ; and their example was followed by thofe of Zeland, Holland,
and Weft Frifeland, who fitted out fmali veflels c^Xis.^ Jabards f , with
which they repaired to the fame fiftiuig ground in the proper feafon.
Thofe of Ziriczee are alfo faid to have been the firft (of the Low-coun-
try people) who packed herrings in barrels ; but they were very defi-
cient in the manner of curing them. \J. F. Petit, Chron. de Hollande, is'c.
V. i, p. 184.] The Netherlard writers have loft fight of their earlier
filhery in the Firth of Forth. (See above, p. 325.)

The city of Lubeck, though founded fo late as the year 1 140 {Bertii
Rer. Gem'. L. iii, p. 177], had already, by means of its happy fituation
near the entrance of tie Baltic fea, attained fo much commercial con-
fcquence, as to attraft the notice of the powerful commercial republic
of Genoa, Avho courted the citizens of Lubeck to confederate with them
againft the Pifans, by a promife of carrying them upon the fea on terms
of equality with their own citizens, together with a gift of two houfes
in Porto Venere and the tower of Motrone. In couiequence of this
alliance we loon after find merchants of Lubeck trading in the Medi-
terranean onboard Genoefe veflels, one of which was taken on her re-
turn from Sicily by the Pifans in the year 1171. \_Brev. Hiji. Pif. ap.
MuraLori Script. V. vi, coll. 179, 182.]

At this time the fultan of Egypt granted the Chriftia.n!; of Jerufalem
a free trade in his dominions j but that fubftantval advant^<jv v;- ahnoft

» T'lic movements of » lie bcriiiij^s arc very ca- gulh Since that tiirs tluir aitival has gradually

jjricious, l;otli \vlt!i nfpcA to time and place, hetn later and later ; and in the year 1780 it wai

About the year 1500 tliey ufed to fet in u|)on tlic in Nnvembtv, as in ?' ' »ge of Helmold. S./hr'

C(.:ilU of Gothland and Sclioneu in the beginning derjoii's Account of tie Ht>ridtt (Wtjltrn ifliindt)

o: harvcfl, at we Itarn from Olans riag'iiia, L. x<. /. 451.]

[n tlic year 17^2, after haviii^r long deferted thofe + Martin iSeliook calls them Skbbotrts, [_Diffit.

c'JdfU, they apiuared upon tlitin hi July and Au- dt /•aren^it, ^ 34.]

A. D. 1165.

339

immediately loft by the inordinate luft for dominion of Amalric kine
of jerufalem. [GitL 7yr. LI. xix, xx.]

Dermit king of Leinfterin Ireland, being driven out of his dominions
for his wickednefs and tyranny, implored the aid of Henry kin-' of Eng-
land to reftore him to his kingdom, which he offered to hold of him as
his vaffal. Henry, feeing fo favourable an opportunity of availing him-
felf of the pope's commifTion for the conqueft of Ireland, which he had
hitherto allowed to lie dormant, very willingly received Dermit's oath
of fealty. But declining to take upon himfelf the trouble and expe-ife
of the war, he put into Dermit's hands his letters patent, authorifmg his
fubjedls to aflift in reftoring him as his vallal king of Leinfter, by means
of which, and the promife of great rewards, Dermit prevailed on the
earl of Pembroke and fome others to engage in his caufe. About the
beginning of May 1169 the fir ft detachment of the Englifli adventurers
landed in Ireland, and foon re-eftabliftied Dermit in his kingdom, a
large portion of which was immediately allotted to th'-m for their good
fervices. In the following year Dermit, according to agreement, gave
his daughter in marriage, togeth r with th.; right of fucceflion to his
kingdom, to the earl of Pembroke.

The king of England, now finding that his fubjeds were making more
progrefs in the conqueft of Ireland than he expeded or wilhed, thought
It was time for him to interfere. He ifliied an edift, prohibiting all
his fubjeds from faihng, or carrying any thing whatever, to Ireland,
urtd ftridly enjoining all who were in that ifland to return before the
enfuing Eafter, under penalty of forfeiture. But being footiied by a
letter of the earl of Pembroke, fubmitting all his acquifitions. as made
under the royal aulpices, to his pleafure, he allowed him and his aflb-
ciates to retain u!! the lands they hv! acquired in Ireland, except Dub-
lin and the other maritime towns, which he referved to be kept in his
own hands.

1 171 — In order more fully to fecure to himfelf the advantages of the
conqueft, he went over to Ireland with a fufficient force ; and foon after
his arrival he received the homage of moft of the inferior kings, and
alio of Roderic, the fupreme king of Ireland. [Gir. Catnbr. Hib. exp.
L. i — Annales Hib. ap. Can, .-JJc.\

Thu i was that great an^' fertile ifland apparently fubjecled to the
crowp ot England. Bv- it i. eaficr to eft'ed a nM.._: c(^nqucft of a coun-
try than to retain jr. : enry's attention being immediately called to
his cortinertal tern., aes, and all the fuccecding kings of England be-
ing iilinoft conftandy engaged in foieign wars or civil commotions, the
ifland was fourcely ever "ompletely fubjeded to the Englifli powtr, till
the deliverance fron outinental dominions, and the union of the Briiifli
crowns, enabled the government' to ad with mere vigour than before.

During the invafion of licland many of the principal citizens of Du'b-

Uu 2

340

A. D. 117 1.

lin, who were Oftmen, left the phice with their mofl; valuable efFeds\
and, after inefFedual attempts to recover it by the afliftance of fhips and
men obtained from their countrymen of Orkney and Mann, the great-
eft number of them retired to thofe iflands. \Hib. exp. L. i, c. 17, et
feqq.l The city being thus deprived of its moil valuable inhabitants.
King Henry, by a charter, now extant in the archives of Dublin, dated
in the year 1272, gave his city of Divelin {Dublin) to be inhabited by
his men of Brifiow {Brijiol), who had long carried on a commerce with
Ireland. Though no notice is taken by the authors of that age of any
colonies going over in confequenee of the king's grant, it may be pre-
fumed that Dublin was foon re^ieopled, and in a flouriHiing condition ;
for WiUiam of Newburgh, a contemporary WTiter, [L. ii, c. 26] calls
Divelin a noble maritime city, the metropolis of Ireland, and almoft
the rival of London for the commerce and abundance in its port. A
fubfequent charter of the fame king to his hurgcffes of Dublin (not Di-
velin) grants them a free trade, with exemption from tolls, pontage, &c.
in England, Normandy, Wales, and Ireland. {Chart, in Jpp^nd. n'. i , 2
of Lyttkton's Henry II, B. v.] Camden fays, that from that time Dublin
continued in a flourifliing condition, and that the citizens gave fignal
proofs of their attachment to the kings of England ou many trying oc-
cafions ; [Brit. /». 571] whence it ni.ay be prefumed tt\"t they were moft-
ly Englilh *.

About this time the difcovery and population of America by the
Welfh is fuppofed by fome late writers to have taken place. Accord-
ing to Dodor Powel, \HiJl. of Wales, p. 2?.^} a Wclfh prince called Ma-
doc ' left the land in contention between his brethren, and prepared

* certain ihips with men and munition, and fought adventures by fea,
' failing welt, and leaving the coaft of Ireland fo far to the north, that
' he came to a land unknown, where he faw many ftrange things,' in
the year 1170. He ' left moft of his people there, and returning back

• for more of his own nation, acquaintance, and friends, to inhabit that
' fair and large country, went thither again with ten fails :' and he adds,
' as 1 Jind it noted by Giitryn Owen.''

Much has been written upon this Welfh colony, which was fuj^pofed
to confer upon Britain an unqui ftionable right to the fovercigniy of
America. But, independent of 'he phyfical impollibility of copper-
coloured Indians being defcendcd .'rom white Hrilons, and of the moral
impoHibiiity of Madoc returning from any country lying fouth-weft
from Ireland, and tinding his way to Britain by fleering a courfc, with-
out a compals, acrofs tiie brcnuiell part of the Atlantic ocean, even fup-
pofing his new country to have been to the northward of the trade

• It aj'pe.irs tliat ccintliUTablc lumiln-rs of Oil- It is pioliablc tliat tlicic wno many of tlictii alfo
men rcnialiicil in the other piliitipal ports of lie- in Diibhn. ^See IWiii's Ami'i. llib. p. ilO, r!.
Mild ill fubjection to the l'"iiglilli govtiiimtiit, .iiij i^'J^-J j

A. D. 1171. 341

winds, it is pretty evident that the ftory mufl have been invented after
voyages to and from America, and fettlements of colonies in tliat con-
tinent, were common, and had become ufual fubjeds of converfation,
even in the uncommercial country of Wales *.

The Grecian emperor Manuel, having quarreled with the republic
of Venice, feized the perfons and efFecT:s of all the Venetian merchants
he could find in his dominions. But Venetian merchants were not to
be infulted with impunity. The outrage was immediately chaflifed by
a Venetian fleet of a hundred gallies, which compelled Manuel to lub-
mit to terms of peace very humiliating to the pride of empire. This
event, the fecond within a few years which exhibitSrthe Roman-Grecian
empire inferior in military force and political importance to the com-
mercial ftates of Italy, is introduced here, chiefly on account of its be-
ing conncdled with the origin of the Bank of Venice. For the repub-
lic being opprefled by the charges of the war againfl: the emperor of
the Eaft, and at the fame time involved in hoftilities with the emperor
of the Weft, the duke, Vitale Michel II, after having exhaufl;ed every
other financial refource, was obliged to have recourfe to a forced loan
from the moft opulent citizens, each being required to contribute ac-
cording to his ability. On this occafion, and by the determination of
the great council, the chamber of loans (' la camera degl' impreftiti') was
cftabliflied ; and the contributors to the loan were made creditors of the
chamber, from which they were to receive an annual intereft of four
per cent f . [Saniito, Vile de duche di Venczia, ap. Muratori Script. F. xxii,
col. 502.] It may be pr^fumed that the rate of intereft, fo very far be-
low the ufual ftandard of the age, was compulfive, as well as the loan
itfelf, and efteeraed a hardlhip upon the creditors.

* Giitryn Owen, tlie allcijfd author of tbe flory
of M;idoc'9 voyages and ooliiiy, it faid to have liv-
i:J ill the reiga of Edward i V ; and the authority
of a rrianufcript, iwilly ivrill,;ri hejare the tVifcnvsry
r^f America hy C'Jumhit, would be llronjr indeed,
lint as Gutryii's inaimfcript does not appear, nor
even I.hiyu's tranllatioil (it it into Engh'lh, except
as e.iiud '•.vllh ,iLI:li.tu, cirrrtt'icni, and improve-
men.'i, by Powcl iii the year 1584, he mull, for
c'Ujfht we lee to the contrary, Itaiid for the origin-
al author. Giral.'.'.is Can-.hrcnfis, a WcKh author,
wlio wti'.tc an ncco;iiit of VVaicB about tlie end of
the twelfth cei/tniy (edited by the ianie Powel),
has nor a word of the liory, thungli fMllicicntlv
•ond c.f the marvelous. But the li itilh origin of
the Aniiricatis lias obtained iuine imaginary fup-
port from the cafiul, prilupj (Irai'ic.i, nfemblanee
of fonie American words to the WcKh, lematked
by Waf..'r in his voyage to Darien, and by fomc
oiliirs in oilier purts of America ; ai'.d, as fable?,
like faowbal's, mcrtafc by rolling along, the an-
th >r of the Turkilli fpy [f^ vili, /d. ijy] ,lif,aver-
fii, that the \omh of Madoc is ilill to be fee n in
the country of the TufoiaraB and Duegs, two

American tribes very remote from each-other. So
the childilh (kory of Whittington and his tat may
be verified by a Hone, »ii\ually infcribed with his
name, ftandiiig at the fide of the road between
rilington and Highgate, and fet up, one would
think, with an intention to ilamp the appearance
of v;racity upon fable. — Colonel V'allancey [Co/.
hdanea, w. x, p. ifiS] has found a way of accotint-
iiig f.ir the identity of names and ciiHoms in Ame-
rica (even as far fouth as Peru) witli thole of Ire-
land, ftninded on a conjedure of Varenius that the
north part of America once adhered to Ireland,
and the difcovery of a bank extending from Ire-
land to Newfoundland. And fo the population of
America, that perjilexing fubjcCt of difquilition,
appears to have been from Irelani — I have fecn
an account of the population of Ireland _/rom Ame-
rica.

+ • A raggione del quattro per cento di pro.' —
If it was fo cxpre/l'ed in the original record from
which Saiuito cxtraded his account, it is an ear-
lier inftance of the calculation per cent tliaii that
found in the Venetiar. laws, to be noticed under
the year 1242.

342

A. D. 1171.

It is prefumable (for no authentic documents, capable of afcertaining
the fads with indifputable certainty, are, I believe, anywhere to be
found) that the creditors, after continuing for fome time no other way
connedlied than by the fimilarity of tltcir fituation with refped to the
republic, were incorporated as a company, in order to manage their
joint concerns, and that fuccefllve improvements upon their fyftem of
management, and new ideas fuggefted by the vaft increafe of the Ve-
netian commerce, gradually produced the bank of Venice, which is
generally acknowleged to be the moft antient eftablifliment of the kind
in the world *, and to have been, in a greater or lefs degree, the model
of all the banks, which were fet up, firft in fome other commercial ci-
ties on the coaft of the Mediterranean fea, and in procefs of time in al-
moft every city and town in Europe. This bank was eftablifhed on
fuch judicious principles, and has been condu<5ted through the revolu-
tion of many centuries with fuch prudence, that, though the govern-
ment have twice, fmoe its eftabUlhment, made free with its funds, its
credit has remained inviolate and unimpeached. Payments are made
in it by transfers, or writing off the fum to be paid from the account
of the payer to that of the receiver, without having the trouble of
\veighing gold or filver. If I miftake not, this bank is alfo the moft
antient eftabliftiraent of a permanent national debt, or the funding fyf-
tem, which is now carried to fuch a lieight in almoft every country of
Europe.

1 172 — Tiie Pifans fent ambaffadors to the emperor of Conftantinople,
•who renewed the alliance made with the emperor's fether, and obtained
from him the reftoration of the whaxfs or landing places f they had for-
merly poflefled in Conftantinople, permiflion for the Pifans, whom he
had baniftied, to return, and payment of the arrears for fifteen years of
the annual fum of 500 byzants and two palls (rich robes or cloaks) due
to the republic, and 50 byzants and one pall to the archbifhop, the
whole being 8,040 byzants and 45 palls. Three ambafiUdors from the
emperor, with three imperial gallies, went to Pifa, where the treaty was
ctnifirmed in full parliament (' in publico parlamento'). [Brev. Hijl.
Pif. ap. Muratori Script. /^ vi, col. 186.] Thus was the humiliation of
the Greek empire diiplayed in tranfadions with each of the three prin-
cipal commercial ftates of Italy.

Kin^ Henry revived a law of his grandfather's, aboliftiing the right,
formerly afllinied by fovereigns and proprietors of the land, of feizing
the property of veOels wrecked upon their ftiores, and declaring, that,

• Umltr the ytar 1401 we (hall fee tliat Bar- natiuni bordering on the Mediterranean, give tlic

ceh)t)a elaim'. »lte hoiiuiir of liaviiig elUblilheJ the name of efchelli or Jlala to any port in the Levant

tiill banl. oi exciijime anil ilcpiilii. whure a eonlul is eilablilhed. IJut fueh a meaning

f ' iSciLio.' — I am not ctitaia oi luivlng right- cannot be appUcJ iicrt, efpeeially ai the word i«

Jy uauflateil the woiJ. 'I'hc I'fcnch, and other in the pluiaL

A. D,

1172.

343

whenever any vcflel fliould be wrecked upon the coaft of England, Poic-
tou, Galcoigne, or the ifland of (31eron, if any one human creature, or
even a bcaft, belonging to her, were found alive, the property fhould
be preferved for the owners, who (hould be allowed three rnontlis to
make their claim ; failing which, the wreck fhould belong to the king.
[Fadcra Jnglia, V. i, p. 36.}

k ifi not unworthy of remark, that in this equitable proceeding, which
was a revival of the Rhodian law and the law of the good Roman em-
peror Antoninus, Henry fet an example, which was followed by the
Greek emperor Andronicus and the Roman poixtiff Alexander III.

1 1 75 — About this time William king of Scotland made the village
adjacent to the cathedral church of Glafgow a burgh fubjed: to the
bifhop. In the charter there is no mention of a gild, or any mercantile
privileges, or of any trade ^^rfiatever, except the liberty of having u mar-
ket on the Thurfdays. A fubfcquent charter of the fame king grants
the bifhop the privilege of holding an aimual fair. \Cbart. in Gibfoa's
Hi/i. of Glafgow, pp. 299, 302.] Such was the inflmt ftate of the great
and flourifhing commercial city of Glafgow.

1 176— A new bridge of ftone was begun on the weft fide of the old
wooden bridge of London *. It appears to have had a wooden draw-
bridge f at each end for allowing vellels to pafs up the river to Edrcd's
hithe, or Queen-hithe, which was then, and long after, a principal land-
ing-place, where the vefTels of the Cinque ports and others difcharged
their cargoes o( corn, fifh, fait, fuel,. &c. and to the other wharfs or
landing-places above the bridge. In thofe days the art of conftruding
piers in the water was not known, and therefor the river was turned
into a new channel, fuppofcd to have been drawn between Batterfeu
and Redriffe, during the building, which was not finiflicd till the year
1209. IJh. WaverL op. Gale,, p. 161 — Stow's Survey, pp. 50, 52, 682,
ed. 1 61 8.]

1177 — The vanity of Venice and the arrogance of the church of
Rome were gratified by the duke accepting a ring from Pope Alexan-
d(;r III, whom the republic had afllfled in his war againfl the emperor
and the rival popes, as an emblem of the marriage of the republic to
the Adriatic lea, which his holinefs, in imitation of his predeceffors
(who had lately made gifts of the iflands of Siirdinia, Coriica, Sicily,

• Fiibyan [6>o/yv.V, /. xv bj fays, the wooden port of London, fays, that \\wprdtnt briiUre ftandj

brid^Hj was utuler the nianHgement of a fraternity on the ori^'inal bottom, though it was verv unfc -

orcollejre of pijetts, and the Hone building was emilicaliy conllructcd. {ThtrdRipartoi'tbtcau-

iiiukrtaktn by the )(reat aid ol the citizens and mmtt, idc. [>. 29.]

others paffing the bridge. He dates the com. I- The draw.bridije was cut down in the year

mencement of the budding m ijio. But the mi- 1553 to prevent Wyat from entering the ci^v.

Uionly of nimalj, apparently contemporary, is fure- Btit it was rebuilt ; and Stow defcribes it as «iL

ly preferable, unlcfs contrad.dted by any record re- ing in his own time. [^««f*/, *. 1046 : ^tn-i^,

maining ui the «rchiTes of the city. Mr. Mylne, p, 5J.] «■ -r ' -r.

ill his lleport to the committee fur regulating the

344

A. i). ^177.

and Ireland"), gave to the republic, as a wife to be under the dominion
and protedion of her hulband *. From that timtf the dukes of Vtnice
have annually renewed the ceremony of the marriage, by throwin^5 a
gold ring into the bofom of their Ipoule from the deck of a fuperb vef-
lel called the Bucentaur. •(>.

1 180 Notwithftanding the attention of Henry II to the flate of tlie

current money in the beginning of his reign, it was now again fo much
debafed, that he was under the ncceffity of making another entire new
coinage of round money. Though the goldfmiths and filverfmiths of
England were famous throughout Europe, Henry on this occafion chofe
to bring an artilt, called Philip Aymati, from Tours (a city in his pater-
nal territories on the continent, which gives its name to the current
money of France) to execute his coinage. But Aymari, being, found
guilty of debafing the ftandard of the coin, was difmiffed with difgrace ;
and the Englifli coiners, whofe frauds had produced the neceflity of the
recoinage, were puniflied. [R. de Diceto, col. 6n — Gerv. Dorob. col. 1457.
— Hoveden, f. 341 a.]

1 181 — King Henry, in his A/Jife of arms, flridly commanded that no
one Ihould buy or fell any fliip to be carried out of England, or engage
any feaman (' maireman') to go into foreign fervice. {Hoveden,/. 350 b.]
As the order was merely a military precaution, it feems going too far
to infer from it that Englifli-built Veflels were efteemed fuperior to
thofe of other nations, or were coveted by foreigners. England needs
not claim any doubtful naval renown. But Henry's attention to that
belt fafeguard of his kingdom muft alfo, though unintentionally, have
been beneficial to the commerce of England.

1 189 There is good reafon to believe that England was in a prof-

perous condition, and that its manufadures and commerce were in a
progrefTive Hate of improvement duiing the long reign of Henry II.
Henry of Huntingdon, who wrote in the early part of his reign,^ begins
his Hiflory with a florid defcription of Britain, or England, (for with
him thefe names are fynonymous) wherein he lays, that mines of cop-
per, iron, tin, and lead, are abundant, and that there are fome, though
but' few, mines of filver f. Silver, however, is brought from Germany
by way of the River Rhine for our wonderful plenty of flefli and fifli
(tl>e abundance of herrings and oyfters is particularly noted), our molt
pretious wool, our milk (probably converted into butter and cheelc),

of filver in KnglanJ. But it would be much more
important ami fatisfadoiy, were there not rcafoii
to apprelicml that he writes, in.t from his own
knowlfgc, but from IVJe. At tins time there wa?
a rieh filver mine in Walts between Laiielwy (Si.
DtiviiTs) and Bafingwtrk. {^Gir. Camlr. Liu.
CainbiU, L. il, c. lo.] I have already, under the
yeai ii53» m-tieed a filver mine in Cumberland,
belonging to David king uf StollanJ.

* IH3 holinefs . ude a fad blunder with refpcft
to the fexcs of t!ie partis s. An antient poet would
have maiiieii the god Iladria, the fon ot Neptune,
lo the nymph V'enctia, the dauglitcr of the river
jrod MfdoneiH. In clafTical or poetical language
Hadria, the name of that fea, is mafculine, and all
republics are of the feminine gender.

(■ This affertlon of Hrnry may be alleged againft
f)u>fc wrltevs who affirm that there were no mine*

A. D. 1189. 345

una cattle innumerable ; fo that filver is even more plenty m England
than mGermany ; and all the money of England is made of purelilver.
In this briet enumeration of goods exported there is no mention of
com ; and indeed there is no realbn to believe that the agriculture of
the country was fo far advanced as often to produce more than was ne-
cellary tor the home confumption. Some exportation of corn, howevei;
there was ; for in the year 1 181 a fine was paid to the king for licence
to Ihip corn from Norfolk and Suflfolk for Norway: but without a h-
cence and payment for it, which fcems equivalent to a cuftom duty it
appears that it could not he exported. [Madox's Hift. of tie exchequer
f* 13. § 3. lote k; f. 14, § 7, note r, § 15, notes 0, p.] '

Lead was exported in great quantities to all parts of Europe, the roofs
• u • P'r^f f ' churches, palaces, and caftles. being generally covered
with It. {Madox, c. 1 4, § is.--Hift. lit. dcla France, V. ix. p. 22 1 .1 The ex-
portation of tin was alfo very confiderable. the miAes of Cornwall and
Devon-ihire, which for many ages fupplied all Europe, affording a large
proportion of the royal revenue. [M. Paris, p. :,^o.—Foed^ra, V i.

It has been prefumed, with a probability approaching very near to
certamty, that wool was a principal article of the exports of this country
before the Nornaan conqueA : (See above, p. 288) and the exportation
ot it appears to have been fliU very confiderable, though the home ma-
nuhidture undoubtedly worked up large quantities of it ; for according
to ^'J' ^PerbohcaUccount of the commerce of the country, introduced
by Mathew ot Weftmmfler m his Hiftory. {p. 396. ed. ,60,] all the
nations of the world ufed to be kept warm by the wool of England
which was made into cloth by the Flemifh manufadurers.

Though I have found no exprefs mention in any Englifii author of
the exportation ot woollen cloth in this age. there can be little doubt
that the Flemings lettled in Wales, who are faid to have poflefled the
knowlege of commerce as well as manufactures, exported fome of the
cloths they made. The hiftorian of the Orkneys informs us, that two
merchant ftnps from England bound for Dublin, loaded with En^li/h
cloths (probably the manufadure of the Flemings) and other goods of
great value, were taken near DubUn, before the conquca of Ireland by
theEnglilh, by an Orkney pirate called Swein *. who on his return
home covered his iails with the fcarlet cloths, and therefor called that
his Icarlet cruife. [Torf^i Orcades, L. i, c. 37.]

The exportation of Haves, notwith (landing feveral laws or canons

* That rtiw wanted only .1 more cxtenlive fitl.l iicf» and ingraliiude fcarcJv Infeiior t.. A. .„„».,.

.f ad.on. and to have hia exploits recorded by au- aud in fetting up. aud de3nf hL i!L lo?d. ? h '

thor, n,ore generally knoun, to be a, illutlrioas a caris of OrkScyf he may'^b Tu^S. t .tl-c

a,ffian as ever hg„red i.. h (lo.y. In (lr«tagcm and brated king-miker, the Lrl of vSck
•iiiming he was fully equal to IJly&s ; in wlckid- "arwiCK.

Vol. I.

Xx

346

A/D. 1189.

made againft it, particularly in the cotincil rtf WeftminAc?, ip thjC
year 1102, [Eadmer, p. 68] was not entirely given up in the reign of
Henry II. Merchants, but apparently more frequently robbers and pi-
rates, exported flaves, who were partly trepanned, and wre partly child-
ten bought of wretched parents, who were in great want. In the year
1172 the refolution of the Irifli, who had hitherto been great purchafers
of Englifh flaves, to buy no more, and to fet at liberty thofe they had,
[Girnldi Cambr, Ihb. exp. L. i, c. 18] gave a great check, to thiit inhuman
trade. After that time, though there occur frequent notices of flaves
transferred from one proprietor to another *, and of the prices paid for
them, we do not, I believe, find them any longer mentioned as articles
of foreign trade.

The other articles exported from England at this time, fuch as honey,
wax, cheefe, falmcm, &c. were apparently trifling in quantity and value.

Of the imports of England at this time, wine, produced in the king's
French dominions, formed a x'ery confiderable part. Some woad for
dying, together with fpiccrxes, jewels, filk*, furs, and other luxuries f ,
conftituted the remaindei. In years of fcarcity corn was alfo imported ;
and the ftores of it celleded in London made that city be called the
g;ranary of the whole kingdom. [W. Mahnjb. Gefla pont. /• 133 b.}

All the goods imported into England, except wine, woad, and occa-
lionally corn, were in demand only among the fuperior ranks ; and,
though they were fold at very high prices, tlxey amounted to but an in-
coniiderable fum upon the whole. On the other hand, the goods ex-
ported, being adapted to the wants of all the clafles of mankind, were
in great and general demand : and thence there was a large balance in
favour 6f England, which produced the abundance of filver remarked
by Henry of Huntingdon. Bttt there is reafbn to apprehend that much
of the rnoney brought in by the commerce of the country was foon
taken oat of the circulation of produdive induftry, and locked up in
the dead hoards of the great clergy and fomc of the nobles. Roger
urchbifliop of Vork died in 1 181, poflcfled of 1 1,000 pounds of filver
and 300 pieces of gold (' aurei'), befides a gold cup and a confiderable
quantity of filver plate. [M. Parrs, p. 140.]

The great wealth of the kingdom, though perhaps very ill divided,
together with the policy of converting the king's fhare of the produce
of the crown lands, formerly paid in kind, into money rents, and the
great length of his reign, enabled Henry 11 to amafs lb much treafiire,
that he could bequeath above forty thoufand marks of filver, and five

* In the year 1 195 tlie archbifliop of Canter- f Of tlicfc fomc fjccification may bf found in
bury g3»e ten fkives, as part of the price of the Fitz-Stcphcn's dcfcriptioTi of London iii tliiBiyigii.

manor of l.ambcth, to the prior of Rochtfter.

[/v..Vrj, y: !, >. 89.]

See above, p. 329.

A. D. 1189.

34;

hundred marks of gold to, what Imj fuppofed, religip^a %Ad i;lwrit«4?if
purpofes*. >! .uwW\r.£Oi! u/.t.

At iihu tinvc the woollen manufadlure vras very widely extended over
the country : for, bcfidc* the colony of Flcmifti weavers u\ Wales, who
were probably the iaftruaors of all the reft, and the comp.my, or gild,
of weavers eftabliftied in London, it appears, that there vere fimiJar
companies of the fame trade in Oxford, \ ork, Nottingham, Hunting-
doii, Lincoln, and Winchefter; and all of them, agreeable tc the policy
of the age, paid fines to the king for the privilege of carrying on their
manufadture cjcchifive of all others in theirtowm. [MtvJox's Hift. of the
exchtq, c. 10, ^ 5.3 But there wero alfo dealers in Bedford, Beverley
and other towns of York-fhire, Norwich, Huntingdon, Northampton,
Gloocefter, Nottingham, Newcaftlc upon Tine, Lincoln, t'tantbrd,
Grimlby, Barton, LaflFord, S*. Alhans, Baldock, Berkharafte.\d, and
Chellerfield, who paid fines to the king, that they might freely buy and
fell dyed cloths ; foinc of their iiccnccs alfo containing a permiifion to
fell cloths of any breadth whatiever. As the EngUih had not yet ittain-
ed any confiderable degree of profici«jcy in the art of dying, and as
foreigners were not bound by the Englilh regulations for the breadth
of cloths, it may be apprehended, that the cloths fold by thofe wotvllen
drapers were the fine txiloured goods of the manufadure of Flandi^rs :
and the red, fcarlet, and green, cloths, enumerated arnoog the article!, in
the wardrobe of King Henry II, were moft probably of the fame foreii^
raanufadlure. [See Madox's Hiji. oftbeexcbeq. r. lo, § 12 ; c. 13, § 5.J

Henry II, in the ;?i'' year ot his reign, gave the weavers of London
a confitrmution of thcir^ild with all the freedoms they enjoyed in tht-
reign of Henry I ; and m the patent he direded, that, if any weaver
mixed Spani-fti wool with Engliih in making cloth, the chief magjftrate
of London (hould bum it, {Stmi's Survey <^ Lmdon^p. 515, ri. 1618,]
From (ijch a regulation it foems probable, that Englilh wool was then
fupetior to that of Spain, which iu later times has obtained tlie firft
chara6lerf. i-mrHMq .Hn n?

The Englifh goldfmithp flttU Jircferved the reputation acquired by

f .The joo niaika uf gejil w«re ^t, m^« marr
ilugt pi);tionj for woiiicii of free (or grntccl) con-
<!i'tio:i, who were in ne<?<1 of ;l(^l^anc«■ ; A landfcWe'
and noble b^oni-Jh ^11 the iflk>i»»8 for tjie fiip^ ,
port of the lijJy vvsri aijJ the nmiiitenan<;e of (Jrone»
tif both ffxej in ronvfnts, [See' the will in fadera,
Ki,/». 37.] Tut whole aiQoubt of Wia iirjeifnre.
ijllatt'dby Hoveden [_f. 37^^ a] at above a bun-
Jred tboufand murit, which is iiicrcafedby Mithev
l^in'i [^. 15a, «//. 1640] to- wtsvf nine hundrei,'
''xmfiiiul pounJt, bciiJcs valuable uttnfils, jewels,
■\nd nretioiH ftones. Uiit the later fnm being in.
( tcdibly ^rcr.t (in faft not Itfs in real value thnn

. ft^urtceu or. fiftcip^ nyjliona of roodcrn money), I
fufpefl t'lat nongtnUi (liiiie liiiiidred) fiaa crept
ihto the text for fiontginfa (ntiiety), the number
npcordmg to IJ«ii«didtu» ,AI)b4» ; and p>>fiibly
jwunja have alfo been inadvertently fubditiited for
mark»;

! -f 'ilw '1 lante pretioli<5i|«' ^woft , pfeiioui
wool) of Henry of Huntingdon, [/. J7oa] an
author of this ajjc, If we may yive full credit to
lil« fuperlsthe language, rcttiis' \.h eouiHeniticI the
belief of the fuperiority of Englilh wool, whith
wiH'be rnrthef illttUrated bffaW.tb ft« i»¥r9ted
in the fnhfequent part of thid work. ' '^ '•

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80

(716) 872-4503

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t}i«ijr,predecefli>rs, Anltetil* a TOonfcof^^ Albwiis, obout ^«ho-t«giiii.
ii^og of tbp twelfth century, was fo famous for his works m goldvfil««r,
gilding, and jiwelerv, that he was invited by ihc king o^ I)enmafk to
Superintend hisnwofks in gold, and to be hh banker, or money-changeir.
A i?pirf!af<«ndleftick« aiadeof ftivwrftnd goldr And prefented -byRl^l
bett^-abbat of S'. Albans, to Pope Adrian IV, were- fa .mutjh efteemed
for their exquifne workm»nftiipi, that they weroc<mfecrat5ed to Sf: Bete*,
and were the. princi|>al means of obtaining higb-ecclefiafticai diftinaioniR
for the abbay. Neither weret the Engliih! ladles of ithiji ^jb iefs famous
for their works in; embijoidery than thofe of the Anglo-SaxGOi ' race.
The fame abbat alfa feat the pope a prefent- of mitres artd fendals moft
wow^/t-z/w//;/ .^mbr4>idered bg^ the iiands of Chriftina, prioMfsofMir^te.
[M. Fafis, Vita, pp. 59, 71., j^.y ftfore examples of the fuperiority ^
the Englifti male and fema^artifts-i^. thofe bfan«ite« roight b« produced
if it wcrftneceOarytf! >iwr M'^^n^^^m^^mv^^im^-^ii^m k-» orfi-

Asfiajc ai>d hemp aPC enumerated byi Ike. 6o«rndbI of Wefbninfler in
the year 1 175, along with corn, wine, the incueafe of animals, wool,
cheefe, and all other things annually reproduced, as fubjed to the pavv
TOent of tithes, it appeairs that feme flax and. ;he«ipw^re cultivated,
which could only bp for the purpofie ©f making cloth and cordage
[Gtrvas. DorQb.col. i\^i.^ The cultivation of theoa was probably in-
troduced, or at leaft became fo general as to attract the inoticeofthe
•<rlergy, after the conqueft j for they arenot includedfinthe lift of titlv^
able articles made out in the- fourth . year of WiliiaTO the. Gonquerort
but, on the other hand, the.|^rofits made by inrtlUrHndrfby merchandize
f negotiationibus'), which ure.charged xhGUi<{KHj^hton^\etJ.\^^^(A are
now omitted. , ..'< ;«.' , ,.i;. 1 ,.; , -:.,,,.. ,,, ,,,

May 7'" — Frederic emperor of Germany, at the requeft of Adol-
,phus earl of Schowenborch* gave a charteT' to his (Adolpbu»'s).titiaens
of Hamborch, granting thema free p^age for their ftups and men from
the fea to their city, without paying any toll or ungelt, or any impofition
whatever in coming or returning; but with a condition, that the goods
pt.ftrangers, brought in their vefTels, ihould pay duty to the emperor at
his city of Stade *. He grants them an exempticn from all exaaions in
t(hf whole, ^iftrij3t belonging to th^;earl, wad the Jigbt of presenting any
perfon from building a caftle within two miles of their city, with the
right of fiihing in the Elbe two miles above, and two miles below, the
w5f • IJ^o any perfon, defirous of exchanging mofley in the city, might
do it in any place moft convenient, except before the mohey-houfe :
Bgd the commimity had authority to examine the weight and ftandard
of the money ifliied by the coiners f. The charter alfo exempts the

eil^'^^'ir^uiW'w tlw iw'«* afnaU aiUgbM tkit town. IHeJmoUi Ci>r. Sl-vctm.
fiver runoinjf into the routh-wfll fide of the Elbe. JLi,c. if.}

t That i may rot be accufed of neglefling fo
important an objeft in commercial hliXory as tht

- _r _. _f«»JJ

river running into the foutli-weft fide of the Elbe,
below Hamburgh. About the year looo, the
l)ani(h pirates plundered the bankt of the Elbe

I

MU. ^iS^,

^

After !t}\i Morniaifc tJttiKjodft' Ltfndbrt afipe^p^ta.haVi^toefefl'g^JViyMBd
for foifoe time ^by n p.rrg^i-efund a fTov(M cotiprJStXf * : ' The tttiw^efs
MatUda,,a«'qo«e|i W<England. flppoiiitec^Godfrey Ma|h*^lteto be pbrt-
lgeref.i)miiflii«ef'6Midfid6Watidi*(riddte(fecP im-M rei^ bf^ her fori
Kin^ Htury*®,' \\>e fee»nO more provdlfe^ W firtdthe Wames of ftV^til
|»ortgereft, orjibrfgraves^ who feem to have ^feittained in dffice<^mfttiy
y«aTii.^fp0rfcap8 for h'Ife. Itt^ fettte necoWs the pHi«jipal- ittjtgiftfates of
Londoit are alfo calted' (htrreft (vieecomites), doniefmen' artdaldfehnetf:
fciwiitiiimot, I believe, khownv whether thoffe titles fticceeded each'oth^r
astbeldKiglng'to the fomt office^ bf magiftr&cy, <>r belonged to cb-cxift-
»Bg officer.' fHlnithfefiirft yea»«6f KiWg RicHard," tfe* oId^i^urvi^Ag>fbfi
4jf HfenrjT Hi the city began tb hate two ftitreiV.b** bailifs^ and in^yof,
who was the chief magiftrate. This year, at Michaelmas, Hetiry/pit^
Alwin wai appointed by< the kiiig to b« the fli^rrtiftyor, arid he retain-
ed the ttflSce «b«ve- twsnty-fotir ytm. [Sn>wn Sirmy^^f Lokdon, 'pps tf»k

J- Immediately 'aftef the comtftdneettient of Fitii-Alwin's mayorklity -'ha
excellent reguktion for the fa^ty of the lives and ^rbperfies of the^if](-
habitants of Londbti took pteee. The houfes being built of tttftber.
withrooftof ftravKot reeds, fires Were very frequent : and, in ordef to
prevent fuch calairiities^ 'ii wttSioMered '-; thaethdhbufes in the city Aould
thenceforth be built <^ fforie Up' tcra tienairi height, and covered with
flate or tik; Yhat fafe andftbftr.ntial mode of building was generally
perfevered in for about two huhdred' years, after which timber build-
ings again came in ufe. [Mmu/cripts quoted by Slow, Surviy, »t, tsr

533.] ■■' r^<^ .fvf n;i' J-- ,vir->,r': /'J 't,* ■, - >' : - > Tj/'*' '

*n la the reignoF^tienvy 11 the Jews had met with "fbmtf relatafibt^ tif
the rigorous treatttiemtb which thiey had ft)rrtier4y bifen fubg'ea^d/ ' ij^^
lirous of conciliating the favour of the new king by valu^bl^ gifts, Tbttie
of the chief men among them, aflembled from various parts of the kitig-
dom, went to prefem theit bfferiwgs on fhedtiy of the c6tonafiort^ep-
tcmbef j-^); but were rddety repWed by the gii^rds,*Who atlegttf the
kmg's order fpi» excluding them. The rabble fomehdw ^x if, ttbtidn

part dfthtfcha-ter ih the ormuii word*. — ' A,r. « k;il.«r,,ol,..„.,> .. :...j> ,» •w'vt

' gentuni (fUoqiif ia ipb c'^mtt fi cjyi'j cwnbJare

volueiit, w (juocunque loco fucijtiopppi^unum,
' cambiat, nifi fuerit ante Jomujn moiieti?. Po-
' teftatetn etitm habeaiit examinandi denarioa mo-
', ««tarip»ujn in pondicre ct puritttc' itrom lti«r»
worda Mr. AnJerfon, by a ftraiige inadvertency,
cwicludej, that the emperor gave the HsNuburgh,
en ' liberty to negociate money by exclwnae, &c.
' which Ult privilege fliew», that Hamiut} mult

• bills of cxchaiige, or moneys remitted by exchange,

* weir vwy new at this time in Europe, and w?re
thfrt w i «>fe only in the moft canfiderabli cities

ctofel/ tfaftflateff the mom^-houfi, Remi to biiLt

miu. ''.'.),. ,■ hi....; !(!' ; .

• Some hints concevnuig the pugidracT, gcc.

of London before the conqutiftj Hiiafbtlett ia d.

«97' .. '■ , ' '■-■ 'r' '■■"

^

AVU flg^

£ba^ tU\aiiiMm^Mm^^m t^ !f^i^. and' being ^t^tAo'imi.
tHc the ze^l pftlii^ iS^emgtT, ^i^a tcrferve God by d<ifhoying that di»t
■yoted jrace, whoip, as well as the Saracetis, they called Ood't eMetHks, a
ndreadful carnage en^ue^, wjb^qh was continued through the whole iiay
in.i^fii^eQf the king's comfiiand for jhe mob to i^ifperfe, fem by 'foi»e
of his principal cburtiersi, and, was'folbwcd by A''ci6inflagra!i6rt«f -tliie
iioujes, and pill^e of the property, of all tlic Jevw hi London, ' < ^ ' ;
j«oOTf^ekmg*f wrath. for tiiedif^ i*i|?l6h iflle fc-kimtir

ty oH^ coronation feftivai, and the contempt of his ititthot*»«yj toge^h^r
with hie pi?Qt«!dliou publicly granted to the Cum-vipg Jews^ reftraioed
fhe^malkf i?f the p^op]e Againft then), whiJit <ftc''*e»5ftaiftfed'in Eriglaiid.
But„^s foQn as be left the kingdom, the fufy broke Ont^ncw aftep his
departure ; and the maflacrep and enormities of London were repeat«id
upon the Jewsof Lynne, Norwich^ Stanford, Lincoln,- S^Edtaundftuty
^i>dXork. -^V^""" '" ' " t*^' ■'''-'-'"'"''^— ■-:^''^'''^ ■'•^'^^j^^-' .t>*""tK.x,
. At the later city '^ftii*iJk^edy'Wal*b^^^by^'*i^t^
GPfitaiji^d the widow and children of one of the principal martyrs to the
fury of the London mob. Thereupon about five hundred Jews fliut th«it»-
felves up in the caftle.'bythe permiflionof the governor, with their families
and their rnoft valuable and portable efFedts*, and there fuftained u fiege,
till their provifions were expended, and they were driven to the iho«king
extremity of rpurdering with their own hands their-wiws and children,
jind tha> tlhiemfclves, after fetting fire to the ^Uditigs in, order to d«-
Itroy their property as much as poflible, and td involw Ibrnt «mid
apMta<t€s in the general deftru£tion f . After this dr^ftdfcl) oatafirofbf,
the biefiegers, in order to deprive the unhappy heirs of tb* 'vidhms, jt'
ar^y r.^rnained, of their property, went to the cathedra i, wliere tlie bonds
: foir'^therr debtk t^^re preferved, which they forced from the 'keeperg, and
'^iletnnly Cominjtted to the flames in the middle of thd *chur«h: and
then many of theni, who had engaged themfelves to g& to ^ha hpljr war,
'dcRber^tely fet out upon their expedition. Such was the evcnt^the
^fperfecution which the Jews fuffered, not for their reUgionj bui for dicir
'wealth, to >vhicl;i tlie mob yfeic fpurred,on, as conteflfed by WiHiam of
Newbuigh, a contemporary writef, by the debtors of the Jews, and alio
hy^fooie of the cjergy, and a, hot-headed hermit, [IV. Newbrig. L. iv,
,*tvsji7.-if.-wAit,JW-ir»;j6» *574 Bvitthefe horrid deeds afford a me-

■■■0 *ifllhe g(f*(raor thuuglit it his Amj to prottft

the Jewf. or at Icall their property, * tan-^uatn
• IriigiMidii liejjia*.'— ' Fifco enim eompctit, quicquid
^Vt' Jbderi^ (vkn fioeneMtoies -cmllla^ clfe rvgiua* in
.f'»;*ftrf«'hab«rt"vkkiKun^ [«'£ Ximti'^. L. iv.

f After the deftruftion of Jtrrufalem,- Eleazar

'^hd hii <ta<»et«te«, Who had detendoi the caftle of

'' Mflffeda againft the Romani, ia the like maniKr

determined, when they found ihey Could tiold eut
no longer, to put their wives, their children, and
tiMttifdvet, to dt.'a:h, and to fet fire to the fort,
wluch ;hey aduallv emecuted: and oaly^twowo-
rheu and a few chifdivn, who had fl)rtink from tlie
geoeroi carnage and hid tlienifelites, were lefl to
gife the Romant an account of the fncrt<ice of the
ftjf devoted garrifon. ijof^ Belli yud.^.yii,
'••»8-) '-1o"««i:i3''lo:',fuQ,

I

lAwh^dxpfiopC qC,^l||jjprcxfppr^^,<^f.|h<!5 tp]^n« wherein they wereper-
pKjjmteel ; for Jeyt^s ^rp «avci^ fptftia but in opulent jilace^ "' ''^ ^'' "
( Richard, almoft immetliately after he wm crowned king ^f "iliwla'ti^,
rcfoked'to deferchis kingdana ii;» qr4er to accornpaay the king of'FfaiiCfe
QS^idinexpi^ditiw for ^bq jreqoycry of th^ Holy land frpnii the Mdhamed-
«i!t6:;a^b^ was perhaps, eke mcCT ardently-zealous chair pion, that ever
religious ,ffcn?!y tranfpdrted t©' Afia.^ To that holy warfare' the gi-dnt
rjcei^fwes l^ft J?y .his fiuheif,;amounting1)y;^ici nioft modcraljCi a6'coc(Ht%
about a hu&d''^^ thoufand marks, were corilecrated, and alfo all the fno-
ttt^^H^ <;ouldJcrew out of bis fubjefts, and all that he couM fbrape fo-
g(^^!.h(y t^ (i*Vpf every thing that hie could poffibly fell*^ [W^. Nkv6r^.
2ti iy^ f!, 3i.rmHovfden,f. 3j6 a, 377 b, 378 b J One happy effe4 to bbth
the Brifith king(b>m3of his eagemefs for amafling niopev Was the re-
ftprfltioti of tfiC cailles of Rokeiburgh and Ber\yick to, Wxll^ni ktiVg'Bf
Scotland, together with a refignation of the acknowlegeniefit of ft^^W-
orky extorted from him by ITenry II, in confequonce of his, b^n^rfiil'-
prifed aodipade prifoner by thc.bwc^^rf^Ypr^, Ihire; for \^ recov-
ery, of fcis ojf a righfs WiUiap|pp?LJidJ^ marks, [Fa-
dera, V, x,p, (S^] a fum greatly esceeding in real value a million of uib-
dcth mpfteyrl*/ This la^gefumlwasrajfedb/ William, froAi his f^^
je€^^.n»t , wirtio^t jff, e^(psr.iip|Jipf,jroyalautKbrity'; and even the defj^-
liv Vi4 notfefempted-rfrpm th$,9Wrihu^ipnv Iff. T^nvbrig, I. iV'. ^:' ^X.

hni&s Richard'? expefjkijon totj^e |ioly land is unconpe^ed with coib-
jncrcial hiftctrj[,4ti,wil],Sp lyffifCient, to jiojic? };»^ |leet £>rid)htis, naval oper-
ation^ 'His fhip8» coUeded from all the ports of England and th^ w^ft
OQaft pfFran^Je, wjuchf^aj qatirely fubj^dt to hinj, and, his, mother, form-
.)e4nhe>fi»e|l j9«t,,rfij»i>^,fryerl:^ei> under the con9rharid|p|f a k^p'g;;(pf
England*, (• Jl^nnvc^t is varloufly ftatfid by the diSerent authors, iand
Geweyide Viuiiauf^, whp Wi^s ia the ex;pedition, oj?ly fays» that the
peof^e of M«i&na. in Sicily, at which port the jEuglifhaud Frepc]) fleets
had their wndezvous, never ^W,por ^\tx will f?e, ©n their coatt fb great
and fo'fine a 'fl'^et as «hat; of England. According to othe.- authors of
good credit, th«reiwejje;jiyep,^^ larger.:tl^aa^,^h^^^^^qal|f^^,f

onligations exK^cd by RTchani Within four Hiontbk
were diCchaiged iii iiut foiluu-ing year, lie fuqMfTed

nil his prcd<c«(Tors in ^Vcrfth. [fl. <2r />!»<<>, (o/.
fThe;

have b«rt pt^d by Williaiti to tfcmyll for tiig
raafom, appears to have been advanced by Heftor
Bo; & out of the inexbauftibls-tieafuiy ofjbj* own
iavention.

taii)^ of igMHiey hiw AtiAiMttKl ttf mMh, § l^tota hia veey - y^ioat acco)>MJ>£ R^^ld*t

«iU ftaiidardt in cvnrerting aatient nioricy tnM tno
dtro. The ftandard, filed Sy Lord I.yitlcton in
hit Lifc^ Oi Hciiry II, of cen rnvderii pounds for one
mark of tha age of Hcuty (or fifteen fur one) was
certainly nnuh too low, even vvl:en lir \vi ote.

ifit nditi been fo mwh dtprcflkl, i«i tha courJ* of e»p*dition [q*. (^dt, ,S i^ ^L V. hVj: Juia»e
cofBpolihg this Vrprkk that I in*y hav« uf«d difl'er- exuaded aU Uie tiaral tiUormatio« of , tiiifiMriod,

_ji t.;. J— .1. ;- — , — .: .:«„. — ^ ; . except that for whi'ih other authora an, p|ir^(U«P-

ly quoted. . . .. ^ •..■.„, , ,;.,:

H Vinifauf calfa the largeft of Richwd'a yeffels
tkoKuiu (ordcomuoib),aira fays, he {ippuintcd'eae
of them tu carry his bride and l>i« fifte', the queen

dowager

I

A. D. U90.

sued with a triple fpread of fails *, about 50 armed galllej!, and 100
tfanfports or ▼efl'els of burthen. Befides thefe, there were ;i6(f\^eflels
which tiad aflfembled at lafbon, coafted round Spain as far a!^ MarfeiUe'
and tteice tcdk a departure for Syria, without touching r.t ^y other
land. [ffovfJe/tj/. 382 a.]

' All tllefe veflels rowed and alfo failed. The galJies were a^bj^ed wJtfi
innumerable pencils (or pennants) waving in the wind, arrf batinei^, or
ftandards, (' ugnis') fixed in gracetiU order on the tops of the fpears.
The r^ra, or beaks, were diftinguiflicd by the variety of their painfings
or figures ; and the prows of the veflels fhone with the light re^fe^ted
from the fhields fixed upon them. Modem veflels, fays Vihifauf, have
greatly fallen oflFfrom the magnificence of antient times, whpri the gil-
lies carried three, four, five, and even fix, tires of oars, whereaS^dw they
rarely exceed two tires. The gallies, anticntly called Liburnje, are long,
ilendf r, and low, with a beam of wood fortified with iron, commonly
called a fpur, projcdHng from the head, for piercing the fides of the en<?T
my. There Cti-e alfo fniall gjallies, called galeons, which being fHo«^
and lighter, i^eer better, and are fitter for throwing fire. ^')

Ships fometimes ventured, at leaft in the Meditertanean,,to lofe fidi|^
of land ; but gallies nevef left thq iho^ef. \Hovtden,f. '38a b,'4o4 ajL,
Rrvrntofiy eol. 1217.] In order to keep the flefet from difperfmg |n tw

ni^t-time, it lantern was carried aloft W the king's vefleL whicli letf
rhft wav to the whole f?ei»f. tni Tolan^-^ ,„f) t m;

rhe way to the whole fleet,

■ rnt ■'?)ri nd j^JU.

K^

-111

.!..«lager i»f AVily. The fame wffd he elfcwhere^lnGaft Ip'. -^fitigtefia.i'^tdoJfe'cWdnrcfeFo^'
v.,iU»»i«j(i («bi«a'i! iaimft and ^ommt, or drt' the fiftedith ccrilvrjr,^ it very angry witK^ his coki.
mmJ, eppear, at lead fumetimn. to hawc been temporarie* for uflog t,he *w»rd gaka, which he,
ul'ed pTOmtfcooufly. [^Compare Vmifauf, pp. 316, takes every opportunity of (ligmatizinK as fi cor-
■■,lor-lt' tie liiirttet col. 66l>— M. Parit, p. t6t>— riptioa of lanpwge 'ftila^ introducea by" li/i^A*/'
Bra,!Hoii, (tl, x^oi.J .; ■ Sec particularly b^ Chroaicif at A. £>. 11461

The coinB)fn<atoi», carried awa" by Greek 1416, op, Muraiari Script. V. xvii.
tty«iil6gy, tell ut that the tfromiwrf was a light ' Fljing fiftes, which the {»f%rim» had feen near
fail-failing vcflel, fo called from Jje^Mti 3 ra«. It "' ' ' '" " ' •-•—■-

n more than prub^le^ that, the word ii Arabic :
and the expmpUt quoted by Spi:lnun, \Archtol.
va. Dromimda\ who has therein condefcended to
cop]^ Ifidure, are rather at variance h his defini-
tion w}4 etymology. Vinilauf ^ep« Jly cbarac.
teriz.t the dromoni a* heavy and dulU:ailliig veflieU.

*< • Triplici velorum expanitunc velificatae.' \_M,
Parit, p, i6j,'] They feein to have had &nf
mait*^ fach carrying only one fall. We are not
told, I believe, how many mails the galiies had.
In " eighty years after we find fome of the veflels

Sardinia, we^e now firft hfard of in England : and
Hoveden [/• 383 a] fc««BS apprehenfive, that he
fliould fcarcely obuin credit tor the exifteuce of
fuchwonderfur animals. I find flying filhes appro.

beloDgiqg to an affiociation of cruAKling kings,
wliicn are remarked aa very large, carrying two
fails each. [HeminsforJ, L. 'in, c. 34]

f Vinifauf cxpreWy Csys [/. 374] that the kind
of 'vefl°e1, which the dntients called a UumOf was
in his time (the twelfth century) called agaiUy, in
Latin ^tfi^M, which word is ufed on every occaliou
of nWotiooiog fuch ^&ls by a/l the writers of the

piiated to the tropical feas of the weilern b«mi>
fuhtrc by foBie writers of the prefent age, e. m. JWrs,
Piosr.i; and, what is more furpriflng, Nlr. Ed-
wards, th« hiftorian of the Wtll-Indies^ fuppofes
[f'. 1,^. I a, H(He2 that Culumbtts, a Mediterrane-
an navigator, had never fiCD a flying fifh, till h«
was on tl)c voyage wherein hedifcovercd th# Weli-
ern world. The flying fi(h is <it.fcribcd, but very
briefly, by Pliny [L. ix, e. »6] u ,der the name «f
liirundo, or fwallow-filh t and its fltfbt, or leap,;
has certainly fome reCemblaoce io die (kimming
flight of the fwallow. Flying filhet are common
in the Atiantie ocean as far north as the cuaft ut'
Portugal ; end wc learn from Mr. Pennant [Brit,
Aoalogy, y. \\\,p. I9»,.4"' tdit.l that at leall o>i«
has b«eo found on the coaft «f douth-Wakf.

r .tcv

Ji fe» eugagement* they ftill preferved the antiem femicitxjular line
of battte.. Itatwaing the ilroni ft vefleU in the wings, or points, with a
view to inclofe the enemy as in a net. The foldie«, ftationed on the
upper deck, (or on the raifed platform or forecaftle, • fupcrioribus tabu-
latM.),qi^e a clefe bulwark of their (hields; and, to give them free
room to fight, the rowefs fat together below. When the hoftile fleet*
approached, the found of the trumpets and the Aouts of the men gave
the fignal for the engagement, which commenced with a difcharge of
miffile weapons on both fides: the fharp beaks, or fpurs, were forcibly
dalbed agaraft the enemy's fides: the oars were entangled : and the hof-^
tile vefiels being grappled together, a clofe fight enfued, whUe the en-
gineers endeavoured to bum their enemy's fhips with the Greek fire
which was now in common ufe with the Turks and Saracens, as well as
t^e, Cl>j:iftians.

^f^:!'*-^u''ing tlic fiege of Aeon a battle was fought between th«
Chnmans and the Turks upon the fea. In one galiev the Turks got
poUcflion of the upper tire of oars, and the Chriftians retaining the low-
er tire, they pulled the veifel different ways *.

While Richard was on hisvpa^Tage from Cypr«&to Paleftine, he feU m
with a very large fhip loaded with warUke ftores and provifions, and hai«»
mg onboard, according to the raoft moderate and probable account,*
eight hundred foldiert for the relief of the grrrifon of Aeon. She car-*
ried three very lofty marts ; but her fails were of little avail to her for
It was almoft calm, and fhe was too heavy to make much way with' her
oars. /^Richard's, light galiies, by the ufe of their oars, moved round her
with the greateft agility, and attacked her flirioufly in every direftion ;t'
but die great ftrength and loft ineis of her fides gave her fuch a fuperi-
ority over them, that flie baffled all their efforts, till Richard in a rag«
threatened to cvucify every man in the fleet, if fhe fliould efcape. Then

• Thi* curiou* cireumftaiice, which affords a
dear drmooftration that the anttent gaU'irt carried
their o«r» in tire* above cach-other m the irtanner
(lefonbtd in the earfy part ot thi* work, has not
lieen fo n»uch obfervred by writers, as it ought to
be ! atid ft is the more worthy of Mtention, if it be,
as I believe it is, thfe Utelt certain notice <)f veflels
carrying more than one tire of uars. Viiiituf's
dtfcription of the gallics jivf b room t6 believe, that
there were fome even with three tlwst but I find
110 paiticular mention of any one fuch vtlfcl in his
very circumftaiitial worlti and indeed non^, which
can be dependftd on, in any other ; thoiiijh feveral
wri^rs of that and the fucceedinjj ages, in their af-
fcdation of claffical Utinity, have obfcurtd t! eir
narrati»e» by applying the term iriremft to gallies
of every kjnd, and alio to the 'j^reat (hips of the
SiMcciis. £e. g. ir. ffrwtrlg. L. i, i. io.—R. de
Dicilo, eol. 66 1 — M. Parlttf. 1 6l .~~Omohu Fr'ifiHg.
Geft. FriJ. ab. Muratori Script, fi vi, r'./. 66S.1

Vor. I.

Donatus. Jannotius IRr/p, fTtntt. p. jyy] (i^
there are t'irrmet, trireinet, and quinquertmes in tiiC
arfenalat Ventee : but unlefs he me&ns gallies with*
two, three, and five, men to an oar, I fufpeA tj^:
has facrificed accuracy of dtfcription, to, what h*'"
fiippOfei, fine language ; and fome iiidicious It^J^
vclefs, who havevtfited thearfenal, tell me that my
fufpicion is well founded. The fame mifapplirra? '
tion i)f the word appears on fome of the medaE '
of Loms Xiy.— Baptffta Burgns, who publift^'*
lu3 panegyrical hiftory of Genoa in the year 1641,"*
evidently ufe» tirtmu 4nd trirftntt to denote thedft- '
fcrent fistes of gallies ; and he denies that there e*M'"'
poiKbly be any more than one tire of oars..— A njjfi'''
iiufcript of the Cotton library TTUvi, A, xxti, 1I
promifci, according to the catafcgtie, fome inform, ^
alion, ilUillrated with drawing*, coneeming ^r<t''
rcntfi and other naval affairs. Bu» He dratving^ *'
which are very bad, have no gallic ik mart thii* '
one tire of oare.

354

A, D. ii9#.

fome oi the Englifli feamen, diving under the bottom of the great ^ip,
hampered her rudders, (or whatever (he ufed for ftecring, ' gubemactt^
la*) with ropes, fo that flic could fcaicely move, while the reft attempt^
to board her, which they efliedted, but were repulfcd by the Turks with
prodigious flaughter. At length they drove the iron beaks of the gal-
lies furioufly againft her, and opened fcveral breaches in her fides, fo
that (he filled with water. The Turks, finding their (hip going down,
leaped onboard their enemies to fave their lives : but Hk the crew were
deliberately butchered or drowned by the orders of Richard, except fe-
ven officers of high rank, and twenty-eight engineers, whom he referv-
ed for the value of tlieir ranfom, or their fldll in conftrudtng warlike
machines, and to be a trophy of his great achievement •. [Vini/auf, p.
338.]

A fimilar great fhip was taken by the French fleet near Tyre. [F.
Mmyh p, 177.] t ! [

The Germans and Danes, while they were lying before Aeon, pro-
bably feeing that they would need but few veifels to carry them home,
broke up their (hips for fire-wood. About the fame time five hundred
(hips and bufles, with fome gallies and other veflels, returned to Italy to
lake in frefh cargoes of men and provifions to be confumcd in PaiefHne.
Thefe, I fuppofe, belonged to the people of the fi-ee ftates of Italy, who
knew better what to do with their (hipa than the Germans and Danes,
and turned the enthufiafm of their weftern neighbours to the advantage
of their commerce and navigation. [Hoveden,/. 376 b.]

The enumeration of the articles, belonging to one of the caravans
traveling from Babylon to Paleftine, which was plundered by King Rich-
ard, gives us fome idea of the nature of the Oriental trade, as condud-
ed at that time by the way of the Perfian gulf. They confifted of a
great quantity of gold and filver (which muft have been bullion, as mo-
ney is alfo mentioned) robes of filk, purple, ro^nd gowns (* ciclades'),
purple dye, a variety of ornaments for drefs, amis and weapons of vari-
ous kinds, fewed coaCb of mail of the kind called gafingan%, embroidered
culhions, fumptuous pavilions and tents, bifcuit, wheat, barley, and flour,
eledhiaries and other medicines, bafins, bottles, bags or perhaps purfes
(' fcaccaria'), filver pots and candlefticks, pepper, cinnamon, and other
'choice fpices of various kinds, fugar and wax, with a prodigious quan-
tity of money. The v;hole value of the plunder was faid to be much

• The later writers fay, that a diver bored a
hulc in her bottom, which funk her; and that King
Richard faved 200 prifoners, and <druwned 1 300.

■J- Another grtat dromund was taken many years
T)«fore by a company of pilgrims in nine (hips un-
der the command of Rognvald carl of Orkney.
One of the Orkney vefTels creeping clofe in to her fide
'inder the rangt* of the engines, they opened a port

with their axes, through which they boarded her,
and after a dreadful carnage got pofleflion of her,
and found her a very rich prize. They then mur-
dered all the people, except the commander, and
burnt the (hip, by which they loll much of the
treafure. Such were the laws and practices of that
holy warfare. [^Snorra, Hifl. Si^urdi, lite. c. 17.—
Torftc't Orcadest L. \, c. 31.]

A. D.

1191.

355

beyond what had ever been taken in any one battle : and we may form
fome jiidgcment of it from the aumber of cattle employed to carry the
merchandize, when, befides very many that eLaped, the camels and dro*.
medarics taken were eftimatcd at 4,700, and the mules and affes taken
were faid to be innumerable, [yinij'mf, p. 400.} We may here remark^
that fuch articles as filver pots and candlefticks and fome kinds of drape-
ry ufed to be carried from Egypt to the Eaft in the firft century, and
alfo money, the balance of tratte beii^ then very great in favour of the
Oriental merchants ; whereas now a large balance in money and bullion
appears to have been brought yroro the E?&.

We have already feen the citizens of London have a principal fliare
io the eleflion of King Edmund Ironfide and Harold the fon of Cnut;
and other fimilar inftances might be adduced, if necefiary. We now
find them joined with John the brother of the ^fent king, the biftiops,
earls, and barons, in dcpofing one viceroy, and appointing another, who,
together with his aflbciatesin the adminiftration, gave thexitiiens anew
charter of their incorporation or communty (' communa') *, [Hoveden
/ 399 b-3 . .

1 19s — King Richard, whofe prodi^es of perfonal valour in Paleftine
have ranked him among the heroes of romance, had the misfortune to
be trepanned in his way home by the duke of Auftria, who fold him to
the emperor of Germany : and he was accordingly tranfported by his
new proprietor from Vienna to Mentz and other places, where he was
generally kept in a rigorous confinement, till a treaty was concluded,
whereby the emperor extorted from him, or rather from the people of
England, one hundred thoufknd marks of fiiver of the weight of Co-
logne, to be paid in advance, together with an obligation, to be fecured
by the delivery of fixty.,feven hoftages, for fifty thoufand marks, to be
paid, if fome fecret engagements concerning the duke of Saxony were
not ^rformed : and tEc emperor, in return for fo much folid treafure,
madb . ^m a prcfcnt q§ an imaginary kingdom of Provence. The king
thereupon wrote to his mother and the judiciaries of Eagland (April
19'"), defiring them to colled as much money as poffible by contribu-
tions and loans, and alfo to receive all the gold and filver belonging to
the churches, and to give their oaths to tbc^clergy for the reftoration of
thera. TJm kij^ fecras to have expeded, tteit the money might be
raifed by voluntary contributions and loans ; but fo heavy a demand,
coming before the country had recovered from the efFedls of the drain

* The leiirned Somner IGloff. ad Script, decern'}
.-onfiders tammuna on this occafion as Ajjiiifyinr >
coTcnant of confederacy witli the biihops, c»ri»,
snd barons, for their joint fecurity. But, that the
•tord exprcflcd the^^ht»Prj>rixjl(rge»pf Aa,iucor.

porated commnnity, appears evidently from fcTcral
charters of King John, granting to his towns in
Normandy tUeif commima. See Jnadox's Hift. of the
tHchtq. f. 13, J 13 ; and Firma burgi,p. 35.

Yy2

u^

J^Xk fl^.

made by the preptu-ation^ £os hk late expedition, was found fo diftrefT-
fiiU that the moft rigorous exertions throughout all England and his
continental tenrirorics were infufficicnt to rnife the fum required, though
all esemptions. daimcd in confequence of privileges, dignities, or eccle-
Ikftical orders, weare difregarded, though even the pdate and other trea-
fumiof the chiuxhes were taken, and the Ciflercian monks, who had
never before been fubjeded to any royal exadion, were compelled to
■give the wool of their Iheep, which was almoA their only income; and
a fecond, and even a third, collcdion was made before the whole fum
could be completed. William, king of Scotland, contributed two thou-
land nurks, which, I prefume, was the fcutage due firom his eftates
in England. At laft, the money being raifed and tranfported to Ger-
many at the expenfe and rifk of England, the fordid and rapacious em-
peror diiiniired his captive (4'" February, 1194)*. [Fardera, V. i, pp,
80-84. — Gbron. Metres, ad an. 1193. — W. Newbrig. L. iv, cc. 38, 41.—
Hoveiien, /. 4x6 h.i—Madox's Hifi. of the excbeq. c. 15, § 4.]

'As only the noblemen (OT<yna/w) and the churches are particularly
mentioned in the king's letter, as expeded to contribute to his ranibm,
it has been concluded, that the great mafe of the people were too poor
to bear any part in the contribution. But we ought to remember, that
the ranfom of the fuperior from captivity was one of the chief duties
incumbent upon every perfon who held land by the terms of the feudal
fyftem ; and therefor it was not the duty of fuch citizens and burgefles
as had no lands to pay any thing for the fovereign's ranfom. Thence,
though the citizens of London contributed on this occafion a gift and
aid (* dono' ' et auxiUo') of 1 ,500 marks, [Madox's Hift. of the excbeq. c.
* 5. § 4] we may account for the envied difplay of opulence made by
them in their zeal to do honour to their admired ibvereign in his pro-
ceilion through the city, which fo dazzled the eyes of fome German no-
blemen, who were with him, and who fuppofed that therr; could be
nothing valuable remaining in Englaiid, that one of them laid to him,
' Truely, if the emperor had known how rich England is, he would
• have made you pay a much, ^ger iiun for your, zanfiain*' {W^ Ncuh
brig. L. iv, c. 4a.] i,^i jrft b««mHi zl.»>tb9' mivhtiv svuca &Ai m^iiA -
1 1 95 — King William made a new coinage of the money of Scotland,
which was debafed, apparently in confequence of the great drain of the
payments he liad made to King Richard. [Cbron. Metros, ad an. 1195.
•—Wyntowfi's Cbronykil, V. i, p. 34 a.]

.*,,fn the prcfent day the national debt, aiid iti
ncceffanr cpnfequence, the deprttiatioa of the real
ralue of money, have accuilumed Ui to talk fo fa-
miliarly of milliont, that we are apt to think hun-
dreds of thoulands mere ttdei in a national ac-
But, independeot of a comparifoo of the

eount.

fum \*ith the price of provifioni at the time, we
may judge of the greatnefa of Richard'a ranfom
in the opinion of foreigners from Otto de St. Bias,
who fays in hit Chronicle, \ap. Murateri Script. V.
vi,^. 89c] that he muft not venture to mention the
fum, a» he ihould not ezpeft to be believrd.

A. D. J 196.

357

1196, July 14'" — It was ufual to make kidcfe, or wears, in the River
Thames for catching fiOj. and the keeper of the Tower drew an annual
rent. from them, apparently for account of the king. But the citizens
of London having reprefented to King Richard, that fuch obftrudions
in the river were great nuifiinces to the city and the whole kingdom,
he ordered that they fhould be all removed ♦. W/-irt. inBradvon burehj
Jpp.p.29''] -^ ^ '
HI, 1 1 77, November ao'"— King Richard paOed a law for the uniformity
of weight* and meafurcs throughout the kingdom, orderhig the mea-
fures of length to be made of iron, and thofe of capacity to have rims
of the fame metal, and that ftandard weights and meafures of eVery
kind (hould be kept by the (hirrefs and magiftrates of towns. It was
alfo enaded, that, wherever woollen cloths were made, they fhould mea-
fure two ells in breadth within the lifts f, and ftiould be equally good
in the middle and at the fides. All cloths made contrary to law were
to be immediately burnt, and all artifices to impofe upon the buyer in
the fale of cloths were flridly prohibited. Dye-ftufFs, except black
were to be fold only in the cities and capital burghs, to which alfo the
bufinefs of dying, except iti black, was reftrided. To the great relief
of the people, who had been diflrefTed by the variety of coins, he
ordered, that only one kind of money fhould be current. Chrifl'ians
were not allowed to take any interefl for the ufe of money. He oro-
hibited fecret bargains between Chriftians and Jews, and ordered that
three copies fhould be made of every agreement, one of which fhould
be preferved in a public repofitory %. He ordered the jufticiaries to do
impartial juftice to all perfons. But thefe regulations were obferved on-
ly during the fhort remainder of his reign §. [Hmeden, f. 440 b M.

Pans, p. 191, ed. x6^o.. ^Triveti ^nnal. p. 12']. ^Bromton, col. 1258.]

Another law of King Richard (in the year 1194) againft the exporta-
tion of corn, ' that England might not fuflfer from the want of it: own
•abundance,' was probably only temporary during the time of fcarcity
Richard, having found fome vefTels in St. Valeray, a French port which
were loaded with com for the king of France in defiance of this law
he burnt the town and the vefTels, hanged the feamen, deftroyed the

• The prohibition of the kidels wai little at*
tended to, as appears from the frequent renewals
of it by fucceeding kings.

t The licences granted by Henry II to fell
cloths of any breadth whateyer, as an exception
from a general rule, (how that this was only a re-
newal o? an older law. See above, p. 347. It was
alfo renewed bv John and Henry III.

% From the account of the infamous riot and
maffacre at York in ihe beginning of Richard's
reign, it appears, that the bonds belonging to the
Jews were preferved in the cathedral of tfiat city
in the reign of Henry II.

I The affife of King Richard is dated by Trivet
and Bromton in the year 1194. But Mathew
I'ans, an earlier, and a faithful and well-i^'ormcd
hillorian, is fo particular in the date ot. Ed-
mund's day in 1 197 at Weftminfter, that there can
be no doubt of his fuperior accuracy. Thefe re-
gulations, together with many other well-authen-
treated fads, already noticed, ftiow how grofsly
they millake, who fuppofe the colony of weaveri
introduced from the Netherlands by Edward III,
the original founders of the woollen maiuifaaures
01 England.

3J8

A^t), it97.

xnoolLs concerned in the buHaefs, and gave the corn to the poor. [Af.
Paru, p. 191.]

The famous maritime laws of Oleron (which is an ifland adjacent to
the coaft of France) are ufuidly afcribed to Richard 1, though none rf
the msiny writers, who have hud occafion to mention them, have been
able to find any contcmpo ary auihority, or even any antient fsui^'ac-
tory warrant for affixing his name to them •. They confiil of foity-
(even (hort regulations for average, falvagc, wreck, &c. copied from
the antient Rhodian maritime laws, or perhaps more inamediately from
thole of Barcelona.

1 198 — In the laft year of Riclmrd there occurs an inftance of a land-
ed eftate being mortgaged to a Jew for the payment of one hundred
marks with interefl: (or ufury as the payment for the ufe of money was
then called) at the rate of tcH per cent annually. lAIaJox, Formulart
j4nglic. p. 77.] It may be prefumed that the tranfadion was oonfidercd
as legal, the canons againft taking intereft not extending to the Jews,
and that tea pet cent was below the cuftomary rate of intereft.

From the earlieft mention I have found of Hull f , it feems to liave
been a ihipping port for the wool of the neighbouring country, whereof

* The bed warrant, tliat could be found by tlic
keen refearch of Selden, when writing under royal
KiKhority, was a bundle of papers upon tiie iiive-
rcignty of the fea, preCcrvcd in the Tower, and
apparently written ui the time of Edward III,
the firft king of England who claimed the crown
of Tranac | wherein it is faid, that < The laws and

• (latutcs were conetted, interpreted, and dcclar-
' ed, ty the lord Richard, formerly kina of Eng-

* land, on hi< return ftom the Holy land, aud
< made public in tlie iiland of Oleron.* [^Mart
claufiim, L- ii, c. 24.] But Selden ver^ foon after
obfcrves, that fome printed c»piua of thofe laws
date them in 1 266 ; and Camden, without fayiug
a word of Richard, dates them in that year. [Bril-
aHH'm, p. 859, etl. 1*07.] As no point in liillory
i« better afctrtained, than that Richard never went
near Oleron on hit return from the Holy laud, it is
polUble, that his order fiir the regulation of his
fleet when at fea, or his renewal of the hw of
Henry I and Henry II refpefting wrecks, when
he was at Meflana in Sicily o.<i bis way to the Holy
land, [Hoveden, f. 379 h, 386 b] may hate been
the foundation of the belief that he was the author
of the maritime laws of Oleron.

Cleirac, an advocate of Bourdeaux, in a work,
intitled Ut el cwjiumet dt la mer, publilhed in 1621,
afcribes the laws of Oleron to Eleonura duchefs of
Caienne and queen of England, who, he fayt, cn-
iAed tbein in the year 1266 on her return from the
Huly land, to which flie had accompanied her huf-
baud. It feems, a return from the Holy land mult
be connefted with thofe laws. But this author
fceins to confound Elconor:i duc'itfs of Aquitaiii-:

(of which Guienne is a,part) the queen of Heoi-y II ,
with Eleonora of Callile, the wife of Edward
pnnce of England, who, indeed, accompanied her
hulband to the Holy hxid; but they did not fet
out till the year 1269. The fame author, with
rather more pr«lbability,fuppofe« the laws of Oleron
were copied from th« inBrttime code of Barcelona.

There arc chuters of Otlio duki: <xf Aquit-'iiit',
of Eleonora diichefs of Aquitaine and queen dow-
ager of Englftnd, end of 'Johi^ kiitg ot England
dated in 1198 iind.11919, and alfo of Henry ill
king of England dated in 1230, conlirniing to tlw
men of Oletmt their'fotmei' privileges, and further
giving .tbem iiboity to fell their wine and fait, ta
difpolc of their children in marriage, and to make
their wills : but not a word of any maritime laws.
'^FaJkra, V.i,pp. 105', i«i, itx, $44.3

It mi^ be thouglkt ihut I have bellowed tnore
attention upon thtle laws than they defcrve. But
the commerdal impoitsncc, whidi lias been afcrib-
ed to them, and their fame, whether well or ill
founded, fecmed to require fome difcuffion of their
fuppoftd JCoune6liun with England.

Godolphin has pnblilhcd them, • rewlerod into
• Eriglii'h out of Garfias, alias Ferrand,' in the ap-
pendix to his Fietu ef the aJpiiral Jurifdiflian. The
conveyance of laws, afcribed to an Engiilh king,
to Englith readeit by means of a Sp.^aifh writer,
is one of I lie ftrange circumftances attending the
laws of Olerori. They have alio been pubTiflied
by Poftlethwayt and others.

t 'I'be generally-received belief, that the town
of Hull did not exilt till the year 1196, will be
notice J under the year ijgS.

A. D. 1 1 98.

359

foity-fii^ fecks vrere this year feized for being fhipped without licentf^
?!?/ .^"-''!S''T* i'^^ ^''"^ ^°'' "5 marks, or £3:6:8 each.

The forty-five faeks fetwd at Hull may be prefumed to have been
but a very fmall pwt of the 4vool fhipped at that port ; arid fimilar feii-
ures made at other ports (as appears by the farrte record) fhow, that the
exportation o# wool was v-ry confiderabl-. And as an order of King
7L I; «« *«f ««^ »bove, [p. 347J pjives reafon to believe, fharthe
wool of E»>;land was at this time fnperror to that of Spain, the avMhr
wherewith it was bought up for the FIcmiih fine manufa-ftures. need not
lurprife us. Indeed it was not only the principal article of English ex-
ports in point of magnitude, but alfo the moft commattding one fori.
lY^ ^ ""^l^ • -A<=cordingty, when King RicharJ was at Sluys in
1; landers on his return fi-om captivity, and wanted to raife money he
found wool ihe moft acceptable thing he could offer, and he aaualfy
received a fnm of money from the merchants on his promife of de-
hvering to them the wool of the enfuing year's growth h-bnging to the
Cifterciaa monks of England, • h whofe property he made free on -he
w^cafion. iHrningford, L. ii, c. 72.] We have feen iafxme, p. usl an
Enghfh writer go fo far as to fay, that about this time all the natron* i,;
the world were clothed with Englifh wool made into cloth iv F' u ■« t'i
but, mA5penaent of rhetorical flourirti. we know from the lober and
undeniable authority of the records of the exchequer, that wool, wool-
tells (fhcep-fltins with the wool on then), and woollen yam (filetum)
were exported, ou paying for licences, which mode of raifing monev
upon the exportation of merchandize feems to have been equivalent to
the cuftom duties of modem times. [Madox's Hiji. of the excbeq. c. 1%,
y 4-J

In the feventh and eighth years of Richard's reign the fines and dif-
mes (or tenths) paid on tin and other merchandize in London, apparent-
ly exported, amounted to ^379 .1:6; and in the fame years the duties
upon woad imported m London amounted to^pe :6 : 8. IMadox, c. r8
§ 40 If London alone imported woad to an extent, that could ijcar
luch a payment, (and it will pfterwards appear that but a fmall part of
the whole woad imported arrived in London) the woollen manufadure
in which it was apparently moftly confumed, mui^ have been fomewhat
confiderable.

But there is r«afon to believe, that but few fine woollen goods wore
made in England, and that the Flemings, who were famous at this time
tor their fupenor fkill in the woollen mtmufeaure, as is evideht from the
teftimony of fevcral of the EngUUi hiftorians of this age *, continued

hiiTo.^" ^^T /."^^T'*. !" f "°'? '" P; *7°' ='"^ '■'^'^ '° them Mathcw Paris, [p. 886] a icfp^aabk
hilloriHn, who flounihcd m the reiVn uf llenrv III. '"'^ "' '=T-"a'»<^

3^

A,4^, f t$8/»

for a feries of ages to fupply moii o€ the weftern parts of Europe, and
even feme of the, Mediterranean countries, with fine cloths, which the
Italians called ^>ench cloths, either as reckoning Flanders a part ot
Erance (as indeed, in feudal language, it was) or becaufe tljcy received
tjiem from the ports of the fouth coaft of that country. --n,

1 1 99 — Jiing John in the beginning of his reign adikeSed a lette^r*©
the mayor and community of London, whereby he promifed, that for-
eign merchants of every country fhould have fafe condud for them-
felves and their merchandize in coming into, and going out of, England,
agreeable to the due, right, aiid uftial, cuftoms, and (hould meet with
the fame treatment (' eandem habeant pacem') in England, that the
Engliib merchants met with in the countries they came from.

Similar letters were at the fame time fent to the (hirref of Sviflex, the
mayor and community of Winchefter, the bailif of Southampton, the
bailif of Lynne, the bailif (or fhirref ) of Kent, the fhirref of Nor-
folk and Suffolk, the fliirref of Dorfet and Somerfet, the barons of the
Cinque ports, the Ihirref of Hampfliire, the fhirref of Hertford and
Eflex, and the fliirref of Cornwall and Devon * ; whence it appears that
the fouth eoaft, and the eaft coaft only as far north as Norfolk, were
efteemed the whole, or at leaft the chief, of the commercial part of the
country, though we flrall fotm fee that Bofton, beyond thefe limits, was
little inferior to London in commercial importance, and forae porW j6iU
farther north had their ihare of the trade of the country. .rnf!-

1 200 — The bufinefs of lending money at intereft, however moderate,
being prohibited to the Chriftians by law, the Jews, who in all ages,
fince the abolition of their government us a diftind nation by the Ro-
mans, have eftablifhcd thimfelves as brokers and dealers in money in
every country, wherein there was any commerce or money, were there-
by put in polleflion of a monopoly of the trade of lending money up-
on intereft. It is feldom that monopolifts are fatisfied with a reafonable
profit ; and the Jews in England appear to have fometimes carried their
extortions to a moft fcandalous height. Such condud was fufficicnt, in-
dependent of the violent religious prejudices of the age, to render them
odious to .the people, who were continually crying out to the kings for
the puniihment and expulfion, or rather extermination, of the Jews.
The kings, who did not think it for their intereft to expell them, took
a method, very convenient for themfelves, of puniftiing them by heavy
fines. This proceeding proved to the Jews, that their extortions would
be not only tolerated, but even encouraged, if they were well p::L'> for:
and it at the fame time compelled them to rife in their demands opon

* Tbi« fafe conduft ia publiflied from the re- firft year of hii reign : liiit the /gure fcems erro- •

cords in the Tower by Hakltiyt \_yuii^ei, V. \, p. ncout, for fuch an aft if favour woiJd probtbly

ia9] and, I believe, by no otJier. It is dated the take place very foon after hii acceflion.
j"" day of April, which was the iall day of tlic 4

A. D. iiod.

3<«

the unfortunate people, who were obliged to apply to them for the ufe
of money, that they might be enabled to fatisfy the king and his mi-
jiiftera. And thus a fyftem of ufurious opprefTion was at the fame time
prohibited by law, and fandioned by the pradice of the fovereign, who
uled the Jews as his inftruments to fleece the people, in order to fill his
own coffers. The kings even went fo fer as to claim the whole proper-
ty oJ vhe Jews, as belonging to themfelves, thus extending to that un-
fortunate race the principle of the laws of flavery, which declare that
a flaye can have no property, all his pofleCions of every kind belonging
to his mafter *. And fo great was the revenue extorted by the kings
from tbofe people, that there was a particular office eftablilhed for the
management of it, called the exchequer of the Jews, under the diredion
of officers caUed the keepers, oxjujlices, of the Jews, who in the more
antient times were Chriftians and Jews joined together, bat afterwards
for the moft part Chriftians only. [Madox's Hiji. of the excheq. c. 7.] u\
The Enghfti writers are full of complahits againfl William II for his
favours to the Jews. Henry I, and his grandfon Henry II, conferred
feveral privileges on them, and permitted them to be owners of land •
but the later extorted from them a fourth part of their property ; mold
withftanding which, the Jews appear to have thought themfelves favour-
ably treated m his reign. This year King John, for the fum of four
thoufand marks, gave the Jews of England and Normandy a charter
confirming to thera the privileges granted by his predeceflbrs, and permit-
tmg them to live freely and honourably in his dominions, and to hoW
property in lands, &c- and authorizing them to purchafe everything
brought to them, except what belonged to the church, and bloody
cloth f ; and to felt every thing pledged or pawned with them, if noc
redeemed mthm a year and a day. ^Madox^s Hiji. of the excb^q. c. 7^

5 "» "*''' (')•] . 'ii4lwj /a JM.i r*

The Magmet or Lodbstone, the moft pretious of all ftbne* (ext5epti *
the flmt which kindles our dayly fire) and infinitely more valuable thaw
all the diamonds in the world, was known to the philofophers of antient
Greece for Its quality of attrading iron ; and in later ages the few, who*
underftood the fecret, were enabled to perform a number of ingeniou* •

+ • Panno fanpinolento,' which "^ovey Ijinglla
yudalca, p. 62] belieTCB to be det-p red or crtbron
clotli: and he quotes Kennet's Puroc/jiol iwtiqwititf,
p. 576, for the abbat of Durceftcr ch)thing hit
fcrvants • blodto panno,' whicli to-be-f<lre crtiM^ '
nut be cloth lUined with blood, but n«ll kavm
been clotli of a bh)od-red colour. S^e alfo ' blo-
« dio velvet' and, blodio panno' in FaJtr.ty V. ix,
p. 276. But why the Jews (hould have been pai.
ticularly debarred from buying either red cloth of
bloody cloth, I fiippofe, nobody can no\¥ telL

• In the laws afcribed to f^dwarj ' the Con-
feffor, [f. j<)') th* Jews and all their goods are
declared to be the property of the king. William
of Ncwbiirgh [/.. IV, f. 11] fays that King Rich-
.•rd was greatly enrajred at the flaughtct of the
Jews, on accownt of the affront to bit rojal ma-
jt'ly by th<r contempt of his prottdion, and alfo
tor the great lofs to his exchrqiier ; « for what-
' ever property is found in polTeflion of the Jews,
• 111*0 an nitil int^n to if the royal ufurers, be-
' longs to the exchequer.' — Was not that the
true reafon that Chriftians were prohibited from
lending money upon interell ?

Vol. I.

Zz

561

A. D. till

tricks with it, to the great amazement of the ignoi^nt, who iftribed
tiie wonders they faw to the power of magic. But till about the end
of the twelfth century we find no good authority to fhow, that the more
yaluable property of the magnet, its polarity, or that power, (I had
almoft faid inftind) by which one point of it, or even of a ne6dle or
bar of iron or fteel touched with it, turns to the north pole, and the
oppofite point to the fouth, was known, at leaft in the weftem parts of
the world.

About the conclufion of the twelfth century the earlieft notice, I be-
Keve, to be found of the polarity of the magnet appears in the poetic-
al works of Hugues de Bercy, called alfo Guiot dc Provins, who fays,
' This (polar) ftar does not move. They (the feamen) have an art,
' which cannot deceive, by virtue of the manete, an ill-looking brownifh

* ftone, to which iron fpontaneoufly adheres. They fearch for the right
' point, and when they have touched a needle on it, and fixed it on a

* bit of draw, they lay it on the water, and the ftraw keeps it afloat.

* Then the point infallibly turns toward the ftar ; and when the night
' is dark and gloomy, and neither ftar nor moon is vifibls, they fet a
' light befide the needle, and they can be afTured, that the ftar is op-

* pofite to the point ; and thereby the mariner is direBed in bis courje.
' This is an art, which cannot deceive *.' [Gttiot, ap. Faucbet^ Recueil
de la langue et poefte Franfaife, p. 555.]

Jacques de Vitry (or Jacobus de Vitriaco) who alfo fiouviflied at this
time, and was bifhop of Aeon in Paleftinc, wrote three books of the
hiftory of the Eaft and the Well, wherein he employs ten chapters [£.
i, cc. 84-93] ^'^ gi'^^ng an account of the natural produdions of the Holy
land and other Oriental countries ; and his defcriptions, compared with
thofe of Pliny, exhibit a deplorable proof of the decay of fcience in
Europe during the courfe of eleven centuries. In his account of the
pretious ftones of the Eaft [Z-. i, r. 91] he confounds the adamant or
diamond with the magnet as follows. ' The adamant is of a Kght iron

* colour, about as big as the kernel of a filbert nut ; and though it is

* fo hard as to refift the force of any metal, it may be broken by the

* frefti blood of a ram-goat. Fire does not make it hot. It attrads

* iron to it by fome hidden quality. An iron needle, after it has toucti-
' ed ihe adamant, conftantly turns to the north ftar, which, as the axis
' of the firmament, remains immoveable while all the others revolve
' around it ; and thence it is indifpenfibly necejfary to all thofe who fail on

* tbefea. If placed near a magnet, which has attraded a piece of iron,

• riie old French of the original i» varioufly
corrupted in the manufcripts and the edition. The
,beft literal tranflatiun, whicli I liave nearly follow-
ed, ii that, which was made by a native of Pro-

vence for my late worthy friend Doftor Lorimer,
and is inferted in his Concife iffity vn magntli/m, »
work publifhed after his death.

A.,D, laoo..

3^^

.l^.it (hatches the iron from it *. It is moreover faid to be an antidote

* againft poifon, and a charm againft mdgic arts. It drives away noc-

V turnal apparitions and vain dreams j and the touch of it is of great

f^ fervicc to the infane. The magnet is alfo an Indian ftone of an iron

./p colour, which attra<fts iron fo as to form feveral rings into a chain.

• The magicians ufe it in their tricks ; and it is good againft the dropfy
' and burnings.'

Thefe two defcriptions, which, I thought, deferved to be given in
the words of their authors, are exceedingly curious and valuable : for,
while they prove that the polarity of the magnet was known in the age'
of thofe two French writers, they alfo prove that the knowlege of it
was only in its infancy, at leaft among the Chriltians of Europe : and
I have not been able to difcover that it was known to the Chinefe or
the Saracens iboner than to the Chriftians, as fome learned men have
fuppofed f .

In defiance of the above unqueftionable authorities the Italian writ-

* The power of the adamant in attraAing Ir«n
was beliered after thii time. Mathew Parit fays,
[/»• f* 3D ^''"t **>« P'pal 'eg'ite, fent to Scotland in
the year 1247, drew the money of the Scoti to
himlelf aa ftrongly as the adamant does iron.

f Several authors ftrenuoufly affert, that the
Chinefe have known the polarity of the magnet,
and had Uie ufe of the compafs a great many cen-
turies before it was kiiown in Europe.

Dufaalde, in his Hj/hry of Ckma, mentions a
chariot of the em^ror Hoangti, which fhowed
the four cardinal points. He alio fays, that Tcheou
Kong gave fome foreign ambaffadora an inftru-
ment, which pointed to the north and the foutb,
that they mient be dire£ted on their way home
better than they had been in coming to China.
This inftfument was called Tthi Mm, which is the
very fame name by which the Chinefe now call
the conipafs : and thence it is inferred, that tht
Chinefe had the ufe of the compafs in the reign
of Tcheou Kong, which is placed 1040 years be-
fore the commencement of the Chriftian stra. As
this i« a point, which is likely to remain for ever
in the province of conjedure, it may be fufficient
to remark, that, if the Chmefe had the compafs,
they appear from the relation of Soliman, an Ara-
bian merchant (See above, p, 356) not to have
known its moil valuable ufe in conduftiiiff a (hip
acrofs the ocean j as in his time (A. D. 8yi;
they crept alon^ the coaft as timoroufly as the
Roman or Grecian navigators of antiquity uftd to
(to. And even at this day, with the ufe of the
compafs, which, according to Sir George Staun-
ton, thry call tm-non-thing, (not Icht-nan) they are
nut w ill;ng to lofc fight of land, if by a longer
coafting circuit they can avoid it. XSUmMan't Em-
hjy io China, V. i, /. 445, %vo ed.^

Ifaac VoBius {^Oifervatkmct generaJct, c. i^ af«

ferts, that the Seres (or Chintfc) have known the
polarity of the magnet about 2,800 years ; and
that the Saracens had nndoubtedly learned it from
them, when they met them at Taprobane {Ojhit),
and hid ufed it 500 years, as is ttftified by Jacobus
de Vitriaco (or Vitry) ; and that the Chriftians
had IcM-ned the ufe of it from them about 300
years ago, i. c. about the year 1385.

If it can be proved, that the Chinefe had the
compafs in antient times, the conveyance of it to
the Chriftians by the Saracens is extremely proba-
ble : but probabilities are often very di£Ferent from
fafts. I have traveled not only through the two
books of Vitry'a Hiftory publifhed by thcmfelves,
but alfo through his third book, and his epiftles,
as publiftied by Martenne in his great Thdaurm
aneedttonm, and by Bongarfius in his coliedion
Intided Gffla Dei per Fraii':*!} and I have not dif-
covercd any other paflage concerning the magnet^
but the one I have tranflated in the teat, which
has not 3 word concerning the Saracens, but clear-
ly proves that the Chriftians have known the pol-
arity of the magnet about two cesturies before
the date afligned by VofCus, who quotes no other
authority for the nautical ufe of the magnet amone
the Chinefe. *

I fliould be accuft'd of omiflion, if in this place
I (hould take no notice of Marco Polo, the cele-
brated Venetian traveler, who, according to fome
author*, firft brought the compafs from China ia
the year 1295, or, according to others, carried
the knowlege of it from Europe to China. Of
thefe contradictory opinions, or aftenions, the firft
is evidently crrooeous, and the fccond has verr
little probability.

_ I do not pretend to any knowlege of the autho-
rities, upon which the aotediluTian* are (aid t#
have poffeffed the compafs.

Z z X

3^4

A.vB^ K3oa*

frsclftim the honour of the inTcntion ofithecompaft for John-Gow,
OB Flavi<j,Gioi»^ a citizen of the. commercial city of Amalfi, who, they
fay, firft ufeditin the year 1302* or tjao: and, as a proof, they ad-
duce a line of .Antony bf Palermo, a Sicilian; poet, wherein he fays,
. / PriQia deJit.nautis ufum.magnetis Amalfii' ni j . r , . .^ uy.i
(Amalfi firft to feamen did impart rii ij'i •

n,;>l The fkill to fteer by the magnetic art.) /d bavtatdo ai ,.;

But this iine, perhaps a poetical flouriih, gives us no date : and we
have already feen from better authority, that the inventor, or importer
of the invention from the Eaft, whether he lived in Amate.orelfe-
where, muft have lived above a century befr>re the age afligned to Goia
or Gioia.

From the fimple contrivance of laying the magnetic needle on a bat-
ing ftraw, as defcribed by Guiot, navigators, by gradual improvements
in the courfe of time, came to add the ufe of a circular card affixed to
the needle, and traverfing with it, on which were drawn lines repre-
fenting the various winds. It is probable, (fvnd in this cafe we can
have no better than probability) that Gioia of Amalfi was the firft, who
thought of ufing a card, and that only ei^bt. winds, or points, were
drawn upon it *. r 7firi< :u

The French, the Venetians, the Germans, and the Scandinavians (or
people of Norway and Denmark), have, all difputed with the Amalfitans',
and with each-other, the honour of being the original difcoverers of
this moft noble inftrumcnt. It would be too tedious to adduce the ar-
guments of each ; and we may fetisfy ourfelves with fuppofing, that
fome praife is due to every one of them, and, as is generally allowed,
alfo to the Englifti, for improvements made upon the original inven-
tion. It may, however, be obferved, that the two French writers, from
whom we have the earlieft knowlege of the application of the magnet
to the fervice of navigation, have not a fingle word to fupport their
countrymen, or indeed any other nation, in pretending to the honour
of the difcovery.

In the year 1 263 the compafs, fitted into a box (' pyxis nautica') as
now,, though probably without a card, was in common ufe among the

• ' Circa annum 1320 rem pulcherrimam uti-

• Irfilmamque navig»ntibu« invenit quidam Flavius

♦ Gioia civi» Amalphitanus, netnpe ufum pyxidis
' nauticx cbarUqMt ad navigandtim.' ^Brtncman,
Diffirlat'io prima de rep. Amalph. #22, ad calcem
liijl. paadfSarum- 3

A compafs with tight poinM and eight wings,
fuppofed to repicfent the eight wi'iidt, and having
a ftar befide it, is tlie armurial bearing; of the
I'riiicipato citra, in which Amalii is fituated. [See
the defcription in Bretuman, or llit ddineation in
Bhieu't Alias, part iii, /. loi.] The value of this

proof may be eflimated by thofe, who have had
occaiiou to examine the caufe and origin of the
particular parts of armorial bcnrings.

If it be neceflary to give further proof, that
tbe compafs was known in Europe befoK the be-
ginning of the fourteenth century, the writings of
Vincent of Beauvais, Albertus Magnus, and Petec
Adfiger (for whom fee Caval'oon maguttijm, ftcond
edition) may be confultcd, who all flourilhedin the
thirteenth century, and all knew the polarity of tlic
magnet.

Nordregiais, who had fo jAft an idea of its greit iiwportancd; that" the?
inade it the device df an order of knighthood, to be donferridwn'ibwi
of tshe higheft rank. [Thrfai Hift. Nortjeg. L. iv, p. ^\$.^^ ' ^^ 'H , , !
laijofi Robert king of Scotland, when crOffing from Arrah td itte
coaft of Carnck in the night-time, fteered by a fire upon fhe'lhore,

' For thay na nedil had nor ftane,' ' ii ' t ■ M
as is obferved by Barber, his poetical biographei'^ Herite>#appears,
that the ule of «he compafs was well knownin Scotland, at leaft Itothe
year 1375*, when Barber witote, and Tery probably alfo before 1 30^. ■
Though I have not found any earlier notice of the Ufe of the COifti^
pais among the Engliftif; they muft unqueftionably have knotm it
fooner than the Scots: and we may be aflured, that it was well kn^V»ft
to all the fouthern maritime nations, bef<we fueh 'rfettwi^ countri«fe as
Norway and Scotland had the ufe of it^oiuO , H ir..t} ■,, » ,(, .,- ; , ,,

.^In jarocefs of time navigators, or experimental philbfopherij, difcover-
u .\}^^ polarity of the magnetic neddle was not perfedly trne and
that It diverged, or varied, fomewhat frohi the real northpoint. 'suc-
ceedmg c.xpenments fhowedi that the Farw/fort was not ev^rywhferfe the
fame ; thai there was a line on the fufface of the globe. On which there
was no variation ; that on one fide of that line the north point of tlie
compafs varied to the eaftward, and on the other to the weilward of
the true .lorth ; and that the quantity of the variation increafed in an
unknown proportion to the diftance from the lind of no variation. This
irregularity was known in. or before, the year 1269. when Peter Ad-
iiger wrote upon the various properties of the magnet, the conftrftaioh
ot the azimuth compafs, and the variation of the magnetic ne^dlfe
Ihe difcovery of the variation has. however, been attributed by fome
to Chriftopher Columbus in the year 1492, and by others to Seba'tian
Cabot m 1500, who may have obtained the reputation of it, becaufe in
their voyages, wherein they made more difference of longitude than
tormer navigators, they had more ample opportunities of making ex-
periments upon the variation, .?> 4*T> i.
It was afterwards difcovered, that the variation not only diffdY-k hs it
receded eaft or weft from the line of no variation, but that that lin6 it-
Iclt, which was found to be an oblique waving curve, had alfo in the
northern hemifphere (hifted to the eaftward of its former ftation The
nice obfervations of the eighteenth century have demonftrated, that
the variation is m a progrellive and perpetual ftate of alteration ; and

^\1J ^f 'f ""^ "i "" ^'^"'"^ firt'crmen, who f Chaucer fays in his AJroUU, written iu the
Amric^withX*™"*' r^«'\°'' '\'=°'^ t y^a"- '39m that the (hipl^.n re,;ko„ thirty two
Am,nt« with the compaf., according to Ram jfloS part, of the horiion, wh ch plainly refers to the

explanat on , becaufe the geography of that .oy- „f which the p.ople of Brug., iaFbn late aim
ugt .» a.ll fomewhat duubtfuf; See below und« th« Iwuour of befng the a«W». "'"*'^" ^'»'"^

j^6

J^n^p. f^Ofi,

alTp, that it is fo fa? affcded by heat a;nd cpld, as to diflfer confidcraWy
jafurrimer &nd winter, and even in tl>p courfe of.th^ fame day,
«,; Another property of t^e magixet is ,tiie l^.'oy jpclination pf the
ilfarth end of the needle towards the horiien, a$ if hcayi^r than the
fouth end,^ which is therefor in. fadl made a little hea»viqr in crdqr xo
counterpoife the dip. As the knowlege; p^ the variation has been found
affiftant to navigators in afcertaining their longitude in fome parts of
the world ; fo, it is probable, that the theory oif the dip of the needle
may, when better underflood, be alfo applied to fon^e valuable purppfe;
fur Nature does nothing in vain. , _^ , ^ , ,V^ ,,jq^

All the properties of the magnet are admirable ancl incompreiienf-
ible ; and philofophers, in attempting to account for them, have only
involved themfelves in a labyrinth of ingenious, bat fryitjefs, conjec-
tures. But thpugh the Almighty Author of nature has not conde-
fcended to let us into the knowlege of the fecret laws, which gov<;m the
magnet, the knowlege, which he has permitted us to acquire pf the
methods of applying its wonderful powers to our fervice, has enabled
us to beconae acquainted with the whole of the globe, which was given
us to inhabit, and thereby to make prodigious improvenients in the im-
portant fciences of geography and natural hiftory. The compafs lias
given birth to a new aera in ihe hiftory of commerce and navigation.
The former it has extended to every flbore of the globe, and increafcd
and multiplied its operations and beneficial eflFeds in a degree, which
was not conceivable by thofe, who lived in the earlier ages. The later
it has rendered expeditious and comparatively fafe by enabling the na-
viptor to launch out upon the Ocean, free from the dangers of rocks
and fhoals. By the ufe of this noble inftri^ment the whole world has
become one vaft commercial commonwealth ; the moft diftant inhabit-
ants of the Earth are brought together for their mutual advantage; an-
tient prejudices are obliterated, and mankind are civilized and enlight-
ened. And, by the compafs Great Britain has acquired that naval pre-
eminence, which Ihe confefledly poflfefles over all the maritime nations
of the world.

i2or — ^It aj^pears from a diploma of Henry duke of Lorait^, that
Antwerp, deftmed to make fo great a figure in the commerce of fuc-
ceeding ages, was now firft inclofed by a wall : and Guicciardini, the
hiftorian of the Netherlands, adds, that from this time money of gold
and filver was coined in that city.

The town adjacent to the New-caftle, built by Rot ert the fon of Wil-
liam the Conqueror on the north bank of the Tine, appears to have
very foon rifen into fome degree of importance, as we may judge from
a pretty long lift, made up in the reign of Henry I, of articles paying
toll or duty there ; among which the moft worthy of notice are her-
rings, as an indication of that valuable fifti being then caught in the

I

A, I^. ii20!. oij^

adjacent fea, and feveral foreign furs, which infer fome trade with the
northern nations of Europe. [Brand's BJi. of Ne^vcajle, F.iLp.iqi .1
It muft have been a thriving place in the reign of HenrV H to be able
to pay an annual rent of fifty pounds to the crown, as we find it did
in terms of a charter of that king. The annual rent was now raifed
to fixcy pounds} and the inhabitants, moreover, gave King John one
hundred marks and two paltreys for the renewal of their charter with
the confirmatic^ of the libei-ties granted to them by Henry II. [Ma-
dox'i Ftmta burgi, p. 54.] ' . ■> j , i.

The king charged the abbat of Muckelney three marks of gold or
thirty marks of filver, for giving him feifine of his abbay. [Madox's
HiJ. of the excbeq. c. 13 § 8.] We thereby learn, that filVer was now
vahied in proportion to gold as ten to one.

1202, January 6'*_King John, having occafion to fend two agents
to Rome, where no bufinefs could be forwarded without money fuju
nifhed them with a letter addrefl^d to all merchants, whereby he boimd
himfelf to repay the fums advanced to his agents to the amount of five
hundred marks, at fuch time as fliould be agreed upon, to any perfon
prefenting his letter together with the acknowlegement of his agents for
the Turn received by them. And we find, that he repeatedly pradifed
tne lame method of borrowing money abroad in order to feed the infa-
^u-n TT^^f ?i nephews and Other courtiers of the popes. {Prymes
Htjl. of K. John, ye. pp. 5.11 .] I„ the preceding reign a company of
merchants of Placentia had advanced 2,125 marks to the biLps of
Anjou and Bangor upon the faith of a fimilar letter of King Richard
for the fervice of his nephew Othb king of the Romans (or of Gefl

Jills' ;I - r^^ 'l^ ^°\ P^'^'^iT"^ (^5'" Auguft, T199) to repay
them ifi four mftallmeiits in the courfe of two years. \F<xZra V. i /
ns.j As there is no mention of intereft in any of thofe letters' it m'uft
have been difcounted, when the money was advanced. This tranfac
tion the prccife date of which is not exprefled. affords the earlieft no-
ticel have found in any Englilh records of letters of credit for fuch
they were to all intents and purpofes : and the tranfition from them to
bills ^ exchange is fo natural and obvious, that we may believe they were
m ufe ahout the fame time, or very foon after, efpecially in Italy where
there was more commerce than in any other part of Europe and
moreover, a prodigious fudion of money from every Chriftian country'
Romr"*^* ^"""^^ the Greek empire, into the ecclefiaftical coffers of

i.oI^^ ^o""h crufade. wherein the nobles of France were the principal
^aders. fornifhes fome fads iUuftrative of the maritime power of the
Venetians. The warriors of France, who had no Ihipping of their own

to the Holy land 4,500 kmghts, 9,000 fquire... ao.ooo foot foldiers. and

.^6»

A. D. jCtoak

4,500 norfw : but they fucceeJed only with Vienke. Tliat repuSlic gbt
rrtuly no large veflcls, 60 of a long conftruilion, nnd 60 otnef tranf-
ports, which veflcls, averaging the whole fleet, muft have been capable
of carrying at leaft floo men each. To thefe they added 50 warlike
galhcs intended for the protedlion of the tranfports on the paflage, and
moreover laid in provilions for all the feamen, paflengers, and horfcs,
in the whole fleet of 280 veflels for nine month*. One V the fliips
called the Mondo (World) is Ikid to have been the larg<}ft triflel that
ever floated upon the bofom of the Adriatic fince-the great triumphal
iliip, or rather houfc, ;is PJiny [£. iii, c. 16} calls it, of the Roman etn-
peror Claudius • : but wc have no information concerning the dimcn-
fions of the Mondo, or how many men Ihe carried. {DatiduH Cbron.
col. 323 ap. Muratori Script. V. x.n.-'Formakofti, f^aifur la marine des Vt-
nititns, trad, Franfoi/r^ />• «9]

When the Venetians had got every thing ready for the rxpedition,
the crufadcrs found themfelves unable to pay the whole fura ftipulated
for the equipment of their fleet ; and they agreed, as aii equivalent for
a deficiency of 34,000 marks, to employ their forces againft the ci-
tizens of Ziira, who had revolted from the fovereignty of Venice. The
rebellious city was taken atier a fiege of five days. Biit, in turning th«
arms deftincd for the extermination of Goa'j enemies againft their Chrift-
ian brethren, they committed a crime defcrving the fevcreft pnaltics
of ccclefiaftical indigmtion, in the judgement of the pope, who fiiiled
not f" launch the thunder of his excommunication agamu them. The
weftt^n pilgrims devoutly purchafed his pardon and abfolution. But th*
Venetians, whole views were more ailarged and judgements Icfs fetter-
ed, fpurned his pardon, and difclaimed his authority and interference
in their temporal affairs. Such were the different em^s upon the hu-
man mind, of having not a thought but what was inftilled by intereft-
ed prieftcraft, and of acquiring knowlege from obfervations made upon
mankind in iui extenfive intercourfe with a variety of naticms. That
noble dirtindion was the gift of commerce to the Venetians. [Katona,
li^. rtg. iiu^. V. iv, p. t,j6.''^Ge/la Innoc. Ill, cc. 86 et Jeqq, ap. Mu-
ratori Script, y. iii.]

iao3 — The forces coUetted for the conqueft of the Holy land were
a fecond time drawn off from their original deflination by the eameft
entreaties and liberal promifes of Alexius, tne fon of the depofed em-
peror of Conilantinople. The weftern warriors and tli«ir Venetian al-
lies were i>erl'uaded, that the reftoration of that prince was a proper
preparatory ftep to their holy warfare. They embarked in the fleet
turnifhed by Venice; they undertook the liege of ConflantinoptC ; and
after a £how of reliftance, wherein a handful of Engliih and Danifli

* It it almoil nee<llcfi to obf<i\r, tlitt the cumparllmi of the Mvndo to OaudSui't great (bip it ar<
bitnirily afliimctl, and conveys no cUw idea uf iii> m«gnitudt<

A* IX Mo|«

3<59

pards albne performed the duty of foWim (for the Roman^reeks had
longagogjvcnupall pretenfiong to courage) the ufurper fled with his
treMurc, and abandoned hw wife and ius empire to the mercy of the
conquerors. "^ ^

Juty ig^^The blind dcpoftd emperor was immediately tranfported
from a J)*Uon to a throne i and he and his fon were proclaimed iomt

kX^'''!w f ''^'" °^ *^~'' °'^ ^'*^*^»' '"^^ emperors begged.and
brS^d. the Joreign^rrwrs. who had created them, to conilSue theit

rv^l^'^rJ ^^'"*'?*»^ proteaioa for a yeat. , An ox«rage produced
by the mtolcrjttt^ bigotry of the Latins, or F^aiiks •. and a delay in
the payment of thr ftipulated fubfidy. were the fignals for hoftiliVie*
Iheyoufigprmce »« murdered by a new ufurper, whtf in v,^ at-'

tK;lr.1Jf/^ '^ ?•■'"«'". ^""T t^ ^^°'^' The- city. was ftormed,
the ufurper fled, apd the rapacity of the crufeders was far-ted with the
accunwtotea Mj^lth of the capiml of the Roman worid , .. h\, t^ok)
Thus M. ahnoft without refiftance. the Roman empire, once rhe ftourge
and-the teworof nuinkind. a prey, to a- handftil of militarr fon-./cs
(rnoftly French and Italians) and the naval fhrees of a coiS^SerdalVe!

fl^ fiftJ^!?j!^,'"'^*n^'^^'^T*'^ "'"'^ antientBritiih provincials in-
he^fif^ century fell uuder die domtnion^of their GeVman auxiU-
^"«' ?• .^

The conqueroM, wfco now fbngot the Holy land? placed BaWwin eaM
of Haiders upon the throne of the EaUern Roman empire, and annm
r?l:?^^^""v ^/ of the countries yet fubjea to^th^t empiKr
odJ^S 5", ^^8*^"-V 'fhree eighths were divided among the
oiher chiefs} and three eighths were the portion of the repttblic of Ve-
nice. In the partition the Venetians took care to obtain for themfelves
K^'^'^ri-I?*'"''^ provmceof Peloponnefus, thefeat of a rich ma-
nufedure of filks, together with a chain'^of iflands and maritiiS^ pX
whi^h extended their territories from the head of the Adri^ ?4 t6
Conftantmople ; and m that city itfelf they poflefled three of the eiRht
regions <,r wards. They, moreover, purrbafed the ifland of Cret^JJ
Candia for ten th^uland marks, from the marquis of M6ntferra7t6
t^t^^T' ^^^ ?"'"ui"^ thefeextenf re and di.j.inJed^Sries
rlwugh^apparently fo well adapted for commercial eftablifliments, being

* To foqK readen it may nctbe fupetauoui to
be mformwi, that the nstions, wlio BtknowleRed
the fiipremacf of the pope, wwe cftllfcj by the
i;eiien.l ysmc >ii Latimi^n thof*. who a&etjd.to
ti>e P«n^ixh of ConftantinopW, were in like man-
lerca td Grtthi and thence we find the Ruffi.
ana called Greeks b^ the writer, of the ejernith
ccMury. IFfsw, the Frtneh. or Fraolu, b«W the

inofl numerou* nation in the armies of the crt>fs Tras.hrr nf Plf ',—— — ."'' —;• """""«
.>U theweftern Chrifti.n. ,re to tW, da, c.td fii;^ nfticcd'o^Thi.TS'"^/;,;;^;?^

Vol. I. '-'*"•• ^^

Brath in the caftern border! of the MediteWi
ncan.

t tt fsycilrlouj to obTerve the importance affumi
ed by Imall cortmuaitie*. A« annalift of Pifa
lap. Mmatori Script. V. vi. -»/. 19,] ha» lecoitl,
<d. that w the year i J04 Conflaotiiiople wa. taken
bf the Rfene- and the Vertrtian..' - 'l«He t^ftern
wacrioM BR totally, amrihjlated by thii hiftoriw
graphcr of ViL., the co-operatioa of uhitb is
Icarcely •">•'—• — *'■■- - » <• • . . .-

tori am.

^l'

4^ ^^i'

4fif,'M'9raioauQn^ #^>d. miUt/irjffgqyf^fpiiiep^^ tjiaiji.was (jonJBttfuj ^wit|i
jtl^gefliMiae fpiritiof couimerce. , » , " , , ,n ,-.,,,1,

reU to the Venetians, wHo immediate^;', a^ti,,wi^Ho^f jany compct^t^Qn
a tbii^u .vppfely-w^riijce a^bciate?, becapg^ maUprs o£. the remains of
., , <'i'?mfi'{%jyh^^ l>f^ (argely cwtrihut^4 ^o, ^^.opMle^icjj qf-Gan-
, autinople. V Jhat ,Qi^y had lofig been the principal ff at qf the ricneft
joid rqqji (uipptupus fl^anuj^^ures of filk ; , and* a^ lU? demaft(| /pr
^)?^t J[v^j^\ify w^s ^ayly^ in the weftern parfs of Eur^pq„thf| J^:-

quifition of the very beft mimHfaAnres cf ^ vi^a^^,^ ^JneiS;,©? vauim-
P9rtan9p to tlie Venetian;?, . By the poilempn ,of poji|(aptii^aple ,tl^ey
naoreover had a mpnopoly^pl'.tap t;ra(ie ,of ;h«! Bkc)t; (f^ ja^d t,h?y a^lfoiell
^tp^S^hat lyas ,|;o tht^ a new conv^yjjiu9^, pi t^^^^ goo4s by ^ rpiHe
joyer lap,4'^P tb** fc*» wj^Ecbythe.nip^ pri^tious a r(;icles of Oriental luxmy
had been ufually cohveyed to the c^jntal. %U^i€ fplicj .,^4y?nt^ges fo

SeaUy ^t/epded, the ^e^^^f^ jJ^e^Yfnetian comip^fpe, tl]^|t,j durW the
bfiAe^ce otj the I^atin eqapire in Conitan^inople, theywere alraoft the
fple a >4 general ipierchants of Eurpp^. Ah4 thus <ili»ei crufades, wither
dir^ijied. againiit^ft I^oham^daj^*- oi; ^ag^jnil thi? CJ^riftian heret;3ii,^hQ
4^ed th? fwreipacy of. the pop?,, vifer^ ,pr9di^(Siy^',.9^. P'^o^P^T^^y ^'^'^
jpipulepc;9,to Venice, a* they were^ airo^^ ^^pvig^ in a|nv*ch una^Ier de-
gree, tp xKe pther coranaprcial ftates. pit Italy. iNjceia/, pp. ,349^375.--
Vtileha^douia, tf. 75-I35«-Hj?fi/?a. Janoc. Ill, ,cc, gi-^-^Danck/i . Cbron.
Peaet^ c/oli. 522-330, ap. Muratari Script. V. yAi^ ^ • . , t .

1 203, April — An aflife of bread was made by King John andthe barons.
The bakers were ordered to af&t their ftampa to their bread;: aind they
were allowed a profit of four pettniei, or three pennies with the bran, out
of every quarter oi wheat. The weight of the farthing loaf of the fineft
bread, was ordered to vary from four fifths of a pound, when Wheat
was at fix fliillings a quarter, to three pounds and feventeen twentieths,
when it was at eighteen pennies, tfii bread of the whole corn being pro*

portionally heavier. {Rot-patit^jol^an. m.'x M Pam, /. 208.] This

is, I believe, the earlieft notice 'cxta^it of fuch a regulation in England :
but there muft furely have beeh caplier affifes, as we find the profits of
the baker upon each chalder of wheat, and his payment for each batch,
were before now regulated in Scotland by the Laxvs of the burghs, cc. 66,

April 11'" — Cologne, oflj^iA'^ny the capital of ;i German tribe called
the Ubii, was made a Roman colony by Agrrppina, the wife of the em-
peror Claudius, arid it rti'dins to this day fome traces of the Romdn po-
lity. Its fituation upon the grtat navigable River Rhine, gave the citi-
aens thft feoramand of an extenfivp inland trade ; and they appear to

A.^». floj.

^>

Jm^i Sftb fed fome WmtncrWal intercourfe virith Chglarid ; foi' w<^ find
a letter addreOtd to them hy King John, wherein, after requeftitig their
good offices in fuppoft of his nephew Otlio's precenfions to the impcrij*
crown, he offers them the freedom of refoning to his dortfiiidm with
thdfltterchandiJte; on paying the cuftomary duties paid by their an-

fuSaa J^f ''r''' f; *' ^- i'V-^ l"" ^^« ^^"i°g "^"BP ^e ihaU fee, thkt
the}ri*iafled themfelves bf this offch'^ff""." *'*"'" ,ianirjii»irjn.

^ .£f '^' J"^e ^"— He alfo gs^vc a Hceiice, or invitation, to the merchant*
at rIanderS, and other foreign countries, to trade in England, provided
«°<T?«elypaidhim*he fifteenth part (the qninzieme) of their mere h-
aiidi^d, Vogfethtt With fu.n other cuftoms as might be laid on accordine
fdhxsgleiftire Cad placitum regis'). The merchants of France had
alfoafimitai'^ilfivitafion addreffed to themfelves by King [ohn at the
lame time. [Rof. par. 6 ^.^.ift.J'" It thence 'at>pears. ftiit the Flem-
ings (whofe licences were often rieAewed) were the chief foreign traders
who came to 'England in thofe days, the Englifti wobL for the fupplv of
thwr-great ctothtngrtkdfc, bdiife. rib d(WiU'^tftei^'prttidp4l obfeA^ aiid
thattherVehch were'neA totheih.' ' ' * '<"A.>' ti"- -j tdjiI dmT
^2057-The quinzieme was a di/ty'paV^BIIe''t4i4feT'f tttt^atif'fMj
appellation then given to all^rfons who made a buflnefs of bayine and
felling, however trifling their dealings might be) %hcthef natives or
foreigners. The amount of it colledted in each town may thei-efor be
confldered as a good comparative ftandard of the diftribution of the
eomhierce of England, which was not then nearfo much engrofled W
the metropolis as it is in the prefent age. Before the year 1205 the
qmnzieme of all England appears to have been farmed for one thoufand
marks. In this year we find the following towns paying that duty, vi^«
.,„,, ■: -V' ^^ "*""'■■ r»_r _i' ' " ^''^^ ''^- ~"ji: ^H^'^ H,-^-^^

NewcaAle pw4, ". ' ',-b 'i Jd^^iS^m

Co«jn, orCojdja^ri .,
Whitby, . J .

Scarburgh*,lMj;Rav3

*4e4o|lijjil jrriir.. aioriv.'ou- ioU-uu

mil. Loot-:'; ..rw'V .U-..i .?*.«,

Lincoln,^ -» , .. .

Barton,.

Ymmingham,

Grimfby,., ^,,,^,j.^,^^ :_,, ^ .

Bofton, ^^yr • ; ,i :|!RO; T^ 3

Lynne, - 651 li 11

Yarmouth, >?- <^u ,., « ^ w^.„ , ,

Norwich,

Dunwich,

X

;0^|!d,.JJ h-jt; ft; I..;, ./jAv, ,.i-.;,..j hU

Ipfwich* - j^

Colchefter,,^.i,, ft,,,,,^^^ ^^,^^j^

Sandwich, , hMi,b,o c^ Jjmid
Dover, - gina.ird ti\ j« ?£//-

Pe^^n%^. P,,|,;^,^, 0,,^:. T-.;j
oeaiord, - ^ ^

Shoreham,..^^ ,.,^ ^^ *^-"U t;iij
.Chichefter,., . .^, ,,,,j..,,j^^-i^^^^
bouthampton, - 7" 3 rfiT
Exmouth,, .,,,^5,^j_ ,,qA

a^

Dartmouth, . ' .f.

Efle(now3aUafU),, ,2,,,5;.,,,:),,
Fowey, -^.y noirHK!
London, .. 83(5 1.2

3 A2.

"{

MX/

m^

A» D. uon.

.The total fum coUedad bet<«reen the do'* of July '1004, and tbe "^*
of November 1205, was - - >C4.9i8 7 a'

•CA%. ro/. 6 yo. rot. 16 b poj. Kent — Madox's Hift. / tbe exdeq. c. ti,
§ 3-3 From this fum, making feme allowance for ibort returnt, the
trade of the principal towns of England at thi» time may be eftsmaiwd
at about loo.ooo pounds of filvor.

It is obfervable that no fewer than eight of the above towiw were in
York-(hire, and three on tbe wj^'acont fouth (ho^e of the Humber : and
it may be prcfunned that their trade confiftcd chiefly in colkaing aad
(hipping the wool of that gr«ic (hire *, whnreby the priacipal fource t>f
the comfort and profperity of the prefcat inhabitants was carried away
to enliven the induftry of I'landers.

In about three years after this time the citizens, or rather the mer-
chants, of London purchafed an exennptioti from paying the quinzieme,
for the fmall fum of two hundred Hoarks. I'be dcmefne merchant of
the earl of Leicester was gratuitoudy exempted by x3oet king froi.n pay-
ing the iiuinzieme. '{Madox, e. 18, § 3.] Probably thedemelhe merch-
ants of the other great lords and bifhops were alfo fscempted ; an in-
dulgence equally impolitic and unjud

: '.Upon a marfcy piece of ground, belonging to Gilbert lord of Amftel
and Ifelftein, a village was built, which, from an adjacent dam upon rhe
fmall river Amftel, got the name of Ajnfteldam (corrupted to Amfter-
dam), and has grown up in the courfe of ages to be one of che greateft

commercial cities in Europe. [Bertii Rer. Germ, t, iii, /. 41 yuaii

Batavia, p. 454.]

About this time tbe burgefles of Ziriczee, a town in the ifland of
^howen l<uA to have been founded in the year 849, built large (hips,
•with which they traded to the northward and to the fouthward, where-
by they became the moft fatnous merchants andnavigators of the coafts
of Zeland and Holland. Their port, which has fmce been choked up
with fand, was then very good and convenient. [Laet, Bslg. defcript. p.
i^S.—Cbron. de Hollande, Sfr. par Petit, V. i, p. 201 .]
. The Danes, who, being a maritime people, and conftantly in their
veflels, had formerly ufed only the manners and drefs of failors, now
imitated the manners, drefs, and armour, of other nations, and were
-clothed in fcarlet, purplf and fine linen : for they abounded in all kinds
of riches, by means of ice Jifhry *)ityh^di every year en the coaft of Schon-
en, which attraded rrrirl. ..u >ora all \ untries with gold, filver, and
pfctious merchandize, to purcuafe the herrings beftovved upon them by
the bounty of Providence. Nor were the Danes only enriched, they
were alfo poli(hed and enlightened, in confequence of their pfofperous
filhery ; for learning became much more common among them than

♦ We have already fe«n that wool wae (hipped from Hull in the ycir 1198,

A. D. 120^.

J71

W««, and the Cam of the fwrlncipal people were generaUy ftnt t«.finifti
their cducition at the umyCTfity of Paris, then the moft celebrated fe-
mmarjr in Europe, [^msldi Cont. Cbrtn. Slav. L. iii, c. 5.] We (hall
fe reafbn to beheve that the natives of the Baltic Ihores were in a few
yea» dCfHrived of this copious fountain of wealth, not by any fault or
negled of their own, nor by any exertion of a rival or hoftile nation,
but raerdy by the caprice of the herrings themfelves.

The hoftilities, in which the Italian dates were almoft perpetualfy en-
gaged, were apparently the caufe of their having many of their vefllls
Riuch larger, aivd'thecrewsmuch more numerous, than their cx>minerce,
and their fooit voyages, moftiy in an inlatid fea, could pofliWy require.
This year the Genoefe, in a large iTiip called the Lwagftpordo (which had
been taken from the Pifans) together with «wo gailks, attacked two
large Venetian fliips, called the Falcone and the Ro&. bound for Con-
ftantinoplc. The Venetians in the Rofe, thinking is itriJOflible to fave
tbeir Ihip, (buttled her, and we«t \«ith their nwft Bret iou<s goods onboard
the Filcone, the krgeftand ftrongeftof thetwo fcips, before the enemy
came up with them. The Genoefe, however, boarded the finking vef-
fel, and faved about 200 bales of fine cloth of fcarlet a; I other colours ;
and t4:ey afterwaiids took the Falcone, onboard which they fay they
fouiid above rane bwndred men. \_€affari Jinn. Gen. ap. Muratori Script.
V. vi, cof. 39a.] Though we Ihould make a large allowance for exag-
geration in this number, ftill the trade which could afford -to fupport
even the half of fuch a multitude of tnen in two fhips, and equip e\ :ry
vertel in a warlike manner, muft have had an enormous advaiKe upon
the iirft coft.

^ 1 206 — The Geno.e took the iflaiid of Candia from the Venetians,
who, however, foon recovered it again. Hwiccforth a fierce conteft
was kept up between thofe rival republics for the dominion of the Me-
diterranean, which fcarcely any other power could ever pretend to dif-
pute with either of them : for Pifa, fo'-arerly the rival of Genoa, was
novr alrnoft funk into x mere auxiliary of V =nice. The Venetians were
afterwards haraffed by repeated rebellions of their Candian fubjeds,
wherein they were encouraged and fupported by the Genoefe, who alfo
fupplanted the Venetians in their commercial privileges in Sicily by
aflirting the German emperor to wreft that ifland from Tancred, the
lafl king of the Norjnan race. Notwithftanding thefe advantages, the
commerce of the Genoefe with the eaftern coafts of the Mediterranean
continued to decline, while th« of the Venetians increafed : attd the
war between thofe powerful republics, which was truely a commercial
one, was continued, with fome intervals of infincere peace> for almoil
two hundred years.

1 207 — By orders iffued for the officers of the rnint to carry their dies

374 A. D. 1307.

to Weflminfter,' and there to receive the king's cotTimattdg,wc -find that
money was now coined at the following cities and towns, viz.

London, Ipfwich, uoiq 1 Northampton.

V/inchefter, Norwich, Oxford, -

Exeter, Lynne.. S'. Edtnundfljurr,

Chichefter, Lincoln, aftd- "P"'-

Canterbury, York, Durharh*.'""^ ^^'i/

Rocheftcr, Carlile, .,..=. ,i,,,u.ijc ; '

[Madox's Hifi. of the excheq. c. 9, § 3.] 'idviiaiif

The town of Liverpool now had burgefles ; and this year they ob-
tained a grapt of liberties from the king f. [Rot. pat. 9 Jo. m. 5.]

1 2o8--King JoIhi, in the beginning of his reign, had confirmed the
charters of his great-grandfather and father to the city of London,
for which he received three thoufand pounds : and he alfo made the
other cities and towns take outconfirmationsof their privileges. [Brady
on burghs, Append. pp. 15, 16, 30 J.] He now, by his patent, granted the
citizens of London authority to eleft their mayor annually §. But they,
notwithftanding, ftill continued, or re-eleded, Henry Fitz-Alwin (their firft
mayor, as already noticed) in that dignity till his death in the year 12 14.
After him we find Roger Fitz-Alwin mayor for two years : and, for a long
courfe of time, the mayors appear to have continued feveral years, per-
haps for life, in office. [Sfoiv's Survey of London, pp. 91 6, 917.]

March 1 8"— King John, in his charter to Yarmouth, befides the
cuftomary grants, with permiflion to chufe a provoft annually, and
the ftipulation of a yearly revenue to the crown of ^^55 to be paid by
the burgh, gate liberty to all foreign merchants arriving in his king-
dom in his peace, or with his licence, to come to Yarmouth, remain in
it, and depart from it, in fafety. [Brady on burghs. Append, p. 9 || .] We
are not told what was the ftaple article, which attraded foreign merch-
ants to larmouth, but we fhall prefently fee reafon to believe that it
was herrings.

• Mints were td.iblinml at mary oilier places
hcfulcs thofe here enumerated ; fo many, indeed,
that It is perhaps impoflible to make up a com-
plete lift of theiu at any one time. Stt alove, f.
iSj, dhdMadox's Hi/l. of the txibeq, c. 21, §4. —
Xtow, after giving the abcvit lift of coining places,
adfis, that ilie coiners deduded ij/in the^^ioo,
fibm the hiillion for coinage. [Survn,/). 84.]

f Enfield mentions charters to j^iverpool in
1129 and 1203. IHi/l. of Levtr/m', />. 9.]

) Jt if not thought neceffary to eneumber this
work^»ilh iTicre renovations tof chrilvrt, preferved
fcy Madox, Brady, and others, nor with charters
c<i towns, which liave nevtr rifcn to cummtrcial
• ttiinencf, nor wiih thofe which contain only the
tkiftomary grants, among which a very commop
•lie is t aisrchar.l gild (' gilda mtrcatoria'). But

fuch a gild muH not of itfelf be admitted as a
proof, nor even as a prcfiimption, that the burgcfTcs
were engaged in commerce, for (hop-keepers of
everjr dcfcription, and alfo all dealers, liowcvr
trifling, who made a bufintfs of buying and fclh'ng,
were then called merchants, as they are even now
in fome countries.

4 Fabyan [Cronyir/f, /'. it, f. xv b} mentiuni
thtrty^ve hradi or niL-rt, who governed the city
before the right uf annual ele£\ioiis of mayors W2i
granted. lie fays. King John, in his ninth ytar,
Tent orders to the thirty-five, to dcpofe and im-
prifoo the two bailifs (or fliiiTcfs), bccaufe ihcy
j'revcnted his puiveyors from carr)-ing wheat out
of the city,

U M B. In the charter, giiinque is enoneoun^'
printed inftrad oi qui itiKu: 3

A^P^J2P9-

375

.lafepi-Thegreat number of Englifli inliabitnnts, in the burghs of
Scotland, has, already been noticed, and alio the probability.' that their
comparatively-greater proficiency in mauufaclures, was the aiufe of their
being invited and encouraged to fettle in them. That theburghs had
now made fome con fiderable progrefs in manufadures and trade, and
confequently in opulence, is evident from their contribution of fix thou-
fand marks*, to the fum of fifteen thoufand, given by William king
of Scotland, together with a refignation of his claim upon the counties
of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Weftmcreland, as a portion with
bis two daughters, contraded to the two fons of John king of England f ,
when the nobles (or landed men) paid ten thoufand, and the clergy no^
thing. [Ft^Jerat V. i, p, 155 — Scoijcbrom V. i, p. S2,ed.GoodalL] It
may be prefumed, that the ScottiOi burghs bore their ihares in like
manner in the two payments made by William to Richard I.

I2I0— Perth, which may be c»-.ifidered as the capital of Scotland
was before this time called a king's burgh, and was now favoured with
a charter by King WilUam, prohibiting (according to the contraded
pohcy of the age) all mcrchant-ftrangevs from cairrying goods to any
part ot the fiiire of Perth but the burgh, where they were obliged to
fell them by wholefale, and to lay out the proceeds in the commodities
of the country ; only between Afcenfion day and Lammas ftrangers
were allowed to fell cloth by retail in the market, and alfo to buy cloth
or other goods. It alfo grants to all the burgefles of Perth, except weav-
ers and fullers, the privilege of being gild-brethren ; and they alone
are authorized to manufa<aurc dyed or {horn cloth in Perth, and no-
where elfein the (hire. But thofe who formerly had a charter for manu-
faduring, are not bound by this reftridion %•

* As the only ufe of money is to « nsblc lit to
\)\\U\n what we want, it is evident that tlic only
tiile for eftimating the real value of any fum,' is to
compare it with tlie quantity of ncceffary articles
which it can purchafe. Tried hy this ttandard,
the value of fums mentioned in hillory, which found
very trifling in modern ears, will often be found
very great. The prices of com in Scotland, dur-
ing the reign of William, are not known, but in
that of his graudfon Alcxiinder ill, 6,000 marks
(or 4,000 pounds of lilvei) would purchafe

240,000 holls of oats at 41/, the highcft price ;
or 6o,oeobolltofwheatat i6</,theordinaryprice;
or 48,000 bolls of wheat at toJ, thehigheft price ;
[IVyntotvn't Orygynalt Cronyiil of Scotlanti, F. i, f.
4C0.] Soon after the death of Alexander, corn
was Hill cheaper in England, efpecially in the weft
and north parts, the price of wheat being from tJ

to iWthe quarter. [TriWi' yinnaht, p. 266

Sto'uj't AnnaUty p. jii, ej. iCoo.] Tlic Scottini
lUndard boll is at prcftnt equal to fix Engliflj
flandard buihcls, as fixed by art of pwliament, 37

G<o. Ill, c. loj, § IIS but it has varied in the
courfe of ages.

t The terms of the contiart can never be com.
pletely or accurately known, unleft the copy of it,
fent to the pope by Alexander II, the fon of Wil-
ham, [/"^r^rfl, T. i, /. 235] (hall be brought to
light. But they are partly to be found in ? fub-
fequent agreement of Henry HI king of England,
and Alexander 11 king of !3cotland, [/Vaira, P:
'>A 375. °r ^yg- Plac.tart. p, 161] and by the'
charge made by^Htnry III ag.inft Hubert eJrl

of fulfillment of the co^traft the money was to
have been returned j but Henry Ilf was contipugl-
ly poor ; and Alexander was put off with Undi in
Northumberland, Cumberland, and Wellincreland,
of the trifling value of ^290 a-year. IFmkra, V.
'.A*-375.400-] . . • • I

_ X The charter here referieu to wa« appareatljr
given by King David to Engli(h, an^ perbapi
Flemifti, manufaftur?ri : and thus we may account
fur the exception of wearers tuid fuUcrij whv mar

have

376

A. D. laio.

Some attention was paid to the fifhery^ and fome flax wasraifed, and
confequently fome linen made, in Scotland in the reign of William, as
appears from the tithes of fifh and flax being mentioned along witb
thofeofwool, corn, butter, cheefe, animals, &c. The fiflierie» fecm
to have been chief in the Firths of Forth and Moray. [Chart, it
Dugd. Mon. Angl. V. i, p. 422 — Cbm't, Morav. in Dalrymple'i Canons, p.
20.]

Among the foreign coumries, with which the Scots had commercial
connections, we mr.y particularize Norway, as appears by charters of
John and Swer, kings of that country, concerning fome people who had
fuffered (hipwreck, and letters of J. king of Norway, and H. bis brother,
on a fimilar fubjeft *. [Fadera, V. ii, p. 218.]

The foreign trade of Scotland was chiefly conduced by the merchants
of Berwick, who at this time were very much annoyed by the garrifou
of a fort erected by King John at Tweedmouth, on the oppofite bank
of the river, which on that account was twice demoliftied by King Wil-
liam. [Wyntown's Cronykil, V. i, p. 355, — Scoticbron. V. i, p. 518.]

King John, regardlefs of the confirmation of privileges which the Jews
had purchafed from him in n\Q beginning of his reign, ordered the
whole of them, women as weh as men, to be tortured till they ftiould
■p^y ftxty-ftx thou/and marks ; a moft enormous fum. The ranfom fet up-
on a wealthy Jew of Briftol, was ten tboufand narks ; and, on his refufa)
to pay that ruinous fine, the king ordered his tormentors to pull out
one of his teeth every day, to which the unhappy man fubmitted for
feven days ; and on the eight he confented to fatisfy the king's rapaci-
ty. Ifaac, a Jew of Norwich^ became bourui to pay the king ten thou-
land marks in dayly payments of one mark. Many of the Jews, find-
ing it impoflible to live under fuch oppreflion, fled out of the country.
\Madox's Hift.ofthe excheq. c. 7. — M. Paris, pp. 229, 230.] But, ac-
cording to Trivet, {Jnnaks, p. 154] they were drivenkout, after being
ftripped of all their property. It appears, however, that they foon re-
turned.

John went to Ireland, and moft of the Irifti kings waited on him at
Bublin, with profeflions of duty and allegiance. He ordered the Eng-
lilh laws and cuftoms to be introduced in Ireland, and appointed fhir-
<«fs, and other officers to difpenfc jufl:ice in the country according to
the Englifh forms. He alfo appointed money to be coined for Ireland

have enjoyed fitparatc-, and proba4)ly more ample,
privilegea : otherways the exeluTion of them from
the liberty of the gild fcents unrcafonahle and ah-
furd. This account ij taken from a tranflation
(and feemingly a very had oae) of the charter in
CanlU Muffs Thrtnodit, F. W, p. (i, td. 1774.

The privileges, granted by WilliamV charter to
F«vth, arc given to the borgh» of Scotland in ge-

neral by the 37" of the ftatute» afcribed to thrt
king by Skene in his cditi6n of Rrginm mujeJldUm :
hut there i» no knowing what degree of credit can
be given to that colle6lion.

• The charters and ktterj were in the kingV
treafiiry at Edinburgh in she year 1282,— Swtr
wan king of Norway in th« later part of tire
twelfth centtiry.

A. IX laio.

377

ZrLnn « 5k^"^'"'1^' and tbe halfpennieo and farthings, as well as
cd i^ wr,;I^r round ordering th.t it (hould be current! and receir-
ed m his tfeafurj equally with the money of England. Returning
numpbam from h,s expedition, he aflemblJd the chiefs of all the re-
ligious communities of both fexes in England and ex3ed frnrn tl-!^
one hundred and forty thoufand pounds^; a f;m tC"^ i^^hL ^^
lue of above two naillions of quarters of wheat in yearf of moderlte
plenty, and a proof at once of the enormous riches ^orthofe XbHft
ments, and of the mfa.iabk avarice of King John. [M P^irfa ,o 1
It IS very probable, that this particular h& of^oppreffion is the princl^
caufe of the Wack charader of him tranfmittedYo pofteriJy •? ^ ^
About this time Zingis-khan, with his innumerabfc hoft of favaee rob

?:^^Y\'"'^/'^^ ^""''* '^"^ ^^^^'^^^ ^V^^^ of China the nothem
partof which, ca ledCathay, he fubdned anddrfolated. He next turned h^
deftruaivc march weftw^rd, overturned and ruined many powerful kine
doms and mnumerable cities, adorned by the art and inSuftrTof man"
throughout all the northern extent of Afia; and. in Tfew yea^ In'
quered a larger, and perhaps a more valuable, portion of ^hedobe"
than the Romans acquired in a perpetual war of many centu ies But
the page ot commercial hiftory ought not to be ftained wlfh a "edtal of
the miferies brought upon mankind by fuch a ferocious butcher

At this time the city of Campion in the kingdom of Taiieut was the
mtJAZ'^r'' ^^«"djrade in linens, ftuffs ?f cotton, go"Ianrfilver
f Iks and Po^Jam. bmught by the merchants of Cathay Ld bought up
by thcfe of Mufcovy, Perfia, Armenia, and all the Tatar countrie! who

ITIT^ZT " '' '''"' ''" ''''■ ^""^ '' '''''' ^ri'^^x^^^

I2U-_A fire broke out in Southwark, anuthe flames were driven bv
the wind to the north end of London bridge, which waT mmediTtelv

^:J7ot^Jjd:}T t^r^^T^"" 'y ^^^^ fl-s,'whrchiad

now aao taken hold of it. By this calamity, notwithftandine the ifllft
ance from the flnppmgand boats, a thoufand. or. accorSo Mathew
nfZ'^T^''' n '"" ^^"^""^' P^P^« J^ft^hei; lives, and fgreat pa I

1 213— Philip king of France gathered together' all the fliips of hi.
Ts t'rnTelS'.h^^ '"' I" '''''' collea'befides from oTr cour^!

Se ftores foranlnlr ''f/ ^^T' ^P^^^ ^^ provifions and wa".
UKe itores, tor an invafiou of England, to be undertaken at the defire of
Pope Innocent. There was in thofe days no fuch thing L a lil'on:! Ly ,

• John could fcarcel

of the firft.rate faints

Vol. I.

:ly be more wicked than Edgar, who wa. ca.«n,«d .-md worlhipned
But Edgar founded furtye.ght .no„-a!kr.V., and John only flv or !,l

es one

378

A. D. 1213.

of {hips belonging to the ftate, and adapted for the purpofes of war only,
as at prefent. But King John iflued his orders fpr prefling into his fer-
vice all the veflels in England *, capable of carrying fix horfes, to attend
him at Portfmouth with fufficient tackling, men, and arms ; and his fleet
was found to be fuperior to that of his enemy. At the fame time he
alfo furamoned his military vaflals, under the fevereft penalties, to n^
femble at Dover. However, having more confidence in his failors than
in his land forces, he determined on a naval engagement. But while
hoftile preparations were going forward on both fides, John ignomini-
oufly made his peace with Innocent, who immediately ordered Philip
to defift from the invafion of England, now placed under his holy pro-
tedion. Thereupon he, not daring to difobey the pope, and at the
fame time unwilling to let his preparations be entirely thrown away,
directed the ftorm of war againft the earl of Flanders, as an ally of the
Englifh king. John, as foon as he was informed of the diftrefs of his
friend, fent over five hundred Ihips, with feven hundred knights, and a
great army, to his affiftance. Thefe, arriving on the coaft of Flanders,
found the French fleet left entirely to the care of the feamen, the fol-
diers having gone afliore to plunder the country. The EngUfti imme-
diately began the attack, took three hundred ihips, which they fent to
England, and burnt above a hundred more, which were aground f.
This decifive vidory, by which the French navy was entirely deftroyed,
being the firfl: important battle fince the days of King Alfred, fought
by ftiips and men entirely furniftied by England %., is deferving of par-
ticular notice, more efpecially as it alfo fliows, that England poflefled
more ftiips t' an the French king could find in all France, or hir. In
other count! s. [M. Paris, pp. 233, 234, 238.]

Though t re was not any national eftablifliment of warlike ftiips,
that bore tae moft diftant refemblance to the royal navy of mo-
dern times, it appears that there wereTowf gallies belonging to the king.
In the year 1208, a thoufand oars were bought for the king's gallies ;
and this year the expenfe of keeping them at Southampton, amounted
to j(*2 : 6 : 8. At the fame time, 12 ftiillings were expended for keep-
ing another veflel (under the indeterminate name of a ftiip ' navis') be-
longing to the king. [MaJox^s Hi/i. of the excbeq. c. 10, § 12 ; f. 18.
§ 3.] This, if I miftake not, is the firft certain notice we have, after
the time of Alfred, of any veflels belonging to the king, or to the na-

* According to M. Wellminfter, thofe of Ire-
land were alfo fiinitnuned. It may be doubted, if
there was time between tiic j'' and 24." of Marth
for them to be colle£led, and to arrive at Portf-
mouth.

f Trivet, [/I. J57] and Paulu* ^mylius the
hidorian of I'lance, [/-, 194'] fay, that thefe (liips
wcie burnt by the French to prevent them from
falhng into tlie liaiids of the English.

X A part of King Richard's fleet was fumifhcd
by the ports of the weftern coaft of France, then
fubjeft to him, but not now fubjeft to John. It
ia, however, furprifing, that England, the com-
merce of which appears to hare been mottly paflivc,
(hould have been able to mufter fo numerous a
fleet.

J^.D.'i2i3. 379

tTon *, except thofe purchafed by Richard I for his crufkde, the navies
fitted out for war being merely the whole mercantile fliipping of the
kingdom, preffed. into the fervice : fo that in thofe times the owners
could never call their veflfels their own f .

1315, June 15'"— The oppreffions and mifcondud of King John
brought on a cml war, which was now concluded by figning the fam-
ous Magna Charta, or Great Charter of the liberties of the people
of England, or, indeed, more truely fpeaking, of tht clergy and barons •
for the great body of the people were as yet of too little importance to
have much attention paid to their concerns. Of the numerous articles
of this charter, the following are thofe by which the interefts of the
commercial part of the community were likely to be aflfeded.

By the fourth fedion, the guardians of a minor are prohibited from
deftroying or wafting the men or goods belonging to the eftate, the pea-
fants attached to the lands being the property of their mafter as much
as the cattle, and held in no higher eftimation.

§ 10, 11) The debts of a minor Ihall bear no interefl during his
minority, whether they be owing to a Jew, to the king, or to any other
perfon ."j:.

§ 1 2) No tax fliall be impofed but by the general council of the king-
dom ; except for the king's ranfom if taken prifoner, for making his
oldeft fon a knight, and for once marrying his oldeft daughter; and for
thefe the demands Ihall be moderate.

§ ^3. 23) London, and other cities and towns, fhall enjoy their an-
tient privileges, and fhall not be compelled to build bridges, &c. unlefs
fuch as they are bound to build by antient rights.

§ 20) No freeman fhall be amerced in a lum difproportionate to his
offence ; neither fliall a fine, upon any account, extend to the ruin of
his freehold, if a landed man; of his merchandise, if a merchant; nor
of l>is farming utenfils, if a peafant.

§ 27) The property of a freeman dying inteftate, after paying his
debts, fliall. be divided among his neareft relations.
§ 28, 30, 31) The king's officers (liall not take any man's corn, or

* Madox [H{/^. ofexch. c. lo, § 12] mentions
king's ih'ps in the reign of Henry II : but the
;iiUlioritie8 produced in tin notes /, u, %, do not
<!i(ling;iifh them as royal (hips ; and prefently after
[note b'\ we find three veflfels employed on fimilar
lervicc in the fame reign, exprefsly called ' fhipi
' of Shoreham.'

f A ftriking illuftration of the king's claim of
right to the fervici-8 of all merchant (hipi appears
in a letter, written by Edward II to the king of
Norway upon the detention of three EngliHi vef-
lils, whith he concludes by faying, that he canaut

quietly put up with the veffels belonging to his
kingdom, lokkh Bu^hl at all limes lo be ready Jhr
I'll fervice, being detained in foreign countries.
\_Fa:Jera, V. iii,/. 400.]

X This feenis to authorize interefl, though re-
peatedly forbidden by ecclcfiaftical canons. The
lender, however, by this regulation ran a very un-
fair rifl< of being deprived of the income due from
his capital. A man, whofe heir was young, was ,
thereby debarred from tiie accommodation of raif.
ing money by borrowing.

58o

A. D. .1215.

other goods, without ^yment, nor feize his carts *nd horfcs. nor mt
down his wood, without his confent.

§ 33) All kidels (engines for catching filli) ihali be removed from the
Thames, the Medway, and other rivers*.

§ 35) There fhall be one uniform ftandard for weights, meafures, and
TOanufa<aures. That for corn {hall be the London quarter.

§ 39) No freeman (hall be feized, imprifoned, or outlawed, except by
the legal judgement of his peers, or by the law of the land.

j 40) The king fliall not fell, deny, or delay, juftice to any perfon.

§ 41) All merchants Ihall have fafety ami fectirity in <joming to, or
going out of, England,, and in remaining and traveling through it by
land or water for buying or felling, free fi-om any grievous impofitions f,
and agreeable to the old and upright cuftoms ; except ki time of war'
and except merchants belongiag to a country at war with us, who, at
the comniencement of g war, fliall be attached without any injury to
their perfons or property, till it be made known to us, or our chiei
jufticiarji, how the merchants of our dominions, who happen to be in
the country at war with us, are treated there : and if our merchants are
not injured there, they fliall not be injured here.

§ 42) It fliall be lawful for all perfons, except prifoners, outlaws, and
foreign merchants as above excepted in tim« of war, to go out of the
kingdom freely and fecurely, and to return :|:.

§ 60) All the liberties, hereby granted to the king's vafials, fliall alfo
be granted by the clergy and barons to tlieir vaflals §. •

The other articles of the charter belong to general hiftorv, law, and
politics. By the concejions in it we may form an idea of the previous
ftate of a fociety, where fuch conceifions could be required, or would
i)e accepted.

Almofl: imnaediately after he had figned the Great charter, John pro-
cured, from his liege lord, the pope, two bulls annulling it, and excom-
municating thofe who had by force extorted it. The confequencc was
anew war b^^tween the king and the barons, who were driven to the
defperate refourfe of inviting the French king's fon to come to th >
affirtance, and be their fovereign. Louis accepted the offer, and landed
without oppofition at Sandwich with fix hundred fliips. Very fortun-

X The chief intent of this article was to allow
the clergy to attend their fovercijjn, tlie pope,
without afkirijr the king's permiflion.

* From § 38 of the Magna chan.i of his Ton
Henry III, in the year 1216, it appears, that John
had feized into his owb haniis many of the rivert ;
:io doubt thofe which afforded the grtateft and
' iTioft profitable fifheries. Richard's oijcragainft
k;del8 in the year 11 96 muft already have been
iitglei^ed.

f ' Sine omnibus malls tokis.' Totlis feems
eironcoufly writti-n for /o////, and accordingly the
old Englilh tranflution has evill tolU, Knyghton
[«/. 25*3] writes malU tellf.

ig the king's permil
§ This is almoll the only article in the Magna
chaita, in which l!ie great body of the people had
any general concern : and the benefit of it was
probably never claimed by them. The king's ob-
jeft in infertiiig it (for it was adJed by him) was
apparently to have a pretext from the breach ot
it to annull the whole of the charter.

A* D. 1 216.

i«x

ately Tohttdiedfoon after (19"^ Oaober 1216), and England was -ef.
cued trom becoming a province of France.

The charader of John has been drawn in the blackeft colours by

moft of the contemporary hiftorians. But. though few of his adions

appear to have fprung from laudable motiv6«. we muft remember, that

hroughout the whole of his reign he was on bad terms with the clergy.

the only ciafs of people who were capable of tranfmitting his adtions to

P!S^"t' vs *•"' ^r^"""'' c^""'^. »hat the over-ruling providence of
God which often bnngs good out of evil, rendered his vices and mif-
condu<a more beneficial to the community than the beft adior.s of his
predeceObrs. His mfultmg treatment of the barons, and his violation
of their wives and daughters, tvith his general mifcondua, may be fa^d
to have produced the great charter, which, though it was not favour
abk to ,he great body of the people, and ^oducld no advamagS e^Jn
to the clergy and barons, as it was immediately broken, has in dl fu^
ceedmg ages been looked up to aS th* foundation of Liberty 'n this
country^ Hu quarteJs with fhe nobles, ^ho, by the feudal con^ftituti^
were tbe hereditary eornmandersof the natioMl army. obWd himTo

hitherto held m contempt both by kings and ^«bles) and chiKf

he maritime ones *. This policy, though didated onl/ by his owyin-

tereft and very convenient for him. tur^d out miK:h Lore e^mfml

beneficial to the fubjeds. To the king it gave not only art M^Jf

Fair„7;hVT,T 5 "f^fP^T °f "^""i^^nd by dt^ins off t£e v^f
falsof the feudal lords t. but alfo an additional revenue, payable fey th-
corporations, and ftipulated in their charters. To the pdbL it rLT^
degree offreedom formerly unknown; and it gradually raifed them to
opulence and importance by the commerce which came in tim? to

amsnXlrrH^ %'°"^\^^ confequence of he liberty the mhabit°
ants poffefied <rf parfumg their own interefts free fr6m any reftraint
n^ ZT"'^ a!!? \^^ J""^<ii<^i°n of any fuperior except the fovereS^'
and the law. And thus the emerfion of the great bod^ of the Englih
nation from the fervitude, into which they were plung^ by the jealous
S"o?Joh^ *^" '^•"""^' ^'^ybeju'myafcr^/toXwcr^^^^^

able domeftic accommodation, hitherto known only in the Oriental re-
gions, of conveying water to the houfcs by pipes, which, as it has fince
been improved, has become a moft imporuint and efficient preierv^ of

and after that time on tl^ ki ,? p. rVnJtZ' °1^' ^'t'^ ""T' '° i'-'^'^"' "" '^''" °^ "'"'■

38a

A. D. iai6.

lives and properties from the dreadful calamities of fire. But the date
of this improvement at Lubeck is ur^known to me, nor am I well aflur-
ed of the fad. We find the conveyance of water in pipes mentioned
as a new difcovery made at this time by Simon, a monk of WaverJey in
Surrey, who, upon a failure of the well which ufed to fupply the breth-
ren, brought water from other fountains by means of pipes laid under
ground, whereby he made an artificial well, abundantly fufficient for
the ufe of the abbay. [^«. fVaverl. ap. Gale, ad an. 1216.] It was ap-
parently Simon's invention, for fuch it undoubtedly was, that furniflied
the magiftrates of London with a model for the pipes they made in the
year 1236.

Notwithftanding the convulfions of the kingdcm in tlie contefts be-
tween John and the barons, there is reafon to believe, that the breed of
that eminently ufeful animal, the Iheep, was increafed during his reign ;
and that, though there was a confiderable exportation of wool, there
was more of it made into cloth in England in his reign than at any
time before : for we find the following fums paid into the treafury in
one ysar (the fifteenth of his reign) for duties on the importation of
woad, moft of which was ufed in dying cloths, though a gre?t part of
thofe made in England were exported, and aifo worn at home, without
being dyed.

In Kent and Suilex, except Dover,
The ports of York-fhire,
Lincoln-fliire, - . _

Norfolk and Suffolk,
Southampton,

Eflbi, - , _

Places not named, perhaps including London,
[Madox's Hiji.ojtbe excheq. c. 18, § 3.]

Immediately after the acceflion of Henry III, the infant fon of John
the great charter was renewed *.

1 21 7 — A treaty of friendlhip was entered into between Henry HI of
England and Hakon IV of Norway, both under age, whereby the
merchants and fubjeds of both kingdoms had full liberty of going
coming, and returning. \Fadera, V. i, p. 223.]

Some of the circumftances of a naval battle fought in this year arc
worthy of notice. An Englifti fleet, faid to confift of only forty gallies
and other veffcls f, attacked a French fleet of eighty large fliips, befides

98 13

47

5.?
7a

4
214 12

5

4

4
o

10

4
o

• It was renewed at fertn different times by
Henry, when he found it ncccfiary to court the
favour, or to drain the pockets, of his fubjcfts.
[See BLickJlonc! Hiflory of iht charters, Law lra{ls,
V. a, />. ^3, 't frq^:]

t The annahll of Waverlcy, and Robert of
Oloucefter, give the Englifh only eighteen (hipt.
But furely the inequality of force, as related by

Mathew Paris, is fufficient. Pauhis ^Emyh'uB, th«
liillorian of France, has not a word of this battle.

Hemingford [L. ii, c. 105] has a wonderfol
ftoryofagreat fleet belonging to a tyrant, who
was coming from Spain to take the kingdom from
the infant King Henry, being defeated by tlir
mariners of the Cinque i>ort».

}

A*D.

12 T 7,

3^3

Louis. The EngUni, who are noted for their expertn»fs in maritime
^varfare. began the attack by a dreadful difcharge of arrows from tTe
crofs-bow-men and archers and having got the wind of their enemy!
they rufted agamft them with the iron beaks (or rojra) of their gS
:,^,^f!,^y ™any of the French fhips were inftantly funk. Thfy alfo
availed themfelves of their fituation to windward by throwing pulver^
Aft ^^^f ,^^™^ ^'^^^ '^^ ^^\"<=l^ ^iP«. whereby the men were blinded *.
r r.^ u ''T^^J?'^"^''^^^'""'' '^^ French fought bravely but not
fo fkilfully as the Englifh, the greateft part of then being fl"Lot
drowned, almoft the whole fleet fubmitted to the Englifh. who^tr umph'
amy towed them mto Dover. [A/. Pans, p. jgsLyf^na/. Wavjp.
103, ed. Gale — Rod.ofG/ouc.p.515.] ^

n.i^^°~f^- "'.^'■Jhf ^.^ ^.^ 9°l<'g^e in Germany (perhaps in confe-
quence of King John's invitation in the year 1203) eftablifhed a hall
or fadory m London called their Gildhall, for the /aifine (or legal pof-
feffion) of which they now paid thirty marks to the king. [mSx',
Hift. of the excheq. c.ii,^ 2.] It feems probable that this Gildhall by
the aflbciation of the merchants of other cities with thofe of Cologne
became in time the general fadory and refidence of all the German
merchants m London, and was the fame that was afterwards known by
the name of the German Gildhall (' Gildhalla Teutonicorum') +

It appears that the merchants of Cologne were bound to make a pay-
ment of two fhilhngs, probably a referred annual rent ^Tor we are not
told upon what occafions it was payable) out of their Gildhall befides
other cuftoms and demands, from all which they were exempted in the
year 1235 by King Henry III, who moreover gave them pcrmiffion to
attend fairs in any part of England, and alfo to buy and fell in London
iaving the liberties of the city. ICbarter in Hakluyfs Voiages, V. i. p. i qo
ed. 1598.] " ^ ^ '

J'™^y^,^^Pf^^""^ed, that there were very few people in England,
who poflefled the elegant and comfortable accommodation of glafs in
their vvmdows about this time; for, from the manner in which the
windows of a church fumiOied with glafs are mentioned by Mathew
I'aris, \yit. p. 122] It appears that fuch windows were not in ceneral
xile, even in churches.

Though we find by Domefday book that fome of the inhabitant, of
Yarmouth were fifhermen in the time of the Conqueror, it gives us not
the fmaiieft hmt of the berring filhery, which has been the great fource

Above two centuries after this time, the (Ira-
tagem of throwing quick lime was pradifed by the
Geiioefc m a naval engagement, and was thought
a notable mveniion. 'nm fliow* that the prattite
was at leall uncommon.

f The inaccuracy of confounding the Teutonic
gililhall with the Steelyard will be accounted for
under the year 1475.

."*

3»4

A. D. iiae*

of the opulence of that town. From the Rime amhentic record we hwnx,
that Dunvvich (then a pls»ce of confide r able tr*de, if compurcd with the
neighbouring towns) paid annually 60,000 herrings to the king, and
Sandwich paid gnnually 40,000 t« the monki, ftt that time, imd perhaps
long before ; but whether thofe herrings were frc(h or faltcd, we ax«
not informed. We find herrings envu&era:«d among the articles charg-
ed with tolls or duties at Neweaftle upon Tine in the reign of Henry 1;
[Sratki's Hift. of Newcq/ile, V. ii, p. 131] and in that of Henry II the
abundance of them on the Englifti coatt is noticed by Henry of Hmu-
indon : (fee above, p. 344) and herrings made a part of the revenue
of the bifhoprick of Chichefter. [Madox's Hi/l. of the excbftf, f. lo, § 3.]
The refoTt of foreign merchants to Yarnaouth, inferred in King John's
charter to that town, (fee above, p. 374) together with the certainty of
its being a ftaple ma'-ket for the exportation of herrings loon after *,
warrants a. belief that it was now the principal feat of the herring fifliery
upon tj^ coaft of England : and upon that account William of Trump-
ington, abbat of St. Albans, was induced to purcha£e a large houfe f in
Yarmouth, ' in order to lay up fifh, specially herrings ,-vf\iich. were bought
' in by his agents at the proper feafon, to the ineftimable advantage, as
' well as honour, of th? abbay.' [Af. Paris, Fit. p. 126.] As we thus
hnow from i»ndo«bted authority, that herrings were ftored up at Yar-
mouth, and as our prefuraption, that they were alfo an article of com-
merce and exported, will preiently be turned into certainty, it is evi-
dent that they muft have been preferved with fait. But in what refped
the antient method of curing them difiered from the improved method
invented by Van Beukelen, who, according to fome of the Netherland
hiftormns, was the firft curer and exporter oif herrings, it is apparently
impoilible to tell.

From the unqueftionable authority of the public records we know,
that there was alfo a fifliery of at leaft fome confequence on the ibuth-
veft coaft of England, and thai: an improved method of faking the fiflx
had been praftifed before this time by Peter Chivalier, who appears to
have had the king's licence for a monopoly of his method, and that
Peter dc Perars gave the king twenty marks in the year 1221, and
twenty more in 1222, and probably alfo in other years, for a licence to
fait fifli, as Chivalier ufed to do. [Mag, rot. 6 Hen. Ill, rot. 9, b, Cqrnub.
in Madox's Hift. of the excheq. c. 13, § 4.] .\s Perars appears to have liv-

* Tlii« will be further illuftia^e-.l un4er the year
1238. I may berc alfo obferve, that in the year
1256 the biirgtflc* of Yarmouth reprefented to the
king that their principal fupport wat derived from
the fifliery J and a record in the year 1306 (hows
tliat it Was the htrr'mg fifhery. ^et Brady on burgbt,
Append, pp. 2, 6.

\ It muft have been a very large boufe, for it

coft fifty marks ; and the iaftx. abbat boi^ht a
huufe, or rather a court of houfes, in London
(where they were probably dearer than in Yar-
mouth), ai extenfive ai a great palace, with cha-
pel, ibblcB, garden, a well, &c. for a hundred
nuMrkt of puicbafe-money, to which he added fifty
roarkt for improvements, {hi. Pant, Fit. pp. 125,
126.]

#'

A. D. 1220.

3^5

tber, quoUd:] But. to fay SinB- Af V^^ K ' ^' ^^°'. '"'^ '^«'-*^''>'«

confide j"Kot,';r.sf:3ot^^^^^

pennies, halfpennies, and farthines of filver • anlT. ii HI ^", ',°.S

keep ,h.„> in^eadinl for '.te'^Si^'s'fe^icr'^ '"■"*'' •""'' '"'' "

Portefmue, now Port/moutb ;

Sorham,

Suhamton,

SafFord,

La Pole,

Exon,

Briftol,

Dertmue,

Norwic,

Gememue,

Orefor[d],

Dunewic,

Sborebam ;
Southampton ;
Seaford ;
Pool;
Exeter ;
Briftol;
Dartmouth^
Norwich i
Tarmoutb ;
Qrford;
Dunwich ;

Gipewic,
Lenne,

EBemu^,
Do^^j; /

Rumeoel,
Rya, ^; '
Kingeft^
Eya, ^
Hailing,

Ipfwich ;
Lynn ;

Orwell haven ;
unknown ;
Dover i
Rumney;
Rye;

unknown ; f
Eye;

r ham, f^^^aw near Chichefter ;

Pevenfey.

les.

'^^'X2lZ^^l^iX:^^^^:^ -ed. ."hLde^fo.

, Some lines of Robert de Brunne, defcribmK

a comajre of rouud oennie,, hdfpennie,,, and far-

."g». by Edward f have bcenTnferted by S ow

nZ iofe '^ r". «""f J' '""""'' »»'*y have
milled thofe, who have taken only a fuperficial
gla-icc of fnch matter,, to conclude tl.at there wa
o round n,oney fjnaUcr than per.nie. till the year

roln^H Kv H '%"" '.''" '^"""^ halfpennies were
corned by Henry I, and round halfpenaie* md alfo

Vol. I.

farthing, by John, fome of which are ftill remain-
ing m cabinets. See above, pp. jr<). «76 —pL

t Hull was not yet called Kingfton, an^Kinir.

L"Lrd\^pir^°"'''""-'''-^p-p'4

to the Cmque ports, we find there were alfo parti-
cular order, addrefled to fome. perhaps to each, of
them on th,s and on other fimilar occafion,

.a V.

386 A. D. 1224.

By means of orders in the year 1226 for permitting French veflels,
loaded with corn, wine, or provifions, to come in and go out in fafetyj
notwithftandhig a previous general prohibition of French {hips, the fol-
lowing may be added to the lift.

Sandwic, Sandwich; Hoiem, unknown;

Heath, Ilyth ; Lincoln, Lincoln;

Wodering, unknown; Eborum, Tork ;

Winchelf^, Wincbelfea; Hulm, unknown.

[Fadero, r.i, pp. 272, 287.]

' The king granted to the comminaltie of London to have a com-
• mon feale.' IStow's Survey of London, p. 918, ed. 161 8.]

1225 — Kiiig Henry obliged all veflels belonging to the Cinque ports,
arriving with corn in the River Thames, to deliver at Queen-hithe *.
In two years thereafter he alfo ordered the veflels bringing fifli to un-
load at the fame place, and direded that the only fifli-market in Lon-
don fliould be held there, the citizens of London being, however, at li-
berty to unload their own veflels where they pleafed. In the year 1246
the city purchafed Qiieen-hithe from Richard earl of Cornwall, and
agreed to pay an annual rent of £50 to him and his heirs. Tor fome
time it was very produdive, the corn, fifli, fait, fuel, and other articles,
landed there being fuflicient to keep thirty-feven men employed as met-
ers and carriers, with horfes, &c. Afterwards the bakers of London got
into the way of buying their grain in the country from the farnrt-s f ;
and that diminution of the com bufinefs, together with fome impedi-
ments to the paflage of the veflels by delay in taking up the draw-bridge,
reduced the profits of Queen-hithc fo low, that when Fubyan wrote
(about the year 1500) they fcarcely exceeded twenty marks a-year of
luch money as was then current. [Stow's Survey of London, p. 680.]

Albert earl of Orlamund, who in the year 1216 had bought the fu-
periority of Hamburgh for 700 marks from the king of Denmark, now
fold it to the community of the city for 1,500. Till now, fays Lambe-
cius, the biftorian of Hamburgh, the city was only in its infancy ; but
thenceforth, having ftiaken oflf the yoke, it became dayly more and
more powerful and flourifliing. \Orig. Hamburg, p. 1 1 8.]

1227— -King Henry III received preffcnts from Coradin, foldan (or
fultan) of Damafcus, brought by Julelin (moft probably a merchant) of
Genoa, and lent him a complimentary letter in return, [x'a'dt-rii, V. i,
/). 296.] This is, I believe, the fecond inftance of a Mohamedan prince
courting the friendrtiip of a king of England.

Odober 12'" — The Catalans appear to have been at this time very

• Tills landing plncc \> :.s pjcnfrally approprlat- out of the profits of it to tlie c!)!irch "f Reading.

<d to llic queens of England aa a part of their re- [r.'uwr/V Interpreter, Mady't e,!. i/. Jh.ld.l

xaiiif, at Icaft as early a» the X'mv of Henry I; f So the laktra itinnagcd their bulincfs, about

11*1 /Vvlvhd, hit widow, gave ico fiiillings a-ycar th>? yf^r i6cc» when Stow wrote.

A. D.

132'

3^7

n^ml^ r '^' ""'^^ flouriihing «f the commercial 'ftates of Ttalv
LftT.l Ji'?'""P"^' '"'^ ^""^^'"^ P-^^'er •. Tliey traded to eve v
conft of he Mediterranean ; and the vkels of ever/natiorind S
made welcome to Barcelona, their principal port, bj a law cont^ned n

lame law. that no tordgner fhould take onboard wine at bS a with
out the permtflion of the dti«ns. Thi, law, which, I "me UAe
eatheft ,,nv,f„,^„ „a known in hiftory or record, was moreTrKllv en

X',^:v!'ir "''■ ^"'^"^- """■ *^- *^-A 5^ its:

i229~Liverpool was at this time a village belonging to the DiriHi
of Walton to which indeed it continued attached till the year ?6 n

\t'^L^:f' ^^^^'^^^/^^V '^^^-1 'The burgeiTes now jli^d Ic ktg
ten marks for a charter, which declared their town a free bureh S?

oerties f. [Madoxs Hiji. of the excheq. r. 1 1, « 2 1

r/r^^ '^ '^i^^f'"' ""^ Brunfwick. though fituated in the heart of

mgs vvith England, as appears from a protedion granted to them bv

i23i_01af king of Mann and the Ifles. having been driven from
iHs dominions by Alan lord of Galloway, implored the 'milmr' of h^
nperior lord the king of Norway. He and his Norwegiai and QrLev
tuends. with eighty (hips colleded in Norway, Orknev and the Weft^
.rniflands arrived m the Firth of Clyde, an'd attacked The Tfland of
bite But hearing that Alan had a fleet of one hundred and fiftv
vein^ls lymg at the Ryns of Galloway, they tteered off to the coa ft of
Kentire. and thence went to Mann, and re-eftabli(hed Olaf his k ng

• Tlieir power was formidable at times to tl.e
(.rc.k empire and alnioll every llatc on the coalU
"t ilic Mctlitcnanean. Sec Gilbon, V. xl, t -4-
.,/. 1791.— iV/./, omtthf oiha- armalilh of Genoa?
1 Lnlitid dates tliio diarter in the vcar 1-.27
H'jl. uj Leverpod, {,. <j.] Being da,e,l ;„ ,);.
Imtcenth year of the Icing's reigu, it might be i,.
■e later tiidof 1:28, but could ngt be earlier.

In the eleventh
village or tovm

ol* the fame ki

th<

V«r or t„e lime king's rtign fh.
.,-( , ( y'''^y)°*" Liverpool paid a 1 all.

.ige of eleven niaiks fevcn ih:lli„gs «.,J ei .!,t uc,,.

The flonrillung town of Liverpool may leave t„
d.eaytd comraun.fc* the j „• conlolatiofj of ficti-
lii)U» asuiquity.

^ (^ 2

588

i^D/fiji.

d(&toi,f ' f t7)&or<///*, a contemporary Icelandic writer, tranjlattd by Johnjione.-^
Gbroh. Matimte ap. Camd. Brit. p. 844. — Torfai Orcades, L. ii.] The num-
ber of the Gallowegian fleet, equal to fourth part of that with which
the French in the year I2i6expedted to eftablifh a new king upon the
throne of England, is jM'obably exaggerated by the northern writers,
who, how ver, all agree in celebrating the great naval power of Alan of
GtilloVvay *

.'•'i^55> April 5*^— King Henry licenced Simon of Wiftlegray to carry
in his vefTel, called the Gladyghyne, the pilgrims going from England
towards Jerufalem, S'. James of Compoftella in Spain, or other places
abroad, without hindrance or molcftation. [Pat. 19 Hen. Ill, publijhed
in Purchases Pilgrims, L. viii, />. 1371.] If he really proceeded as far as
Paleftine, he performed a voyage, which, I believe, was much more re-
mote than any that were ufually undertaken by any fingle Englifh vef-
fel in that age; wherein commerce was not fo powerful a ftimuius as
fuperftition in calling forth the energies of the mind or the exertions of
enterprife. ■ ' ? ^

The tenth and eleventh fedions of King John's Magna cbarta, com-
prehending, perhaps, the moft blameable part of that famous deed,
whereby the eftates of minors were exempted during their minority
from paying interefl: for money borrowed by their predeceflbrs, we-e
now revived and fandioned by a public a<ft of the legiflative body af-
fembled at Merton. [Smvtes of Merton, c. 5] We thereby fee that it
was not now reckoned illegal to receive iutereft for money lent : but,
as long as (Ms law remained in force, the unfeir rilk thrown upon the
lender by it muft have kept the rate of intereft much above its natural
level.

The inhabitants of Amfterdam, who were ftill fubjed to the lord
of Amftel, were indulged by the earl of Holland with the liberty of
carrying their goods through the whole " his territory, as a compenfa-
tion for fome injury he had done then ^Sertii Rer. Germ. L. iii, p. 41.]
Such was the humble commencement of the commerce of the illuftrious
city of Amflerdiim.

1236-^Some Fkmifh merchants having been plundered of fifty-two
tuns (' dolia' f ) of wine, and other goods in England, the countefs of

• The naval pre-eminence of the feamen of
Galloway continued after the Bge of tlieir famous
lord, Alan. To tliem Alexander 111, king of
Scotland, committed the maritime charge of an
expedition iniended to chaftlfe a rebeffion of the
people of Maim. £Scofi(hriitt. K ii, /. 109, ed.
Goo<lall.'\ And the Scotti'h warlike, or piratical,
vefTtls (for the terms were iynonymoiis) which
made fome depredations on the fuhjcftj of Eng-
land about the year 1336, [Rot. pat. 21 Htn. Ill,
m 6] were perhaps of their country, and in the
;ervlce of Thomai, the natural fou of Alan, who

was then in rebellion againft the king of Scot-
land.

f The meafure of the dolium having been doubt-
ed or mifunderftood (fee Fleet-wood'i Chron, prec.
p. 115, &C.1 it is proper to obfervc, that it is prov-
ed to be a tun by a letter from King Edward HI
to the king of Spain, wherein a pipe of wine,
which is half a tun, is valued at 30/", the dolium
being ^3. IFadtra, F. v, p. 320. See alfo
y. vii, p. 378, and iht Si jli ofejlrealt, 16 Edw.
Ill in Statutei at largi, V, x, append, p. 33 : and
many more proofs might be adduced, if neccH'ary.J

A. 0. 1236.

Flanders demanded redrefs from King Henry, who thereupon promifed
to pay £\o\ fterling for the wine, and ^107 : 10 : o money of Tours
for the other goods. He at the (lime time promifed redrefe to others
who were wronged in his dominions, and expreffed his defire that the
merchants of Flanders and of England fliould mutually enjoy fe(?MfiCY
in both countries. [Fxdera, V i, pp. 3 x6, 363.] . n7-.v.a,i 'nrfv.

With all this attention profefled to the intereft of merchants, Hetiry,
while he enyi«i their opulence, did not fcruple openly to exprefs his*
contempt of the ruftics of London, who prefumed to call themfelves
barons *. [M. Paris, p. 749.} And even the great legiflative body of
the nation held burgefles of every defcription, and confequently merph-
ants, in fo low a degree of eftimation, that it was enadted in the parlia-
ment held at Maton, that a fuperior lord, who ftw&uld difparage his
ward, being under fourteen years of age, by a marriage with a villein
(pealant) or 3 burgefs, fliould forfeit the wardlhip of the Jianda. {Sta-
tutes of MertoM, c. 6.} ^ ati* to « , nmihi^hi hn.ffn.'^ ..

Hitherto London had been ferved with water from the feveral rivu-
lets flowing through it (which, in the prefent day arc all hid under the
pavement), and from wells. But thefe fupplies being now found inade-
quate to the wants of the inhabitants, the magiftrates purchafed from
Gilbert Sanford, proprietor of Tyburn, the fountains of that burn (or
brook), with liberty to convey the water from the ciilern, into which
they had led it, through his lands in. pipes, aiid occafionaHy to break up
the ground for neccflary repairs. IFadera, V. xi, p, 30.]

The foreign merchants of Amiens, Ncle, and Corbie, contributed
^100 to the expenfe of this improvement. About the fame time they
agreed with the mayor, the principal citizens alio giving their confent,
to pay fifty marks annually to the mayor for the liberty of landing and
ftonng the woad imported by them, inftead of being obliged to fell it
onboard their veflels, as they had hitherto done. The merchants of
Normandy alfo paid a fine to the city for the fame indulgence. [Stow's
Survey of London, p. 130 — Fcedera, V. v. p. 105.] Thefe payments for
an accommodation in the fale of woad fhow that the quantity imported
was confiderable, and confequently, that the manufaidlures, in which it
was ufed, muft have alfo been confiderable. It is proper, however, to
obferve, that woad was more ufed by the dyers, before indigo became
common, than it is now, and alfo, that it is fuperior to indigo for dur-
ability of colour.

1238— The Weftem world was threatened with total extermination
by the Tatars (or Tartars f ), a new, and to the Europeans an unheaid-

• The reader will recoiled, that the citi/.en» of Abulghaii, a dcfcendcnt of Zmffj!, and otl>er On"-
London, or at kail the pre-em.nei,t oiicp. had the eiital authors, i» ufed by Vvo Narboflei.r.s m his
appeUat.on of baroni. bee above, p. 329. letttr to the biihop of Bourdeaux in the year 1 14,.

t latar, tiie true name, as it is written by by Paul Oderborn, a writer ccntctv.porary with

tl.c

390

A. D.'iij8/

of, race ot invaders, more irrefiftible and more fangumary thati the
^aracens of the eigluh century, who had already conquered Ruffia
(which remained fubjed to them till the year i486), and fpread defo-
lation through Poland and Hungary. It is a curious circumftance, that
we are indebted to this inundation of barbarians from the Eail for fortte
important information concerning the herring fifhery. It appears, that
the herrmgs, which are very capricious in their migrations, had defert-
ed the Baltic fea for fome time, which obliged the Frifelanders. who
formerly ufed to go to the Baltic for herrings, and even the people of
Q^othland m Sweden, who uied to have the herring filhery at thei?own
doors, to come to Yarmouth for cargoes of thofe filh. But fo great and
general was the confternation wherewith even the remotefl nations of
Europe were ftruck by the approach of the Tatars, that thofe people
did not come to \armouth this year : and, in confequence of the dif-
appomtraent of their fales, the Yarmouth fifhermen were obUged to
give their herrings at fuch low prices, that they were fold exceedinelv
dieap even in the inland parts of the country *. [M. Parir, p. 471 J.
Playfatr's Chronology, p. 121.] Thus have we undoubted information
ot the exportation of cargoes of herrings from Yarmouth previous to
tins time ; and thofe who aifert, that the art of curing herrings with
alt was not yet difcovered, may, if they pleafe, fuppofe that herrings
were earned freih from Yarmouth to Sweden. ^

The Saracens, who faw themfelves expofed to the firft fury of the
latars. endeavoured to conciliate the favour of the kings of France and
±-ngland, in order to engage them in a confederacy againft the com-
mon enemy : and trederic, the German emperor, wrote to the Chrift-
lan princes to perluade them to combine their forces in order to ward
ott the impending deftrudtion. But the pope, having a quarrel with the
emperor, found means to fruftrate the only rational union of the Eu-
ropean powers t' at ever was projeded ; and the tide of devaftation was
roiled back to liie Eaft by the valour of Germany alone. [M Paris
/'A 471. 557. 560. J •■

In the emperor's letter to the king of England he thus charaderizes
t le vvcltern kingdoms : Germany, raging and ardent for battle ; France
the motlier and nurfe of brave armies ; bold and warlike Spain ; the

the fubjca of Ills work, ill ;■//,( '•f omuls B.tfdiJii,
■.M a few otlit r early EiMopccui writers. Sle alfo
J-.lcn's Purvey vf de TmU/h empirv, /./s. loi, -joj.
JniL muW <jt die wiitere gf llie middle agts," de-
iiKlUcd Willi ihc identity of Tartar and 'J'art.ir-us
(lie htl! of th(« antieiit ral)ul(>ii!rmytli(i!«)f»y, have
I- ■iicurri.nl to .Jlatililir tliij vitiatal luimi. ' Sec in
Jiiirtitiilar M. Vans, pp. j^tf, 957.

• M.nhcw P.ins f„ys, hirrings wtre to Ir liad
t'uB year aliiioll for nothing, and cvui in tlie in-
br.d parts of tlic coimliy/w/v ovjijly ^'lud Isrr'mgi

were foU for one pinny (' iino argcnto'). I fup.
pofe tonr or five luiiidrei' -as the muiihtr intend-
ed by tl- author ; for, 11 in the preftnt day,
the twentieth pan of an ounce of IlKer (the weight
of a penny) would not be thought a bad price for
fifty herrings in fome parts of the country. By
the llatntc of Innings in the year 1357 the hi^h-
e(l price they could be fold for was 40/per lalCat
«hij> higlicll mte there weie 25 for one penny;
and in 1357 the penny did not contain iicai fo
niuth lilvcr as it did at this time.

A. D. 1338,

391

fertile England, ftrong in her foldiers, and iuardcd by her fleets ; imv^l
Denmark ; bloodthirfty Ireland ; lively Wales ; Scotland aboundinj« with
lakes; frozen Norway, &c. [M. Paris, p. 560.]

Such were the characters of the European nations, as drawn' by the
emperor I-redenc, to which it may be proper to add the ftile of livin?
and manners of the Italians of this age, probably the moft polifhed peo-
ple (except perhaps the Greeks) at this lime in Chriftian Europe as
drawn by an author who flourifhed about the end of the thirteenth cen-
tury. Their food was very moderate, or rather fcanty. The common
people had meat only three times in a week : their dinner was not-hcrbs
boiled with meat, their fupper the cold meat left from dinner * The
hufband and wife ate out of the fame dilli ; and they had but one or
two cups in the houfe. They had no candles made of tallow or wax •
but a torch, held by one of the children or a fervant, gave them light
at lupper. Many had no wine in the fummer. Their wine cellars were
Imall, and their barns were not large. The men, whofe chief pride was
in their arms and ho, les. wore caps made with iron fcales, and cloaks
made of leather without any covering, or of woollen cloth without lea-
ther. The women wore jackets of a fluff called pignolate with gowns
ot linen, and their head-dreffes were very fimple. Very few pet.ple
had ai.y gold or filver on their clothes. Thofe who poifeflcd a fmall
ium of money wer^ thought rich ; and the homely drefs of the women
required but fmall marriage portions. The nobles were proud of hving
m towers, and thence the cities were filled with thofe fortified dwell-
'"?*! ^Sf^F"^'"^'^' Fertarievfis Hift. imper. ap. Muratori Script. V. v col
12H.J Ihis portrait, taken from the accounts given by the generation
immediately preceding the author, fliows us that the manufidures and
commerce of Italy had not yet diffufed general wealth, or introduced
comfortable and convenient modes of living (according to the ideas of
the immediately fucceeding age) througlK)ut the country. Indeed the
tondnels for hving in towers is a proof that too much of the feudal
manners ftill prevailed to admit of a generally-fiourifhine trade, or a
generally-prolperous condition of the people. But we alio find, that in
the courfe of fixty or feventy years the general llile of living and the
circumftances of the people were much improved, and that our author
by no means regretted that he was not born in the good old times of his
anceltors.

123 ;— Four plates of filver, weighing fourteen marks (or 1 1 2 ounces)
got out of a mme in the bifiioprick of Durham, were delivered at Wefl-
minfter by Robert de Creppidg to the proper oificer, to be made into

Z^^ ""Tfi ^^''■^"[- ''■'' P- ^75 h.J Acopper mineNl^tS
veins of gold and filver. at Newlands in the adjacent county of Cumber-

392

A. D.

1239.

land (perhaps the fame which was worked by David king oF Scotland
when he was lord of that country) was worked in this reign. [Camdeni
Brit. p. 631.] At>d there were many mines in various parts of the
country, which contained, or were expeded to contain, fome gold or
filver, as appears by grants of the fovereign to feveral individuals. iCa-
lend. rot. pat. in furri, pafim.l But whether they turned out beneficial
to the undertakers, we are not informed.

1 24o~From the luins of the great and antient city of Mecklenburgh
formerly the capital of the kingdom of the Vandals, Gunoelitie. the
lord of the country, built a. new city, caUed Wifmar, on an inle*: of the
Baltic forming an excellent harbour for the largeft veflels, the conve-
nience of which foon attraded a great refort of foreign merchants, by
which, and the fertility of the adjacent foil, the place foon became opu-
lent and refpedable. [Bertii Rer. Germ. L. m, p. 304.3

1 24 1— Pope Innocent IV, who ufed to call England bis inexbauJlibU
fountain of ricbes *, had fome time ago fent Otto as his legate into this
country, who truely aded as if he intended completely to drain the
well. At his departure from Dover he left not behind him, Mathew
Paris fays, as much money in the country as he had extorted from it,
for his mafter and himfclf, during a refidence of feveral years, indefa-
tigably employed in fcraping together money from every quarter, and
upon every pretence. The whole amount of his colledion was probably
unknown ; but two of his aflbciates, who were difpatched into Scotland
in the year 1 240, pillaged that kingdom of three thoufand pounds of
filver. Other blood-fuckers, who were immediately fent to glean what-
ever had efcaped the calons of Otto, fqueezed fifteen thoufand marhs
out of Ireland, and large fums alio out of England and Scotland. While
thofe harpies were making the beft of their way to Rome with their
booty, they were intercepted by fome officers of the emperor of Ger-
many, who, thinking he had as good a right to the plunder of the Brit-
iih kingdoms as the pope, his moft bitter and unrelenting enemy, kept
the trcafure for himfelf. [M. Paris^ pp. 400, 540, 549, 573.]

The aera of the commencement of the Hanseatic association, one
of the moft important objeds in the commercial hiftory of the middle
ages, like the origin of many other great communities, cannot be pre-
cifely afcertained. It feems moft probable that it derived its origin
from an agreement which was entered into in this year, 1241 \, by the

* The pope, who, Mathew Fari« [«. 938] ob-
fcrves, ought to be incapable of deceiving or being
deceived, wis encouraged in his rapacity by Henry
tumfrif, who abfolutely put thofe very words into
Ills mouth, having told him in his letters, that Eng-
land was a fountain of riches, which could never he
iirained. — Certainly it has fluud a vaft deal of drain-
ing in that age, and ever iinct; ; and Hill the fount-

ains of commerce have fupplied a ftreara fully equal
to all the wade.

t This is the date affumed by Lambecius, Stru-
»iui, Pfeffel, 8cc. and furely the German writers,
from local fituation ai well as induftry in rcfearch,
are well qualified for the examination of fuch g
matter] a

A. D, 124/,

393^

Tflerrhants of Hamburgh and Lubeck, to eftablifli a guard for the pro-^
redhon of their merchandize againft pirates and robbers in the inland;
carnage between their cities; [Lambecii Orig. Hamburg. L. ii^ p. a6] a.
precaution very necefTiry in thofe days of rapine, when men of the firft
rank, havmg no ufeful employment or elegant amufement to relieve
rhem from the languor of idlenefs in times of peace, openly profefled-
the trade of robbery * The acceflion of other cities, aid the prudent
meafiires which afterwards rendered the commercial confederacy, fup-
pofed to have fprung out of this alliance of two cities, fo flourilhing
powerful, and famous will be noticed on proper occafions as fully as^
authentic materials will warrant.

Some niines of tin were this year difcovered in Germany, flie pro-
duce of which was fo abundant, that the metal was even impijrted into

,WH+ ' TL^'o^''-'^^ P""" °^ " ^^ '^'' coumry was very much te-
duced f. [M. Farts, />. 570,] ^

i242_Jacomo Theopolo (or Jacopo Tiepolo) duke of Veniee with'
the affiftance_of four noble and learned courfelors, colleded the UwTof
the republrc into a code [A^.t;./// Statutn V,net.\ which is almoft entirery
occupied m regulating the defcent of property, the recovery of debT
and the puniihment of crimes. And, what is furprifing in the laws^f
the hrft commercial people of Europe, they contain no other rZ\l
tions relating to. commerce than fome diredtions refpeding freights
averages, feamenv. wages and the like. There-is, however, one of the
laws [L. III. c. ,8] which deferves notice on account of its contain n^
perhaps the earlieft inftance extant of the language of calculation now
univerfally ufed by merchants, and. indeed, by all other defcriptbnToT^
people. It was cuftomary for purchafers to pay down a depofit w4iich

MarkTnd^rhf ^ '" ^' l"^^'^ V" '^' ^^^^« "^ '^' procurator^ S'
Mark, and the amount of it was fixed at ten per cent (' diefe per cento')
Other nations ufed, long after this time, to ffy one tenth, one twendeth*'
&c. or fo many pennies or Shillings on the pound. But the more iudt
aous and expreffiye mode of calculating at 'fo much per cent. Xch we
have moft probably learned from the Venetians, has almoft univerfaUv
fuj^rfeded the calculation by tenths, twentieths, quarters, &c. ^

Ihe kmg of Prance at the commencement of a wur ordered the per-

Thofe robbers wire too powerful to be con-
trolled by the civil iiiaglllrate, and they even dif-
recaiacd the cxcomnninlcatloii o( the clerRv fSce
Tlui.rtfon', Htjhry of Charles P\ V. \, ^.^gS, ,,/.
171; J, Anilie/ow under ibe year 1*5 J.J ^Va their
j;dng« were iiuineroiia enc.gli to be called arniiej,
Uieir depicdat.ons ailumed tiie character of war-
*arc and victoiiei, and, inllead of being ftiijmatli.
"! l^ ^11? ""d JifgiawfuJ. vvvre often rewarded
with public appUufc, aa. meritorious and honour-
.ihle actions.

Vol. I.

j- M. Pans etrcneoudy adds, that hitherto tin
had never been found any where in the whole
world but in Cornwall. According to an author
of that age, quoted by Camden, IBritannia.p. i ,a.-]
the German mines" were difco»er«d by a Corailh
man, who was banillied trom hia native country .
The Cornifli tin, howt^er, appears to be of a fu.
perior quahty to that o. other conntiie?, as is «c-
kiiowlcgcd by foreigners in cuunieifciting tlie Eng-
li(h ilamus upon their tin. ICampb^U't P^/uZr
y, K I, /.. 41, -— >- -•

J'urvey,

, note k.]

394

A. D. 1 142^

Tons and propelrties of the Engliih merchants found In his dommions t<v
be feized, whereby, lays Mathew Paris, [p. 585] he brought a great dif-
grace upon the antient dignity of France. The confequence was a re-
taliation upon the French merchants in England.

Henry III wrote to the barons of the Cinque ports, and to the good
men of Dunwich, to get ready their (hips, fufficiently manned, for his
lervice. He alfo ordered, that the kind's galley of Bvi&oi, and another
galley of the fame town, and the khfs gallies in Ireland, fhould be fit-
ted out. He at the fame time ordered the mayor and citizens of Dub-
lin, and the good men of Warerford, to fend all their gallies and Ihips.
Similar orders were fent to Bourdeaux for the gallies belonging to that
city. [Foedera, V. i, pp. 406, 407.] This, I believe, is the fecond occa-
fion, after the days of Alfred, on which even a fmall number of veflels
belonging to the king *, or to the public, are mentioned. (See above,
p. 378.)

The mariners of the Cinque ports, making a very bad ufe of the
tommifficn given them by the king to annoy the fubje«as of France,
wherein he warned them againft injuring his own fubjedls, became
mere pirates, and plundered all they met, of whatever nation, not fpar-
ing even their own acquaintances and relations. Nor were fuch atro-
cities confined to the failors of thofe ports. There was a very general
combination of the inhabitants of the city of Wincnefter and the adja-
cent parts of Hampfhire to plunder all whom they could overpower,
whether ftrangers or Englifhmen, fo that even the king's wine paffing
along in his carts could not efcape their depredations. In confequence
of a complaint made by two merchants of Brabant, accompanied by
threats of reprifals upon Englifh merchants in that country, an inquifi-
tion was fet on foot in the year 1 249 : but it was not without having
recourfe to very rigorous ro.eafures that a jury couid be found to con-
demn the guilty, of whom about thirty were hanged, [M. Paris, pp.

589, 760.]

1 243 ^The moft antient fpecimen of paper, fuch as we now ufe,

made of linen rags, is a charter, feven inches long and three inches
broad, preferved in the emperor's library at Vienna, which was written
in the year 1 243, as the date is calculated by Mr. Schwandner, an Auf-
trian nobleman and principal keeper of the imperial library, who has
written an eflay on this curious relique, which, he fays, is at Icaft halt
a century older than any other fpecimen hitherto difcovered j .

* King Henry III had a large (hip called the
Queen, wliich he chartered to John DlancbtiUy for
li^ (Blancbully'a) life in the year 1232 for an an-
nual payment, or rent, of fifty marks. IMudott's
.Ili/l. of the ixiheq. c. 13, $ 1 1.]

f Mr. Meerman, fyiidic of Roterdam,_who with
much (ludy invelligated tlie origin of printing and
i

of linen-rag paper, fixed the commencement of the
manufafliire of the later between the years 1270
and 1302 : and in the year 1762 he offered a pre-
mium to any one who mould produce the earliell
public jnftrum?nt, written on paper made of linen
rag»,— Mr. North [//rc/xfo/ofM, V. x] mentions a
letter, written by the king of Spain to Edward I,

king

A. D. 1244.

395

r244— King Henry, whofe profufion involved him in perpetual pe-
cimiary diftrefles, and compelled him to opprcfs his fubjeas, did not
fail to fqueeze the Jews very frequently. He now extorted from them
the enormous fum of fixty thoufand marks. Individual Jews were often
fined in :arge fums, 2,000 marks, 3,000 marks, &c. For a fine of ten
marks (80 ounces) of gold he gave a promife to a Jew, that he fhould
not be tallaged at more than /"too a^year for the four enfuing years
Another Jew compounded with the king to pay 1 00 marks a-y ear to
be exempted from tallages. If we confider the r^al value of money in
thofe days, we muft be aftonilhed at the wealth of thofe men who
could pay fuch fums, and ftill have fomething left : for we muft fup-
pofe th" ■ ihe king did not pull off the fkin along with the fleece, but
left it to produce another fleece, to be again fliorn when fufficientiy
grown. The method ufed to fpur on the payments was to imprifon
their wives and children till the money was paid. fMa^ox's HiA. of the
excheq. f. 7.] j j "^

1 245--Among the articles of a rigorous inquifition into trefpafl*eS
committed on the king's forefts, whereby many were ruined the fol-
lowing IS the fourteenth. • Let inquiry alfo be made concerning fea
coal (' carbone maris') found in the foreft, and who have received
payment for ditches led from the coal, and for the ufe of the roads
' C cheminagium').' [M. Paris, Addit. p. 155.] This, being one of a
let of inquiries previoufly drawn up for the ufe of the inquifitors, and
.ipphcable to all the roya! forefts, does not prove that coal was adluallv
found in any one of them. But the application of the ierm fea coal
apparentbr as an eftablilhed name, to fofllle coal, which might be found
in a toreft, affords a clear proof, and the carlieft authentic one known
to be extant that coals had before now been brought to London bv
ea, and probably from Newcaftle *. A^nd accordingly we find, that a
Jane in th;: fuburbs of London on the outlide of Newgate was known
by the name ot Sea-coal lan« f, at leaft as earlv as the year 1 2 «; i \Av
loffe's Calendar^ p. \\.-\ " ^ od- v-^}

Thus we are afllired, that the Englifh, though providentially difan-
pomted m their hopes of finding very produdtive mines of gold and fil-
ver, the nurfes of national lethargy and oftentatious poverty, had begun
now, and perhaps long before, to work the infinitely more valuable
mines ot coal, the pofleflion of which, together with the knowlege of

king of England, in the year 1272, upon paper,
which he Taw in the Tower : but lie does not tell
us, wiiether the paper was made of cotton or of
linen ragi.

For the communication of, perhaps, the only-
copy in this kingdom of Mr. Schwandnrr's c/rav,
1 am indebted to the polite attention of Mr. Ay'f-
coiigh, librarian for the printed books in the IJrtt.
afli Mufeum.

• It has been afTerted, that the inhabitants of
Newcaftle had obtHined a charter for working coal
mines in the reign of Kmg John, but apparently
Without fuflicicnt authority. See below under the
year 1350.

t Stow fays, it was called Sea-coal lane, and
alfo Limc-burners lane, becaufc lime ufed to be
burnt there with fea coal.

3Da

'aaKw.t'

39^

A. D. 1245.

the many important manutadures dependent upon them, have in kiter
•times raifed the natives of Great Britain to the rank of the firft manu-
facturing nation in the world, and given them a fufficient command of
the mines of gold and filver, virrought by the flaves of thofe who pride
themfelves on being lords of the moft copious mines of the pretious
metals, by which induftry and entcrprife have been baniihed from
among themfelves, while they have been animated by them afmong
thole nations who are under the happy neceflity of giving valuable
commodities in exchange for them *.

In the council of Lyons the pope prohibited all Chriftians from fend-
ing their {hips for four years to any of the eaftern countries occupied
by the Saracens, that there might be abundance of fliipping to trant^
port the warriors of the crofs to the Holy land. [Annaks Burton, p. 301 ,
ed. Gale.'\ Thus did papal politics and fuperftitious frenzy trample un-
.der foot the interefts of commerce, and the reafoning powers of the hu-
man mind.

King Henry proclaimed a fair to be held at Weflminfter, and he or-
dered that all the traders of London fhould fhut up their (hops, and car-
ry their goods to be fold at his fair, and that all other fairs throughout
England fhould be fufpended during the fifteen days appointed for the
duration of it. The weather happened to be remarkably bad. The
tents, made of cloth, affording no fheher, the goods were fpoiled by the
i-ain ; and the citizens, inftead of fitting down to a comfortable meal
furrOunded by their families, were obliged to eat their viiSluals in thofe
uncomfortable tabernacles with their feet in the mud. [Af. Paris,

1 248 — ^The fterling money of England had for fome time been fo
fhamefully defaced by clipping, that fcarcely any of the letters of the
infcription were left : and the criminals were found to be moftly the
Jews, the Caurfini, and fome of the Flemifh wool-merclwnts. Some
.of the king's council advifed, that the quality of the filver (hould be
fomewhat debafed in imitation of the money of France, that there
might be lefs temptation to clipping : but fortunately that very erro-
neous advice was not followed : and proclamation was now made that
all the defaced money (hould be brought in to the king's exchanges,
and there exchanged for new money, weight for weight. But the peo-
ple compLiined, that they fuflfered more by bringing in their money to
the exchange offices, which were eftabliflied in but few cities, than it
they had been obliged to pay twenty Ihillings a quarter for wheat ; for
what with their traveling expenfcs and lofs of time, and a dedudion of
thirteen pennies from every pound for coinage, whereupon the king

• Sec the opinion of Mr. Fauj.is S". Fond, an iiitellijrent foreigner, on tlie powerful fupcrlority \n
iiianufadiircs arifing from the pofteflion of coal mines. [TravsU in England end S:tt!and, F. \i, p. 339.
Engl. Iran/1.2

A. D. 1248. 2^7

had a large profit, they found that they had fcarcely twenty fhillings of

ed'fZ r^'L" r^^J^^r^^^^y of the old. The new^coln dfffer-
ed from the old only in havmg the crofs upon the reverfe carried out

boMer ^of 1^Ti7k T ^' T'''' "'^ ^^ '^^ ^°'"''' o°«' ^^d having a
mPaHs ^t^'l """ 0^' T'^l^^y °^ *^^ ^"'■f^^^ "f the reverfe.

^.olri' ?]ll^%%^°''7/^ ^"g^^^ merchants, called /*. JBr./A.r-
W^hfdrk:7/Btbtf*''"'"'"^' " ^'^^ time obtained privileges
.j^^i^'^^n^^u'" ^^'^'^'S of France, made an attempt to expell the dif-
fir?, ? A ^l^'^'^n ^'■°"' ^eyP^ ' ^"'^ ^^ «'^"ally took Dat^eta a city
HvaTrn Al ^^%^^^^.^" T^'^A^-"^ '^' ^"^' ^hich was then reckoned I
T.^ Au T^'r'"'' '" *^^ °"""*^^ trade f. His fleet, which was con-
ronfft 5^ 'J"' ^T"'? °^ P""^' ^^"°''^' Flanders. Poidou. and pTovence
for dfomundT ^"f/'^ ^?^ twenty of the great veflels'called dromons
in an of ^ni^ft /ff '' f "'f "T^ °^^''' ^"^'^"^^ ^^^^'^' to the number.

than that of Rf.hrH^i '""' ? v ' ^'^^ ^"^^^^ '^"^^ ^°^' ^"^^^ous
than that of Richard kmg of England in the preceding century. [M
Pans, p. ']^y,AddU. pp. 166, 169.J ^ ^ '■

One of the great fhips of the French fleet (Mathew Paris calls her ' a
^wonderfuHhip') was built at Invernefs, near the northern extremity
of Scotland, for the earl of S'. Paul and Blois. [M. PaHs 7 77 1

fo^a'ftfrif.c";''^"'""^""^^^ ""^^'^l^ ^^^ carplnters o/lnVr'n f
toraihip. IS a cunous nrcumftance. which feems to infer, that they

had acquired luch a degree of reputation in their profefli^n a^ to be

celebrated even in foreign countries. We fliall foon fee reafon to be-

* So fays Whetkr, who was fccretary- to the
<.airv^uy o{ merchant tulvfnluren m the year 1601,
■' %^e ^.'''" they afterwards laid afide the
name ot bt. 1 homas, and took that of merchant
adventurers. (Tr.alifi of commerce, p. ,c, Loml.
r..J Uiit, as he produces no authority for his af-
Urtions, and is an advocate ratlicr than an hiftor-
|an, 11 may be doubted, whether the ftory has rot
been mveiited in order to outdo the lival company
ol the merchants of the ftaple in their pretCMlIons
10 antiquity. '^

Jfl,tt'^^'i^Tu' r^'*7' ^ ^'■''"■'' ^u'l'or who flour-
■iflKd a lutle before the reign of Louis IX, ia hi,

account of th. Oriental region,, fays, that vefFels
from Damicta fupphed Syria, Armenia, Greece,
and Cyprus, with Indian goods, and that the tran-
lit oJ thofe goods through Egypt yielded a creat
revenue to the fultan. He dcfcribe, Alexandria
and the light-houfe at the port, but fays noihinff
of ilie commerce or (hipping of it. ^ap. Bo«garJi
Oejla IM V. I, p. 1 ,28.] Soon after the libera-
tion ot Louis, who was made prifoner in Eevpt.
Alcxandna was deRroyed by the Cyprians,^ and
rcitored Sy tlie fultan, but very much inferior to
Its former magnificence. [Leo ^/rle. p. 675, ecf.

J * J

39«

A. D. 1249.

iieve that the commerce of Scotland was much moTC ftourifhing at this
time than in the calamitous ages, which fucceeded the death of Alex-
ander III : and it is very certain, that Invernefs, fituated near the
mouths of fcveral confiderable ri-vcrs, which raai through vaft forefts of
excellent oak and fir, muft have been a very convenient port for build-
ing veflels *.

Frederic, emperor of Germany, a prince whofe native powers of mind
raifed him above the barbarifm of the age in which he lived, though he
was plunged by papal authority into the madnefs of a crufade, faw the
abfurdity of facrificing the blood and treafure of his fubjedts to the in-
ordinate ambition of the fee of Rome ; and, having recovered Jerufalem,
Tyre, Sidon, and a confiderable part of Paleftine, in the year 1229, he
wifely accepted the beneficial friendfli p of the princes of the Eaft. In
confequence of that rational ar.d advantageous connexion, his merch-
ants and factors traveled, by land and water, as far as India f : and in
the laft year of his life (a". 1250) twelve camels came to him loaded
with gold and filver, the produce of his trade in the Oriental regions.
It was from his wealth, thus acquired, that he was enabled to make pre-
fents of large quantities of filk and other pretious articles to Henry III
and his brother Richard earl of Cornwall, and to bequeath by his will
lOO/DOO ounces of gold to the fervice of the Holy land (for he ftill had,
or thought himfelf obliged to profefs, a goodwill to the caufe), and
20,000 r jnces to his younger fon and grandfon, befides what he left in
fmaller legacies. [M. Paris, pp. 356, 431, 812.]

The emperor Frederic poflefled a celeftial globe, which reprefented
the motions of the planets ; and to him we are indebted for the firfl:
Latin tranflations of fome of the mod efteemed authors of antiquity,
and particularly of Ptolemy, which, in an age wherein very few could
read Greek, rendered the fludy of geography common, if compared to
the alinoft«total extinction of it for fome centuries bypaft. [MoHtucla
Hijl. des mathem. V. i, p. 418.] This enlightened emperor and merchar^
was literally perfecuted to death (fome fay adually poifoned) by that
infernal monfier of rapacity and ufurpation, Innocent IV.

1 25 1 — Among the commercial dates of Italy the Tufcans were now
diftinguifhed as the moft eminent. The merchants of Florence, the
metropohs, though it is an inland city, had eflablifhed commercial

* Invernefs appears to have furniflied vefTcls to
f'lieigners in the feventeenth, as well as in the thir-
teenth, centui-y. A lar^e fliip was built there for
the fervice of Venice, as appears by the Philifo-
pkical tranfoSi'jns, V. xxi, p. 230. The writer
docs not give llie year : but the paper is dated in
1699 ; and it appears that Invernefs was in a
flouriftling condition during the feventeenth cen-
tury, and alfo that the Scots and Venetians were
then on fritndly letms. [_Sla!i/lifal tKdunl ofSeol-

land, F. ix. p. 615. — Fletcher't viorls, p. 103, ed.
1749.] It may be obferved, that tiie harbour of
Invernefs does not admit what is now called a ^reat
/liip ; but all things are great or fmall by compaii-
fun.

f I would not be pofitive, that the wefterii
writers may not have given the name of India, a
name vaguely applied to the remote regions of^the
Ead, to fome Country icfs dilUnt tUau iiiuUuu*
llan>

A. D. 125 1,

399

houfes ia other parts of Italy, and even in foreign countries, and there*
by acquired great wealth. Many of them, having accumulated larger
capitals by their trade than could conveniently be employed in it, had
become dealers in money by exchange, and by borrowing and lending
upon mtereft * : and, by means of their partners, agents, or correfpond-
ents, m various parts of Europe, they appear to have got the bufinefs
of remittance by bills of exchange ia a great meafure into their own
hands. Their extenlive and profperous dealings enabled them to build
magnificent houfes or palaces, whereby Florence was fo much embel-
hfhed, that it was reckoned the moft fplendid of the Italian cities : and
it alfo became fo powerful, that the neighbouring cities and ftates came
m procefs of time to be fubjed to it.

The merchants of the other cities of Italy foon followed the Floren-
tines in their pradtice of dealing in money as well as merchandize. They
extended their concerns, and eftabliflied houfes in France and alfo in
England, though King Henry forbad his fubjeCls to borrow from any
foreign merchants. [Rot. pat. 29 Hen. Ill, m 6.] In the beginning of
the thirteenth century the citizens of Afli, an inland city of Piedmont,
had acquired great wealth in France and other countries, chiefly by
their dealings in money, and they foon became the moft opulent of the
Lombard merchants. The fame bufinefs being alfo followed by the
citizens of Milan. Placentia f. Sienna, Luca. and the other cities in the
north part of Italy, it became ufual in France and in Britain to give the
appellation of Lombard % and Tufcan merchants to all who were engaged
in money tranfadions. Thofe Italian merchants, difperfed throughout
Europe, became very convenient agents for the popes, who employed
them to receive and remit the large revenues they drew from every
country which acknowleged their ecclefiaftical fupremacy. It feems
probable that they alfo employed them to lend their money upon in-
tereft, whence they are called by Mathew Paris [pp. 419, 823, &c.] the
pope's merchants : and fome of the nobles of England, following the
pope's example, availed themfelves of their agency ' in fowing their
' money to make it multiply,' as Mathew Paris exprefTes it.

In England the foreigners, who made a trade of lending money, ap-
pear to have been known about this time by the name oi Caurfmi ; and

• Muratori \_Anl\q. V. i", diff. i6J fayi, they
abandoned trade fur the fake of the greater emolu-
tnents ariling from lending money. But, witli fiib-
mfffion to the erudition and judgement of that mgll
nfpcCtable writer, it is abfohitely impoflible in the
iiatnre of things, that intercll can ever be as high
s? the profits of trade, out of tuhkh the interell of
borrowed money muft be paid.

f See above, p. 367, a fum of money advanced
to King Pichard 1 by mcrcliants of Placentia.

t At 'raft at early a? the year i;?i8 Lombard
ftrctt in London had its prcfent naiiici [iVaw'r Sur-

yy^P^ ilf^l which, nobody doubts, i» derived from
its being the refidence of Lombard merchants or
bankers, as it is Hill the chief refidence of the
bankers of London, there ht'xng ftventetn houfes,
or partnerfliips, of them (about a quarter of the
whole) in that one llreet, and a great proportlou
of the reft in the adjacent ftreets. But there feeni«
to be fcarcely any of the pofterity of the original
Lombard, or Italian, bankers now remaining, if
we may judge by the nsmej of the prcfent part-
iierfhips.

400

A. D.

1251.

they are accuff^d of taking moft unmerciful advantages of the neceffities
of thole who were obliged to apply to them for the loan of money *.
In the year 1235, when the king and moft of the prelates of England
were indebted to them, the bifhop of London made an attempt to drive
them out of the city : but the pope fupported his own merchants (fo
they are called) againft the biftop, who, thinking himfelf ill ufed by
the fucceflbr of S'. Peter, recommended his caufe to S', Paul, his own
patron. But he, having faid that the labourer is worthy of his reward,
ought, in confiftency, alio to decide againft him, as money, the price ot
labour, is equally worthy of a compenfation for the ufe ok'tt.

At length in the year 1251 the Caurfmi were accufed before the
judges, by an agent for the king, of fchif'o, herefy, and treafon. Some
of them were imprifoned, and others concealed themfelves. One of
them told Mathcw Paris the hiftorian, that, if they had not purchafed'
fumptuous houfes in London, fcarcely one of them would have remain-
ed in England f . The neceflliry confequence of the clamour and per-
ixuiion railed againft thofe who took intereft for the ufe of money,
was that they were obliged to charge it much higher than the natural-
price, which, if it had been let alone, would have found its proper le-
vel, in order to compenfate for the opprobrium, and frequently the
plunder, which they I'uffered : and thence the ulual rate of intereft was
what we ihould now call moft exorbitant and fcandalous ufury :J!.

The marriage of Alexander III, king of Scotland, tOi Margaret, the
daughter of Henry III king of England, both infants of ten years of
age, occafioned a difplay of magnificence, which feems to have exceed-
ed any thing ever feen in England before. Befides the kings of Eng-
land and Scotland with their retinues, the queen dowager of Scotland,
who refided in France, joined the company with a fplendid train of the
nobles of that country. Notvvithftanding the rapine of the popes and the
folly of the crufades, the nobles of England could afford to make a molt

with the money-lenders called Caurfini, He even
endeavour! to dear his native country, Italy, (lilt
further from the reproach, attending their opprefT.
ive ufury, by fixing tliem at the city of Cahors in
France, the general rcndezvoui, aa he fays, of
thofe traders, whether French or Italiaiiii, wlienc*
they were called Caorfini, Caturcini, Sec. Fur this
he ijuutes Denevenuto of Imcila who wrote in the
year 1380, and Dii Cangc the kainij French
gluflarilt. Perhaps it may alfo be confidercd as a
mark of the fiiperior fcieiice of the people of that
place in money matters, that John oi Cahors (< de
Catiirco') was employed in the buCnefs of coining
by £dwatd I. [MaJox't Hi/l. of the txcheq. c, 2i,
§ 4.] Ft would throw cuofidcrublc 1' lit on the
difpute, if we could certainly know, which Cdc of
the Alps Malhew Paris [(>. KzzJ calls Tranfalphe,
On othei occafions he clearly applita that ttrin to
the Italians. 1

• Doflor Henry, generally a careful and accur-
ate writer, fcennii to be miflaken in faying [K viii,
/. 335, td. 1788] that thfy took^/fc/jf per cent.
The condition in ttic obligation exemplified by
Mathew Paris, [/i. 418] wliich ftcms to have mif-
led him, was apparently the common form, (fee
■Fadfra, V. i, p. 643, for fucli another) and fimi-
lar to the modern prafiice of making bunds for
double the debt, in order to cover the damages
unci expenfcs.

\ Some of them foon after obtained a bull from
the pope, defiring the king t<} tieal them favour-
ably. [^FaJera, V. i, /. 4.67.]

\ The faiis in this account of the trade in mo-
ney are taken from M. Paris [pp. 417-419, 822]
and Miiratori. j_./l/uliq. V, i, Jijf. 16.] Muratori
Krenuoufly denies, lliat the Corfini, a noble family
of Florence, who, like the other nobles of that
iUte, were engaged in trade, had any connexion

A. D. 135 1. 401

extravagant difplay of magnificence. On the marriage day (December
26'^) a thoufand Englifh knights appeared m cointi/Jofd*. and^ex
day every one of them was dreffed in a new robe of another kind. The
bcottifh part or the company were not fo iumptuouHy adorned ; for we
are only told, that above f.xty knights, and many otheVs equal to knighTs
were handlomely dreflcd. But the hiftorian declines fpeci?ying the S
eft ".cefles of profufion on that occafion, becaufe. he fayrfhey would

archbifhop of York had the very eipenfive honour of being landlord to
a 1 this jolly company alTembled from England. Scotland, ^and See
at his metropoUtan fee. In an entertainment he expended fixty ftS
oxen for one article of th.^ feaft : and his total expenfcs in JterS
ments and prefents of gold, filver, and filks, to hiTguefts during thdr
ftay. amour. ed to the prodigious fum of four thoufand marks. [M Pa.
ns, pp. 829, 830,^ •■

i252_.The*pou .1' Winchelfea, which was very ufeful to the merch-
ants of .xndon, was much damaged by a dreadful ftorm, and an ex-
traordinary inundation of the fea. \M. Paris, A 831.]

♦ The citizens of London, who, by the tenor of their charters and bv
. *«"^^tcuftoms ought to be of the very frecft condition, were com-

pelled by King Henrys imperious requifuions to give him twenty
^ marks of gold, as if they were the moft abjed flaves, fo that theiV-

lituation feemed nearly as bad as that of the miferable Jews.' This
lum, which was but a drop in the ocean of treafure he extorted from
the aty t (though 160 ounces of gold could not be called a trifle) is no-
ticed, as It was the immediate prelude to the repetition, at leaft the
thu-dtiHie, of an arbitrary proclamation, ordering the citizens to ihut
up their fhops for fifteen days, and bring their goods to his fair at Weft-
minfter, where he compelled them to expofe their perfons and property,
though there were fcarcely any buyers, to the inclemency of the weather
which happened to be exceedingly rainy. But the king, fays the hif-'
^orian, did not mmd the imprecations of the people. [M. Paris, p.

At this time died John of Bafmgftokes, who in his youth had ftudied
at Athens t ftiU the fchool of the languiftiing fcience of Greece. He.

* Such a difplay of fllk (hows that there was no
fcarcity of it in England. We are told, \^Ann.
Wavtrl. p. J03] that in the year 1241 the ttreets
of London were corercd, or (haded, with (ilk, for
the reception of Richard, the king'» brother, on
Ins return from the Holy land ; but that might be
laid, if only a few filk awnings were put up. Long
after this time, fo late w the year 1367, it was
thought worthjr of being recorded, at an inftance
of great magnil^cence, tliat a thoufand citizens of
the opulent commercial city of Genoa were cloth-
ed in (ilk : and it has Leen often repeated, while

Vol. I.

an equal difplay of filken pomp in the remoter and
lefs commercial country of England, and at leaft
equally well atteftcd, Iuh been httle noticed.

t For other indances of much larger fums
fqueczed out of the city, fee Mathcw Paris, pp.
336, 600, 693, 758, 863, got, 902, 929.

X He told Mathew Paris, tlut he learned what-
ever he knew, that was moft valuable in fcience,
from Conftantlna, a learned virgin under twenty
years of age, the daughter of the archbilhop of
Athcni. *^

.3E

401

A. D. 1252.

brought to England the ' numeral figures of the Greeks, and the know-
' lege and iignifications of them, which he communicated to his friends.

* By thefe figures letters alfo are reprefented, and, what is mod wonder-

• fill in them, any number may be exprefled by a fingle figure, which
' cannot be done with the Latin numeruls or the Algorifm.' The figures,
as defcribed by Mathew Paris, confift of a perpendicular ftroke with a
(horter ftroke branching off from its fide, which by the variation of its
pofition and angles reprefents the nine fimple numbers, thofe with the
branch extended to the left being units, and thofe having it on the right
being the fame numbers in the column of tens, to fpeak in the language
of our ufual numeration : for example ^ is five, \- fii'ty, and + fifty-five.
[M. Paris, p. 835, am var. Ie6i.'\ How the higher numbers were writ-
ten, we are not informed. Thefe numerals, if there is no error in call-
ing them Grecian, for fome of them are much more like the letters of
the Runic alphabet, are totally different from thofe of the antient
Greeks, who, a6 well as the Romans, exprefled all numbers by their
letters*. If they were- an effort of Grecian pride to emulate, without
imitating, the Oriental numeral figures, they feem to have foon yielded
to their fuperior utility, and funk into oblivion.

At the fame time flourilhed John de Sacro bofco, another Britifli au-
thor, who wrote a book upon mt fphere, which has been efteemed ckff-
ical, and has had feveral commentators and many editions, and alfo
treatifes upon the aftfolabie and algorithm f, which are ftill in manu-
fcript in the Bndleian library at Oxford. He died at Paris in tlie year
12156. [JL<f/<7 Script* Brit.p, 353. — Montuch, Hifi. de matbtm. VA, p.
417.— Mflfi^i 'e*s Livej, V.i, p. 168. J

About the ihme time, or perhaps fomewhat earlier, lived Daniel
Morley, who, after ftudying at Oxford and Paris, went to Toledo for
the fake of leartiing mathematics from the Arabs or Moors, then the
poffefliors of that part of Sppin. After his return to Enghmd he is faid
to have written two books on the lower and upper worlds ; but wliether
he added to the ftock of fcience in England, we are not informed. [Le-
land de Script. Brit. p. 244.]

jr253 — Some appearances of manufactures of linen in both the Britilh
kingdoms have already been noticed. But it is probable, that they were

• And tlifv Uave at little refcmblance to tlie
now-obfolete Orietrtal figures fK,^, A, now writ-
ton 4, 5, 7, as they have ti> tiie modern figures.
The am'eiit figures may be fcen in many manu-
{'cTipt!, particularly in Clenp. B vi and ix in tke
Cotton library.— it i( furpriliog tlial Leland, in
his account of DaiingUokcs, {^Script. Bril. p. 26C']
cxtrafted from that of Muthew Paris, has entire-
ly neglected this moil curious and important part
of it, as unworthy of notice. And it is lliJI more
i'lrpriling that it is alfo imnoliced by moft of the

modern writers, who have invelligated the origin
of numeral figures.

t Al^nrithm, or itlgnrifm, called alfo aii^r'm by
Chaucer in his Conclujions of ihe a/!n/a.''ie, ajjpcars
tohavebeen,a kind of arithmetic, which i» vari-
oully defcribed by modern authors, Mariamis
Scotuj, who flourilhed in tlie eleventh century, is
faid to have writtf u a treatil'e upon it ; and there
are many manufeript works upon II, befides tlut
of John de Sacro hofco mentioned in the text, one
particularly in the volume of the Cotton library,
Cleop. B, vi, mentioned in the pieceding outc.

A. D. 1253. 403.

raoftly confined to the coarfe fabrics, and that the quantity was trifling
the fupply of the greateft quantity, and eipecially of the bed fabrics'
being procured from Flanders, where the Unen manufaaure was carried
to perfedion with native materials of the beft quality. It appears, how-
everv that fome finer linens were made in England at, or before, this
time, efpecially m Wilt-{hire and Suflex, and we find ordersifent by the
kmg to the (hirrefi of thofe two {hires, dire^ing each of them to pur-
chafe 1,000 ells of fine linen (' hneae tdae pulchrae et delicate') in his
ihire for the royal wardrobe. [Madox's Hiji. of the excbeq. i?> > i o, § 1 2 .1
Many other mftances of linen bought for the king occur in the records ;
but we are ignorant whether it is foreign or home-made.

The manufadure of hnen muft have alfo been pretty, generally efta-
bhfhed in Wales at this time, as we find foon after (in 1314) that the
mai of that country were moftly clothed in linen. iBarbtr's Uft of
Robert Bruce, / 276. ed. 1758.] „,, .t.dKdaii. ...u.T^-id,

King Henry having ordered all the veffels in England, foreign as wcU
as Enghfti, to be feized for his ufe in aa expedition againft the mal-
content barons of Gafcoigne, the number of them was found to be
above a thoufand, whereof three hundred were diftinguiflied as larce
ihips. [M. Paris, p, 868.] ^

iiii354-— The people of Yarmouth fitted out a large and beautiful fhip
ittanned with thirty ikilful feamen, to-tarry Edward prince of England
over to the continent. Thofc of Winchelfea had alfo fitted out fome
Ihips to carry over the queen ; but none of dieir velTels being comparable
for beauty or magnitude to that of Yarmouth, they were fo enraged at
her fuperiority, that, according to the fierce and lawlsfs manners of the
age, they attacked her, and killed fome of her men, for wliich grofs
outrage they had no provocation but mere envy ♦. \M. Paris, p. 889.]

King Henry expended in his fruklefs expedition to Gafcoigne above
two millions feven hundred thoufand pounds of filver, more money,
lays the hiftorian, thau any prudent man would give for the two pro-'
vinces of Gafcoigne and Poidou : and at the fame time he gave thirty
thouland marks, befides landed eftates, to his foreign uterine brothers
Thefe fums, though reported by a very refpeaabie hiftprian, Jfeem fi»rce-
ly credible. [M. Paris, p. 890.] uy^u.ni m-A vb,,.,, ,,,,( ,,,,.i...n! .

About the beginning of this year fome large and elegant fhips, well
found in naval ftores, arms, and provlfious, and alfo carrying arms fuf-
ficicnt for an army, were driven by ftrefs of weather upon the Enelilh
coaft near Berwick, and feized by the wardens of the iroaft. ' The fight
of lomc other flrangc flaps induced the wardens to let them go in peace
left they fliould be found more cruel than tempefts, and left tlj^q. q|i{ir};ei

• Hoftilit;^Bbttw«nYarnwuth and the Cinque with repested proof, ,:f the baxUrtfra of tt.c
port., 0 which W.,..hclf« wa, on. were i'rc people tnd Uie ineffidcncy of goverament i.rtho«
qucot : i>ut a IS not nccefliity to ilalo thcfe page* ages. «"«'"'»"" iHO'e

3E2

404

A. D.

1254.

. of the ftrangers ftjould be revenged by their fuppofed conforts. As none
of the people of that part of the country underftood the language of
the foreigners, we have no means of even guefling at the country to
which thofe {hips belonged. [M. Paris, p. 882.]

1254 — The people of all ranks in Flanders, from the prince to the
meaneft peafant, were enriched by their manufadtures. Their earl
Ferdinand was fo opulent, that when John king of England and his al-
lies were planning the conqueft and partition of France, it was agreed,
that the title of king of France fliould be given to the earl of Flanders,
becaufe he had contributed the greateft proportion of men, and fup-
ported the whole army with his Flemifh gold. [P. JEmyl. p. \ 96.] But
the profperity of Flanders now foffered a fevere check from a war,
which was kindled up on the continent by the rival fons of the countefs
Margaret, who is faid by fome authors to have had two hufbands at once,
like another Helen, wherein prodigious numbers of French, Germans,
and Flemings, were flain, abo\'e 30,000 Flemings having fallen in one
battle at Walcheren. So great a flaughter of the makers and confumers
of woollen cloth produced a ftagnation of the manufadhire, the confe-
quence of which was fevefely fek in England, efpecially by the Cifter-
cian monks, apparently the greateft breeders of ftieep in the kingdom,
being encouraged thereto by the exemption from duties, clainred by
their order, [See Hemingfard, L. ii, c. fi, — W. Newhrig. L. iv, c. 38] who
were this year difappointed of their ufual fales of wool to tiie Flemings.
\M. Paris, p. 886. — Meyeri Ann. Fland.f. 'j'j a, ed. 1561.] Some heavy
duties laid upon the commerce of Flanders were probably alfo a con-
fequence of the war : but thefe the countefs lightened upon the re-
monftrance of the citizens of Hamburgh. [Lambecii Orig. Hamb. L. ii,

c. 37-]

1255 — ^The feeble government of the emperor William brought the
imperial authority into contempt. The laws were ncgleded : public
tranquillity was deftroyed : the nobles of the imperial dcmefne and the
duchy of Swabia infeftcd the highways with robbery and murder, and
defolated the country. In vain did feveral of th(; moft powerful princes
attempt to fupprefs their atrocities, till the archbifhops of Mentz, Triers,
and Cologne, together with the princes of the Rhine, entered into a con-
federacy with above fixty cities, fituated on both fides of the Rhine from
Zurich to Cologne, on purpofe to carry on a peq^etual war againft the
difturbers of the public tranquillity, and to al>olini the unjuft local tolls,
recently eftabliflied all-over the country. The confederacy under the
name of the League of the Rhine, was fandioned by the approbation of
the emperor William, and confirmed in a general aflembly of the allies
held at Oppenheim : and they afterwards determined to hold an aflembly
once in every three months in order to deliberate on the interefts of the
league. The country foon experienced the good effects of this aflbcia-

A. D. I

^55-

405

tion : a count was hanged for violating the public peace, and the nobles
defifted from robbing on the highways. The cities of Lubeck and
Hamburgh, already confederated for the proteftion of their commerce,
do not feem to have had any connedion with this aflbciation, which did
not extend beyond the neighbourhood of the Rhine. But a coalition
afterwards took place ; and the union of other fmall confederacies and
fingle towns feems to have afterwards produced the powerful aflbciation
of the Ifnfifi which does not appear from any good authority to have
exifted at this time •. [Pfefel, Abrege de Vhift. i'Allemagne, pp. ^64, 280
td. ijS^.^Strtmi Corpus bijt. Qerm. V. i, p. 596.] ff :, '^^ 6 .

Though the excellent accommodation of remitting money by bills of
exchange was probably known long before this time in Italy and all other
countries m which there was any commerce, there is not, I believe any
exprefs mention of them (fo little attention did hiftorians pay to mat-
ters of real utility and importance), till a very extraordinary and infam-
ous occafion connefted them with the political events of the age The
pope, having a quarrel with Manfred king of Sicily, had, in the pleni-
tude of his power as fovereign of the world, offered the kingdom of
Sicily and Apuha, on condition of driving Manfred out of it to the
brothers of the king of Trance, and, after their refufal, to Richard earl
of Cornwall, brother of King H«nry III, who faid, he might as wdll
offer to make him king of the moon. At laft he offered it to Henry
tor his fecond fon Edmund, who without hefitation accepted the fatal
gift, and empowered the pope to carry on his war againft Manfred at
the expence of England ; whereupon he immediately took up large
fums from the merchants of Italy. When they aflced him for payment
he applied for the money to Henry, whofe conftant profufion made him
for ever poor. While Henry was in terror of lofmg his fon's vifionary
kingdom for want of money to feed the pope's rapacity, Peter de Ege-
blanke, bifliop of Hereford, told him, that he had hit upon an expe-
dient to raile the fums wanted, which was, that the Italian merchants,

the year 1579, when the Htiife merchanw wt.ti
moving heaven ami earth in order to preferve their
privilege* in England, we find, in their addreflcs
to the emperor and prince« of Germany and to
Queen Elizabeth, no pretenfions to any chatter*
earlier than one faid to be given by King EJ-
wsrd 1 ; and that appear*, from tke account they
give of it, to be the general charter given to all
foreign merchant! in the ycai 1103; and they fteni
to have had no kuowlege ot Edward's charter of
1280, which was a confirmation of his father's
one of ia59 ^^ t>-'( merchant, of the Ttulonic gild-
hall, the name of Hiwfe being apparently not ufed
fa early. IP.iptrt cmcerning the Hanfe merchanli,
MS.Bil. Cou. Veff. F viii,/ ,49 a, IJ7 a.] AU
tlie charters, here mentioned, will be noted in their
p:oper placet in this work.

• Some writers mention a charter of Henry III
king of England to the merchantt of the Hanfe dated
in the year \io6, (which, by the bye is two years
before he was bom ) as a proof that that affocia-
lion exidcd then, and long before, for it is faid to
refer to grants of hfj predccelTors. We have cldr-
ipn of Henry fll to the merchants of Cohjgne
fettled in London in the 18"" year of his reign,
to the merthantf of Lubeck, Brunfwitk, and Den-
mark in his 41" year, and to tiie German mei-
chanta In London in liin 44"' year. But in none
of them is the word ilunfe, or any mention of a
gtrniral mercanlilo anocian'on, to be found, which
WDuki furely l>ave been iiiftrtcd in the cliartcr to
the German merchants in general, with a reference
to the former cliarter to the merchants of the
Hanfe, if any Inch had cxiiled. Moicover, in

4o6

A. D. 1255.

who had advanced the money, being authorized by the king and the
pope, neither of whom had any reludance to forward fo honourable a
bufinefs, fliould draw bills upon the Englifh prelates for fums pretend-
ed to have been advanced to them by merchants of Sienna or Flqrence.
This righteous plan was accordingly executed, and an agent was font
into England to receive payment of the bills *. In vain the prelates
protefted, that they had no dealings or connexion with the perfons- pre-
tending to be their creditors. They were obliged, under the terrible
penalty of excommunication, to pay the bills. [M. Paris, pp. 892, 910.]
The bifhop of Ely, however, found means to fave himfelf from the
extorfion. Being fued by fome merchants of Sienna for 300 marks of
principal and 100 marks of intereft (' interefle') before Alexander de
Ferentin, a judge appointed by the pope, and being at the fame time
commiflioned to go to Spain as the king's ambaflador, he refufed to fet
out upon the journey, unlefs he W€re relieved from the iniquitous pro-
fecution : and the king was obliged to comply with his defire, and to
find other fiinds to pay the debt, which was juilly due to the merchants.
[Rot. clauf. 40 Hen. Ill, m. 8. dorfo, in Prynne's ExaSi chronological -vindica-
tion, V. \\,p. 859.] This is believed to be the earlieft notice, extant in
this country, of intereft being fairly and exprefsly mentioned by that
namef, unlefs when the lender v as a; Jew : for it appears to have been
hitherto fettled by collufion between the parties, when both were ^Mr
tians, in order to avoid the cenfures and penalties of the church.. , >^,t,

1256 — At this time the intereft of the money borrowed by the king
amounted to above a hundred pounds iL-doiy , which, the hiftorian fays,
threatened the whole people of England, the clergy as well as the laity,
with defolation anc ruin. {M. Paris, p. 938.} It is a pity he has not
alfo told us the amount of the principal, or, which would have been the
fame thing, the rate of the intereft.

Juftices were fent to every city and burgh throughout England, in
order to regulate and corredl the meafures, and to eftablilh an aiUfe for
the weight of bread according to the fluduations in the price of wheat ;
for example, when the quarter of wheat was Ibid for one fliilling, the
farthing loaf of wajld bread (hould weigh fix pounds and fixteen twen-
tieths, Troye weight. They alfo fixed an affife for ale proportioned to
the prices of corn, and for wine %. {AnnaUs Burton, p. 365, ed. Gale.]

The king by a charter to the burgefles of S'. Omers in Flanders pro-

♦ The wortliy contriwer fubjeAed himfelf to the
lynient of 4,000 mark'', as a dei oy to his brcth-
Dut he liail Kii order *■ *'— •'• •"

pay ,. ...

rcn. But he liail r.n order from the king to in-
demnify himfelf. [^Pryntie's ExaH chronological
vindication, /i. 860.]

f Wc find ' futnma principal!, cum damni's, »!t-
' p-nfis, et inttreffe,' in c. 24 of the laws afcribed
'M (\1txandcr ll king of Scotland, vlio died \\\

the year 1 249. I fliall afterwarc' . Iwve occgfion to
hint a fiifpicion thnt that law ratlier belonged to
his fon Alexander H(.

J The regulated prices of bread and »1< will be
found in the appendix <if prii'ci. Thofe uf wine
arc omitted hy the annalill, nor do they appear
ill the aflifo in the llalute of 51 Henry III.

A. ID, 1256* 407

mired that they and their property fhoald be exempted from arreft for
any debts, for which they, or fome of their eountrymen, were not prin-
cipal debtors or fureties ; that their property in the hands of their fervants
fliould not be feized for any tranfgreflions of thofe fervants; and that
any of them, who fhould die in his dominions, ftiould have a right to
leave his property by will, and the heir fhould not be obftruaed in tak-
ing pofleffion of it». [Fadera, V. iv, /. c^^^.^Roi. pat. 40 Hen. Ill,
m. 4.] Whether the commerce of the burgefles of S'. Omers was an
objedl of much confequence, or not, we are not informed: but the
charter merits atcention, as the earlieft known relaxation of the law, or
cufto»), which made every foreigner anfwerable for the debts, and even
crimes, of all other foreigners, and made the whole property of every
ftranger at his death the prey of the king, or lord of the foil on which
he died ; a horrid prerogative, which continued to difgrace the Liws of
France in particular from the age of Charlemagne down to our own
times f . .

It will not be deemed impertinent to Commercial hiftory to relate,
that an author called William de Sandlo amore (whom the biographer
of the popes calls a pemiciww man) wrote a book, wherein he affirmed,
that thofe, who fpent their lives in idlenefs on pretence of devoting
themlelves to religious duties, and devoured the produce of other people's
induftry, were not In a ftate of falvation. The book, containing fy
dangerous and heretical dodrine^ was immediately condemned to tl •
flames, and all who kept copies of it in their poflef .on were excororann-

icated, by the infallible head of the church. \Triveti u4nn. pi20'7,

PlatinaFit.pontif.p./^2y,ed.i664..''

1257 — Though the earl of Cornwall refufed the title of king of Sicily,
which, he forefaw, would coft more than the aduai pofleffion would be
worth, the fuperior fplendour of the imperial title got the better of his
prudence. A part of the German eledors, allured, as it is faid, by the
fame of his great riches (for he was as remarkable for accumulating as
liis brother was for fquandoring) eleded hirtx emperor of Germany, or
king of the Romans : and, in order to fliow his attention to the interefi:
of his new fubjeds, before he left EngUmd he obtained from King
Henry a charter (May ii'") whereby the king took under his protedion
and fafe condud the burgefles of Lubeck v^dth tlreir merchandize, none
of which, he afllired them, fliould be taken for account of himxelf or
any other perfon without their content. And he ordered that they and
their iigents fliould have perfed liberty of buying and felUng, as they

• Theprivikges of the burgenes of S'. Omcrs f Some defcnpUoij of , tho ciwl treatment of

were tliiice renewed by Edward II, and once by (linngcra in tht niiddio ..ger, n\\f I e fouod ni Ro-

LdwarJ III. IR^. fiat. It ^V*;.//. m. 15 i and hrlfon's Uiftor, of Chorln V, F. i, p. y)X, td.

16 hdtu. II, m. ^.—FaJfra, V. m, f>. 890 ( F. •*. 179J. r o it'

/••555-J < ■ .,

4q8

A. D. 1257.

thought proper, and of copning, remaining, and going away, without
any impediment. Thefe privileges were to be in force for feven years^
provided they ihould continue faithful to his brother the emperor eled.
Charters in the fame form were alfo granted to the burgefles and mer"
chants of Denmark and thofe of the city of Brunfwick. [Chart, in Hai-
luyt's Vo'xages, ^. i, ^. 131.]

Richard, the new-cledted emperor, expended upon his coronation,
and other fruitlefs objedls in Germany, the gatherings of his Ufe'time,
amounting to the prodigious fum of/evett hundred tboufmd pounds qfjiher,
befides his vaft revenues in England, which were remitted to him, while
he continued in Germany. By the exportation of fo much treafure the
country was very much diftrefled. [M. Paris, pp. 939, 949.]

This year the king coined money of the pureft gold, weighing two
fterlings, or pennies, and ordered that it fliould pafs for twenty pennies
of filver, being in the proportion of one to ten. — \_Rot. clauf. 41 Hen. Ill,
m. 3. — MS. Chron. in arch. Loud. — SnelUng's View of the gold coin, p. i.]
Thus it is proved, that gold money was coined by Henry HI ; whereas
the common belief is, that Edward III, his great -grandfon, was the fir ft
king of England who coined gold. It is probable, however, thai there
was no great quantity of it, and the exigence of it was foon forgotten.
According to Carte, {iSfi. of England, V. ii, pp. 23, ill] the citizens
of London remonftrated againft the new gold money, on Sunday 4""
November, and the king thereupon proclaimed, that every perfon
might carry it to his exchange, and receive the value at which it had
been made current (which, to-be-iure, was much above the price gold
had been hitherto rated at) * deduding one halfpenny) or two and a
half per cent) for the exchange f .

The WeHh being threatened by Prince Edward, to whom his father
had affignt i his fuperiority over them, with an invafion of the Irifh,
who were alfo his immediate vaflals, they provided a fleet of gallies,
fuppUed with arms and provifions, to guard their coaft. In this war the
marches of Wales were reduced to a defert, the caftles and houfes were
burnt, the people and cattle «vere flaughtered, and the woods deftroyed.
A flop was alfo put to the ufual importation of horfes, oxen, &c. from
Wales, which in peaceable times was very advantageous to both nations.
[Af. Paris, pp. O90, 949, 957, 958.]

• The continuator of \> -.shew Paris [/. 1009]
values a gold cup wrig. -..g lo pounds at loo
pounds of filver in the year 1 139. Probabljf he
allows 10 pounds of filver for the woikmanfhip.

f The coinage of gold by Henry III it alfo
noticed by Eatnard in hi< Uijiory of England, and
by Maitlaud in his IJifien of Scotland (a poll-
humous work). The later found it in the archives
of the city, when colle£ting materials for his Hiftorj

of landan, but has mi(laki-n the year of the king's
reign. Notwithftanding the mention of this coin-
age by Carte, Eachard, Maitland, and SncUing,
upon the fure authority of antitnt records, fo ten-
acious are many people of their accuftomed be-
lief, that it will ftill be difHcult to perfuade them,
that a..y gold money was coined in England befr.o
the reign uf Edward III.
4

A. D. 1257.

409

The mifery of % year was aggravated by a very defeaive cron
whjGh raifed wh:at ta the price of terv fhiMings a quarter (• fumma'f'
fh. 'nr^ ^o^ntry being drained of money by the ra^dty of the ZL]
^fZt^rrf^^ "^^^™f "^jpe^t of the king, and the tr^nfporS
f^ f Z\. ^"^^^"V^^^'^f ^ to Germany, many thoufands perifti^
ed for abfolute want, and by the difeafes proceeding from the fSe
Some old men remembered former fcarcities, whidTmifed the wheTt to
a mark, or even twenty fhillings. a quarter, and were not attended with
fuch mortal confequences, becaufe the people then had money circ^lat
ing among them and were enabled to buy corn, even at the extravag-
ant price. [M. Parts, p. 958.] -, Unlefi the famine had been univlrll
throughout the world, which, we know, was not the cafe, the want of
corn m England could hav<i been fupplied by commerce. But the com-
merce of England was, comparatively fpeaking, as yet but in its S.
fan^y : andr there were even many inftances in thofe ages of corn bein.
unreafonably cheap m fome parts of England, while if was enormouS?
dear in others. So httle were the principles, or the pradice? of a be^
nefieial commerce then underftood. '-^ • "* «* »«

f ^^^^TS"®/^""'"^.'" ^"g^and was fomewhat alleviate'd by the arrival
of abour fiftyjarge flnps loaded with wheat, barley, an^ bread wSh
^^TKT ^''^^^^"^^ ^°g«ged to come over; and they were fXw-
ed by others fent by the merchant, of Germany and Holland. By the
fn^^.nv^of ^r""*" the citizens of London were prohibited from buy!

hlTI ^' K l^''/ ^T'^'^y ^""^ ^^ g°°d circumftances, from beinl
benefited by the fupply. [M. Paris, pp. 963, 976.] ^

Ihe king claimed as an antient prerogative, a right of taking at an
mferxor price, by the name of pH/e, a certain part of thf clgrfmport-
of'ZT^rl"^'' f lP^^"-."l«^iy two tuns C dolia') from efery c^rgo

one behind it. at the price of twenty (hillings each *. IMadox^s Eifi
cf tir excbcq c. rS, § 2.-F<^^.r«, V. iii, p. ^92.] His pnrveyorsX

d'ftho'u^t": °' '^^"^ ^'. '''' "^^' °^ ''''^' "' ''^^ na'me Xtever
they thought proper, at a lower price than what the reft of the cargo

» Some have fuppofeJ that the prife wines were
>l«c to the king without any compenfation to the
.m„erj. But the following fafts fcive to prove
that they were paid for at a fixed prire.— Ed-
ward 11 made over to his fatonrite, ?ier» dc Ga-
valton, his antient and due prifes of wine, beinjr
two t.ms out of every vefTd, in two ports of De-
vo„-|hire GavaOon pnylnp to ihe merchants twenty
liillinfri ilerlm^r fort-ach tun, ' as it ufed lo be in
'Hie times of his- ancellors the kings of Eii''!and.'
'"/'"",'= P"« was alfo paid to the importers hv
t!ie fam.ly of Botiler (or Butler) in Ireland, who

n'^ol. T.

had an hereditary grant of the king's prlfe wines
m the cities of Dublin, Droghcda, Waterford,
Cork, and Limerick, and by the archbifliop of
York, who in the year 13*7 claimed the priW
ot the wines imported at Hull in virtue of a char-
ter from Kin;r AUullian. IFaJira, K iii,*. iqt ;
A^^iy,/^. 268,371,.] '^ ^ '

The fixed pricepffhe prife ulnes at Briflol wm
ct}if' '■'^ -??«■<> if a r^icord of the 12''' year
of King John, qpotied in Mmhx's Hi^oty of,h, .*.
chcrjurr, f. ,8, § 2, aad tX^LH,,. ^ardtr'oht Edv: /.

410

A. D. 1258.

fold for : and, as if that arbitrary proceeding had not been fufficiently
oppreflive, the importers were often obliged to go without any payment
at all *. The confequence was, that many Englifli merchants were ruin-
ed, and many of the foreign merchants about this time gave over trad-
ing to England. [^«n. Burton, p. 400.] An exemption from the prif-
age of wines is one of the antient privileges of the city of London f .

Auguft 26'" — The principal citizens (' prohombres') of Barcelona
having compofed a body of maritime laws for the regulation of veflels
in the merchant fervice, it was now confirmed by James I, king of
Aragon and count of Barcelona. It confifts of twenty-one chapters,
containing rules to be obferved by the owners and commanders of velfels,
the fcribes or clerks who were fworn to keep fair accounts between the
owners and the freighters, the mariners, and the merchant paffengers ;
for loading, flowing, and difcharging, the cargo ; for the arms to be
carried by every vefTel, and alfo by the feamen, who were to find theirs
at their own expenfe ; for the afliftance to be given by one veflel to an-
other when coming to an anchor ; and for a council to be ele6led in
every veflel, whofe decrees ftiould be binding upon the owner, com-
mander, and merchants, in all matters concerning the common intereft
of the veflil and cargo. [Charta ap. Capmany, Mem. htft, de Barcelona,
V. ii, p. 23.] This code, apparently formed upon the model of that
of Rhodes, is faid by the Spanifh writers to be the moft antient body
of maritime laws in Europe: [Capmany, V. i, com. p. 233] but it feems
probable that thofe of Amalfi may claim the priority %.

1259 — King Henry, at the requeft of his brother the emperor, grant-
ed a charter to the merchants of Germany, who had a hall or fadory,
called the Teutonic gildball (' Gildhalla Teutonicorum') in London, where-
in he promifed to maintain them in the liberties and free cuftoms, which
they had enjoyed in his own reign and thofe of his predeceflibrs, through-
out his whole kiiigdom. [Foedera Anglia^ V. n,p. 161 — Hakluyt's Voiages,
V.'\, p. 132.] Unfortunately we are not informed, when thofe mer-
chants firft occupied their flidory in London, which, by this (apparent-
ly the earlieft extant §) authentic document of their privileges, they ap-
pear to have pofl'efled for fome time. It feems moft probable, that the
uflbciation, now called by the general appellation of merchants of Ger-

* The promife laferted in the charter to the
merchants of Lubcck in the preceding year, that
BO part of their property Ihould be taken from
ihem without their confent, wa» intended to guard
againll this abufc.

f Thomas Chancer (who is believed to have
been the fon of the famous poet) being chief
butler to King Heniy IV, made a complamt that
the citizens of London abufcd their privilege by
permitting wines belonging to others to be entered
m their names, in order to evade the pril'agc.
[Cotlon't /Ibridgtrntiit of the records, p. 476.] In
the prcfcut day the ticspption from prifage is ba-

lanced by the duties on the importation of wine
being heavier in London than in the oiit-purts.

J The laws of Olcron, according to the ge-
neral opinion, were aifo earlier. But the Spanifh
writers, and (as I have already obferved) at lealt
one French writer, alTert that they are copied from
thofe of Barcelona.

^ If they had got any earlier charter from
Henry, or any preceding king of England, it cert-
ainly could not be produced, when the German
merchants obtained confirmations of their privi-
kges from Edward II and Edward III.

A. D. 1259. 4„

many, has been formed by an acceflion of nev^ members to the focietr

the Teutonic Gtmaii. The articles imported by thofe merchants ac-
cordmg to Stow. [Survey of Loruion, p. l^i. ed. fdiSJ were wheat, rye

fi..wf '~:;^' '°"^ ''' ' r^ ^^^j'' emperors of Conftaminople pofTefTed their
feeble and precanous fovereignty. the Venetians, the main inftrumenu
of their elevation to that lofty title, enjoyed fuch a commercial rperi-
ority m the eaftern parts of the Mediterranean fea, that they, almoftex-
clufively. fupphed tne other nations of Europe with the pr^oduSs of
Afia on their own terms. The Genoefe. who had long been their r"vah
m commerce and naval power, could not behold without envy the aJ
vantages they enjoyed by their union with thofe emperors. They there-
for attached therafelves to Michael Pateologus the 6reek foverei^ of
Nice, and aflifted him with powerfiil fuccours. regardlefs of the indig-

?A ^- 't r^l: '^^? ^r'''''^^ ^^^d^i" '^^ Latin emperor, and exl
crated Michael who refufed obedience to the Holy fee. ^ The dty was
taken by furprife (July a^; and Baldwin, without making the fS
eft eflfort to repell the invaders, feemed very happy to mak! his efcape
with a few friends onboard the gallies of his Venetian allies, who car^

fife hv?V,r ^^^' "J^u',^" ^^«/"PP0"ed during the remainder of his
lite by the pope and the king of Sicily.

During the Latin government in Conftantinople the trade and opul-
ence of the city had declined, and the number of the people load de-
creafed. The new fovereign reftored the heirs of thofe who had been
depnved of their pofleffions by the Latins, fixed the troops, who haS
made h,m mafter of the city, as inhabitants, and invited fet lers from
he provmces. The merchants and traders of every defcription of It^-
han birth or parentage were willing, and were made welcome to re-
mam in the city, which, by their eftablilhed bufinefs and connexions
was become their proper home. Among thefe the Venetians, the Ge
noefe. and the Pilans, hud been the mSft eminent, ever fince the de-

ZZ!^! t"" ; •"'^ ^^^"^ °^- '^°^*^ "^'^°"' P°^*=^ed their fadories and
fettlements m their own particular quarter of the city, where they lived
m fome degree independent of the imperial government, having chiefs,
or governors and laws of their own. The Pifans, and even the W
tians were commued in the enjoyment of their fadories and privileges •
but the larger and more favoured, colony of the Genoefe were puT a
pofl-e rion ot the neighbouring town of Heraclea, the antienTperimhus
winch was bmlt m the flourilhing days of Greece by the Samians on a
pemnfula projedmg into the Propontis or Sea of Marmara; Tnd thence
hey were foon after tranfplanted to Galata (called afterwards PeraTa
luburb htuated on the north fide of the Golden horn, the inlet of the

LIS

A. D.>ia6i.

fea, which conftimtes the harbour of ConftaBtinople. "niat town wa»
wholely refigned to them ; and they were alfo favoured with cxenMtion
from paying cuftoms and with fome other privileges : and to tHcfe ad-
vantages the fituation of their town and their navai power ibon enabled
them to add, with or without the approbation of the emperor, the com-
mand of the narrow entrance of the Black fea, and confequently to
monopolize the commerce of all the countries which furround it, toge-
ther with that branch of the Indian trade, which was conduacd by
river navigation and land carriage to the eaft end of it.

It was enaded by the barons, that the wool of England ^ould be
manufaa-jred at home inftead of being fold to foreigners, and that all
perfons fhould wear woollen cloth made within the kingdom, and avoid
every fuperfluous extravagance in drefs ♦. [W. Hemingford, L. iii, c. 27.]
At this time the Englifti were exceedingly exafperatcd ag ainft all foreign-
ers on account of the king's glaring and immoderate partiality to his
foreign relations and favourites, whereby a great proportion of the lands
and wealth of England was thrown into their hands. But it was yet too
foon to exclude the fuperior manufaaures of foreigners, or to prohibit
the wool from going to the bed market.

1 262— -Some German writers fay, that the Hanfe aflbciation about
this time made choice of Bruges in Flanders to be a. ftation for their
trade, and an entrepot between the coafts of the Baltic and the Medi-
terranean, a voyage from the one fea to the other, and back again, be-
ing too arduous an undertaking to be accomplifhed in one feafon, It is
moreover faid, that the advantages of ftorage, commiffion, «ic. conti-
nued from this time to enrich the inhabitants of Bruges, till the em-
peror Frederic III was provoked by an infult put upon his fon to block
up their port, whereby the Hanfe merchants were obliged to transfer
tlidr commerce to Antwerp. [Bertu Rer. Germ. L. iii,/. 28.] Bet it
may be doubted, whether the Hanfe aflbciation, under that name, was yet
inexiftcnce, or if there were any maritime cities yet added to the con-
federacy entered into by Lubeck and Hamburgh in the year 1241.

1264— There ftill remained fo much of the fpirit of antient barbanfm
and ferocity in Europe, that the fpoils of rapine were often preferred
to the flow ^cquifitions of honeft induftry by thofe, who felt themfelves
powerful enough to be robbers. Piracies were frequently comniitted
upon the fea, where the perpetrators thought themielves fure of im-
punity by the abfence of any fuperior controlling power, and more
ifpecially when anarchy and public convulfions in the country they be-

• This law is dated by Htmingford, the carhcft
luthor whomeiitiops it, in 1261 ; and he afcribes
it to the parKamcnt of Oxford, which, according
to tUc other liilloiiap*. was held in the year 1258.
It is the firft law piohibitliig the exportation of
wool w»d the imjortatiui of dIoiSi. We ftwU fc«

another in the year 1271. Yet Edward III is ge-
nerally fuppofcd the firft Englifh king who ctiaft-
ed fuch a law. Hit law has the advantage of b<-
iiiB more generally known than the others. But
all of tbcm were eciually ineffeftiye.

A. D. 1164.

413

longed to fet them free from all reftraint. The government of England
being at this time diflblved by the war between the king and the barons
there were more piracies than ufual committed by Englifh fubjeds : and
the manners of the Cinque ports in particular are noted as moft guilty
m that way ; for they not only carried on unauthorized, though pro-
fcffcd, war agamft the inhabitants of foreign cities, with fome of whom
they had quarreled, but they alfo fcized every veffcl they were able to
fubdue, and murdered all the people, not even fparing thofe of their
own country. Foreign commerce was foon at a (land ; and wines whiv.h
ufed to be fold for 40 (hillings, were now fold for ten marks ; wax rofe
from 40 (hillings to above eight marks ; and pepper from fix pennies to
three fhillmgs a pound. There was fuch a fcarcity of fait, iron, ft^ei
cloth, and all other merchandize, that the people were grievoufly \iki€t-
ed, and the merchants reduced to beggary, by it, the fale of the ex-
portable produce of the country being alfo at a ftand in confequence of
the interruption of the navigation. The earl of Leicefter, the leader
of the barons who were confederated againft the king, attempted to
perfuade the people that foreign commerce was unnecelTary, the pro-
duce of the country being fully fuflUcient to fupply all the wants of the
inhabitants ; and many people, in complaifance to him, laid afide their
coloured clothes, and drefled themfelves in plain white cloth. It muft
be acknowleged, that the mariners of the Cinque ports were encour-
aged, perhaps commilTioned, by King Henry, who wi(hed the fup-
plies coming to his enemies to be intercepted. But they muft have gone
beyond their inftruaions, which drew upon them the vengeance of
Prince Edward, who punilhed fome, and pardoned others, after v/hich
tliere was perfed tranquillity upon the fea. ICbron. Wikes, pp. 61, 65.
— M. Weftm.p. 396.— -and fee Foedera, V. i, pp. 250, 373 ; V. ii, a.' 82.}
From the notice concerning the white and coloured cloths, we fee, that
part of the cloths made in England were undyed, and probably of the
natural colour of the wool. But fome cloths muft have been dyed in
England, as very confiderable quantities of woad were imported in this
age. The diftrefs occafioned by the want of foreign fait, iron, fteel, and
cloth, alfo (hows us, that the manufadures of thofe articles, which, ex-
cept that of fteel, muft have exifted in the country, in fome degree of
perfedion, many ages before, were carried on upon a very fmall fcale
and were now perhaps totally interrupted by the public difturbances.

December 1 4"'— According to the Magna cbarta the king, in order to
conftitute a common council for afTefllng an aid, was to iifue his letters
to each of the archbilhops, bifliops, earls, and greater barons, indi-
vidually, and was to order the ftiiirefs and bailifs to fummon all who
held of him in chief There were no eledive members ; and the in-
habitants of cities and towns, including the merchants and manufadur-
ers, had confcquently not the moft diftant connedion with making the

4H

A. D. 1264.

laws, which difpofed of their lives and properties. The earl of Leicefter,
having got the king into his hands, now fummoned in his name the
prelates and nobles of his own party, and added to them a vaft number
of abbats, priors, and deans, a clafs of people among whom he had
great intereft. He alfo ordered the fliirrefs to caufe two knights out of
every county to attend, and fent letters to the cities of York and Lin-
coln, to the burghs, and to the Cinque ports, defiring them to lend two
members each. [Fadera, V. i, p. 802.] We are not told in what man-
ner the members were chofen.

1265, January — Thus were the commons introduced into parliament :
but there is no further mention of any members being fummoned from
cities or burghs till the year 1 283 *, after which they appear to have
been frequently called, and at length formed a conftituent part of every
parliament, though even then a regular fucceffion of reprelentatives was
not kept up in every city and town ; for the fliirrefs often negleded de-
firing them Lo make their eledions : and the negled, whether occafioned
by accident or defign in the king u» the fhirrefs, was thankfully ac-
knowleged as a gracious indulgence by thofe communities, who were
thereby exempted from paying the falaries of their members ; for then,
and during many ages after, the reprefentatives were paid by thofe whom
they reprefented. So very different were their ideas and pradice from
thofe of the prefent age. The commons long continued to have very
little influence on the legiflative body, and, indeed, were confidered as
mere petitioners. Ads were pafled, and even money levied, without,
and againft, their confent till the fecond year of Henry V, when it was
determined, that no law fliould be enaded contrary to the petition of
the commons, the king preferving his prerogative of afl^ent or diflent.
Though their rights, after being thus in fome degree defined, were often
infringed, they, notwithflanding, continued to grow up into ftrength,
efpecially during the contefts between the houfes of York and Lancafter,
which, however fatal to individuals, tended to raife the great body of
the people to their due place in the conftitution. But it was not till
commerce and raanufadures conferred importance upon towns, and
opulence upon individuals, that the house of commons attained the
weight and dignity, which ought to belong to the representatives of

A FREE PEOPLE f .

It would be improper to negled noticing a pompous defcription of
the profperity and commerce of England, which Mathew of Weftminfter
(/). 396) introduces in the charader of a perfon lamenting ' in an ele-

• gant ftile' the miferies of the country occafioned by the civil war.

* O England,' fays he, ' formerly glorious, illuftrious, and exahed among

' Brady appears to have never feen the fummonfes in 1283. He dates the firft appearance of
t!liiten8 and burginVa in parh'aiiieut in 1295. \_'trcaUjc ofturgbt, p. 2J.3

t See liuffheacPt Preface to the Slatutti at large, and the authorities there quoted.

A. D. 1265. Afm

' i^ it'Z^'^'''^^' ^'^^ ^^"^ grandeur of the Chaldeans. The fhips of
^ larfhifh were not comparable to thy (hips carrying aromatics and all
. Pr«'0"L/"erchandize throughout the four climates of the globe (• or-

bis ). m/ea was thy wall; and caftles ftrongly fortified were the gates
^ of thy harbours In thee chivalry, the church, and commerce, flouriai-
. A u r u^-^ the Pifans, the Genoefe, and the Venetians, tranfport-
^ rdthefapphire the carbuncle, and the fmaragdus. drawn from the
^ rivers of Paradife. Afia fupphed thee with the fined linen (' byflb")

and purple, Africa with cinnamon and balfam, Spain with gold, and
^ Germany with filver. For thee Flanders, thy weaver, made pretious
^ drapery of thy own materials. For thee thy own Gafcoigne produced
. Tur* - ^"^^ ^" '^^ ^^^^^^ between the Hyades and Ardurus were

fublervient. Thy inland parts abounded with the wild beafts of the

WQods, and thy hills with cattle of every kind. Thou didft poflefs

. i SJ; r^'r^ ^^n^ i''- ^^y ^^'^^ "^^'^ beautiful. !a the abundance
ot h(h thou furpadeft every region. And though thou haft but a nar^-
, row traa of land, confined within the (hores of the fea, yet the coafts
ot all the nations of the world, warmed by the fleeces of thy fheep
haveblefled thy celebrated fertility. In thee the fwords were con-
verted into plough-fhares, and peace and religion were fo flourifhing
• that thou wert looked up to as a mirror and example by all the other
^ catholic kingdoms. Alas ! why art thou now ftripped of fuch great
glory, &c.'— Though the panegyric, which is probably an amplifica-
tion of thofe of Fitz-Stephen and Henry of Huntingdon, (fee above
PP; 329, 344) »s prodigioufly overftrained, yet the nations of the earth
being clothed with Englifh wool, and that wool being made into cloth
m t landers, are valuable notices of the ftate of manufadures and com-
merce in the thirteenth century ; and the importation of gold from
Spain m that age (which was probably in payment for wool) is a cir-
cumltance exceedingly curious, and, I believe, not to be found in any
other EnghOi author or record *. But, while he tells us that Oriental
luxuries were imported by the Pifans and other Italians, and at the
lame time reprdents the commerce of England as adive, and the fhip^
ping as very numerous and trading to all parts of the world he evi-
dently wanders into the regions of romance—England, at leaft in the "
prelent day, does not need to have recourfe to fiditious naval or com-
mercial renown.

•^^'!JV^"~*JT^* I, king of Aragon, during the whole of his long
reip did every thing in his power to extend and improve the manu-
tadures and commerce of his fubjeds, and efpecially thofe of the citizens
ot Barcelona. Senfible of the pernicious effeds of the taxes, which the
teudal lords aflumed a power of levying, he now relieved the merchants

4i6

A. D. 1265.

of Barcelona from the pa)Tnent3 exafted by the abbat of Samt Felix
upon the arrival and departure of veflels, and alfo from Hmilar pay-
ments hitherto made to himfelf At the fame time, in his zeal for the
profperity of Barcelona, but in dired oppofition to the prudent and li-
beral policy of his predeceflbr. Count Raymundo Berenguer I, he ex-
pelled all the merchants of Lombardy, Florence, Sienna, and Luca, re-
fiding in that city. King James afterwards ordered, that no foreigner
fhould keep a table (or bank) of exchange in Barcelona, nor ftiip any
goods, not being his own property, onboard any foreign veflel. [Cap-
many, Mem. b'ljl. de Barcelona, V. ii, Col dipt. pp. 31,' 34, and 12-36.]
The woollen manufadures of Catalonia, which appear to have been in
an eftabliflied ftate before the year 1 243, continued thenceforth to flourifli
in Barcelona and many other towns of the province, {Caprr.any, F. i,
Com. p. 241] till the union of the crowns of Caftile and Aragon depreff-
ed the later kingdom, and the expulfion of the Jews and Moors, toge-
gether with the difcovery of the mines of America, almoft completed
the deftrudion of induftry in Spain.

1266 — Alexander II, king of Scotland, had formerly made a propofal
to Hacon, king of Norway, for purchafing his fupremacy over the ma-
ritime kingdom of Mann and the Weftern iflands, which appear evi-
dently intended by Nature to be an appendage of Scotland rather than
of the diftant kingdom of Norway. But Hacon anfwered, that he was
in no want of money, and he did not chufe to diiraember his kingdom.
In confequence of the failure of the negotiation, two hoftile expeditions
were undertaken ; one by Alexander in the year 1 249, and the other by
Hacon in 1263 ; and both princes died by ficknels while on their expe-
ditions, without any thing eftedual being done on either fide. An
amicable treaty was this fummer concluded at Perth between their fons,
by which Magnus IV. king of Norway, ceded for ever to Alexander III]
king of Scotland, the feudal Ibvereignty of Mann and the Weltern
iflands for the lum of 4,000 marks, together with an annual payment of
100 marks, of good and lawful fterling money according to the manner
and ufage of Rome, France, England, and Scotland * : an exceeding
good bargain on both fides, inalmuch as a voluntary celfion is more ho-
nourable than a compuUive deprivation, and a fair purchafe is more ho-
nourable than the rapine of conqueft. The treaty alio provides for the
fccurity and protedion of the perlbns, veflels, and cargoes, of the iub-
jetls of either king, who might be wrecked on the coafts of the other.
\See tbe original treaty, ap. For dun, p. 1355, ed. Ilearne Torftvi Orcades,

• If tlie IVamcrs of the treaty undcrttood, that Eiiglini or Scottilh pound; for in that year

the iMoiiiy of Ki,n,c, liancc, England, and Sot- H.iiry III engaged to pay jTiOo of good and

land »•*» of the laine vnliie, liny were very ill in. lawful (lerling money as an e<iuivalcnt for /"Hco

forru-d. Pot( re the yc.r 1235 the French pound Tournoif, or French money, to the maftft of t!it

had fink to on? fo;irtli part of the value of the Temple. [ Firiitra, F. i, />. 34J.]

A. D. 1266.

417

1267, January 5'"_The merchants of Lubeck havmc.. i

or unlefs the burgefTes of Lubeck fhall wkhhnl.f ?^^!^^'^/0"^'^™'0'.
lubjefls ;grieved in that city th^t thev ft.» f^""?'"^ ?°"" ^"S^^^^

for the deifnquency of tl ei fek^nts tSt^o^ Y'" ''I'l' P^^P^"^
liOied by antient cuftom fhVll hf. t f ^^'^'•'■' ^^^"^'^ ^^^^'^ ^ftab-
fbr . J, they In L"^e\i?el^t;t"p ;^^^^^^ Pf

ho;it7?:?z:n f^ "" tst ^tr"^^' '^^'^;i^ ^ ^°""-

cn.y .^.ate. and al. by b^U.^ "SJ^^^r^ ^-^

J!;^Srs^D=. Sd::^?r sj^^nS^ ^^/- «-r

of the names and amounis of the dues coUeSedl ;hP .? V^^"" u '^'^"
of Eafter to Michaelmas 1268, viz '"^ the city from the e>^^,

Divers trom^esf, with fome fmall AW^^.. , r^^

^/^.m of all kmds of merchandize coming from foreign ^^

114-

The Gcimaii authors differ widely in thefr
cxplanatmna of the meaning of the word ffanrc.
wluch the adocution of that name has rendered fo
iamou.. I crhaps, without going any farther, or
duing at all n,to the abyf, of et/n,ology, we may
t.ave a pretty good idea of it by conToarinR " h i^
;l'^i.t£r wuh thofe of fome of the towns of Enjr-
...d, x^^eren, the kin^r grant, the hurgcffes a ianfi,
whu h eema to i.gnity a right of acting a. a cor-
paraie body, w.il,, probably, a power of making
•^•gulat.ons. or bye laws, for their own internal
KoveumKnt. h^ BraJ^ ,„ l i,s, append, p. ,o.
--Mtyer, the annalill of Flanders, [/ 206 a] ex-
]'Ia.ns Hanfe as mtauing affociates :»-.• Teutonici

Vol. I.

; (mer.aorc.) qni HanCc, id ca Sou,, voean-

t Tronage money paid fo, weighing at th^'
tnne, or public Licani. b & '<■ me

iWV fee,ns payment for the liberty of lav.
M.ggood. on ihe «ran,l.r,milar to modern wharfage

5™, p„a i„r hberty to exhibit or (how
(fchaw) the goods at market.

"'/•'.<i(> f"i' "eighing.

Stall.,ge, rent paid for the ufe of a (lall.

i<,.v,,y, (a word., i difputed meaning) feems here
o l.gn.fy payment ior certain privileges enjoyed b
.he company of butchers, ke tt cQlr
TwyfJ.n'i S,np,. deem, vo. i'oea. "^ '

3G

1/jry /„

41 8

A. D. 1268.

parts liable to pay the duty called /cav(^tre, together with
the ^</Ji^<?j- during the half-year - - jl^ys 6 10

Meafuring dues for com arriving at the port of Billingfgate,

and the water-cuftom there - - - 5187^-

Ctijloms qffijh brought: to London-bridge ftreet, and fome

other cuftoms there - - - 702^

Ifliie of the field and bars of Smithfield - - 4 7 6

Toll taken at the gates of the city, and cuftoms on the

Water of Thames towards the weft - - 8 13 2-j-

Stallages, cuftoms of butchers and others exercifing divers

trades (' mcrcandifas') in the market of Weft-Chep, fmall

tolls and iflues of the fame market, the iflues of the

markets of Garfchirche (Grafs church or Grace church)

and Wollechirchehawe, with a certain siXiUwoXfocage of

the butchers of the city • - - - 4a o

Iflues of Queen-hithe, being In the king's hands - 17 1 1

Forfeits of fundry foreigners for buying and felling in the

city contrary to the ftatutes and cuftoms thereof 10 11

Pleas axid perquifites m tht city - - 86 5

From the waidarii (dealers in woad) of Amiens, Corbye
and Neele (cities of France) fince Michaelmafs

5
2

9t

The whole amounting to

[Madox's Hift. of the excbeg. f. 1 8, § 4.]

II 6 8

£3^^ IS 4^

Theodoric earl of Landfljerg granted perfedl freedom to the merchants
of all nations, even thofe whofe fovereigns might be at enmity with
him, to trade fecurely in the city of Leipfick. The fucceeding lords
of that city, with the fandion of the emperors, chartered the fairs,
which have continued to the prefent day to attrad the traders of every
nation in Europe. [Peyftri Lipfia, /». 213 ft feqq.']

1 269, Auguft 16'" — ^There feem to have been fome mutual complaints
of injuries done to the fubjeds of England and Norway. Magnus Lag-
better (Reformer of the law) king of Norway, being a good man and a
lover of peace, had fcnt two ambafladors to England, in order to adjuft
differences and ftrengthen the friendfliip entered into by his father Ha-
con with King Henry : and it was now agreed, that there fliould be
mutual liberty of trading to each country, and alfo that every proper
afliftancc ftiould be given tp thofe who Ihould have the misfortune to
be wrecked on either coaft, provided they did not abandon their veflels.
IFadera, V. i, p. 857.]

A letter, written by Peter Adfiger in the year 1269, contains a fcien-
tlfic account of the attradion, repulfion, and polarity, of the magnet,
the art of communicating thofe properties to iron, the variation of the

A. D. 1269.

419

magnetic needle, and even the conftruaion of the azimuth compafs *

lZ7r ' '^f' '^' ^'^'^'^ °^ n^agnetiim, and the application of it

o hefemce of navigation, were brought to a degree of perfedion

httle inferior to that of the prefent age, at a time, when, it is general-

EuroteJ ' '''' ^°'""^ ""^ ^'^ "^^"^^ ^'^ ^"-^'^ unknown i!x

i27o_At this time the /egal intereA of money at Modena wa. fnnr
pence per month for every pound lent (or A^..^./^., 1. for th" year)
[Muraton AnUq, V ^, col. 893.] What defcription of people could bor'
row money at fuch mtereft? If traders or manifadurers, what profits dTd
hey get upon their goods, to enable them to pay fuch intere ft " As aU
things are great or imall. only by comparifon with others, nottht
ate of mtereft a fufficient proof, that the trade of the tal an ftate
though a vaft deal greater than tha- of their ignorant and llothfurndgh
hours, and alfo than that of their uwn anceftors, was not even now
very extenfive, according to our modern ideas of the magnitude of com
merce and that the profperous ftate of the merchants, and confequeml
lyofthe commercial cities, was owing to the prodigious grea Ss
^uch the fmall number of competitors in trade enabled hem o r^ake^
We have already feen, {p. 391] that a great improvement in the dr'
cumftances of the people of Italy, took^.lace before trconclufion of

it hhaTr T"k^^ ^"- '^1' ^"^^ '^'^ of intereft warrants a behef
tliat It had fcarcely begun m the year ip.yo. '

Louis IX king of France, who had already been made a prifoner i,,
an expedition againft the Saracens in Egypt, ^fter anTntervalTfix4
vears, undertook a new crufade, which was the feventh fmce the com
mencemcnt of them, and the laft one of any confequence! Now a;
well as on the former occafion, he applied to foreigners for the 2 o f
heir 1 Hpping : and we learn from the original treaty as quoted bv
lormaleon,, [£^;:>;. la marine des VenkUmp. 31, /r«^/i> 1 tint he oh
mined three Hups trom the republic, and tuCh^e i>om the \^vate citt

„ ;- ) '"o";. ^'^' ^^'"^ ^'-^'-i^'- '^''^ l^^rgeftof the republ c^ eiS
meaiured 108 Venetian feet (a little more than 1 25 Enghfii fee n

'^ V° '"', ^^f "•■' '''"'• '" ^""^'^ ^l^g'-'-e. mrormecl of the

hzeofwhat was reckoned an extraordinary large Ihip in the Meditcr-
anean at that time ; and we are alfo authorized to .^thhold our b 1 ef
n the account of ten thoufand loldiers. and four thoufand horfo

420

i\, D, 1270,

jng andpeftilential fhore of Afnca is unconncdcd with the fubjed of
this work.

The Venetians now aflumed fo much authority in the Adriatic fea,
that they demanded a toll, or tranfit duty, proportioned to the quantity
of the cargo, from all veflels navigating that fea, eipecially from thofe
going between Pola (a town near the fouth point of Iftria) and Venice.
The Bon( aians (or Bolognians), after three years of refufal and warfare,
agreed to open the navigation of fome of the mouths of the Po, which
they had the command of, to the Venetians, on condition of being al-
lowed a free exportation of certain kinds of merchandize. The people
of Ancona applied to the pope for his paternal interpofition to free
them from the impofition, and he ordered the Venetians to defift from
taking it. But they anfwered his holinefs, that he was not properly in-
formed of the affair ; and, the pope being in hafte to go to the council
of Lyons, nothing further was done by him, {Platma Fit. po/U. p. 438,
ej. 1664.]

Mangou-Timour, a grandfon of Zingis-khan, and fovereign of the
weftern Tatars, gave feveral of his cities and provinces to his relations ;
and, particularly, he gave the cities of Crim and Cafta to Oran-Timour.
Crim (which in the prefent age is the refidence of a few miferable Turks
and Jews) was then one of the mofl magnificent cities in that part of
the world. It was the center of a great inland commerce with the Eaft,
which was conduded by merchants who traveled in caravans, without
any apprehenfions of being infulted, and were three months upon the
road, which was provided with a fufficient number of inns for their ac-
commodation, in places afterwards abandoned to deer and wild goats.
CafFa, lefs magnificent than Crim, became no lefs famous by means of
its advantageous fituation on a bay of the Black fea. The Genoeie,
who, ever fince the reftoration of the Greek empire, had enjoyed
almoft exclufively the trade and navigation of that fea, foon difcovered
the importance of CafFa, fnatched it out of the hands of the Tatars,
and made it the principal ftation of their commerce with all the coun-
tries bordering on the Black fea *. [HiJ. des Huns par De Gui^ncs, V.

At the fame time the merchants of many cities of the northern parts
of Germany, apparently now ading as a confederated body (though I
have not found any authentic document for their being yet known by

* StiUa, the annalill of Genoa, [^af>. Muralori
Script, y. xvii, (-£./. IC95] fays, he could never ilif-
cover at what time Calla had come nito the hands
<if the Oenoefe ; but he Uhdcrllood that it 'vas
not vcrji long fiice lialdus dc Aiirta biiilt tlie lirtl
hoiifes 111 it, ..lid fittlcd ill it. — The ellablinunent
of the Genocfe was, no doubt, near ilic time at
vvliich I have phtctd it, from Dc Guiijnes ; and

tlie hcjufeu built by Auria may liave been tlie cun>
niencement of a phin of tnhiigcmciit and enibel-
liflimcnt i for it was a place of fonie note before,
and is evtnof vtiy gieat aiulijuity, being mention-
ed by Skylax, iSir.ibo, Hiiiy, and otlicr anticiit
geogra'-'iers, under the nanicof 'I'heudolia, a name
lately i i Jred to it by the emprcfs Catherine, m
her uffeCtatioii of iiiriird for the Greeki.

A. D.I 270. 421

the appeUation of the merchants of the Hanje^ obtained leave from the

B^r^pf r^'V^^" '^^ ^^^^^ ""^ '^'''' "^"J^^^'^ ^^«de ^t the chy of
Jiergen. At fir ft their commerce was reftrided to the fummer months

noZltl^r^'i^^n^''^ 'f °^ September), and the citizeSw fe
not allowed to hire their houfes to them for more than fix weeks to

mo^'e'fo'T""' ^'"^ T' '''''' '°^ ^^^"Sing in thdr goods and thr :
more for carrymg out their returns. In procefs of time the Vandalic

cities of Germany obtamed permiffion to^ftablifh a permanent feat of
heir trade caHed a co.toir, in the city : and in confequence of ha in-
dulgence the bridge was covered with twenty-one large houfes o fhc-
tories, each of them capable of accommodating about a hundred merch-
ants or fadors with their fervants * : and they were bound to keep their
houfes and alfo the bridge, in repair, and to perform watch and ward
in that quarter of the city wherein they lived. The merchants who
7Z" ^,h:ffly^'^«"^Lubeck. Hamburgh. Roftock. Bremen. andDav;nIer
imported flax, cloth, corn, flour, bilcuit. malt, ale, W. fpirkous'
STn^'Tfi^' ^f''' &^-"d received in return butter, falcon S
cod fifli-oil, fine ftirs, timber. &c. They were obliged to confin^ their
trade to Bergen the trade of the reft of the country being referved to
the native merchants, to whom they gave credit of their foods till the
enfumg feafon. By this commerce, while it continued^n t moft
flourifhmg ftate, Bergen was fo much enriched, that no other city °n
the three northern kingdoms could be compared to it f. [Torfm m
Norweg. F.x, p. 72 ; K iv. p. ^S2.-Bcrtu rer. Germ. £,. iii, p. yi{ ^
i27i._Some diiputes between King Henry and the countefs of Flan-
ders, on account of money alleged to be owing to her. and the confe-
quent capture of leveral Englilh veilels by her fubjeds. occafioned an
order for prohibiting the exportation of wool to her dominions, and an-
other for the feizure ot all cloth imported from abroad, which feems to
have been intended to ad as a compenduion to the proprietors of the
wool by enforcing the manufadurc of it at home. However, the ftorm
foon blew over, at leaft fo far. that the Flemings were again pernfitted
to import their woollen cloths as before. [/?./. pat. 55 &.. Ill, J 6,
10,15 — roedera,V.u, p. 32.]

* They were all unmarried, and lived together
in miffcs within their own fadciries.

t I have here briefly ilirown together wliat i[i.
formation, apparently authentic, 1 have obtained
concerning tlie trade of the merchants, called Gcr-
mans, Teutons, Almains, Garpar, Vandals, (and
m later timei, Hanfards, or llanfeatita) in the
port of Bergen. Perhaps the commencement of
It ought to be dated in 1278, if we mav depend
on the date affixed by Wtrdenhagcn [Hi'/i. de rek
Har.f. p. 262] to an extract of n charter by King
Magnus, wherein he fays, he has thought proper
') grant fome immunilits to the imrckanis ojtk:

Teutonic laniuase, frequenting his kingdom m
guells and Grangers with merchandize. U.ifor-
tunately the hillory of Norway about this time is
very obfcurc, and lome, even of thofe who have
prolenedly written it, have caUed this very king
Olavus, tliough his name is certainly known (even
from Lnghih and Scottilh records and hillory) to
be Magnus. And the hillory of the Germtn
commercial cities is far from being clear, thou-h
Werdenhagen has written a book, caUed the Hijlory
oj ihi Hanfialii rtpubILt, wliich he has tilled mollly
Willi matter nothing to the purpofc.

422

A. D. 127a.

1272 — Cloth of Ireland is mentioned along with cloth of Abendon,
and burrel of London (alfo a kind of cloth), as being ftolen at Wjn-^
chefter fome time in the reign of Henry III *. [Madox's Hijl. of the
cxcheq. c. 1 4, § 9.] And this, I believe, is the earlieft notice we have
of any exportation of Ir'lh manufadures.

During this reign there were feveral treaties with Caftile and France,
wherein there is not a word of any commercial affairs. [Feeder a, V. i|
PP- 503, 505* 675, 688, &c.] But I find a letter, or charter, in favour
of the merchants of Spain, or Caftile, wherein, probably, their fovereign
had no concern. [Rot. pat. 47 Hen. HI.] Amoncj the nations who car-
ried on fome trade at this time with England, of which we know no-
thing, but from the letters of fafe conduft granted to them, may be alio

[Rot. pat. 7, 10,

reckoned the Norwegians, Portuguefe, and IJrabanters.
45. Ifeti. in.]

Henry III, during the whole courfe of his long reign, opprefled the
citizens of London with grievous extortions, often upon the moft frivol-
ous pretences ; and many of his officers, whofe names, Mathew Paris
lays, it would be tedious and dangerous to particularize, following the
king's example, took every opportunity of plundering the merchants,
natives and foreigners, of their horfes, carts, wine, provifions, cloth,
wax, and other goods. He alfo fqueezed the Jews moft unmercifully.
One inftance of a general tallage upon them has already been given.
From a fingle Jew, called Aaron of York, he extorted on various occa-
lions the enormous fum of fifty-fix thoufand marks, a quantity of money
equal in efficacy to about half a million of pounds in the prefcnt day.
Having borrowed money in the years 1255 and 1271 of his brother
Richard, he on both occafions mortgaged to him ^he whole Jews of Eng-
land, that is to fay, the revenue to be extraded from them, as a fecurity
for repayment. We need not be furprifcd at the monftrous intereft
extorted by the Jews from thofe who borrowed from them, which, we
are told, was, at lea ft in fome inftances, above two pennies a-week (or
eight fliillings and eight pennies by the year) for the uie of twenty ftiil-
lings f. But they took fuch exorbitant intereft, with the dreadful
profped of plunder and murder before their eyes, and a certainty ui be-
ing obliged to pay a large portion of it to the king, in whofe hands they
were in fad inftruments for fucking the blood of the people. In ftaort.

* For thi» notice of Irifli tnaniifaifiures we are
iiiJebtcd to llie record of a duel between two
thieves. So honey is extia<fted from tlic vilcll
weeds. — For earlier accounts of Irifli manufadures,
fee above, pp. ii^, 1)33.

f That was a^ ^arently an uncommon inftance
of avarice ; and it drew upon the whole body of
the Jews in London a pcrieculion, wherein 700
of them pciiflicJ. [^/t/wV ^«n. />. 493.] 1 1 ap-

pears, however, that the Jews af Oxford were
licenced to take two pennies a-week for tlie loai\
of twenty ftiillings, and in proportion for fmaller
fums. They had even tuken more, and were re-
(Iridled to that rate of interell on the petition of
\.\\e fionr (luilents. [CLiuf. 32 Hen. HI, in Tovey's
An^lia Juda'ua, p. 12J.] I5ut fuch exorbitant in-
terell was apparently only for petty fums aiiJ
very (liort time.

A.D.

1272,

425

Henry's whole reign was a continued extortion of money from his fub-

^Etgi fnd wTrstrht'T •°' " '' '°^'=^'^'^^" of ev^ryTfcri;^':
r,ngi4na was. lays Ma<hcw Pans, a vineyard without a wall or a faith

f J X6or6aV«'/'P"'^^^"^ of Jvery vagrant. IMPart^.

henlfi^ T? '^'^''^^'^^' '^^' ^^ ^his age of exportation of money for the
benefit of foreign extortioners, parafites. and blood-fuckei-r and of frln
tic and ruinous projeds of acquiring kingdoms* and emplref a ffnl"
penny remamed in the country How wer^ thlfJrH^- •^,

vvhichfupplied fuch vaft and iLeatg ^3^5^^; no'^^S^er'
means than a large balance conftantly pouring into the countrv in rl.

T u '^u"'""^' °^ '^P^^^^'y' ^^d tl»e compliance of folly ^

1 hough the national revenue was not in antient times fo mnrh .,.„
neded with the commerce of the country as it i^in the prefTntl^^^^^
cannot be deemed impertinent to ftate. that the annual reSe of En^
Liud was lomewhat under fixty thoufand marks, and the net roya revf
nue was about twenty-three thoufand f. [M. Paris fi^ c/s I7ni

nroirhP"' ™'\'°""? ^"^y ''''''^^ '^ modern S:tutt'heyw'e%^
Z^^ ^cfT'^' '^'^ '^^ '"^""^^ °f England in the reign of Henry Tl
who amafled a great treafure out of his favings -. and it may beremem
beied, that the proprietors of the land, and their tenantsrconmtu'e^ the"
national army, and ferved for a certain number of days every ySr at the r
own expenfe. Thence the duration and expenfe of war7 w^re triflinl
n comparifon with thofe of modern times. ^That part of the revenu^^^^^^^
the church, which was in the hands of foreigners.^ho could no fpeak

The clergy, ma Rrong remonftrance againft
the king's demands for money to anfwer the pope's
bil 8 on accouut of Sicily, told him, that if the
!'"' °* "^ wh<,!e kingdom were turned into gold.
It won d be infufficient to accomplifh the conqucft
of bicily, which was inacceflible to the military
force ot England. [Mn. Burm. p. 375, J
G.,le.-\ In the year 1 26c the Sicilian dream was
abandoned, or rather, to (j>eak more properly, the
king was obliged to Hop payment ; wl,erenp,,n the
P"pe got Charles, the brother of Louis IX king
ot trance, to take up his quarrel againft Manfred,
and accept his kingdom.

t When Ifabella, the wife of Edward II, after
ilrpofing her huiband, made her fon fettle an in-
come of twenty thoufand marks (not pounds, as
laai by fome autliors) upon her, {lU.L.prim. ,
A./W. llhm. I] there was fcarcely one tliir/of the
roval revenue left for the young king and queen,
a. ,s aiTcrted by Thomas de la Moor. [/>. Ll^ a
contemporary author. '^ ^

i am obliged to obferve, that the arithmetical

ftatements of even themoft faithful hiftorians are
leldom correa in the numbers, which may be
partly owing to their own negleft of critical or
arithmetical examination, and partly to the trau-
fcnbcrs, numbers exprelFed by letters being much
more hable to error than words. The whole of
tlie grofs national revenue, as here Hated, was not
very much more than fuff.cient to pay the internl
of the king's debts, which, accoiding to Mathcw
I ans, was above lil(,,iQO a-year about the year
IIJ6. bee above, p. 406. It is true, that, ac
cordingto Hoveden, [/. 436 b] Hubert, archbidmp
of Canterbury^ ftated to King Richard I, that with,
in two years he had collefted for him the prodi-
gions lum of ,,, 00,000 marks, or 550,000 marks
each year. Both Hovcdea and Paris are refpect-
able authors : but it is impuffiblc to reconcile their
accouiUB ; and it is evident that HoveJen's fnm is
incredibly great, and therefor is undoubtedly cor-
rupted. The revenue of England, at the revohi-
tion, was not equal in cffedive value to one third of
that altnbed to the reign of Richard I.

4^4 A. D. 127^.

the language of the people whofe fouls were committed to their paftoral
charge by the unerring father of Chriftendom, if they did live among
them, but who refided moftly in Italy, and drew their penfions to that
country, amounted in the year 1245: to fixty thoufand marks, and in
1252 rofe to feventy thoufand. ^M. Paris, pp. 658, 859.] If the royal
revenue had been even judicioufly managed, fuch fums fent out of the
country without any value in return (nor were they all that went out
for nothing) were fufficient to keep the kingdom in perpetual diftrefs.
It is no wonder then, that fuch a manager as Henry was continually
embarrafied, and indebted to all who would give him any credit, among
whom the merchants of Luca, Florence, and Sienna, the Caurfini fettled
in London, and his own brother Richard, are the moft confpicuous.
[Fadera, V. i, pp. 544, 645. — above, pp. 400, 422.] In the year 1255
he declared, as an apology for his exadions, that his debts, which may
alfo be called the national debts, amounted to three millions of marks,
which, if it was true, was a moft aftoniftiing fum *. [M. Paris, p. 902.]
In the year 1222, upon a lumping fettlement of the arrears of the joint-
ure of Queen Berengaria, the widow of Richard I, payable in England,
(Ihe probably had other appointments in the French territories of the
kings of England f ) it was fettled at one thoufand pounds a-year.
[Fadera, V. i, p. 242.] Henry ftated the revenue appointed for the efta-
biifliment of his oldeft fon at fifteen thoufand marks. But he brought
it forward unfairly, when apologizing for his exadions, feeing it urofe
from the duchy of Gafcoigne, and lands in Ireland. [M. Paris, p. 902.
— Foedera, V. i, p. 500.] A knight, whofe lands produced ^150 a-year,
was thought very rich ; and to-be-fure fo he was. But John Manfel'
a clergyman, ftatefman, and warrior, by monopolizing a great number
ot churches, hud an income of 4,000 marks. No clergyman, indeed,
had ever before poffelled fuch an income : and people wondered, that a
man of his prudence cuuld forget, that he muft render an account of the
prodigious number of foul, liC had prefumed to take the care of. Warine
de Muntchemni, one of the noblcft and vvifeft men of England, died in
ihe year 1255, pofTcflcd of above two hundred thoufand marks, a fum
which may be pronounced alnioft incredible %, \_M. Paris, pp. 859, 908
9.3 1 •]

Tbc queen dowager of Scotland, being entitled to a third of the net

* The iiitcrcll oil the king's dcbtj, though ron- f C>»ccii Ah'cnora, the widow of Henry III,

fukrcd by Matlicw I'liria a:: utterly ruiiioiib to ihc had an annual income of /[2,0OQ ilerh'ng from

kingdom, would not Iiave Leen tivo pir irn/pcr an- Curcoignc. {Hit. pat. 8 Edrj,. I, „,. lo.]
nuni on the d(bt here fluted by lltniy. But as % By thi moll prob.ibk account, the treafure

we cannot luppofc tliat the intend vv.ia lower than accumulated by Heniy II, one of the moft power-

Itn per c.nl, k ni.iy well l)c pref(m,ed, that the priii- fnl and prudent of the kings of F.nglaud, during

a|idl coidd not \,e fo uuicli as 6^o,coo marks, or a long icigii, was not near fo niucli. Sec above

/,'4CO,cccj a lum fulficicniiy diilrtfsful to the p. 346.
kmgdoni, and alf.i, niofl probably, to the ttcditois,
whin the art o! fandjngwaj unknown.

A. D. 1272.

435

'TlT'"."^' ^^^ ^^-^""^^ ^'^ ^"^°"^e o^ above four thoufand marks
whjch (he drew out ot the kingdom, to be expended in France alons

rTm de S ^"'^^^S"^ ^' ^"^ ^" '^'' ^^^^^^^ f^°- her father C?
ani de Coucy. Thence it appears, that the net royal revenue of Scot-
land was above twelve thoufand marks*. [M. Paris, p. 820 1 The

Knde'r m T"' ''' ^'''''^ "f "T' "^ ^' Engh^d. mtlielto
Alexander IH, the young kmg of Scotland, in the year i2Ci was onlv

five thoufand marks, payable in four years, of which, however fncrS
n ^"sraUT: H^'' prefent day. the greateft part' remained un" fd
?A A1 ' ^ . f P^^'^' ^^^'^"^^ h« ^'^^ ^o' ">oney in hand reaneft-
ed Alexander's further indulgence till Eafter 1263 for the final mv
ment. [Fcrdera, V. i, pp. 467. 743.] What jointure was fettled u^po^n
Margaret is unknown ; {he died before her hufband ^

, "73-1 he amount of a new duty, called t\it gauge, at fome of the
chief ports for the importation of wine, as made up f om tirWedenf!
day a/ter Martinmafs , 272 to Michaelmafs 1 273. gives us a L^y /ood
idea of the quantity of foreign wine ufed in England. ^ ^ ^

South "mju-n and P Jrtfmouth, ^,' f 1 !' "'''''''' " °"' P'""^ P" '""' '"='>'= 3.799 tu,>« ;
and Sandwich, . 7 i8 I* " ' " 3.'47i

' 21 " * ' '9°° •

The total wa. ^3617 2, the amount of gauge duty f.,r I^tuns •

befides the wmes taken by the king in name of prtfe, being two tuns

• '^I'T r'' ^ ^^l °^ 'h^ ^^™^ '^^"d i^ Scotland, which probably ori
ginated about the fame time, as we find the office of the^««^m^^^
dered as an old eftablifliment in the year 1 304 f ^ ^ ^

The unfettled ftate of the German empire, igether with the confu
l>ons mfeparable from a fucceflion of controverted eledions (the perSi"
0 which, from the death of Frederic II to the eledion of Rodo piead
o Habfburg and founder of the houfe of Auftria. in the yearT27ris
culled by the German hiftorians the long inter;egnum)^very mud
ue kened the imperial authority in Germany, andreduced it to no^
in Italy. During thofe convulfions. the cities of Germany, already re!

* In tlie preceding page Mathcw Paris makes
the qnetn 3 jointure /m« ihouf.mj maris, by which
reckoning the net royal income of Scotland is
l--Muty.cr,e Ihouftimii almoll equal to that of Eng.
'.'H'!, and, if uckoned in proportion to llie popS-
iuinn, greatly fuperior. Therefor we may veii-
unc to pronounce- the greater number erroncou..
iJy tilt third chapter of the afls of James lU. the
queen s jointure is declared to be one third of the
king 3 land and cuftoms : and the fame rule was
prubably adhered to in earlier times,
t King Edwaid, being m»acr of Scotland dur-
Vql. I.

.ng a part of the year 1304, direacd the earl of
,1 Lrn "."' r ""lU'T' whether, according to the
cllabhnied ufag,', he had a right to diipofe of the
office ol the gaugery. lRy„,r's CulUa. „,a«ufcr.
V. '",'". 116, ,,7.] It is wcrthy of obfeivatlon.
tliat the king's order to the carl was in French,
and the carl in his precepts to the magilliates of
t le towns, defuing them to inaitute inquirits for
the kmg's information, fent them copies of the
oiifx tran/laied into Latin, which thence appears
to have been more gcnerallv ... c'erftood iu Scet-
land than frcnch.

IH

4^6

A. D. 1173.

fpetSable, became more and more flourifhing. The nobles, who hither-
to had cngrofled the government and all the honourable public em-
ployments of the cities, were reduced to a participation of them with
the burgefTes. The contefts, which had hitherto banifhed tranquillity
from the cities, were at an end, and they became powerful by their
union. Moft of thofe, which had the title oi Imperial cities in the reign
of Frederic II, refufed after his death to pay the taxes impofed upon
them by former emperors, and, in confequence of that immunity, af-
fumed the title of Free and imperial cities, which was confirmed to them
by fucceeding emperors. After the extindtion of the powerful ducal
firaiiics of Swabia and Franconia in the year 1368, the number oi Im-
perial cities was greatly augmented ; and the new oiies were cordially
admitted into fraternity and alliance by the antient ones, who diftin-
guirtied themfelves by the title of Free cities. [Pfeffel, Abrege de Vbift.
cCAllemagne,p. 379, ed. 1758.]

The regents wlio governed England in the abfence r f King Edward,
who was at the Holy land when his father died, ordered a proclamation
to be made throughout Ireland, declaring that all merchants might free-
ly land in that kingdom with their merchandize, and trade in fafety and
fecurity, on paying the due and antient cuftoms, without any other ex»
atlion or grievance whatever. \Kot. pat. 1 Edw. I, m. 5.]

1 274, April 1 o'" — ^We find the order againft trading with Flanders
again enforced, and the (hirrefs ftridly enjoined to allow no wool to be
carried out of the kingdom, and not even to Wales or Ireland, left, on
pretence of ftiipping it for thofe countries, it Ihould be carried to Flan-
ders. [Foedera, V. ii, pp. 24, 50.] But, as the Englifti could not find
profitable confumption for all their wool, and the Flemings could not
carry on their manufadlure without the wool of England, a treaty of
peace was concluded in July, wherein the countefs, and the carl her fon,
finding Edward a man of more courage and condud than his father,
agreed to make fatisfadion for the damages done to his fubjeds, he pro-
mifing to make fatisfadion for the damages done to the Flemings by
the Englifh. But the Flemifli balance of damages was not paid up to
England^ia the year 1278, nor then without having recourfe to rigor-
ous meafures. [Fadera., V. Vi, pp. 32, 33, 39, iii. — Rot. pat. 3 Edw. I,
mm. 19, 22, 26. — Meyeri An. Fland.f. 80 b.]

The relbrt of the Netherlanders to the Firth of Forth for the fake of
the fidiery, has already been noticed from a writer of the twelfth century.
(See above, p. 325.) After that time, though we know that foreigners
came to the Britifti ports to purchafe herrings, I have not found any
authentic account of their fifliing 011 our coafts till now, that we learn
from the mutual complaints of injuries on both fides, that the Flem-
ings were in the pradife of fifliing u^on the coafts of England and Scot-
land. The Engliih commiflu lers for negotiating the peace complain-

A. D. 1274.

4a7

fd, thut, during the truce of aroonth (24'" June to 24'* July) granted
^y !?^ Edward for fettling the terms of the treaty, fome FJemifh arm^

fi'^c/? P"^ '° ^*^' ^^ °" * ^'^''^K voyage, had attacked the Eng-

hlh fifliermen, who fuppofcd themfelves fecure on the faith of the truce
and had killed twelve hundred of them ; a number which, if not exag-
gerated, gives a very refpedable idea of the Englifh fifhery. {Fadera
^^' "./• Z3'^ On the other hand, the countefs of Flanders, in a letter
to King Edward, reprefented, that fome of her fubjeas. who had failed
after the conclufion of the peace, had put in at Berwick, on their re-
turn from filhing on the coaft of Scotland, for the fake of drying their
nets ; and two-and-twenty of thetn*, who had gone up the Tweed about
as far as Norham, a caftle on the Englifli fule of the river, to dry their
nets, were feized and iraprifoned by the commander of that caftle (Au~
guft I5'\) IFoedera^V. n,p. 37.] As it was furely unnecelTary to go
a journey of fix miles up the country to dry their nets, it feen: ■ more
probable, that their objed was to catch falmon out of the fight of the
people of Berwick and Tweedmouth, and, as the fi(h belonged to the
proprietors of the land on each fide of the river, their iraprilbnment was
m confequence of that trefpafs upon private property.

Augufl 11'"— King Edward while he was in the Holy land, had bor-
rowed fome money from the brethren of the Temple, and given them
his obligation for the principal, with expenfes, damages, and intereft f
C mtereire'), all which he now paid on their account to the mafter of
the Temple in London. [Fade, a, V. ii, /. 34.] This is believed to be "
the hiR inltance of the kings of England exprefsly agreeing to pay in-
tereft | for money borrowed, which in all their former money tranfaq-
tions, appears to have been fettled by coUufion.

Auguft r9"'_At the coronation of King Edward, there was a pro-
digious difplay of filks and gold fluffs, which, being articles of foreign
manufaaure, ftiow that the exports of England, which could pay for
fuch an importation of luxuries, muft. have been pretty extenfive, even
if there fhould have been no importation of the pretious metals this
year. An hiftorian fays, that no tongue nor pen could defcribe the
magnificence of the drelfcs, and the ingenuity of the pageants exhibited

• Among their names we find Renoud Engllih
(« Anglicua') and Michael Scot.

•f Though intereft Is cxprcflcj in the acknow-
legcment given to Edward by Jolin of Brctagne,
his brother-in-l»w. for whofe ufe the nioHty

(10,500 Saracen befaiits) was borrowed in the
year 1271, IRymer't Co/l. manufcr. K i, n«. 42]
as well as ki the niafler's difcharge to tl»e king,
the ftipulatod rate of iutereil does not appear in
cither.

J Mathew Paris [/.910] mentionj debts due

to the merchants of Italy in the year 1 2J5, ' qax
' quuUdic propter ufuras, pucuas, et inUreJi, nun
' minima ftilcipiebant incrementa.' Here we have
ufury. penalties, and iuter^Ji. As the word vfurj
was in thofe days cqiiivaltnt to our modern word
inttn^p, what did Mathew Paris uiidcdland by in-
ttrejc .'—In the marriage coatratl between Scot-
laud and Norway (25"" July 1281) ' daaina. ex-
' Pf "'H' '^\ '"'ercfff .' frequently occur, the later

evidently iigiiifying intereft
/. 1079.]

3H2

^FaJira, V, ii,

|>'

428

A, D. 1174.

in the city on this occafion, to fay nothing of the pomp of the corona-
tion feaft. [T. Wikes,p. roi, ed. Gale.^

1275, April 25'" — A pariiament was held at Weftminfter, wherein

The laws ot Henry I and Henry II, for preferring the property of
wrecked velTels and merchandize for the lawful owners, were renewed
[ABs. 3 Edw. I, c. 4.]

It was provided, that no foreign perfon *, being of this realm, fhould
be diftraincd in any city, town, fair, or market, for any debt, for which
he was neither principal debtor nor fecurity. \c. 23.]

Thofe who took up provifions or other things for the ufc of the king,
or for the garrifon ofacaftle, and did not pay for them, were made
anfwerable in their lands, or other property, failing which, they were to
be puniflied by imprifonment. Thofe who received bribes ff)r paying
the king's debts were obliged to refund doubly, and were further to be
puniflied at the king's pleafure. \c. 32.]

We find a new cuftom upon wool granted (' concefla') to the king at
this time, which was probably enadted by the fame parliament, though
it does not appear among their ads. \Ro\ pat. 3 Edw. I,m. i.]

A mandate was ifliied by the king, obliging all foreign merchants to
fell their goods within forty days after th«ir arrival. [Hakluyt, V. \,p. 1 33.]
This order put the foreign fellers entii ly in the mercy of the buyers,
unlefs when the demand happened to be fo great, as to prevent the later
from combining to abftain from purchafing, till the term allowed to the
importers was almofl: expired. Indeed, 'he frequent inconfiftenr orders
for the encouragement and difcouragement of foreij^n merchants trad-
ing to England muft have been exceflively perplexing, and have very
much cramped the trade, which was expofed to fuch caprices and un-
certainties.

A Spanifli fheep, imported from France into Northumberland, infed-
ed all the flocks in England with a difeufe hitherto unufual (if not un-
known) in England, which raged eight-and-twenty years, and totally
deftroyed the flocks in many parts of the count y I-. \\Valfin^ham, Hi/I.

A 46.]

1276 — Florence earl of Holland, being defiroustl at his fubjedslliould
have a fhare of the beneficial trade of England, which their neigh-
bours the Flemings had almofl; engrofled, made an aicc Vj King Edwanl
of fafe condudf and perfed liberty for the Englifh in trading in HoUanil
for the fpace of two years, provided that v qual liberty were granted in
England to his fubjeds. [Fcedera, V. n,p. 62.!

* By the Uxm foreign perfon wc miift evidently tlic year I 277, ami fays, tliat it is cured hy an

uiuU'rlland one nut belonging to the corporation ointment maJe of quick-filvi.r and bog's lard,

of tliccity or town. t,tiiw [..■intui/a, f. ^c^, ed. 1600] calls the dif^afc

f 'i'lic annalitl of Waviilcy dates the introduc- m-./nm and rot,
lion of this Jifiafe, which he calL the i/.m/ii, in

A. D. 1276. 4^9

The mayor and citizens of London had, during many years, prevent-
ed the citizens of Bremen from coming to England, for the very trifling
reafon, as alleged by thofe of Bremen, that a native of that city, who
was in the fervice of a citizen of London when a fine was levied from the
city by Henry III had left the kingdom without paying his proportion
ol- It. The duke of Brunfwick, as fuperior of Bremen, requefted Kine
Edward to mterpofe, and permit the merchants of Bremen to trade in
England, as they had done in the time of his progenitors. [Fcniera V.
n,pp> 1065, 1066.] '

1277, May i5'''-.In thofe ages the power of making war and peace
was otten aflumed by the maritime cities and towns, as well as by the
great lords : and as their hoftilities were openly avowed, they were not
ttigmatized as piracy, according to the modern fenfe of that word * The
whole of the Cinque ports, as a community, have frequently taken upon
them to engage in wars with foreign towns or communities, wherein
the fovereigns on either fide had no adive concern. Such a warfare
they carried on againft the citizens of Calais in the year 1220; a«ainft
thole ot Bayonne in 1237; and againft the fame again in 1277 The
later quarrel was terminated by the interpofition of Kinr Edward who
now gave the people of Bayonneone hundred pounds for the preferva-
tion ot peace, \lcedrra, V. i, pp. 250, 373 ; V. u,p. 82.]

Either the eftablifliment of the Engfifti laws m Ireland by Kin^ Tohn
was only partial or they had fallen out of ufe ; for the people ""of Ire-
land made an offer to the jufticiary (or viceroy) to pay to the king
^1^ u,-^it° , "''"■^'' "" condition that the laws of England fliould be
eitabWhed among them. The king was very well pleafed with the applica-
tion, for he thought the anticnt Irifli laws unworthy to be called laws and
dehred the jufticiary to inquire what was the general wifii of the people
the prelates, and the nobles; and, if he found the majority defirous of
ihe introduclion of the Englifii law among them, to bargain for the
argelt lum of money he could obtain for the king's confent. [FtrJera
. 11,/. 78.] And, in two or three years after, the bufinefs appears to'
liave been accomphfiicd. [Rot. pat. ^ Echo. I.]

May 24"'_rhe revenue railed from the jews in England feems to
liave hitherto confifted chiefly of tallages, arbitrarily impol'ed at the will
ot the king. It was apparently in order to introduce Ibme regularity in
that branch of the revenue, and to let the Jews know what they had to
depend upon, that a ftatute had been made, containing a multitude of
provilions for controlling aud regulating their traniadions, and fixing
their payments to the king, whofc Haves (' fertV) they are repeatedly

• In thofe Jays, the men onboard all warlike vc(r.!a were culled *,>„/-. • and cv.n. v.lT.I ,., •„ ^
...r war was called a piratic (hip. or mj.f,aro in the J..,i„ of the tin,a ' ^ ' '''"'P'"^

430

A. D. ^277.

declared to be*. The iujuftice and inexpediency of fomc parts of
that^ flamte baring, perhaps lilently, rendered the whole of it inefficient,
the king now ifllied an order by his own authority, wherein, after re-
capitulating fome parts of the flatute, viz. that every Jew, male or fe-
male, above twelve years of age, was to pay annually three pennies to
the king ; that they were to live only in thofe cities and burghs, where-
in there was an arch-chirographer of the Jews, who feems to have been
an officer appointed to draw up, and regifter, their fecurities ; and that
all Jews of above feven years of age, fhould wear a yellow diflinguilhing
badge, confpicuoufly placed upon their upper garments, he defires that
the tax of three pennies of head money, and all the arrears of it, may be
llriaiy levied. [Fa-Jera, V. n, p. 83.]

1278, June 17"'--King Edward having received very confiderable af.
fi fiance from the Cinque ports in his war againft the Welib, gratified
them with a cliarter, wherein he refers to liberties they enjoyed in the
times of Edward the ConfelFor, William I, William II, Henry II, Rich-
ard I, John, and Henry III. The fervice required of them by the king,
is fixed at fifty-feyen fliips, properly manned, for fifteen days. And in
return, they are favoured with exemption from prifage upon the wines
imported in their own trade, and with fome other inmiunities. [Jeake's
Chartt'rs of the Cinque ports.]

According to Bratlon, who flouriflied in the reign of Henry III, the
}xn-ts originally allociated in the duty of providing fliips for the public
fervice, and in the enjoyment of the privileges and exemptions granted
in return for their fervices, were Haftings, Hythe, Rumney, Dover, and
Sandwich ; antl from their number, being yfix?, was derived the coUedive
appellation oi Cinque ports, which continued in ufe after the acceflion of
other ports rendered it improper. Winchelfea and Rye were added
afterwards, probably in the reign of Edward I, and many more as mem-
bers. Their names have been varioufly ftated ; and probably they have
really vai-ied, according to the fluduating circumltances of the places.

According to a lift, dated in the
aa** year of Edward I,
Haftings provided - 3 ftiips,
Tlic Lowie of Pevenfey, i
Bulverhithe and Petit Jahn, i

• Tlic ftatutc, faid to be of uncertain date (See
S.'itfulet at !:rgf, hutix, vn. Jeivi, and ^Ipptmlix,
p. 2H), is dated by I'rynne {^Drmurrtr, ptu-t i,
A 37J '» '''«; third year n\ Edw. 1, wlicreiii lie
iliffcis fiom I.iird Coke. It perinittid the Jews
to be tncrcliaiits, labourers, ufKl fannerf, but pro-
liibitcd thcni tVom takiiif; «_> interell for moticy,
and rttloiid to lliofc Ciiiiftians, who had mort-
gaged tlicir lands to Jews in lixiirlty for money
lent, the chief honfe and half of Uic lands. Thefe,
benig the moil obviouj unjiill, and inexpedient,
;i;iri- uf the Calule, are not mentioned in the kinjj'j

According to a cuftumal of the
town of Hythe, of a later age than
that of Edward I f ,
Haftings v^as to provide 2 1 ftiips.
Its members wereSeaford,

order. There is a tran(]«tion of the ftatutc in
Tovfy's /fiiglia Jutl,iu-ii, />. 200.

t In the reign of Richard II we fnid an order
to fit out the Cinque-port fleet u( fy'iy-fewn v«HWit,
armed and properly arrayed, with a niafttr ai'id
ttvi-nly men in taeh, to fervc fifteen days after th.ir
arrival at Briftol, the pan of rendctyinn., at th ir
own expenfe, and afterwards as long aa tlie king
Ihould reqtn're at his expenfe, thonglionly the pay
of the men in fpecilied ; for all which charters it'
former klr.i^'! are referred to. [F.r./c/v, K vii, «.
7!<4 ; fee aifo^, 834; and K >,/•. io8.]

A. D. 1278.

Becklbum, - , fhip.

Grange and Gilllngham, two
armed men.

43 «

Rye.

Winchelfea,

Romney,

Lyddc,

Hythe,

Dover,

Folkfton,

Feverfham,

Sandwich.withStonor, Ford-
wich, Dale, &c. - ^
The fhips to be ready upon forty
days notice every year, properly
armed and arrayed, to carry 20
men each, befides the mafter of the
mariners, and to ferve five days at
the expenfe of the ports, and after-
wards at the king's expenfe.

Pevenfey, Hodney, Win-
chelfea, Rye, Ihame,
Beckfburn, Grange, Nor-
5 thie, Bulverhithe.

lo Romenal, or Rumney 5 fhips,

4 Its members, Promhill,
7 Lydde, Eaftwefton, Den-

5 geymarfh, Old Rumney,
19 Hethe, or Hythe, - 5

7 lis member, Weft Hythe.

7 Dovei - - 21

Its members, Folkfton, Fe-
verfliam,andS'. Margarets.
Sandwich, - e

Its members, Fordwich,
Reculver, Serre, and Dele,
or Deal.

Each ftiip to carry 21 men and
I garcion or boy, the whole com-
plement being 1,197 ^^^ and 57
boys for the 57 niii>s, which were to
lerve 1 5 days, countingfrom the firft
fpread of the fails, at the expenfe of
the ports, and afterwards, as long as

rt/i; .' rr. „. . the kingftioulddefire, at his expenfe.

[Hakluyt s Voiages, V. 1. p. 17.] ^

King Edward treated the Jexvs ^vith great rigour. He prohibited
them from felhng or afTigning their debts without his licence. He or-
dered their repofitories throughout the whole kingdom to be fcarched.
rte illued various orders againft their extortions by ufury. He fet on
toot an inquifition to take cognifance of thofe who negleded to wear
their diftinguiftimg badges. The oppreflion and ignominy, which that
uutortunate race of people continually groaned under, feem to have
rendered them regardlefs of charader ; and the fretjuent extortions of
valt iums from them made them think themfelves juftifiable in tukino-
every method whatever to indemnify themfelves. They were laid tS
make a common pradice of diminilhing the current coin, circulatino-
counterfeit money, and making fraudulent exchanges, and to carry
thole frauds to inch an extent, that the nominal prices of all tliinos
were railed, and foreign merchants declined trading in England, whe?c
the money was lo very much funk below i:s nominal value. In cwife-
quence of their guilt, and the outcry raifed againft them, all the Tows
throughout England were imprifoncd in one day, and no fewer than
two hundred and eighty o^ both fexes were hanged in London unlv, be-

;r

432

A. D. 1278.

lides vaft numbers in otlier parts of the kingdom, whofe property was
all confifcated. Some Chriftians were alfo hanged for being concerned
with the Jews, and others were heavily fined. [Rot. pat. 4, 5, 7, 8, 9

EJw. I.-^M. Weftm. p. 4.09 — T. Wikes, p. 107 Walfmgham, p. 48. J

1279 — The awkward contrivance of making halfpennies and far-
things by breaking pennies into two or four pieces, which prefented a
very tempting opportunity of cutting fome of the filver from the pieces,
was ftill in ufe, though round halfpennies and farthings had been many
years in circulation, but probably not in fufficient quantity. In order
to prevent fo great a temptation to fraud, and to banifla all the counter-
feit or defaced money from the circulation, the king ordered a complete
new coinage of round pennies, halfpennies, and farthings, and alfo fome
pieces of four pennies each * ; and thenceforth no other than round

money was allowed to be current f . [Jnn. Waver/, p. 234 T. Wikes,

p. 108 — M. Wejlm. p. 409 — Stew's Ann. p. 307.]

iL feems probal^le that King Edward alfo cohied pieces of two pen-
nies, as Alexander king of Scotland coined pieces of that value, and, we
may prefume, others of four pennies %.

In order to difnerfe the new money quickly through the kingdom,
it was given to the people in exchange for the old bad money, on pay-
ing the difference, at the minting offices, called changes or exchanges,
cftablifhed in moft of the principal towns. [T! Wikes, p. 108.] At this
time the mint, or exchange (' cambium'), of London was under the
management of fome merchants from Luca in Italy, together with Gre-
gory de Rokefle mayor of London. [Madox's Hjjl. of the excheq. c. 22,
§ 4 i '■• ^l^ § !•] As we have good reafon to believe, that the Engliih
filver-fmiths were by no means deficient in their art, we mull fuppofe,
either that the king was uuder pecuniary obligations to the foreigners,'
or that his own fubjeds were inferior to the Italians in the knowlege of
accounts, which is the mod probable.

In the dark ages the people were made to believe, that the fureil way
to obtain eternal happinefs was to beftow their property upon, what

• The coinajTc of four-penny pieces hy Ed-
ward I is mcntiuntd, 1 btlicvc, only by otow ;
and it was though: a miftake. [/Yc-.-wW/ Chron.
free. p. 38, cJ. 1745.] But hill veracity is con-
.'irmeil !j» Mr. Fulkcs, who wcij^hed eleven fuch
pieces of Edward I, :iiid found thcin very unequal,
tome too light, and others much too heavy.
^Tables nfcui:u,p. 8.] They were prol,.il)ly never
very nunieroni, nor generally current ; and if is
;>ietly evident, that tlicy, ;is well as the gold c<,in8
of Henry III, were forgotten in tiie reign of
Edward III.

f The Tiiftakcn notion, that this was the firft
•coinage of round halfpennies and fatlLings in Eng-

land, has already been noticed and accounted for.
See above, p. ^Jsj, mile.

X A piece oV t wo pennies, coined by King Alex-
ander, is prclerved in the Ad»oeates' library at
Edinburgh, and is afrribetl to Alexander 11.
[AW^A J'rtf. lul /Intl. Dipt. p. 64.] But. as the
kings were not ninibercd on iheir coins in thofe
ages, it feems more leafonable to alCgn it to hii
fon, the only Alexander contempoiary v.ith Ed-
ward I, than to fuppofe that the ScoH jirecded
the Englifli in any innovation or iinprovenicnt.
There is in the fame colleifiioii a two-penny
afcribfd to Edward I. Bat, tor the rcafor.
given, it p'ay he d'..ibtcd, whicli Edwnra ;; ' -■
longs to.

A. D. 1278.

43i

we called, religious foundations. Before thev were carri^H V« .„.<•
m number and opulence, fuch foundations ^re Wuffive of fome ad
tSTr T%- '"''"=I«"'^=»' "f'^ --eligious purKe offherfnftt
wtie thte wc^ in alPaJer f" "P"-, ''^l"^ "^ <> '=onld read and

:';^^f o'f t£ir™or?"''"'" *^ '"r^'*'"^ »«5« f°-tn'Xf :f Th

to mank,n^ ""p' ^l^^'^*^'^'^-. §0 far thofe inftitutions wer. beneffc al

;:qnrpuVgiaTae-sv^^^^^^^^^^^^^
is<::?.^trpr:=\o-die:^i,Tn&:^^^^^^^^^^

the elfl '„:s ftr'and";"' 1"^=" °'" ""= «^"' t' a"!" 1t'tft?":f
have been difregarded • and fuch donSio" fef „ hfve b eu'e'^STtoT

sr^hTzt, £r;:;',;;t^o'd.t ";t--:: "'''"^ c^^^rrotjof it

himielf, iHK^had ventt,r:S\"ltT,ScX'=^rr„ra'™hE
wa, therefor by no n«a„, fufficiem to prev. ,; the contZance nf rh,

il^Jn^tX^rctl^VlTtS^'la-it-r

• Wc li,ve alrwdy feen, il.at iU ii.cfficict and
i.un-ref.de..t fore.jr., ciagymc-n, .mpolcd u,mn Eng-
l.>iul by the po|„;. drained h an.iuaUy .,i m.,rf
■'oiuy -han the u l,ole ,. »c„ur .,f ,i.e klu.rdoni
ainuuntcd to. <,"""'

Vol. I

t It IS true that the lands of biftiop,, abbat.,

o' ■• . Sic. vvho were barons aa well an etclefiaf-

Hcs, weic iiibjcdcd to nuiltary fervicM by W;U;am

l.« (onquettjf : but they wer. ptrforui.d bv fub-

, mmtt, and of httle avail.

? I

::i>l' •:;■-;

4S4

A. D. 1278.

daining, tBiat no lands fhould go into the pofieffion of any perpctu»l body,
either by donation or by fale ; and that any land, fo difpofed of by col-
lufion, ihould be entered upon by the fuperior k>rd, or, in cafe of his
negled or failure, by the king, who Ihould put it into the pofleffion of
fuch as would contribute their fervices to the defence of the realm.
[7 E(hv. 7.3 As the king only adverted to the deficiency of wiilitary
ftrength occafioned by the ecclcfiaftical monopoly of lands, it is pretty
evident, that the pernicious anti-commercial tendency of it never occur-
red to him or his council *.

The great, fertile, populous, induftrious, and wealthy, empire of China,
which was firft attacked, and in part fubjedted, by Zingis-khan, was
now completely fubdued by his grandfon Cublai. The conquei-or next
afpired to the dominion of the fca and the iflands. But the fleet, which
he expeded to make him mafter of Zipangu (fuppofed to be Japan), was
twice wrecked, and a hundred thoufand Moguls and Chinefe perifhed
without achieving any conqueft. Notwithftanding this revolution, the
conftitution, the manufactures, and the commerce, trf" China remained
unimpaired. The army of the conquerors was foon loft and blended
among the infinite numbers of the conquered : and the empire feemed
rather to have adapted a new dyna.fty of princes, than to have fuffercd
a re\-olution. [See Gibbon, V. xi, pp. 414, 427, and autboviiies quoted h
bm.\

The emperor Cublai, obferving that many lives were loft every year
in tranfporting the produce of the fouthem provinces to the capital by
fea, conftruded a canal by turning the waters of fome lakes into arti-
ficial channels extending northward and fouthward 840 geographical
miles. \_BiJi. Sin. ap. Tbevenot, V. vi, p. 67.] This canal, which is the
longeft artiticial navigable water in the world, by its connexion tvith
the great rivers*eflfeds an inland navigation, with very little interrup-
tion from portages, between Fekin and Canton, cities fituated at the
©ppofite extremities of the empire, and is continually covered by in-
numerable barges employed in ccnduding the greateft part of the trade
of the moft populous country on the face of the earth, and alio in con-
veying jxiflengers, the journies being moftly performed by water f .

1280, July 17'" — In confequence of iome differences between the
merchants of London and thole of Zeland, the later in the year 1275

• It appears by th<! patent roUs 27 EJiv. I, m.
I, nnd h'tt^tra, Y. ii, /. 1004, that Edward did
liot fcruple to inCiingc t)iis> Uatiite hiDifelf, and al-
low others to irifilnge it. And, not to muliiiily
iiillanccs in the lame and fucteedinj^ reigns, which
might be produced by hiindrtda, it may fuftlcc to
ohierrc, that in the yeav 13J9 it was reprefented
to Edward III and hi» privj Louncil, that, if tlicy
were not very attentive to prevent it, his whole
Ovininionk would loi 1 in th>: liands of religion ;

fo monadic focicties were then called. [^yn'>
Pfac. pari. p. 644.] A "try ufnal expedient for
evading the law was to make an exchange of Ooc
pic'.c of land for another with the fuperior of a
monallic ellabliOinient, as may be feen in almoll
every page of the Cahnciar of the pntati relit.

t S'.e the dtfcription of the navigation of the
Chfiieie canal in StauMm't ylaount of nn embujly ii
Chlmi,

A. t). i3,8o»

4J5

dered, that ihc^vovJyofTmS^hf^^ Edward theFeupan or.
pom of Engla/d. 'or u^cL thrSlotfd^blltf "1"^
wartare wa* k^t up for about five years tili the €rrl*of7«ilw ^l°"J
to make fatisfadioa for the damaae. ZU kJT ^J'^t P^^eland offered

Kiag Edward now order^S dtt X^^hal oV th^^^^ = "^'TP^'^
have their property reftoi-ed and hpTiuf !f! \,^.^ ^'''""^'■J' ^°"W
fort- rr^^l i"i7J:/<^"°*ea, and be allowed to trade in England a« U>

i^ovemDer 17 —The king confirmed to the merchant.! of rLL
occupying the Teutonic gildhall in Undon, the prTviWes an^ ifh ?^'

wl^?!;' 5^°''^"^^5 2<>' -The commercial intercourfe of the ChrJft.v„
with the Saracens havinfi been int«>rnmf^^ f.., ^uunc or tne i^nnitmns

with an order iflbed W t^e Ze Pe i^^^

that his fubjeas were ve^ g^lff^^l^f ^^^^^^^^^^^

whether Chrifti'ans or Saracens B u he add.?l^ "^'^' '° '" "^^^°"''
pow. r to difpenfe with the pope's pLti^krnrohlhl-' "''' -"n ''' ^''
ing iron, arms, and fome Uer an clL to^rh^^^^^^^ agamft carry-
Mm. 6i/l, de Barcelona, y. ii, S 1^^ 7 ^ 1 '""'' ^^^^'"""■^''

It was» no doubt, chiefly for the fatp «f tk» (u j ,

Juc=d by .h»m, .ha't King Edw;rd'c™™?ffi^S dfe'S„'^^^^^ ^^'^'P" "
the wolves in the fliires of Glonr^-ft^r w a rr ^i"^*^" ^^ deftroy
Stafford, rFW.r« F i I tATZa '7 T.^u'' "^i^^^"^' '^^^^OP. ^nd
in all the foreTif En/and^^^rr^^ ^^^^''^ ^° ^'""^ ^^^^"^

after John Engayne «of an efti^^^^ ?.• i' '"a'J ^^ ^^"^^ '''^<^

Wble Edward was coUedrng his an^y for the So/'of °^^ales, he

.J '^■U ^n" V'"^'"''"'' ^" '"'■"^««d by wolves
Jdfor. [>''• /Vii, «/. «. 45.] Vrilliam the Con.

umbcrland to Robcn de bn.fravillc on condition
of dcfendmg bat part of the country againft cnc"
nnc. and wolv« gBUu^', Tenurl, J.Tc, "i
"579-] KInjr John gave a premium of ten fliil.
I-ngsLr catching ttvo waive,. [K.m^r'/c.J^

gave land. .« Northan,p{!>u.(lmc to Jo n a,"

Thomas Engaine for the feryice of deftrovino-

.,'?'•„ Cf/'""".//-.>5. 71.] Yet we are told,

o .T.r f rf "f •" '" ^^"^^ ""«■■ extirpated Inr

b wolf If'/'"? "/ ^^^'"^' - 'f '«'"' '^•"'d
DC worves in Eng&nd without beiiiir in Wal-s •

312

43«

A. D. laSi.

lent agents, not only through all England, but alfo into the neighbour-
ing countries, to buy up provifions and other ftores. IRot. fVa/lia, lo,
1 1 FJ7v. I, in ytyloffe's Calendar.'] We find, feveral agents were fent to
purchafe corn and other provitions in Ireland, which thus appears to
have produced more than the confumption of the inhabitants required ;
and there were no potatoes theh. [Rot. Walliee, mm. to, 8, 2.J We
alfo find, the ihirrefs of Cumberland and Lancafter were ordered to fend
people to pur^-hafe fifti on the weft coaft of Scotland, and to carry them
to Chefter : and Adam of Fuleham was appointed to provide lOO bar-
rels of fturgeons of Aberdeen*, and 5,000 lalt fifh, and alfo dry fifli.
[Rot. Wallia^ vim. 9, 8 dor/is.} The fifli of Aberdeen were lb well cured,
that they were even carried to the capital fifhing port of Yarmouth \'.
Thus we are afltired that fifheries were carried on to fome confiderable
extent on both fides of Scotland ; and that Aberdeen, which had then
got a charadter for curing filh, and probably fome port or ports in the
Firth of Clyde, were known to have a fiipply of fifh, pickled and cured
for foreign markets, long before the time that the art of curing filh is
generally fuppofed to have been difcovered in Flanders.

1282 — The colledtion of the cuftoms was frequently entrufted to for-
eign merchants, either as an accountable truft, or for a ftipulated rent %•
Bonricini Guidicon and Company of Luca accounted to the exchequer
for the proceeds of the new cuftoms oh wool, wool-fells, and hides, from

• * Centum barrili' t/i^iotium dt quingem' Ahtr-
'/'"•' — So it is in t!ic roll, whicli I examined by

by
I lie favour- of Mr. All1», tl «• learned and liheral
keeper of tin reconJs in tlit Tower. The traniia-
tion fecins t^, U — a uuiu'ieJ laireli, o/JiMc hundred
piundt ecd, of Ahcrd.tn' fli.rgeoui. — Quere if not
r.ither falmons (ifycir.im or efocium, inllead of whicli
tl e copying citrklu.s written tjigionuni in the roll)
ior the Uiptr'ur pickling mul pacjcitig of which in
barrels of tli^' old Hambii'gh 4/>f/ .Aberdeen lias
lung been fau.oiii .' Hturget ns were fcarce, and too
expenrivc fi.: fe'.dir;, a:i anny witfi. tiiit barrels
of them eof^ /"iQ for the houfchold of Thomas
eatl of Lantalicr, nephew of King Edward 1.
i^Sfow's Siiiny <ff Lcnduii, /■. 133, id. l6j8.] The
Idlted aid dry fi/h were probably cod or ling, not

put up in any packajjcs In the year 1308 Ed-

ward II ordered hit chamhcrlaia for ticotlai'.d to
provide 3,ccc falnio:.s in SLUtlaiu! out of the rc-
»enues of th;;t country, and to have them properly
pi.t up in cafks (' doliis') for prcfcivation. [/>.
dtij, V. m,{>. 95.]

f Four hundvtd llfii of Aberdeen, two hundred
floikfifh, one (fmall ) barrel of fturgeons, five dozen
o: lampriys fifty pounds of whale (' baleii'), and
f^-df a lall of herrings, conftituted the lifii part of
the provifions, put onb'uard a fhip, fitted out at
Yarmouth in the yc.ir 1250, for bringing the in-
tai I quctn of Scutlaiiu fioin liic ( 'jurt of her fa-
.'.ir the king of Norwv.y. The fifh of Aberdeen

coll fomewhat under three pennies each, the flock
filli fomewhat under oi;c penny each, and the half
lall of herrings thirty fhillii gs. {Rymer's Coll.
mtmufcr. K ii, p. 1«7.J Aberdeen fUh .ilfo occur
ill the accoitnt of King Edward'o wardrobe in the
year i2qo.

X The cufloms were alfo alTighed to individuals
as Itcuritits, or funds, for the payment of debts
due by tiie king. In the year 1307 Edward I
alTigned to the merchnnts of Brabant the new cuf-
toms payable upon their own imports for payment
of a debt due to them, whercupou they promifcd
to bring merchandize much inoic abuniJantly to
the pore of Londou. [^Ryhy, Plac. pari. p. 327.]
In 1312 the culloms of Uoilon were atiigned to a
merchant of Genoa fur a debt due by the king.
[Madix't Hiji. c 10, § 12.] In the fame year
the cufloms of wool, wool-felh, and hides, in the
port of Berwick were afligned to Piers de Gavaf-
ton for ^408 ; 1 1 : 8 due by the kiig, to be paid
to him immediately after the full payment of a luni
fecured upon the fame cuftoms to David of Biccl; •
in, a Scottilh baron, then in the intereft of Ed-
ward, probably as a compcnfation fot the forfeiture
of his ellate in Scotl.uul, [Frdera, V. iii, p. 310.]
And Alexander III king of Scotland took the
fame method of paying a foreign merchant by an
afTignmcnr, of the ruiloms of Berwick. [^Fadera,

y. IS /. 605. J

A. D. laSa.

437

Ifr !T. 'I '^'^^'' '^i^'- ^''^ ^'■^"^ ^°"^« particulars of their account
we find that there were ihipped from Newcaftle upon Tine

. r Vul 1 I 7,^ ^?"^' ?^"';^«^' P'^yi"g 'I cuftom duty of 6/B per fack ;
i I 1 82 wool- fells (Iheep's fkins with the wool on them) 6/B for every ,oo:
and 8o lafts 1 2 dacres of hides \ (r. ^er laft

rT^/.]^ '• v^}'T,'^r^]^ '^''^'^'' ^""^ ^he year amounted to
X. « ,4 1 1 ■• 1 9 •• 1 1 i- [Madox's Hi/I. of the excbeg. f . 2 cj, « i 1

Many other inftances might be adduced, if necelfary. of the collec-
tion oi the culloms bemg put into the hands of foreigners, who were
generally partners oMom. of thole ftrong and numerous companies
whoh.dthetr chief houfes m Italy, and had branches of therr^tmde
managed by one or more ot their partners, in London and other citie
ot JLt.rope whereby they got mto their own hands nearly the whole of
the trade between the Mediterranean coarts and the countries m which

M, the Spm, of Florence; the Riczardi, the Ballardi, of Luca &c
1 aole merchants were very Serviceable to the kmgs in lending ;hVm
money, and negotiatmg exchanges and other kinds of bufmefs fbr them
and conlequently enjoyed a --ood deal of their fivour. Thev were alio
generally agents for the pope, and received the money extorted by him
on a variety of pretences, trom every country m his communion, which
hey either remitted to him, or lent out at interell on his accotmt : fbr

!r ZT f ' '^'"•■'^^' ''^^^^^" ^" '^^'^'' '^'^ P^°P'^ ^^«"^ f^'king interefi
11 V J "'""'■■• '^"-■^" '^""^ ^^'"^'"g "P°" ^'^^ head of the church
who alTumed a power of U.lpending the laws of God and man for hu
own purpoies. Iri return for thole iervices the popes, who knew ho v
to pay their own debts at the expenle of others, uled to dcfire the kines
T^^""'!^"'' "f/'-'-'"^-^ ^"'^ privilege., exemptions, and lucrative jobs.

•^^'n ^38— ^ii^/</axV BijL c. 22, § 2 ; c. 23, § 22 ; c. 24, §7.1 ^^

The German merchants in London (called merchants or the Hanlb

.L^w'rV'^ r* -!''■' '^""''^' "^' authority*) were bound, m conlider-
at on of undry privileges to maintain the gate of the citv called bi.hopl--
gate. Upon their refufal to faihil their part of the covenant tho mat-
er was earned betorethc barons of die e.^hequer, who ,avc jtahime' u

Gerard Marbod alderman of the Hanfe. together with lix other merch-
Hms citizens of C:oIogne, Tncrs, Trivon, i£mburgh. and .MunlC^r tor
ttie exi>enle of the reparations ; v. hereupon they paid 210 marks to t!it

43«

A. D. laSi.

city, aiid engaged to uphold the gate in future, and alfo to bear a third
part of the charges in money a<kl men to defend it. On that occafion
the aommujiity of the city granted, or confirmed, to the German inerch-
aitf^ the liberty of ftoring the corn imported by them for the fpace of
forty days, untefs particularly prohibited by the mayor on account of
fcarcity, or other reafonable caufe, and of chufing their alderman, who
fliould be of tlie city, {hould be prefented to the mayor and aldermen
of the city after bis ele^on, and fhould take an oath before them to
maintain juftice according to law and the cuftoms of the city *. [Stow's
Survey of London, ^, 43 1 , <•</. 1 6 1 8. ]

ia83— * Pedro III king of Aragon, by his provifion of the year 1283,
' which is the feventh chapter of the cortes of Barcelona of that year,
' abolilhed the gabel (or duty) upon fait throughout all Catalonia, and
' decreed by law that neither he nor any of his fucceflbrs fhould ever
' be empowered to re-eftabli{h it. This falutary raeafure was a dired

• encouragement to the fiihery and the trade of curing provifions, and

• particularly tunnies, the fifhery for which had been in all ages an ob-

• jea of attention with the Catalans.' At the fame time (by c. 25'")
the hofpitable law of Count Raymundo Berenguer I in the year 1068
was confirmed and amplified. ICapmany, Mem. bifi. de Barcelona., VJi,
Coin. pp. 231, 224.] From thefe and other wife laws of the Catalans,
already mentioned, and to be mentioned, in this work, it is evident that
the true principles of commercial and manufadturing policy were well
wnderftood and afted upon by that nation many ages before they began
to be known in this country. And, indeed, at whatever time the fifli-
cries and manufa^ures of Great Britain fhall be delivered from the
hardfhips of the fait laws, it muft be acknowleged that the legiflators of
Barcelona will have had the merit of preceding up by above five centuries.

The firft Englifli parliament, wherein eledive reprefentatives of the
people fat, was furamoned by the ufurped and tranfient authority of the
earl of Leicefter in the year 1 265 : and after that we know of no fimilar
reprefentative, or eledive, members of any parliament, till King Edward
fummoned a parliament (June 28''') to meet at Shrewfbury on the 30'"
of September 1283, to wlucb, befides the great barons called by a par-
ticular writ addrelfed to each of them, and two reprefentatives eleded
for each of the fliires, there were called two members for each of the
following cities and towns, which, if the lift is complete, were thoie
which were then efteemed the moft opulent and confiderable in the
kingdom. The writs were direded to the

Mayor, citizeis, and fliirrefs, of

London,
Mayor and citizens of Winchejler^

Mayor and bailifs of Newcqftle upon

Tine,
Mayor and citizens of T~ork,

• We fl all afterwards find tlie office of alderman of the Hanfe ufually filled by one of the aldermen
of London. .

A. D, 1283.

Mayor and bailifs oi Brijlol,
Mayor and citizens of Lxeter,
Mayor and citizens of Lincoln^
Mayor and citizens of Canterbury,
Mayor and citizens oi Carlile,
Bailifs of Norwich,
Mayor and good men oi Nortbamton,
Bailifs of Nottingham,
Bailifs of Scarburgb,

439

Mayor and bailifs of Grimjby,
Mayor and bailife of Lym$e,
BAilifs of Cokbejer,
Bailifi and good men ofTarmouti,
Mayor and good men of Hereford,
Mayor and good men of Cbefier,
Bailifs and good men ofSbrewJkury,
Mayor and good men of Worcffier.
[Foedera, V. ii, pp. 247-349.]

Thus were the reprefentatives of the trading part of the people, refidine
an cities and bnrghs. eflablilhed as a conftituent part c/the kgiS

nS j; 1^^7^^°"- , 2f ^h.« conftitution of \he parliament was fo
unfcttled, that frequently the cities and burghs were not called upon to
e ed their reprefentatives. I have already obferved, that the reprefent-
a ives of the commons had little or no influence in parliament till lone
after the time new under our confideration. ^

Odober I o'-_The parliament, met at Adon-Bumell, confiderin? that
there was no law whereby merchants might recover their debts from
thole to whom they entrufted their property, and that, for want of fuch
a law. many merchants were impoverifted. and many foreign merchants
defifted from trading to England. pafTed an ad called the Smrcte ofm^cJ^
^«/j-. which direded that the buyer fliould appear before the mayor of
wT'ti ?!'';' °' ^'n"""^' '° acknowlege the debt and day of pavment-
which Ihould be regiftered ; and that the debtor Ihould put his' leal to
a bill drawn by the mayor's clerk, who fhould alfo affix the king's feal
lodged with h.m for that purpofe •. If the debtor negleded to make
payment when due, the mayor, upon the creditor producing his bill
was dneaed to order a fale of the debtor's chattels, or bi.rgaL devife-
able, to the extent ot the debt, if they were within hk juriididion. ami
o deliver the money without delay to the creditor. If the property of
the debtor was not withm the mayor's jurifdicftion, be wa4 to fend" the
recognilance to the chancellor, who was to iffue a xvm, ddiriivg the ihir-
ret. in whok juritdrdion the propatywas, to do what the mayor fbould
othemays have done. \t the debtor paffefled no propertv, te i^as to be
impnloned, and t.d with bread and water, till hi or hi. friends ihouM
latisfy the creditorf . ^Aa ix Edw. I.]

In the years 1283 .and 1284 Robert Durham the mayor, together
with Sjmoii Marte land other good men, of Berwick upon 'IVeed, e^-
adted the Statutes oj the gild.
By c. ao None bat gild-brethren were permitted to buy hides, wooL Wr

• Thefe regulations fuppof< the debtor Incapable of wrttm^.

bcr r«dmg a plan, fo.ncwhat iimilar to ihi. law.'projcacd by fome moJcrn aullvor.

t I rcraembc

■l/po

A. T). 12^:

cc. 22, Xj, .t4, Herrings unci othL-r fini, corn, beans, peas, Iblt and
coals *, were ordered to be fold ' at the hray' aloncfldc of the veflel
bringing them, and nowhere elle : and they were nor to hu carried on-
ftiore when the fun was down. Any burgcfs, who was pnfent at a pur-
chafe of herrings, might claim a portion of thcin for his own confumn-
tion at the original coft. '

c. 27, Brokers were eledtcd by the comnumiry of the town, and their
names regiftercd. They paid annually a tun (' doliutn'j of wine for
their licence.

c. 28, No regrator was allowed to buy fifli, hay, oats, cheefe, butler or
other articles, brought into the town for fale, till the bell rang.
cc. 29, 41, No merchandize was allowed to be fold anywiiere but in the
common market, where they were to ])ay loll.

c. 33, The government of the town w.-s declared 10 be by a mayor
four provofts (' praepofitis'), and twenty-four counfelors.

The court of the Your burghs in .Scotland condfted of reprefcniative.s
trom Berwick, Edinburgh, Rokfburgh, and Strivelinc (or .Stirling)
whofe province it was to judge of al' matters concerning commerce
and the conftitutions and cuftoms of the burghs ; fo that it was a board
of trade and police f .

The Chamberlain's court in Scotland appears to hi've aifo had a iurif-
diaion over the burghs, and the infpedion and regulation of many mat-
ters conneded with the trade and general police of the kingdom. The
chamberlain made periodical progrefles through the whole country, and
carried with him ftandard weights and nieafures, in order to prove thofe
kept by the niagiftrates of the towns ; and it was his duty to prevent
thole, who took up goods for the king's ufe at the king's price (which
thus appears to have been under the fair market price) from taking
more than was wanted for the king in order to get a profit to them-
felves, and alfo from defrauding the merchants of their due payment.
From the regulations of this court we learn, that infpedors were ai)-
pomted to examine, and certify by their feal of office, the quality aiii
quantity of cloth, bread, and calks containing liquors ; that other offi-
cers, called troners, had the infpedion of wool ; that the falmon filhery
was carefully regulated, and filhing during the night, or while the lal
mon were not in feafon, was prohibited, &c. %

of the Staluta gi/dtr and l/fr camerarii, as publilhed
by Skene along with the Regiam niajeflatem. The

• This is the cai Heft mention of the ufc of coals
in Scotland j but, as they were earned to Berwick
by water, it is uncertain, whether they were dug
in England or Scotland.

t In the year 1368 Lanerk and Linlithgow
were lubftituied for Berwick aad Rokfburgh, lihen
in the hands of the Englilh ; and Hadington,
though not one of the four burghs, was appouited
to be their place of meeting. ISketu, f, 154 a.]
See below under the year 14.66.

\ The particulars of tlie cornmcrcial and muni-
. '[i,il police of Scotland are given upon the faith

origin of the court of the four burLlis and of the
chamberlain's court cannot be dilcdvcrcd. \Vc
find them ellablilhed before the year 1291 : [/fy.
/yi'j i'/ac/V/ ;«/•/. pp. 147-151] and, as we may be
pretty well alTnred, that they could not originate
during the convulfions, which diftraftcd the ting,
dom after the death of Alexander III, we may
prefumc, thut they aie at lead x, old as the reign
of that king.

A.D. ia84. ^,

reigns, he conferred on hT fon j ?f thenC '^ r'"'''"' ^"'''^ ^«^«-
the title of prince of Wales whJhU r '"^^ Carnarvon in Wales,

fons of the kings of EnSd In orirr ^'"'^ ^^1°^^ ^'^ ^^^ ^^^ft
government, he made their prindoa tow ° ?'"'"^ u^" ^''^ '° ^"
many of them with exetiption from rnnT?h ^'^^'''S^f' ^"d favoured
alfo gave them encour^gTS^o w^rk L\>'°"fn^^^ /^ ^"^^^'^^- ««
ferves notice as the com'mencemenTof i^rT^^^^^^ ^^l'^ ^

fince become confiderable in fhn^ ^^.,„; r7 branch, which has

Eric king of Nomny, inTfrieX le««f ITn' f'J' ''^•^■^■9'-97-]
ed of injuries done to ihe merohTmf if h' if Edward, eompluin-
trates in England, a^d eL™ llr thofrtf T ^"^''T ""^ '''""= '^"S'"
pu^ ftop .o^he■n, andTo'^der^'e'S'refs 'ter^ H^!^ ^''""^

The rancour of neighbourhood and the iealolX of ' ^^ ^^'^'^
naval power had kem ,,», „ i "" ,^"^ jeaiouly ot commerce and

rtruggfe beween the Senorf: i^S^he pi?"""";™'"'"™!"''' bloody
by the afcendant thev had obtWH ■ u ' """ ""'^ '^' Genoefe.
co^nfequence of 'hdr'aXce'Tn he'eftoLirS^^r °/ "-t^^"' '"
were become too powerful for the Kfanf TT, fi, ?' °'^^^ ""f'"^-
sallies, and eight Wels calle" A^;£, 1 rgeJfhL " 'iHe?' "f-'y-^igbt
the port of Pifa, where thcr, ^„7.Lj}- ■ S^l"", and went to

TweSty nine Pifak gauil 'toge^heTwfh ^h^^^t ^^^.^^'I'S^r"'"''-

:Sa£n IT^t't'-ctt'on^''^ ^r^:^^ t'ThirnTf
however, wa abundanVly dtSfiv! Tlf h" f '' '^ "" '''>'°". "''"^h.
of Pifa were taken prifoLrsfa,fi ttenceCtl the """^ ""'""= "*'«
pire of the Mediterranean were contS .W (1 k ^"""""oe and em-

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A. D. 12S5.

fruftrated by the miftakes or wilful perverfiiMM erf" the iherrifs, it v?as
now cnaded, that debtors fhould acknowkge riieir debts before the
chief m^iftrate or otber fufScient perfon appointed by the king, and a
clexk alfe appointed by the king, in Londoa and the other good towns •
thait the bill, w^ritten by tiie deric, fliould be sealed and regiftered agree-'
able to the former a&, except tliat the king's feai fhould be of two pieces
whereof the largeft fliouid remain with the magiftrate or perfon aaing
fi>r him, and the other with the derk ; and each of them was diwflcd
alfo to keep a duplicate of the enroHnaent. On failure of payment at
the day appointed, the magiftrQte.if the debtor was a layman and with-
in his jurifdidlion, was to comnait him to prifim, where be was to re-
main at his own expenfe till he made fatisfadion. If the debtor was
not within the jurifdidion of the magiilrate, -the chaijcellor was to aft
agreeable to the former law. The debtor was allowed fix months after
his iraprifonnient to raife money out of his property, failing which it
was to be delivered to the merchant at a reaibnabie extent (or valua-
tion) for payment of the debt, damages, cofls, labour, &c. The lands
and goods, but not the body, of a clergyman were liable for his debt •.
The regulations were alfo extended m tranfadions in fairs, and the
king's feals were fent to a prqier perfon in every fair. With xefpe<a to
the commonaky of the merchant j of London, it was ena<aed, that two merch-
ants ftiould be cbofen aad fwom, before whom the recognifances fhould
be taken, and the feals (howld be opened, whereof one piece fhould re-
maim with them, and the other with the clerk. This wdinaiKie was in
force in England and Wales for the fenrioe of all perfons who chofe to
avail themfelves of it, ex<;ept Jews. [Stat. 3, 1 3 Edxv. /.]

The king, underflanding that Gregory de Rokefley and Henry Wa-
leys citizens of London f, and other merchants of England, Ireland,
Gafcoigne, and Wales, had made a pradice of obliging the baroHs of
the Cinque ports and the other feamen of the kingdom to pay average,
in cafes of goods thrown overboard in ftorms, upon articles which ought
to be exempted, ordained by his letters patem %, that the veflel with her
apparel, the provifions and cooking utenl'ils, the matter's ring, necklace,
fafli, and filver cup, and alfo the freight payable for the goods brought
into port, fliould be exempted from paying any average ; but that all
other things in the veflel, not excepting even the feamen's bedding, fhould
be appraifed, and bear a proportion of the k)is incurred by throwing
any of the goods overboard for the prcfervation of the reft ; and that
the mafler fhould not have any freight for the goods thrown overboard.

• There ia fome obfcurity, or relHftanee to
touch upon the fubjcft, in the proviliun for com-
pellinj^ dergymeii to pay their debts. Perhaps
there wa« bo inliaoce of a cjergyouui afiiiig dii'«
hoiiciily.

f Both of thera had frequentljr been nuyort of
the city,

X The king took the advice of his council j but
the pariianient had no concern in ctmAwg this

Uw.

The few imnufaaures then carried on not beine fufficient t^ i;«^
employment for the men, who were not engagVd ki w^ SLuit^^
or pafturage, and the great body of the F-^IeCing ndiher Tna^^^^
nor opportunity tc polift and humanize themfelves by^e^d^n ' orS
ratrona amufement,, robbery was the ufual refouirce ofTft^^uld^^^^^^^
of people m every part of Europe for fubfiftence and ernXm^m .r,!?
^.phinderers were often affifted. and proteded agaiSlVhTSitrof
J^ice by fome lawlefo baroa, whofe caftle was thdr reW nn.i fi
ceptacle of their piunder. In Germany theS pZl^Vr^^i^t^I^

aSthem w£^h '' "^'f '"^ ''^^' ^° ^'^ ^^ confedeS

the fetti^g till the rifing of the C and To keep' SS w^tc^S
m former umes,, at the gates from Afcenfion V^Sle mas +
Thofe. wha received lodgers in their houfes, were r^ade an WbL kt
their Gondua; and the magiftratcs of towns were dirededfn^^t/
quent mqmry in the fobv^rbs for fufpidous peXs lof^ n ^fr^ t

gutrates. And becaufe fuch malefluaors generallv conrprt ,.,* .L" i
m taverns, and continued in them till ife "ip^^^^^^^^ of 'm ""^

their plots xn execution, the mafters of all tL'ems ft tt fat nf ^'"^
or ale were ordered to Aut them up as foon Is^L curf^u belf ^^^^

wa 'ds ?o7T "TV' T'''^'\ r'^"''^^ *- ^^^ dilTgenttqui ';•„ S
a / ? malefaaors. and for people who had no property or vifih I
means of fupport No bufiies nor trees (except detaK trees cleLr^f
underwood) nor ditches, therein robbers could be conclled wiS »f
lowed to be within aoo ftet of either fide of the r^ad^ the whT
pie of tne hundred, wherein a robbery was cimn'tted; we^e toun^^^J

t q««c. if no. rath. fn>. Mlch.cl.n« to Af. }^^^^:^^ t^ll^^ tZ

r' 357'J '

3 K2

444

A. D. 1185.

make good the damage, if they did no.- apprehend the robber AnJ
every man was required .0 have in his houfe arms and armour, fuitaWe
to his crcumftances. to enable him to affift in keeping the peace. [StJ

About this time a great conduit was made in the llreet called Weft
Cheapng (now Cheapfide) which was fupplied with water brought from

I« A fsTf ^'^'' """*'' ^'°""^ * ^^'"^'^ ^""^^y "f^^'

h J'!?/-^"'"'^!^*''?^'^*'"' ".'^^ Adalbrand and Thorvald. are faid to
have sh/cc^rn-d land lying weft from Iceland, [rorfai Hill. Norwejr V

SJ^^rf ^'^ ?""' r^f^^"^' ^^^ '^^'^"'^ ^"^ ^«ft ^^on^ Iceland, had
been difcovered, and alfo colonized, feveral ages before

infrftVJ'K"™^'A^r"'''^P'''""''^' F"feland. and Germany, were
mfefted by a moft famous pirate called Alf, a Norwegian nobleman
who carried home his plunder to Norway, and was kindly received there'
The merchants of the Vandalic part of Germany fitted out a fleet of
about thirty large cogs, which cruifed for Alf in the Ore found feveral
^eks, during which he earned on his depredations in the Baltic fea
Ik, much of the old piratical fpirit ftill prevailed in Norway, that Eric
the young king of that country, inftead of punifliing his fubjea Alf as
the general enemy of mankind, promoted him to the rank of an earl
and treated the German merchants as his own enemies ; and they ap^
pear to have really taken fome veflels belonging to his fubjefts. \rL
MHtft J^orweg, V. iv. p. s'J^.—Fcedera, V, ii. p. 1088.]

Perhaps this pirate was the caufe of the war between the king of
Norway and the German merchants about the year 1280, as related by
Krantzius. [^^. N.r«;.^. Z. vi. .. 2] who fays, that the merchants. o7
fended with the king for fome encroachments upon their antient privi-
leges, blocked up his ports, and prevented the importation of any pro-
vifions ; that the Norwegians, ftrongly habituated to the corn brought
from the fouthern countries, obliged their king to make peace, who re-
quefted the king of Sweden to ad as umpire! Pnd. in confequence of
his award, reftored the privileges of the merchants, and paid them a
large fum of money for damages; whereupon the merchants immedi-
ately iniported corn into Norway. During the war the dukes of Sax-
ony and Brunfwick and the emperor of Germany wrote to King Ed-
ward, reprefcnting the unjuft and tyrannic condud of the king of Nor-
way m feizing the property of the merchants of Lubeck ' to an infin'
amount, and requefting him not to permit the Norwegians, whofe ow.
country could not fupply them with provifions, to carry any from his
dominions, \_Rymcr^s CoU. manufcr.V. ii, «V 71-73] whence it mTy be

• We are not informed what materials the firft pipes for bringing water into London wen. n-,,!r
of. (fee above, p. 389) a,-l S.ovv ha, quoted no auJmr for his narrative of t.rcoS

frotl'^fiSd":""" """'"" *'" '^""'^ «"»= fi-PPli- of proviflons

agricultural iSfXefby^W^^^

f'- i, p. 400] produced more „lZifi,r ' \'^K"'.''l Cronyhi of Scaland,

had teen kiL„rf„™er dtes H.Tr '°™ ?• '.^'^ '^"^''""'t than

liable to be fold by the fhirref for rL ? .• ^T*^^^ of debtors

admiiuftration of iuftice the tradp nf wi* ? u- u ? "'"' "npanial
jea of fome attentio to fore ^n J; !'<"'''"<'• T"*'! *" •""* ^ecn an ob-
Macbeth. wa3 r.owof f^ch Tm|"„r"n f Sche Lo^h"'; f'l''^ "'
eft general merchant, in Europ'c, ^Sit^^^l'^^^^ttY «nT
Iilhing towns in various mrrs of \i,» i.- t^ ^ i^*'**^ ^^ ^^e king for eftab-

tom,!„d particularly o"ir.h ^ninffcf 'J?h''e"ir"V- -""
Hfe or on the fmall iCand near l^^^^' 'TLti^:. PTt^P^""

fo™ n:n,rrrc°hanl''7ho''^"^"? T f^^ ^ ^"-k'ly

«.. uu, and w-rbS txr. :f"s s™t t^„di

nf M^"""rt,' " '° '"^curate as to call the kinff

nf Norway Olavus. and the king of Swedtn E .V^

rhere wa. no Ola f king of Norway for fevemi

age, before and after this time : and Magnus wT

kmg fronj Deeember .263 to May .28of fn^^

Orcadt,, L. ».~F«d,r4i, V. ii. *. lorc.f And

nccordmg to PuffendorfF. a SweSfh hilinfan:

other Magnu. was kmg of Sweden from .2 9 ?o

>*88. Krantzms fays that the conteft with the

German merchants W.S the only memorable event

"'■ the reign of Olavus, a. he calls him. H.wf

mean Mag„u.',) prudent negotiaUon w th A Li-

ander III for the ceffion of tt Weftern iflan^ to

1 •• <• --"•—"-"•"1 """ "le iionourable anncl.

fV"P°f^«/*""r' *«^« «ntnownto.o, houS
mwojthy of notice bv, Krantzius. Wc.ChS
,n m h„ fuperf5cial lllflory ,f the Hanfia^l'""X

in fhri ft r '^""'PV" '"'f =>g"<:ultural regulation,
d^r ir • Gt 'P " ?^"'" l»*s afcribed to Alexan-

n an^'' r7' ,^"°""'°f thofe of •'Alexander
i„i:„n .- 'i;? '^'^S^"'^™' inaccuracy of Skene',

nrofiT"'A'""r'^='r '""f""' -otwithLnding the

rSom'^'' '^/^ ""* ^"^^'^'^ ''y Alexander

price, '■"^" ''•^' ^'" ^""""^ '" "" W^-'dix of

* \?'f\ <^"'"y of this reign f«: above, p. 4,5.
II Ihefe Uws are the a^h and 2C»> chapter, of
?[l.'''^;''?f^ to^Alexandtr II. /f ,,' ^ ".he

^nwo.hy;^-;;^;i',g:^—-°- though TSji^^ n^. th^ W^/mercha::^.:::^^
en.nh„ r,.„..c.:., ^.-. . . .. woienhag- ,„ England in the year laSe, wa, later thaoa

fomcwEat.fimdar law in Sco.fa'nd. wl ch JS? be
thought rather improbable.

J It i, perhaps almoft unneceffary to remind the
reader that the numerous ftate. in%he no^th par
ot Italy were rnmi>r*»,«...t...i .._ j .. " i"""

»;,„ i^ ^^\^^''^' w"t"» have the good for-
Z th/l''"""*' " ^fp-^a-ble authorlies._L

The^r ^"""^'*" "PPear, alfo to have antedated

„r T, 1 ......I.. JUS uaiea m tlie north oart

of Italy were comprehended under the Renerl
name of Lombards. '"; general

4a6

A. D. ia86.

againft the enemies of Scotland * : and it appears to have been of the
fame nature with a fundicus in the Mediterranean, the Teutonic gildbalt 'm
London, and the contoir of the German merchants at Bergen. (See abcre
pp. 327, 410, 421). By the agency of the merchants of Berwick the
wool, hides, wool-fells, and other wares, the produce of Rokfburgh,
Jedbnrgh, and all the adjacent country, were Ihipped for foreign coun-
tries, or fold upon the fpot to the Flemifli company, '^he exportation
of falmon appears to have been alfo a confiderable branch of their trade,
as we find it fome time after an object of attention to the legiflature of
England, and the regulation of it intrufted to the great officers of the
government f. [Hemingford, p. 91, ed. Hearne.^Fetdera, V. vi, p. 620.—
Stat.'i, 31 Mw. III.} No other port of Scotland, in point of com-
mercial importance, came near to a comparifon with Berwick, which,
according to the teftimony of the contemporary writer of the Chronicle
of Lanercoft, [MS. Bib. Cott. Claud. D vii,/ 207 b] was fo populous and
fo full of commerce, that it might be called afecond Alexandria. The
fea was its wealth ; the waters were its walls ; and the q)ulent citizens
were very liberal in their donations to religious houfes %■ But we have
better authority than the voice of panegyric for the prcfperity of Ber-
wick ; as we find the cufloms of it affigned by King Alexander to a mer-
chant of Gafcoigne for l2\ig'] : 8 . o fterling, a fum equivalent to
32,961 bolls of wheat at the ufual price of fixteen pennies; and, of
1 ,500 marks a-year, fettled on the widow of Alexander prince of Scot-
land by her marriage contrad, there were r ,300 payable out of Berwick.
[Fijfrfrrtf, F. ii.jo^. 605, 613.]

Berwick was governed, as already obferved, by a mayor with four
provofts fubordinate to him. Perth, Striveline (or Stirling), Rokfburgh,
and Jedburgh, had each at leafl one alderman, apparency the chief ma-
giftrate. Hadington was governed by a provoft. Peebles, and Munros
(now called Montrofe), had each a bailie. Linlithgow, and Inverkeith-
m^, had each two bailies. Elgin alfo was governed by bailies. And
before this time Glafgow had three co-ordinate provofts and alfo bailiesll.
[P Hue's Hiji. of John, i^c. pp. 653, 654 — Rymer's Coll. MS. V. iii, «".

• In the year 1296 thirty Flemings defended
llie Red hall againd the Englifh forces, till It was
let on Krc : and the whole of the faithful and gal-
lant merchant garrifon pcriditd in the flames;
\Heniingf.p. 91] a catatlrophe, which apparently
put an end to the Flcmifh company at Berwick.

f When Edward III wanted j.ooo falmon for
his own life in the year J361, he fcnt orders to
procure them for him at Berwick (then lxl(>n<ring
to England) and Newcaftlc, no-doiibt, the places
mod famous for them in his dominions- [_Rol.Jnit.
/.v. 3; AV/w. ///, nj. g.]

t Probably Lancrcoll, which was an abbay in

Cumberland, had profited largely by the miftaken
piety of the wealthy citizens of Berwick j and the
writer of the Chronicle thus repaid them in the
ufual coin.

II Though mod of thefc magiilrates appear under
the year 1 296, the eftablilhment of their offices was
mofl probably not later than the reign of David I, and
at any rate earlier than the time in which I men-
tion them : for certainly no new regulations of fuch
matters coiJd be introduced during the convulfiuns
which tnfued on the death of King Alexander III
and his infant g.and-daughter, Qnccn Margaret.

A. D. it86.

H7

>iSi~oiovtf 4,j.] We fliaU afterward! fee thirtT-fewnaldermim ,h.
the firft rf i^T'""' J"!*"'"'.**"?™. Linlithgow, and Inverk,iZ«

b^^paft. .0 fuch^i,:es as ma/ort^ S JrhaveTl/STsr
xieToi" f ?"" '^'«1>' known that they ever were ufed °""

1 tie lofs of feveral merchant vefleJs by pirates fliiowrw^V. ™j
tend^"!"; foreign pom. induced King'^Ser toTn:^':' ^IL'I
woh bitJ^ fn^'"".^"' J*"' "'^'^'''' *= '"''^hant, of ^tland were
A^d Vl^l. * """' '^'"". "PO"ing any goods in their ow^ vefiikT

of the age, bemg reftriaod to deal with the bursefles mIv tLKS^
ters upon commerce were though, to judiciorby 'hrhiilori^ 'w
he fays, m confequence of them the kingdom in ^ {^ y^TT-'jTJl

XV th'e^ weri Z ^^^r^Al^'^'^'t'^^- ^^^^^

•In pleadings of the year 129, we find the
mayor and bjil.cs (' bali;»;') of Berwick repeatedly
mentioned, the later beinjr apprently the fame
XV 10 are called provofts ir, Hie (latutes of the itfld.
IKyUv, Plac. pari. pp. i^g-l ^2,-^ *

+ In the year J/^f vvhen Kiug Edward was
coHeftmg ftocs of all k>nd» for the. /nvaf.on of
Wiilef, he com.n-tnoneil John Bifhop, a burgefs of
Lynnc^to jn.rcbafe merrhandfze (' mercimon.-a')
for him m hcutfand. l^yhji', CaUnJar, p. 88.1
— tiuerc, Was this term, merchandize, intruded to

fignifjr fi'h. com, and other proviTion^ or was Seot-
and 10 well ftocked with general merchandize ao-
to have lorae for exportation >
fei2-'" ^'"|» °fE"gla"d in thofe age, I.ati very
few ftiips, and thekmg, of France hacf feldom any.
II Co Ml CampbeU field the lands of Loch Ow,
&c. of the king by the fervice of finding one veffel
of forty oars, properly eqmVped and fufficiently
n '"ed, during forty days, as often as required.

L.awfurJ's Officers of Siau.f. 4,0 Tormod Mac-

Icfld

448

A. D. 1286.

The general opulence of Scotland appears from the refpeftable public
revenue, the prodigious fums fqueezed out of it by the papal extortion-
ers, which the temper of the age did not permit the wifdom of the king
entirely to prohibit, and the great opulence of the king himfelf, as he
has never been branded with oppreflion or avarice, who fairly pur-haf-
ed with his money the valTal kingdom of Mann and the Iflands; bought
many eftates and ward(hips in England*, and gave Eric king of Nor-
way a marriage portion of 14,000 marks with his daughter, referving
to himfelf an option of giving a life-rent of lands of the annual value
of 700 marks as an equivalent for half the fum f . In fliort, it is evi-
dent, that Scotland during the reigns of the three laft fovereigns of the
antient race, and particularly during the peaceable and aufpigious reign
of Alexander III, was in a progreflive ftate of improvement, and pof-
fefled a much larger proportion of the wealth of great Britain than it
has ever had in any fubfequent time. But the premature and fudden
death of the king (16'" March 1286), followed by that of Quee^ Mar-
garet his infant grand-daughter (September 1290), and the fanguinary
convullions which enfued, changed all this fun-fhine of national prof-
perity into a long night of warfare and devaftation, the calamitous con-
lequences of which have been felt almoft to the prefent day.

1288— -Though the power of Edward was much greater and his go-
vernment much more vigorous than what the Englilh had been accuf-
tomed to for almoft a century, they were not fufficient to give full efFed
to his laws, efpecially the late one for enforcing precautions againft rob-
liery. A powerful gang of banditti in the habits of monks and canons
let fire to the populous commercial town of Bofton on the day appoint-
ed for a fair and a tourneamsnt, murdered many of the merchants, who
were endeavouring to fave their property, and during the confufion ftole
prodigious quantities of rich merchandize, which their accomplices re-
ceived from them, and immediately carried off. The fire made fuch
deftrudion of the pretious articles brought to the fair, that ftreams of
molted gold, filver, and copper, were faid, 111 the exaggeration of popu-
lar report, to run down even into the fea, and all the money in England
was fuppofed infufficient to make good the damage. The captain of
the gang, a warrior of great reputation, and owner of many houfes in
Bofton and of much ill-gotten wealth, was taken and hanged ; but, ad-

Icod held lands in Glenelg by the Tervice of finding
one of twenty-fix oars ; and Torkil Macleod, for
lands in AflTynt, was to find one of twenty oars,
when required, as appeatsby charters of David II.
iRibfrtfon't Index, f,. loo.] All thcfe were pro-
bably renovations of charters, granted by Alexan-
der III upon affuming the fovereignty of the iflands
for the fake of fcciiring the loyalty of the chiefs of
the weltcrn coaft, who had much (Irongcr connec-
tions with the Norwegians that with the Scots.

» See above,//. 416, 425 — M. Parit, pp. 540,
573» 72.V &c. — Dugdale's Baronage, V. i, pp. 65,
769 — RyUy, Plac. pari. p. 345.

f The annuity on the Jife of Margaret, then In
her twenty.firtt year, was thus valueil at ten years
purchafe. Sec the contraft of marriajje in Fetdtra,
V' ii, p. 1079. Eric was put in pofleiGon of the
lands, apparently the fame which were afterwards
given with King Robert's daughter.

A. D 1388.

44$i

ftnhing th^ peck) bu. i„ lS", X/^uhe deaS p^ri^ 'of ,^"» *
fo high as three (hiUings and four pence Wh! ™ 1 ■ '" ^'"•
in the price of an article of theMfft ^ i- ■ '"™<'"""s mequaHty
fame ki^n, n,„X"ht tt'L^L'^^ng ?ade 4"°^'^ " hV''

tk^own^rn^te"'' '" °"^ -''-sui«<' cl:?;.ri{!h"^^^^^

there wronl-SteTr^the *U?' f- regulating the trad, of Ireland

money or receivingSl'^S Tp ^ ^Heath '" S'l^/s^w"" '"

fore the firft o/Nov.Xf anl,^ev? T'" °'^""^ ^° ^^^^^ ^^g^^^^^ be-

<od, of the kip/t. whf airot^d'^ji.lf 'a:t;,t t::rp,^-^;.e

» The robbery „ dated ■„ ,^85 by K.iyghton :

til hL rVr """"P? "-^ conHderably earh-er
tlian h.m. If he were right, the Uw. fo, guarding
againfl robbery might be fuppofed to ha« b^w
uiaaedin confequence of that outrageous infult
npou the .ulbce and authority of the /overnment
t As a harmony M^hich for duration S perhaps un-

h.Tr K?l "Jk*" ^'H^''^ n-^ighbouring ki,g|^,,
had fuhnftcdbetween England and Scotland, and Ed-
7Zr ."""."«' Particularly *niduous in cultivating
lie fnend(h,p 0/ the regent, of Scotland, in order
to fe.uc their infant queen, Margaret, with the
X.ngdom for her marriage portion, for his ftiU

Vol. I.

fa

^unger in&nt fon, Edward, the enemies of Scof-
and, herein excepted, could not be the nation at

beTB^J tt ""l^""- ■^'■'^y '"^'^ '"'^'^ »>«" Ro-

Ind nS^h?!" ."■ "V'^ ">" '"'' °f Glouceftcr
and Ulfter, had entered into # co.federacy in Sen-
ember , ,86. and had even ttken up „2, upS.
ently with . defign to fet afide the young quee„
and difappoint Ejward in the favourite obied of
ambition. rn„„^,.K'. o ,- . "J"='-' "'

to the Jews as his own property.
3L

But fome others,
as

450

A. 0.

I ago.

v«t and Walfingham fay, that the king feized all thdr property, leaving
them only as nuwh as would bear their charges to France : but, accord-
ing to Wikes, they carried enough with them to tempt the fcamen to
murder them on the paflage for the fake of their money. The number
of Jews driven out of England ac this time was reckoned to be 16,5 u :
and the king had previoufly ejapelled them from his territories in France.
Such was the general eagcrnels to get rid of the Jews, that the parlia-
ment granted the king a fifteenth of the property of the people for that
purpofe, though, as the expulfion was managed, it was able very amply
to bear its own charges *.

1391, April — Now (and how long before is unknown) coal mines
were worked in Scotland, as appears by a charter of William of Ober-
vill, granting liberty to the monks of Dunfermline to dig coals for their
own ufe in his lands of Pittencrief, but upon no account to fell any.
[Chart, iu Stoti/l. actount of Scotland, V. xiii, p 469.] From the donor re-
ftnding the monks from felling, it may be prefumed, that the fale of
coal was then a valuable objed, which he rcferved for himfelf

June 15";— The property of fome Flemifh merchants had been arrett-
ed by the judiciary, or viceroy, of Ireland in the ports of Waterford,
Youghall, and Cork, on account of difputes between England jmd Flan-
ders. But the king, unwilling that ^ny interruption fhould be given to
the trade, now defired that it fhould be reftored. [Foedera^ V. ii, p. 1528 ]
Either thofe merchants were in the carrying trade between Ireland and
England; or the rigour of the law of the year 1288 was now relaxed.

Baptifta Burgus, the panegyrical hiftorian of Genoa, relates, that two
gallies, commanded by D'Oria and Vivaldo, were fitted ont from that
city for the difcovery of weftern lands in the Atlantic ocean, but that
they were never more heard of.

Soon after the expulfion of the weftern pilgrims from Jerufalem in
the year 1 187 they were confined to a narrow flip of the coaft ; and the
maritime city of S'. John de Acre (or Ptolemais) was the capital of the
Chriftian territory in the Eaft. Being thus occupied by people from
every European nation, it became a general emporium for the mer-
chandize of the Eaft and the Weft ; and commerce, conduced chiefly by
the Venetians, Genoefe, and Pifans, flouriflied as much as a ftate of fre-
quent warfare with the neighbouring Mohamedans, and the diftraded
condition of a city wherein there were feventeen fovereigrs, or repre-
fentatives o,' fovereigns and republics, no one of whom acknowledged
himfelf fubo.dlnate to any other, could permit. Wi'^hout entering in-
to any detail of the bloody war between the Venetians and Genoefe for

as might be expcfted, tl.oiight they had as gom! a r,,.— Trivet. pp. 264, 166, tei.—mia.pp. I07.
right to a (haicof thrplundcr. [/ty/r,., P/a,.fa,/. . 14. izz—M: IVeJlm.p. ^il~fVa/finZm, p.
^'*{''-^U > ' tia ,1, ro ^l^-—^"'- pat. 18,10 Edw.I.-Rjiliy.P^ac. pari.

A. D. 1291.

45»

ot the anarchy was, that nineteen Syrian merchants, tradine in ti— of

the o P ;j° t±h^ '^"^ ^'t"" °u ^""- "^^^ "-^^^^^ °f fati.fa^on for

ookSr fL K §^ "P'''' '•'T *,^' 7^"8<=a^e °f the fultan Khalil. wh»

tTvkv aJlnl '"ATl'^^"'^*^ remaining inhabitants into cap-

tivity, and made an end of the Latin dominion in Syria and of the holv

roi^. [ftWoff, r. XI, /). 1 66. and authorities quoted.}

After the final lofs of Syria a folemn edid was iffued (I prcfurae br
the pope) whereby the Chriftians were prohibited from havZ anJ
commerce w,th the fubjeds of the fultan. *^Gruifing veffels were ft!ti^^

with tT'^PK^'^^^'v" V''""^ "^^^ ^*^ >- <^^< pieTumeTtot^de
r^hl^^' '^f tranfgreffors were declared infamom. and rendered in!
capable of performmg any legal ad: their property was confifcated and

prehend them. [Sanuto, ap. Gejia Dei per Francos, V. ii, *. jg 1

1292— An oraer had been iffued t€R years ago for the officers em-
Kfe" ?' ^'' '°f. '" ^'^^^ *8^"^ '^' impLation of coun"erlS

wet fn r^i, ^' ^^^"^ '^ ''^^^ «°^ intcrcourfe of the country
7nuJ- f ^ l^J"'^ ^y *^ inundation of bad mone, from foreig^
countries, that the currency of all r.oney but that of England Ireland
or Scotland, was totaUy prohibited : and all perfons arriving f?om Abroad
Se7?ortt: ^"^"^V'"n"""^^ '' the'examination ?f offices ap'
aZon and rhi 1^"'^°^^ '" ^T' Sandwich, London. Bofton. South-
wT^;^;^ ft ""^"^P^^t I'«'"e<li^tely after this another ftatute
ZrL^ AC 1 P^n^ft^^ng thofe merchants, chiefly foieiKners. who
ures td 1''''^ '"^, counterfeit money into the kingdom'by forfert.
were d^d dl^n"> V '\' ^".^^^-.P^ople. poAeffing baS money,
ure T^fvli ^ " '"^ '^^ ""^"^ '"^ ^ recoined. on ^n of forfeit-
nn ;. K 1 / 7^7«y. "ow fmuggled irfto England, and generally put

cers. confifted partly of light pieces ftampcd with mitres and lions 20/

filver l^^f maney made of bafer metals and covered over with
20 eZi^ '*"■'' ""'"^"^ ^' ^"^S"^" ""^ -.lewhere. [Stat. 4, 5. 6. ./

waJkLer' R?^ ornament of England and of the thirteenth century
was Roger Bacon, a Francifcan fi-iar of Oxford. This heaven-taught

Platina, the biographer of the popeii, fayn O
4J5.'''- 1664] that the quarrel of the Venetians
and Oenoefc prevented Pope Alexander IV from

profeciiting the fiout and ntcejkry Afiatic war. It
certainly was a very fraJiaUe war in m;«ny rcfpeaj
to the popes. *

.3La

45'«

A. D. 1129211

genhifc, foa ring above the incomprehenfiblc jargon whick was then«caH-
«d phiJofophy, by the native force of his own mind made fuch difco-
veries in real fcience and experimental philofophy, that the bare recital
of them muft ailonifh us. His works plainly ihow, that many mathe-
matical inftrumems, fuppofcd the inventions of later ages, were koown
to, or invented by, him, though loft at his death, till they were rc-in-
vented by feveral ingenious men of later times. His defcript-i.on of
fpeeula compounded of feveral glafles placed at proper diftances, which-
enabled him to bring the fun, moon, and ftars, apparently near to him,,
and to read letters at a great diftance, applies exadly to our modem te-
lefcopes. Our modern fpedacles are fu rely no other than his reading
glafles, which magnified the leticrs for the ufe of old men and thofc
whofe eyes were weak. He underftbod the conftrudion of burning,
gkflis, microfcopes, and the camera obfcura. In nis writings he main-
tains, that greuer wonders may be accompliflied by the powers of na-
ture, if properly known, than by the pretended arts of magic. He af-
firms, that chariots may be made to go without horfes ; that machines
may be made, by which a> man may mount up in the air; other*, by
which he may walk at the bottom of the fea • and others, by which one
man may countera«a thf force of a ihoufand. He compounded falt-
petre, fulphur, and charcoal, into a powder, by which he produced arti-
licial thunder and flame, and by which a city or an army could be de-
ftroyed : and he knew many of the fuppofed-ir.odern improvements in
chymiftry *. All the rules of arithmetic (not then, as now, a common
fcience) were familiar to him ; and he difcovered the exad period of
the year, and methods for correcting the calendar. In ftiort, he was in-
defatigable in the profecution of fcience ; and he expended upon ex-
perinftmtsi by tbe afliftance of his friend? , no lefs than two thoufand
pounds^ a fum fiilly equivalent to at leaft fifty thoufand in the prefenc
time. This iliuftrious man would alone have been fufficient to illumin-
ate a dark age, if his ardour for difcovery had not been reprelTed by tbe
jealous defpotifm of ignorant priefts, from whom he fuffered much per-
feCutioa and feveral imprifonments, whereby the world was deprived of
the fruits of many of the beft years of his aftonifhing ingenuity and
incomparable ijiduftry. After having made more difcoveries in fcience
than any other man ever did in any age or country, he died in a good
old age on the 1 1 "' of June, 1 292 ; and after his death fcience relapfed
into a flumber of about two centuries. [See his own 0/>us majus..-^qQ4'j
Hi/i.Oico»,L.\.\ .->.j<;y. tcl o. i->m:&iiy^m^ idi'n

1 he commerce with France was mterrnpted by a fquabble between

• Petruj Pcregrinu8, who wrote upon almoft all fame writer is quoted under the name of Fetrus
the (jualiuts of the magnet, is faid by fomc to be Pellegriiius by Baptifta della Porta in his Maxia
no other than Bacon under an atTumcd name. Tlie naiuraRt, L, vii, c. 27.

A.» D. 1292. . -^

feme Englifli and French failors for a well of frefh water, which was

jcnfi^, they ttruy be caUed private. The barons of the Cinque pons
m order to revenge the ofle, and (laughters of their countrymen S
jut fixty vefiel, wherewith they attacked a French fleet c5 twrhukdrlrf

number of about ;5,ooo, being killed or drowned excent Tfew Jhn
got to the land in their boat. King Edward, as dTfapproX'he Tdhon
rcfufed to accept any Ihare of the plunder. The kiJg of P>ai 4 rnn?*
ed by the crie. of hi, people, fent a^ery urgent letteT for corn^^^^
and Edward, very defirous of avoiding a war with France. fenTSe b Zn
1 a^^bir' ^"''"^^-»^° °ff-^*^"*l Fopoiil^ for fetlhng mat?

1294— But the kings on both fides having other eaufes of difcontent
the negotiation proved fruitlefs. and both kings prepared for war The
kmg of France prohibited all commercial intercomfe between hh k^t
demand England: and King Edward feized the prop TnfS,eF^^^^^^^^^
merchan^ m h.s dominions, which was exprefsly contrary to the pro
virions of Mo^na chnHa, unleft the king of Fr.rie aded previoufly Tn

I he ravage and predatory fpirit of the age was continually breakine
out m enormities ; and: the feamen of Bayo.me. the Cinque ports Blak?
ney. &c. .s well as thofe of other countries, were frequently amifed of
HdS of piracy and wanton cruelry. [/W,,,, r, h. fp. Gol TtLn
632, 667 &C.J It wasfai<f. that fome merchants of fifyonne weremb:
hdy plundered m the port of Lifoon ; and many hoftilities ZTlffed
between them^ ided by their allies the feame/of Enghnd andTheTr
r.eighbours o^ Spam ; and in particular fifteen Spanifli veS w^^ tiken

TznZi Zr W^l"^ T'- ^"^' ^y '''' -terventi!; oFtt Sng'
ot England and Spam (who do not appear to etprefs any difpteafure at
their iubje'fts .^oing to war without their nuthoriSy •) h was. aS rin
fummer 1293) that all captures ihould be reftored on both fides The
merchants ot Spam and Portugal appear, however, to have been ftill un-
vri hng to venture themlel/es or their property in Edward's dominion"
tii), by the interceflion of his friend the iarl of Flanders he -mnted
them fafe-conduas (i7';Febriiary x.94), to laft only till /he m&dTe of
(Mober on condition that the kings of Spain and Portugal ihould ad

.^..King Edward, preparing for his intended war againft France, divided
r2f £"4™X '£.?„l?ttrt?.;tX'<^"^r*'' W»«- '-

45#

Jit D. 12.94.

his navy into three fleets, and appointed three admirals, \iz. John of Bote
tourt admiral of the fleet of Yarmouth and the eatt coaft ; WiUiam of
Leyburn, of the Portfmouth divifion ; and an ofRcer (not nan^^) of
Infli birth commanded the (hips of the weft coaft and Ireland. {Trivef
p. 279.] This is believed to be the earlieft appeajance in Engjaud of
the title of iuimiral, which had been fome time before adopted, in imi-
tation ot the Saracens, by the maritime ftates of Italy, for the command-
er of a fleet. And the title appears to be quite new and unfettled ; for
on the 3 of September William of Leyburn is ftiled captain qf the fea-
men and mariners qf the king's dominions *, and in the following year tlw;
king caUs John of Botetourt his warden (^tbe coqft ofTarmutb. [Feedera
^ u,/»^ 654, 688.]

_ The great inconveniences produced by the circulation of bad money
in England, in fpite of all the laws and precautions againft the importa-
tion of it, induced King Edward to appoint Mafter John of Glouceft^r,
and John of Lincoln merchant in HuU, to fuperintend the payments of
the merchants throughout the whole kingdom, and to compell ail merchants
to bring their money to be examined by them. {Madox's Mift. of the
excbeq. c. 9. § 3.J Whether all the payments in England were made in
their ofiice, or they had deputies in every trading town, w« are not in ■
formed ; nor do we know how long their extraordinary coramiflion con-
tinued in force.

September 2o"-.King Edward, being engaged in a war with France,
and at the fame time very eager to make a conqueft of Scotland and to
fupprefs fome tumults in Wales, demanded of the clergy one half of their
incomes for the year^ from the merchants living in walled cities and
rnarket towns one fixth part, and from the reft of the people one teiuh,
of all their pofleflions ; but, I fuppofe, rather of their incomes. Theie
heavy taxes were rendered ftill more diftrefsful by a very fcanty harveft,
occafioned probably by the men being drawn off from agriculture to
the army, whereby many of the poor adually perilhed for want, {tri-
vet,p. 379 — M. We^m. p. 433.]

i2r)5-,.King Edward, being at war with France, compelled the maf-
tcrs of neutral veflels in the ports of England to give fecurity that they
fhould not fail to that kingdom, without drawing any line of diftindion
l>etween contraband and lawful goods. Some citizens of Lubeck, not
being able to find fecurity in England, were obliged to have their cafe
reprefented to the emperor, who wrote to Edward in their behalf, and

• The learHcd Spflman \CloJf. vo. AdmiraTtutI
by tranflating the old French word ' hyie fix in-
Read ofJixtuM, has d«cd the ordinance at Bruges
^fee Fadtrc, V. I'i, p. yjy) in 1286 inftcad of
4296, Md (uppoM tlit mention of WilltBin of
J..eyburn in it at the king's admiral of the fca t!ie

earlieft appears ice of the title in England. For
the derivation of the name, and nature of the office
of admiral, fee his Glojkry, wherein he has given a
rerf<;s of the admirals of England, which may now
be greatly augmented from the Fadtra and other
records publilhed lince hit time.

A. D. 1295.

455

TOD

A merchant of Bayon^.'^h^riM taten T^/f i''''"' ^ !''''■ ^790
the coaft of Africa and alfo , J?l, . J^'i ^**"' °'^^'">»'>'i» "n
ftailes (' flayo»!) rfMrb^a L^^K ' "^ Malaga raifins, and 490

good, t^o E/glunrLSld o?',h'37;t;? "f ",""' """ °'^"
ftanding the truce fo lately maJewiMwf Po«ngal, where, notwith-

jugal, h'e wa. taken by S^tn! wUlTd £^1 'llr T^^^

of £700 tel4. King e£]^ Se„™T„' r'"'''^ '" '\« '"">""'
granted to him and liiA^i™ 'i-L "eutenant m Ga -oigne thereupon

guefe. and ef^cklly of the ^Xtont. rf I^IT^'^' "^ "^ P""""
find it, durinrfive years a. ..^m! I ?„ u ^i?""' "l^^ver he could

hi^lofj and all XS. [S;V"" '; fit,"'' ^1"™","!.'''=,? *■"
the^ear^a notice, .0 he fouL in Ing^iii'VLt'lf ^J-' / ^t^™.

and Frifeland (wh^rfolte^n^^' ^t^eTt^JUf/h''""'- ?^'""''-
againft France) to 6(h freely Sn thTrlft 1 v * ^™ "" ""^ "•'^

.nai^"o'rpL\:"^Suturd:^^^^^^^

^r™' hTen'-dTthe^^irtntrctt"""?'' J^'"'^^^^^^^^^
bnc. ho^., .herein tLtSSe,"SiS"^^-| t? ^H'

i.w^g°go:rupt'\=°,^tg'a^'^r't^^^^^^^^^^^ '^t'^ V'-'^^'

■hem very favoiaW, „„d ";i^ed ,S""? f ';'''°"' "•» '««'^
his ambafladors to the ^ th« arril,? '" T ', '^™'L'^- ''"'"S fent as
returned .0 the Eaft in u*^'. S le[ e7s ftom ?^ '" """ ^"" "*»■ '"''
by Marco the fon of Nicol'o. Ytn'gXc'oTonttiS tHa-^g^et

'*'^y- ^ .? . "• '^"° •" •'"'« doubt that Cambalu

+ This is doubtlef, the pr rmidion dated Kv 7 •' 0^?""° "ii"'*" "'' '"'g"'fi" 'he cUy of lil

-.dc« .„ hi, .... .^„;,„p.„ t.t'anX':! £:^thc r;tt„^p::r,Vc'hir^ "'" "^"' '-^^^

45^

A. D. 119^,

of the Moguls and fome other neighbouring nations, and becariie M
great favourite with the khan, who employed him, and alfo his father'
and uncle, on many iniportant embaffies. On ti eir return from one of
them they found ambaffadors at the court of Cublai from Argon, an
Indian king, who had fent them to procure a wife for him. Their re-
turn home being rendered dangerous by a war in the intervening coun-
tries, they requefted the khan to allow them to convey the princefs, his
relation, by fea, and to permit the three '^''enetians to accompany them
on account of their (kill in maritime affairs. The khan reluftantly con-
fented to part with his Venetian friends, and ordered fourteen veflels
to be provided for them, each of which carried four mafts and nine
fails *. In twenty-one months they arrived in Argon's dominions : and
thence the three Venetians proceeded by the way of Trebifond, Con-
ftantinople, and Negropont, to Venice, where they arrived in the year
1295, with more knowlege of the Oriental countries than any Europe-
ans ever had acquired f .

From IMarco Polo's faithful account of the many countries he had
traveled through, and of thofe defcribed by him from the beft informa-
tion he could obtain, the following particulars, illuftrative of their com-
merce and manufadures, are extraded.

Giazza, a city with an excellent harbour at the north-eaft corner of
the Levant fea, and a fettled mart for all the Eaft, is much frequented
by veflels from Venice and Genoa for the fake of the fpices and other
rich merchandize brought to it.

Zorziana (Gurgiftan or Georgia) has abundance of filk ; and all the
fluffs of gold and filk, called mufleims, are made in the province of
Moxul.

Baldach, or Bagdat, is fituated upon the River Tigris, at the diftance
of feventeen days failing from the fea. It has many manufadures of
gold and filk, damafks, and velvets with figures of animals. All the
pearls in Chrifl;endom are brought from that city.

In Tauris, a great and populous city of Hyrcania, there are raanu-
fadures of gold and filk ; and many foreign merchants refiding there
acquire great riches.

Perfia abounds with filk, and has excellent artificers, who make won-
derful things in gold, filk, and embroidery. lafdi, a city on the frontier
of Perfia, has a great trade and many manufadures of filk.

Ormus, the capital of the kingdom of Kerman, fituated on an ifland,

• The form of the fails i» defcribed by Ramufio
in hia account of Marco's travda.

f The traveli of Piano Carpini and hii affo.
ciates and followers, begun in the year 1 246, thofe
of Rubruquis, or Ruyibroeck, in 1153, aiid the
work of Haitho, written about the time that the
Polos were on their travels, though containing

fome particulars of Cathay agreeing with and con-
firmed by Mai CO, were of no great importanci- in
themfelrea, except as having fome degree of in-
fluence in (lowly arouGng th« fpirit of inquiry,
without which no great objeft can ever be accom-
plifhed.

i

A.D. 1295. 4j^

hrfnf?^;lr"' ^"J ^^i^^^he "merchants from Tiidia and other <Joiintrie»
brmg fpjces, pearls, pretious ftones. and other rich articles, from Ind a
^m!^'^'^''^ "^ ftoutlybuiU, with one deck, oueZi^^tn^
Cambalu in the provinceof Cathay, two days joiiriKiy from the OG<^n*

ckvT^T^V^'^" T'^ ^^."^ '^^ palaces ai^. The newZik
f, ; 'r ^- ^ ^^u "' '' * ^"1""* °^ ^^ ™i'« each fide ; and the ftjT 9
interfedmg each oi..er, extend in ftraight lines from gatHoTate n
agreatbmldmg in the center there is a very large bdlXh* to £
every mght at a certa m hou., after which no mL muft be n the flreets
till next morning, unlefs in cafes of very urgent neceHiry and then he
muft carry a hght with him. Adjoining tf each of the twelve gates
there are fuburbs three or four miles long, wherein the merchants^and

S' th ll;fid:^ t'h'"^^ '^"'"^ '""f ^^^ ^^'^-^ ftore-hpufes, in
wnich they refide. The quantity and variety oi merchandize of ail,

kmds u aftomlhing, and the number of merchants, of whom a sr^t
proportion are Saracens, is wonderfully great. The monev is no? S.!?
of metal, but of the middle bark o/tL mulberry treefcutrr^und

rZ\:':%^r-^'^ ""'^ '^^ '^^^^^'^ "^^^l^- ^^ - ^eath to counteTfek
It. or to refufe it m any ^rt of the empire. Throughout the whole
empire there are mns eftablilhed at proper diftances, whe"e the khaS
ambalTadors or meflengers are fure lo find frelh horfes, provifions and
odgmgs ; and ferry-boats are alfo ftationed at the rivers^and lake ' Bv
thefe means letters are conveyed at the rate of 200 or 250 mUeT in^
day. In years of abundance the khan lays up corn in his « anaL''
and m times of fcarcity i<.Us it out for a fourth pL of the ^rrfnt Sl^
In Cathay they make a liquor of rice much ftronger than wine Thev^^
dig up black ftones (coal.) which bum like wood, and keep on fire
through the whole night. The khan has the tenth of all woof^filk and.
hemp, and of all produce of the earth except fugar and fpk« whlch^"
pay only 3^ per cent, as does alfo the wine oVrige (or arrack? ^nS^
mechanics are obliged to work for him one day in the week; and ^henJi

e clothes his army and the poor *. The whole country is fuU ofS*'
rich, and crowded, cities (many of which are named and defcrfS**
thronged with manufadurers of filk. gold ftufts. and other rich or uf2
tul merchandize The rivers and canals, efpeciall;- the great and maL
mficent one made by turning the river at tl^e city of sLui^S;
two channels, one going towards Cambalu. and the^other toS Ma^g

If our modern tr»vtler« have been well in-
tormcd on the fubjeft of taxation in China, and
Marco hai been eotred in this part of his natra-
ijvf, thofe owir. (Hve taxet are now llijhtenc<l al-
mofl to annihii - "- «^- ■•- * ■ ^

Vol. I.

Pethaps Marco vrai here

erroneous in hia recolleAion ; for k muft have bee«
a moil prepofterous policy to taj wool, filk. and
ncmj), the materiah of induftry, thiice as heavy
ai fpiceries. a mere luxury, and arrack, the iuflni-
ment of latoiication, idlenefs, and riot.

3 M

458

A. D. i»

(the fouth part of China) are continually covered with veflels, which
carry on a vaft inland trade throughout the -whole empire. At Trigui
there is a great manufadure of porcelain difhes, eight of which may
be bought for the value of a Venetian groat. Many of the ports are
frequented by veiTels from India, which pay a duty of ten per cent to
the khan. At Zaitum, a famous port of Mangi, (hips arrive from all
quarters with merchandize, which is there refhipped for every part of
India. The quantity of pepper to be found there is ar hundred times
as much as all that comes to the Weft by the way of Alexandria. Ships
from Zaitum trade to an ifland (never feen by Marco) producing fpices,
lignum aloes, and pepper. They are a year upon the voyage out and
in, having winds of two forts (monfoons) which keep their regular
feafons.

Zipangu (fuppofed to be Japan) is a large ifland, which the khan's
forces were not able to fubdue.

Java is fuppofed the largeft ifland in the world. The merchants of
Zaitum and other parts of Mangi import a great quantity of gold and
fpices from it.

Another ifland, called t'le Lefler Java, contains eight kingdoms, fix
of which Marco traveled through. In one of them called Felh the
people are converted to the religion of Mohamed by the vaft number
of Saracens trading to that country. In another of them there are nuts,
as large as -x man's head, containing within them a liquor preferable to
wine *. Lambrai, another of thofe kingdoms, produce* trees from
which meal is made f .

One thoufand miles weft firom Java is Zelan (Ceylon), 2,400 noiles in
circuit, but forn»erly 3,600, as appears in antient maps : but the north
winds have made great changes, and funk much of it under the fea |.
Between Zelan and the main land of India there is a great fiihery for
pearls.

Sixty miles weft from Zelan is Malabar in the Greater India. The
kings of that country are fupplied with horfes from Ormus and other
places.

In Murffili, or Monful, lying north from Malabar, there arc moun-
tains containing diamonds.

On the weft coaft of Mahbar and in Gozerat there arc many pirat«,
who fometimes attack the merchants with fleetr. of a hundred veflels.
(We may thence infer, that the ntierchant veflfeJs were very numerous,
»)d failed in flrong fleets^ as the pirates thought fo large ^ force nccef-
fary to attack them.) In Guzerat there is abundance of cotton ; in

* Could coco.nutt bi unknown to hint till he
wst in that country i

t He proceeds to defcribe the procefi of nuk-
ing thii meal, which it fago.

J Marco, in hit Teneration for Ptolemy, rather
fuppofea a very improbable event, than that hu
geography might be erroneout.

A. D.

295.

459

Oinhau, ftore of fra«kincenfe ; in Cambaia, indigo, buckram, and

Dlentv^S?!!^^ P^?^ ""^^ *^ flefli. rice, and milk. They have great
Thei hate «irl°*K ^"t '*"?r°?t. ' ^^ ^'"^^^ ^^ ^^^ manui4ures of k

in iialcia and Thebet, countries lymg north from India, corals am
reckoned more pretious than any other article *

In Carandana and many other provinces lying round it, an ounce of
gold IS exchanged for five oimces of fiN ^r f

of ft.'f *" ^r'T ?f Chinchintalas there is a mountain containing mims
of fteel and andanxcum J. and alfo faiamander's wool (afcftosTvvhS^
a cloth K made, which fire cannot confume. ^^loeitos;, whereof

Magafter (Madapfcar) is 1 ,000 miles fouth from Socotora. and is one
of the richeft and latgeft iflands in the world, being 3.000 i^iil^in Z

^bro^gh^rf^t '^ '^"^^"' ' ^^^ -^ quantuieVc^elephan^arh

Thejeflels of India have many cabins on their decks and each mer
chant has his own cabin. TheJ- carry from two to fotlr mafts wS
are fet up and lowered at pleafure. The hold is divided b^wat^rTriiht
partitions ; fo that, if a ieak fprings in one room, the goods in fhe

0 hers are not wetted by it. Tbey a^re double-planked. and caJkei Jith
oakum, nailed with iron and covered with a co npofidorof oil l^e
and hemp. They carry from five to fix thoufend bags of pepper ^d*

flamed them with the defire of diibovering a way to reaXhem bv fla"
which, after an interval of two centuries,^was at^M acco^uSed^^^

L u*, V'^ ^''^} df""""'! for cora'. In India, pro-
bably for Hie fupply of thofe countriw, wa« noted
by 1 liny. {,ec aboTf, p. 167, note f.

1 ''^T' L "■'•**'" '"'■'"e'l authoi- of the Peri'ulus of
tlie iMTTthraan fea obfmed tliat there was a con-
fiderable profit made in India by exchanging one
kind of money for auoUier : (fee above, p. 170)
»nd there is R.ll a jfreat difference in the propor-
tion. between the pretious metali in India and in
t-uropt.

{This is believed to be that moft excellent kind
ot Heel, which in anticnt ume« was carried from
^~" ?"">?'-,. S« "bove, p. ,60, note*.

« ilkefenioit-livcd (hip, mull have been built

of timber very different from that of Tylos in the
day, of Theophrallu., (fee above, p' 55) „r •

II The narrative of Marco Polo proved a power-
ful ftimulus t; Chnftopher Colon in his projeft of-
reaching India by a wellern courfe, in which, ac'
cording to the received geography, he fhould fail
only 135 degrees well from tie meridian of Ferro,

^Jl^n"^ A •"^•'^f^-;."' ^'^'^'' '^' great circuit
round Africa, m faHing to it by an eaJlem courfe s
for India was his objeft } he had no conception of
another great continent. Iffj/l. del Alminmte .Icn
Lhr, Colon, cc. 7, 8 ; written by his fon.]
3M 2

4$p

A. D. i>295.

Whoever compares the Periplus of the Erythrasan fea, the relaaons
of Cofmas Indicopleuftes, the Arabian travelers, Maflbudi, Ebn Haukal,
and Benjamin of Tudela, with the narrative of Marco Polo, will find'
them in many points ftrongly confirmed and illuftrated by him, as he
is by the accounts of all fucceeding travelers of veracity *. The clofe
refemblance between the earlieft accounts of the Indians (ever thofe
obtained by Alexander's officers) and of the Chinefe, is particularly
ilriking. Both thofe great nations had made coniiderable progrefs in
fcience long before it began to dawn upon the weftern world : and both
have continued, ever fince the times in which we have the earlieft know-
lege of them, nearly ftationary in fcience, or rather in fome refpeds
retrograde. In the age of Marco Polo we find the Indians, and the
people of Mangi, or the foutnem Chinele, navigating every part of the
Indian ocean, as, we know, that in tarher ages, though colonies and
commercial fettlemcnts of the Arabians, or Saracens, a people of fu-
perior commercial enterprife and knowlege, were eftablifhed in every
port of that cxtenfive ocean, and even in their own inland cities, they
vifited every coaft of it in their own veflels, and took into their own
hands the moft of the maritime trade between the eaftern and weftern
parts of the world. But afterwards both the Indians and the Chinefe,
though better qualified in point of fituation and valuable commodities
and manufadures than any other people of Afia to command an ex-
tenfive and lucrative trade to all parts of the world, have allowed the
whole of their foreign trade to go into the hands of foreigners. The
decline'of navigation in China may perhaps be owing partly to the po-
licy of the government, and partly to their feamen having loft the
knowlege of managing veflels at fea in confequence of the great bulk
ot their trade being conveyed, without any danger from ftorms or pi-
rates^ by inland navigation, ever fmce the great canal was made by
Coublai.

1 296 — Hitherto the gaUies in the Mediterranean had never had more
than two men to row one oar j but now three men were put upon each

* Many other particulari, charaftcriftic of tlie

ealterii nations, and ftrongly proving the veracity
of Marco's narrative, might be feledcd ; fuch as
the Chinefe cuftom of txpofing infants, »o,coo
of whom were evtry year favcd and bred up b/
Fanfur, the lad king of Mangi ; the policy, per-
haps peculiiT to China, of one city having autliority
over many others, no fewer than 14c being fub-
\ett to the government of Quinfai (the city of
heaven), the gnateft and richell city, and, before
the conqucf* of it by Coublai, the capital, of
Mar.gi; the plantations of mulberry trees m China
for feeding the filk-worms ; the refpcci paid to
cows by the Indians ; their principle of not put-
tinj!; any anin : I to death, aiii abil.i.iiing from ani-
mal food; their widows dfvoting themklvcs to the

funereal fire along with the bodiea of their dc-
ceafed huCoands j their cuftom of chewing a leaf
(betel) which he calls temiul, with fpiccs and
lime ; a fmall city at the tomb of S'. Thomas,
frequented by Saracens as well as Chriftians on ac-
count of dcvotioii ; the Chriftians of Soeotora and
other places acknowlcging the patriarch of Baldach
for their chief or pope, nearly as it was in the
time of Cofmas Indicopleuftes, &c.

Having already given the comprefled commercial
fubftanec of all the early writeis upon Oriental
affairs, it will not be necclTaiy to pay much atten-
tion to any other travelers into the eallcrn region?,
unlefsthey add fomething coniiderable to our Hock
c:' materials for comnitrcial hiftory.

A. D. 1296.

46 p

oar in the larger gallies, which were thence called terzaroli *. iSanuto'
atud Bongars. V. n p. 57.] Probably the Polos, who had juft returned
trom the Oriental feas where they had feen even four men on an oar,
may have fuggefted this augmentation of force upon the oars of the
gaJhes. ^

i297_In confideration of an aUiance againft France, and of two
pohtical marriages between the families of Edward king of Endand and
Guy earl (or cuens) of Flanders, the later obtained a very favourable
commercial treaty, whereby his fubjeds were permitted to carry wool
and other merchandize from Edward's dominions of England. Irelai-d
Scotland, and Wales, as freely as the Lombard, or even Englifli mer-
chants. Guy even had intereft to procure commercial favours in Ed-
ward s dommions for the merchants of Spain and Portugal, fome of
whom were immediately accufed of piratically feizing two veflels be-
longing to King^ Edward's city of Bayonnef. In one of the many
treaties between England and Flanders it was agreed, that all the veiTels
belonging to Kmg Edward's Britifh or French dominions fhould carry
his arms m their colours, and thofe of the earl's territories fhould in
like manner carry his : and all veflels (hould have letters patent fealed
with the common feals of the towns to which they belonged, teftifyine
that they really belonged to fuch towns. This is probably the earlieft
notice of national colours and ftiip's papers (as they are now called) to
be found m Enghlh records %. [Fcedera, V. ii, pp. 707.76c 1

September i5"'-.King Edward levied an eight part of the property
of all the laymen throughout the kingdom for the fupport of his war
ex. \T''^-" ^"5 '"^ '■""'^"' ^^ renewed, or confinned, the Great charter
ot the liberties of England and the Charter of the liberties of the foreft «
ll'adera, K n, p. yg^.—Statut. 25 Edw. /.]

Oaober I o'^-The parliament had granted the king an additional
duty of forty Ihillings upon every fack of wool, and five marks upon
every laft of hides, to be exported, during two years, or three years if
the war (hould laft fo long. But the impofition was apparently found

• This word lias apparently led fome of the
liiter Italian writers to affert, that trirmii in an-
ficnt times fignified a velTel with three men to
every oar (whereas tiie .intient vclfeia never had
more than ore to an oar) and to apply that an-
ticnt term to modern jjall'Vs ; a licence utterly fub-
Tcrfive of the meaninjr of language.

f Perhaps the letter of marque, granted in the
year 1295 to a merchant of Bayonne, was now re-
called or forgotten, the mcichant being reimburfed.
or his intvTeft rot attended to.

t The diaiiiguifhing baimcrs, Sec. ufed in the
flct of Ricliaid I, iVtm 10 Live been thofe of the
milil-iry e<)mman('eri', and ihi-y tvfre fit up upon
fpems. liiit i!i tlic y\x 1^08 we (hall find Callil-
ian cclours and Portugiicle colours, braring the

enfigns and arms of the fovereigns, mentioned as
thmgs m common ufe. Some time before March
1315 the people remaining onboard a velTel of
Bayonne, which li:id been taken by foine Fiemilh.
and Scottifti cniiferc, iind abandoned by theiji oq
the appearance of an Knglilh fleet, hoifted the
royal ttandard of England at thiir majl head as
ccknig their protection, and tSey were according,
ly carried into Yarmouth. IFadera, V. iii,/>. 509,3
J 1 he Magna cliarta was repeatedly confirmed
in the remaining part of Edward's reign. See
Blacijone's Hjjlory ef the charters. But neither
thoie conPrmationn, nor the frequent impolitioni-
of the (axes called aid-, need to be mentioned i».
this work.

A, p. i^9>

intolerable, and the colledion of it imuraiSicable ; fpi" the king, by ad-
vice of his council, direiSed the coUeaors of the cuftoms to remit the
new duties, and take only thofc formerly eftabjiOied, already fpecified
under the year 1282. [Statut. 35 Edtv. I — Madox'j WJ. of the exubeq.
e. 18, $5, note{t).]

1 298— The people of Hull ufed to pay certaip duties to the city of
York, And were alfo in fome degree of fubje<aio)R to the archbiihop, till
the twenty-fixth year of King Edward I, when, under the appellation of
the Ring's men of his town qf Kingjion upon, Hnlli they petitioned the I ng,
that their;towa might be made a free burgh, independeijit of the fhirref.
and have a fair and markets, with, exemptions from i^veral tolls ^nd
impoils (now obfolete) throughout all England. Tbey paid 100 marks
to the king, and their petition was granted. About the fame time the
men of Ravenfrod, or Havenfer, obtained % fii»j,l3r graj:>,t of privileges,
exemption from the jurifdidion of Yort, froai toMs, §c<;. Arid, iif we
are to judge by the lum they paid, wbio^ was £2P^ (<"; 45° marks) it
mnft have been then a much more confiderable pl^ce than Hull *. \Kot.
pat. 51 Hen. Ill, m. 23. — Rylefs Plac.parLp. 6^6. --^Madox's H'ift. c. 11,
§ 2.]

We find an officer appointed to meafure and infped cloths in the
fairs throughout all England, to levy fines, upon thofe whofe cloths were
not according to the affife, and to account for the fi^^es to the exchequer.
This officer muft have had deputies all-over the kingdom^ The origin
of the office is not known f , the notice of it being occafioned by the

^ Camden w» mlftakcn, though deriving his
information ' from the facred archix'es of the kiiig-
* dom,' in faying that £dward built a town, which
lie called Kingfton, upon a piece of gruimd called
Wik, purchafed by him fiom the abbf t of Meaux ;
though he is pretty correA in the privileges grant-
ed. [^Britanaia, j>, 578.] The new name, and
probably fome new buildings erefted in confe-
quence of the new privileges, have led him to fiip-
pofe a new foundation : and his authvritr, which
is defervedly great, has been implicitly followed.

Hull if we may truR me reprefentation of the
archbiihop of York, was a port of commerce in
the reign of King Atheltlan. [Federa, V. iv,
p. 372. J But, to corae upon furer ground, Hull
was .evidently a port of fome not., at lealt a cen-
tury before this time ; we have fcen that its cuf-
toms amounted to jf 1,086 in tliC year 1282 ; and
in the year 1294 we find a merchant of that town
one of the two fuperincendants of all the mer-
cantile payments in England. {^Set ahove,pp. 35$,
371, 437, 454.) I find no record of the trade of
Ravenfrijd, nor indeed any mention of it whatever
before this time. After being noted io hiftory for '
the embarkation of £dward fialliol ami his ado-

ciates when lie went to claim the kingdom of Scot-
land in the year 1332, for the lan^ng of Hfnry
duke of Lancafter when he came to < take polTel-
fionof the kipgdom of England in 1399, and tlitj
landing of King Edward IV when he came to re.
claim the king£)m in 1474, but without havli;jr
ever aUaiiied any great-^oommeicial importance, it
was entirely deftroyed by the encroachments of the
fea about the beginning of the fifrcenth century
(if npt, indeed be^re the landing of Henry) j and
even the place where it ftood, whicti was on the
Humber, and- near the point called the Spurn, is
not exadly knowQ. llFa/fiegiam, p. 358. — Fad-
era, f. y\i\, p. 89.—- 5/flio, Am, p. 703.3 But
Jiull (for the additional name of Kingilon it now
generally omitted) has become one of the moll
confiderable ports on tlve caft fide of England.

■f The office is probably co-tcval with the law
for regulating the breadth and goodnefs of cloth,
which is at lealt ai old as the reign of Richard I.
There are (ome inftaaces (in MaJox't Hift. c. 14,
^ 15) of people being fined in the reigns of John
and Henry III for their clutha being over-ftritclt-
ed and under breadtU

A. D. 1298.

461

appmntment (March 21") of a new keeptr of the ulnary and aJRfe (f cloths
foreign at weU as borne-made. [Madox*s Hift. f. 18, J 5, note (a).]

May s'*_The king, by letters font to the fhirrefi of Cambridge
Huhtendon, Nottingham, Derby. Bedford, Buckingham, Warwick, Lei-
eeftef, Rutland, and Norfolk, ordered that all the wool, wool-fells and
hides, exported from dll thofe fhircs, ftioold be fhipped only at Lynne
ind there pay the duties. A trone (or beam) for weighing the wool,'
and alfo feals for the cocket, were fent ftom the exchequer to the col-
ledors of the cuftoms at that port. For the fame purpofe colleaors were
alfo eftabUflied at the ports of Newcaftle, Kingfton upon Hull, Bofton
Yarmouth, Ipfwich, Southampton, Briftol, and London ». \Madox's
BJi.c. 18, §5, w/tf (r).] ■■

, 1299. May IS'"— ^Notwithftanding the late law of the parU'ament of
England againft the importation of ad money, and other fubfequent
precautions, the kingdom was ftill Vf much diftrefled by the circula-
t'on of forei^. coins of inferior value, known by the names of pollards
crokards, &r. Therefor the king,-by the advice of the prelates, earls]
and barons f , ordered thit cil importers of fuch money (hould be punifh-
ed with death ailJ confifcation o£ all cheir property ; and all perlbns ar-
riving from abroad fliould be very ftridiy examined by wardens chofen
in every port, mA thofe found guilty of importing bad money be im-
prifoned j that the foreign good money {hould be carried to the king's
exchange J and that all Englifh money imported fhould be tryed by the
neareft e%er8, and, if found counterfeit, fhould be feized. No per-
fon was to fell wool, hides, ikins, lead, or tin, but for good fterling
money, filver bullion tryed and ftamped at the king's exchange, or
good and fufficient merchandize ; and no money nor bullion was to be
carried out of the king's dominions without his licence, on pain of for-
feiture X' The king ordered that tables of the various coins, and of
their value in fterhng money, (hould be kept at Dover and the other
ports which he fhould ordain for paflage, and that all perfons arriving
in, or departing from, the kirigdooft fhould there r^eive. exchange
for their own money, an equivalent quantity of the rtioney of the
country they were goi g to, iufScient for their expenfes while in it.
[Statut. 27 Zdno. I.^Rot>pat. 27. Edw. I. mm. 13, i±, 2'±.^Madox's liifl
r. 9, 5 9.J ^ "^

There it fomething, either erroneous, or
Itrangely capriciow, in the order obliging the
KOol of the eaftern- part of Norfolk to trmrel away
from the neighbourhood of Yarmouth to be (hip-
ped at Lynne ; and' yet Yarmouth it ont of the
ports for (hip{rfng woo).

t Thefc were the member* of a parUamcM,
which fit at Stebenhrth (St<^ty) in the houfe of

Henry Wallei!, then mayor of London. TSloiu'i
Jkntlt,, p. 3r8.] *•

% It was the general notion of the European
legiflatois of thofe time^, that they could control!
trade, and comnrond the balance of it to be in
their favour, by fuch laws : and, though reafon,
as well 4* experience, ought to have aonTinced
them of their inefficienoy, the delufioa .ia&ed- a,,
prodigious time.

464

A.,}?. J3,oo.

1300, April 1 1"' — King Edward afterwards by the advice of his nobles
(' procerum') entirely prphibited the currency of pollards and crokafds,
and all other money not of Ixis own coim^ge *. He alfo ifllted orders to
the magiftratcs of all the ports to allow no money, either Knglifli of
foreign, nor any bullion, to be exported witho:" his own fpecial licence:
and from the orders iflued on this occafioni we obtain the followirg lift
of the ports of England, Wales, and that part of Scotland which was
then under fubjedion to him, viz.

Dover,
Sandwich,
Romney,
Winchelica,
Rye,
Hythe,
Faverftiam,
Haftings,
Shoreham,
Seaford,
Fortfmouth,
Southampton,
Dartmouth,
Lymington,
Weymouth, "
Poole,
Hamble,
Lyme,
Sidmouth,
Chichefter,
Teignmouth,
[Rjkfs Plac. pari. p. 481

•]

Frome,

Fowy,

Looe,

Bod my n,

Wareham,

Falmouth,

Briftol,

Haverford,

Carnarvon,

Carmarthen,

Lanpadermaur,

Conway,

Chefter,

Bridgewater,

Cardiff,

Oyftermouth,

Rochefter,

Grave fend,

Northfieet,

London,

Harwich,

Ipfwich,

Dunwich,

Orford,

Yarmouth,

Blackney,

Lynne,

Bofton,

Wainflcet,

Saltfleet,

Grimlby,

Hull f ,

Ravenlere,

Scarburgh,

Tinemouth,

Newcaftle upon

Tine, and
Bamburgh ;

aUb
Berwick upon

Tweed, and
Dunbar %.

The merchants of Bourdeaux complained to King Edward, that they
could neither fell their wines, paying poundige, nor hire houfes or cel-
lars to ftore them in. The king thereupon direded a writ to the mayor
and fhirrefs of London, in confequence of which many large houfes, with
cellars for the ftowage of wine, wereereftedon apart of the river's bank,,
formerly occupied by cooks. The place being called the Vintry, has

• Wikes [/. ii7] fays, that the kieg allowed
pollards, crokards, and rofariei, to go lor a half-
pennie each, before he totally prohibited them.
Out that reduftion ia not mentioned by Trivet nor
Mathew of Weftminfter : nor does any fucH re-
dudtion appear In the public records till the fecond
J ear i,f Edward II. ^Madcx't Hifi. c 9, f 3- J

f Hull 19 not called Kin^fton. The new name
had not yet made ita way into all the public of-
fices.

X It is reafonable to believe, that there inuil
have been more ports than thofe here mentioned,
though the letters fent to them do not appear.—
I have givea all the names in modern fpelling.

A.D.

f^o,

465

tin to him a, fupTri^r lo rTrf^h, ±,?'P't L"^ ^l >« P'i'' for t1,e
for their regulat^n which ^^l^r.^lT' lu"^"*"' V'^ ' "^"J' "flaws

R";s, and fih-er of the Ci4 allav+ ^^ f^ °^-^^' ^"^"^ "f
;.«pioyer. I, a,f„ direa^d Sf. K w^rk <^u,d'/ ""'T^. "? "«

the micha„„ oH;^^', ^intt^^^^\Z\Z''^ '"'"«'" ''^
community of Droirhcda made tVJ,Cll ^eiieis. i hjs year the mayor and
and chartered a ve^l SeL^o hr^''^'''' °^ "'^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^e.
at Kirkcudbright [Lt!S2S 7^/°"' ^° ^f T ^^ ^° ^^"^
find that Ir^PaSd fupplied tCS^etftitm/' ^^k '°' ''-^'^^"^ ^ *^° "o^
in the prefent age i!l pHn^^l ^ TthTtra^^^^^^^^ "^^^^

by the name c&\ie cointrT for^h^?h ^TT'^^ f '^" ^^^^^ l^^°^n

Cinque por?fW"cWrr;xT4r^^^^^ -ept the

goes of wine confifting of above niner^ nm/f ' "v u""J'^S ^"■
tient law or cuftom. the king I'd a ri?hr Tr' if "" '^^'^^' ^^ ^" ^"-
price of twenty fhil iu.,, waf 7I andfh. I k ^ ^'^'^ 'V^ "^ '^^ «^«d
on the 2o'Uf November Ao?;ar7r?h"r"' -^ ^^ year ending
by the accoums to have beefbura^ par^^^^^^^^ (which appea?

knig'6 houfchold) being ia6 turn in tV. ? . confumed m the

of there ,e.„ , C^^'^'i^'X A 5^. fT^X^e^^e j? ;^^,';'- ■

• The ward was fo called at leaft as early a.
'1.^ year .30+. IM.^,^ c. ,7, ^ ,, „,,, ^.J^^

1 I he appointment of the Hirer money of the
kmgdom 'o be the ftandard for Giver wofk. and
cftanu-rdof a foreign country to be followed
1" gold work, together with the f.leuce conrern-
.ngRold money, ftrengthen the conjeaure in p.
+C.8. hat a contmued. coinage of gold had not
l'«n kept up after the year far *• '

Vol. I. *'

.hey could be paid a/ay m fe^ of rney'^^
X'nSE^l ""' '''-• -- "- a^orial
J In the 47". and .,8- years of Henrj- III the,
pnfe w.ne» feem to have been only 235 tun» dur

3N

466

A^D,'i^<io.

bable, that the €inque ports, being exempted from pri%e, and alfo
better provided with fhipping th?.n moft of the other ports, imported
more wines than all the reft of the kingdom.

The money of France, from the time of Charlemagi^e. who eorre^J
anabufe of Pepin in coining 264 pe/tmes out 0/ a pound (fjilver, ami re-
Jlortd the old rate of 240 pennies, remained with little or no variation
of weight or finenefs till the reigii of Philip I, who, about th<B year
11^3, mixed one third of copper with two thirds of filvcr in hi$ deniers
t)r pennies. [Le Blanc, Traiti des monnoyes de France^ p. xvii.] It is not
my intention to purfue the money of France through all its fubfequent
depretiations of weight and quality, which have been many and great.

1301 — The firft dimjnuaon of the weight of the Englifti money of
account (if we except the money coined by Stephen, which, together
with that coined by the barons in his reign, was all deftroyed by Henry
II) wa&^now made by King Edward, who coined two hundred and forty-
three pennies out of the pound of ftandara filver *. A defalcation of
three pennies from the value of the pound of account was probably
thought a very trifling matter; and the people knew nothing oif their
money being one and a quarter per cent deficient of the juft value.
But it was a departure from the antient, ftrid, and honourable, adi jrencc
to the integrity of the national money j and a breach, once begux , was
■with lefs fcruple enlarged by the fucceeding kings.

Robert king of Scotland followed the example fet by Edward in Eng-
land ; and he went fomewhat beyond him, : for, expeding that the pen-
nies of both kingdoms would continue, as formerly, to pafs indifcnmin-
ately f , he coined two hundred and fifty-two pcnaies from the pound
weight, the flandard quality of the filver being the fame in both king-
doms. [Statut. Rob. Ill, c. 22, § 5, 6.]

In all the diminutions which have taken place in England and Scot-
land, as Well as in France end other countries, the denominations cf the
money of account have flill remained the fame, viz. twelve pennies in
the nominal {hilling, and twenty fhillin'^s in the nominal pound, as
well as when the pound of account contained a real pound of twelve
ounces Troye weight of flandard filver J.

• Thi» is taken from FoIke«, [on Engfi/b coins,
/,\ 9, 141, *</. 1763] who copied the agreement
made with ^fi. coiner, and may therefor be deemed
more ^ui,'i ii" /: than even t' c t; Me of weights and
jn m'l./Ti, J).- ed among tlit public (latutes of the
yeav > joj, which ftates twenty pennies to be in
the ounce as formerly. The continuator of Trivet's
Annals fays, [p. 2] that the money of Edivard I
was held in very low eftimation (* admodum tc-
< nebatur in regno vilis') immediately after his
death, though I do not fee for what reafon, unlefs
there has been fome debafement of the quality of
the filver, which has efcaped the refearchcs of the
nummarian antiquaries.

\ They did pafs indifcriminately till the year
1355, as appears by the proclamaticn of Ed-
ward III. IFtdtra, V. y, p. 813.] The exaft
year in wiiich Robert began the diminution of the
money of Scotland is not known. His reiga
commenced in 1306.

\ There was no fuch coin as s fliilling till the
year 1504, and there never was a piece of filver
money of thr weight of a pound in Great Britain.

Havine noticed the iirft breaches upon the in-
tegrity of the money of account, I refer the read-
er for the fucceedine changes of the value of the
Englifh and Scottim money, which were many,
both in weight and purity, to the table of money

in

A. D. 1301.

467

The redudions of the carrent money, from which the princes bUndlv
expected great advantages, were ruinous to themfelves and the land-
holdcrj, and oroduaivc of unfpeakabli- confiifion and embarraflment in
commerce and deaJm^ of every kind. Le Blanc, the hiftorian of the
trench money, goes fo far as to afcribe the vidories of the Engalb in
France to the impovenjhed ftate of the French gentlemen, oolfioncd
by the dimmution or the money > for. fays he. ' a knight reduced to

poverty, and ill equipped, is already vinquiflied.'

Themanufaaures of Flanders in time recovered from the fanguinarv
check they received m the war between the rival fons of the countefs Maf-
garet m the m.dJle of the thirteenth century; and, in confcquence of
their profperity, the wool of England again found its ufual read? market
Flanders being the feat of the beft manufadures to the northward ot
tne Alps and Pynenaan mountains, and confequently crowded with
people, the greateft agricultural exertions were neceflary to make the
fields as produdive as poffible ; and the encouragement afforded by fo
numerous a population was a moft powerful ftimulus to the induftr/
and ingenuity of the fatmen. Tt is generally allowed, that the other
countries of the weft part of Europe have been iaftruaed in agriculture
«nd horticulture by the Flemings, and have been earlier or later in
tneir improvements in thofe arts, in proportion to their intercourfe with
thofe fuperior cultivators. Literature and the polite arts were alfo
more flouriflung in Flanders than in the neighbouring countries dur-
ing the profperous ages of their raanufadures and commerce. So true
ic It, that plenty and politenefs are produced and nouriihed by the een-
ic influence of weU-diredled induftry •. ^

The firft interruption to the profperity of the Flemifh inanufadures
proceeded from the rigour of fome regulations of the halb, which were
intended for prefervmg the character of the manufedures and guarding
agamft frauc 1. but chiefly operated as compulfive laws, to confme the
manufadures to 'at cities, and fubjed them to the trammels of mono-
pouzing corporations. The confequence, however, as generally hap-
penv with compulfive laws in matters of trade, was the reverfe of what
was intended oy ^he legifiators ; for many of the manufadurers. in order
to avoid the reftraints fettled in the villages, from which they were
driven out by the wars between France and Flanders, and forced to take
Ihelter in Tienen and Louvain in Brabant, where they were alfo ham-

in the Appendix, which exhibiu them in one clew
cbronologicaL view.

• In our own ifland we have the teftimony of
Diodoru. Siculua [/,. v, § 22] and Csefar, [»<•//.

» h^^"- '3* ''♦^ '•>" "« people of Corn-
wall and Kent, a. having the chief commercial in-
tercourfe with the continent io antient times, wcie

raofe polifhfd and improved than the other natives
01 Britain, and our own dayly obfervation of the
vail difference between the diftridt which are the
feats of commerce and manufadlurei, and thofe
.which are remote from their invigorating iufluence,
in the euhivation of the earth, and the politenefs
and comfortable fubfiftcnce of the people.

3 N a

468

A.D. 1 36 1,

pered by reftriaions and imports. In the year 7301 thefeliarfli irea-
fures provoked a tumult in Ghent, wherein two of the magiftratesTnd
eleven other mhabitams loft their lives. In thp foUowiiig^ye.r above
1.500 people periflied in the fame way at Bribes : and m Ypr« the
whole of the magiftrates were killed."^ Simitar tumuhs^rL^e ^aifed
afterwards at Louvam and other places in Brabant by the clo h-
weavers and others who thought themfeh^s opprefled by the rcftridive
laws ; and many of them emigrated to England and other countrTes as
we^all -aftenvards fee. IDe Wufs h^J.HoUand^ P^^'^nfl.

■ The cataftrophe at Bruges feems to havfe'beelil at feaft partly ocda-

?^nfpK^'^KT-Pu'"^%°r^P^^^ of afoolilh woman. In May
rhZui? a" ^^"-'.W^f France, .^ith his queen, made a progreft
through Flanders, which he alleged, had devolved to him as FupS

ot rclped. and the peopk of every ctty made the moft pompous difplay
of opulence and magnificence. At Bruges the fplendSur Sthe laS
gave great offence to the queen, who pTeviihly exclaimed, ' I though
Afte?thi!r o^y queen here, but I fee there are many hundreds mofe.'
After their departure a difturbance arofe among the citizens concern-
ing the payment of the public expenfes. incurred by their r^epS^f
Aeir royal vifuors. whtch -they muft haVe thought%ery ill beftowed
The deacon of the weavers, who was called King Pe-xr. with twenty-five
other confiderable men. wei^ put in prifon by the pr«tor. but Smly
releafed by the populace. Many other difturbances^nfued ; and Sy
the French were dr.ven out of Bruges. [Meyeri ^.mies Flandri^J. 88
b.] If the queen had tod the good fenfe to rejoice, that the people
who were to be her hufband's fubjeds. were envying the due reward^
of their honeft mduftry. or could have only commanded her temper
i";^''.' k'°*T''T ^" ,f Pe^'^'^^ce Of gratioufly accepting the relped
paid to her, which would have coft her nothing, inftead of difDlavinJ
her childilh envy and Uttlenefs. there would pertps have teen X-
pofition to her hufband's claim*. r r- c u wu up

1302. November 7--King Edward, by fummonfes to the warden of
the Qnque ports, and to the magiftrates of Dover, Sandwich, Rye, Win-

nf fiffV "'"^^rf^^'^!'^"^"'^^'^^' ^"^ F^verfliam, ordered thdr quota
fJ!^ If ''' '° ^';^^^y ^"^ ^'^ (°^ ^y ^" '^^ ^«ft coaft of Scot-

land) on next Aflhmption day, m order toad againft the Scots. But as he
wanted men more than veffels, he defired they would fend only twenty-

• She died with a very bad charafter — < altera
• Jefabei, magnaque pars caufie hujuu trai/aediK et

' cruentiflimi beUi.' rMevtr. /". 108 a 1_IfaK.I j. .,,t u - — -■— 6"-> >■■'/• i^.taru,
.hcfifterofHenry li^'n^it^nJ-I^t'o {«! h^l ScttaEaf ''' '''' ""'^
be married to the «niperor, by indulging the peo. *^

pie of Cologne with a fight of her face, won the
hearti of the ladiei of that great city, f Af. Parh

A. D.

[30a.

469

^ed^|^..^Unuxnbcr of «.ea belongi^ ,0 the fi%.feven.
Auguft i3"'~tlie ting gave the wine-merchants of his duclw of

a^Xe into aflTsV" ^'"^ '^^^ '"^ '?^' -^--' -^ other S^cL
andize into all his donumons, and to fell them in wholefkle in tL

iZ'r^ t";^^' "f '^'^'' ^°^"^' "^ »° natives or foreigners Se
Z r. *l^«™/rorn the antient prife of two tuns of wine o« of every
fhip andpromifed that no part of their wine, or other goods S

othS^'^^He^^r "^!l ""^ri^'^°« ^'^ ^°^ ^' '^' fairp^rice i^Td by
^nv^^fi • ^^^r^^^^ned that, as the feller was obliged to S up
any deficiency of the ftandard gauge of the wine, fo fhe buyeT AouW

the buyer and feller Ihould each pay a halfpenny for the g^ueT Th.
wine-merchant., in confide ration of thefe privflesi whifh the kTn!
declared, IhouM be perpetual*, confented tf^ayln'odSal duty of

be prcfently recited. IFadera, V. ix, p. 868 ] at .mercnants, to

. 1303. February i^'—It was undoubtedly from a defire of nartidnaf
ing in the privileges granted to the merchants of Aquta^e t£ alUhe
frcnffin"'"''^''' 'Vf ^"« ""^ ^"g^^^d' °«fer^d to ply adSitiona dut es

"e duet dX7 Thl^^^^^^^^ ' ''5"^V "'^"^^ ^'^^^ privileges tuld
DC aueiy detxned. The king accordingly now gave a general charter to

aU foreign merchants, whereof the folbwing is fhe fubftanS
qn? 0"^ being defirous, that the merchants of Germany France
Spam. Portugal. Navarre, Lombardy, Tufcany. Provence Qital^^?
t^^:'21^:^^T^'^ ^'^'""''^ Brabant!' anraT:th?fordS
S r;£blXf L ?if^'"'°^'' 7"^^ ^^J°y tranquilli^ and am^e
and h^'hei^s fo^^^^^^^^^ '""^"^ "^"^^^"^^' ^" ^^ ^^^--^ by himlSi'
All foreign merchants may come fafely into England and our other
dommions with all kinds of merchandize, free frfrTany demands for
murage, pontage, or pavage f.-They ma; fell, by who^dkle onlv m
our fubjeds. and alfo to foreigners. iLu the cid^f burghrald ma^ke"
towns, of our dominions; and they may alfo retail fpicfs and the^^e
called mercery, as formerly.- After paying the duecuftoms tWmay
export to any country not at war with is. whatever they bring imoTur

orofT'7 ^"'^"^" ^\'^^°^' except wine, which muftn"t be carried
out of our dommions without our fpecial licence.— They mav refidt
and keep their goods, in any of our ktics, bur.hs. and tLn^^s t' ey

47P

A. Gb ijd3>.

ihall agree with the ownfers of the htrafcs.— Every cotttrad finr mcfch-
'andize (hall be finn and flable, after the carneft-penny is given and ac-
cepted by the contra<aing parties : but, if any difpute flwU arife, it fhall
be determined by the cuftoms of the fair or town where the contrad:
was niade — We promife, that we will make no prife, nor arreft or de-
tention on account of prife, upon their merchandize or goods, upon
any occafion, againft their will, without firft paying the price which they
might get from others, and that no price or valuation fliall be fet upon
their goods by us.— We order that all bailiflfe and officers of fairs, cities,
burghs, and market towns, on hearing the complaint of the merchants
fhall do juflice without delay, according to the merchant law; and in
cafe of delay, even though the merchant recover his damage, we will
punifli the bailif, or officer ; and this we grant, that fpeedy juftice may
be done to ftrangers *. — In all pleas between a merchant and any other
perfon whatever, except in cafes of capital crimes, one half of the jury
fhall confifl of the men of the place, and the other half of foreign
merchants, if as many can be found in the place. — ^Wc ordain, that our
weight fhall be kept in every fair and town, that the weigher ftiall fhow
the buyer and feller that the beam and fcales are fair, and that there
fhall be only one weight and mfafure in our dominions, and that they
be flamped with our Aandard mark. — A faithful and prudent man, re-
tiding in London, fhall be appointed jufticiary for the foreign merchants,
before whom they fhall plead fpcciaUy, and recover their debts fpeedily,
according to the merchant law, if the mayor and fliirrefs negled or de-
lay their caufes.

In confideration of thefe liberties, and the remiflion of our prifage,
the merchants, conjunAly and feverally for themfelves and all others of
their countries, have unanimoufly agreed to pay to us and our heirs,
within forty days after landing their goods, for
every tun (* dolium') of wine imported ■» r£o

every fack of wool exported, I befides the oldj

every lafl of hides exported, f cuflom )

every 300 wool-fells exported, J L

every Icarlet cloth, or cloth dyed in grain,
every doth dyed partly in grain,
every cloth without grain, - _ .

every hundred weight of wax,
and for fine goods, fuch as fluffs of Tarfus, filk, cindal, ' feta* (probably
fatin), and alfo horfes and other animals, corn, nnd other articles not
enumerated, a duty on importation of three pennies in the pound of
the value, according to their invoice, or their oaths if they have no in-
voice ; alfo for every article, not enumerated, upon exportation, three
jpennies in the povuid of the value, befides the former duties.

* Jtiaklujt, ia the margin of lui trinflation of thii charter, alk<^ what i* become of thit law now ?

O
O
O
O

3

3

2
I
I
I

A. 0. 1303. 4y,

li Forcigt. merchants may fell wool to other foreign merchants within
our dommions without paying any duty: and, after they have paid
cuftorn m one part of qur dominions for their goods, they ihall not be
liable to pay it in any other part.

Henceforth no exaftion, prife, loan, or burthen pf any kind, fhall
ever be impofed upon the merchants or their goods. [Faderai V^ iv f,
301 , and V. ix, /. 7a.] '^'

About this time a table of weights, meafures, &c. was made up by
authority, as follows. ^ '

Waghts.
20 pennies (of money) i ounce,

12 ounces i pound of London,
i3| pounds I ftone of London,
14 ilones

1 weyes (of wool)

1 3 facks

Meafures.
8 pounds of corn i gallon,

8 gallons 1 bufliel of London.

I weye,

I fack,

1 laft.

1 S ounces of kad - 1 pound,
12 pounds - I ftone,

5 ftones 10 pounds i fotmal,

30 fotmals . _ 1 car.

But fome reckon only 1 2 weyes
to a car ; and in the Peek country
(owing, no doubt, to the fteepnels
of the roads) the car is much lefs.

F/ax, tallow, and cbeefe, are fold
by the weye of 14 fto-es, as well
as lead and wool.

Numiers.
25 herrings
15 glens
120 herrings -
10 hundreds
10 thoufands
25 eels
10 flicks

I glen,

1 rees:

I hundred,

1 thoufand,

I laft.

I flick,

I bind.

160 mulvels and dryfijh 1 hundred.

Of wax, /agar, pepper ^ cumin, al-
monds, and alum^
15 ounces - . j pound,
8 pounds - - I ftone,
r3f ftones 1 hundred-weight.

10 bides
20 dacres

^ojkins of conies ov grife
32 timbers
10 pairs of gloves
20 borfe-fhoes
30 pieces of fleel

1 2 e^iXs of fujlian - . ^..v.v».
I o ellsoffinelinen (' findon') 1 head.
Of Jiax, hemp, and linen,

1 20 go to - I hundred.

1 dacre,

I laft.

1 timber,

I bind.

I dacre.

1 dacre.

I Iheaf.

I cheef

5 pounds of ^/fl/>, I ftone,

24 ftones - I feem. .

The pound of twelve ounces is ufed only for money, fpices, and eleft-
uaries, and the pound of fifteen ounces for all other things *.

..V I •*"!1"^""'^* J ^\ '^"''^? °^ ***'' "'•''''""'«. The pound oiffteen ounces appear, alfo in the Iaw«

which .. df«fci^nt, redundant, intricate, and fome. of Scotland. It has probably bee,, incrcafcd to •

.mci contradiaory, as weU ai I could. It is pub- fxtim, for the liike of a more con>c.iient fubdivU

li(hed with the Statutes, and entitled « Traftatus C<|n. «"ouiv„
• dc ponderibut et roenfuris, aono 31 Edw. l,'-m

May ao"'-~Irva treaty of peace wkh France, Ubeny wm panted to
the merchants on both fides to trade ffeeJy in all kinds of mercbaodiae
on paying the duties ; and each of the contraaing powers agreed eq give
no rehet, not even viduals. to the enen>ies of the other. {Fcedera V ii
PP' 927.935] I , -M,

The abbat of Weftminfter, 48 of htis brethren, and 33 other perfons
were impnfoned in the Tower, on a charge of robbii>g the king's treaf^
ury m Weftmmfter abbay of a htmdnd thoufand ppmdf. [iofdera, F. ii
PP- 930. 938, 940.] The fum is almoft incredibly great.-^Haw eouid
they carry off fuch a kad of filver*, or what could they do with fuch a
raals of money.

The Venetian writers fix the year 1303 for the termination of the
youthftil age of their republic, which, they %, has ever fince proceed-
ed with the gravity.and prudence of mature age ; and, being a hapnv
mixture of monarchy, ariftocracy, and democracy, it is likely, with the

! .^f .^^y^^'*^ ^""^"^'^ ^° '^'^"'^y- [^'•^ ^ota in Dom. Jaa-
not. p. 466, ed. Elz.] %rnity belongs not to human affairs.

1304, April— King Edward, liaving made peace with the king of
prance entered fo warmly Into flkinterefts.that he took part with bim
dgainft his old friend the earl of Fland^rf , a»d at his own expenfe lent
him twenty of the beft and krgell ffiips tq be found in all the ports bc^
tween London and the Tfle of Wight. Dover excepted, each of them car-
rying at leaft forty fencible men, and properly equipped for war. And.
further to gratify his new friend, he baniflied all the Flemi(h merchants
out of England. Wales, and Ireland, and ordered home all his own fub-
je<3s who were m Flanders, thereby abolifhing the very beft trade or
rather almoft the whole trade, of his fubjeds -f— on condition that the
king of France would banifli his enemies, the Scots, out of his kingdom

King Edvvard having written to Eric king of Denmark, requiring

latistadion for a flnp loaded with wine and other goods, belonging to

iarmouth, Eric anfwered, that the owner, or his agent. Ihould have

juftice whenever he would apply, and that any Englifh fubje£ts vifitine

his dominions, ihould be favourably treated. [Fcedera, V. ii, p. oAg 1

The town of Pera (formerly called Galata) on the north fide of the
harbour of Conftantinople, with fome adjacent grounds, which the Ge-
noefe had occupied fince the reftoration of the Greek emperors in the
year 1259, was now fully ceded to them by the emperor Andronicus;
and It was rendered equal to many cities in the ftrength of its tortifica-

mL^^" "'^'''"7 ;'^» cummhted n. the enj of land (whicli was moaiy earned to Fianders) wa.

May when the n.ght. >r<r very fljort. nearly eqOal t^ the haliof the land in vie. [TW

f In the year 1297, «'" "obles, in iheir peti. vet, p. w*.! " '•

ion to the king, afletter* '' ' < ' * 'r 3 r j

tion

king, afletted that the wool of Eng-

A. jy, 1304.

473

the'y^r;^^" ^L'yf <>f ,EngI?nd was confiderably incrtafed fine

and wrote to Edward flint h^ ^r.A v • i "u- "'^,"^our on thole terms,
th« no one in his dominions Iho^d ^^"ihem !J;1mo<,T°''''T?'

exercifing their lawful and iuft merchandi^P L K?J ^ u^^^' ^''°'"

merce of the weftern countries of Euror^ ^ ^ " °^'^^ ^*'™-

them in many other refpeX with much H^n ^'''''^%''" ^"^ ^^ treat

from the popes for fe™i^ done to ,hen?''T„"?, °* — «>»dacion.
belongin/to^he houfe of ^he sji'nl f «ore„" e was'killX' ^ r'^
bie wuh fome other people belonging to the ftme iZr, ,^, i, '^'''}^
perlon having abfconded the ofBce^ of juSfeized 'the t'd' *'""X
goods of other perfon, belonging to the company and alfo U,t^', ^f

Vol. I. l^'^'ffra, r. n, />. Syr.] In the year 1306 fcveral

V, 30

> ^

474

A. IX »3o6.

foreign merchants were called before the king's council, who inquired
how many merchants of each foreign company were in England, and
ordered them to give in an account of all the money and goods they
poffefled, and to give fecurity that none of them ftiould leave the king-
dom, or export any thing, without the king's fpecial licence. Next day,
not being able to find iecurity, they were all committed to the Tower,
from which they were afterwards liberated on becoming furetics for
each other *. {Madox's Hift. c, 22, § 7.]

1307, February 4''' — A fum of money having been colleded in Eng-
land for the pope, the king ordered that it fliould be given to merch-
ants within the kingdom for bills of exchange to be remitted to the
pope (' per viam cambii dido domino fummo pontifici deftinare'), be-
caufe he would allow no coined money nor bullion to be carried out of
the kingdom on any account, [Fadera, V. ii, p. 1042.] Did he not
know, that fuch a tranfadion muft either carry out money, or prevent
it from coming in, which is nearly the fame thing ?

The ufe of coal (called fca-coal, as being brought by fea) for fuel was
prohibited in London and Southwark f . \_St<m's Survey of Loiidui, p.

925-]

The fociety of the New temple in London had ereded fome mills
upon the Thames, near Caftle Baynard, with a quay befide them, in
virtue of a grant from King John, and they feem alio to have drawn off
the Water of Fleet from its channel. It appeared by an inqueft, that
thofe eredions had deftroyed the navigation of the Fleet, upon which
fmall boats (' batelli'), loaded with merchandize, ufed to go up as far as
Holburn bridge % s and the Templars were ordered to reftore the brook
to its natural channel. Stow fays, that the mills were removed, and the
channel cleaned out ; but the antient breadth and depth never were
recovered, and there were mills upon it again in his time. [Rot. pat.
35 Edw. I ; I Edw. II, amb. a tergo. — Kyley, Plac. pari. p. 340. — Stow's
Ann. p. ^26 ; Survey, pp. 687, 688.]

J 308, March 15"' — Edward II, having married a daughter of the king
of France, granted permiflion to the merchant of that kingdom to

• This illiberal and impolitic treatment of fo-
reigners » as uot put an end to by law till the year
135 J, and 'Kit by pradlice till long afterwarda.

■fin June 13*7 'lie '''"g f^"' an order to the
mayor and ftiirreit of London to proclaim that no
perfon ftioiild prefiime to light fires (' rogos illos
' prtefumat accenderc') in London, or near the
Tower, becaufe the queen was going to refide iu
it, and fuch fins were apt to corrupt and infeft
the air. {Fadcra, V. ii, p. 1057.] The word
result which fignilles a iuueral lire, is evidently
niifapplied, and the meaning of tiie order is ren-
dered obfcure by it. It is probable that the pro-
hibition was directed only agaiuft liics of coal, the

fmoke of which was long fuppofcd pernicious ;
(See Evelyn's Fumifiigium, publiflied in the year
1661} for the king furcly did not propofe to liin-
der the citizens from dreiiiiig theii viduals ; and
that this prohibition is the fame that is noticed by
Stow.— But qnere, if rogot be written inftcad of
focos, and one of the innumerable blunders of Ry-
mer's araanuei.fes, which difcracc that great and
valuable thefaurus of national records ?

X The name of Batel-bridge feemi to infer, that
boats have at fome time proceeded even ashijiu as
that place, which is more than a itile above liol-
buru bridge.

A. D. 1308. ^yg

•ome to England with money and merchandize ; and, after tranfaaing
their bufmefe, to return with their goods, horfes, and even money,
notwithftandmg his father's lawagainft carrying money or bullion out of
the kmgdom, [Fae/era, T. in, p. yo.]

March 22"— The ftatute of merchants, and the charter granted to the
toreign merchants, feem both to have been infufficient to procure juftice
tor them: for we find that, on a complaint of the merchants of Brabant
the kmg iffued general orders to do them juftice in all their juft claims.
lE^Jera, V, m, />. 71.]

Some Caftilian pirates, under Portuguefe colours, had taken fev^^ral
r A^i r ''r ' "*^*^^'^eupon the commercial harmony, which had fub-
lUted tor feme time between the merchants of England and Portugal
was mterrupted, till the affair was explained by a letter from the kin<'
ot Portugal, who alfo requefted letters of fafe condud for the merch-
ants of his kingdom to trade in the dominions of King Edward which
were granted (Oaober 3"). on condition that they fhould trade' fairly
pay the ufual cuftoms, and give obedience to the hws of the land while
refiding in it. \Fadera, V. iii, p, 107.]

1309— The merchants, or rather the feamen, often took it upon them
to carry on hoftihties againft thofe of other countries or cities, and to
enter into treaties of peace or truce with them (as has already been
partly obferved) without the fovereigns on either fide being concerned
in the quarrel, unlefs fometimes as mediators, or umpires, between the
belhgerent feamen. Many complaints having been made of piracies and
flaughters, committed during a truce of two years between King Edward's
lubjeds of Bayonne and the fubje«as of Callile, the kings on both fides
atter a negotiation of confiderable length, commiffioned two judges out
ofeach country to fettle the damage.}, do juftice, and puniOi fome of
the firft movers. \Fcedera,^\ in, pp. 112, 122, 131, ,32, 153. 169, 170,

* y O J I o i • J

Other feamen, called Efterlings (people of the Baltic fea), taking ad-
vantage of the troubled ftate of Scotland, committed fome depredations
there; whereupon Kdward, who confideredhimielf thefovereignof that
kmgdom, having heard that the pirates had failed for the Swyn wrote
to the earls of Namur and Flanders, and the magiftrates of Bruges re-
queftmg them to do juftice upon them. There were alfo com-
p.amts about this time of Englifli lubjeds being maltreated in Norway.
[Foedera, K ni, pp. 131, ,54, 215.] But the reader, I dare fay, will
gladly excule me from entering into a tedious and difgufting recital of
the atrocities perpetrated upon the lea and the fliores in thofe ages of
terocity and rapine, and alfo from narrating many of the fiiort-lived
:md unimpcrtant treaties, which were made, almoft every year, profelled-
ly tor the purpofe of guarding the interefts of commerce.

3 O 2

47^

A.8D. %j6.

f.i«l5to,>Juneir6"'-*JKingIEdw«M oMered the -foUbwingpbrts to fend
flwps of war, fuffic-sntly equipped and manned, to Dufekin, in order tO
tranfport th« earl of Ulfter and his farces to Scotland.

Shoreham, to fend
Portftnouth
Lymington and 7

Eremouth j
Poole

Wareham ^
Weymouth
Melcomb
Lyme
Exmouth and 7

Exeter j

- /)(!

in

Teignmoufh
Dartmouth

-if
-/J ii

limbt i

Plymouth. miTt.»0 i
Golchefter - i
Harwich «, .,, i, i

Ipfwich - afi«,n'3
Dunwich - i

Orford - 1*1 .1
YarmoutK ^-tt? i<f
Little Yarmouth i
Snyterley t-,- ni
Bumham and Jj'i h --I

J ?

firt''

"li
irno- kt|

Grimfby

Ravenfare

Hull

Scarburgh

Hertlepool

;Newcaftlc upott'f : .^d
'■■ Tine j'^j?

Newby > - './ ..^wijRiij
iiGlouceller and'T- A
n Briftol J 2

I

T -a

Holkham J "• f t) Bridgewater
BoAoH'-.' I4tni< ♦ij'tol/ni
, »,. , Lynne f. ^' l - .r^ [Far/iera.r. in, p. ^12.]

tiril herd are no orders to London or the Cinque ports *. The great
number taxed upon Yarmouth affords a ftrong prefumption, that the
tifhiBry, the chief, or rather the only, bufinefs of that port, was then in
a very flouriftiing condition. But of the ports, taxed at one veflel each,
fome muft have differed greatly from others in commercial importance!
I tji i-i-The king of Frames wrote to King Edward his fon-in-laWj re-
^ueftifig that he would remit to the French merchants, and efpecially
to thofe of Amiens; the new duty of three pennies in :tihe pound of the
va]ue of their goods. But Edward anlwered, that the duty had l>cen
granted in his father's tiftiein a full parliament, and at the defire of the
foreign merchants themfclves, in confideration of liberties and immuni-
ties, from which they had reaped great advantages ; and that he. could
JQOI remit it without the advice of parliament f. [Fadem, (^. Hi, p. 269.]
n-i There can be little reafon to doubt that the conftrudion and ufe of
the glaffes for affifting weak or dim eyes, now fo generally known im-
der the name of fpedacles, were known to the great Roger' Bacon. But
m thofe days the knowlege of improvements wasflowly propagated, and
for want of printing, the great preferver as well as diffeminator of know-
lege, WAS often entirely loft. We may therefor very well believe, that
the invention of lp«aac]es at Pifa, or Florence, or both, might be real
origmal dilcoveries. Dominicus Maria Mannus of Florence, in an eflay
on fpeitacles, leems to prove, that they were invented by Salvino of that

:«')'» It, »ppear6.(iom a fecond maixJate ilTiicd in« port of Southampton. £Fadera, V. iii, pp. iti,

few weeks a/ttr, wherciii the king ydered all the 265.!

Teffels to proceed Imrtiedlatfly for the coaft of Ar- f The fame requeft was again maiie at the in-

gyle without callin? at Irtland, that the Cinque fiance of the merchants of Amiens by Charles the

I>ort!t vere alfo ta!!cd upon far thi-ir (hipping at Fair in the year i^ij; ai.d a fiinilar «niwer was

this time. The fecond orders contain, beliJcs the returned. [Firf/cra, ^' iii, /i, 1014.]

Cimiiie pi)t«s iuid all thcfs iii the fir't ones, the 3

A.D.Tlf3ri. 4^y

cjt% who died in thfc year iji^.-AndPteccidlf, in his Chronicle of Kfa,
lay», ^that Alexaoder dc Spina, a wio.ik of Hfe,'(whodied in the year
1 31 3) feeing that fome pcrfon (probably Sah^ino) who had invented
ipedtacles ot glafs, refufed to communicate the art of makii^ them to
others, difcovered th* fecret by his own ingenuity and application, and
hbcrally imparted'the knowlege to other*. [Muratoki'jimi9.V.u,'CoL
390. J bpedtacles being certainly knovn about this time in two princi-
pal commercial cities of Italy, it may be prefumed that the ufe of them
became general throughout Europe in the early part of the fourteenUi
century. The fubfequent improvements upon the formation of the
glafles whereby they are adapted to the long-fighted and the fliort-
lightddt Hs well as thofe whofe fight is weakened by age, render fpeo-
tacle&one of the moft benefidial and important difcoveries that have
ever been made to a very greac proportion of mankind, amoug whom
are comprehended many of the moft valuable. individuals. -r

13 1 3, February is"^_JCing Edward wrote to the earl of Flanders
complaining that his fiibjeds ilili traded with the Scots, and fupplied
them with provifions. armour, and other ntceffaries. On the 1" of May
he again wrote him, that he underftood, thirteen Flemifts fhipa had re-

wu V^ -^ ""^ *^ ^"^^ ^°' Scotland with arms and provifions;
Whether it was on account of his demands for the abolition of the trade
with^Scotland not being complied with by the earl, whofe anfwers I do
not hnd, or for any other caufe of difplcafure, the king iffued ordef$
(June 19") to arreft aUthfi.FlemJilx veiTelsin.England.. iEitdera, K iii
/>^. 386, 403, 419.] w h5t'< .-tnr i^- vr ■! '.i-. ■

That the people of England, or at leaft thofe of Lynne, reforted to
the louth coaft of Norway about this time for the purpofe of catching
herrings, we learn from the too^common complaints of piratical depred-
ations and other enormities, which difgracc the naval hiftory of every
nation of Europe in the middle ages. About the fame time eleven
Norwegians of diftindhon. who had been invited to dine onboard an
i^nghlh velfel from Berwick, were murdered by the crew, in confe-
quence of which, according to the general law then eftaUiflied, foiae
other Englift veifels were feized, whereupon King Edward wrote a let-
ter to Hacon king of Norway, reprefenting that it was contrary to rea-
Ion, equity, juftice, and law, that thofe, who were not guilty, nor of the
focicty ot the guilty, Ihould fuffer for the crimes of others * : and he
rcquefted the reftoration of the veflels, which, as they ought to be at all
times ready for his fervice, he could not quietly fuflfer to be out of the
kingdom.-.In the fame year the treafurer of the king of Norway took
tor his matter's ule cloth, filh, and other merchandize, to the value «?f

cqrnty. or j.ll.ce, ,t certainly w.,s agreeable to the the cruehy of th£ barbaLu, law fauted LTv.rv
law or cuUoiu then cllablifhed in his own king- particular favour. ^ ^-

47«

A. D. 1315.

X^i,494 : 5 : o fttfrling, from feven merchants of Lynftc, while they were
at North Ber^n, for which they received no payment *. This meiits
aotice only as it (hows, that^England ^ad then fome cloth to fpare tor

exportation. The filh were probably caught on the Norwegian coaft.,^

But it w-ouid be tedious and difgufting to detail all the outrages and
enormities, which conftituted the chief matter of the negotiations be-
tween the princes of Europe in thofe ages. (See Fixdera, V. iii, pp. 595,
397, 400. 4or , 449, 556, 566, 571 . 577, 783.]

The advocates for the antiquity of the fociety, or company, of the
merchants of the Staple affert, that they exifted as a corporate body in
the 51" year of King Henry III. What is, perhaps, more eafily afcer-
tained, is, that in two letters from Edward II to Robert earl of Flande. i,
both dated I5"» February 1313, it appears, that Richard Stury, mayor of
the merchants of England, had juft returned from the earl's court, to which
he and Sir William of Deen had been fent as ambafladors, in order to
accommodate all differences between the fubjeds of both princ*;s (not
between the princes), and to concert raeafures for maintaining friend-
(hip and amicable intercourfe. [Fardera, V. iii, /. 386.] In this year
we find a patent of King Edward for ordaining a certain place upon the
continent as a ftaple for the merchants of England, and for defining the
liberties (or powers) veiled in their mayor : and there was alfo a fecond
patent foon after ' in favour of the mayor and merchants of the Staph:
[Rot. pat. fee. 6 Edw. If, m. 5 ; and/r/»i. 7 Edin. II, m. 18.] There was
moreover a charter, dated the 20'' of May in this year, wherein the
king fets forth, that, as the merchants, natives as well as foreigners,
made a pradice of carrying the wool and wool-fells bought in his do-
minions to feveral places in Brabant, Flanders, and Artoi; , for falc, he,
in order to prevent fuch damages, had ordained, that all merchants*
whether natives or foreigners, buying wool and wool-fells in his do-
minions for exportation, Ihould carry them only to one certain ftaple in
one of thofe countries, to be appointed by the mayor and community
of the fame merchants of his kingdom f, who might change the ftaple,
if they thought it expedient. He alfo gr&,nted to the mayor and council
of thofe merchants authority to punifti all merchants, natives or foreign-
ers, carrying wool or wool-fells to any other place, by fines, which fhould
be levied by his officers for his ufe upon the property of the delinquents.
And he ordered this charter to be publifhed in all the maritime ftiires
of England. [Hnkluyfs Voiages, V. i, p. 142.] There can be no doubt,
that the perfon, called in the king's letters, the firft patent, and the

' TItey had received no payment in June 1319,
wlicn King Edward dunned tlie king of Norway
for them.

f < Per majorern et commuoitatem eorundem
' mcrtatorum dc regno noftro ordinandam.' Thefc
tTords infer, that, though foreign merchants ex-

ported wool and wool-fells, only Englifli merch-
ants Ihould be members of the fociety. It appears
from » multitude of fafts and documents, that the
mayor and community continued the ftaple at Ant-
werp.

A. D,

MI

313-

479

charter, the mayor of the viercbants, was* the fame who is caUed tht mayor
•fthe/tople m the fecond charter • ; and that the origin of the company
of the merchants of. the Staple may moft craely be dated in this year f.
llie mltitution of the company, or nerhaps, more properly focakmi.
community. w1m> conftituted fuch a fociety at Antwerp as the merch-
ants of the Genmn Kildhali did in London, infers that the merchami
of Enghu>dnowbegan to fee the pn!>priety of talcing into their own
hands at leail a (hare of the atlive commerce of their own raw materi-
aJe. 1 his was a firft ftej towards obtaining the full Ijenefu to be deriv-
ed from pofTeifing valuable materials by firfl working them up and
then exportmg them in a manufadhired ftate.

December 3''--King Edward, m the requeft of his fifter the counteft
dowager of Holland, granted, with gi-eat formality, to the burgefles and
merchants of Dordrecht (or Dort). the capital of Holland, an exemp-
ciou, d.irmg the life of the oountefs. for themfelves and their propcrtr
from bemg airefted on account of any debt or crime, unlels they theii
leives, or Jome per/on of their community, were principal debtors or fare-
ties or charged as guilty, on condition that they (bould carry on fair
trade and pay the due cuftoms. And that fo great an indulgence might
not be abufed, they were required to bring an indenture (or manifeft)
of their cargoes, with the value appraifed by mei'chants of charader and
the magiftrates of the city, and alfo by the procurator of the counted
and her preient huftand the earl of Hereford and Eflex. and fealed with
the ieal of the city and that of the earl and countefs |. [Fxdera, V. iii,

I a'^^^~~^}'^ king of France wrote to King Edward, that formerly he
had granted permiffion to the En^liih importers of wool, who had iheir
itaple at Antwerp, to bring their goods to his town of S . Ome-'s and
hold their ftaple there, for which purpofe he had given them ample li-
bertRs and privileges, lu)ping that confiderable benefit would redound
to h.nlelf and his lubjeds : but that now they gave up carrying their
wool m the annua! hurs at his town of Lifle. as they uled to do when
theii ftaple was • uwerp, and alfo enticed other merchar .s to do the
fame whcrebv .bjedts fuffered great lofs. Therefor he now re-

queued his lon-m-law to induce his fubjeds, and, if necelTary to com-

.* ' ^"**' already had occafioii to obferve, that
Ih'xA miilonm'ty of titlts or iipji.llatious was not
attended to in tho'i' day ".

t Gerard Malyncs, in his Certtfr nf the circle of

>cmmcrcc, f.iy that t!ic tTn;rf!i,iiits of tlic Staple in
the 1x1^-11 of (^iffii Eliziibeth productd i)ri)(]f, tli:it
there was a vvoo!-lt,ipIe and (diiccrs belonging lo it
in thi rcfgn of liinry III. But whether tlint
wou'J piuve the ai-.tiquity of tint company of
EngliHi n\crchiiiits ol" tl.c icaph;, wliofe hi^jli an-
tl(piit)-, digi.ity, ai;d ufefahicii to Uic lUle, lit lo

zealoufly cclebratef, I do not pretend to judge.
ills work, being written in tiie bitter fpiiit of
controverfy, mull be read (if any body will no«-
a-days t«ke the trouble- of reading it) with "reat
allowance- for liin partiaiily. "

% A fimilar indulgence was granted to the fac-
tor, and icrvanis of the bilhop of NIdaios (Dron-
tlienn) 111 Norway, wl-.e-.i he b-ca:iic n mcrcliaii*
and en^ja.-.'d in the trade to England ia t!ie vcn'
1315. iF«iL,a, r.m, p. 551.]

4^0

A* D. 1314.

pell them, to frequent the fairs as formerly. So important an objed
was the acquifition of Englifli wool. King Edward in return wrote him
(from Berwick, July 16'') that, as the matter concerned all the mercU-
anu of his kingdom and many others of his fubjeds, he could give no
final anfwer, till he fhould take advice upon it. [^Fadera, V. iii, pp. 482,
4.O0.J

July 26'' — ^Peace being concluded between the king of France and
the earl of Flanders, the later informed King Edv/ard, that he had pro-
claimed througuout his dominions, that all mercl^ants of France, Eng-
land, and other countries, with their merchandize, Ihould be proteded
in his territories, and have abfolute Ubcrty of returning to their own
countries, without their perfons or properties being fubje<a to arreft or
hinderance, and tha*^^ the merchants of England might have their ftaple
for wool and other goods at his city of Bruges. In return he requefted
King Edward to give orders that the Flemifh merchants might enjoy
fimilar privileges in England agreeable to the grantf made by his an-
ceftors and himfelf. \Fcedera, V. iii, p. 490. 1

1315, March 14"' — In a lift of orders addiciLd to the prelates, nobles,
and communities, of Ireland, the oiiiy towns nit raioned are Dublin,
Waterford, Cork, Rofs, Drogheda, Trim, unci K.iikfi)iiy, {I'ade/a, V. iii,
/>. 51 1] which may thence be prcAuuiud to have been at lias time the
chief towns of the ifland.

September i" — The king of France, being again at war with Flan-
ders, required King Edward, according to treaty, to banilh the Flem-
ings out of his territories, and to afllft him with a fleet againft them.
Edward thereupon iflued orders to the fliirrcfs of London, and of every
fliire in the kingdom, for obliging all the Flemings, except thofe who
were married and fettled in the country, to depart from the kingdom ;
and he commanded that none of his fubjeds fliould give them any af-
fiftance *. He alfo ordered two of the admirals of the fleet fent againft
the Scots to draw off their divifions in order to adt againft the Flemings,
and apologized to his brother of France, that he could not fend the'
whole fleet to hi afliftance, becaufe he was very hard prefled by iiis
enemies of Scotland, who, not content with driving his people out of
their own country and invading the northern parts of England, had
lately made a formidable attack upon Ireland. {Fadera, V. iii, pp. 525,
53 ^ S2>ci^ 535f 536-] Thus it was fo ordered, that the exertions of the
Jicots, in defence of their own independence, were alfo inftiumental in
fupporting the liberty and independence of other nations, and particu-

• The orders were probably not very rigorouf- them to leave the country. IFtiJtra, F. iii, *. 541 .]
ly enforced ; for we find new orders in Nov(;mber Both the Englifli and the ricmiiigs knew how in-
jur (Iria fcarch to be made for thofe Flemings, difpenfibly neceffary their commerce was to each
•vho had rtmoinrd beyond tlie time appointed for other.

A. Dl

»j'5^

4ii

•TEur*' ?" ''""*' ^'^^^^ ""^^ commercial nation in »hc xfeftem parti

veinnl;l!?'^'^K '*•' /"*?^«?'P between England and France, four
veflehj, loaded with wool and other merchandize from London for Ant.
werp, were attacked on the coaft of France by two-and-twenty anticd
veflels from Calau, and one of them, valued at a.ooo marks fterK

r„/ ? ''' I'f ""T"^ '^'^ *^" P«"' ^ '^^ complaint of the merTh^
ants Kmg Edward wrote to the king of France (November a-), cxprelT-
ing h.s wonder that redrefs had not been given for that enoimity efl
Facially as J.l^e French merchants were treated in his dominions as well
as his own fubjeds. {Fadera, K iii, p. 5 ,;.]

The fame Calais pirates fent their i^oat^to attack a veffel lyine uoon
the ground at low water near Margate, alfo loaded with wool from lW-
R?!?„H v^'^^^'Pj ^""^ .^^"'^i ^^' °^" ^° ^''l^"' '^g«her with John
her. and three merchants of the Hanse of Germany, the owners of the
Zfr'Ju" r^ " England in the enjoyment of the antient prlvUeget
granted by the preceding kmgs. [Fadfra. V. iii. *. 540.] #hat ren-
dc« this event particularly worthy of notice, is, that it contains the etS-
lieft mention that I have been able to find in Enghlh records, of the
name of Hanfe being applied to the community of German merchams
who made fo confpicuous a figure under that appellation for at leaft two
centuries after this time. And that the application of tha^ name to
them was new at this time, appears from a grant in the patent rolls
l/ff. 7 JSrfw. //, OT 12] to the merchants of Germany (• mercatores Ale-
raanniae ) of the liberty of coming fecurely into the kingdom .nd fell-
mg their merchandize, which ir, dated 23" April 1314 : and even fome
years afterwards (viz. 7'^ December .3^7) we'find 'prtiC gl^^tld'o
the merchants of the reutonk gild, wherein the apparentlyrnew name of
Hanfe is omitted * {Fadera, V. ix, p. 76.]

It is evident, that there mull: have been confiderable woollen manu-
faftures m the northern parts of the French dominions, as the late King
Phihp was fo defirous of having the Englifh wool carric. to S'. Omers
andLUIe: and -now his fon Louis very earneftly requefted Kine Ed-
ward to appomt a ftaple for the fait of Englifti wool in fome pirt of
France between Calais and the River Seine. Edward, before he would
come to any determination, fummoned a number of the moft pruden^
and experienced Englifii merchants to deliberate with the parliament
to be held at Lincoln in the enfuing January, upon what would be moft
proper to do m the matter (December le'"): and this affembly of
merchants may be called at leaft the firft rudiments of a council of
trade. \Fadera, V. m, p. 543.] It may here be obferved, that there

V OL, li <» P

jfi%

A, D. 1315.

muft have been more than one ftaple, fome of them, fuch as S'. Omers
and Lifle being apparently fubfidiary to the chief one, which was fixed
at Antwerp, thovi h the earl of Flanders had endeavoured to get it fet-
tled at Bruges.

England was this year afflided by a famine, grievous beyond all that
ever were known before, which raifed the price of provifions far above
the reach of the people of middling circumftances. The parliament, in
compaflion to the general diftrefs, ordered that all articles of food (hould
be fold at moderate prices, which they took upon themfelves to pre-
fcribe. The confequence (which, it is very wonderful, they did not
forefee) was, that all things, inftead of being fold at, or under, the maxi-
mum price fixed by them, became dearer than before, or were entirely
withheld from the markets. Poultry were rarely to be feen ; butcher
meat was not to be found at all ; the (heep were dying of a peftilence j
and all kinds of grain were fold at moft enormous prices. Early in the
next year (1316) the parliament, perceiving their miftake, repealed
their ill-judged a£l, and left provifions to find their own price. [Wal-
fmgham, pp. 106, 107.]

Tn the time of the famine fome corn was imported from France, Si-
cily, and Spain ; and feveral Spanilh fliips, carrying provifions and arms
to the Flemings, were feized by the conftable r^i Dover caftle, upon
which the king of France requefted his ally of England to confifcate the
veflTels and cargoes to himfelf, and to make the men his flaves. \Yeedera,
V. iii, pp. 542, 544, 564.]

1316 — A great dromund of Genoa, loaded with corn, oil, honey, and
other provifions, for England, to the value of /^5,7i6 : 12 : o fterling,
and having the king's protedion and fafe condud, was attacked, when
lying at anchor in the Downs near Sandwich, by a fleet under the com-
mand of a French admiral, who carried her into Calais. The depriva-
tion of fo large a cr -fo of provifions in a time of famine was a national
calamity ; and Kj ^ . .dward applied both to the king of France, and to
the admiral who had taken the fhip, requiring her to be brought back
to the Downs. The king of France h'tm% dead, he repeatedly wrote to
the regents, and to feveral French noblemen individually, upon the fame
bufinefs, but without effed ♦. [Foedera, V. iii, p. 564, 894, 985.}

Immediately after his application for the recovery of a Gcnoefe vef-
fel, Edward, having learned by intercepted letters, that two citizens of
Genoa were in treaty with Robert king of Scotland to furnifli gallies
and arms for his fervice in the war againft himtclf, wrote to the com-
munity of the city (July 18''"), expre.Tmg his furprife that they fhould
enter into friendfiiip with his capital enemy, feeing that he had Ihown
every kind of favour to the Genoefe, and fiiendfliip between his ancef-

* Tlic pa^iers \a the Fimlcra, here quotedi fliow that no compenfalioa wai made ia January i jaj.

A. D. 1316.

483

tori and theirs had been inviolably prefenred from antlent times*; and
concluding with a requeft that thofe two citizens might be puniflied for
an exampfe to others. [Fa^dera^V. iii, p. 565.] ^ ""ea lar

r.J.P'^'i^^'^'^uKTJ^''''^^^^^^^' ^«^^^°"s of procuring fome Ge-
noefe veffels for himfelf; employed Leonardo Peffai^e of Genoa t. hire

ZZ^A r-l"T5 ^'""^ f "^'' ^""^ ^''^ ^^'•' ^^d fufficiently armed.
^W ' ^^.^'f'f'^^ '%,^^ e«>Ployed in his war againft Gotland
[F^dera, F. ni p. 604.] Many other inftances might be adduced if
neceflary, of the princes of Europe applying to the Genocfe for naval
affiftance, which they, more frequently than any other of the Italian
flares, granted, without being, however, any other way concerned in the
quarrel than as mercenary auxiliaries. ^ ncaintne

June 2o"'--The king granted the merchants of Brabant permiffion
to trade in his kingdom with the ufual conditions ; and he alfo added
^LtT ^^^PP^'°"^ ^'•on^ being liable for the debts and crimes of
ftrangers. which he had granted to the citizens of Dordrecht in the
year 1313. And a fimilar grant was made (November 20"'') to the
merchants of Bermeo, Bilboa, and the other towns of iiifcay. with the
fame exemption ; and, at the requeft of their fovereign the king of Caf-
tile. It was declared that they (hould not even be liable for the debts or
crimes ot the people of any other kingdom or province of Spain. [Fctd-
era, V. in, //, 647. 678.] v v <*

July 6'*'--Edward. having occafion to thank the duke of Bretaene for
domg juftice to fome Englifh fubjeds in his territories, affiired him, that
any of his fubjeds aggrieved by the Englifh ihould have fpeedy juftice
and even favour; and if they chofe to trade in his dominions, the^
ftould be treated as he would wifli his own merchants to be treated in
a foreign country. [Fadera, V. iii. /. 656.]

Some Englifh merchants having been plundered many years before
by lome Hollanders, it was determined, in the courfe of a dilatory and
interrupted negotiation, that there «ras due to Walter Ken and Com-
pany of Lincoln the fum of /:954, and to Richard Wake and Tohn
Wype^3S9. as compenfations for damages fuffered by them. Asa

r^ij^'-ln\ ^^l^T '^u^ ""'' °^ """'^^ propofed. and King Edward
ratified It (July 3"), that the money Ihould be levied from all the merch-
ants, hftiermen. and mariners of Holland arriving in the ports of Eng-
land, at the rate of twenty Ihillings annually from every veflel bringing
herrings or other filh (fo antient at leaft is the very profitable Dutch
trade ot fupplymg the London market with fifh f) and ten ihiUings

t The Englifh had been accufed by the Dutch
fifliermcn of taking their fiOi. which they brought
to Idl oil the coail of England, and paying them

-. 1 7 T"'\ r,]^ .-.i'..-.i Lu iiiiic pun, as much or an httle as they pleafed. and wh«i th,.v

UlTf «nd «^V7 treaties of friendftip a«d pleafed, or not at all. I^ Augul " ,o^ he kb J
alhance have w.th regan! to t.me coming. ordered the warden of the ^l^^ pom and th?

• This hij been adduced as a proof of a very
antient commerce between England and Genoa

lien

It luch allegationB of antient friendfhips have ge-
■ally as little meaning with refpeft to time pail,

3P2

fhirrefs

3^4

A. D. I

317-

each voyage from veflcls bringing any other kinds of merchandize, and
alfo a duty upon the goods imported. [Feeder a, V. iii, pp. 19, 67, 83,
143, 144, 150, 151, 152, 163, 469, 650.] Ti us did the crafty Dutch.-
man dexteroufly difcharge a debt due by individuals in his own domi-
nions, or by himfelf, by a tax, which was in reality paid by the con-
fumers in England.

It is vexatious to obferve, that almoil the only materials to be found
in the public records of the middle ages, which in any way concern
commerce and navigation, confift of a ftiameful and difgufting fuccef-
fion of piracies and murders committed by the feafaring people of al-
moft every maritime country of Europe. From the detail of fuch un-
pleafant matters I gladly excufe myfelf, except thofe which happen to
contain any ching illuftrative of the progrefs or ftate of commerce ; and
therefor I have pafled over moft of the perpetual contefts of the Gafcons
■with their French and Spanilh neighbours, many of the fquabbles with
Holland, and many of the innumerable accufations of rapine between
the Englilh and the Flemings, who, though they had many quarrels,
well knew that neither could fubfift without the other. I have alfo
omitted feveral of the comroiflions for adjufting compenfations with
thofe, and fome other, nations, as moft of them contain nothing inter-
efting. Neither is it worth while to record all the hoftilities of the feai"
men of the Cinque ports, who were this year at war with the Flemings,
and feem to have a<fted generally as a confederacy of independent ftates.
•X December 17'* — ^The merchants of the Teutonic gildhall in London
obtained a new charter from the king, whereby he confirmed to them
their former liberties, and alfo, m confidtration of a fum paid to him,
granted that they and their property Ihould have the now-ufual exemp-
tion from arreft for the debts and crimes of other foreigners beyond
the circle of their own community ; and he engaged, that neither he
nor his heirs ftiould impofe any new undue cuftoms upon their goods,
and that their goods Ihould be exempted for ever from paying pontage,
pavage, and murage *, throughout the whole kingdom, provided they
did not pafs the goods of others, not belonging to their gild, as their
own f. [Fofdera^ V. ix, p. 75.]

The king licenced the prior of Birkhead to build houfes or inns
(' hofpitiis') near a branch of the fea at Liverpool. [Rot. pat. prim.
1 1 Edw. IJ, m. 14.] This was apparently an acceffion of growth to a

fhirirfi of the eadtrn maritime (hires to prevent
that abufe. [^Fadera, V. iii, p. 163.] It feems
»ory probable, that thof" fifh were caught by the
Dutch tiihemicn upon the coafl of England.

* Pontaxe, a duty for making or repairing
bridges. Paiage, a duty for paving the ftreets.
(The printer Imt marie it panagium, a rent for the

pafturf of hog«, which it it not probable that for.
eign merchants fliould have any concern with.)
Murage, a duty for upholding the walls of towns.

f They h&d already (7"" June 13H) obtained
from Edward II, for a tine or^ioo, a renovation
of his father's charter, without the additional im-
munities now granted. \_Fadcra, V. iii, /». a6H."l

A. D,

'3'7

48^5-

fid^?f E^gS ''' ^''°"'*' '^ '^'^^ ^'*' of "commerce on the weftcm

nai^f F?""^'^ »8*-The citizens of Montpelier, a city in the ibuth
part of France, appear to have carried on a very extenfive trade as we
may judge from their having deaUngs in London, the voyage fa whicT
coafting round the whole of the great peninfula of SpJnf muft then
have been reckoned a very long one. In the year 1 282Vrrand fon 'f
the king of Aragon. recommended Bertrand de Crefuels, a m^r^ant
fnJ^T^ t°/^;^ ^° ^^'^^ ^ ^^Sland. to the favour 'of Sward I
And now we find that a company of n^rchants of MompeUer coSl
ed various articles of merchandize to three merchants in Lond^ and
I am forry to add. that it is to a breach of faith in the confiS^ee^ that

693.] The ftnd mercantile probity and honour, which are nowfo
Z'^^'^:^:.^^^:^'^ -^^^^^-^ of London. weSe'l

whereby no veffel entering the River T^y waTXwTd^o break buTk

ToorhT"'^ "P 'V^l ^"^Se of Perth, except veffek loaded w^h

Dutde^ TZ^'''^'''f'%'f '^'' °^'y'^ the time of the ikirTof
i^un^ee. This monopoly of the river, which probably was the caufe

of the manv ixiuabbles between Perth and DunL, waJ Tften confirn.'
ed by fucccding kings, and even fo late as the year 1600 fCiZ in
append. toGanfs Mufts threnodte, p. 9.] ^ ^^^'^^' '"

,.J"^y/3"'---The quarrels between, the Englifh and Fleming Tnot the
kmg of England and the earl of Flanders) had got to fuch a he 4t
that the commercial intercourfe between them L enti ely fufSe^^^

onbrhVidr\he^"''T''" ''^^"^"P^T ^^^^S exceedingl'yXS
and thereuto;^^^^^^^ mterpofed, and brought about ^ peace:

and thereupon King Edward, now wrote to the fhirrefs of London and

I Wl^TV^^^i''^ ^"^^ York-lhire to Cornwall inclufive and to
fcltfl ""f °'\'"' defiring them ta allow the Flemings to emoy free!
?uJn. K ^"""^".^"^^"^ ^"y moleftation. till next Chriftmas. In the en-
fumg November, however, there was another order, addrefled to "// ^he
maritime counties of England : but whether it was n conTquence of a

V^T:TT '"^ rr™°^^"^"'"^ ^'^ "°' infoHnerFF^l!
•il'it'^ \^^^^''^i^'^J'' ^^"^ uncertain were the merchants in

ntt t^^het;^^^^^^^^^ - ^--^- - ^^^ - ene-

• Sarplera l.n*. half a f.ck, or forty tods, of

wool. iAmfworthU DiB. Vocah. iniurt J,,^/;] U
SLOtland wool wa. reckoned by the ferpLuh, which

if Amfworth i. correft, wa. much larger than the
farplor of England. See Sh«e d.- vert/.^n. in v>:
or below under the year 142 IT.

■ I'*

4^

A. D. 13 1 8.

teen (hippers, which was bound from London to Antwerp, had been
taken near Margate by the commander of a French fleet, who alfo land-
ed at Margate and carried off the fail and rudder *, which the feamen
had brought on-fhore. Compenfation not being obtained, though fen-
tence had been given in favour of the Englifh owners by the conftable
of France, then the regent of the kingdom, and the king of France
bad been repeatedly applied to on the bufinefs, King Edward at length
ordered the French property in England to be arrefted, which produced
a promife from the king of France that the merchants fhould be fatisfied
before the firft of November. But they hac received no compenfation
even in April 1323, the reafon afligned for which was, that the veflel
and cargo were the property of the Flemings, who were at war with
France at the time of the capture j and, indeed, it is reafonable to fup-
pofe, that a capture, made by a commiflioned Officer of high rank,
could not be a mere ad of piracy. [Fcedera, V. iii, pp. 730, 10 14.]

Odober 20"' — By the ftatute of York \c. 6] the officers of cities and
burghs, whofe duty it -was to keep affifes of wines and viduals, were
prohibited from dealing in thofc articles.

The king being defirous of confulting with judicious and prudent
merchants concerning the eftablifhment of the ftaple of wool ift Flanders,
and other commercial matters, John of Chcrleton, citizen of London
and mayor of the merchants of England f , who was furniflied by the
king's council with a particular ftutement of the matters to be confider-
ed, together with two merchants chofen out of every city and bargh
thioughout the kingdom, were fummoned to meet at London in the
odaves of S". Hilary, in order to deliberate upon thofe matters. {Foed-
era, V. iii, p. 740.] This is, properly fpeaking, the earlieft council of
trade known in Englifh hiftory or record, as the merchants appear to
have formed a board of themfelves, whereas thofe fumraoned to Lin-
coln in the year 13 15 feem to have been called only t© give informa-
tion, and perhaps advice, to the king's council, or parliament.

December 7'*" — As the merchants of England fuffered great hardftiips
in confequence of the wars between the earls of Flanders and Hollanu,
King Edward fent ambafiadors to endeavour to bring about an accom-
modation, and alfo wrote to both of them, and even to their friends,
eameftly exhorting them to make peace. [Fadera, V. iii, pp. 744, 745.]

1319, March 25''' — King Edward wrote a long letter to Robert earl

• « Velum et gubernaculum.' Velum, in the fin-
gular number, mull mean only one fail,

f The feveral notices concerning this gentleman
pnt it out of doubt, that mayor of the merchants of
England, the official title here given to him, and
muyor of the Sliiple were fynonimous terms. In the
year ijji he is called mayur of the Staple; and on
4he 30" of July ijaC the king gave him a new

appointment to the office of mayor of the Staple.
IRol. pat. fee. 1 5 £eiw. II, m. 3 ; and 20 EJiv. II,
m, 27.] He muft not be confounded with another
John of Chcrleton, hi« contemporary, who was a
courtier and fometimet a rebel. But he is probably
the perfon from whom the king demanded a loan
of ^ 1,000 in the year 1346. [_Fadtra, V, v,/>.
49'-]

A-D. 13 19.

4^7

of Flanders, complaimng that many of his enemies of Scotland wcrp
feyourably received in the earl's dominions, where they obtained fvZ
Irfies of men, armour, and provifions, and that many of the FieminE
alio earned provjiions, arms, and merchandize, to Scotland : and he
earneftly entreated him to prohibit all intercourfe with the Scots who
were laid under the fenijnce of the greater excommunication and an
mterdia, fo that no good cathohe could have any intercourfe with fuch-

ZTJ^^T "^^u' ^'"^^^i ^"^°^^^"S ^'"^^^^^ '^ '^ penalties of
the fame fentence He alfo mformcd him, that, though he had hither-
to, from fnendfliip to him, difmifled the Flemings, who were Sen
ontheir pafiage to Scotland, without any punifhment, he fhould in fu-
Uireftationa fufficient number of fliips -of war to intercept all who
^^^}j'v!''^^ '° ''^^^ with thofe excommunicated rebels, and fhould
treat the Flemmgs as ngoroufly asthe Scots. He concluded by admon-
iflnng the earl to reftmin his fubjeds from keeping up a damLblS
pen ous;ntercourfe, left their folly fhould difbirb the harmoTy^nd mu-
tually-advantageous commerce between England and Flanders —He alfo
wrote letters of the fame impon to the duke of Brabant and to the

i?lZy. tT7%f"'''' '''''^°"' ''"'^'^'^' ^P'"' ^dJMechin

There could be^no doubt, that, if the Flemings could have been com.
yelled to relmquifh the commerce, and abide thi hoftility. of ^^er nl
non. that the trade of the Scots would not have been f^ valuable, nor
their enmity fo formidable, as thofe of the Englifh. But, as the Ve-
netians m the begmnmg of the t>^lfth century had their ideas raifed
by coinmercid mtercourie with various nation,, above the apprehenfSn
of the papal thunder fo neither were the Flemings, who were now he

dan^ tf^t""""^ '^r^'S ?• '^' ^^"^^" P^«^ of Europe, as the Vene-

nans had been m the Mediterranean, to be terrified by excommunica-

lons. which they knew, could have httle efEa, but what they forae-

times denved from the Simplicity of thofe againft whom they were ful-

tTfinf ik r' '° f' ^''""'T^ by P^P^l bulls, or even the menaces of
the Engltfh king, from profecutmg their commerce with all nations •
and they well knew, that the wool, leather, and lead, r^e defirab e oIh
jeas of their trade with England, muft infallibly find their way to Xt-
Sl'f' ^^; being the beft one, in fpite of prohibitions and^cruife s.

raankinH h ?.^ '^'' ^^^''^^'' being a country common to all

mankind, he could not deny free accefs to merchants, agreeable to in-

Unce ..ow alluded to. difclaimcd the pope', a.,. i„ all anc. vl K k""' ^^/^^^t"^. •'"""'

l»(Unce uo. allu^ t;^^W ^cd h ^.^ ^! ".H a^lle ^i rJh""' 'V'^''^^ '"'"^" """
•(.ority in the:,- t.mporll affuir. : Jj 'fthi, o". " ""'' ''*'""' ^'''^ "">• "''"'"'"' '" '''

JftwSO

A^#|i^.

tiest'ouftom, without bringing defolatioilr^ and ruin' ifponhil c6^trf^
but that, though the Scots frequented his ports, and his fubjcfts traded
to the ports of Scotknd, he had no intention to take part with them
in their '.var, nor to encourage them in their errors or criin.i *. IFetd-
m», F.iiii,/. 770.]

fi The dixke of Bretagne more, obfequioully informed his uncle, King
Edward, that be knew of no intercourfe between his fubjefts and the
Scots, and that he had prohibited all trade and intercourfe with them
iiljhis territories. [Fcedera, 7. iii, f. 766.3

' The magiftratcs of Mechlin wrote a moft complaifant and flattering
letter, afTuring the king, that they were very much difpleafed with the
Scots for their offences againft him, and that they had never admitted
them into their town, but had fufFered much upon the fea from the
Scots and their accomplices. Therefor they requefted that he would be
favourable to their burgefles, -who would never carry any thing to the
coaft of Scotland, unlefs they fhould be drivel* upon it by ftrefs of
weather. The anfWe^s received from the magiftrates of Bruges and Ypres
were nearly of the fame nature with that of the eari, tlkvfe of Ypres
adding, in order to foiJth thteir royal corre^tbndent, thkt, though they
had no authority to controll their fellow citizens, who were general
merchants, tkey would advife them not to go Scotland, nor have any' in-
tercourfe with the Scots. '(FaF^frfl,<^ iii, /|^. 7651 77!.] 5»^

1320, June iS*— The king underftandin^ that his»twdlnance for raft'^
rying-wool and wool-fells only to one ftapl6 brt' the continent had beeh
very generally neglededf , and the payment of the fines eluded, though
he had appointed inquifitors in various i^rts d^the kingdom to difcover
who were liable to fines for tranfgreffions^ fent* orders from Dover, where
he now was on his way to fVance, td thtf^colledors of the cuftom* 0/^
wool and wool-fells in the ports of London, Sduthampton, WeymbtttH^'
Bofton, Kingfton upon Hull, Newcaftle, Yarmouth, Lynne, and Ipf-
wich, to be' very ftriftiu'fweafinlg^ the exporters, that the wool and wool-
fells entered for exportatiSn were not entered under a falfe name, alfo
in taking fecurity for being anfwerable to the king for the fines whicK'^
mighrbe irtctwfi^i Mhd in receiving the cuftom. duties before they fhould
permit the 'goods to fee ihipped. [Hakluyfs Voiages, V. i, p. 14.2.^— R<a^.^
pediii^Eihli. ih m. 8.] ' '

Auguft f^ — King Edward, at the requeft of the king of Franc^,'*'

1.U

* Id the letter be repeatedly mentioDed the k'tng
ef the Scots, which tnuft have been peculiarly of-
fenfive to Edward, who called the Scots his own
fubje^. — Notwithl^andin^ the tirmnefs of this
denial, Edward again (April 1322) attempted to
perfuaJc the carl, that it wuold be for his honour
and advantage to prohibit the Scotlifh trade.
[_Fei/era, V. iii, /. 947.]

f Malynei quotes a record in the offic* of tkt
clerk of the pipe to prove that there were a mayor
and company ofjlapfers at Antwerp in the twelfth
year of Edward II. [_CeHttr of iht ciitlt of ton-
mercf, />. 93.I We have already fecn ample proof
of tluir exifteuce fix years earlier.

A. D. I

320.

granted to the merchants of Amiens the privilege of being exempted
together with their merchandize, from aireft for any debts due To

rilf;X4 Z'"'^''''' ^^ '"' ^"' °^''""''' '^'" f-^^ig^ [^-^4
There were perpetual caufes of complaint between the feamen of
England and thofe of Flanders. At a convention of deputes fmm both
countnes the Flemings reprefented, that fome of their Lrchanrcor^.
mghome from various countries with wines and other merchandize
had been robbed upon the fea of England near Crauden by W E^S
malefadors who earned their merchandize on ftore in EngTand and
they prayed the king as ' lord 0/ tbefea: in virtue of his feignTur; and
royal power, to punifh the crime committed within the bounds of h ^
lTor.H • k' l^^ ^""^ parliament granted, thatjuftices (hould b^

tr^f 7 '^' ^."^ '""^'l '^^ """^*^' ^"^ ^« determine according tS
law and r^fon : and at the fame time meafures were concerted for r2
deffing all grievances and damages on both fides. \Fcedera,vl\l
852.] Here it may be noted, that the dominion of the fea is afcribed
to the kmg of England by the minifters of a foreign prl^thou^^^

Hn'^^'^'^r^' ? Pr"'^ °^ '^" ^^"' ^'^ ^°y^J. dignity: and it may be
added, that the fame was alfo done before by the deputies oflveral
other nations when they wanted to induce King Edward I to make a
common caufe with them in recovering the veflels and cargoes feized
by Grimaldi the Genoefe admiral in the fervice of France * [See 1^
den s Mare claufum, L. ii, c. 27.] But thefe matters lead to a controverfv
improper to be touched upon in this work. ^""iroveriy

The fiftimongers, who kept ihops upon Fifh wharf, ufed to fell her-
rings and other fifh. brought by land and by water, to the inhabkants
and to hawkers who carried them through the ftreets. But the other
fiftimongers having entered into a combination to prevent the fale of
filh by retail at that wharf, thofe of the wharf obtained the king's order
to the mayor and fhirrefs of London to permit them to continue to fell

buy. iRyky, Plac. parhp. 399.]

1 321. May 3--_By the articles of a truce, lately concluded between
England and Scotland, it was ftipulated that the fubieSof the two
kingdoms fliould have no intercourfe during the truce ;" andThat If anv

wS^h''^^'^' "T^^ ^t ^"^^" ^y ^''^' ^^ --^h- upon the cofft o?
England, or wrecked, they (hould be reflo^ed. unlefs the king or any

a tkfe^K^n^.'^f ' h'"' ' "^!^' ^°, ^^^"^ ^' '^'''^' Agreeable' to tha^
article King Edward now ordered the magiftrates of Ravenfrode for
Ravenfere) to inquire, whether the men and merchandize in a veffd'

• Whether Edward I or Edward II ever af-
funj'-d the charafter of fovereign of the fea, does
not, 1 believe, appear, from any authentic voucher :

Vol. I.

bvit we (hall fee Edward III, when prfparlrs
vyar with France in the year 1336, claiming an
tient heiciliUiy right to that dominion.

% Q

for
an-

490

JbX)f13['fti.

lately arretted by them, were really 3<}otti(h, and driven upou their coaft
by ftrefs of weather, and if fo, to releafe them inAantly. A veflel be-
longing to Dieppe in France, returning fiom Scotland, was alfo obliged
to take flielter in the fame port, where (he was arretted by the zealous
magittrates, becaufe flie had been trading to Scotland. At therequeft
of the king of France, Edward reftored the veflel and cargo, ifor this
time, to the owners, though he had a right to punifli them as adherents
to his enemies. But at the fame time he begged the king of France to
prohibit his fubjeds from having any intercourfe with Scotland. [Feedcra,
y.'ni, pp, 879,880.]

After the toul expulfion of the Chriftians from Syria, Egypt again
became the entrepot of the greatett part of the trade between the eaftern
and weftern regions of the world : and the fovereign of that country
took the advantage of what was almoft a monopoly in favour of his
fubjeds to charge very heavy duties upon the tranfit of -merchandize
through his dominions. Marino Sanuto, a noble Venetian, moved by
the hardfliips thereby brought upon the European traders, and burning
with catholic zeal, addreffed to the pope a work, entitled Tbefecrets of
the faithful *y wherein he propofed to fuppreft the Egyptian trade by an
armed force ; and to that work we are indebted for an ample account
of the Indian trade, as it was then conduded. iii /* „ - , tvui^ij, ,

He fays, that formerly Indian goods were brought by the Perfian gulf
to Baldac (or Bagdad), and thence, by inland navigation and land car-
riage, to Antioch and Licia on the Mediterranean fea. In his own
time the fpiceries and other merchandize of India were moftly colledled
in two ports, which he calls Mahabar and Gambeth f , and thence xsaui-
ported to Hormus (or Ormuz"), to a fmall ifland called Kis, and to a port
(Baflbra) on the Euphrates, all which were fubjed to the Tatar fove-
reigns of Perfia. But the great bulk of the trade was conduced by the
agency of the merchants of the fouth part of Arabia (who had now re-
covered the trade of their remote anceftors) at the port of Ahaden, or
Aden, believed to be the antient city of Arabia Felix. From Aden the
goods were conveyed to Ghns on the Nile, near the antient Coptos, and
thence forwarded by river crafi: to Babylon ; and from it they were
floated down the river, and along an artificial canal to Alexandria. By
this route all bulky goods of inferior value, among which, however, are
reckoned not only pepper and ginger, but alfo frankincenfe, and cinna-
mon, were conveyed. The duty charged by the fultan on fpiceries was
equal to one third of their value : and, as he permitted no Ghriftians to

* The work of Sanuto forms the fecond vo- f He probably means by Mahabar the cotfi oi
lumc of tlie culleftioii, edited by Bongarfius un- Malabar, the cliicf/wr/ of which was Calicut i «nd
der the title oi Cejia Dei per FratKO*; and we are by Cambcth, the country of Cambay.
informed in the preface, that it vim begun in the
year 1306, and prefcnted to the pope in 132 1.

A. D.

[321.

491

pafs through his terntories, and his fubjeas had thereby a monopoly of
aJl the twide m that channel, the prices of India goods were now much
higher m Europe, than when they were chiefly conveyed by the inland
route of Bagdad and Antioch. The moft valuable goods, fuch as cu-
bebe, fpikenard, cloves, nutmegs, and mace, flill continued to be brought
from Bagdad and Thonfium * to various ports on the coaft of the Me-
diterranean : and by that route many Chriftian merchants had already
peactratcd to India. Though this conveyance was more expenfive, feme
ot tbe articles fuch as ginger and cinnamon, were from 10 to 20 per
centf better than thofe brought by the longer water carriage, efpecially
the giB^er.^hich was apt to heat and be wafted, if kept long onboard
tne vellel.^

Sanuto, envying the fultan and the Saracens the great revenues and
pro6tS:th€y denvedfrom filk and fugar, obferves. that-the later grows in
C-yprus, Rhodes, Amorea, and Marta|. He adds, thj.t it would grow in
biaiy and other Chriftian countries, if there were demand for it I Silk
he fays, is produced in confiderable quantities in Apulia, Romania'
bicily, Crete, and Cyprus, and the quantity might be increafed. Thoueh
flax abounds in the Chriftian countries, the Egyptian fpecies. on ac
J^^w a"' fuperior quality, is carried to the fartheft extremities of
the Weft; and the Egyptian manufadures of linen, and of filk, and
others of linen maxe*with filk, as alfo dates and caffia-fiftula, are carried
m Chnftian and Saracen veffels to Turkey \l Africa, the Black fea, and
the weftern parts of Europe.

He obferves, that the fultan's dominions produce no gold filver
i I' a!J' }^^^' q^^c^^fijver, coral, or amber, which are carried to them
by the Mediterranean fea, and bring in a vaft revenue in duties paid
upon them at Alexandria, which are, on gold 6| per cent ; on filver at

t^.??.'!^'' ^TlY *° ^T"' ^^ ^^°"'^' «^^y 3t i on brafs abouf 25 ;
tin 20. &c. and thofe are the arucles, which are moft valuable to his
Uibje<3s m their trade witli Ethiopia and India. Great quantities of oil
honey, nuts, almonds, faffron, and raaftic, all of them paying heavv
duties at Alexandria ; alfo filk, cloth, wool, and other goods, L car-
ned to the iultan's dominions, and contribute to enrich him and his

» Tboiifium, according to De Guigncs, rjliem.
de lift. V. nxxvii, p. C07J was TaurS in Adhcr.
bigian, the wititnt Media.

t 'A d<(o«in ad viginti pr<j ccntenario.' Herj
and elfewhere in hit work we have the tnodecn way
«.» rating at fo much per cent. Earlier author*
wneraUjr reckon by one tweniicih, ane tenth, one
tfth, one third, &e. and Sanuto fometimea does
the fanjc. For the firft undoubted appearance of
tl.c calculation /fr tent, fee above, p. 393.

; Thefe are apparently the Morea and Malta.
Uiit 1 cannot at pre/cut Utttcmine the exaft time,

when the name of Morea fuperfeded that of Pe-
loponnefus.

% He did not know that fugar had been cultr.
vatcd in Sicily long before.

II Turkey mutt here mean Afia Minor, at this
time occupied by the Turks. Sanuto elfewherr
lays, that Turkey was antiently called Greece i
hut tJie ^pljcauon of tliat qame to the coaft of
Ana, IS. 1 beheve, fcarcely warranted by any an-
tient authority.— Quere, if the blundering correc-
tion of « tranfcriber ? ■ .

3^2

4^»

A. D. ^524.

fubje<^. Sometimes the failure of the overflow of the Nile occtfiont a
famine in Egypt, as bappetied after the lofs of Acon and Syria. In
fuch a calamity, the Egyptians, if not fupplied with corn carried to
thom by the Mediterranean', muft emigrate or perifh *. As Egypt pro-
duces no timber, kon, or pitch, and procures all thofe nwterials for
building vefleis by the Mediterranean fca, if the imi>ortation of them
were withheld, the fultan would lofe his duties of one fourth of the
value paid on thofe articles, and three byfants atmually from every
veflel, whether large or fmall ; and the merchants and artificers in Ba-
bylon, and alfo the fultan with his admirals and army in Cairo, would
ftarve for want of the com, which is brought by water from all parts
of tb** country. vyirf' h^.«

Sanuto, havin}^ endeavoured to prove, that the Egyptiaiw were de-
pendent upon »he Chriftians for the fupply of their wants, as well as for
the fale of their redundant native commodities and manufactures and
their imported merchandize, propofes that, in order to transfer the
commercial advantages, now engroffed by them, to the Chriftians, and
to accomplish the pious work of recovering the Holy land, the prohi-
bition of trading with the fubjeds of the fultan (fee above, p. 451)
fhould be moft rigoroufly, and univerfally, enforced by ftationing a fuf-
ficient number of armed gallies upon the iea ; and he alfo recommends
a military force in proper places upon the land, becaufe gallies cannot
keep the fea in ftormy weather, nor do they willingly keep out in win-
ter nights, and even in fummer they cannot be many days at fea with-
out landing for frelh water, and alfo, becaufe tranfgreflbrs, laying afide
the fear of God, go to the fultan's territories, where they are kindly
received, and find no difficulty in landing their cargoes on their re-
turn. >a .i.»iTV')iji," S •^:n;

The prohibition of trade ought alfo to extend to all Africa and the
Saracen dominions in Spain, the confequence of- h would be a con-
fidetable diminution of the trade of the fultan's uv. minions, which is
very much fupported by the trade with thofe countries. Neither ought
-any trade to be carried on with the coaft of Turkey, which was an-
tiently called Greece ; for there many veflels are loaded with timber,
pitch, Chriftian and pagan boys and girls, and other merchandize, for
the fultan's dominions, and in rfcturn import fugar, fpiceries, and linen,

fufficient for the fupply of other countries as well as their own And,

as the only means to prevent fmuggling, let no Chriftian purchafe or
receive any fpicery or Indian merchandize, filk, fugar, or linen, which
may be fufpeded to come from the fultan's dominions. Let the captain
of the holy church carry on a perpetual and univerfal perfecution againft

* Sanuto did not fuppofe that there ejifted any perfon in Egvpt, endowed with the forefiglit of
Jofeph, to make the redundance of one year provide for the deficiency of another.

A.D,

i;32*,

^m

theStracens atid thofe perfidious Chriftians \rho infringe this mo/f bleffed
command: and let him take efpecial care that no iron be carried to Ar-
meiua, which is adjacent to the fultan's country. Let ten galiiea be
commiflioned, till your Holinefs can provide more. They will coft
15,000 florins, and. allowing 350 men for each galley, the whole ex^
penfe; including pay, provifions, and other taeceflaries, for nine months,
will amount to 70.000 florins : and, in order to quicken their diligence,
let all prizes be Iharcd entirely among themfelves.

He proceeds to ftate the complement of men of every dcfcription for
a galley, and gives many eftimates and nautical inftrudions, together
with a vaft deal of information, refpeding the veflels of the age, which
the brevity neceflarily itudied in this work will not permit me to enter
upon any further than jufl: to note the places, from which he propofes
to draw the beft fcamen for manning his fleet. Befides thofe of Italy,
he fays, good feamen may be found in Germany, and efpecially in the*
far theft parts of the archbiflioprick of^ Bremen, in Frifeland, Holland,
and Zeland, Holftein, and Slavia (where he himfelf had been, probably
Slefwick) Hamburgh, Lubeck, Wifmar, Roftock, Xundi8,.Gufpinal, and
Sedlxn*, and alfo in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway f. He has alfo
an eftimate of the expenfe of a land army, which, however, muft be
carried by water; and he gives ample dirwftions for providing arms, and
warlike engines ; fo that he may juftly be called the Vegetius of the
middle ages. ' ,l^'I^lli5V' vniTMl* it t>> 3/

But his projedl of depriving the Mohamedans of their trade by the
operation of ten gallies, which were to keep the fea only nine months,
and only during the day-light, while he acknowleges the fultan's marine
to be very ftrong, is much like Captain Bobadirs fcheme, in the play,
of kilhng a whole army by the prowefs of twenty gentlemen like him-
felf Both forget, that their adverfaries will not con/ent to be driven out
of their trade or to be killed.— -But fuppofing it had been poffible for
the pope, by the ftrength of his own treafury, or by drawing the princes
of Europe into a new crufade, to have muftered a fuflicient force, what
was the objed to be accompliflied ? To pervert the free courfe of trade,
which as naturally flows in the channel which prefents the lighteft
charge or cheapefl purchafe (and that by his own account was Alex-
andria) as water glides into the vallies %. It is furprifing that a Vene-
tian fliould have conceived fuch contracted anticommercial ideas, fo un-

• Xundis and Giifpinal are places unknown to and made the emperors of Con<lantuJople tremble
me. Scam is probably Stettin. _ for the exiftence of their empire, ire entirely omil-

of ■ man'rime nations.

t The rtatives of our British iflands, and eten
the Catalans, who, as Mediterranean navigators,
ought to be well known to him, and who had on
fome occafions rode mafters of the Mediterranean,

ted in his enumeration of niaWrime nations.
{^ A fiinile »ifed { I mean abufad) by himfelf.

4i94

A,D.

[321,

Kkc the general liberality of mind and commercial wifdom of his coun-
trymen *.

1332— Among the various orders for colle<Jling prorifions for the
army fent again ft Scotland, we find one for nine thouland quarters of
wheat and other provifions f , to be feci from Ireland. [Rot. pat. prim.
16 FJw. II, m. 20.] This of itfelf if it was really accomplilhed, was
no triflmg exportation of grain from Ireland, confidering the ftate the
country muft have been in, after being the theatre of war between the
Englifti and the Scots.

May 7"'_King Edward, after having again attempted to perfuade the
carl of Flanders, that it would be for his honour and advantage to pre-
vent his fubjeas from trading with the Scots, and finding that the Flem-
ings were fo far from being perfuaded by his arguments, that they rather
adted as the allies of the Scots by taking the veflels, which were carry-
mg provifions to his army, now ordered the magiftrates of Yarmouth
and the barons of the Cinque ports to have the (hipping of their diftrias
ready to ad againft the Flemings upon the fiiorteft notice. [Fanifra, V.
iu,/y>. 947,949, 951.]

1323, April^Robert, the fteady earl of Flanders being dead, his
grandfon Louis was more pliant to the requifitions of King Edward, and
promifed to debar the Scots from trading in his territories, and to pro-
hibit his fubjeds from furnilhing any fupplies to them. The king, in
return, granted the Hemings all the freedom of trade they had former-
ly enjoyed in England, and moreover exempted them from being liable
for the debts of others, or for bypaft tranfgreflions againft the charter
of the ftaple. [Faedera, K iii, pp. 1006, 1007.]

This year the fame earl eftablifhed the magiftracy and court-houfe of
the Franconates at Bruges, which he declared to be the fixed emporium
of his territories. He alfo decreed, that no cloth fliould bv manufad-
ured nor fold at Sluys ; and he prefcribed what kinds of merchandize
fhould be fold at Sluys, and what kinds at Damm, Honks, and Mona-
chorede. [Meycri Ann. Flandr. f. 125 b.]

April 16"*— The people belonging to five Venetian gallies lying at
Southampton had lately got into a fquabble with the inhabitants of that

• Some of hiscountiymeit went to the oppofite
extreme, and fupplied the Saracens with arms, and
provifions, for which they were piinifhed by Ed-
ward prince of England, when they fell into hia
handi in the year 1 270, probably in confequence
of the bull ilTued by Pope Gregory X, prohibit-
ing all con>inunication with the infidelc, and par-
ticularly with the fultan of Egypt. In di» year
1274 James I, king of Aragon, at the defire of
the fame pope, prohibited the exportation of iron,
iirms, (hip timber, corn and other provifions, to
ihe Saracens. \_IValfingham, p. 471, — Cafmr.ny,

Mem. hi/1, di Banelnno, V. i, C»m.^. 47.] Sannto
himfelf informs us, that a more vigorous prohibi-
tion had been ordered immediately after the ex-
pulfion of the Chriftians from Palcfti.ic, So it
appears, that there was nothing new id his pro.
pofal.

t ' FruTienti ac al' viflual.' la the Latin of
thofe ages/rtflR^n/im generally figniHes wheat, and
viffuoT may be other corns. In many parts of the
country viHual is ftiU a general terra lot all kinds
of corn.

A.D.

'3^3'

495

town and the Irte of Wight, and much mifchicf had been done to the
country, and feveral lives had been loft on both fides. The men:hant!
law wS r^?*^ '^' ""^^^Se of the country, or the rigour of the
Z\^^ a' '^ Iff <^^'.,^ouid take hold of any of them, as well as of
the mdmduals really guilty, abftained from trading to England till the
affair couW be accommodated. For a fum of money they had al eady
obtamed from Tohn of the Ifle of Wight an engagement that neTther
he nor any of Ji« dependents ihould ever take vengeance, or d^and
any further fatisfa€hon. for the murders Pnd robbe^ries committ^ on
that occafion. The king alfo. unwilUng to lofe the advamagc of theS
commerce, granted them an ample pardon, with aflurance of fecunty
in trading m bs dommions, as long as they carried on fair trade ind
paid the due cuftoms * [Fced^a, V. iii. /»;»/, 008. 101 1.] ' ^

f\.\^^^ ^°' ~^ truce waj. concluded between England and Scotland for
hrteen years, wherein the articles of the former one, prohibiting n'

nnHX """"" -^^ T "^^°"'' ^^'^ r^^V^eCmg the (hips of the S?ots.
and their property m other (hips, forced upon the coaft of England by
ftrefs of weather f. were the lame as in the preceding truce with the
additional condition, that no merchants belonging to any o her Country
S a'°""'"" !;-^''" ""h England or Scotland^ ftould meet with Iny'
obftrudion m tradmg to either kingdom. [Fadera, V, iii, p. 1022.] ^
June 4 -It is probable, that the veflels of Majorca traced to Flan-
ders, as we find, that m confequence of a complaint, rrade by the

En.1iSf f'^'fJ- "'\^;, °^^' ^""^^'^ ^^'"^ plundered upon the f^a by the
I.ngliftit King Edward promifed to give every kind of juftice id

November 24-';— In an ordinance for the ftate of Ireland, all merch-
ants, natives or foreigners, are authorized to carry corn and other nro-
i^v "k" u"""n^^''^'^*' to England and Wales, unlefs they fhould be
nere^^ ^^" J^^^^ (or viceroy) by advice of the council in a cafe of
W n,^'i? P^^'"^ '^ ^^"^ ^"^ "^"^^ cuftoms. and giving fecurity that

[S.?rr iv^A^HJ ' " "' "'''"' """''^ " ""' '^"^''"^•

1324. March 10'"— The king fummoned the maritime towns on the

louthcoaft to afleinble their largeft veflels at Portfmouth. fufficiendy

.mnned and provided with landing bridges and c/ajs §, for Carrying fol-

t This is the fame violtnce which the kinjr of
Aragon alfo complained of, the two gallies taken

« "^J"' P*''<'"" was ratified in parliament on the
lo of March 13*4 by the king, prelates, and
nobles, iratdera. i^. iv. a an T i, • - l ' - ; ' " k"'"" '«*tii

tTheUno^:^f,-4^i..,„f„,,, „. aTg^e^'bTS?- t&^n°;"'^"'f
uaion of Enghfh veffels thrown upon the coaft of i*"-* ...,, i? "?. ° * ""'J*? of Aragon, who
Scotland. It was apparently fo far out of the
traa of Enghfh trading veflels, that no fuch acci-
*.<;nt was expeftcd ever to happen.

rtated tliat
Flanders.

he had put ^,..U oiiboird them ...
K . r>) L^'"^^' ^ '"'ff- >5. 8i, 8,, 130.]
J •Uayas.'a word not well undcrllood : per-
haps hurdles {c/„yfi i„ French) f„r maki.jg tem-
porary

49$

A. D. 15^4.

diers and horfes at his expenfe over to his duchy of Aquitaine. The
following are the quotas ordered from each port.

Southampton 6 veflels
Sandwich 4
Winchelfea 6
Rye 2

Faverfliam i

I

2

10

I

I

Boldre - i

Yarmouth in Wight 2
Poole and its mem- 7 ; i
bers j ^

[Fiedera, V. iv, p. 40.]

Seaford

Shoreham

Weymouth

Portfmouth

Hamelhok
July 22** — Afterwards, underftanding that warlike fhips were getting
ready in all the ports of Normandy, he iflued orders to all the ports of
England to equip all their veflels to ad as (hips of war againft the
French. He at the fame time defired that they would lay afide all ani-
mofities againft their fellow fubje«fts of England or of his city of
Bayonne, and that they would moleft no veflel belonging to Flanders
or any other country not fubjed to the king of France *. [Fadtra, V.
iv, /• 73-]

This year the king refumed the prerogative of feizing wrecks for his
own ufe f , which had been relinqui(hed by Henry I and feveral other
kings, and alfo claimed all the whales and great fturgeons taken in the
fea, except in certain privileged places. [AB 17 E^. II, c. 11.]

1325, January 5'^ — King Edward, being very defirous to obtain the
friendfhip of 'he king of Caftile (or Spain) to fupport him in the war
with which he was threatened by France, granted to all the nobles,
merchants, matters of fliips, mariners, and other fubjeds of that king,
permiffion to trade freely in his Britifli and French dominions, they
paying cuftoms and other ufual charges, rnd being anfwerable for all
contrads and tranfgreffions. And in order further to gratify the Spanifli
king, he promifed that his fubjeds {hould not be liable to arreft for any
matters formerly in difpute. [Fmdera, V. iv, p. 118.]

February 26"" — The king renewed the grant of freedom of trade to
the Vcnetiins, and added the now-ufual exemption from arreft for the
debts and crimes of others. But he alfo added a condition, that they
fhould have no communication whatever with his enemies or opponents.
[Fadera, V. iv, p. 138.]

May 7"' — A veflel having failed to Portugal with goods in order to
take in return a cargo of corn and other provifions to carry to Aqui-
taine, King Edward took fo much concern in the fuccefs of the voyage,

porary Halls for the horfes ; perhaps cleats (crofs
bars) nailed upon the bridges to prevent the horfes
from flipping.— In Fadtra, V. s,p, 6, we find the
king orders tlic (hirrcfa to provide timber and brufli
(' bufcam') for conllruding clays, bridges, boards,
racks, &c. for tranfporting horfes ; and in/. 814,
he orders 2,500 clays (' claias') along with eight
bridges of io feet long, and fevco of 14 feet, for
(hipping horfes.

* Walfingham [/. 507] fays, that the navy of
England this year took a hundred veflels belong-
ing to the one province of Normandy. But he
often exaggerates.

•J- An article in the truce with Scotland in the
year 1319 gives room to believe, that the cruel
prerogative of wreck had been tefumed before that
time. Sec above, p. 489.

A. p. ij^25.

48^.

that he wrote to the king of Portugal, and alfo to his mother, to folicit
their favour to the owner. [F^dera, V. iv,p, ,46.] This deferves^o^"
tice chiefly as a proof of the Portuguefc tlieu having corn for exporta-
tion, which has feldora. if ever, been the cafe, fince their wine came
into general demand in thly country.

May-^The great manufaduring and trading cities of Flanders aded
in leveral rcfpeds as communities, or republics, independent of tlieir
earl, whofe power was very far from being abfolute. At this time the
magiltrates and community of Bruges appear as principals in a nego-
tiation tor a iolid peace and accommodation of all damages, homicides
and quarrels between thfe fubjeds of the king of England and thofe of
their dearly beloved lord the earl of Flanders, for the benefit of conw
merce ; and they engaged, for themfelves and the good towns of Ghent
and Ypres, to ratify whaifoever (hould be agreed U their burgomafter
whom they deputed as their procurator. King Edward, by his com-
nullioners, agreed with him and the procurators of Ghent and Ypreg
to continue the truce with thofe cities and all the people of Flanders
till Ealter 1326 (and u was afterwards prolonged) and gave them per-
miflion to trade during the truce, as ufual, in England ; and he more-
over granted them exemption from arreft for debts or crimes not their
own, and for any tranfgreffions againft his charter of the woolftank, on
condition, that equal indulgences ihould be granted to his fubje^s in
Handers. [Fadera V. iv.pp. 147, 151, 188, 199, 207.] As this ftipu.
lation tor reciprocal advantages does not appear in the grants made ta
the merchants of the more diftant countries of Venice, Majorca, or even
P^'?' r M ^^^^^^^ »f it affords at leaft a prefumption, that no Endifli
veflels failed, or were expeded to fail, fo far from home. But it is alfo
°"ii"^^.\^ 8'"*^ts '^o ^he merchants of nearer countries, to which Englifli
veflels did fail : and it muft be obferved, that thofe writings are not
treaties between contrading powers, but grants conceived in the lan-
guage of fiwour, and confequentlv the only reciprocity, that there could
be m luch cafes, muft have been exprefled alfo xn grants from the other
parties, which may have cxifted. though now loft.

The coals of Newcaftle were now known and defired in foreign coun-
tries as appears by a voyage made this year by a merchant of Fiance
to that town with a cargo of corn, in return for which he carried home
a cargo of coals. ^^ ^Brand's Hijl. of Newcajile, r. n,p. 254.]

1326. July 20'"— King Edward, being driven, by misfortunes crowd-
ing upon him, tofluduaiion in his counfels, had revoked the cliarter
tor holding the ftaple upon the continent, and appointed fome places in
his own kingdom • for the fale of wool, wool-fells, hides, and tin ; and

• I do not find tlie unmet of any of them tX'
cept Cardiff in Wales, a town hclonginx '" Huirh
Defpenfer. \^R/,t. pat. fee. 19 AVw. //, m. 5.I
But that eflabhdimcnt, being a nicafurc of favour.

Vol. I.

itifm, probably came to nought upon the fall of
tlie favourite, which cnfued almoll immedtatclir
•her.

498

A. D. 1326*.

he now gave orders, that all foreign merchants, except the fubjeds of
the king of France, fliould have freedom of coming and going in fafe-
ty ; and to that intent he ordered the fhirrefs to take fufficient fecurity
from the feamen of every veflel before they failed, that they fliould not
commit hoftilities againft any friendly veflels. He gave his admirals the
fame inilrudions for preferving inviolate peace with all neutral nations,
and efpecially with the Flemings and Bretons, whom he had taken jun-
der his protedion. In a few weeks after he ordered all the fliipping of
the eaft coaft of the kingdom from the mouth of the Thames north-
ward to Holy ifland *, doubly furniflied with arms and provifions for
one month, to be ready at Erewell (or Orewell) to receive his further
orders for proceeding againft his enemies. [FaderOy V. iv,pp. 218, 219,
225.]

We have now the firft certain knowlege of reprefentatives from the
cities and burghs fo-ming a conftituent part of the parliament of Scot-
land.— In the firft treaty upon record between France and Scotland, in
the year 1295, John king of Scotland mentions the communities, or
corporations, of the towns; but they do not appear as compofing any
part of the legiflative body. In a parliament, held by King Robert I in
1323, the burghs do not appear to have been reprefented : and in the
confirmation of a truce with England, in the fame year, Robert fays, it
is done with the confent of the bifhoj*, earls, and barons ; but he has
not a word of any reprefentatives of burghs. [Fadera, V. ii, pp. 696,
698 ; V. in, p. 1030.] But in a parliament of the fame king, held this
year, we find the burghs forming the third eftate in parliament, and
confenting to an aid granted to the king f . [Stat. Rob. I, in Karnes's
Law traBs, append, rf. 4.]

1327, April '?9''' — In early times the aldermen of London were pro-
prietors of the wards, which wej-e conveyed by hereditary fucceflion or
purchafe t. They, together wuh the mayor, fliirrefs, and fome eledors

• There are forty ports mentioned in the fuai-
monfcs : but as there are no rated quotas of vetTels
to (how their relative importance, I have not
thought it worth while to iiifert their bare names.

t It ought, however, to be recolIcAed here,
that in the year 1 109 the burghs granted King
WiUiam a fubfidy of 6,000 marks. (See above, p.
375.) But whether they did fo of duty, as hold-
ing lands of the king in their corporate capacity,
or as a fpontaneous mark of their afft6tIon to their
fovereign, or as occafional members of the legifla-
tive body, does not appear. 'I'he burgefles of
Scotland, mentioned by Wyntown, \^Cronykil, V, i,
f>. 3853 as exprefling, along with the barons and
prelates, their difapprobation of I'ome negotiations
with the king of England, mull not be fuppofed
a colleftive, or legiflative, body. They are not
noticed in the Chronicle of Mclros ; and Buwar,

l_Scotichron. F. ii,/. 90] when copying Wyntown's
narrative, and comparing it with two other author-
ities, alfo omits the burgefles. It may be remeni-
bered, that burgefles were not then introduced in-
to the parliament of England. Under the year
1357 the carlieft known fift of Scottiflt towns re-
prefented in parliament will be given.

\ Stow begins hit account of the ward of
Faning^lon by a dedu£\ion of the property
of it, as follows. It belonged fucceflively to
Ankerin de Avern, Ralph Arderne, his fon
Thomas Arderne, Ralph Ic Feure by purchafe in
1277, John '^ Feure, William Farendon by pur-
chaie in 1 279, and his fon Nicolas Farendon, and
his heirs, whofe name the two wards formed out
of it ftill retain. Thofe whom Fitz-Stephen, in
his aifcded Latin, calls tonjuls of the regions of
the city in the reign of Henry II, were probably

proprietary

A. D. I

327-

499

depmed from each ward, eleded the mayor, and other city officers*.
But they do-not appear to have been noticed, at lead by the kings, as
principal conftituent members of the corporation of the city, all writs
or mandates (at leaft as far as I can find from any acceflible records) be-
ing addrefled to the mayor and bailifs (or bailies, ' balivis'), till nowf,
that the king ordered the mayor, aldermen, and whole community of
London, and the mayor and bailifi, or the bailifs, of other cities and towns,
to provide as many men as they were able, properly furnifhed with arms'
aiid hcrfes, for his fervice. [Foedera, V. iv,/>. 287.]

Jttly— -Gun-powder, which was undoubtedly made by Roger Bacon
m the thirteenth century, is faid to have been invented in the year
13^30 by Barthold Schwartz, a German apothecary, whofe procefs of
makmg it became public, and was foon followed by the invention of
cannons, then called bombards. That the invention, or rather re-in-
vention, of it was earlier, is evident from the ufe of it in war being now
known in England, as appears from the Scottifh poet Barber, who (in
his Life of King Robert, p. 408, ed. 1758) relates, that the Englifh now
had guns of fome kind, which he calls cracks of war, at the battle, or
fkirmifh, on the banks of the Were, and that the Scots had never before
heard any fuch cracks. But in the yeai^ 1339 ^he Scots ufed cannons to
batter the walls of Stirling" caftle, which they probably received from
France t- [Froifart, L. i, c. 74.]

proprietary aldermen. In the year 1 266- the a!-
dermcn of London, together with the bailifs, be-
came bound for the payment of ^^500, due by the
king to fome merchants of Doway. IMadox't
Firma burgi, p. 136; andfetalfop. 14.]

• See Brady on burght,p. 22, who quotes ttie
recordo in the city's archives, as does alfo Strype
in his Survey of London, £. v, />. 73, Both tliefe
authors wrote after the great fire, which dcllroyed'
fome of tlie records. But thofe Hill remaining,
are, by fubfequent misfbrtunes, and removals in
confequence of new buildings, in fuch a confufed
ftate (as thev appeared when I law them by the
favour of Mr. Woodthorpe, the city clerk) that
tlity will require the labour of a perfoii verfed in
aiUiquaiian literature to arrange them, and make
a catalogue of them, before they can be rendeied
ufefui.

+ The lad writ I find.addreffed to the mayor
and bailifrt of London, is dated 18'" September
1326. IFtdera, y. iv,/). 234.] But the other
cities and towns, as far as I can fee, were governed
by bailifs, either in conjundion "^^ith, or without,
a mayor : nor was the title of bailif generally fu-
])erfcded by that of alderman, till many years after
iliis time. [iVr above, p. 438, and Fadera, V. iv,
A». 40, 2J4, 288, 663, 718, &c. &c.] In the
year 1336 we find the mayor, the bailif, and two
aldermen, of Cambridge j ard aldermen of Oxford

and foine other towns appear afterwards. '[_Rot,
pm.prim. 10 Edtu. Ill, m. 32 ; prim. 30 Fdw.
ill, ttrgo, ^o.— Fadera, V. v, pp. 253, 254.— See
«i^ Spelman, Glnjf. vn. Aldermimnus civitalis.

It may be ohlerved, as a curious circumftance,
th»t England and Scotland have in fome degree
made an exchange of the titles of magiftracy, every
city and town in the former being at piclent go-
verned by a mayor and feveral aldermen, and al-
moft every one in the later by a provoll and feveral
bailies, the titles of mayor and alderman being ut-
terly forgotten. See above, pp. ig-j, 446, and
below, under the year 1357.

X Some have alfirted that the firft appearance
of guns of any kind was in the year 1350 ; others
fay that they were firft ufed at the battle of Crefly
in 1346 by the Engliih ; and Polydore Vergil
was lo ill informed as to fay that they were firft
ufed in the year 1330 by the Venetians, who were
taught by the difcoveier of gun-powder. That
man wrote a book exprefsly upon the Inventors of
tbingt, and alfo a Hi/lory of England, without
knowing any thing of the date of fo important *
change in the method of carrying on war. The
Moorifh king of Grenada in the year 1331 had
guns, which fhot balls of iron capable of throw-
ing down walls. [Zun'/a, jinnalei de dragon, V.
*'•/• 99 ''•] T'>e "fe of guns was ewn common
before the year 1334, as appears from a curious

dialoBue

3Ra

5«o A« D. 13^7.

King Edward this year granted a patent in favour of tlic mariufiduf-
crs of ftuflfe made ofworfted in Norfolk: and foon after an infpedtor
and meafurer of thofe fluffs was appointed. \Rot. peU.fee, 2 Edw. Ill,
a tergot zndprim. 3 Edw. Ill, m. 1.] This is probably the earKeft ex-
tant notice of a manufadure which has become an objeft of gnfat im-
portance in that part of the country*.

There is fome difcordance in the various accounts of the introduction
of filk-worms and the manufa<aure of filk in Italy. When the Venetians
became matters of thole provinces of the Greek empire, which were the
chief feats of the filk trade, they furely did not negled to tranfport the
manufadure at leaft, if not alfo the worms, to their own Italian or Dalma-
tian territories : and it is alfo reafonable to fuppofe, that the Genoefe,
when they got pofleflion of Galata, did not fail to tranfplant fuch lucrative
branches of induftry to their mother country. It is certain, that in the year
J306 the bufinefs of rearing filk-worms was fo for advanced in Modena,
that it yielded a revenue to the ftate j and as the filk of Modena was
then efteemed fupcrior to that of the other cities of Lombardy, it is
evident, that other cities alfo cultivated that branch of induftry. In
1327, whether the filk trade of Modena was then falling off, or the ma-
giftrates were defirous of augmenting the revenue derived from it, they
made a law, ihet every proprietor of an inclofure in the city's territory
fhould plant at leaft three mulberry trees, and that all the cocons fhould
l?e publicly fold in the ftreet, the buyer and the feller paying each one
Ihilling to the city. The Bononians (or Bolognians) alone poffeffed the
machinery fortwifting the fiik ; and the Modenefe were obliged to fend
their filk to be thrown by them till the beginning of the fixteenth cen-
tury, when they acquired the art of fabricating fuch machinery for
theinfelyes ; and from them it has fpread to the other cities of Italy,
and in time to other countries. We are told, however, that after the
year 1300 the filk manufadure flouriftied chiefly at Florence, where

dialogue in Ptlrarch. [De rcmedio ulriufque for-
tunt, p. 84, ed. Bij/!l.J About the year 1344
gunners made a part of the military tftablirtiment
of Edward III king o' England. lS/>t!man, GloJ,
vo, Bomiarili.J And tlic idea of thnn was fo ta-
miliar in his reign, tliat Chaucer (iifcribi.ig, as
then ufual with poets, the manners of his own age
to anticnt times) introduces guns in his defcription
of Antony's (hip, and alfo in iiis book of Fame.
l^. 200 a, 282 a, eil. 1598.] Gun-powder and
cannons are fuppofcd by fome to have been ufed
by the natives of India agalnft Alexander the
Great. But this I Ihall not pretend either to af-
firm or deny.

Theft brief hints of fome of the early notices of
gun-powder imd guns, tlioii^i more ftriclly belong-
iiig (o military tiian commercial hidory, will not be
decnutd impertincut by thofe >who conGder how

important and univerfal a revolution they have ef'
feded in human affairs, and that they have in no
fmall degree contributed to confer upon Europe,
a pre-eminence over the larger quarters of the
world, and efpecially to give the liritifli navy an
.icknowlegcd fuperiority upon the Ocean, whence
the Britifti commerce derives a protccSion and
fafety beyond that of every other nation, in every
quarter of the-»lobc.

* Camden lays, that the Dutch, lying from
the pcrfecution of the duke of Alva in the fix-
teenth centuryje_/r// introduced the manufadure
of light (hill's at Norwich. [Britannia, f. 347.]
And the prefidtnt Dc Tkou {Hift.J'm Umf>orit, '/,.
xlvi] fays the fame, liut the teftimony of both
thole rcfpeftable writers miiil give way to the
furcr evidence of records.

1

many thoufand f«ople were employed in it. But Textrini fays, that be-
tore the pillage of Luca in the year 1314 the filk manufadure flourifli.
ed onfy yn that city *, which thereby abounded in riches ; and that from
It the workmen were difperfed through the other cities of Italy, panicu-
hxly Venice t, Florence, Milan, and Bononia; and forae went^en to
sTsT's T^' ^retagne t [Mi^ratori Antiq. V. ii, colL 406, 408,

ijaa. January— The magiftrates of London having reprefented to the
kmg^ that criminals ufed to fet juftice at defiance by paffing over to
SoutWk to which their authority did not extend, he gave them a
grant of the baihwick of that burgh, at the ufual yearly rent of tea
S?wv. ^' - ^"\S°^,t^^«'-l^ ^«s «ot properly incorporated with London
till the 23 of April 1549, foon after which it was made one of the
wards of the city, and had an alderman and the other officers of a ward.
\Lhart. tn camera Und. quoted in Strype^s ed. ofStTw's Survey, V. ii, p. i.l

1 his year the ordinance of the ftaple was annulled by parliament •
and entire liberty was given to all merchants, ftrangers or nativ-s to
go and come with their merchandize, according to the tenor of the
Great charter. [Aa. 2 Edw. Ill, c. 9.]

1 ^^^/J'^"!,^** ^''' r""''*''! (°'' l^"am-nt) enaaed, that all foreign
cloths fhould be meafured by the king's meafui ■ in prefence of the
magiftrates of the place where they were landeu. The ftatute meafure
tor cloth of rayejl was 28 elm in length, meafurea by the lift, and 6i
quarters m breadth and for cloth of colour 26 eins in length, meafured
by the ridge or fold, and 6^ quarters in breadth, to be meafured with-
out oi^ening (' .anz defoler'} the cloth f . The mayor and bailifs of the
towns where the cloth was landed, were required to attend, when called
by the meafurer, and to mark the cloths found agreeable to the ftand-

* Muratori heCtateg ingiving credit to Tex-
trini— ' Si fides Nicolio Tcxtrino' And indeed

Ins account is completely confuted by the laws of
Modtiia, whicli are cgpieil trom the original* by
i\riiratoti himlclf. But fome families of (ilk-weavcrj
undoubtedly went from Luca to Venice ; \_Sand\ IJ.
d^Viaesia, K i,/,/,. 247, 256] and thence they have
been liippofcd th« founders of the iilk inaiiufaaure
there, jull a« the Flemifli woollen manufaflurers,
who removed to England in the reign of Edward
III, have almoll obliterated the muinory of the
eiirlicr l-lcmil!i colony in the teign of William the
Conqueror.

t Wt learir from Doftor Mofcley, ITrealifi on
fu^ur, p. 2t-, eiL 1800] that the bulineft of a filk
nuinufaaiirer, and thofe of a glal's maker, and of
an apoth«e»ry and druggift, are the three trades
v/hich do not contaminate nobility in Venice.

J ' Ad Gallos BritannortjUc.'— In thofe ages
ari!,;fi„ia »',H lirilanni fcarcilv tver (Ignified vhe
iil.iiid and people of Great Britain.— Th* reader,

who deCres to have information concerning the
various fpecles of filk goods made in the middle
ages, may perufe the twenty-fifth difiertation of
Muratori's Antiquities, wherein all the luxury of
drcfii is difplayed.

§ That rent was far below what it paid in the
time of William the Conqueror.

II Striped cloth, as it is explained by Stow,
ISurvey o/Lontion, at tit year 135J, m his lifi of
tempora/ govtntirt, and at the word raye it ftill ufed
111 French.] Thomas earl of l.ancafter (according
to an account of the expcnfes of his houfehold in
tlie year 1514, given by Stow, p. 134) had ' four
' clothes ray for carpets' in his hall. And this ia
probably the tarlieft notice of the ufc of carpets
ill England.

f We are thus informed that tiie coloured cloths
were doubled as broad cloths are r.ow, and that the
cloths of ray were folded or i oiled fingle, as nar-
row cloths, called y»rd-wides, are at prcfcat.

5oa

A.,D. igaiB.

ard, without any charge upon the,i^e^)iai«:s,v.aiad tljei weafurei^,)y3S
direded to feize thofe which were deficient in the prefence of the vm-
giftrates, and to account for the value of t^em to the exchequer, ,£^<3.
2 Edw. JlJfC. 14.] This law appears to have been produ<Siive of if^juch
delay and trouble to the importers. [F^elera, V. y, p. 79.] , ,-iyq Os ^
Augufl 8'" — pThe merchants of Aragon, Catalonia^ and ft^ajofca^-,hav-.
ing petitioned the king that they might partake of the privileges .{jfer
flowed upon foreign merchants by King Edward I, he granted ,that they
flbould for ever enjoy all the liberties, immunities, and accommodations,,
conferred by his grandfiither upon other foreign merchants *.. .[^^4(r^f,.

^. iv,/. 364.] ... ,., , ., ■ <\^f^tpH.

The merchants of Dantzik appear to have had Come trade witU Eng-
land before this time, for this year the king granted tbw^ ^ c(^Jir9Kai9n
of their liberties. [Rot. pat. prim. 3 Edw. HI, m. i8.] . ,,xvi!(A\ f^T-i-pr,

1329, May 9"'-f^The king, vmderftanding that John of Rous and
Mafter William of Daiby had made filver by the art of alchyaiy (' al-
' kemoniae')* and thinking, if they really polTefled fuch an art, that it
would be of great benefit to him and the kingdom, gave orders to bring
them, with all their inftruraents, to his prefence. [Feedera, V. iv,p,
384.] We do not hear of any creation of filver by thofe artirts.

December 1 2''' — At the requeft of his mother, the king gave the
merchants and burgefles of Deeft (or Dieft, an inland town of Brabant)
a charter, permitting them to come, remain, and depart, and to trade
ireely with their merchandize, provided they paid the due and ufual
cuftoms, and had no communication with his enemies. He exempted
them and their property from being feized for any debts or crimes but
their own, or on account of any war, unlefs the lord of their town ihould
be at war with him, in which cafe they Ihould be allowed forty days
to depart from the kingdom with their property. Neither fliould their
property be feized for any tranfgreffions of their fervants entrufted with
it, nor upon the death of fuch fervants. They Ihould be exempted from
paying pontage, pavage, or murage, for their goods, provided they did
not pafs the goods of any others for their own, and did nothing con-
trary to his father's ordinance for keeping the ftaple in England f.
[Faedera, V. iv, p. 408.] This charter, except that it was to be in force
only during the king's pleafure, breathes fomewhat of a more liberal
fnirit than had hitherto appeared in any fuch grants, though far fliort
of the liberality wherewith all commercial intercourfe ought to be con-
ducted.

The merchants of Byerflete in Flanders, .who appear to haA'e already
had a grant of liberties in trading to England, had thofe liberties now

* Why they applied to the king, I do not fee, f Aa the ordinance of the ftaple wh annulled
as the charter of Edward I wai to all foreign in the preceding year, this claufe muft have been
merchants without exception. inftried by millake.

A. D.

'3^9-

S^3

^^u'^'^fii'^''^ by the king. [Rot. pat. pHm,^ Edw. m,m.

tcHh^ Z^^L''l'^%''u '"^ "'"^ "^'^""^^ °^ ^" England were fanned
>2o ne^dnv K°l' vc°T'"y ^^'^^^ ^^"-^^ of Florence for a rent of
rfi ,K o ^ ' ilf *"' '^Sundays were not reckoned, amounted only to
;^6,26o a-year. Next year the rent was raifed to looo marks each

/^'aT/"L r^^'^H^'f u^' '']^T' ^°^ '^^ y^' »282 amount to

ThAVJ ^ • A^' "^'^M^' '/"^^ °^ ^"gl^"'* f«»e^ off now, or were
the king's mmiftet^ very ill informed, or blinded >

J 330— The firft clock we know of in this country was nut ud in an
old tbwer of Weftminfter hall in the year 1288; ar I in ,292 there wa^
one m the cathedral of Canterbury. [Sdden^pref. to HeJLl.DarTs

aXt^/tllf I T'f ^''' P-^bly'^f ireign CkmanfS;
V, f n ^ A u '?^^'*';^ **'^^^ ^«» *^^en now any perfon in England
who followed the bufmefs of making clocks as a profeffion. Therf was
however, (me very ingenious artift, Richard of Wallrngford, abbat of S''
Albans, who conftruded a clock reprefenting the coSrfes of thlfvm*
moon, and ftars, and the ebbing and flowing of the fea. That tWs
wonderful p,ece of mechanifm might be of permanent utiHty to h s ab-

Ll'nn' T^"^'^ ' ^°°^ °^ 9'^^' ^""^ ^he rr^anagemen oVk And
Leland, who appears to have feeh it, fays, that in his opinion all Europe
could not produce fuch another *. [Le/. de Script. V. if, / . 04 cS
^111, {or yv)p. 2j.-WiUis^s Mitred abb. ap. Lei. p. 1,4./ '^'

The wars in Italy between the Guelfs. who afferted that the pope

ought to be the fovereign of the world, and the Gibellines! who mal!

amed that the emperor ihould be fovereign of the empir^ of wWch

t^Jnft .""'f ^'tl " PT"f ^ ^"' ^^^ "«^ ^d"^^d 'bat 'counTry to
the nioft deplorable excefs of mifery. In the principal cities the people

ler'sZ T" ThTV'"^''^^ ^^^^^"^' '"^ '^'^- the; tok' each
other s Ihips f. The formerly-flouriChing commercial city of Genoa

• Th«i-» ;. „ . ..u :.. .L_ n- ^ ...

Europe, a clock that ftruck the hours was fet up

^ ■ J l-" " ^'"'^^ '" '*"^ poflVffion of his
Majelty, which lias a convex plate of horn inftead
ui a glaft, and Ruitrtuj B. Res Hcollorum marked
upon the dial-plate, and has thence been believed to
have belonged to Robert I kinR of Scotland. (See
Archtologta, V. v,/>. 419.) If genuine, it inuft have
been made befdre this time, and it ought to be notic-
ed as the fird known produftion of the chronometric
art m a more advanced (kite. Bjt it is now known
tliat the dial-plate was fabricated by tiie roguilh
ingenuity of a pedlar, in order to pafs off the
watch at a high piice, as a reh'que of the great
King Robert. [Sec Gtntleman'i Magazine, 178c,
p. 688.J It ia univerfally allowed that watches
were mvented long after clocks: attd it is pretty
certain, that clocks were far from being common
at this time. In Genoa, where the arts were
fiirely more advanced than in the wefteni parts of

r ' "- ■wui.iv iiic iiuura was let up

m the year 1353. and was a new fight to the Ge-
noefc. IStelU Ann. Gen. ap. Muralori Script.
V. XVII, col. 1092.] ■'^

t During the civil wars, the commander of a
galley, who was chafed by another of fuperior
force 111 the evening, fet up a lantern on a (hield.
which he left floating on the water, and thereby
clcaped m the night from his enemy. [^Slt/la, col.
1061.] The fame ftratagem, fo.ncwhat improv-
cd, was rcmventcd by Commodore Walker in the
year 1746. (fee his Foyagcs, V. ii, p. ,2) and is
now common. It is not probable that either
Walker or the Italian had read Ammianus Mar-
celhnus [Z,. xviiij who himfelf managed a fimil.v
elcape from the I'crlians by a lighf fixed to a

504 A. D. 1530.

>vas driven to fuch a ftate of Mrretchednefs, that marrkgc was negle^cd,
women were debauched, the people were fold for flaves, and almoft all
were funk in poverty. Such was their condition, till the republic be-
came fubjed to Robert king of Sicily (September 1331), to whom both
parties had fent advocates, entreating him to be a mediator, or umpire,
between them, in confequence of which he fixed a garrifon of his own
Ibldiers in Genoa, to the commander of whom the magiftrates were ob-
liged to fubmit. As a proof of the prodigioHs wealth of fome of the
citizens of Genoa, even in thofe diftraded times, it is proper to notice,
that a {liip taken by a fleet of Gibelline gallies in the year 1 330, loaded
with wool and other goods, was valued at ;(^6o,ooo of Genoa money ;
and a Genoefe galley from Flanders, taken by a Genoefe pirate in 1344,
loaded with cloth and other valuable merchandize, was reckoned worth
j^70,ooo. But fo dangerous was navigation in this unhappy age, that
when ten trading gallics failed from Genoa for Greece and Syria, it was
thought neceflary, though they were armed themfelves, to fend ten
warlike gallies to protcd them. So large a convoy made very dear
freights. [StelU Ann. Gen. ap. Muratori Script. V. xviii, coU. 1054-1080.]

Neither were the other uates of Italy exempted from the miferies
which follow in the train of the daemon of civil war. Pifa was ruined
by the fadions oi the Rafpanti and Bergolini. Ravenna, formerly
flourifhing and powerful, was brought to nothing by external war and
internal difcord. Naples, which about the year 1280 abounded in
riches, was reduced to fuch a wretched condition by the wars, that many
women of once-powerful families became proftituves, and all the inha-
bitants were almofl; periftiing for want. {^Stell. coL 1063.] Such are
the fatal etfeds of people fighting in quarrels wherein they have no con-
cern, and for they know not wliat.

The coal mines in the neighbourhood of Newcaftle now became a
fource of revenue to their proprietors, as appears from the chartulary of
the monaftery of Tinemouth, which contains accounts of ieafes of coal-
works, in feveral parts of the lands belonging to that community, to
various people, at the annual rents of ^a, jC4» £5» and ^^5 ' 4. in the
years 1330, 1331, and 1334. In the year 1338 the fame monaftery
leafed a ftaith (or coal wharf) at Newcaftle at 40/" per annum. [Brand's
Hift. of Newcaftle, V. n,p. 255. j

1 33 1, March 3'' — In a let of articles, drawn up by the king for the
ufe of his minifters in Ireland, the following are the only ones which
might have Ibme influence on the commercial ftate of that country. —
There flaould be the fame laws for the Irifli as for the Englifli, only ex-
cepting the fervices of tiie betaghs * to their lords, fimilar to that of the

• Lliuyd fpells tlie woid ^('«/fl<-A, .iiid trannntcs fuch farmer* were in thf'fame condition with tlif
it a firmer, i. e. om -who providei food. We fee ▼illeins in Kngland.
here tlie authority <jf Kin^ Edw.-.rd to jirove that

villeins in England.— -Fines Ihould no longer be levied in cows, but in
ition«y — ^The coUeaors of the king's cnftoms (hould not be ftrangers
but fome of the moft opulent and prudent burgeffes of the towns in
^ »? tne cuftoms were to be colleaed. {Fadera, V. iv, p. 47 c.]

May 23 —King Edward, at the requcft of John Pultney, then mayor
ot London, a renowned and opulent citizen, and for other caufes, gave
the merchants of Louvain in Brabant a charter of free trade, with the
nowK:uftomary exemption from being arrefted for any other debts or
crimes than their own, provided the lord of their town fhould not make
war upon him, or be aiding to his enemies. The merchants of Louvain
however, allowed at leaft feven years to elapfc, before they beean to
avail themfelves of this charter; {Fwdera, ^ v, /. 77] a circumftance
which ought to put us on our guard againft prefuming a great trade
with every nation or community, to whom we find fuch charters grant-
ed, which were more frequently intended to ferve the intereft of, what
are called, pohtics than of commerce.

July 23''~The difcontents among tne manufadurers of Flanders ftill
continued ; and King Edward availed himfelf of the opportunity to hold
out to them an invitation to tranfport themfelves into England. The
hrlt perfon who thereupon removed into this country to carry on his
bufmefs, and alfo to inftrud thofe who defired to learn it, was Tohn
Kempe, a weaver of wcollen cloth, whom, together with his apprentices
bredtothebufinefs, and his fervants, his goods and chattels, the kinjr
took under his protedion. And in the fame grant he promifed the like
favour to other cloth-weavers, and alfo to dyers and fullers, willing to
fettle m his kingdom. [F^dera. V. iv,/. 496.] This fmall. but vlki-
able colony, though not (as feme have fuppofed) the original founders
o* the woollen manufadure of England, may very juftly be confidered
as the founders of the manufadure of>^ woollen cloths, which has for
lome centuries been cherilhed with the moft anxious foftering care as
the moft important branch of the induftry of the country *.

September 30'-— Fairs, which were the fcenes of moft of the inland
trade ot the kingdom, were frequently protraded beyond the time limit-
ed by their charters. That irregularity was forbidden by parliament in
the year 1328 ; and now the fame prohibition was repeated with the
addition of a penalty upon the merchants, who fhould neglea to clofe
their booths and ftalls (' fcudes et eftaux') at the due conclufion of the
fairs. lAtls 2 Edw, III, f. 15 ; and 5, c, 5.]

Odober I4"'--The king having, by an ad of parliament (which does
not appear in the ftatute books) renewed his grandfather's law for pre-

MIS motive. ,t was a fingtilaily l.appy inttancc of ^

Vol. L ., c

So6

A. D. 153U

yenting the exportation of money, and for obliging «11 perfons arriving
in, or departing from, England, to exchange their money vrkh. his ex-
changers ftadoned at the feveral ports, (fee above p. 463) now, by his
own authority, licenced fifhermen bringing in herrings and other fifli
for the fuftenance of the people of the country, to receive money in
payment for their fifh, and carry it away without being obliged to carry
it to the exchangers, provided they gave fecurity not to ad contrary to
the tenor of the ordinance, or adt, referred to. {Fcedera, V. iv,/. 500*]
Thofe fifhermen were apparently foreigners, and more fkilfiil than the
fifhermen of England.

December 29'" — A tafte for foreign horfes appears to have long pre-
vailed with the kings and nobles of England. In the year 121 2 King
Jolm paid no lefs than 58 marks for two Lombard horfes, bought for
him by the agency of a Flemifh knight j and next year he bought loo
great horfes from the countefs of Flanders. [Rymer'x CoU. tns. V. i, «..
^2. --Rot. pat. I S Joban. a tergo.'\ In 1341 the earl Marfhal rode an
Italian horfe, by which he was killed ; and we may fuppofe that Span-
ifh and Italian horfes were pretty common at this time in England, as
it was thought worthy of remark, that the army of Scotland in 1 244
had good horfes, though they were not Spanifh or Italian. [M. Paris,
PP- 565. 645.] But even the Scots, according to the Norwegian account
of Hacon's expedition, had many Spanifh horfes at the battle of Largs
in 1263 *. In 1309 King Edward II fent to Lombardy for thirty war
horfes (' dextrariis') and twelve draught horfes (' jumentis'). In 13 13
he fent a merchant to Spain to purchafe thirty war horfes ; and at an-
other time he commiffioned two Spaniards to buy war horfes for him
in Spain, and put a thoufaad marks into their hands. But the death of
one of them having put a ftop to the bufinefs, Edward fll, now
defiring to have it accomplifhed, fent an agent to recover the money,
and to purchafe fifty horfes f : and in order to forward the bufinefs, and
obtain leave to bring the horfes out of Spain and through France, he
wrote to the king of Spain, the magiftrates of Burgos, the furviving
agent employed by his fither, the executors of the deceafed one, and to
the king of France. He alfo fent for fix war horfes, or courfers, from
Sicily in the year 1335. \Fadera, V. m,pp. 124, 394; V. iv,pp. 505,
561 , 658.] By fuch feledtions of choice horles out of every country
has the Ei^hfh breed of horfes been gradually brought to that degree
of perfe<aion, that they are now eagerly fought for in many parts of the
continent, and contribute to fwell the vaft amount of the Britifh ex-
ports. . ,,,i, ,

• The Arabian liorfe belonging to Alexander tf, BJ for eacli. Tiiey mud IiWe been very coU-

I, king of Scotland, in the brginniog of the ly horfes by the tinn; of their arrival in Englanif.

twelfth century, was probably a folitary rarity. Many price* of horfes in the lime of Edward I,

t If he allowed looo marka for 50 horfes, the fome as high as 70 marks, may be found in Li'^.-i

price was very liberal indeed : no lefs than jf 13, canlrarol, ^arderUm E,/w. I, p. 173 et ftijjlm.

A, D.

^33'

507

December 23 --Though we know that the Saracens had fome veflels
of very great burthe^, as appears by the number of men faid to have
been onboard them • we know nothing of their conftrudtion. The
Catalans, who fucceeded to their maritime eminence in their port of
Barcelona, as has already been noticed, had alio very large veiTels of
the kmds called cogs and fhips, fome with two. and fomf with th^ee
decks, before the year 13,5 ; and, from the mention of caftles on'he
decks It appears moft probable that each of the three decks ran he
whole length of the veflels, as in modern three-deck merchantftips
By the original articles of agreement, preferved in the^rchives of Sr-
celona, it appears that thirteen of the citizens undertook to man a cog
( cocha') of three decks, called the Sent Climent. belonging to the
community of the city in order to cruife againft the (^nlk Inl
other enemies, the magiftrates agreeing to furnifli bread for the crew
and to receive one third of the prizes to be taken, or, in cafe of lofs to*
bear one third of It: and the citizens engaged to ftip and pay froS
four to five hundred men to find all other provifions except br4d an^
^ put no cargo onboard her for commercial purpofe., her deftination
being merely warhke. From a very copious inventorv of theses

nifhed with bows, arrows, fpears. and defenfive armour. But there is

no mention of fire-arms One of the thirteen citizens was formally

commiflioned by the other twelve to be their captain of the cog 7 cZ

pitaneum noftrum didte cochs'). and alfo to command the other vef-

.K /f K^'"'"^^ ^"'^ ^"' ^y^^"^ againft the enemy. The cil^s
third of the prize-money amounted to £1,163 : 18 : o for a Genoefe
cog, and^332 : 3 : „ for a Hfan galleyf^taken by the Sent CUment

^:all '^I'R' ^7' ^°^' ^°^' 4^-5. 417.] Some of the Catalonian
veflels earned ftill greater numbers of men. In the year , «a four of

ln7hnT^'"^/u9^ • ^S'^'^^S "^'" ^'^'^^' »he feamen. and a^ women
and horfes and having moreover cargoes of cloth and other goods on-
board for Sardinia, being fitted for trade as well as war ^vere faken af
ter a battle of ten days, by ten Genoefe galhes. r^r.K«« G.» 1'
Muratori Script. V. xvii. col 1 066.] "- ^"'' '^*

t^nnjf V^#"\'^!""l" confequence of fome diflenfions between the
K^J vL "^''"r^ ^""^^^^ ^^""^'^ merchants, the later had for fome
h.^ "^k'T- ^'^"^ '^' ^^^Sdom. In order to remove their anpTe'
herons, the kmg now publiftied a confirmation of the charter gmn
by his grandfather to the foreign merchants in the year 130^ and add-
ed an aflurance that they fliould not be fubjeded to any^undue prifet
exadions. or arrefts, and that nothing ilJld be taken from them S
his ufe without their confent. [Fadcra, V. iv, p. 516.]

See particularly above, p. jjj.

^ C -.
.3 "^ :«

5o8

A. D. rjija.

July 2511, The king, intending to pafs over to Ireland, fent orders to

the jufticiaiy (or viceroy) to prtfs all the veflels in that country, and to
fend them to attend him at Holyhead, properly provided with bridges,
clays *, and other neceflaries ; and he defired him alfo to make agree-
ments for the freights to be paid for them. [Fa-dera, V. iv, p. 524.]

The king ordained that ftaples for wool, hides, &c. fhould be held in
various places within the kingdom. [/?o/. pat. tert. 6 Edw. Ill, m. 6.]
: . ' 1333, April 2']'^ — King Edward, having refolved to make another at-
tempt for the conqoeft of Scotland during the infancy of the king of
that country, wrote two very polite letters to the earl of Flanders, re-
prefenting that fome of his (the earl's) fubjeds had confederated with
the Scots, his enemies and rebels, and were committing hoftilities againft
the Englifti upon the fea, which he begged he would put a flop to ; and
he Ihould find him ready to do every juftice to the Flemings, and every
pleafurc to himfelf, He afterwards begged that the earl would releafe
fome Engliihmen, whom he had arrefted becaufe feveral Flemifh veflels
had been taken by Englilh pirates, reprefenting the injulice of making
the innocent fuflfer for the guilty, and the fad condition of merchants,
if they muft be liable to fuffer for the crimes committed by thieves and
pirates upon the fea (which, however, was the law, or practice, of Eu-
rope at the time f ). As the magiftrates of the three principal towns-
had nearly as much authority as the earl, if not more in matters relat-
ing to cornmerce, he alio wrote to thofe of Bruges, Ghent, and Ypres,
upon the fame bufmefs. A negotiation enfued, in which mutual refti-
tution was promifed. \Foidera, V. iv, pp. 556, 560, 561, 576,]

Auguft 6'" — ^One effed of the renewal of the war againfl: Scotland
upon the commerce of England was, that many foreign merchants, ap-
prehending that their veflels and goods would be arrefted, defifted from
trading to England. King Edward, unwilling to forego the benefits
flowing from their trade, thereupon ordered all the Ihirrefs to proclaim
that foreign merchants Ihould not be abridged of any of their privileges
on account of the war, and that nothing fliould be taken from them
without their confent, nor without due fatisfadion. [Faedaa, V. iv,
p. 574.]

(Xtober s'^ — The kings of France and Aragon, fenfible of tlie great

* Clay;, a word already noticed in an order of
the year l J24. as of uuctitaiii incaiiiiig.

f Is not the property of nitichants upon the
fea ftill cxpofcd to capture, and themfclvcs to ruin,
in quarrels of which they were not thcauthor.i?
In the baiharifni of tlie beginning of the fifttenth
century, and even in the tliiiteenth century at
Leipfick, {fee above, p. 418) there was a nearer
approach, in ihis teffc'd, tollie civili/aliou of vvai-
fue (if fuch a term be not incongruous) than there
•e ce.v aiiiivlil a!! the rdi..'ara:: mid iil\in.ii,a'.!ou

of the eighteenth and ntocteenth centuries. (The
fentiment of Rajiin, the hillorian of England, upon
the fubjti^^, will be (jiioted in a note under the year
1407.) It remains for a conllellation of ftntcfmen
ot fupcrior illumination and virtue, endowfd with
courage fuflicient to break through a barbarous
culloin, to aholifli this liccneed piracy, at lenll with
rcfpeCt to what are called UiHaitnt goods, Tlieii,
and not til! then, may they boaft, that war is di-
vellcd of it3 fpirit of ferocity and dcpredatton.

A. D.

'333-

5<=>9

mterruption of commerce, and the many other abufes, proceeding from
the prudice of granting letters of marque to empower individuals to
procure redreft by means of armed veflels for injuries fufFered, Oi al-
eged to be luffered, by them, had repeatedly made regulations for ob-
tammg juftice to the parties aggrieved by an amicable procedure, and
agreed to give no etters of marque, unlels juftice fhould be denied bv
r, 7.7^T the aggreflbrs. [Ca/>many, Mem. bij. de Barcelona, V. ii,
Co/, dipl. p. 100.] James III, the late king of Aragon, having no fuch
regu ations fettled with England, a country with which he confidered
his dominions as no way conneded by neighbourhood or commercial
intercourle. had given a letter of marque againft England to Berenguer
cle la lone, who duely proved in his court (according to the mode of
proceeding fettled between Aragon and France) that he had been plun-
dered upon the fea by an Englilh pirate of property to the amount of
^ 2,000 Barcelona money, befide* which there were found due to him
11,333 (hillings and 4 pennies for intereft. and X;ioo for the expenfe of
feveral jourmes to England Alfonfo. the prefent king, having Uberat ■
ed an Englilh officer m the fervice of King Edward, who had been ar-
refted at the inftance of Tone's heirs, took the opportunity of writing
to the kmg of England, and again requefting redrefs for his fubjeds
whereupon King Edward, who by no means wiflied to ftir up any new
enemies now anfwered, that his father, King Edward II, had offered
to do luilice to Tone, who had himfelf negleded attending further to ^
the bufinefs He argued that neither equity nor juftice warranted let-
tCK of repnfal in fuch a cafe ; and he profefled his readinefs to do fpeedv
juftice, even with favour, to the parties, if they would apply for it. had-
era, F. iv, p. 577.] ^ ^ ^ •-

Oaober 6'''_It is fcarcely worth while to notice fo common an event
as the appointment of two Englifti and two FlemiOi commiflioners to
lettle all claims of redrefs between the two nations. \Fa;dercj V iv
PP- 578, 579. ^<^-l ' '

Kmg Edward having got pofleffion of Berwick, :• . '^eing defirous
that It {hould be repeopled, proclaimed that all merclj .;., who would
lettle in it, fliould have burgages for their refidence ; and feme time af-
ter he gave the burgefles an afllirance, that thev ftioukl pay no more
than the antient cuftoms, which thence appear to have been more mo-
derate than thole of England, [^yhff-^s Calendar of charters, pp. 146
207.] But It may be doubted, if Berwick, even in the prefent day, be
equal to what it was in the peaceable and prolperous reign of Alexander
111 when It u-as the principal port of the flourifhing trade of Scotland
and the feat of a company of Flemiih merchants refembling the merch-
ants of the Teutonic gildhall in London.

^34, March s^-In a parliament, held at York, the king, at the re~
aue.l of his people, determined to abolifti the ftaples. which had been

^^Kli^ied ip. Yaii<?^s part* pf England, Wales, and Ireland, for wool
jy)9pl/eUs, and bides. IRymer's Jdia mamfcr. FJw. Illy V. u, n". 75.] '
^r.Appii 5"'— The king of England and the earl of FIandei« allowed free
JflfqrcQurfe of trade to the fubjeiSs of each-other, which was. however
ip cpntinue only tUl the 15* of Auguft. But as it would not be worth
.^^1?. % merphants to fit out their veflels for a privilege of eighteen
^^efoj^Jt was afterwards prolonged to Chriftmas 1336. \Fadera, V, iv
/>p. &07, 661, 662.] '

t. ^335' Spring—The knights, citizens, and burgefles, reprefented to
l^e king the hardfliips fuflfered by the public in confequence of the
R^ople of cities, burghs, and fea-ports, engrofling the purchafe of wines
' aver du pois,' flefh, fifli, and other viduals and merchandize, ufeful to
the prelates, nobles, and commons. The king, with the aflent of the
prelates, nobles, and commons, thereupon ordained, that all me nts
aliens or denizens, fhould have perfed liberty in all cities, burghs, 'ms
fea-ports, fairs, markets, and elfewhere, within franchifes or without to
fell corn, wine, 'aver du pois,' flefli, fiOi, and other viduals, wool, cloth,
and all kinds of merchandize, to all perfons, natives or foreigners, ex-
cept the king's enemies. The mayors and bailifs of corporations,' and
the lords of unincorporated places, were required, under the penalty of
forfeiting their privileges, to proted the merchants in the exercife of
t^ieir trade ; and the perfons adually obftruding them were made liable
to double damages, and alfo to be puniflied by imprifonment and fine.
All ftrangers and denizens had alfo equal Uberty to buy and carry away
any articles whatever, except wine •, agreeable to the terms of their
charter. And all charters of franchife, which might be alleged in op-
pofition to the general freedom of trade, were declared to be of no force
as being prejudicial to the king, prelates, and great men, and opprefllve
to the comrnons. [i Stat. 9 Edw. Ill, preamik and c. i.]

June-Augufl~In the war between Engkmd and Scotland there was
more of maritime hoftility than might have been expeded in a conteft
between the two parts of the fame ifland. Edward, having heard tliat
fonxe (hips were .fitting out in Calais by the Scots and other malefaaors
to mfeft his coafts by land and water, ordered the warden of the Cinque
ports and the magifirates of Yarmouth to difcover the truth of the re-
port, and to feud out a fufficient force to dertroy them. Thefe pre-
cautions, however, did not pre .rent a veflel belonging to Southampton
with a cargo of wool, wool-fells, hides, &c. from being taken in the
mouth of the Thames by fome raalefadors of Normandy and Scotland.
King Edward, being informed by his vafllil, Edward Balliol, whom he
had fet up as a duplicate king of Scotland in order to divide and diftrad
that kingdom, that fpme foreigners, at the inftigation of the Scots, were

* Thotigh wine is excepted from ntporution, corn ii left free to be exported at plejfure.

A. D. I

335'

5J»

fitting out a great navy to tranfport men at arms and armoui^'to Scot-
land, ordered his fteward of Gafcoigne, and the magiftrates of Bayonne
and Bourdeaux, to equip all the proper veflcls in all the ports of the pro-
vince with good men, arms, and provifions, to oppofe the malice of his
and his vaflars enemies. He alfo wrote repeatedly from Perth to the
parliament aflembled at London, to the roagiftrates of that city, and to
John Pultney and Reginald of the Conduit, opulent citizens who had
borne the office of mayor, that he underftood, feveral fleets of warlike
fhips, filled with men at arms, were coming to invade his kingdom, and
he defired them to fit out all the veflels capable of carrying forty* tuns
(' dolia') or more of wine, with able men and arras, without delay.
iFadera, V. iv, pp. 651, 652, 6^^, 658, 659, 665.]

Many of the Englifli veflels, and particularly thofe belonging to Yar-
mouth, Briftol, Lynne, Kingfton upon Hull, and Ravenfere, were now
diftinguiftied as fliips of war (' naves guerrina'). But whether they
were of a different conflirudion from others, or* only the largeft and
ftrongeft of the mercantile veflels, we are not informed. We know,
however, that they were not the property of the nation at large, as they
are called the warlike fliips of Yarmouth, of Briftol, 8tc. {Ayloffe's Ca-
lendars of charters, pp. 139, 140, 142, 154, 155, 156.]

The king, obferving that counterfeits of the Englifli money were
made abroad, enaded that no man of religion or other perfon what-
ever fliould carry any Englifli money out of the country, or any filver
plate, or any veflels of gold or filver, without the king's licence ; and
that no perfon fliould import counterfeits of Englifli money. But afl
perfons might carry bullion and wrought filver, and filver money of
any kind, except counterfeits, to the exchanges, and there be accom-
modated with convenient exchange. It was declared unlawful to melt
fterlings or pennies, halfpennies, or farthings, for making any veflel 6f
hlver. Thecurrency ofblack money was totally prohibited. The king
and his council were empowered to eftablifn exchanges at proper places
Pilgrims were ordered to take paflage only at Dover. All j^erfons go-
ing from, or arriving in, the kingdom, were to be fearched to prevent
them from fmuggUng money ; and the inn-keepers were to be fworn
to fearch their guefts. [2 Stat. 9 Edw. JJl.]

September 21 ''—In conP-quence of this aft the king eftabliflied ex-
changes at Dover, London, Yarmouth, Bofton, and Kingfton upon
Hull *, to which he ordered all florenes and other money to be car-
ried ; and he ftridly commanded, that none fliould be carried out of
the kingdom or clandcftinely exported. He appointed all the exchanges

• From thit rtry fliort lift we nioiild fuppofc, had a pretty good (hsrc of trade— From Fgdtra

1. I iT ,T" "° 7«y t'»nff ion. wortl. notice T. iv, p. 697, and many »thcr record., it is^:

«.. the loutl, or well co.ll.i and yet Southarnpton tain, that Uicvc w.» alii, an excha^ige at Cantnv

"4S ouc ut iJie chief porU of Englan J, and Btiiiol bury, *

5-13

AiD.

^3^5'

Yarmouth,

Dover,

London,

Bofton,

Kingfton upon Hull,

Newcaftle upon Tine,

to be under the management of William de la Pole, who was to be anf-
werable, for his deputies as well as for himfelf, to the exchequer for the
profits of the exchange. And he gave notice of the eftablifhment to the
magiftrntes of

Chichefter, Southampton,

Hertlepool, Norwich,

Scarburgh, Lynne,

York, Ipfwich,

Ravenfrod, Sandwich,

Lincoln, Winchelfea,

and Briftol. [F^edera, V. iv, p. 668.]

William de la Pole, now appointed commiflioner or manager-general
of the exchanges, was one of the moft illuftrious of the early merchants
of England. He was firft a merchant at Ravenfrod, or Ravenfere, and
thence removed to Kingfton upon Hull, for which town his (apparently
elder) brother and he obtained a grant of the cuftoms from the king.
In the year 1336 he farmed fome of the cuftoms at a rent of ;{'io a-day.
Upon Kingfton being privileged to have a mayor, he was the firft who
was eleded to that office ; and he founded the monaftery of S'. Michael
near that town. He was efteemed the greateft merchant of England,
and with good reafon, for he lent King Edward the prodigious fum of
jCi 8,500, when he was at Antwerp; in payment of which the king
made him chief baron of the exchequer, and gave him the lordftiip of
Holdernefs, with the rank of a banneret, and a promife of an eftate of
i,QOO marks a-year in France, -as foon as it ftiould be under his domi-
nion. He was frequently employed in embaflies along with the firft
men in the kingdom, who were direited by bis knowlege of bufinefs.
His fon Michael, alfo a merchant, was created earl of Suffolk by King
Richard II ; and his pofterity flouriflied as earls, marquifes, and dukes,
of Suffolk, till a royal marriage, and a promife of the fucceflion to the
crown, brought the family to ruin *.

November 20'' — John of Cologne, who appears to have been in the
king's fervicef, having purchafed thirty tuns or cartloads (' dolia feu
plauftratas'} of choice Rhenifh wine in Germany, the king took fo
much intereft in the fafe conveyance of it, that he wrote to the arch-
bifliop of Cologne, the earl of Holland, and the earl of Gelder, requeft-
ing their good offices in its pafTage through their territories, and exemp-
tion from cuftoms. [^Fcedera, V. iv, p. 676.]

This year a licence was granted for exporting ale, and another for

• This brief account of William <1e In Polo and tert. 2S V.ilzv. Ill, m. 9. — Cumd. Brit. fp. 341,
1iis famiiy is cxtratttd from Fadera, V. v, pp. 91, 5^8, — Sww't ^iti/i. p. 367,

ij2, 101, !;4, 125. — Kot. pat. prim. % Eikv. Ill, f He is Lulliii liie king'j valcot, anu lictnccd

•>n I ; prim, 10 Edw. HI, m. 10 ; and ftc, m. \-, ; to keriul (fjitify) liis lioufe on Cornliill in I.oii.

dun. {Kot.pal.ff-, 11 F.div. Ill, in. 2.]

A. D.

^335'

sn

r

8

20

35 or 40

45
70

50

blank

exporting corn [Rot pat. prim, 9 Edw. Ill, mm. ^7, 38.] That for aid
comaxns, I beheve, the earlieft notice of the e^^irltion of th^' ^Jf

We are indebted to Balducci Pegoletti, an Italian writer for ^h^fol

to Saracanco by water (the north coaft of the Cafman fea'i " "•
to Organa fuppofed Urgentz on Lake Aral) withTmds '

tn n7 P^'A' ""^'"^ ^°' '^^ expeditious fale of goods
o Oltrarra ( : Otrar on the Sihon or Sir) with camek -

I Ca^r^i^ra^r^^ ^^ Turkeftan)Vith aiT^

to cJ?J "i^"^ Kara-Morih (or Hoang-ho) with'horfcs " -

to Cafiai, where there is good fale for merchandize and the!

nierchants exchange their filver for the papeimoSey of }

to Gamalecco, the capita"l of Catt'ai or Cathay (Norih China) 30

community of th^tftatewherdrhe^^^^^^^ P"'^^^^ ««^

ihip or coch f loaded with Oril. 1 ^^^'J^^J^/ed, that ^ large Genoefe
dize to the valurof1w\?,oT ^oods and other pretious merchar.

and provided wrthLsSe^'flitterrnffV^'''^^ ^° ^"g^«"^'

taken in the Downs by hS Sent fh '"''^"'^' ^'J* beenunjuftly
his father's fervice. -/hough no n^^^^ t£ ^''T^l^f °^ " ^'" ^'^
his father's, or his own hands hS a I f^"""^" ^''^'^^'^^ ^°"^e to
other claim fliould ever' brmade ont^n' '1'^^^''^^ '^S^S^ that no
us a compenfution to the pa«f^' °^^^^^^^ ^,^P^--e. to nmgn,

out of the cuftoms pavable nnn!? 1 1' ^ °^ "^V'^'' *" ^^ ^"^^^^

•>a^" and ,l,/(ov,n» ,n th, North, p. 150 e/£„^.

Vol. I

r^ tranjhuon .-and I h,ve alfo followed hi'm in the
Luropea... or fatn.liar. name, of the places,
t llie fame kind of velTd which is dl
called a cog.

3T

clfcwhcre

5H

A. D, 1336.

fels, with liberty of buying and felling, in any part of his kingdom, and
the further liberty of leaving any port without felling, or with felling
only a part, and going wherever they pleafed. The offer was accepted
by the Genocie, who entered fo heartily into his intereft, that they
burnt fome gallies, which were fitting out in their port, becaufe they
conjectured, that they were intended to adt againft him. Edward, high-
ly delighted with fuch a proof of their attachment, commiffioned one
of their own citizens to hire gallies and ufcers *, properly manned, arm-
ed, and equipped, for war, at Genoa. IFcedera, V. iv, pp. 702, 710,
712.]

Odober i ^^ — The luxury of the table had got to fuch a height in
England, that it was thought neceflary to reftrain it by a law, which
prohibited all perfons, of whatever rank, from having more than two
courfes, and more than two kinds of meat with pottages in each courfe ;
except on eighteen holidays in the year, when gluttony and extrava-
gance might be freely indulged. [3 Stat. 10 Edw. JIl.}

Odober — Notwithftanding the recent friendly arrangements between
England and Flanders, the earl, probably at the defire of the king of
France, his feudal over-lord, imprifoned the Englifh merchants in his
dominions, and arrefted their property. King Edward thereupon ilTued
orders for retaliating upon the Flemings in his dominions. But being
very anxious to avoid having any enemies in addition 10 France and
Scotland, he imrciediately wrote foothing and expoftulating letters to
the earl of Flanders and the magiftrates of Bruges, Ghent, and Ypres,.
requefting redrefs of thofe outrages, and profeffing his refolution to al-
low no injuftice to be done to the Flemings. [Fadera, V. iv, //. 711,

713]

November 3'' — King Edward wrote to the king of Norway, and to

the earls of Holland and Gelder, requefting them not to allow their fub-
jedls to hire any veffels to the Scots, his rebels and enemies. \Fadera,
V. iv, p. 715.] How could the opprelTed and perfecuted half of the
Scottifh nation, with their agriculture ruined and their trade annihilat-
ed, find money to hire veffels in moft of the maritime countries of Eu-
rope ?

November 6'*' King Edward, ftill alarmed with rumours of hoftile

armaments upon the continent, and having heard that fome Englifli
veffels had actually been taken, fent orders to all the maritime cities
and towns in the kingdom to obhge the owners to fit out every veffel
in their ports in a fiifficient manner with men, arms, and ftores : and he
appointed the harbour of Portfmouth to be. the place of rendezvous for
:ill veffels belonging to

♦ IVncrcd king of Sicily gave Richard king of England fonr great (liips called urfen, lHov,;i:n,
J. 391 b] cr ufen; iBromloti, (J. 1 195] appar. nlly the fame kind of veflels here calltd «/vr;.

Briftol,

Chriftchurch,

Melcomb,

Southampton,

Yarmouth") . ,,,. ,

S'. Helens! ^^^^S^^'

Liverpool,

Stonore,

Sidmouth,

Sandwich,

Winchelfea,

Exmouth,

Bridgewater,

A. D. 1336,

Chichefter,

Rumney,

Teignmouth,

Recuiver,

Exeter,

London,

Dover,

ToUefbury,

Rye,

Seton,

Portfmouth,

Falmouth,

5^5

Pevenfey,

Weymouth,

Chefter,

Lyme,

Seaford,

Dartmouth,

Portchefter,

Plymouth,

Faverfliam,

Shoreham,

Haftings, and

Folkftone.

Yarmouth,

Lynne,

Kingfton upon Hull,

Ravenfere,

Scarburgh,

Newcaftle upon Tine,

Little Yarmouth,

Ipfwich,

Waliaeet,

Lymington,
He alfo fixed the port of Orewell for the rendezvous of the veflels be-
longmg to

Newbigging, Gosford,

Whitby, Harwich,

Alemouth, Grimfby,

Tinemouth, Barton,

Blakeney, Sahfleet,

Dunwich, Bofton, and

Kirklee, Waynfleet.

Gillingham,
Coeford,

After meeting at the ports of rendezvous, the veflels bound for Gaf-
coigne, or other foreign countries, were to be permitted to fail in ftrong
fleets, fo that they might proteft each-other : and he fent orders to the
fteward of Gafcoigne to oblige all the veflels of that country, bound for
England, to jom the Englifli fleet. [Fcedfra, V. iv, pp. 717-719.] We
find fuch orders for veflels failing in fleets repeated on many occafions ■
tor fuch were then the only means of defence for merchant fliips.

Edward's fears were not ill founded. A numerous fleet of flxips and
galhes, equipped by the Scots, who adhered to David II, the young king
whom Edward endeavoured to depofe, (or as probably by the king of
France m their name) took a number of EngUfti veilels lying at anchor
at the Ifle of Wight, and plundered Guernfey and Jerfey, while the fea-
men of the EnghQi navy were quarreling among themfelves, and plun-
dering veflels belonging to Englifli fubjeds, or foreigners in friendfliip
wuh their king. He therefor appointed a commiflion to confult with
the nobles, ftiirrefs, magiftrates, and feamen. of all the ports, on the
means of repelling the enemy. He defired them to give due attention
to the greatnefs of the impending danger, for, fays he, ' As our progeni-
^ tors, the kmgs of England, in fuch contejis between themfelves and tbefove-
reigns of foreign countries were the lords ofthefea and of the paffage to the

a T ^

5'6

A. D. 1336.

' continent in all times paji, it would grieve us exceedingly, if our royal"
* honour (hould in the fmalleft degree be impaired in our times.' He
alfo wrote to all the fhirrefi of England to permit no veflels to fail, even
though they fhould have obtained his licence, except thofe appointed to
carry provifions and arms to Berwick, Stirling, and Perth, for his Icr-
vice. [Fadera, V, iv, pp. 721, 723. J

The above lift of ports, though evidently defeftive, as all fuck lifts in
the records are *, furnifhes an important fad in the hiftory of the flour-
ifhmg commercial town of Liverpool, which now appears, for the firft
time, as a port capable of contributing fome veflels to the national navy.
About this time the community of Liverpool were repeatedly empow-
ered to levy duties for paving their ftreets ; another ! irk of advancing
profperity. \Rot. pat. 2 Edw. Ill, m. 34 ; prim. 7 Edw. Ill, m. 37 : prim
10 Edw. Ill, m. 43.]

December 3''_The Brabanters were the principal rivals of the Flem-
ings in the woollen manufadure : and the earl of F'anders being now
in the intereft of the king of France againft Edward, iie duke of Bra-
bant thought the opportunity favourable for requefting King Edward
to remove the ftaple for Englifh wool to fome town in his dominions.
The king, who was very much difpleafed with the earl of Flanders,
wrote him, that he would fend aver fome merchajits to treat with him'
for proper fecurity and a friendly reception in his territories : and he
required of him to engage, that none of the wool ftiould go into the
hands of the Flemings f . In a few weeks after he alfo fent an agent- to
treat with the magiftrates of Bruflels, Louvain, and Mechlin, upon the
fame bufinefs. \Foedera, V. iv, pp. 720, 751.]

December i2"'_King Edward in the midft of his efforts to fubdue
Scotland, and preparations for fubduing France, was not inattentive to
the more rational projed of eftabUfliing the woollen manufadure in his,
dominions. He now fent a letter of protedion (from Bothwell in the
weft of Scotland) for two weavers of Brabant, who propofed to carry on
their bufinefs at York ; and he exprefled his hopes of utility and ad-
vantage to refult to his fubjeds from their induftry and example. He
alfo gave fimilar protedions foon after to a confiderable number of
woollen-manufadurers from Zeland with their families and workmen.
{Fcedera^ V. iv, pp. 723, 751.]

.» 337. January 16"'— King Edward, having commiflloncd three ad-
mirals, conferred upon them the power of puni(hing all feameu in the

• All the Wtlrti ports, of which Aryen appear pear in fuch enumerations, tliat they did not exift,

in the enumeration of the year 1300, are omitted or had no (hipping.

in this hil, as are ajfo many of thofe on the fouth f As England and Brabant could not woik up

and eall coafts, owing, undoubtedly, to the lofs of all the wool that ufed to go to Flanders, what did

tiie writs fent to thofe poi-ts. Thcfe evident omif- the king propofe that the Englift proprietor* of

fiuns or loflcs of records (how, that we ought not the wool ijiould do with it?
lalhl/ to conclude, bccaufe fome porta do not ap-

A. D. 1337. 517

fleet, according to juftlce, as it ufed to be in former times : and he alfo
gave them full power of chufing, either within liberties or without, as
maay men as they might think neceflary for manning the fleet, and
ieizing and imprifoning them, if they were unwilling to go onboard ;
and he defired all 1 is faithful fubjedts to be affifting to his admirals in
that fervice. [Fcedera, V. iv, p. 727.] The power of punifliing the
men onboard the fleet thus appears to have been already eftabli(hed •
but this ample prefs-warrant feems to have been unprecedented. It
would, however, be no additional hardfliip upon the merchants, whofe
veflels were all feizcd, or expedcd to be feized, for the king : neither
had the feamen any choice of employment except in the king's fervice
. January 27"'_The king, feeing the neceflity of having veflels of his
own, employed William de Kelin, a carpenter, to build a galley for
him at Kingfton upon Hull, under the infpedion of the renowned mer-
chant William de la Pole, for the ufe of which he ordered the prior of
Blithe to fumifli forty oak trees *. H*ving ordered anchors to be made
tor his fliips, called the Chriftopher and the Cog Edward, he direded
the Ihirrefs of London to provide for that purpofe 5,000 pounds of
iron, 200 Eaftland boards, and 100 quarters of fea-coal f, to be deliver-
ed to the fupervifor of his works (a clergyman) at the Tower. [Fadera,
V. IV, p. 730.]

March 18"— The Flemings being now leagued againft Edward, he
wrote to the king of Caftile (or Spain) and to his principal courtiers
requeftmg that the merchants of that kingdom might have no com^
mercial intercourfe with the Flemings, and that they would rather trade
to the ports of England, where, he promifed, they fliould meet with
every indulgence they could reafonably defire %. [Fcedera^ V. iv, pp. 736,

April I S'h— Though King Edward was as eager to deprive the Flem-
ings ot commercial intercourfe with other nations as his father had been
to deprive the Scots of their commerce with the Flemings, it was foon
dilcovered, that the Englifti and the Flemings could not live without the
mutual advantages they ufed to derive from their friendly fupply of
mutual wants. A treaty was therefor fet on foot for marrying a fon of
^^^^f.^.^^h a daughter of Edward, then in her cradle, and for re-
eltablifliing the fbiple of wool in Flanders. IFadera, V. iv, //. 744,

May 24"'—The Brabanters, being thus difappointed of having the
itaple ot i^nghfli wool among themrelves, were now allo^ved to purchafe

• The trees muft have been very large, if no ten (hillings worth of coals bousht for the corona
more were to be employed, or the galley very tion of KTl.g Edward III! ^

"t 'Thi, i, the earllea cxorcfs.uotlce we have of ticf. t'Ztl fo^STr.LllStf:!":

°nK/7Z ri" ^"''">- """' rt- Spanin, merchants for theVkcorhs god.
\\n ms ilijl. of Nftucajile, V. ii, f. 254) mentions friends the Flemings. ^

5i8

A. D.

^337-

at the towns in England appointed for the fale of wool, as much wool
for the ufe of their own manufadurers only, as -would be fufficient for
the confumption of fix months, the quantity being afcertained by the
oaths of t*'- deputies to be fent over from each manufadluring town
with the duke's letters patent. [Fadera, V. iv, p. 757.]

Auguft 8'"— The king gave orders, that a thouland foldiers, levied in
Wales, fhould be drefled in coats and mantles made of the fame cloth.
{Fadera, V. iv, pp. 803, 810, &c.] Quere, if this is the firft mention of
military uniforms ?

September 27"" — The parUament made it felony to carry any wool
out of the kingdom. They alfo ordered, that after Michaelmafs * no
man or woman, of whatever rank, in England, Ireland, Wales, and that
part of Scotland fubjed to King Edward, except the king, the queen,
and their children, (a moft injudicious and antipatriotic exception)
{hould buy any cloth of foreign manufadture, under the penalty of for-
feiture of the cloth, and arbitrary punifhment befides. Neither was any
perfon, whofe annual income was not at leaftj^^ioo, permitted to wear
foreign furs. All perfons in England, Ireland, Wales, and the Englifh
part of Scotland, were licenced to make cloth without being reftrided
to any ftandard length. All merchants importing cloths after Michael-
mafs were alfo fubjcded to forfeiture of the cloths and arbitrary punifh-
rnent. And all foreign cloth-workers were promifed the king's protec-
tion to live in any part of his dominions, together with franchifes to
their full fatisfadion. {ABs, 10 Edw. Ill, cc. 1-5.] Thefe ads are
ftrangely at variance with the many negotiations with the princes and
communities of Flanders and Brabant for fettling the ftaple in their
countries, and -permitting them to buy wool in England. They were
immediately broken by the king himfelf, who feems to have adopted a
new fyftem of politics almoft every month, which muft have been ex-
ceed".-ly prejudicial to the commerce of England and the countries
conneded in trade with it f .

* From the king's own mandate to the fliirrefs
Jbr the pubh'cation and enforcement of thefe afts
(printed immediately after them) which is dated
at Windfor tl e 28"' day of March (no year), it
appears that IVlichaelmafs in the following year
was the day propofed for the commencement of
their operation : for Michaelmafs next, though it
h fo exprelFed in the a£t, c, 2, being the next day
but one, was too foon for it to be heard of even at
a moderate dillance from London. In the end of
March 1337 Edward was at Windfor: on the
aS"" of March 1338 he was at Berwick. Fiom
thefe, and other, circumttances it appears that there
is fome error in the date of thefe atts, which, how-
ever, are rather curious, as the mark of a grand de-
fign, conceived rather prematurely, than important
on account of any eficdl they had.

t' Walfingham [^. 135] obferves, that nobody
paid any attention to thefe laws, which he dates in
1 33 J. He adds, that the parliament allowed tl\c
foreign manufacturers penfions (• vadia regis') till
they (hould be cllablilhed in bufinefs. Indeed the
law is either difcftive, as we have it in the edi-
tions, or the rcgi nts (in name of the young prince
when warden of the kingdom) inade an addition
to the ftreneth of it ; for, according to them, it
ordered, • that all they f without any diftindtion
of native or foreigner) who would engage in the

• manufaAure of woollen cloth, might carry on

• their work in every part of tlte kingdom with-
' out any hiiiderance whatever.' ^Fttdera, V. 1, f.
'37-]

A. D.

^^37-

5^9

Oaober3_-In dired, and (if they are rightly dared) • immediate,
violation of thefe laws, the king appointed commiffioners to confult
with fuch of his allies and friends as they Qiould think proper, for fix-
ing the ftaple for the fale of EngliOi wool in fomc proper place on the
continent. [Foedera.K iv, p. Bi^.}

It was perhaps in order to deliberate upon the fame bufinefs of the
ftaple that there was this year held a council of trade, which, as it confift-
ed of deputies from the towns, might be called a commercial parliament ■
and It was apparently more numerous than a parliament, feeing the
baihfs of Buckingham (which fent no members to parliament till the
^u\^k^^^ '^^'■^ direaed by the king's precept to fend three or four of
the belt and moft prudent men of their town ; and they accordinelv
fent three. [IVi/lis'j Hijl. of Buckingham, p. 41.] ^ ^

About November i«_-The king having taken up wool throughout
all England, for which he gave the proprietors tallies at the rate of /6
per fack, ftiipped ten thoufand facks * for Brabant, where they w?re
fold at £,20 each. [Knygkon, col. 2570.]

December 2o"_Two cardinals, fent by the pope to negotiate a peace
arrivedjn England. They received fifty marks a-day for their expenfes
trom the clergy, being four pennies out of every mark from every
church, thofe claiming exemptions not excepted. [Knygbton, col. 3570.T
We are thereby informed, that the revenue of the church amounted to
2,000 marks a-day, or, reckoning 365 days, to the enormous fum of
730,000 marks a-year, being more than twelve times the amount of the
national revenue in the reign of Henry III f .

The citizens of London this year obtained from the king an order
for the reftoration of their exclufive privileges, notwithftanding the uni-
verfal liberty of buying and felling allowed to people of all defcriptions
natives or foreigners, by parliament in the year 1335 .—The king about
the fame time ordered, that no young falmon Ihould be taken t. \Rot
pat. prim. 9 Edw. Ill, mm. 37, 38 ; <-/ a tergo.^

1338, January 3''_The king appointed his own two gallies, com-
manded by John De Aurea and Nicolas Blanc §, to cruife upon the eaft
coaft againft the Scots and their allies, and alfo to convoy the veflels
employed in carrying provifions for his own fubjeds in Scotland. [Feed-
era, V. iv, p. 835.] We have feer\ the merchant veflels ordered about
two years before to fail only in ftrong fleets for mutual defence ; and

* The anonymous liidorian of Edward III
(publirncd along with Hcmingford by Hearne,
p. 41 j) fays, there were thirty thoufand facks,
and that the veffcls were detained in the harbours
the whole fummtr and autumn waiting for tliem,
to the great damage of iKe whole kingdom.

t See above, p. 423. The revenue in the reign
of lidwaid III, 1 believe, id not known.

X The order againll catching young falmon was
very little obfcpved, as appears bv the veiy frequent
repetition of new laws on the fame fubjc<it.

§ At leall one of thefe commanders may be
prelumed to be a native of Genoa, the name being
tiie fame with De Auria, or Doria, of which name,
there was a fuccelTion of eminent naval command- •
crs in the fetvicc of that ftatc,

5«<5

D. 1338.

this, if I miftake not, is the earlieft notice to be found of an appoint-
ment of Engliih warlike veflels to convoy and proted merchant veflels*.
January 8'''— The king of Caftile, in anfwer to Edward's requeft that
he would proliibit trade with Flanders, infilled that neutral merchants
fliould.haye freedom to carry on thehr commerce with the belligerent
powers without being injured by either party. King Edward, in a very
imooth reply, declared, that he did not wilh him to do any thing un-
juft, but only to prevent his fubjedls from aflifting lus enemies, and that
it was his defire, that his own fubjeds (hould do no harm to thofe of his
friends. He added, that in fuch turbulent times it would not be very
fafe for the fubjeds of Caftile to have any intercourfe with the Flem-
ings ; but that, if any injuryfhould be done to them, he would give
fpeedy juftice, and even favour, to the complainers. [Fcedera, V. iv
PP' 839' 840-]

Edward, eager to conciliate the good will of all the neutral powers,
and more efpecially of thofe who had the command of (hipping, re-
minded the podefta and other magiftrates of Genoa of the antient
friendfhip between his anceftors and theirs (a ouftomary introdudion
to a requeft) and begged they would prohibit the equipment of a num-
ber of gallies, which, he underftood, were arming in their port for the
fervice of his enemies. But the Genoefe, having an invariable eye to
their own intereft, and Uttle regarding the refentmem of a king fo re-
mote from them, preferred the friendfliip of their nearer neighbour,
the king of France : and fo fir were they from burning the property
of their fellow-citizens for his pleafure, as they had done in the year
1336, that they permitted twenty gallies to be fitted out at Genoa, and

twenty at Monaco, to ferve againft him f. \Foedera, V. iv, /. 842

Stella, ap. Mur atari Script, V. xvii, coL 1071.J

Neither was King Edward more fortunate in his attempt to get gal-
lies built for him at Nice, a fum of money, he had tranfinitted thither
for that purpofe, having been feized by the king of Sicily, the lord of
the adjacent country of Provence. [Foedera, V. v, pp. 94, 148.] The
fovereign, who is ambitious of maritime power, muft have his fliips
built in his own dominions, and as many as poflible of the materials for
their conllrudion and equipment alfo produced at home.

February 24"'— The parliament, which met on the 3" of February,
granted the king twenty thouHuid facks of the wool already fliorn, he
giving fecurity for the payment of it. He accordingly appointed com-
mifnoners to take one half of the wool, now ready, from all perfons,
without exception. He ordered them to relieve the merchants, whofe'

* Convoys appear to have been ufual with the
commercial dates of the Mediterranean before this
time, one inftance of which is noticed above, p.
JC4, and a mui more antient one in p. 82.

t The Genoefe failors and foldicrii were the
Swifs of thofe days. Tlicy fervcd llie kings of
France, England, Scotland, and Caftile, for thtir
money.

A. D. 1338. 521

wool he had taken, by giving his own obligations to their creditors in
exchange for thofe of the merchants ; and he fixed the prices, payable
in two years, at which the beft wool of the feverai fliires fliould be fet-
tled for per fack, as follows.

Hereford 1 2 marks, or j[S
Salop lot • - 7
Lincoln 10 - - 6
Glocefter, Worcefter,

Chefter, Flint
Leicefter, Stafford, Ox-
ford, Somerfet, York
(except Craven)
Northampton, Notting-
ham
Warwick
Dorfet

o

o

13

o
o

6 6 8

5
5
4

«3
6

13

4

8

4

Cambridge, Huntington,
Bedford , Buckingham ,
Eflex, Hertford, Rut-
land, Berks, Wilts,
Southampton, Derby ^^"5

Kent,Surrey,Suflex,Mid-
dlefex, London, Nor-
folk, SufFolkjLancafter

Craven in York-fliire

Durham

All inferior
agree.

13
6

4
8

wool, as they could

London, Ipfwich, Yarmouth, Lynne, Bofton, Kingfton upon Hull,
Newcaftle, Sandwich, and Southampton, were the pons appointed for
Ihipping the wool for the continent. [Rj/mer^s A£ta manufcr. Edw. Ill,
V. iii, n'. 7-9.]

At the fame time the king ordered the fliirrefs tb arrefl all veflMs,
however fmall, that were able to ftand the fea, to equip them w?,th
men, arms, and provifions, and alfo with accommodations for horfes,
and to fit up feventy of the largeft of them for the reception of the no-
bility. He alfo ordered the following (lores to be carried to the ports
of Yarniouth and Orewell, at which he propofed to embark his army
for the invafion of France, viz.

From York and the northern and
eaftern (hires.

Wheat, or flour.

Beans and peas

Malt

Salt - -

Bacons

Beef, or live oxen,

Mutton, or live iheep *,

Herrings

Cheefe

Stock-fifh

Horfe ftioes with nails

3,600
200

4,100
500

1.340
490

4,100
40

5»900

From London and the fouthern
and weilern (hires,

600

2,200

760

210

4,000

16

5,600

46,500

40,000

1 u.--

(quart-J :
fers 1 6,'.

and empty cafks for packing the com and flour

Total.

aoo
200
.300
500

7 car- V2'°°

fcaflesi 700

3 (.8,100

lafts 56

ftones 11,500
fifli 46,500
fhoes 40,000

* ' Multones,' latinized from the French word
muton or moulon, which fome explain to mean only
a tvether, but it is alfo applied to a ram, £Gaguin,
^ifi- /• 152 b] and is moll commonly ufed for
/■.'e'f. in gffirral, ii . evidciitlj' ivas duHiig this
reign, (fee FaJera, F. v, p. 52o> -nd as the Eng-
lilh word formed from it is foi i ' ; fle(h of any

Vol. L

(lieep. If the king had been aware of the danger
of lofing the fuperiority of EnglilTi wool (for fure-
ly, out of a flock of 8,ioo, fome muft have fallen
into the hands of the French or Flemings, if they
ccnrcd to have ihem) iic would have cxprefsly
forbidden the exportation of rams, as indeed he
did foon after.

3U

522

A. D. 1338.

I'hough the king promifcd to make payment for thefe ftores in Lon-
don on the firft of Auguft next, it is evident, either that tu- covatry
could not fpare fo large a fupply, or that the people vcr', doubf al of
their payment : for in feveral places the king's office were lefifted
by force of arms : and the king, fearing the confequen general

fpirit of difcontent, defired the clergy to foothe the pco^iit .'V.-, repre-
fent to them the inevitable neceflity and the juftice ot his piu'\,edings.
[Foedera, V. v,pp. 3-14. 20, 21.] Some of the hiftoriar,. fnv - people
were never paia for their wool, which, if true, was little f jgement
to them to part with their provifions. And, even if they were punc-
tually paid, the negotiation of fecurities payable in London, which in
modern times are generally better than money on the fpot, muft then
have been very diftrefsful to the country people in the diftant fhires.

April 28'" — The merchants of Brabant having bought 2,200 facks rf
wool from Kmg Edward, wao was now almoft the only feller of wool in
England, lie etjgaged to convoy them fafe from Ipfwich to their own
country ; and he accordingly ordered his admiral to appoint a fuffi-
cient number of wailike veffels for that fervice. [Fadera^ V. v, pp. 32,

May 7'*" — Edwi. I, now adverting to the confequence of allowing
Englifti rams to be carried to the continent, ordered the bailifs of Eof-
ton, and the colledtors of the cuftoms in that port, to fearch all veflels
for live rams, and ^o carry them afliore, becaufe he had heard that fo-
reign merchants had fhipped them there on purpofe to improve the
breed of fheep in their own country, and hurt the trade in Englifh wool,
to the great damage of his kingdom and fubjcds *. [Fcedera^ V. v, p,

36-]

May I o,h — The king ordered all the tin in Cornwall and'T)evon-fliire,
whether in the hands of his own fubjeds or already fold to foreign mer-
chants, to be taken for his account and fhipped at Southampton for the
continent, for which he p'*omifed to pay the proprietors within two
years. \Fadera,V,v,pp, '^^, \Ci.\

May 1 6'*' — In order to raife money by all poflible means, he appoint-
ed commiifioners, who granted freedom to the flaves, called natives, at-
tached to his manors, with the r. nk of free men to themfelves and their
pofterity for ever, for fums of money paid by them for account of the
king. \F(xdcra^ V, v, >. 44.] This was a happy confequence, among
many unhappy ones, of the attempt to conquer France.

June — He alfo borrowed from ;he jbays and other religious founda-
tions all the money he could get from them, and alfo all their filver
jilate, which he promifcd to return to them, or the price of it, valuing it,
however, for the moft part only at its weight of metal. But this pro-

• It was not long before this firft law againft the ward himfelf, as well as thofe againft the exporta-
exportatiuu uf Englifli rams was infringed by £d- tiun of wool and the importation of woollen doth.

A. D. 1338. 533

cceding, being probably rcprefented as facrilege, raifed fuch a clamou.
that he was glad to defift from it. [Fadera, V. v, pp. 48-50. 50, 60.-I

Notwithftanding King Edward's application to foreign princes in order
to injure the trade of the Flemings, he was very defirous of being in
fncndnnp with them. In confequence of friendly letters fent by him
to the three chief cities of Plunders, his commiffioners appointed to ne-
gotiate with the good people of thofe towns and of the country who
I have already obferved, were in many refpeds independent of theiv
earl and who could by no means carry on their manufadure without
i^ngUlh wool concluded a treaty, whereby the Flemings were permitted
to purchafe the wool and other commodities of England, then lying in
Holland. Zeland. and elfewhere, and had a proraife of ample protedion
m all the harbours of England and the king's other dominions, and of
lafety upon the fea to all their velTels, except thofe found trading with the
bcots. 1 he Flemings promifed to take no part in the war between the
king of England and Sir Philip of Valois pretending to be king of France
unlefs for the defence of their earl, if he Ihould be attacked by either party
m their own country; and they engaged to proted the EngliOi mer-
chants and their property in Flanders. It was ftipulated, neverthelefs
that the earl with his military tenants, might ferve whom he pleafed w/
(if ilanders. Soon after this reconciliation King Edward gratift \ the
citizens of Ghent with an exemption for the cloths, bearing the feal of
their city, from being fubjed to the examination of the ulnators aulne-
gers, or meafurers, in the ports of England. Fadera, V. v, ^^.'38, 53,
S9^ 74*] Thus was the premature law againft the importation of fo-
reign cloth effedually repealed.

July 27 ''llThe parliament having granted the king twenty ^houfand
lacks Ox wool, he immediately, without paying the fmallett attention to
the recent law agamft the exportation of it, ordered the whole to be
fhipped, and veflels to be prefled for the carriage. The colledion of the
wool, however, went on fo heavily, that only 3,000 facks were got ready
before his departure for the continent ; and on his arrival at Antwerp
\-l^t ^^^""^ °"^y ^'5°° of them, inftead of the 20,000. on the fale of
which he depended for the payment of his army and the fubfidies
ot his numerous alhes. He therefoi fent home orders to feize all the
wool in the country, fparing no perfon, whether of the cJ -^y or the
laity, and to prefs carriages and veflels for the fpeedy conveyance of it
to him at Antwerp. \Fadera, V. v,pp. 66, 73. 80.] The quantity of
wool levied m Leicefter-lhire was 311 facks. in Lincoln-ihire 60c, and
in Northampton 300. [Kny^kon, col. 2571.]

Among other expedients for carrying on a war of unprecedented ex-
pcnfc, King Edward gave orders for imprifoning all the Lombard and
other foreign merchants, except thofe of the companies of the Eardi and
s 3 U 3

^:^.4j,

524

A. D. 1338.

rever they could

Peruchi, and for feizing all their goods and chattels, \

be found. [Rot. pat. fee. la Edw. III. m. 5.] He „_ „_ j,.„_

per^y of the Cluniac and Ciflercian monks throughout all England,
IWalfingham, p. 146} and of all the religious eftablifliments depending
upon foreign ones, called alien priories, till they bought thcmfelves off.
[Fadera, V. v, p. 490 — Knygbton, col. 2570.]

Auguft— At the requeft of the duke of Brabant the king granted the
merchants and burgeffes of Dieft, Brufiels, Tienen, Mechlin, and Lewe,
freedoni of buymg wool and trading in England, with the privilege of
bemg liable only for their own debts and tranfgreflions, provided their
lords fhould not make war upon him or affift his enemies : and he grant-
ed, that their cloths fhould be examined and marked by the ulnators, or
nieafurers, within five days, at the furtheft, after being unpacked * He
alfo confirmed the grants made by his predcceffors to the citizens of Co-
iOgne. [Fadera, V. v, pp. 79, 80, 82.]

Oaober 4'^.24'»'_Southampton, the principal commercial port on the
fouth coaft of England, was burnt and plundered by the French. [Fad-
era, V. V, p. 99 — Walftngham, p. 512.]

Odober i4"'-24'^— There being apprehenfions of a formidable inva-
fion from France, orders were iflued for ftationing a fufficient force in
the liland of Sheppey, for fortifying London on the bank of the river
with ftone or planks, and driving piles into the channel to obftrua the
approach of the enemy's veflels : and all perfons, clergy or laity, without
any exception, were ordered to contribute, in proportion to their eftates
m London, to the expenfe. [Fadera, V. v, pp. 8 5, 86. J

1339, March e-*-— Henry Darcy mayor of London having roprefent-
ed to the kmg, that the income of fifty marks, which ufed to be paid
annually by the merchants of Amiens, Nele, and Corbie, to his prede-
celTors, (fee/. 389) had now fiiled by the merchants leaving the coun-
try on account of the war, he ordered the fhirrefs of London to pay that
ium to the mayor. [Fadera, V. v, /). 105.]

June 12"'— A fpecies of coin of inferior quality, called black money
or turneys (probably fuch as had been lately prohibited in England)
had been mtroduced in Ireland, the currency of which, being fiippofed
prejudicial to that of the legal money, had been fupprefled. But the
quantity of good money in circulation being found inadequate to the
wants ot the country, the warden (or viceroy) of Ireland was now au-
thorized to reftore the currency <if the black money, if he and his coun-
cil /hould think it expedient, till a fufficient quantity of better money
could be provided. About three months before, twenty-four pair of

• J i,.vr bte.. vcrj- brief in relating tl.c grants in tl.cy difTer from t„c grant to ihf people of Dieft
.0 ibofe c.lKS Uyanfe the favour refp.fli„K tl'e in the ytar 1328, already infcrtcd.
"xammnionofth.ii clollijullieonlynvticlevvhcre- / j . 7

A. D. 1339.

5^5

dyes for coining pennies, halfpennies, and farthings, had been orderrd
from the mint m the Tower for Ireland, of which no notice is taken in
the prefent order. [Fadera, V. v, pp. 1 04, 1 13.]

u J""|— ^"^oJ^g the moft notable of King Edward's fliifts for getting
hold of money, for the fupport of his wars with France and Scotland,
may be reckoned his fcheme for a marriage between his fon, a child
juft ten years of age, and a daughter of the duke of Brabant, from whom
he immediately received fifty tboujand pounds Jierling as the young lady's
portion, he obliging himfelf to return ;C 100,000, if the marriage fhould
not be completed, [f^-^^r^j, T. v,//. 113, ,81.] The marriage never
was completed ; and it merits notice in commercial hiftory, only as a
proof of the very flourifhmg ftate of the manufadures and trade of Bra-
bant, which enabled the prince of that country to lay down fuch a fum
of money ; a fum, though it was exceeded by what Edward himfelf co-
venanted to give with his own daughter to the prince of Spain, far great-
er m real effedive value than is given with the daughters of any of the
modern kings of Europe.

November as'*"— The liberty granted by the late ad, for carrying on
the v^oollcn manufadhire in any part of the kingdom without impedi-
ment, feems to have been interpreted by the magiftratesof Briftol as re-
ftricted to foreigners; or the ad was fo far difregarded by them, that
they perfecuted Thomas Blanket and fome others of their own citizens,
who had provided machinery, and hired workmen, for fettingup a wool-
len manufadory in that city, with unreafonable exadions. Such was
the difcouraging reception given to the woollen manufadure on its firft
appearance m the center of the country which has fince become the
chiet feat of it, till government fent orders to the mayor and bailifs of
Briftol to defift from molefting their fellow-citizens in their meritorious
undertaking. {Fadera, V. v, p. 137.]

December 23'!— The king ordered five lafts of red herrings to be pro-
vided for the ufe of his houfehold at Yarmouth, which has fo long been
ftnied for curing herrings in that manner ; and s.ooo ftock-fifh from
Bofton. at which port, and alfo at Kingfton upon Hull, thofe fifh were
then imported, whether caught by the Englifli feumen themfelves at
Iceland, or bought in that ifland or at the fair of Bergen in Norway the
great market for the fifh of the polar regions*. \Fadcra, V. v,p. '146.
— Camdcni Britannia, p. s^-j?,. — Olaus Magnus, L. 2 i . }

T 340, February—The parliament granted the king the ninth part of
the lambs, the wool, and the corn, to he produced in die two next years,

• It muft not be under(Voo,l. that this was th.- the king onlcted 500 • .nutr..,.' from Bhkenhcth.

■.vhdl ,...« „f rtock-fifl, m England. They Qnm-. if muo, fow's. and if they were thr„ ,0 be

wrre a cudonwry article ..f fh.p'. (loreo at kail as fJ^T.ui m .onfulcr-Me .juantitiis (0 near London as

ciilya' the yeai- i:(3o. Seo above, p. 43C., note at IJhu-kher.h ?

'■ !"'^i.":;!i»r w'.'h I'..,- h,Trir rs unj rtock-fini

596

A. D. 1340.

the ninth part of the real value of all the property (quere, if not rather
income ?) of the citizens and burgefles, and a fifteenth from all others,

excxpt labourers and beggars * [Stat. 14 Edw. Ill, c. 20. Knyghton,

£ol. 2576.]

April 16"" — They granted him alfo a duty of 40/" upon every fack
(containing 26 ftones of 14 pounds each) of wool, 40/" upon every 300
wool-fells, and 40/upon every laft of hides, to be paid upon exportation,
and to be continued till Pentecoft in the year 134 1. In confideration
of thefe fupplies the king relinquilhed his right to the feudal tax for
knighting his oldeft fon and marrying his oldeft daughter f (a favour in
profped to thofe who held lands of him in chief) : and he engaged, that
after Pentecoft in 1341, he would demand no more than 6/8 upon the
fack of wool, 6/"8 upon 300 wool-fells, and 13/4 upon the laft of hides.
The exporters of wool were to find fecurity, that, for every lack of wool
carried out of the kingdom, they would within three months bring in
filver bullion to the value of two marks, and carry it to the king's ex-
change, where they fhould receive two marks in coined money for it.
iStat. 14 Edw. III.]

Though the parliament, and probably the generality of the people,
were fo liberal of their property for the purpole of enabling their king
to make himfelf king of France, it appears, that there were fome who
were endowed with more penetration, and faw that the fuccefs of the
king would be the ruin of the kingdom. In order to counterad t;he ef-
fed of fuch an opinion, the king iflued a kind of charter %, wherein he
declared, that, being defirous to provide for the fecurity and immunity
of his liege people of England, he had, by the aflent of his parliament,
detern.iined, that 'he people of England ftiould not be bound by any
commands iflued by him or any of his heirs as king of France, and
Ihould be as free of any fubjedion to that kingdom, as they were in the
4ays of his anceftors. \Stat. 5, 14. Edw. III.] He might as well have
promifed the people of Cumberland and Cornwall, that they ihould not
be controlled by the laws enaded in the capital.

April 18" — King Edward was now fo well pleafed with his good
friends, the citizens of Ghent, Bruges, and Yprrs, that he made fome of
their magiftiates members of his council, and fettled penfions on them
with an allowance of robes from his wardrobe. For their fakes alfo he

• Knyghton [co/. 2569] and Walfinpham [^.
513] tell 111, that the kirg exafted from the peo-
ple of England, (without any diftinAion of per-
lonn), a tribute ii( a Ji/l/j part of their goods in ilie
year 1339. But I often find thefe liiiloriani inac-
curate in numbers, when brought to the ted of re-
cords. It may be qiieftioned, whether it would
}iavc been poffible to levy fuch a contribution in an
Hge when heavy taxes were ai yet new and un-
known.

t Though what is .. u <, - permanent, yet,
without the afliftsnce of pnin 'r" it is foon for-
gotten. A demand was made for knighting ihe
prince of Wale, in M46, and in 13 ci a new aft
was pafftd to re-eftablidi the claim' for the oldeft
fon and the oL" ;: ''aughter as before. [Fadera,

r. V, «. 527. — •:uf. J, 25 EJw. in, 1. 1 1.]

J It is pri...i.d among the ads of parliament.

A, D, 1340,

5*7

granted proteaions to the vefTels of Caftile. Catalonia, and Majorca,
trading peaceably with Flanders, and giving fecurity to the magiftrate
ofthofe ernes, that they ihould do no damage to him or his friends
Sach was^ the advantage which thofe nations reaped from being connedt-
ed m trade with the piincipal commercial nation in the weft mn of Eu-
rope: and. en the other hand, fo valuable was the trade of thofe Span-
ilh nations to the Flemings, that they bound themfelves to indemnify
them for any damage they might fuffer from the Englifh ; an obliea-
tion. which Edward thought it incumbent upon him to take upon hiL

irS^/'^'r"^'"/ ildward, underftanding that the king of France had
colleded a fleet of 400 velTels*. the Inrgeft of which belonged to Spain

ll?^''7\ "!, '''^'' '° '"'^^'P*^ ^'"^ ^^ ^'' P^^^S^ ^o th? continent,
bold y refolved to engage them with the fleet he had. ccnfifting of 260
veflels great and fmall. On the 23^ of June he came in fight of the
enemy lymg at anchor at the Swyn on the coaP of Flanders Early in
the mormng of the next dav the French fleet got up their anchors, lad,
forming m three divifions. advanced about a mile to meet the Englifti
who. having the wind of them, bore down to the attack, which thev
commenced with a fhower of arrows, in the management of which they
excelled all other nations, and afterwards clofed in with them, and fought

The Enghfli made but little impreffion upon the lofty fliips of Spain,
but in the trench veflels the carnage was mofl horrible, about 25.000
men by the moft moderate accounts being either flain or drowned by

eaping overboard f. At the conclufion of the battle, which lafte^l all
hand^'nf H F ' ^!;["'"g nighj, 200 fliips r.nd 30 barges fell into the

ands oft... Enghfh. Next ,..y the king landed his forces amidft the
Ihouts and applaafes ot Ins Flemifli allies. [Fadera, F. v, pp. tos i07

1 he fplendour of thi« naval vidory, the only one gained bv a king of
England. m perfon lince the days of Alfred, dazzled the eyes of the Enfr-
hfl;. and made them . .learfully exhauft their wealth in order to make
tiieir brave king tnc ..vereign of a foreign country, and themfelves the
1 ibjects of the king of '• ranee. It encouraged Edward to proceed in his
vareer : and it i-'-.cea thofe allies, who vvuiied to be on the fuccefsful
hUe. to {land ^^v ,, longer than they would otherways have done. And
t.ms r,'ere the ..aferies and defolation of war prolonged. The phantom
ot the kmgdon). though repeatedly grafped. at laft totally vanilhed : but

.nj barn.,..-.cx> Aip, a»d many gallic ilValf.-] f T„e,c was no fafety for .hem on .he fhorr.

viuch was occupied by the Flcinilh .umy.

S'lB

A. D. 1340.

the taxes, brought upon the commerce and confumption of the country
by it, remained a lafting memorial of King Edward's fatal claim upon
the crown of France *.

Odober ii"" — The operations of war being fufpended by a truce,
King Edward, in letters addrefled to the fliirrefs of the maritime (hires,
obferved that the navy of the kingdom (that is, the whole veflels belonging
to the merchants of England) was much reduced by the war f ; and, as
the fecurity of the kingdom depended upon the vejjels being kept in the hands of
his ownfubjeSts, he ordered them to make proclamation, that no perfon
fhould fell, or give away, any veflel to a foreigner upon any account .
and he alfo defired them to return to him exad accounts of all the vef-
fels, whether great or fmall, in each port within their jurifdidions, with
the names of their owners. [Fadera, V. v, p. 210.] Thefe returns, if
colleded together, would conftitui.'', apparently, the firft Kegijler of the
fhipping of England |.

1 341, February 12'"— The king wrote to the magiftrates of the prin-
cipal ports of England, ordering that all fhips of fixty tuns or upwards,
and all barges and fluves, (hould be equipped for war. He alfo ordered
them to fend deputies, chofen from among their moft fubftantial and
prudent inhabitants, who (hould a(remble at Weftniinfter, in order to
inform him of the (late of the (hippin-j in their pjvts, and the progrefs
of the outfit. The following is the lift of the porti' with the number of
their deputies to this (irft naval parliament.

Sandwich to fend

2

Plymouth

2

Shoreham i

Great Yarmouth

2

Dartmouth

2

Hooke I

Gosford

2

Weymouth

I

Poole I

Lynne

2

Briftol

2

Exmouth I

Ipfwich

I

Bo(ton

I

Teignmouth i

Winchelfea

2

Kingfton upon Hull

2

Fowey I

Dover

I

Newcaille upon Tine

2

Ravenfere 1

Rye

I

Falmouth

I

Little Yarmouth i

Haftings

I

Pevenfey

I

Southampton

2

Seaford

I

{Fader a, V. v,p. 231 .]

April 12''' — Six Genoefe gallies, loaded with merchandize for Flan-
ders, having been taken at Brrfl by a fleet of Englifh velTels in Septem-

• Tliough Edward, in an evil hour, aflumcd the
title of king of France, and quartered the lilies of
that kingdom with his own leopards in his armori
al bearings, he fee ms to ha re been rather fliy, or
diifident, in'ufing his new ftile, the moft of his writs
about this time being begun with ' Rex omnibus' isfc.
without faying what country or countries he claim-
ed the fovereignty of.

f It is not to be fuppofcd, iliat many merchants
would build vcflcls to replace thofe which were loft,

as they were fure to hEve Tcry little ufe of them
during the war.

X The HLCount of vcflcls furnlftied by the feveral
ports of England for the fiege of Calais (to he
found under the year 1346) is nearly equivalent to
fuch a regifter, as all the vefTels of the kingdom (or
nearly all) were affembled on that fervice. We
tliere find the number of merchant veflels to be 685,
but for their tunnage we have no other ftandanl
than the number of men they carried.

Gommercia

A. D. i34r. 54^

^if"^ 1^^°' ^^"^ Edward oflfcred to pay the owners jC 10,000 fterling if
the duke and community of Genoa would abftain from giving afliftance
to his adverfary of France. But this offer the Genoefe appear to have
dechncd. [Faedera, T. v, pp. 2^, 57 1 .]

Auguft 8'^_The king, finding that wool was fmuggled out of the
kingdom without paying the duty, appointed the ftaple for wool and
other ftaple goods to be at Bruges in Flanders, under the diredion of a
mayor and conftables to be eleded by the merchants of the kingdom-
and he confirmed all their former liberties and reafonable cuftoms. AH
perlons, natives or foreigners, were permitted to carry wool and other
merchandize to Bruges, on giving fecurity to the colledors of the cuf-
toms that they would carry them to no other place. The mayor and
conftab es of the ftaple were direded. and empowered, to feize all goods
not tairJy cleared out for exportation, and to punifti all offences in the
itaple, not according to the common law of the kingdom, but according
tothemercamile law: and, for defraying the necelTary charges, thev
were authorized to levy a duty on the merchandize imported at Bruges
in proportion to the quantity belonging to each perfon. [Fi^dera, F.v
PP- 273. 275.] "^ L , ,

1342 January 22\ May 28"^— The king wrote other letters to the
duke ot Genoa, earncftly labouring to win him to his alliance, and pro-
mihng that the Genoefe merchants fhould be treated in all his do--
minions as welUs his own fubjeds. \F(^dera, V. v, //. 296, 3 . 6.]

i-ebruary 14' —He alfo endeavoured to draw the king of Majorca in-
to an alliance with ':im by a propofal for a marriage, and an offer of
commercial favours to his fubjeas. IFoedera, V. v, pp. 286. 208 1 The
commercial propofal had probably as little effedt as the matrimonial

1343. Sprinp— Another law againft carrying money out of the coun-
try was now cnaded. U^is 17 Edw. Ill] The frequent renovations
ot luch laws were not, it feems, fufficient to convince the legifiature of
their inefficacy. ^^

The chronological order of this work requires me immediately to lay
before the reader the following flriking contrail to this adt of the Eng-
Iilh parliament. °

May I "—Pedro IV. king of Aragon, confidering the great hardlhip im-
poled upon the commerce of his fubjeds by an order, contained in the con-
Ititutions of Catalonia, againft carrying fiiver out of the country, now
granted permiffion to the citizens of Barcelona to export fiiver, whether
:n bullion or in coin, excep'c the money of Barcelona, from any part of
•lis dominions to any foreign country whatfoever. {Capmany, Mem. hifl.
's Barcelona, Kn, Col. Jipl. p. IX 'J.} ■ r j> j

May 20''— The parliament ordained, that no perfon for the three en-
Vol. I. » V

3 ^

Si^'

A. D. 1343.

fuing years, under penalty of forfeiture of the wool fo bought by him,
fhould buy wool at any lower prices than the following, viz.

Lincoln-fliire, beft wool jTg 6

Holland and marfh lands 7 6

York-fhire, beft - 76

Craven - - 6 13

Kent, Suflex, Middlefex 6 o

Marfh wool in thefe three 5 o

Surry - - -40

Salop - - - 9 6

Oxford (Chihen\£6 : 1 3 : 4) 8 13

o
o
6

Berks

Nottingham

Northampton

Stafford

Derby

Leicefter

Warwick, the beft

Cambridge, Huntington

Buckingham, Bedford

6

7

7
>C8to8

6

8

7
(S

13
6

o.

o

o

6

Wilt-fhire,. - ' JCS
Somerfet - 7

Southampton, beft 6

Wight and New foreft 5
Dorfet - - 5

Hereford /^6 : 13 1,4 to 8
Worcefter 5 : 6 : 8 to 7
Hertford - - 6

Eflex (Marfh wool £5) 6
Gloucefter ^^7 : 6 : 8 to 8
Norfolk, Suffolk 5

Cumberland, Weftmere-

land - 6

Northumberland, Lancaf-

13
6

o
o
6
o
o

13

^3

o

o

4

8

o
o
8
o

o
4
4

o
0

13 4

ter.
Devon
Cornwall
Rutland

6

o

13

13

4
4

The feUers were at liberty to take prices as much above the limited
ones as they could obtain *. [Fceikra, V. v. p. 369.]

1344, January 8''' — King Edward, agreeable to his conftant policy of
conciliating the neutral powers, ordered the fliirrefs of London to make
proclamation, that the Portuguefe fhould be treated in all refpeds as
friends and favoured allies. [Fadera, V. v,/». 402.]

January 22'' — Hitherto there had been very little gold money coined
by the kings of England f-, fo little, indeed, that it has been generally
believed that there was none : but now the king and parliament order-
ed money of three fizes to be coined of gold. The largeft pieces, damp-
ed with two leopards, and equal to two fmall florins of Florence of full
weight, were ordered to pafs for fix fhillings. Tlie halves had one leo-
pard, and the quarters, a helmet. Soon after (July 9"') the king and his
council ordered another coinage of gold, confifling of pieces called
nobles, valued at fix fhillings and eight pennies, and halves and quarters
of nobles. The exportation of money was again prohibited, with the

• Tills table tf prices regulated liy aA of pailia-
miTit, to;;ct!icr with the prices prcfcribed by tlif
king ill the year I J^Si gives ma ftatiftical account
of the coitiparative quah'ty of the wools in all the
iliircs of EnglaiK*., except Cliefhire, Durham, and
Moiimoulb, the two hirnur htiii;; palatini coun-
ties, and the tattr not then an Englifh (hire. It
jilfu (hows us, that thofe parts of the country,

whiih produce the bed wool, are not ;he chief
fcatn of the uootlen mannfaflnres.

f In the year 1338 King Edward ordered tiuit
the fdvcr, which was cxpeiJted to be found in Df-
voii-fliire, (Imuld bccariicd to the mint, and the

folJ, to ihe CXI heqiier. [^Fa-ikra, y. v, p, 7;, '
lad there been any coinage of gold, he would molt.
probably have oniiiid both to the initit.

A. D. 1344.

53

exception of this new gold money. The currency of all coins of gold
or filver, except the king's, was prohibited. And no perlbn, receiving
a payment of twenty fhilliags or more, was to refufe gold money *
The king, in his orders to the fliirrefs of London for proclaiming this
laft coinage, obferved that hitherto people had been impofed on, becaufe
there was no fixed rate of exchange, and informed them, that he had
ordered an exchange to be opened at Servate's towerf in London, where
the public might receive 6/7 in filver in exchange for a noble of gold,
or a noble of gold in exchange for 6/8^ of filver, and in the fame pro-
port'.on for the halves and quarters, thus taking to himfelf a profit of
i:^ per cent on ifliiing filver, and f per cent on ilfuing gold |. The firfi:
gold money having been rated fo much above its value that it was im-
poflible to get the people to receive it, the king proclaimed ( Auguft io '')
that no perfon fliould be obliged to take it but at its value as bullion.
{Fcedera, V. v,pp. 403, 416, 424.]

February 6"^— -The king, again defiring to be informed of the ftate of
the navy, or ftiipping, of England, fent precepts to the magiftrates of
all the ports, ordering them to return a number of reprefentatives, pro-
portioned to their trade or population, well acquainted with maritime
affairs, to a council of ftiipping, or naval parliament, to be held at Lon-
don in the enfuing lent, as follows, viz.

Yarmouth to fend 4

Newcaftle upon Tine 3

Scarburgh i

Kingfton upon Hull 2

Ravenfrod i

Grimfljy i

Bofton 2

Lynne 2

Dunwich i

Ipfwich 2

Colchcfter 1

Harwich i

Orford r

Maldon i

Sandwich 2

Dover 2

Winchelfea 2

Rye 1

Haftings 1

Gosford I

Waynfleet i

Lyme i

Seatbrd i

Chichefter 2

Portlmouth i

Southampton 2
S'. Helen's in Wight i

Melcomb i

Pevenley i

Romney i

Exeter

Dartmouth

Plymouth

Exmouth

Falmouth

Sidmouth

Barnftaple

Weymouth

Briftol

Poole

London

Blakene)'

Ravenlere

Shoreham

[Fcedtra, V. v,/.405.]

2
2

a
I
I
I
I
z
2
I

4
I

I

I

* The petmriuoii to refufe it in fmaller quanti-
ties Ihows, that it was diih'ked by the people, and
fjr a very goodrcaibii, as it was rated coniidcrably
•-ibove its value accorclinjj to the proi.oriion then
cllablilhcd Iietwccn gold and lilver. About a year
and a lialf after tliMtime w- find it tlill refufcd in cl
the north parts of England. [/'Wn-a, V. v, A. 480.]

alls Hemes

f Apparently 1' •■ fame whicli Stow .
tow. I ai.d Coiiirl's l;iwer mi nucklcrfbi
•n of Lomloit, pp. 118, 477.]

ISm

X Before this time the exchanges iffuedgood fil-
ver money in exchange for fuch as wag deficient in
wc'glit or purity, and accommodated travelers with
Englilh or foreign nioney, when arriving in, or de-
parting from, the kingdom : and from thcfe ci-
changesa part of the royal revenue was derived.
In the third ye.ir of King Richard I ih; profit of
llie exchange ('cambii') of all England, except
VViacheller, amounted to £400. In the beginniinc
of the rci^rn of John, Hugh Oifcl, a foreign mer-
3X2

53^

A. D. 1344.

We may here obferve Yarmouth on a footing with London in naval
pre-eminence, furely the effed of a vigorous and profperous fifhery ; and
that Ravenfrod, formerly more opulent than Hull, and Dunwich which
appears to iiave antiently had more trade than any of the neighbouring
ports, were now outllripped by others in the progrefs of naval and com-
mercial profperity *,

The late law for fixing the prices of wool was repealed, the buyers,
whether natives or foreigners, being allowed to make fuch bargains as
they and the fellers could agree : and fo fenfible were the legiflators of
the impropriety of the reftridive ordinance, that they decreed, that no
perfon fliould be troubled for having infringed it. The fea was alio de-
clared free for the palfage of all merchants of every defcription with their
merchandize. [Stat. 18 Edw. III. c. 3.]

Odober 12''* — The foreign cloth-weavers, who had fettled in London
upon the faith of the king's protedion, were maltreated and threatened
by a mob of people, who were fo foolifli as to think, that what was earn-
ed by thofe induftrious and valuable ftrangers was taken from them-
lelves. The king therefor ordered the mayor and fliirrefs of London
to proclaim that no one {hould do any injury to the foreigners, and to
imprifon all who fliould ad contrary to the proclamation. \Ya:dera^ V.
V, /. 430.] If the mob had proceeded now as far in their outrages
againft the foreign weavers as they often did againft the Jews in former
times, England might have continued fome centuries longer dependent
upon the Netherlands for the fale of wool and the purchafe of fine

cloth.

The Ciftercian monks had the privilege of being exempted from all
pubUc burthens ; and, in the ufe, or abufe, of that exemption, thofe oi
them, who were fettled in Lincoln-fhire, had become merchants. Hav-
ing thus all the advantages that fmugglers feek to have without any ot
their rifk, and alfo the benefit of correi'pondence with the houfes of their
order throughout the Chriftian world, no other perfons could enter into
competition with them : and they were therefor prohibited from being
merchants. {Rot . pat . prim. 18 Edw. III,m, 37 — Bromton, col. 1256.]

Though the people of France had contributed very liberally for fiip-
porting their fovereign againft King Edward's invafion, yet the preffure

chant, farmed the exchange of all England for
850 marks a- year. But in the 13''' of Henry III
the farm -as lowered to 700 mark*. [^Madox's
Hijl. c. 23, $ I, notes m, n, r.]

The charge for exchange was afterwards aug-
mented, as appears by a petition of the commons
in the year 1363, that no more than one penny
might be taken for the change of a noble. The
petition was refufed. \lC'otlon's Abridgement of re-
ctrds, /■■ 97 ] I

* Such councils were fometimes called after,
wards. One in particular in the year 1347 was
compofed of members from only 32 places, if all
the orders be prcferved, Newcaftle, Scarbiirgh, Pe-
venfey, Eitcter, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Exmouth,
Falmouth, Sidmouth, Barntlaplc, Weymouth, (and
Ravenfcre, if different from Ravenfrod, for one
of thefe names feems redundant) being oniittod.
[Fadera, f^. v, p. 548.] But it feems more pre-
bable that the erders are loft.

At D. 1344.

Sii-.

of Philip's expenfes now obliged him to impofc a tax upon fait * which
rendered him very unpopular among his fubjeds, who thought it a horrul
oppreflion to make them pay for water and the heat of the fun. [Mezeray,
Hift. de France, V. ii, p, sa^/^.^Mcyeri, Ann. Flandr.f. 301 . a.] The tax was
probably at firft very light, according to our modern ideas of taxation.
But taxes are like fnow-balls^ which increafe as they roll along : and the
progreflive augmentations of the fait taxes, the inequality of them in
different diftrids, and the extreme rigour in collecting them, became the
fources of much evafion, much tyranny, and much mifery, in France.

It is faidthat an Englifhman, named Macham (or Machin), failing for
Spain with a lady, whom he had i>olen away, was driven by contrary
winds upon the ifland afterwards called Madeira. There he landed with
the lady and fome of the fliip's company ; and they were deferted by
the {hip. The lady died ; and Macham and his companions made a ca-
noe, in which they pafled over to the coaft of Africa, and thence they
were fent to the king of Caftile. \Galvan('s Difcoveries, in Purchases
Pilgrimes, R x, p. 1672.] Such is the account of the firft difcovery
made of unknown land after the ufeof the corapafs became generalf.

This fame year the pope, after preaching a fermon, wherein he prov-
ed, probably to the fatisfadion of his audience, that he had a right to
difpofe of kingdoms, created Louis of Spain, an ambaflador from the
kmg of France, prince oftbe Fortunate ijlands %, \_Hemingford, p. 376 eu.
Hearne.'] r 01 >

1346, March 24"^— King Edward, thinking it would be advantageous
to merchants and to the public in general, both in England and Flan-
ilers, if the fame money were to have free currency in both countries,
empowered two agents to fettle with the magiftrates of Ghent, Bruges,'
Ypres, and other towns, refpeding a coinage of gold nobles, with their
halves and quarters, like thofe lately coined in England, to be executed
m his name in that country. IFeedera^ V. v, p. 506.]

♦ King Edward, who've prelsnfions upon the
crown of France made him deny the exiffcnce uf
the Salic law, whereby he, as claiming in right of
his mother, was excluded from the fucceffior, when
ne heard of the new tax, faAi, with a fnetring pun,
that Philip of Valois was the real author of the
Salic lain. Such falic (ult) laws have (ince been
very fufficicntJy felt in this cuuntrj-, though not
quite fo4cvcrcly as in France.

t According to other accounts, Machani alfo
died in the ifland. The Portugutfe fay, that,
when they took poffcffion of Madeira, the monu-
ment ereded by him, containing his owm and the
lady's names, was Handing, and that the bay, where
he landed, is called Machico after his name. His
tlory, true or fabricated, is the fuhjefl of a piflure
■;i the hull of the government houfe in M»dcira, as

we are told by Sir George Staunton. [^Accounk oj
nn embajj to China, F. {, p. 74., ed. 1 798.]

J It would have been a laudable deed, fays He-
miiigford, if he had put him in poflVffion. He adds,
that there are nine or ten of thofe illanda ; that the
liatives, who are neither Chrirtians nor Saracens,
live like bealls, and go naked ; they cut their brcid
with (lone», which are alfo tlicir weapons in fight-
ma^, they having no iron, and no knives, nor any
other kind of armi ; corn grows there without be-
ing fowed, and t rets grow to the height of 115
feet.— Ptirchas [i. x, b. 1671 J fays, from Gal-
vaiw's IVfiovfiia, that Louis dc la CcWa (for that
was his namt) afltcd the king of Arajron to aflil!:
him to take poflcirion of his new dominions : but
we hear nothing further of it at this time;

534

A. D. 1346.

July 24"' — The king's high-way between the hofpital of S'. Giles and
the bar of the old temple* at London, and alfo the adjacent road called
Pourtepolf. being very much broken up and dangerous, tolls:}:, perhaps
the earlieft known by any remaining records, were impofed by royal
authority upon all cattle, merchandize, or other goods, pafling upon
thofe roads, and alfo the Charing road §, for two years, at rates upon the
feveral articles, amounting to about one penny in the pound on their
value, to be paid by all perfons, except lords, ladies, and perfons belong-
ing to religious eftabliftiments or to the church. [Fcedera, V. v, p. 520.]

September 6"" — King Edward having defeated his adverfary Philip at
Crefly (Auguft 26'') with a prodigious flaughter, and befieged Ci'lais by
land and by fea, fent precepts to the Cinque ports and the ports on the
eaft fide of England, defiring the merchants to carry over flour, bread,
corn, wine, ale, flefli, fifti, bows, bow-firings, arrows, and other ftores,
for which they (hould be paid in ready money ; and he allured them,
that nothing (hould be taken from them without a reafonable and fatif-
fadory price. This order was frequently repeated. \Fa>d(ra, V. v, pp.

525. 575-]

As the commercial progrefs of the maritime towns is beft illuftrated
by comparing ftatements of their (hipping at different times, I here lay
before the reader the following

Account of the veffelsfurm/hed hy the ports of England for the feel employed
by IQiig Edward III in thefiege of CaUds.

The king's 25 fliips curried 419 mariners.

the South fleet.

The North fleet.

y'i'l:

Marii-ri. Fijch.

^jrinirt.

"London fent

25

662 Bamburgh - - i

9

Aylesford

2

24 Newcaftle - 17

414

Hoo

2

24 Walrich - i

12

Hope

2

24 Hertlepool - 5

145

New Hythe

5

19 Hull - - 16

466

Margate

15

160 York - - I

9

Mo me

2

23 Ravenfer - i

38

Faverlham

2

23 Woodhoufe - i

12

Sandwich

22

504 Strockhithe - i

10

-Dover

16

;^;^6 Barton - 3

30

Wight (ifland)

13

220 Swinfleet - I

11

Winchelfea

21

596 Saltfleet - 2

49

AVeymouth

20

264 Grim(by - 11

171

• Tlie old temple was in Ilolbiirn without llic towns were very cornmoii : but I am unccrtai.;,

bars. £Slozu's Survty, pj>. yj^i 824.] whetlier they xvcic levied upon the inhabitanls, or

f Now Gray's-inn lane. [5/oto, />. 823.] A 'upon thofe who ufed the roads, as this order, am!

fmall lane leading into Gray's-inn lane has now got reafon, dire6\. The 1 xeniption of thofe who were

the name of I'ortpool lane. bi.ll . b!c to pay was nut, however, very judicious.
.4: ' Conflict 'jJines,' culloms. Duties for paving § Suppofed to be now S'. Martin's lane.

A. D. I34{>.

53r

Tie South Jeet.

tyme
Seton
Sidmouth
Exmouth
Teignmouth
Dartmouth
Portfinouth
Plymouth
Looe
Yalie
Fowey
Briftol
Tinmouth
Haftings
Romney
Rye
Hythe
Shoreham
Seaford
Newmouth
Hamilhoke
Hooke

Southampton
Lymingtxjn
Poole
Wareham
Swanzey
Ilfracombe
Padftow
Pollrewan
AVadvvorth
Hendefs
Bridgewater
Carmarthen
Calchworth
Molbrooke
[MS. Bid

4

2

3

lO

7
31

5
26

20
2

47

24

2

5

4

9
6

20

5

2

7

II

21

9

4

3
I

6

2

r

I
I
I
I
I
I
Cott. lit, F. iii,/

6i Waynfleet
25 Wrangle
62 Lynne
193 Blackney
120 Jcarburgh
757 Yarmouth
96 Dunwich
603 Orford
325 Gosford
48 Harwich
770 Ipfwichf
608 Merten
25 Broughlyngfey
96 Colchefter
Whitbanes
Derwen
Bofton
Swinhumbfer
Maldon
Barton

Ireland

Foreigners.
Bayonne
Spain
Flanders
Gelderland .

Summary.
King's fhips
60 South fleet
14 North fleet

He North fleet.

t^'Jttt. AUrimri,

a
I

16
2
I

75
156
112
329

80

18

117

208

572

159

94

59
29

79
17

43
6

3
»3

12
I

5
5
I
I

17
I

2

5
I

15

7

H
I

25
468
217

43
8

48a

38

19

1095
loa

6a

403
283

239

6

6i

90

17

15
361

32
33
61

«J

439
184

24

419
9,2 ri

4.521

^ Total,England(*or7oc)7io- 14,151
j^ Ireland - i 25

Foreigners - 37 780

12

12

263.]

t The totals do rot agree with tlie particular
numbcra. But, a? it is impolFiblc to difcorer where
ihe error lies, I am obliged to take tliem as I find
tliem in the manufcript, which ii much more ac-
curate than the lilt publilhed by Hakluyt. The
names of the towns arc given in modern fpelling,
(jccept a kvi which are unknown ; and the deful-
'ory arrangement renders it impolTiblc to tn^c

Total t (*or 738) 74b' 14,956

tlitui. W< may obfcrve, that thofe parts of the
coaft, where the fifhing Houriflied, had the grcatcft
number of viflcls. Though w- tiiid two vcffcls
carrying 51 and 60 men, yet Gosford k the only
town whole velfcls average lo many as 31 men, the
average of tl;c wl.ole fleet beiug under ao men fci
each veffcl

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During the liege of Calais the king of Fiance ai^etfipti^^ to detach
tjie Flemings from the intereft of King Edward. He offered to fupply
them for fix years with corn at 4/ pec quarter inftead of 12/ which they
then paid ; to fend them the wool of France at a low price, and to
oblige his fubjeds to ufe no other cloth, while their cloths, made of
French wool were to be got (thus offering to facrifice the woollen ma-
uufadure, which, we have feen, his own fubjeds certainly had). He of-
fered to reftore to them the towns of Lifle, Doway *, and Bethunc, with
their diftridts, to defend them againft their enemies, to fubfidize them
largely, nnd to promote their young men. But all his offers were not
fufficient to prevail with the Flemings. [R. de Avejbttry, p. 153.]

1347 — ^Ij^ "^^ y^^r *347. '^nd apparently in the early part of it, the
king's fon Lionel, as warden of the kingdom, in a council -without the
commons, impofed a duty of 2/ upon every fack of wool exported, 2/ up-
on every tun of wine, and 6d upon every 20/ in value of other goods
(* des avoirs'), to continue till next Michaelmafs, for the protection of
the kingdom and the convoy of fliips. [Cotton's Abridgement of records,
P' 52.].

April 10'" — For a conliderable time paft we have had little notice of
any commercial intercourfe between England and Venice. In confe-
quence of an application by the confulf of the Venetian merchants at
Bruges and an Englilh merchant, the king now took all the merchants
of Venice, trading to England, Ireland, and his other dominions, under
his protcdlion during one year. [Fccdera, V. v,/. 558,]

April 13'" — The king fent agents to "Genoa to hire twelve gallies,
completely armed and manned, for his fcrvice. In July a very prolix
treaty was figned at Genoa, wherein King Edward offered, and the duke
and community of Genoa (for the parties interefted) accepted, ;^i 0,000
flerling in full compenfation for the fix gallies t,aken in the year 1340,
and 8,000 marks for the cog taken in the year 1321 %; which fums
were to be allowed in the cuftoms of goods imjiorted or exported in the
ports of England, by the perlbns aggrieved and their heirs, for their
own accounts only, till every one of them (hould thus retain as much
as his fhare of the compenfation fhould be fettled at §. Moreover, what
was the king's great objed, each of the contrading powers engaged not
to aflift the enemies of the other. [Fadera, V. v, pp. 560, 569.]

Auguft 12'"' — King Edward, having made himlelf mafter of Calais
after a fiege of eleven months, defired the fhirrefs of the maritime

■ * So I have ve*itiitrJ to call the town written hiablf Mmr.riat I'-fluricm df Barcelona, oivrr. a llll

Howttrum ill uiic SIS, and ^otvaium in anutlirr,
;ipiiarfnlly for Duivacum.

\ If I niillako nut, thli i« the farli'eil notlot v "
thcoflkc'i)f af«n/«yi>/'n.i/(r/i/,'.7^iiiaiiy Enclilhrtcdrcl.
But Ion;; before tliis time tiie commeriial Ihitts in
tlic Mciitcnanciii liacl coiifiilsiii evci j confulcrable
poll lo uliiili t!uv li.uiv J, CnnKiiiv, in 1.;^ v;i-

of cohfuls commiflioin.ll by lliat tity liiicc the year
I ! 70.

X Thii ftiins llio fjinc tilip for wliicii Kinj;
Eilkvard uil'eud tu pay H,Ci.o nuikd in tlie ycu

^ Anotlier inlljiicc of payment in tlifs n;iiiiii
occurs in FmUni, /'. v, a. 7K9.

A. D.

'347-

537

'. '

tl,.^*''.r^". 't'^^ parliament of Scotland (if we mav depend on
the authenticity of the laws publifhed by Skene) confirmed ^o^he in
habitants of the burghs, and to foreign merchan s tST Hghts and Vri"

orS S'^e :S^7^.^^/'^" ^" ^^^^^ ^^^^ pckceablefimes rEe;
ordered that the gold and filver coins of England fhould be received at
the full nominal value at which they palTed in England + And I^fee

emnt^H ^' '^^"'^ ^f'^ ^^^" S^"'^^"^ adopted^n Europe, thef at!
wmpted to prevent the exportation of money by chareine i with the

33,35, 37J which if It operated at all, could only have the efFeft nf

M^S^'lan^uary f^t'^f^^^^Y'''^ ^^ the'scottffh tnW '
P'lrharm.nt of fLV 7" v. 'J!^'^^^'"'' ^^d others complained to the
Sr P,n^f ^°^ ^ ^A '^f ^" '^^ **^ °^ Cornwall was bought and ex!

worlted cloth, and lo^upon every lit fprobablv Utted or AJT^ ^ u

'^T:^?,S'eir''-'"x'''t "- '-'f - -™"h "r ton

rKai!>, r ^^ ',^'S"^"- ^"^ *he parliament thought it reafonable

to repeal ^the duTe^ t? ^"^' '^ ^'P^^^J ^^ '-^ '•^^ ^^^' ^'^^ refused
ro repeal the duties. The exportation of home-made wooUen cloths

dius appears to have become already an objed of fomr°mDorunce

The commons m parliament alfo reprefented that he ^uty XfeJTn

the preceding year, without their confent, for the pro^ealon of fl.!?

which was to be paid only till Michaelmafs was ftiU c^on^^ued undfe

petitioned that it fliould ceafe. The duty upon wool was however ftiH

continued. The convoy duty was afterwards Sed by t irking pern and

Vr.htes,,vu6co„/e„toftbe merchants, at one fhiUing per Srand the

money was ordered to be paid into the hands of fome merch;nts who

thereupon undertook to maintain a fufficient force upon"he fea and o

convo ,he merchants fafc to the ftap!^. In a fecond feflionrheTd n

Lent, grievous complaints were made, that, though tl>e convoj. du^y

V^QT J '''"«'0' nioM'-y in the appenJix.

3 Y

JjS

A. D. 1348.

was exacted, the trade was not protedled, many merchants having loft
{heir lives and properties by the enemy upon the fea. The commons
therefor requefted, that thofe who had undertaken the pi otedion of the
trade might be obliged to make fatisfadlion to the fufFerers. About
four years afterwards they petitioned for a total abolition of this new
duty ; but they were refufed. And it came in time to be firmly etta-
blifhed under the well-known denomination of tunnage andpound.ige*.
[Cotton's Abridgement of records, pp. 56, 57, 6^, 75,]

February 14''' — The Flemings, having again got the ftaple among
themfclves, cook upon them to hinder the Lombards and others from
purchafing the wool carried thither by the merchants of England.
Their conduct being complained of, the king wrote to the magiftrates
of Ghent, Bruges, and Ypres, requiring them to refped the liberties
of the ftaple, and to permit the Lombards and others to buy wool frorr.
the Englifti merchants, and to carry it by land or water vyhitherfoever
they pleafed. [Fadera, V.v, p. 611 .]

April 5"''-~King Edward, in order to promote the profperity of his
new colony at Calais, ordained that it fliould be a ftaple for tin, lead,
feathers^ LngUlh-made woollen cloths, and worfted ftufFs, for feven
years : and he ordered, that the exporters of thofe articles ftiould make
oath before the coUedlors of the cuftoms, that they would carry them to
no other place. [Fadera, V. v, p. 6i8.]

September — So earneft was King Edward to obtain an alliance with
Alfonfo king of Caftile, the nioft powerful of the fovereigns of Spain,
that he kept up a correfpondence of feveral years with him, and
alfo with his counfelors, the mafter of his genet horfes, and Leonora
de Gufman his concubine, for the purpofe of contracting a marriage
between Alfonfo 'soldeft fon f and his own daughter Joanna, which was
at laft agreed upon in June 1345, and the portion fixed at the enormous
Turn of four hundred thoufand gold florins oftheJhield\, Edward profefling,
however, that he expeded fome abatement of the fum, and a long in-
dulgence of time for completing the payment. But this conjugal alli-
ance, the labour of fix years, never took place. The young princefs
was fent to Bourdeaux upon her way to the court of Caftile ; and there
ftie fell fick, and death delivered her from being one of the wives of

• This later fentcnce I concfive to be infcrted
by Sir Robert Cotton, or his editor, Prynne.

f Bur.) in A.uguft 1334. His tiatnc appca.s to
bave been unknown in England till Augull 1345,
when it is firft mentioned in TaJira, V. y, p. 476.
Neither do Edward or hii fecretariei feeni to hare
known that the princefs and her intended hulband
were fo nearly related, tliat a difpenfation would
fee nccclTary to legitimate their marriage. Whit

ig Hill more fuprlfing, Edward wrote a letter in
July 1355 to Alfunlo, who had been dead above
five years. [^Fadera, A', v, />. 8il.]

J The fi<m was equal to jf8o,ooo (lerling, each
florin being worth four (hillings. (See FaiUra,
V. t,f. 4H5.) But the kings of Englana and
France were bidding auftioii for the marnajje (if
Alfonfo's heir,

S

A. D. 1348. ^^g

It was probably alfo during this regotiation rfor thonpTi th^^ fn^ ■

of the large kind, called carracks. being employed to carry them over
Of their importance m the eye of their new mafter we m^ay iu^rbv
his appointment of a man of rank to be judge over the AenhS ^
ployed in the core of the royu^Jiocks. And thus?"; a grea^and^^^^^^^^
breach of the law. or order, againft their expoitation, was the breed of

gj^e^SS iSr^per ' ^''' '-' '-' WmJ'he^rk^f

JnrliS™^"^^'^'','"^" °^ "^"'"^^ ^"^^ i" Norfolk were put under the
infpedion of au ulnator, or meafurer, foon after they obtain^ed the king's

' for Juan Sanchez deTovar is defcended from
F«na.. Sanchez de Tovar iudg, of, he rami ttoZ
ofjhcrp and fold, . Fernarl Sa„cff„ dc tL'

' ftlTlT. *;"*^''"uS'''P/''■""•"'*« »>= ""del
^ Itood the farcafm, but that it was ill aimed, and
^ might be retorted upon himfeif ; for that Fcr-
^ nan Sanchez whom he reproached as a ii,d?e
^ over fhepherds, was his equal ; and that the of.
hce of judge and alcayde of the royal .locks
. T 7;?' Y'^ ^^ gentlemen of rank. Tha

.,!, ^^*^.!'*'' ''"■'* "'"" •'■*"'"« at once.
Jlfnsn./l.o/P.Urli, Cruel, V. \\., .j,.

See

t that Spam received fteep from England In
he (ifteenth century, has been afferted by Holin-
Tied, ICiromc/c, fi. 221, fd. 1586] (who, however,
knew nothing of this cargo) and by other., ap.
patently A,llow,„g him , but it has been more ge-
nerally d.lhehevcd. It is indeed certain, that the
SpariarJs had a very excellent breed of (heep in
the time of Strabo, and probably long befor' and
:iter his time. (See above, p. 128.) It is alfo
certain, that lomeSpanilh wJol was Imported into
England in the reign of Henry II, but it is not
safy to gucfs for what purpufe, as the quality of it
was evidently inferior to that of Engli^ wool ;
and England was fo far from needing to import
wool, that that article then, and during many fuc
ccedmg ages, compofed the chief part of the ex-
ports of the country. (See above, pp. ,,r , , 7
^c ice.) But thatth'e Spaniard ■ ll J tfeVi'u;
of obtani.ng iheepof the Englid. breed, and aftu-
.Illy did obtain a confiderable number of them, is
no^v cert.i,n, beyond a poffibillty of doubt, from a
inoll curious Spaniih letter, of which the follow-
ing is an extrat^.

_ ' Pedro Lafo fald, in the king's prefence, that

Oomez Canllo was fon to one of the kiim'S

' gentlemen or pages, and grandfon to King Don

Ennques chief c,ip.beare., who was lf,n of

Lope Canllo, gentleman and chief l.Lintfman to

Don Juan the T^^irft, and that he was not fon of

■ ^juJ^, ovojhphcnb. Thii v-as fjlj as a fncer,

f A)r /. — ■' 6^""='"C" or ranK.

F"Lf/°!t:.^:]"J'-,^''r^ ^'""S'-'t J^"P from

iS') ap.

i-ngland in great Jhips, (• in naves carracas'l ap.
pointed Inigo Lopez de Oiozco to be the fi'ft

^ - -...£,- ""r^- u>. wiuico 10 DC the hilt

pcTfon to oxercife that office, from whom Pedro
Lafo himlelf was d.fcended on the part of his

ua^ defcended from a judge over (hepherds, he
n, ight mock at hi. pleafure. WrittenVrom Me-
dir.a del Campo, A. D. ixM.' rPoig^l v
C.l.dareol, p. ,a6^ a book feem^ al^fftt-vt
ly unknown ,n this country.] For this mol> im.
portant extraft, wc arc indebted to the elaborate
and benevolent -.fearch of Sir Frederic Eden!
See h.s Stale of the P-- -, fr i, *. 88.

Alfonfo XI became k,m, of Caaile in the year
1312. when he was only tr.irteen months old. and
he died on the ig'" of March i jeo. As Edward
II was dead long before he cai^ of age we need

to Edward III ; and one or other of the ocealioiis
mentioned ,n the text may be affumed for fixing-
the date with a tolerable approach to a-rtaintv
3Y2

540

A. D. 1348.

patent, as already related : but, on their petition to the king, that of-
fice was this year abolilhed. [Ror. pat. prim. 3 Edw. III^ m. 1 ; and prim.
22, m. 4. — Cotton's Abridgement, p. 71.]

The contra<5led fpirit of corporation monopoly fo far prevailed againft
the ads of parliament of the years 1335 and 1337 a"d the king's refo-
lution to cherifh the woollen manufadlure, that the weavers of Lincoln
this year obtained from him a grant of, what they called, their liberties,
which confided in a power of depriving any weaver, not of their gild^
of the liberty of working at his trade whhni twelve leagues of their
city ; a pretty ample fcope for the exercife of petty tyranny. [Rot. pat.
fee. 12 Edw. Ill, m. 32.] But this and other fuch monopolies were again
abolifhed by the ad, called the ftatute of cloths, in the year 1351.

This year there were great commotions in Flanders among the weav-
ers. Six hundred of them were flain in a (kirmifli ; and thofe who rc-
n-...uaed at home were dragged out of their houfes and murdered.
[Meyeri Jn*i. Flandr.f. 154 a.] Such tragical excefles muft undoubtedly
have been very prejudicial to the manufedures of Flanders, and contri-
buted to fpread them through the adjacent countries. Though we do
not meet with any formal letters of fafe condud at this time, there can
fcarcely be any doubt that fome of the Flemifli weavers now availed
themfelves of the general encouragement held out to them in England,
and flieltered themfelves there from the fury of their enemies.

I349» ^ay 19'* — The drapers of Barcelona, probably as being among
the mod fubftantial of the citizens, carried on the bufmefs of banking
or changing money in that city, as the goldfmiths in an after age did in
London. But, by an order of the king of Aragon, they were now
obliged to give fufficient fecurity, before they could enter upon thofe
branches of bufinefs. [Capmany, Mem. bjft. de Barcelona^ V. ii, Col dipl.
p. 125.]

135° — The long-projeded marriage with Peter, now king of Caftile,
being fruftrated by the death of the Englifh princefs, and the young
monarch being conneil i with the court of France by a contrad of
mr.rriage, the maritime -owns of Caftile and Bifcay fitted out a number
or laige warlike veflels, which took a vaft number of Engli£h traders
with cargoes of wine and wool. Emboldened by the fuccefs of their
depredations, they colleded a large fleer, and arrogantly affuming the
title oi lords of the Englifh fea, threatened to deftroy the navy of England
and to invade the kingdom. It became neceflary to appoint convoys
to proted the Englifh trade ; and the king, with the advice of the pre-
lates, nobles, and commtmity of merchants uftbe maritime towns of England,
ordained, that a duty of forty pennies fterling fhould be laid upon every
tun of wine {hipped in Gafcoigne onboard any veflel belonging to Eng-
land, Wales, or Ireland, for whatever country bound, or onboard any
forf^ign veflel bound for England, Wales, or Ireland, as a fund for de-

A. D. 1350. ^^,

fraying the expenfe (Oao'r r 20"'). King Edward, moreover, tlrnikiac
luch an enemy fufficiently important to be oppofed by himfelf, collca-
cd a fleet, with which he engaged the Spaniards near Winchelfea, and
chiefly by the fupenonty of the Englilh archers, gained a complete
viaory took twenty-four large vefTels richly loaded with Flemifli cloth
and other goods, and put the reft to flight. Thus did Edward a fecond
time triumph upon that element, which is the appropriate theatre of
Bntifh warfere. iF.Jera. K v /^. 679, 681, 688. egr^R. deJv^jl
/. 184. — Munta. conttn.p. 102*.} •/ J'f

V. oThisyear 1,350 veffels failed from Bourdeaux, loaded with n A20
tuns ot wme, being nearly 100 tuns in each veflel on an average and
paid £s,io^ ; 16 :o Bourdeloife money in duties [Record i„ the exchequer
m Ijandon, quoted m Mem. de Ittterature^ V. xxxvii, p. 350]

The king granted to the burgefTes of Newcaftle upon Tine the right
of digging coals and ftones in the Caftle-ficld and the Frith, both ad-
jacent to their town f \Rot. pat. tertia 24 Edw. Ill m 61
. .'351— King Edward, diftrefled by the debts he had 'incurred in his
chimencal attempt to conquer France, and defirous of pavine his cre-
ditors with lefs money than he had borrowed, had ordered tioo hundred
andjtxty-jtx penmes 10 be made out of the pound of ftandard filver in
the year X344 • and in 1346 he further d-miniflied the money by mak-
ing two hundred andfeventy pennies out of a pound. By thefe alterations
his omi. and all other creditors were defrauded, at firft of about a tenth,
and afterwards a ninth, part of their property J; and the whole bod" ot

The hiftoriam here quoted date the battle on

Wcftminlter. Later hiftorians hate other dates,
and make the number of prizes twenty-fix.

t It appeared afterwards by an inqueft, that the
lands called the Caftle-ficld and CaiUe-moor, ad-
jaccnt to Newcaftle, had belonged to the town
from time immemoriiil, but had not been exprefs-
'ygrant'-d by any charter : therefor the king in
May ly; confirmed to the corporation the pro.
pcrty of thofe lands ; and, in confideration of their

rrl?"^' ^^ *''' P'*8"* ^'^ othei calamities, which
(hfabled them from paying their annual fecfarm of
/ 100, he gave them a right to dig co^s and
Uones in thofe lands, without making any mention
of thi» nreviouB gr:mt, which, for ought I can
lee, IS tiejr/l wherein any notice of coal or ftone,
as bdongiHg to the corporation of Ntwcaille. is
found.

This obfervation becomes neceflary, becaufe it
lias been aiTerted, that the burgeffes of Ni.wcaftle
were warranted by royal authority to dig coal and
ftone m the Caftle-field fo early as in the reign of
King John. But in the very ample charter given
them by that king there are no fuch words, as I
have found upon exaniiiiing an inj},emmu4 charter

of Richard 11 In the Tower IRot. pat. juim. i
f/i L*"".' 'J•.^'^'c'« coniams charters to New-
catt e by the toUowmg kmgs, viz. John, in his i,«»
year, with, reference to fome pofleffions of the co.--
poration in the time of Henry II, but without a
word of coals or the Caftle-field ; Henry III, In
h,s i8" and 36" years; Edward I. in his «^ year;
and Edward III m hii 31* year (A. D. iicy)
without any mention of this one in his ^4" year
It IS cettain, however, that coals were due in the
neighbourhood of NewcalUe and (liippwl from tixat
port m earhcr times, as appears bv the Chartulary
of Tmemouth, quoted in BnuJ-f Hm. of Ntw.
c^U (fee above, pp. 497, J04, and alfc «qc) :
about the year 1364 we find fome Icafes of cm!
mines near Gatdhead (the Southvark of New-
caftle) by tie biftiop of Durham confirmed by the
king [/?^./W./«. 38 £^c«. ///, „. ,6] : and i„
the county of Cumberknd we find coal mines be.
tonging to the pnory of CaHile in the 14* year oi
Edward I iRot. pat. prim. 5 Edv,. Iff, m. 81.

1 It may be obfcrved, that King Edward, in
his mintfefto to the people of France in the year
1340, aiTurcd them, tlurt he >ukl not feek hi«
own lucre by making ,ny cl ^e in the money,
when he ftiould be received at their king, [/W.

er0,

542

A. D. r

35^'

the people, efpecially thofe of the lower clafles, were further diftrefled
by the nominal, and partly real, rife in the prices of til the neceflaries
of life. They do not feem, however, to have made any attempt to
obtain compenfation for the diminution of their incomes till after a
dreadftil peftilence, which originated in the Oriental regions, and began
its ravages in England in the year 1348, and is faid to have carried oft"
the greateft part of the people, efpecially in the lower ranks of, life *.
Then the furviving labourers took the advantage of the demand for
labour and the fcarcity of hands to raife their prices. The king, by the
advice of the prelates, nobles, and others, thereupon enaded the Statute
of labourers, which ordained, that all men and women under fixty years
of age, whether of free or fervile condition, having no occupation or
property, fhould ferve any perfon by whom they Ihould be required,
and Ihould receive only the wages which were ufual before the year
1 346, or in the five or fix preceding years, on pain of imprifonment,
the employers being alfo punidiable for giving greater wages. Arti-
ficers were alfo prohibited from demanding more than the old wages f ;
and butchers, bakers, brewers, and other dealers in provifions, were
ordered to fell them at reafonable prices. [Stat. 23 X £^«'- -^Z^]

The * fervants, having no regard to the faid ordinance, but to their
' eafe and fingular covetife,' refufed to ferve great men and others, un-
lefs for higher wages than the law allowed. Therefor the parUament by
another ftatute fixed the yearly and dayly wages of agricultural fervants,
artificers, and labourers, the payment for thre(hin;T corn by the quarter,
and even the price of {hoes, &c. § They alfo forbad any perfon to'
leave tlie town in fummer, whorein he had dwelt in the winter, or to
remove from one fhire to another. {Stat, i , 25 Edw. Ill.'\ Thus were
the lower clafles of the people debs^rred by laws, which in their own na-
ture muft be inefficient, from making any effort to improve their fitua-

tra, v. V, pp. 1 59, 164] apparently glancing a r<-
fle<Aion upon the kings of France, who had done
an incredible injury to their country by fuch erro-
neotts avarice, which Le Blanc, the hillorian of
French money, affigns as a main caufc of the vic-
tories of the Engliin in France.

* Moll of the hillorian* fay, that fcarcely a
tenth part of the people furvived. Perhaps we
ought to make a large allowance .'or exaggeration
in their narratives, wherein they make attempts at
being poetical. The mod moderate accounts (late
that above half of the people perifhed, and Hume
fuppofesone third, a more probable cllimate. Stow
fays that few noblemen died ; and though I do
not fee his authority, unlcfs it be the words ' pau>
• cis divitibus duntaxat exceptis' in Aveftury,
[/>. 178 ed. Hearne'] he may generally be truiledj
as he wroto with great fidelity (though too often
without quoting) and had the ufe of fome manu-

fcripts, which have never been pnbiifhcd. The
conduft of tho labourers feenis alfo to infer, that
rather a greater proportion of them than of thiir
employers b:.d been cut off.

t In a fupplement to the atl, made by the king,
the inferior clergy were alfo included.

J By a note in the margin of the printed fta-
tutes, the dat; of this one appears to be doubt-
fal. It was as probably in the 24"' year of the
king's reign. For a good account of the many
funilar laws wliich followed this one, and of the
political confequenccs of tlicm, fee Sir Frederic
Eden's Stale of the po§r, V. i, p. 31.

§ In the year 1355 the mayor and rtiirrefs of
London, with two perfons fent by the king, were
defired to compell the armourer* of London to fell
armour at reafonable prices. \_Fa<fera, K v, p,
817.3

A. D.

'35'-

543

no. e.ancip,,ed fro. bo^. and carnin^^Ltbrefd b;^^
hat no further dimmue.on (houid be made in the weighHr auaUtv of

Sr,ertS'e\'ni„T;'ii;rTi^:.^"'r-'i5"=7?;-'-/^^^^^

Wi,,^. Edin^on biflfofoW£l^«W^?e,f ^^^^^^^

than three penmes and a half of hU dimmUhed mot^y t. rSe^Ze

cenanes of hfe, and another confequence. naturally foliowini the firft^
was an nicreafe of cunning and fraudulent tricks among wSrlrnen and
artificers. Edward, neverthelefs, urged by the nrelTufe of C/l
muated debts, and haying tailed, wLt he\uppoS the advantaged

SrSd^r/St4S;g2.sXtad--^^^^^^^^^^

As the pcfti'lence di'mi'iii'died tlie number of
tmployers as well as labourers, though perhaps ra-
thcr in a lefs dcKree, the demand for labour could
not be very much greater than before, and would
have probably had no effea upon the rate of wa«8,
1* tht' .roportiou between money and food had
continued the fame. But, however ftrauge I't may
fcem, the king, the parliament (except in this one
nillance) afld the writers of the age, aaed and
wrote, as if ihcy thought it was equal to the la-
hourers, if they had their number of pennies, whe-
ther they were heavy or light. Could they pof.
IJbly be Ignorant, that the diminution of the mo-
ncy, and the confcquent alteration in the price of
neceffancs, robbed thefc poor people of about a
quarter of their incomes I

t On this occafion a proclamation, or manifefto,
was ifTued by the king, »»hcrtiii he frti; forth, that,
iiiidmg the monejr of England was exported on
account of its being too heavy, he had ord:,ined.
for tlie proht of hmifelf and Kn pct^ple, t<. coi,!
gold money of fueh impreffion as the former, anl
a new kind of filvcr money, which IhouM be call-
ed a grcj of the value of four p-nnies and aifo a
haif gros. He orders all pcrloni to icceive his

new money In payment of their old debts. And.
becaufe the money of England is forged, clipped

a,?H X'"* T f>^^ ^'"8'^'""> ^y 'he Lombard
aud others he ftridly commands, tliat no perfon
except thofe appointed by himfelf, (haU prefume
t" deal in changing money, on penalty of forfeit-
ure of the money changed ; anj that no perfon,
fhall carry out of the kingdom any gold or filver.
coined or uncoined, except only the new (light)
money. IFaJcra, V. ..p. 708.] It is very iVange
."deed. It Edward did not kuow. that^orJJS
merchants would pay no attention to the nominal
value he might be pleafed to put upon his coin^
and 111 fetting prices upon thefr goods would only
confider t'e quantity of real gol3 or fdver. whic^
they would be allowed to carry home

I have called the groat a new kind of money in
compliance with the king', proclamation and the
writer, of that age, though I have already (how-
ed, (p. 43i) tnat fome fuch pieces were coined by
King Edwaril I. ^

t Fabpu fays, the f.lver of the new groats
wanted 2jn m the pound of the old fta.idard qua-

!

544

A. D. 1351.

more than twenty /hiUings *. \Folkcs on cms, p.xi, — Fadera, V. v, /. 708 .
■—Murim. cotitin. p. 1 03.]

February — The parliament enacted, what is called the Statute of cloths,
whereby it was ordained, that the aulneger, (called elfewhere ulnator)
or infpec^or of cloths, fliould be fworn to do his duty, and fhould be
punifht d if he negleded it. — The aft of the year 1335, for abolifhing
the reft.aints of corporation charters and giving perfed freedom to all
traders, natives or foreigners, in every part of the kingdom, was re-
newed f ; and they were declared free to fell, either in vrholefale or re-
tail, in London or any other city, burgh, or town of England, ' not-

* withftanding any franchifes, grants, or cuftom ufed, or any other

* things done to the contrary, fithence that /ac A ufages and franchifes be

* to the common prejudice of the king and his people.^ The mayors and other
public officers were ordered to abftain from interfering in the fale of
provifions. — Foreftallers were made liable to forfeiture of the valu*? of
the goods or provifions foreftalled, or to iraprifonment for two years.—
All wears, kidells, mills, or other eredlions, by which the navigation
of rivers was obftrufted, were ordered to be removed %. [Stat. 4, 25
Edw. III.'] The parliament abolilhed a kind of weight called auncell,
and ordained wool and other wares to be weighed by the beam. They
alfo ordered, that all meafures of capacity fhould be agreeable to the
king's ftandard ; that the quarter of corn (hould contain eight bufhels ;
and that all com fhould be fold by flriked meafuie, excepting that paid
in rent, which fhould be according to the former ufage. [Stat. 5, 25
Edw. Ill, cc. g, 10.]

The people were allowed to make exchanges of money for mutual
accommodation : but no one was permitted to take any profit upon
fuch exchanges, that emolument being referved to the king's exchange.
[Stat. 5, 35 Edw. HI, c. 12.]

Augufl i" — The quarrel with Spain, or rather with the feamen of
the north coafl of Spain §, was terminated by a truce, which was to lafl
twenty years. It was agreed that neither party fhould do any injury to
the other, or give any afliflance to their enemies. The mariners and
merchants of both countries were to have full libeity of failing with
their veflels, great or fmall, loaded with merchandize of any kind
whatfoever, or going by land, to the ports or cities of each country,

• The diminutioac of the money by Ei -
Wird III are mentioned here, only on account o.
their connexion with the ftatute of labourers and
their confequence. AU the alterations of the mo-
ney will be found in one clear view in the ap*
pendix.

}■ That is to fay, the parliament enadcd, that
Tt (hould be ' holdeu, kept, and maintained.' As
the former a£i was not made for a limited time,
and confequently could nut expire, it does not ap-

pear, what ftrength
other had not.

this could have, that the

\ The owners, by bribes, or by favour, got
them all permitted to remain. [_iVtJfingham, p.
170.]

\ One copy of the treaty was m the po(reflion
of the marilimt towni of Caftile and Bifcay, and
another remained with the king of England and
France. {Fadira, V. \,p. 71 9.]

A. D. 135 1.

54'5

?Ll^ *"iJr °***" ""'^tfy Guardians were to be appointed to attenrl
Lft'o^tirmn" °^- ^' r'^^'"' P""^^ tranfgreirorranTt giv"^^^^^^

two of the^fivi ga li's whfch co^^^^^ T'^' ^^ '^"""^^

walls ffprinc I aAn? nn?^ ^'^^y /eP""^d his military forces from their
they foLd ^ufefu?to themfeZ rf'"' '° k'^' ' '''? °^ ^"^' -J^^^h
republics of Ven ce and^ei "•+ k ?' '^"' ^"T"" *^*^ °^«i"=»^e "val
Chio. an ilnd ktely fSed %^r''' °^ ^"'^^ ^^"^

There, before the wa Is of Cnnft^^^^^^ ^^*'» ^^'^ ^"^°P^-

r- r /"""^^*=" Venetian, ten Catalan, and two Grf-plr vaA;.!- . »u
Genoefe loft only .hir,e=„, and clain>ed .he via "/(^I MaVcMjca /

+ I hare not thought it neccffary to ftain thffe
,>r.gra w.th the rcchal of all the ha.tle. between
tl.fc flY-t^.of VcDice .nd Genoa, which were con-
UiiUed with a fangumaiy fer.Krity that would dif-
«;r..co the traditional fongs of th.-mott favarc
tubes of America or New Zealand.

Vol. I.

t Stella reckons «*,„, 45 Venetian, 30 Catalan.
14 G,eek. and only 60 Genoefe, vcffels : an.1

that the Giccks declined the battle, and the Ge-

"^rl h ' ^"""P'"' ^''"^'"7- I Iwve followed
Nicephorns Grfijoras, who feems the moll im-
partial .elator of the events of this war.

32

n

54^

A. D. 1353.

After the engagement the Venetians aad Catalani abandoned their im-
perial ally, who found himfelf obliged to grant an incceafe of com>
mercial privileges to his Genot* fe vaflab, who were rather his mafters,
and to exclude nil rival traders from lua pore [Nk. Gregor. L. xvii, ec.
1.7. — SteUoy ap. Muraiori S'^ript. V. xv'ix, coU, loSS-'iopa.]

July 35'"— Alfonfo king of FGrtugal had given a general protcdion to
Englishmen in his dominions ; and King Edu-ard in return gavo a gen-
eral protedion to the merchants of that kingdom for trading in Eng-
land, and at the fame time gave particular letters of proteiSion .q the
commanders of feven vcflels, four of them belonging to Lifbon, and
the others apparently to Oporto. [Fftdera^ V. v, pp. 740, 741, andj<:t

P- 756]

September 4'" — The city of Pifa has not for fome time fumifhed any
materials for commercial hiftory. It appears, however, that the Pifans
had fome trade with the weftcrn parts of Europe, moft probably Fland-
ers, the knowlege of which is owing to a depredation committed upon
9 ihip belonging to them in the port of Sandwich. When they fent to
demand redrefs and to propofe a friendly intercowrfe, the king anfwer-
ed, that their merchants trading to England fhould enjoy his protection,
and be treated like his own fubje^ts. [Faedera, V, v, p. 743.]

After Artevjlle the famous brewer of Ghent, the moft zealous par-
tizan of King Edward in Flanders, ww flain in a tumult, the king's in-
tereft in that country declined, and many of his adherents were banilh-
ed. Thefe he invited (35'" September, 1351) to fettle in England or
his other dominions, and to carry on their merchandize or other bu<i-
nefs under his protedUon. This year he gave another very ample grant
of liberties, more particularly to the inanufatturers of cloth fettling in
England, who were, no dou'ut, others of i»is Flemifh friends, alfo driven
out of their country for their attachment to him. [Fadera, V. v, p. 727.
— Rot. pat. prim. 36 Edw. JIl, m. 21.]

The ftaple was fcarcely ever allowed to remain long enough in one
place to give time to the merchants to form their arrangements agree-
able to the lateft eftablilhment of it. This year * it was removed from
Flanders, and fixed at Weftrainfter and other places in England (Au-
guft a""), which was a great liardftiip upon the foreign merchants, but a
great advantage to the king, who thereupon had ^1,102 more than his
predeceflbrs f. [R. dt Avtfiury, p. 1 94. — Knyghton, col. a6o6.]

1353, September— The king and parliament, confidering the great
damage which had arifen from the ftaple being held out of the king-
dom, now determined that the ftaple for wool, hides, wool-fells, and

• Stow {^Survey of Lintlcn, p. 841, td. 1618] f Knyghton mentiont no other place than Weft-

fayi, that in the year 1351 the king fixed the minfter, and the fum ftated by him fcetni to have

ftaple of wool to be tnij at Canterbury, for the been an increaiJe arifing from the bttfinef* done ?.t

honr'ur of S'. Thomas. Quere, if a miilalte ? that ftaple. 3

A. D.

'353-

547

^fri^ht'mZf ^r^''"^^ ^^^'^''' ^"^ ^''^'^^' ^oM be held for
SeuporTine7. t T-' '",^ "k° "''^"' ^'''- ^°^ England in NeC^
cSer: W.^cheft"r;EVer^^^^^^ Weft. infte^ Canterbury,

and for Ireland at Dub in wTtWford rlt' ^^^^^^^'^^^^ Carmarthen;

good, wcr^ ordained to be b^o^g u ' f ' fome' ono /Tf'' ^" ^u^P'*'
everj fack and every farDler nTSli ,""^V^^ of thefe towns, where

prcfinc. of .„e "ffi^S"hf cSL'^'^^rit'U,tr "l '^
quantr.y attefted under thp f*.,) ,*• U ' J , ^ marked, and the

being (hipi4 The goods frl th^ft'^f *"' v '^^ ^'^^'' P^"^^'°"'' ^«
at Hull, tlfe from £co n T Bofton^ L"' ^v'*' "T ^"^^ '^"^P^^
from We<%minfter at LonZn f. n ' ,. "^ ^orv^ich at Yarmouth.
Winchefter a^louthamn^^^^^^^^ S^"?^^-^^^^' ^'^d from

from the mayors of thrftaD^^f S.^^!' "''"' ''^"^^ certificates

3Z2

548

A' D* ^353*

houfe in the ftaplc towns, occupied by the merchants, their fervants, or
the ftaple goods. The mayors and conftables of the ftaples had jurif-
didion over all ^erfons concerned in the bufinefs of the ftaples in the
towns wherein they were held and their fuburbs ; and their proceedings
in all matters of debt or contrad concerning the ftaples were regulated
by the merchaiit law, and not by the common law, or the cuftoms of
the towns. In trials, if both parties were natives, the juries were to
confift of natives ; if foreigners, of foreigners ; and if one was a na-
tive and the other a foreigner, the jury was to be compofed equally of
natives and foreigners. In order to give validity to contrads, the mayors
of the ftaples were direded to atteft them under their feals of office,
and to charge one halfpenny for every contrad under ^^1°°. ^^id one
penny for every one above that fum. If the debtor foiled to make pay-
ment when due, the mayor was to imprifon him and arreft his property,
if within his jurifdidion, and to deUver it, or the proceeds of it when
fold, to the creditor to the amount of the debt. If no property of the
debtor were to be found within the mayor's jurifdidion, he was then to
certify it in the chancery, from which warrants ftiould be ifllied againft
the debtor and his property according to the ftatute of merchants *.
The uniformity of weights and meafure was a^aiu enjoined under fevere
penalties. All m.erchants, denizens, or aliens, had liberty to fell their
wines and other merchandize, by wholefale or retail, in the ftaples,
burghs, towns, and fea-ports : but no perfon was allowed to bargain
for any goods before they were landed. No perfon, native or foreigner,
was permitted to carry wool, hides, or wool-fells, to Berwick upon
Tweed f, or any other part of Scotland, or to fell them to any native
of Scotland, or to any perfon who would carry them to that kingdom,
under the pain of death and forfeiture. If any goods were plundered
on the fea and brought into the kingdom, they were to be returned to
the merchant, who could prove them to be his property. Goods thrown
on the fliore by ftiipwreck were alfo to be reftored to the lawful owners,
on paying a reafonable falvage, to be rated by the ftiirrefs or bailifs of
the place. All merchants, bringing gold or filver in coin or bullion
into the kingdom, might receive the value of them in current money
at the king's exchanges, to be eftabliflied at the ftaples and elfewhere.
No one was permitted to carry out oU fterling, or any other money, ex-
cept merchant ftrangers, who might carry back fuch part of their own
money as they had not laid out. All falfe money became forfeited to
the king. In every ftaple town certain ftreets or places were to Le ap-
propriated for ftoring wool and other ftaple goods ; and reafonable rents
were to be fixed upon the houfes by the mayor and conftables of the

• For the ftatute of mfrcliants fee above, p. 439.
f Bcru ick wai then in the haiidi of the Enghlh.
'vool in the hands of the inhabitants.

But the king was not wilh'ng to tiuft Eflglifti

ftaple with four of the principal inhabitants of the town. ^J/foreijra
the country, and perfta frSoT.'o fe| . „r car^y' fwaT'^n" ""'=

the coaft of Eng^u/d. fo'r a^ftapfc^rt i E„g| J t, j car^vLH °^
to a foreign port, was condemned to death aid f^fSure^F^* ™
No perfon was liable to lofe his propertyfor any adZn of hif r'"^'
done without his authority. Immediate [ulUce was ord"red to tj"''
in a^l matters, wherein tranfient merchants were conSned a^e^Kf

^.=weu^'„i-w!-s^^^^^^^^

were not to be concerned in trade during the r office Th. ' ^'"^

The foreign mer:ht?^c rLefl dTo^;eVtU'' 7,h'"""^''^ t""^"'^''

SViXt't^tTStd-l^SSv

caufe, whenever they Lught pro;t in ^rljTo ^.i: ,C%SIZ

. Several rcl.ixations of the riVour of tli's e«rr;.I.l, U,„ n

tfigncn have already been noticed. ««e"We law or cuflom to particular communitie, of fo.

53®

A. D. 1353.

ihould be done to foreigners. In cafe they could not agree upon the
decifion, they were to refer the caufe to the chancellor and the kmg*s
council, by whom it fhould be determined without delay. Two Ger-
mans, two Lombards, and two Engliftimett, were to be elected to d6
immediate juftice in all complaints of the quality or weight of wool be-
ing contrary to bargain. The foreign merchants having complained of
oppreflions and delay at the ports, contrary to the charter of Edward X,
(ftt above, p. 469J the fliirrefs, mayors, and bailifs, were threatened
with imprifonment and fine, if they aded contrary to that charter. All
the privileges of the ftaples were confirmed, though they might inter-
fere with the franchifes and privileges claimed by cities, burghs, the
Cinque ports, or other corporations, or individuals, faving to the pre-
lates, dukes, earls, barons, and other lords, their fairs, markets, hun-
dreds, wapentakes, &c. In the former year the mayors of the ftaple
had levied %d upon every fack of wool for themfelves : but the wool
brought to London being nearly equal to what was carried to all the
other ports in the kingdom, and the quantities carried to the other
ftaples being exceedingly unequal, it was now ordained that the majors
of all the ftaples ftiould have regular fixed falaries *, as the mayor of the
ftaple ufed to have when it was held upon the continent, and that only
4// ftiould be charged upon every fack as a general fund for the payment
of all the falaries f. [Stat. 2, 27 Edvo. III.}

The lords and commons reprefented to the king, that the fei:iure of
cloths, on account of their varying from the ftatute lengths and breadths :j:,
was fuch a hardlhip upon the foreign importers, that many of them
had given up the trade ; wherefor they prayed, that the goods feized
might be reftored for a reafonable recompenfe. The king granted their
requeft, and enadted, that uniform lengths in cloth fliould no longer be
required, but that his aulneger ftiould mark the meafure upon every
cloth, and the feller fliould make a due allowance for defeiSHve meafure.
The aulneger was intitled to receive a halfpenny for every cloth, and a
farthing for every half cloth, from the feller ; and he was not to mea-

• The falaries were as follows.

Wfllroinller - the mayor £fOO o

Lincoln - - - - - 26 13

York, Kingfton upon Hull (which, how-
ever, is not a Itaple in the beginning
of the ftatute), Norwich, Wirchcller,
each - - . ao o

NewcalUe, Chichefter, Exeter, each lo o

o each conftitble/^13 6
4 - - 6 13

O - - JO

o . . . ^ 6

f I have been much fuller In my account of Many parti of it are ciirijiis and interelling to the

the JIalule of the Jlaple than my predecefl'or Mr. ftudent* of manners, jur fprudence, and antiquities,

Andctfun, who, contrary to his ufiial cuftom, has and might fapply abi;i ,d it matter for ample com-

crufhed it into a few lines. But, as it ixhihits a ments, which (hill, however, be left to the reiltc-

conipletc view, nowhere clfe to be found, of the tion of the readet.

fy!lcin by which the principal branches of the J Sec above, p. 501. The llatute breadth of

tommerce of the kingdom were condufted, it i» the cloth of raye in this act is only fix quarters,

purely well worthy of a more particular attention. There ii apparently an erior in one of the adls.

A-^' ^353' 551

fure any cloth, till it was fold *. The parliament granted the king a
duty of 4^ on every pIain,eolo„red cloth 5^ on thofe dyed half in grfin
^tT.r?h 'S'^°v.'^?i.'",1 1" P/°P°"^°" on half cloths J.nd the^ orS
5 he t ' w ' ^?^^ ^' ^f.'^'^ *^y ^^« ^''^1^'^°^ '^^ «««ft the payment
li ^ ^ ^*^°'l '^'7 ^°"^^ **« ^*P°^«d to fale. Thofe. M^ho made
cloth for clothing themselves and their retinue, were ewmpted from^aV^
mg the duty f. [Si^. i, ly EduK III, c. 4.-} « P^ea Jrom pay-

Enghfh merchants were prohibited from engrofling or foreftalline

Tf deVth ..rf'f'- ""' "'J^'"^ '"^ ^'^^°"« ^^?«^" ^°^ them, o^^if
ot death and forfeiture of property of every kind. vTh* ftevvard of

Oakoigne and the conftable of*5ourdeaux Zre orderi to S aU

tra^fgreHbrs and fend them to the Tower of London. Bourdeaux and

Bayonne were declared the only lawful markets for wine. Gafcons and

other ftrangers were allowed to bring their wines freely to any porrof

England, the kmg's butler having, according to antient ufage^ TrigS

to take wmes for the kmg, to be paid for within tcrty days. A'll wS

were o be gauged ; and for thofeVound fhort of theVndard mSL

the feller was to make allowance to the buyer. IStat. 1, 27 fJw. Ill,

mariter^s^'of^rT.^'"^ ^^"^'^ ^^"^ ^^ proteftion t6 the merchants and
manners of Ca alonia, commg to England to purchafe wool hides
wool^fels, and lead, at the ftlple, or elfewhere, and to carry them
whitherfoever they pleafed, after having them duely troned (weighed^
and^cocketed. and paying the due cuftom« and fubfidy. [FXa,Fvi

^ndofonnflT^^ merchants mariners, and communities, of Liibon
and Oporto (the kmg of Portugal is not mentioned) having fcnt meflen-

ITyTarf T? L '' I' was agreed upon, and its duration fixed to be

mL-^of rhe tr' ''T^^'T^' »i«t ««ther party fhould afllft the ene-

SirllV ? ^J' '^f}^^ "^^"^^ ""'^'^ P^"i« fiiould be free to
carry all k,nd. of goods from any one count,^ to any other counti^

S? Mif"r"/"'° "'^y P*'" "^^^'^^^ ^o^^'^y- All by.paft daS

lettied by the lords or great men without any breach o^the treaty The
property of the merchants of Lifbon or Oporto, found in any place or
veifel taken by the Englilh. Ihould be reftored to them, unSy we^e

who were beft able to pay it, the great chief., who
kept armi«» of idle rulliaas in their L'rcry. Th«
exemption ieti us know, that the duty extended
to home-made cloth* ; and we muft belcve, that
tliere were now dyers and finiflieri in England
opable of producing fcarlets and other crrain co-
Jours. °

* We thus fee, that it was the cuftom to fell

cloths at fo much per piece or half piece, and not

In the prcfent day, when they are

by the yard.

foUlonlv by the yard,' tJie kng7he,'urougr »a"'i'
able, (lill do not differ very much from the antient
iundard.

f By this exemptioif the duty on I )e-madt
clQtl.1 wuuld be almoft wholely evaded Uy thofe

55-

A. D. 135^.

afllfling the ^nemy. Their fifliermen were licenced (as thofe of Gaftile
had already been) to fifh in the harbours of England and Bretagnc.
[Fadera, V. v, p. 763.]

November 20'" — ^The highway between Temple-bar and Weftminftcr
being already rendered fo deep and raiiy by the carts and hories carry-
ing merchandize and provifions to the ftaple, tb?.t it was dangerous to
pafs upon it. the king required the proprietors of houfes, in confidera-
tion of the improvement of their property by means of the ftaple be-
ing fixed at Weftminfter, to repair the road between their houfes and
the kennel under the infpedion of the mayor and conflables of the
ftaple : and for the reparation of the main road tetween the two ken-
nels, and alfo for the conftrudion of a bridge * intended for tK. ac-
commodation of the merchants frequenting the ftaple, he directed that
a toll ftiould be taken for three years upon all goods carried to or from
the ftaple, whether by land or water f. [Fardera, V. \,p, 774.]

The laft year, and alfo this one, were remarkable for great fcarcity
of the fruits of the earth and the fifli of the fea, fo that many things
were raifed to double price. The duke of Zeland gave fome relief by
fending over fcveral cargoes of rye to London ; and confiderable quan-
tities of com were alfo imported from Ireland. [Murim. contin.p. 104.
— Stcfw's Ann. p. 398.] qi \f-mi » .1 - ^

A Genoefe fleet of fixty gallies was this year defeated, and forty-one
of them taken, by the combined fleets of Catalonia and Venice con-
fifting of eighty gallies (Auguft 28'"). The defeat was followed by keen
diflenfions among the Genoefe, and the ruin of their independence.
They depofed their duke, and offered the fovereignty of their ftate to
John, archbilhop and lord of Milan ; [Stella^ ap. Muratori Script. V. xvii,
cd. 1092] and from that time their commercial fplendour, and their
naval power, have continued to decline.

1354, April— The parliament enaded that no iron, whether made in
England or imported, fliould be carried out of the country ; and in or-
der to prevent the price of iron from riling too high (a confequence
furely not to be apprehended from the prohibition of exportation) the
fellers wer^ fubjeded to the controul of the juftices appointed to take
cognizance of the labourers. \Stat. 28 Edw. Ill, c. 5.]

Robberies were now more frequent than formerly (a neceflary con-
fequence of the continual war) and foreign merchants were more par-

• Mr. Anderfon doubted whether this bridge
wM intended to go acrofa the river, or only to be
a landing place. From the defcription of ■ bridge
at the New temple, evidently a landing place or
wharf, [Fmdera, V. v, ^. 778] and from Slatv't
Sirvey [f. 894] it feeme to have been the later.
The toil*

for a laft of hides
a cart of lead
a tun of wine for fate
other {roods fox JO/'in value

4
4

f i he tolls were
for a farpler of wool
300 vool-fella

3

Goods, wnich paid in coming, were exempted
returning. We find by the patent rolls, that \.Ki\
pavige duty was lenewed iit the years 1356, 135 8,
•359. «36o> *e- S

A. D. 1354.

5^5$

Sved^fSra^ j;?:,^-^. r^<i-ng the advantage

inhabitants of the county whereS h^" k'k '^"■'^°'" °'"^^^"^d' '^^' the
be bo'ind to produce the rob^r 'r ' V^^^'^ ^'' committed, fhould

fell a part of d,e cargo ,^h„„, bd^t° "tr^^'f ""' ?"">«'«! »

i here were exported
31,6511. Tacks of wool - at Tfi rrii ^''''"'" C"«<««».

8

I

6

T«al value of„o_ol and cuflo:^ upon i, ,95,,8. . 8 ^8,. 6.4 .

4.774t pieces of cloth . ,„-•" „ ,^' ^ °, * >7

8.06,t pieces of worfted fluff ?|^ 'e^'j .1 °] 2,5.3

Total value of exports and cufton,s £,\.,,,, , „ ^^7;^;^

T «-,, • ^Tjiere were imported ' "^

1,831 pieces of fine cloth /6 /to oC/c
• 397icwtofwax - it ^^°'985 o o

J.829i tuns of wine . tof I^"^ '° °

"ng'io"'"''''^' gjoceries, &c.t,^ount. ^'^^ ° °

22,943 6 10 285 18 3

Total value of imports and cufto^s ^^iilSTTTT^ ^-^iT^

Pt\'r^?„-^:^^,:x;^S^^^^^^^

from the earlieft times, befides fevernlnrWrJ ,f "'"^'^^ °^ exportation
ly omitted in this record, thercTan be n'' ^l^'^'"^^^". ^^e ^
was corifiderablv larger. ^ ^^ "° ^°"^t that the re-.l balance

;C97 13

19 17

i8a 19

o

5

o

Mr. Andcrfon, and. hefnr^ v.;.« o- tttmi.

pubiS bT ar;ttrbS''TV''j-^ «--"

however, fay, iM", " Ira "^j". '^"*'"'^"> ^h",
of evading accurate quoS' ' "'""""' "'^

4A

S;5;4

A, p. 1^54'

This great I alanqe, tUp cxppF^s an^ouutyag tp almpMx tiw<fs ^ha

valie o/the imports, (an4. a. i}^ <^^f^'^^«^' J^7 Pf^^^^^ ^Zr!l^^
tomuch nwr«n^ bin hpl(jl out^ as a WQof of the moderation an<J
Sb^SToTt^^a^ Siwh,n^elpoK.^t?he.^r.;icl.s. ^.d fi^d tb^W^ ^
raw mlterials for maAufadlv^res which cop^ftitut^ Ip great a pa;r;t ot the.
mcjem imports, there was not; cue fipgle mpl^ ^^poft.^^^ J'jf 'Jj"'^
on the 9^her hand, the exppfts. cpnJ£Aed almpft ei^Pjr^lqt of the wpft
Wablera^w materials, a^^V clotha in ai?^ un^(hed ftftPe, whxqh ma^-
therefor a^o be clawed among i^yr mateijiaK w^ muft agknp^lege th^.t
it afibrdslaly a, proof of the lp^y ft^te pf m^uf^jjt^r^s, and, of com-
n^rciAlkuowles/amppg a people, who v^^j^e pJ^U^^d ^o ^^^^ ^J^f ^J
m to have the^'profit of manuf^uring their o^yn v:opl. ^d fin^ n|
their own cloths, and afterwards to repurchaf? botl> ftqjfk ^hem xn the
form of finiflied goods. , , , i r c*u^v^

i«c Tanuary ao'"—! have alr^dy related the purchafe of the Ro-.
man empire by Didius JuKan. and that of the kingdom of .4^ and
Te Ifles by Alexander 111 king of Scotland : and I have now to relate
the P.rchafe of th^ kingdom ot Scotland by Edward III kmg of Eng-
land, who for the abfolute fpvereignty and property of it S?V« Edwjrd
Balliol *- five thoufend marks togetlier with an annuity for his (BalUols^.
life of two thouf^nd pounds. iF^dera, F. v. pp. 832..842O. But, though
Edward purchaf^d a whole Kmgdom for fo. fmajl a. prace, yet, with ^U:
his prudence, he made a vei^y bad bargain ; for the feUer was no able
to^Lhimpofleflion; and he. with all his po^«e^ and gr^afc ipih^ary
talents, was not able to take poffeffion. , , , , •

Marih i2--At this timfthe warden of Scotland, (the king was a
prifonerin England) urged by the exigency of the P^^hc affeirs and
imitating the pernicious andmiftaken pohcy of the king of England,
appears ?o have coined money, which, both n weight and quahty was
inferior to that of England. King Edward thereupon ^formed the
Ihirref of Northumberland, that the new money of Scotland, though
of the fame figure with th^ old, was not. like it, of equal ^^Jight and
quality with the fterling moneyof England, and therefor ordered him
tVmaL prpcl.VT>^tipu^ifhiu.hisJHrifdi^ipr>^^^^
liey fhowld be taKen only for its, y^iug a^ bullwP. ^Ptl earned to thfr
p op^r o'ffice to be exchanged for, currem money ; ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
npy^of Scotland (whiph (iwt Uie ye^r i S44. was confiderably better than,
that of Englaqd) fhould ftill be current as lormcrly t - IR^dera, V. v, p.

813]

• Ralliol had been fupcorted hv Kdw|>rd in the of En-l^d , and ScotUnd. apparenUy lafted but a
f Tlui deterioration, unkpQwn to the bftoruiBi gwA a^Wt « •

A. D. t^ss.

!>5S

The Scoltifti pearls were ftiU an artide tif deportation. They Were
efteemed m France^ but not equally with thofe brought from India
te appears by the manufcnpt ftatutes of the gotdfmiths of Paris of this'
rnVCr^^'f^"" "' T ""'^^"^f Ji" «° ^oi^ker in goW or filver AaU fct
!^^ il y^ P^^u ? ?'°"S ."^"^ Oriental ones, txcept in large jewels * for
^hurches (for which piobably a fufficient quanTity of O-iental pearis

^2^^"^^ ^°\^ "^^ Mandeville returhed to England frcm his prre-
gnnation of thirty-three years through Turkey, Armenia, Egypt, aSc4
Syria, Arabia. Perfia, Chald^a, Ethiopia, Tartary, ^S,1^2'
Ghma, and many iflands. His travels, or Vather defcripUons of boun-'
tries, written by h.mfelf. inform us that the Venetian merrhants fit
quently Went to the idand of Ormus in the Perfian guS^ a^d fometimt

lTJT'^''^'a''''^^^\ «^ '^ift-g-fl^'' FarnVft^inCyprH
onfe of the greateft pons m the world, wherein the merchants of almoft

la I T' ^''^^^»?"'' a«^ pagans (Mohamedans), afiembled. The fliort^

WH^ll r °?' ^' ^^ ¥'. '"'''^^ '°Sether all the fables acrumu-

hll^r !? Tr ^ f^^c'A ^''^' '^'"^ ^*^^P' ^^^ ^'"g'fe notice refpedm^

:?ilntnrn'JS^^^^^^ ^^^^^ '^''^'^ ^"^ ^°---«^ ^^--

*»J'^f ^> Spring— The parliament no^^ permitted Englifli merchants. 4j-
Wrtr» Af/om^x. to export wool, hides, and wool-fells, to any countrr
ki amity with the king, from the 5- of May to the 29- of Septemb?
1 Si "*" f?^^^/ "^"^y ""^ 50/ for every fack of wool, sq/for qob
wool-fells and ^^5 for every laft of hides. The buyers were Sohibited
from refufing any other parts of the wool than what ufed formerly to
be reje«^ } and the fack was irgaiH ordained to contain eiadly 164
pounds of the exchequer ftandard weight. All wool, fdls, and hides
wherever bought were ordered to be carried to a ftaple. and there to
remain at leafl fifteen days, after which, if they were not fold thev
might be exported. Wool was not permitted to be ftored or fold with-
in thf-e leagues of a ftaple. except by the owne.-s of fheep, v;^ho might
lell the wool of their own growth, where they thought proper. I3?at

t, 31 EiTUf. Ill, C. 8.] i r L •

An author, who liyed at this time, eftimates the annual exportation
of wool at above a hundred thoufand facks. {Av^/bury, p, 2x0%.]

• In the miJdfe ages any tiling reputed pre-
tioin, or made of valuable Piatmalt, ur richly
adorned, was called a jewel.

t Mandeville copied horn all preceding writers
of hiilory and travels ; and ho feems particularly
lo be largely imltbted to Marco Polo. His pa-
I.ICCS, made of gold and jewels, are in the lllle of

Ovid's temple of the Sun, and are probably rhe
models of limilar buildings in the fairy tales.

J He fays, the duty of 507 was granted hy the
parliament for fix years ; and he dates the grant
m the year 1355. h may be obferved that the
wool ot the well part of England was valued aJ
little more than ^cf. Sec above p. jcjo,

4 A 2

5S^

A. D. 1-357.

Another attack was made upon the monopoliiing charters of corpoRt"
tions by direding the mayor and aldermen of London to prevent th«
fifliermen (or filhmongers), butchers, poulterers, and other dealers in
provifions, from mokfling thofe who brought provifions to the city for
lale. [Stat. 1, 31 Edw. IJI, c. 10.]

At the fame time was enaded the Statute of herrings, the preamble of
\vhich fets forth, that the people of Yarmouth made a pradlice of meet-
ing the fifliermen, and buying their herrings at fea ; that the hoftilers
(keepers of lodging houfcs) affumed a prerogative of felling the herrings
belonging to the fifherraen lodged in their houfes, and paying them
what they thought proper for them, whereby the fifliermen were de-
frauded and difcouraged, and the price of herrings was advanced upon
the public. The parliament therefor enaded, that no herrings fliould
be fold, till the boat bringing them was made faft to «-he land.
The fifliermen ftiould have perfedt liberty to fell their herrings at the
fair, openly and without any interference, between the rifing and fet^
ting of the fun. No perfon fliould be permitted to buy herrings for
hanging up (making red herrings), at above 40/" per laft containing ten
thouiand herrings. Pykers * were not to purchafe herrings in the liar-
bour of Yarmouth between the 29'" of September and the 1 1'" of No-
vember, nor to enter the harbour in the time of the fair. The hoftilers
were allowed to charge ;j/4 upon every laft of herrings fold to any other
than p hoftiler, in confideration of which they were to infure the pay-
ment to the fifliermen f . The people of Yarmouth were prohibited
from felling herrings at more than 6/B per laft above the price paid fop
them at the fair, and thole of London were not to advance more than
J ^4 (a regulation which we may venture to pronounce inefficient).
Shotten herrings were ordered to be fold at half the price of full ones,
when frefli, and when made red, at 6/B per laft above the half price of
full red herrings. The pykers were allowed to buy herrings and other
wares from the fiflWrmen of Kirklee and other places on the adjacent
coaft : but the filhermen were ordered to difcharge only as many her-
rings at Kirklee road, as n ight be fufficient for loading the pykers, and
to carry the reft to Yarmouth, no other fale being permitted within
feven leagues of that town, except for the herrings of a perfon's own
demefne fifliery. The barons of the Cinque ports were declared to be
the governors or confervators, of the fair, agreeable to the compofition
between them and the people of Yarmouth, confirmed by King Ed-

• Pykers appear to lia»e been ftnall veflels be-
longing to London and other places, employed ia
carrying herrings and other fifli.

+ The hoftilers were thus allowed to purchafe
lurrlnrs nine or ten per cent lower than all other
btivers, which, with the profits they made upon

fiipplying the fifliermen, who were not inhabitants
of Varmuuth, with all theii iisceflaries, mi;ll ha»e
enabled them to command the trade. They were
rtquircd, indeed, not to charge that rommiflion
on herrings bought by themltlves ; but the diffci-
eace is the price amounted to the (amc thing.

^' ^' ^ssr-

ssr

wtrd" r. It was ordained, that this ftatute fliould alfo reculate the ttuA^
m the other towns of England, where herring we" cautht rt
chancehor and treafarer. with the aid of the jXeland orh?rs''^The
W s council were required to regulate the fale of flockfiftat Bofton
^ falmon at Berwick, and of wine^nd fifh at Brifto and elfewh^re ?J
■ *". £.L"?/r]' ^'^ P^°P^^ "'^'^ ^ ^"'" ^-d thanteforf't^ii^
The people of Blakeney were accufed of felling their fait fi/h tnrv
dear It wa^ therefor ordained, that all the doggers .ndlodefhil K

n^ b cTrrt'S o"ut of th?°"^?'''^,f T^ °"'^' ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^-S
!S ^f 1 ■ , ^*^ ^^^^^*' ^'" *^'« owners had contraded for the
fifh Aoun K 7 ^'^^^ day-light ; that the price of dog, r 4 and loche

allocs?"'" t ^''°"^' ^"^ ^^°^« ^-P^Ve" it^ tt fifhtrwet
folk No ^i ^"^•^'^1'^ °^ ojher fifhing tackle in the county of nZ

From the perufal of thefe. and. indeed of moft other antient {\.un.
en^S ^VTT^^' manufoaures. fifheHes. aiS navJatTon i t^
Tnvt \ ^^Sia^'^'s knew nothing of the affairs v^ieh^hev under
wantofXfrf' '"^'^^° '^'' moft^f their ordinanc s. dt/er from

Sed rfor f • r ^1°"" °'^'"^S ^"^^^ ^'' «l"^oft impoflible to b^
obeyed (for example, that people fliould fell their filh 4 i nrtJ r.

W of i^ T?' '^^'^^i^f' '''*'^^' ^"'^ confequently could know no,

S tL ^hi ""'' r' "" ^°"S "^''' ^h« ^i"^^ "°^ "«der our confider-
IT.' 't i^^ '.^P'^^^"'^''^" of towns, the only members of the le

niamyfadures. began to have any weight in parliament. '"'"'"'^'"" °^
••u uiry. I J/a/,,/„ 0, /ar^,_ y ^ Append, p. 37.]

55«

A. D. 1357.

The neutral natiofts tbott^ht it neceflary to obttiu letwrs ©f feft ictftn-
dudl for their (hips from the bcHigCTtnt powers. We have thrtee ift-
jftances of fuch letters granted by King Eihvard to veflds beiott'^ing to
Venice, the chief feat of comnrtesfce in the Mediterranean, faiK*»^ to
Flanders, the chief feat of Comnnerce on the weft coa<l of Europe.
[Fadera, V. vi. pf^. il, Qfi, 120.]

April 29' — We now find what is probably the earlieft prttJedeM ex-
tant of the law, or ufage, of recapture, «s determined by King E-dward
• and his council. Some goods, which had been taken in a Portugtittfe
vellel by the French, having been retaken by the Englifli, tlic fN&rtU-
guefe owners claimed their property in virtue of tbe treaty of the ytar
J 355. But the Englifh admiral condemned them as i&wful prize \ and
the king of Portugal thereupon wrote to the king of EnglatKl foir relli-
tution. Edward, after advifing with his council, anlwered, that, if a
neutral owner were along with his goods onboard an enemy's vcflfel when
taken, they {hould be reftored : but the goods in queftion having be6n
found as French property, and taken from the Fiench in fair war, the
captors were entitled to them. [Ftrdera, F. vi,/. 14.]

Ap il 29'''— In a truce between England and Scotland it waS agreed,
that, if the fliips of either nation fbouid be forced into the ports of the
other by ftorm or other unavoidable neceflity, they might quit Jy reft
for a reafonable time, and visual, without being liable to any arreft or
hinderance. [Fadera,V. vi, p. 15.]

September— Three Scottifh (hips of war, with 300 chofen armed men,
cruifed (apparently without any authority) on the eaft coaft, and anivoy-
ed the Englifti commerce very much, till the equino<aial gale drove
them, with a number of Englifh veffels, into Yarmouth, where the people
of the place feized them, and put an end to their cruife. [Kny^bton,
col. 2617.] Thefe wer?, however, powerful ftiips to be fitted out by
private adventurcr^s in that age, and in a country lb exhaufted as Scot'
land muft have then been with almoft feventy years of war : but the
diftraded ftate of the country forced the people to forfake honeft in-
duftry, and fly to rapine for fubfiftence.

September 26''' In a parliament, or full council, of the prelates,

nobles, and communities, of the kingdom of Scotland, held at Edin*-
burgh, the following feventeen towns were reprefented, and may thence
be prefunied to have been the chief towns of the kingdom at the time,
viz.

Edinburgh, Cupar, Dunbarton,

Perth, S\ Andrews, Rutherglen,

Aberdeen, Munrofs, Lanark,

Dundee, Stirling, Dimfries, and

Inverkeithing, Linlithgow, Peebles.

Carail, Hadington,

A- IX 1-35 ?- 559

The u«prefewtatives, of whoiu Ediaburgh. P«rth, anKl Aberdwn, font
thxee eacU, J»nd the other tawM two mqk ,re all calJed aWerm!^
mcrclnms, and burg^Ois. of the «own* pcBJifes^rby /Ci ^d^^^^
worthy of obftjrvatio.. that of ,h, ikv.^e^ ^l.^o^s^HC
maritime, aud appar.otly comtn^rcial. (hire of F^ TndZtt mlm
uporv tlie eaa Goaft. The bufm«fe of the i«€etin«. wasTJrS L .„^,
provKle for. the ranfom of their king, then a prifleT^ LXd ^S
v^ fi^d at the prodigious fu«^ of o», bu^dr.dtbo.fand marl^TC to
be pavd by mftallments wathii, t«p yea«. Foe the payni^t of^tTfUm
the btlhop, of Scottind bound all the goods, moved^le aod immZll^

land; he pobks bound themf^lvos and all th« barons, (or |Lho£v

of Scottmd. and their heirs ;,aad th« repr^ftntatives of the toC bound

hemfelves and the other cocnmunities of burgeffe^ and meintt

S^nt S f '"J^r* ^''u ^^'^'Ses.. QKp^nfes. and it«.eft* (K-
coum of fonae delays u^ the pa-ymew, the mnfom was afterwards^fed
to one hundred tl^ufandpomd.Jlerlins, a fum equal in eft^cac7fVhe^v

oflin^r ? ' ^j^^^f5"«\brought upon that Itingdom by the raS
of Kmg Richard, What then. n,ua have bee*n the djftrefs of Scitk^J

to rr^'"^',"°V^''^-'"'' ^"^ ^"' "^^--^ i" population and fmS
to England, already drained and exhaufled by iars. of which fcarcrf;
^ym^n then, hymg was old enough to r^member\he begtnTr^^
^l IT.,"^'^'"'^ ^'? ** "'"^^ ^'^^^ ^» ^hftt paid for the raS rf
?a^5w1/ y?,"^'S^^b^ ^«'^ ^•'^'•-^M to queUn the ^SSui^ o|
laifing It. if there were not extant the moft undeqiable w^of, that the

TZ:Z'r^rJ^'Jc^ ' "'"'^ K' ^'''^- 4^7 fcr the /g^ difcharge.] ^
nthir ^? ^^^ ®'^^.^' ^""* ™«y b^ admitted^ in the want of

land^e'lvST^^^^^^ unqueftionable , of that- the^ commerce rScot!

KL^^ont^^^^^ «"^' ^^^- cattie.^:;dtotbr;

»^(hcd by cuaou,. or the kw. .,f both Wdoms; n",l' ■"lil'ir.?!.,"'^'! '.'[^.''^"^' «» ''"ft^'g" * and fLe
tbat It wM thought uun^wiFaey to Ipetily it.

t Tlicre was a great deal mcrs money drawn
from Scotland to England: for King Edward, not
fatufied with the obligations of all the people of
beotland, had. as a further fecurity, twenty youths,
tl»e Lars of the firft men of tht; kingdom, and of

money rem.tfd for their fupport was of itfdf fuf.
.cicm. to d.ftrcfs a country circumttanced as Scot-
land then was.

: • Ferrifodini.tt plumbicidiis. cujnnibet t iani

pene metaU,, fat.s habills.' fay, Fordun [/.. ii,

A ^i l" '^^^"''^'"i »''« proJuttions of Scotland.—

As I have already raeutioned expottations of dogs

56c

A. D.

557-

After this time the notices of the attendance of burgcfl*e» in the par-
liaments of Scotland are more frequent* and in the title of the laws of
King Robert III (as publifhed by Skene) we are told, that the bifhops,
earls, barons, freeholders, and burgefles holding of the king, were fum-
moned in the ufuat manner. Admitting this to be genuine, burgelTes muft
then have been conftituent members of the parliament for a confiderable
time back.

King David foon after his return into his own dominions appointed
Adam Tore, a biirgefs of Edinburgh, and James Mulelcin of Florence,
joint keepers of the exchange ibr all Scotland, and mafters of the mint*.
It feems probable that the exchange, to which thefe officers were ap-
pointed, was formed upon the model of the new one lately eftablilhcd
in England by Edward, whofe example he wiflied, and greatly needed,
to follow in all methods of acquiring money

1358, November — Before David was well fettled in his own king-
dom, he returned ro England on a vifit to his kind brother-in-law, King
Edward. His bafinefs is faid to have been to entreat an abatement of
his ruinous ranfom, on condition of joining Edward in his wars ; and
he alfo requefted, that there might be mutual liberty for the merchants
of both kingdoms to trade freely in each, and that the "money of both
might alfo pafs indifcriminately in each ; and thefe requefts, we ure
told, King Edward agreed to. {Fadern^ V. vi, p. 98. — Knyghton, col.
2619.]

It is alleged that the merchant-adventurers of England this year ob-
tained a grant of very ample privileges from the earl of Flanders, and
thereupon « >ibli{hcd their trade in Bruges ; and that Bruges and all
Flanders, in confcquence of that trade, grew to great wealth and pro-
fperity. [Wheeler's Treatife of commerce, p. 14.] But we know from un-
exceptionable authority, that Bruges and all Flanders were very profper-
ous long before this time f .

I359» January i2"'_The trade of driving cattle from Scodand for
fale in England, which has continued down to the prelent d:iy, is at

from the fouth part ef Biitaln, it may be proper
to obferve, tli«t the greyhounds (• leporarii') of
Scotland were fo much elleemed, that tlie duke
of Berry in France thought it worth while to fend
his valet and three other men »> ( '•ui for'- of
them, and to obtain letters of fafe couJudi rom
the king of England for them ■- tru^A ih-.Mgh
his dominions upon that bufinc la, • vii,

/.831.]

• This information is from a Tuble of cmtetili of
charters, fSjc MS. Bib. Harl. 4609, Roll d 2 A x,
n\ 24, 25. There arc no dates mentioned i hut
as n°. 42 of the fame roll contaii s the charter of
creation of the earldom of Douglas, which was in
I'cbruary 1358 (as we now reckon the commence-
ment of tiie year) and the king returned from hia

long capti»ity in OiSober 1356, the end of 1356.
or'fome time in 1357, feems the probabJi date of
the appoimment. In 1357 Adam Tore was one
of the reprelVntatives of Edinburgh in parliament.
\_Fct(ltr<i, y.s'\,fp. 44-59.] It is worthy of in-
veftigation, whetb-r the new exchange 'vas eda-
blilhed '■'• exchanging ^o/r/ and fiWer money. See
below under the year 1367.

f Wheeler, wlio was fecrctary to the company
of merchant-adventurers about the year j6co,
writer with great zi.:il for the honour and intcrell
of his employers : he aiTcrts roundly ; but he pro-
duces no authoriiies, though he mentions frvcral
charters. Hii only original documents are fome
certificates, probably procured by himfelf, tUc f«r-
licft of them being dated in < 5^2.

^''^' '359-

561

November 22' i„ January ,he Flemings banilhed all rh^ Fn^Kn,

,^'f'"i'^'"''' °f labourers were confirmed : new penalties were enart

cSfe or b^r^hs fhi ^ / "« """T F-'^''=8^ """'='"='' «> "fidence In
HvrH;^?p^^'['!i^f3t^«-/4.'^'; -re """'=''""='' '° "="
All merchants and others, aliens or natives, had liberty to trade fr..

4 B

S6:

A. I>> ij6o.

The permlflion granted to Englifh merchants to export wool was now
confirmed. [^Sis 34 E^w. ///, c. 21.]

March King Edward ifTued orders for arrefting all the veflels in the

kingdom, loaded or unloaded, in order to get together a fleet for an-
other expedition to the continent : and he diredled, that the largeft (liips
fhould carry 40 mariners, 40 armed men, and 60 archers ; and barges
fhould be manned in proportion. [Faedera, V. \A, pp. 167, 169, 174.]

April 16''' — The king, underftanding that there were various mines
of gold and iilvcr in Ireland, which might be very beneficial to himfelf
and the people of that country, commiffioncd his principal minifters
there to order a fearch for the mines, and to do what would be moft for
his advantage. [Fa^era, F. \'\, p. 172.]

At this time there were fome confiuerable manafa£lures in Ireland-
The fluffs called /rtjrj, made in that country, were in fuch requeft, that
they were imitated by the manufiidlurers of Catalonia, who were in the
pradlice of making the fined woollen goods of every kind : they were
alfo efteemed in Italy, and were worn by the ladies of Florence, a city
abounding with the richeft manufaftures, and in which the luxury of
drefs was carried to the greateft height. [Capmany, Mem. hijl. de. Barce-
lona, V. i, Com. p. 242. — F(7ZW delll Uberii, L. iv, c. 26. — Tranf. of Royal
Iri/h acad. Aut'tq. p. 17.] The annual revenue derived from Ireland,
which amounted to near .{^10,000 *, \War(ei Hihernia, p. 136, ed. 1654]
gives a very refpedlable idea of the balance drawn into that country by
its commerce and manufadures, though we know next to nothing of the
particular nature of them ; unlefs we fuppofe a great part of the money
to have been drawn from the mines, for which, I believe, there is neither
authority nor probability.

May 8 '' The long war with France was terminated (or fufpendcd)

by a treaty of peace and friendfhip concluded at Bretigny, whereby King
Edward gave up his claim to the crown of France, and the king of
France, then Edward's prifoner, ceded many provinces and towns in
France to him, and became bound to pay him three millions of gold
ecus, which, at the declared value of 3/4 Ilerling, were equal to half a
million of pounds of the Englifli money then current. The treaty,,
which is very long, contains no hint of any commercial intercourle
betv/een the two countries. [Fa-dcra, V. \'i, p. 17S.] France, then de-
ftitute of commerce and manufactures, was prodigioufly diltrefled by the
ranfom, which never was completely paid off.

We are told, that Nicolas of Lynne, an Engliih friar and a good
aftronomcr, made a voyage this year to the northern polar regions,
wliich he repeated five times afterwards, and then prefented an account

• Walfiiigliam [////?./. 350] ftates the net re-
venue rcccivid from Inland at thittime al ^30,000.
l!ia thai aullior often daditi his niimbeis of men

snl money at i,.nd<>m ; wlietea» Ware's informa-
tion is taken from the -ecords Dill rimaining.

A. D. 1360.

5^S

i,pfi. 121,

of his difcoveries to King Edward *. {Hakluyt's Voiages, V.

2 2 2*J

It was about the fame^ime. if we may depend upon the authenticity
of Zeno s voyage, with Do^or Forfter's expofuion of the geography of
It. that fome filhermen belonging to the Orkney iflands we?e driven by
ftrefs of weather upon an iQand, fituated in the Weftern ocean, called
Eftotiland, which was apparently the country called VVinland by the
Norwegian difcoverers (See above, p. 279). The people of EftotUand

rnfl-Tf'?""' '"^ ?f ^^I ' '^'V '"^'^'^ ^^'^ ' ^l^^- driL was ale hey
pofleffed the arts and handicrafts known in Europe f ; they had Ih il

mrh which they traded to Greenland and to the UtinentVfterwards'
called Amenca;^v.A they retained the intrepidity of their Norwegi^
J^^ftors in crofTing the tracklefs ocean, chough ignorant of Tcfnt
Ms; but they immediatebr underrtood the prodigious advantage the
prkney-men enjoyed ,n poffelung that wondefful guide. From Green!
land they imported furs, brimftone. and pitch, and from the c^nTinent
apparently, gold. The king of Eftotiland" confidering Se Skn ^Ten

of a fleet of twelve veffels for a voyage to the continent. Thofe velfels
were driven by a dreadtulftorm upon apart of the coaft occupied by
cannibals, who devoured the moft of the ieamen : but the Orkney-meu
faved themfelves from the fame fite by teaching the favages to cS
fifl. with nets The only one of them who returned to Orkfey related
that he li.jd thirteen years on the cominent. traveling through a g eat'
number ot tnbes, one of whom, fituated in a mild climate to the fouth-
weft. was niore ciyihzed than any of the others whom he had known

to Eftotilatid. whence he made many voyages to the continent, and having
acquired wealth, had fitted out a velfel to return to his nativ; coumry ±!

• Leiand fays, that NiVoIaa wrote C«nons of
tables, an ilfjiy on the nature of tlie zodiak, and
another on tlic houfca of the planets, which were
extant in his own time. \_l)e fcnhtorihus, p. 547.]
Hut he has not a word of his voyages ; ?ncl,I be-
heve, tlicy may be uonfidtrid as lalhcr doubtful.

t '''''<• '""o' "f KIlotiLind had a hbrary, where-
in there were fomc Latin books, not underrtood
by him, which were probably carried thiiher by
Eric bidiop of Greenland, who went to convert
MO [wople of Winland to Chrillianiiy in the year
I lij, Rnd fcenis to have died tliere.

; Zenu'. voyage wai eonfideicd as a very doubt-
uil ilory, or r.nhcr a tncie fable, till Dodor For-
ik-r'n able nnd injjenions citpofition removed the
iiiill, whah (ncr« helmed it, and poured upon it a
flreaniof h^ht, li'tle inferior to hilhiric demon-
tliatiun. It ia fupported by, and it in return il-
iullruies, the hiUory of the difcovcry of VVinland
jbont the year icoo, an event probably uotknov^n

to Zeno, or the recorder of his voyage, or indeed
to any ptrfon in Italy, before books were render-
cd common by printing. That the people of Oik-
ney, a Norwegian colony, (houid be ignorant of
the language ot thofe of Ellotiland, apparentlv a
colony troni the f.nie parent Hock, may fcem a
circuinllance uiifavonrablc to the credit of the
nanative. Unl, as .,11 languages are continuallr
changing, we may well admit, that a feparation of
about live centuries fince the feltlement of Iceland
would prodnre a difference in two dialers of the
fume language iuliieient to prevent them from be-
ing mutually jnteUk'ible. Very little of the laiu
guage, fpoken in England five liuiulrcd veara ago,
can be ttuderftoud in the prefent day' by thofe
Wjho have not «u:iicd it ; Chaucer's language ia
diftcult to ofdinary readers; and many words even
111 Shaklpeare are obfcure, if not unknown, to
the molt ucalous and diligent of his co.iimcnta-
tort,

4 B 2

5^4

A. D. 1360.

[For/Ier's Di/coveries in the Nort/j, pp. ■ iSS, 204 £/?^. tran/!.] The
fuperior people, here defcribed, muft have been the Mexicans, who thus
appear to have been known to this native of the Orkneys about 160
years before they were invaded by the Spaniards.

1361 — The trad i ons of the North give very pompous accounts of
the commercial prolperity of Wifbuy, a city on the weft fide of Goth-
land, an ifland in the Baltic fea. They tell us, that after the total de-
ftruftion of Winet and Julin, famous commercial cities near the mouth
of the Oder on the north coaft of Germany, and tlie fubfequent con-
flagration of Slefwick, the whole trade of the peninfula of Yutland and
the coafts of the Baltic was removed to Ripen and foon after to Wifbuy,
which thereupon became the moft flouriftiing commercial city in Eu-
rope * ; and the merchants of Gothland, Sweden, Ruflia, Denmark^
Pruflia, England, Scotland, Flanders, France, Finland, Vandalia, Saxony,
and Spain, had factories there, and ftreets appropriated to each feveral
nation. There all ftrangers were made welcome, and admitted to all
the rights and privileges of citizens. The citizens lived fplendidly in
houfes built of marble ; and the greateft abundance and profperity
blefled the happy ifland, till. In the revolution of human affairs, the
commerce, which had rendered Wifbuy rich and happy, was transferred
to other places. The invention of fea charts, and a code of maritime
laws, are alfo afcribed to Wifbuy ; and we are told, that the merchants
of other countries fubmitted their caufes to be tried by the magiftrates
of that city. — From thefe exaggerated accounts it feems probable, that
Wifbuy had more trade during the dark ages than any other place in
the inland fea wherein it is fituated. In the year 1-288 the citizens had
a quarrel with the other inhabitants of the ifland, after which they for-
tified their city with a wall and a ditch ; a circumftance by no means
agreeing with the reports of its wond:;rful opulence m earlier times,
for, in thofe days of rapine and violence, no town, that contained any
thing worth plundering, could be without walls. Probably we fhall
come nearer the truth, if we affume that date for the commencement
of the commercial profperity of Wifbuy f . After that time they be-
came very powerful ; and, confcious of their naval fuperiority, and in-
toxicated, as we are told, with their exceffive profperity, they preyed
upon their weaker neighbours. Such condud could not fail to flir up
enemies. Waldemar king of Denmark invaded them in the year 1361,
threw down their walls, and loaded his fhips with the accumulated riches
of the citizens. After doing them all the mifchief he could, he enter-
ed into a treaty of friendihip with them, confirmed all the privileges

• The authors of thofe accounts probRbly knew figned as one of the principal caiifcs of the pope-
nothing of the commercial cities of the Mcditcr- lation and trade of Wifbuy, is dated in ia88 by
ranean. Eric king of Denmark in Uh J/i^ory of Denmari,

f The conflagration of Slefwick, which ii »f- p. 1C7 in Rtp. Danlt.

A.'D. 13b/. ^05

and immunities which had been granted to them by the emperors of
Germany and kings of Sweden, and gave them liberty to tmdeTnWs
cbmimons on as favourable terms as his own fubjeds, toge^he? with the

1362. Odober-Notwithftanding the ad of the year 1,60 the on.
Zf'l ul""^ purveyance ftiU continued. It was now Sed th?t
tliere (hould be no purveyors but for the king and queTn th;t the
odious name of /«.^.j..r fhould be laid afide. fnd thatTw fublH
tuted for It t ; that ready money fhould be paid for all thingftaken for
the royal houfehold. and that the prices of them fhould bfapnSfed

Z7i:':t:iTs/7,^^ ^'^ '^^^^ !-^^-' forwtth\rruy ^s

were to agree with the fellers; that commifTioners fhould be aoDointeH

ey^!tt\'fS/ u' r"^^°^^^ ^^^ ^^- no chatorTor"^^^^
owner Is^I f if r?°"li'"''" ^"/^^^"g ^'^^^"^ ^^e confent of the
owner. [Stat. J,^6Edw. III,cc. 1-6.] As the purveyors or buvers

werlVo'b'e ^ob^^^^^^^^ " probabllth^tThefeS

Tnd rndeed r. f " '^^ preceding ones on the fame fubjed :

n?«j:,i .K ' 1 '^^"^"^ repetitions of laws for the fame things Ihow
plainly that they were in general very inefficient. ^

th. ft f^^"t« °( '^^,^1?'^ ^'''^''"g hefted the mayors and conftables of
the ftaples with junfdidion in matters of felony, affaults aS trefnaffe;
m their towns it was thoiight proper, that th^ey fl^uld'only take coe

ne c"hrts ti'ti;:? '""-^^ l^^tween perfons'who were kLwn t^b^e"
merchants, and that criminal matters fhould be tried at common law '
as fornaerly ; only that alien merchant, might flill, if thev chofe T
bring all caufes. whether civil or criminal, wherein hey weTe any wJv
concerned, before the mayor of the flaple. It was alfo oTdliney hnV
the king and other lords H^ould enjoy all the privi eel thev W r
efTed before the flatute of the fla^le's wast aS.lx e^^ „^^^^^^^^^^
debt, which were refervcd to the jurifdidion of the mayo^of "he ftaple
whoever m,ght be the parties. [Stat. ,. 36 Edw. Ill, I 7.1 P'"'

Jed. i?^r;6iri.rr':T " ^^'°" "°°^ ^"^"^^ '--' ^°-

t^l'j^f'S-'^^l'' '°'"^^.3'^d commons, reprefented to the king, that manv
Fople fuffered exceedingly from the laws being unknown, becaufe^hey

• If they wtrt an independent community, un-
on what pnnc.pJe could it be alleged, that thev
•lad not a right to coin money ?
,J New names do not change the nature of
thing, How Ung the name of purveyor remain.
ed profcribed, k perhaps unknown : but we fee it
revived, and holding it. place (I fuppofe, very in-
nocently) ,n ihe modern lifts ol' the royal houfehold.

t We know, that the purveyors of wine in the
year 1369 were accufed of detaining cargoes of
wine, on pretence that they were taken for the
king, to the great difappointment of intending
purdufers an J damage of the owners, that they
m ght make the.r own profit of them. ^See AUs,
43 tdw. JJI, c. 3.] "- '

rsSS

A, D. 1362,

were ' pleaded, ihewed, and judged m the French tongue/ which was
little known in the kingdom, fo that the parties were ignorant of what
was faid in their own caufes by the laAvyers in the courts ; and that the
Jaws ought in reafon to be exprefled in the language of the country,
agreeable to the practice of other nations, in order to enable the people
to know how to condudl themfelves. — It was ordained, that all pleadings
in courts &ould be in Englifh, but that they Jhould be inroUed in Latins
aiT^ that the laws {hould be kept as they were before *. \Stat. 1,36
Edw.lll, f. 15.]

The parUament fixed the duty upon wool exported at ;^J : 6 8 per
fuck, and fo to continue for tliree y^ars. At the fame time duties were
alfo granted on wool-fells and hides. [Cotton's Abridgement, p. 94. —
Walfmgbam, p. 179.]

Odober 26'" — As if the enormous ranfom for the kin^, and the ex-
penfe of the hoflages, all going out of Scotland without any return, had
not been fufficient to impoverifh that country, the bifliop of S'. Andrews,
feven earls and barons, one countefs, and nine burgefles and merchants
of Linlithgow, S'. Andrew?, Edinburgh, and Tinedalc (one of whom,
however, is faid to be on the bufinefs of merchandizing) were all ftruck
with the frenzy of paying their devotions at the tomb of S'. Thomas at
Canterbury, for which purpofe each of them obtained a paflport from
King Edward. Some of them, whofe devotion to the martyr ftill con-
tinued ardent, returned foon after with a new fhole oi devotees to Can-
terbury ; and it is obfervable, that then, and afterwards, they were re-
ftrained by the ' erms of their pafiports from carrying any Englifh horfes
to Scotland vvi them. So far was the king of Scotland from endea-
vouring to allc ite the mifery, his ranfom brought upon his fubjeds,
by a wile pul .ic economy, and the difcouragement of this ruinous
folly, that he himfelf, as long as he lived, was the moft frequent viiitor
to S'. Thomas ; and, by his example, the people of all ranks in Scotland
continued many years infeded with the fame fuperftition. [Fadeta, V.

vi,/7>- 395. 407. 576. &c. &c.]

1363, March "i — ^The parliament having ordained ' for the profit of
* the realm and cafe of merchants of England, that the ftaplc of wool,
' wool-fells, and hides, fliould be held at Calais,' it now began to be
held there accordingly f . [Ads., 43 Ediv. Ill, preamble.} The king ap-
pointed twenty-fix principal merchants to have the cuftody of that town,

• Bj- this law wc learn that Englilli had hecn
lor u coiifidcrabk time the predominant languaijo,
even among the higher clalTes, in England. But
tills law was a;i little within the comprchenrioti of
the great bulk ol' the people as all tliofc which
preceded it ; fur it, and alio all thufe after it, ivicli
very few exceptions, for above a centur)-, were
written in unknown language, generally '
only a very few being in Latin.

+ In the parliament held in ©(ftobcr 136? ' the
' lords being required to fpcnk what they thought
' of the lepair of merchants to Callis, thouglit it

* good to have the fame done. But the com-
' mons referred their anlwcr umlll conlereiice «!th

* the merclmut!.' [^Cotton'] yHirid^natni cjrecorm,
ft. Q2.] This is a good inflance of the attention
of the reprcfcntativcs to the comttKicial tnccHts
uf their conliitucnt*.

A. D, 1^6^. ^Q^

each Imving under him fix armed men and four archers on the king's
pay. He appointed a mayor for the ftaple and another for the town
and ;!r.r • "t^^ ^^^onh, payable to the king, was fixed at 20/
and that payable to the merchant wardens at 3/k for every fack of
wool. [K.y^kon, col. 2626.] Thus were the ftatute of tirSleamf
^1 the vaft multitude of regulations relating to it/rende ed nuga^
before they were fairly eftabliilied, and before the people concerned weTe

|:?oXnrd adv:rg|^"^^^^^ ^^°^^ '- cona^U^heir bufint S
June 7''— It appears that EngliQi cattle were a profitable article in
Manders, as Andrew Deftrer of Bruges giternar (pllyer on the gukar^
10 the queen, obtained permifTion. to carry over twLty-five oftn or
cows without paying any duty. [F.^ra, V. vi. p. 41 8./ ' ""'

Uctober—Some very extraordinary laws were now enaded Tfie nar
hame^, after fetting forth that many merchants, by undue a ts S
combinations and by means of their fraternities and gilds had ea
grofled all kinds of goods, which they kept up. till they couw'feirthem
at enormouc prices, ordained that every merchant or fliopkeeVer (hm^u
make his eledion before Ga«dlemas of one particuLr Tn7of S^^
and fliould be allowed till the 24'" of June to difpofe of his other aood:
on hand after which tinie h« ftiould deal in the one kind chofia by
occJo^. "°"'^'"- ^"^^^« -e'-^in Uke manner tied down t^one
occupation, with an exception in favour of female brewers bake«

iTnT'or fiT^-''"' ';!^ ■°;^"- "^"^'^^ «"Pl°y«d upon woTk"'in woo"'

to tnf '";'^" n ^^^""^ ^° ^^^^ ^^^- ^'^ of flandard q^uaU^r .nd
to ftnmp It with thfiur own marks in addition to the eflkvlr^: ftnmr.

E!i:^'j7tT'''''^'''''' ''''' P-hibitedfromtiidmr [/;^^^^

to nrXfh!?!'"/ r""f '°i ^r'' ^^^^'' '^^ Par'-anrent took the tix,uble

o prefciibf: a fcale of visuals and clothing for the various members of

the commumty. regulated by the rank, fortune, or profS of each

If this »a had been in the laniruatrc o." the
c-owry, wc fliould h.v. fcen ir^^^ lakJUr,

ybpi; the unumnmx JUr figiufyiug a woman
(not a man) who brew,, bnk<rs,\J,ve!, &c. as I
have obfei-ved in anotber work. When men be-
nan to invade diafe departrotntg of JnduQry by
which women ufed to earn an honeft livelihood,
they retained the feminine appellation, (as men!
tmd«i>-e» B.id men-rBillin«ri do now) for fome
time : but afterwards mafcwline words drove the
feminine ones ct of the language, as the men had
driven 1« women out of ihe employments. Spin.
Iter IliU retams its genuine termination; siultlvc
language of 'he law fetms to prelnme, that everv
unmarried womatv f. ind.ill.iot.fly employed i.

In the progrefs of improvement artificers have
fouad It .«P«d.^.tf to fubdivide tbefr employment,,
aud rettna themtelves, each toa partituhr branch,
not for the purpofe of preventing combination.,
birt for a fachty m cairying every particular
brtneh to the greater perfcrtlioi. by attending to
one only. ihus do.s trade, in proccfs of tllne.
rogu ate .tfelf, far better than the interference of
ariy legiflature can ever do. He wm, a wife nn.
who, heiug afl«d by tlic prime mwlller of France,
what the merchants wifhed him to do for the be!
iieht of commerce, anfwered him with this rtiort
a.Kl pithy f,nten-:c. « Laijin mmfM^^; !«».»« „,, ,
to ourfelvcs.

» »

S68

A, D. 1363.

individual. Ploughmen and others employed in country work, and
people not poflefling property to the value of 40/", were to clothe them-
felves in blanket and ruflet lawn. Servants or lords, tradefmen, and
artifans, were allowed cloth of the value of ^(I'l : 6 : 8 per piece. Arti-
ficers and yeomen might give ^2 for their piece of cloth. Gentlemen
having /^loo a-year, and merchants and tradefmen worth ^^500 of clear
property, might wear cloth of £3 per piece. Gentlemen having ;^20o
a-year, and people in trade worth above £1 ,000, were only intitled to
cloth of j^3 : 6 : 8. But knights having 200 marks of income might be-
ftow £4. for their piece of cloth : and thofe having above 400 marks
a-year might wear whatever they chofe, except ermine. The clergy
were to have their cloth equal to that of the laity of the fame income.
And all women were to drefs in proportion to the incomes of their
hufbands, fathers, 8cc. But it would be too tedious to go into the mi-
nutiae of thefe fliort-lived and futile regulations, efpecially thofe for the
drefles and trinkets of the women. We learn l3y them, that veils were
worn, even by the wives and daughters of fervants, who were not al-
lowed to give more than twelve pennies for them. [Stat. 37 Edw. Ill,
cc. 8-14.] We are told that the plunder brought from France furnifhed
the materials of a great part of the extravagance now complained of,
and an infedious example for the reft of it. \Walfingbam, p. 168.]

Thefe regulations were immediately followed by another, worthy to
accompany them. The clothiers were ordered to make a fufficient
quantity of cloth of the feveral prices required ; and the ftiopkeepers were
ordered to provide a proper ftock of them to fupply the demand. \Stat.
37 Edw, III, c. 15.] This law, however, feems to infer, that there was
now a fufficient quantity of cloth made in England to fupply every
confumer, except thofe of the highert clafles, whofe number being
fmall, their confumption of foreign-made cloth could have no influence
in deprefllng the home manufacture.

This year the king commanded, that no man fliould export cloth,
butter, cheeie, fhcep, malt, or beer. But the German iaerchants might
export worfteds and ftreight cloths, and thofe of Gafcoigne might ca. /
woollen cloths to the value of the wines imported by them. \Cotton's
Abridgement, p. 96.] In the following year feveral licences were grant-
ed for exporting cloths ; and the merchants of Bofton, in particular,
were allowed to export wooled, fliort, and ftreight (perhaps narrow),
cloths*. \Rot. pat. prim. 38 Edw. Ill, mm. i, 2, 3, 17.] From thefe
prohibitions and limited permiffions it may be inferred, that Englifli
cloth was already in great demand abroad. Probably the quantity made
in Flanders was now diminiftied in confequence of more Englifti wool
being worked up at home than formerly.

* * Pannos lanutos, curtos, et ftriAoi.'

A. D. 1363.

5^9

Scotland from Lsva^al^Cllu.^^^^^^ ^urchafe of the kingdom of
by force, bethought himfef of ?n.f"'u'^^''/"^^^^^ ^° ^"bdue it
dom. Before Kine S w^f another method of acquiring that king.

fettled the ?uccd£^Thecrow^^^^^^ of Scotland had

and. failing them, on RoberrStILt th^fo^f\'"'^r^ F^
David's wil had lately dLd ^i^C^hfvLf ^^^^^^

often happens, he was nnt .in«„ e • j. * . " ^ ^""d» and. as

ceflbr. g^ch bdng the fitua'^bn S'f ^ '"Tf "".^ ^J^ ^^^^^^^ f"-*
the country groaning under the nr^^ Pu ^^'^^ °^ ^^°^^"d' ^nd
thought it a farurfbirrDDormn w' 'r' i?"^'^ ^"^°™' Edward
that.faiUngmaTe*?(rueofTSfl °' P«^f"/dmg David to confent,

J^nd. ihould fucceed to the k^n^dom of So .!' ^rf^"'^^"^'^ °^ ^
the propofal to the kinV tL nohl a ^'^°'^'?°^- , I" order to fweeten
to rLi? the whole thnce then un ';?/'? V'' ^^^r''""^' be offered
were now paid) ; to rS Berwick^ R^^^'^ ^^o.ooo marks

maben. with their annexed dTftrit' f^ a'^^{ Jedburgh, and Loch-
ftore. or compenfatr to D.vrH .1 ' '"^'^^^'^^e^X *« the Scots ; to re-
to hi; anceftXin Eng and o t'.f ''r'^.^'" "/ '^' ^^""^^ b^l°"ging
1-werful earl in ScSd)td "oThe ^^^^^^^^^ ^-/- ('

tions; to take Upon himfeif t^ fatisfv fZ T^ ^^ ?'^'°"' ^^^^^^
claims upon eftates in Scodnml iTP u^ ^/"^''^ ^'»''°"^ ^"^ their
Scotland ftould never alSe Aor H^H '^u ']"' ^'"^ °^ ^"S^^^^^ and
fen^e the antient |aws and ufes of 2 \ ^^'''' ^'"^^°"^ ' ^° P^«-
government entirely by the adminfft? ^'"S^°'^.' =^nd to conduft the
and by parliamentsVL held .""^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^7''"'' '' ^'^ T"^^>^'
pnfes. tallages, or exadion, Lfi^il 1 r V ,^^^ "° new impofitions.
times of the\oorkirgfof LS^^ '^^ "- eftablifned in the

ufe their own franchl t trad w-rh '^.^^°"'^ merchants ihould
to go to Calais or any otter pfac^ but .T.h'^^^" ''''^'^' ^^^ ^°«^P"lfion
ihould pay no more t^n half a m^{ f ''' °^^" Pl^^fure. and they
great ciftom f. {Lfc^ ^ vi%^'li ^/T^ ^^'^^^ ^^^' ^^"°1 to the
treaty talked over bv rh^' nr" ' ^' 4?f-J-^"ch was the [ketch of a
prefe'nceatLndV'andapZverf":l^^ °' the two kings in their
ing already raifed an "nft ?rSn ai.^nf f"" rT.^ ^"' ^""•^' 1^^^'
Pailiamen? to appoint Lionel hT fe?on / < ""^"'^ ^/ P^-^P^^ng to his

be his wn.r^^ ea. of^k tl wi::;-^;?.;:: .1^-t^

• The v-.>rd male is krpt out of figlu Jn the be-

t Abcrcromby and Lord Hailea rlvc d.ttcrert
c.pofu.on, of .hi. article. I prefume. that f If
a mark per fack wa. the antient duty on wool x
l"*r,cd from Scotland, and that the Scots vv-.. no
VOL. I.

F

It

to hf liable to pnythe much-heavier duty ,he«

4C

570 A, D. 1365.

tious : and it appears, that he never faw any profpe<a of obtaining the
confent of his fubjcdh, cxafperated by the miferies of an age of waiw
fare, to an union with their inveterate enemies ; and therefor he care-
fully kept the fcheme (for it was exprefsly declared to be no more) a
dead fecret *. Certain it is, that, under more aufpicioas circumftances,
fuch an union might have been acceptable, and have greatly accelerat-
ed the improvement of agriculture and manufadures in both kingdoms,
efpecially Scotland, and would have enabled Great Britain much fooner
to aflume a pre-eminent rank among the kingdoms of Europe.

The equitable mode of repairing the roads by funds raifed from tolls,
collected from tbofe who ufed them, was now fo fur eftabliflied, that we
find, bcfidcs the renewals of the tolls for the Weftminfter road almoft
annually, tdls granted this year for the road between Highgate and
Smithfieid, for that from Wooxbridge (Uxbridge) by Adon to London,
and for the Venel called Faytor (Fetter) lane in Hepburn. [Rot, pat. fee.
37 Edw. Ill, mm. 25, 44, 47.]

It may be proper to obferve, as a proof that fome of the citizens of
London were already very opulent, that Henry Picard, who had been
mayor fome years before, made a magnificent entertainment this year
at his own houfe in the Vintry, to which he invited his fovereign the
king of England, the kings of France, Scotland, and Cyprus, (all three
then vifitors at the court of England) the prince of Wales, and many
of the nobility ; his wife at the fame time giving another entertainment
in her apartments, I prefume, to the ladies. According to the cuftom
ef the age, Picard prefented rich gifts to the king, the nobles, and
knights, who dined with him f . [Stow's uinnaUs^ p. ^i$, ed. 1600.]

1364, January — The experinnent of compelling the people to feed
and clothe themfelves according to a prefcribed ftandard of rank and
fortune was found not to anfwer expectation, and the a6ts ordaining it
were repealed. The other ftrange law, reftriding merchants or fhop-
keepers to one fingle article of merchandize, was alfo abrogated ; and all
merchants, aliens or denizens, were allowed to buy and fell all kinds of
goods, and to export them on paying the cuftoms, except that Englilh
merchants were now again prohibited from exporting wool and wool-
fells. All perfons were agmn prohibited from carrying abroad any gold
or filver, excepting (as before) the fifhermcn who fold nothing but fiih.
IStat. 1,38 Edw, HI, cc. 2, 6.]

* And it remained unknown to all the hiftori-
ana of England and Scotland, and utterly forgot-
ten, till it was publilhcd by Rymu in the year

f Stow tcUt us that Picard, having won fifty
marks from the king of Cyprus at play, reftored
ihem to him, anJ gave gifts to his retinue. Stow
Fw* dated the entertainment in the year «357,

when he was mayor ; but 1363 was the yeai of
the vifitation of the kings.— In the year 1350
Henry Picard and another pcrfun were appointed
by the king to make an inquiry concerning a Ge-
noefe veflel ; and in i J59 he and Hugh de Wich-
ingham lent the king 15,000 marks. IFaiiera,
y. \\,p, 6<)l.—B.ot. full. fee. 33 Edw. Ill, m. 14.]

X

A, D. 1364.

, 57'

It ma enadled, «Iiae a veOel ftould not be lublc to fdzure for a little

CO.*,.. a. W.U « the Gafcona aL other alien,. "^LTs^^iZ-UI.
b.ent*ft^t'L'f-^ ?'P ]^'"'Sing to the bilhop of Aberdeen, havin,

great officers of bs foreign dominions to make ftrid fearch bv darW
bymght and to ftop all perfons having money bull on hill. %

if we n>ay venture to^r^Tf "„>Tht c;iSo:l^r'-?:^ i '*"^""^-
amount ng only to qoo mirk^ «,KinK .iT i • u • * ^^^^ ^ pennies.

^ Str-w fey,, ' All that had 30 penny woorth of
good«, of one mafiner cattel in their houfe of
• their own proper.'~Thc fc.fe of thi. i, rather
obfcure: but ,t may perhaps be explained from

V^^t°V 1j'^"P*'°." C'"'- »3?6] of the perfon.
4.ablr to pay S,. Pcter'i penny Tn the reign of the
Conquerc, vie. erery perfon having the value of
tl'-rvy penniet of live money (flavcs and cattle) in

hi. haufe. Earlier defcrlptions may be feen in the

tZ r^V"^ ?P.'.''"^"'^ explanationsTf Them
lateft I^n'H ? "l^^^^'G't^y but thi, i, the
ateit I find for I do not Enow whence Stow ha,
taken the paffage, which I have here quot d from
him. and given on the faith of hi, g'eneraf Se™

4C a

572 A. D. 1365-

From the account of BartholemewGlantville • [De proprietatihus rerum^
L. vi, cc. 13, 16, ed. 1481] we find, I'uat flavery ftill remained with all
its rigours in England ; the child of a female flave was a flavo • (he was
debarred from marrying without the confent of her proprietor ; and a
free man by marrying a flave reduced himfelf to the ftate of flavery.
All flaves were fold like any other living property. We find, however,
no accounts of flaves being imported or exported in this age.

After an interval of almoft a century, a feeble attempt was made this
year by the king of Cyprus to renew the holy war. He took Alexand-
ria, and after keeping pofleilion of it four days, burnt the greateft part
of it, and, underftanding that the enemy were approaching in great
force, went off with a great deal of plunder, confifting of cloth of gold,
lilk, and other pretious articles, which his foldiers, among whom there
were fome Engliftimen and Gafcons, proudly exhibited as trophies of
their valour in their own countries. But in confequence of the de-
ftrudion made bJMthofe marauders, the price of fpices was raifed in all
the weftern partsyf the world. The cru&de, undertaken on pretence
of religion, bein|^t»us found deftrudive of commerce, the Venetians
who were moreoT^iTuffering from the refentment and revenge of the
Egyptians, perfu^ted the king of Cyprus to negotiate a peace, in which
the recovery of the Holy land was entirely loft fight of. The war was
foon renewed by the turbulent king of Cyprus, who interefted the pope
in his caufe fo far as to attempt to ftir up fome of the princes of Europe
to renew. the folly of the preceding century. But hij holinefs, finding
he could not prevail with any of them to take the crofs, perfuaded the
king of Cyprus to feek for peace, which he obtained. [Fadera, V. vi, p.
533. — Anon, Fit. Edw. Ill, p. 430. — Wal/tn^bam, p. 180 — De Guignes, en
Mem. de litterature, V. xxxvii, p. 513.]

We are told, that fome navigators of Dieppe in Normandy this year
(or the year before) difcovered the coaft of Africa as far as the River
Senegal, where they formed a fettlement, and obtained fome articles of
African produce, which they hud formerly received by the way of
Alexandria. The difcoverers admitted feveral merchants of Rouen to
Ihare with them in the African trade ; and in the year 1366 the enlarged
company fitted out feveral veffels, and fettled fadories on the Rivers
Niger f and Gambia, at Sierra Lcona, &c. In 1382 they built the fort
De la Mine d'or on the coaft of Guinea, and afterwards thofe of Acora>
Cormentin, and others : and they went on very profperoufly till the
year 1392, when the civil wars, together with mifmanagement among

• Better known by the naaie of Bartliolomzua
Anglicus. Kis book upon the properties of things
is a kipd of fummary of the knowlcge of the age,
in the manner of liidorc. It is a pity, that his
very frequent quotations from unt:. nt authois, and
chiefly from lilUore, for what he ought to have

known better himfelf, render it often doubtful,,
whether the manners he defcribcs are thofe of his
own age or not.

f Rather the river which ufed to be fiippuful
the mouth of the Niger.

A. D. 13(55.

575

themfelves, brought on their ruin and the lofs of all their fettle-

Z^^ ;ft'''T. '''' T °'' *^" N'«"- '^^'^^ eftablifhments (if they were
r^.nl^T^'^ authenticated) might be confidered as a renovafion of
coaft and rHT'"/'"^*^'^ *^? '^^ '^' Carthaginians on the Sah
the whole .tft? T"^™""'' °^''^" difcoveries, which, extending along
hin.^S the ?vfte^ t^' '°^'^"'"'' ""^ "^ ^^"eth to India, entirely un!
lunged the fyftem of antient commerce, and paved the way to thofe

PirTs of EuTrf/' h''^^ ''"'^' ^r^"^ *^^" ""y °^^^^ P^°P'« i" the weft
parts of Europe, how to turn all raw materials to the moft profitable

ufes, this year (and probably long before and after) received rabbit (kins

'^'\'''y';:f^'^^^''}op?^d there in his way from Avignon to Rome
and the exhibition of fo much finery is adduced as a proof of the eTeat
opulence of tht city f. ^ ^ S'^^*'^

.H&'^'V^^ '' r°"^y °f ''''"''^' th*t Galcaz. lord of Milan, offer-
of kL^T/ ^T^^''/ ^" "^'^""Se to Lionel, the fecond furviv ng "on
of King Edward, and to give, as her portion, lands in Piedmont of the
annual value of 24.000 gold florins (then equal to threeXL^s fter
Lri^^^^^^^^^^ with X00.000 in ready mo\ey ; or, if it wirf more

agreeable to the king and his fon to have all money, he oflfered to dve

d e°iL"n'd11ver:' ^^^^'^^ /-^^^-S ^is daughtermagnific:.tly Ihh
drelles and jewels, and even furniture, and conduding her and the mo-

• The .V017 brought from the "'^oth coaft by
the merthams of Dieppe gave birth to the work,
in ivory, by which that town was enriched as
long ai the ware continued to be efteemed by the

'public.' [%ffW, rf, /a Nalurr, V. iv, ft. 420,
'^^ '7390-rNotwithftanding the very refpeftable
authority of De Guignes, the author of the Spc.
tacle de la Nature, &c. the whole hilbry of th.
ircnch colonic, on the African coall is contro-
verted } and it la generally alTerted, that no Eu-
ropean ever failed bcvond Uarbary before the Por-
luguefe. It u faid tiiat the Portuguefe kept their
dilcoTeries as fecret a. pofllble ; but, admitting the
authenticity of the French difcoveries. the fecret
of them mull have been much better prcfcrvcd, a»
U feems pretty certain that the Portuguefe had no
knowlege of any .voyages made by the French to
U.e coalt of Atrica previous to their own. But a
continuation of a fecret trade for above a hundred
year, was not fo praa.cable in the fourteenth and
liftecnth centuries, aj when the Phccniciansof GaJir

and Carthage enioyed thtir fecret trades to the

Caliiteridea and tlie African coaft.

J tr ^"-5' ■'" "°' "ther a proof that 1,000

drttles of filk appeared in the eye of the writer a

very extraordinary difplay of magnificence ? When

vas more worn by the ladies of this country

i is at prefent, would it have been worthy

'ice. evtn in a newfpaper. that 1,000 ladies

apj.caad m filk gowns in Hyde park or Kenfing-

lon gardens ? Neither was the difplay of filk be-

yoml fome others of much earlier ages. In the

year 11 jo all the attendants at the coronation din.

?*S/° S^'S" '''"*^ "^ ^•'^■'y '""^ ^f^ff^d in filk.
\^''''' 7'""- "/• Muratori Script. V. v, col. 6a*. T
bicily. It li true, was then a chief feat of the filic
inanuJaaure. But even in the remote iflind of
Oreat Britain the difplay of fUk and other finery
at the marriage of Alexander III king of Scot-
and to the daughter of Heiu-y HI king of Ene-
kud in the year 1251 (See above, p. 400) was ,1
tier fuperior to this boafted exhibition of Genoa
tlie Stately. ^ w u«».

574

A. D. 1367.

ney to Calais at his own expenfe. The bargain was ftruck for the Undi
and iQOjOoo florins. [Fadera, F. vi, pp. 547, 564 ] We have here n
notable proof of the vaftnefe of the mafs of the pretious metals circul-
ating in Italy at this time, the fruit of flouxKhing commerce and ma-
nufadures : for it is idle to fnppofe, that any great proportion of the
wealth of Italy could be acquired Dy the trade of lending money upon
ufury or intercft, as fome have aflerted. Produdive induftry muft nc-
ceflarily provide the funds for the payment of intcreft, which, unleft
in the cafe of intercft paid by the flaie, and provided for by national
eftatcs or taxes *, is truely a ixu'ticipation of profits between the pro-
prietor of the capital and the aftual conductor pf the bufinefs fupporte4
by that capital.

June 1" — King Edward licenced a German merchant to import eight
horfes from Flanders, and to fell them for his beft advantage in Eng-
land, or to carry them to any other country, except Scotland, to which
he did not allow any horfes to be taken out of England f , {F<rdtra, F.
vi,/. 566.]

The parliament of Scotland had in the preceding year ordered the
money of the kingdom to be coined of the fame quality and weight
with that of England, vijj. twenty-five shillings out of the pound of
flandard filver. But this year, confidering the fcarcicy of filver money,
and thinking, according to the ftrange erroneous notion of the age, that
it was in their power to increafe the quantity of it, merely bydiminifli-
ing its intrinfic value, they ordered that the pound of filver (hould be
coined into twenty-nine (hillings and four pennies, or rather (as there
were no fuch coins as fhillings) into 353 pennies, pennies with their
halves and quarters, together with fome groats and half groats, being
hitherto the only filver coins ftruck either in Scotland or in England.
They alfo ordered that no perfon, whether native or foreigner, fliould
carry any money of gold:}: or filver out of the kingdom, except what
might be fufficient for his neceflary expeufes, without paying a duty of

* Intrreft arifmg from national cflatrn or taxea
does not enrich the community, a> it only transfers
money from one ham) to another, gsneralJy within
the fame territory. But manufa(Surea and com-
merce enrich the country by money drawn from
foreigners ; and of the wealth fo acquired, this
marriage portion, and the one given by the duke
of Brabant to King Edward in the year 13391 are
illullrii>u9 examples and proofs.

f When Lionet went from England ti marry
the daughter of Galeae, he took with him 1,280
hoifes, though be nad only 547 men, and was go>
iDg to Lombardy, a country from which England
ufed to import horfes. On that occalion the king
alio fent fome horfes as a prcfent to Galeaz. [Fad-
tra, y. vi, /. 590. — Madox'i MS. Ctll. V. \,p. 61,
in Muf. Brit,:)

J ^' is generally agreed, that no rold money
was c. lined in Scutlarid before the reign of Ro-
bert II, the fucceiFor i;( l>avid II. If tht laws
tf David II, publifhed by Skene, were unqueftion-
ably genuine, here would be a proof, or at lealt a
ftrong prefumption, that he coined gold.— But the
laws are not to be dcpeiKled upon ; ^nd I even
hefitate in tranfcribing the regulations -onceming
the ScottiHi money, though (upported by the ex-
ample of the diligent and accurate Ruddiman.
See his learned Prtfact to Andtrftn'i D'iplomata et
numifinala Scotit. The aniient laws of Scotland
Aand much in need of a new edition ; but the
work ouEht to be undertaken by an editor, very
different m knowlcge and induftry from Skeae.

1368 Jpnua y— That the armourers of Endand were fuoer • tn r\.r.r^
from the petitions- of ttro Scottift gentlemen to Kinr XrTfor Ce

ora^owSlof thJ.V?!.?'""''"' '^''■' granted: but lb much waf arm-
our an objett of the jealous attention of government that the virinne
pieces they were permitted to buy were carefunrLdfiedCh^^

mTnTrell^i/r^r",r "' "^^^^ ^nd of th'e eTuffof ^oJ^rn
ment refpeamg it. alfo appear in fome of the paflports eranted to W

May ,« Th^LJ-^ 1' \ ""' ^^' 5^'» 583. 584. &c.J
from r.V Pernuffion, lately granted to the EngliOi to import wine

from Gafco.gne. was now revoked ; and they were not tven aCweT^o

w J t '^^'^' ^- ^-J ^* ^^« natives of England were now de

barred from exporting wool and wool-fells, and frL imTortin« wine"

ttvtow"!'' f '^' ^"'^ °(^^^ ^°""^^V. ^ve need n^woSrX
wdl Ko ^" ^^'^^S'^ merchants with an evil eye. I believ^ no

dons fn tlf"" T'^^Tf '° ^'"°""' ^«^ »»^^f-* e^raovdinary prohiS!
S of coZ^ f '"f"^ d'ametrically oppofite to the moft obvbus prin.
ciples ot commercial pohcy and common fenfe. ^

May 4 -Jirng Edward took under his protedion fohn Unemin W,i
^am Uneman. and John Lietuyt. clock^akers Lm DeS' who lo
pofed to carry on their bufmefs in England: and he ordeccd alThls fnh"
jeas^to protect and defend them from'all injuries * [Si':"r "if ^

BeJ^^ck'u^?' ^'a^ k"^ r"''^"'^ ^y ^ ^h^"^'- t° the burgefTes of
he nrH.r.^ K }^'' compkint of encroachments upon their rights

57^

A. D. 1368.

agreeable to his charter. But his order was not obeyed ; for the fame
complaint, and the fame order, were repeated a year after. [Foedera,
F.Vi.pp. 593. 620.]

November 20'" — In a «^reaty of alliance between Charles, king of
France, and Henry, the new king of Caftile, the later engaged to con-
tribute, and .^eep ar <ea, twice as many gallies as France, to a6l againft
England, [i'Wierrt, /^ vi,//. 598, 622.] Though the war was chiefly
on Henry's account, in confequence of the affiftance given by the prince
of Wales to Peter the Cruel, we fliall, perhaps, not err very much, if
we fuppofe that Caftile had twice as much trade and navigation as
France.

1369, March 20''-^King Edward, underftanding that fome artificers
refufed to woijc for the wages appointed by him and his council, order-
ed the keepers of the peace and the fhirrefs to punifh all recufant arti-
fi( ers, and alfo all employers who gave any more than the limited wages.
[Foederay V. vi, />. 615.]

May 10"'' — The merchants and other people of Flanders and Lom-
bardy being injured andinfulted in London, the king declared, that they
were under his protection, and that the kingdom was benefited by
them ; and he commanded, that all who molefted them fhould be im-
prifoned. \Faderay V. vi, p. 618.]

Summer — In confequence of the renewal of the war with France, it
was thought unfafe to continue the ftaple for wool, wool-fells, and hides,
any longer at Calais : and therefor the king and parliament ordained,
that ftaples fo) ihofe articles fhould be held at Newcaftle, Kingfton upon
Hull, Bofton, Yarmouth, Queenburgh, Weftminfter, Chichefter, Win-
clicfter, Exeter, and Briftol, and alio in thofe towns in Ireland and
"Wales, wherein they had formerly been *. All merchants, denizens or
aliens, wei'e permitted freely to go over all the country to buy and fell
all kinds of goods, carrying the ftaple ar^ii ^ to the ftaple towns, there
to be weighed, cocketed, and cuftomed, ana the facks of wool to be
I'ealed by the mayor of the ftaple of the place. The ftaple goods of
Weftminfter and Winchefter were obliged, as formerly, to undergo a
fccond weighing at London and Southampton, the ports of fhipping.
Alien merchants were at liberty to carry their merchandize to any port
whatever : but dt-nizens were not permitted to export any ftaple goods
on pain of forfeiture of veftul and cargo, befides imprifonment for three
years. \Stat. 43 Edw. Ill, preamble, and c. i.]

Though It. was alleged ihat the law for allowing foreigners only to im-
port wmes was found advantageous to all the kingdom, neverthelefs, as
the prince of Wales, who was alfo prince of Aquitaine (or GafcoigncJ,
complained, thac his revenue was impaired by the abfence of the Englifh

• Stow [^(j/.M'c/,y>. 423] mentions only Qi^ecn- fencd that Sir Robtrt Cotton \/lbr'ii1gnntnt, p.
buigli, K' gdon >i|"in Hull, : nd liollo; , » tie no] notes tlic priiitcJ aft as varying much from
llitpKb uid...iie<i t.y ^larliaineiit : and ii may Lc ol» the uriginal record.

now enaL'^"7h T"^ ^''''- "^""'T'"' ^^ ^"^^ '^^^'^^^^ unfold, it was

the rjft/a "sfAi: "on^teur^Cr °" f/^^ 'r^'y^'
hundred tuns of wine and r.rrv ft! f' ^^ "^""^^ "^"^ ^' '^a^ one
on pain of forJeitTe'^f tSdt"^ Za^J- ^^T^ '^"^ ^s ow.,
43 £</«;. ///, f. 2.] ^°' ''^"'^" imprifonment. [^W.

A war almoft entirely maritime, between Waldemar kino- .f r»

King Edward, having rrfumed the thleTf Id^t „f fef °f % ,
baflidors to confirm the allmnrf wifh ,1,. f "S <* trance, fent am-

He alfo ordered all hL fubj" b ^ te ve y caTefuHn n'rl?'' "^ 'i''""^"'-
between him and his fubieft, „r, ,k! ^"y<^i<raul m preferving the truce

Bruys of ScotS f Lfte fuWefe o^thfl ""' '"^"u*" '^''"'' "f
Scotland was foon after extendid to f„ ^r, •""• ^''= "■"« '"*

trade was confirmed letters of rJ. TJfu ?™"' ""»"»■ liberty of

VeniS'ntTp' ^^^^ ^J,T ''"^''' ^^l^'""-'^ '» P--« »"
Venetians gave n^ affiftancf to^^Ilf' ?™^^ "" ^"i'^^- P'o^ded the

peo^;f "o? ji.;;rd!?sr ."rpS mrhTnt'Jt jr 'V""* '4' -"
Ai.''F,tr::ii:£!riravrr''^''^^^^^

their cargl he reaHmwt .f''^" "'"biting the coming of
aifcharg.? at;e«^^'l^ ^-^^-^^^Th^V^ ^f^'d" ^^^^^^

Olher. fay, tliey were to h«ve only two thirds

" , ** '•""'«>»"-• Icngacfrom the beginning of this
ar. S.O very unc-ertau, i, Hanfeatic hidory : and
I'crefor I_ lr„ft ,hc j.idlciot,. reader will not Uune
me fo g,vmK fnver particulars of it than Mr
Andcrfon ha,,!,nc. I am not qui.e fo wellaf:
("red. a, I w.lh ,. be. of the authcnlicity of fomc

t Notw,thfta„.!,ng the llrong j^^iticl neceflity

of courting the fr.endflnp of David at this time.
Ldward conld not lind in his heart to give him U
proper tjtlc of im^ „/ AWW. nor c^ven aw
thote add,„.,n, which were ufually given to p,^nc„

father of trance, whofe mfant daughter wa! mar-
ried (« Imn. See F,dera, K vi, /. jrrt /l
A#m in A. D. 1396, £3•^ ' f- 15^ > I' - vu

4D

578

A. D. 1370.

the earl. The Flemings alfo engaged to carry no armour, artillery,, or
ftores, to the king's enemies. [Fadera, V. vi, p. 659.] From this treaty
we learn, that the expedient ufed by merchants and mariners for fcreen-
ing their property from capture, when their fovereigns engaged in war,
by becomingnominal denizens of neutral powers, is at leaft as old as

the year 1370.

1371, January i" — A (hip and two cogs or carracks, belongmg to
Genoa, and loaded with merchandize belonging to Genoefe, Florentine,
Lucan, Venetian, and Valentine *, merchants, had been feized by the
Englilh in the years 1369 and 1370: and now the king ordered that
they fhould be reftored, and that each of the merchants fliould receive
the packages appearing by the marks to be his property. Soon after
(February 3*) the treaty with Genoa of the year 1347 was renewed,
and all damages and hoftilities on both fides were configned to oblivion,
the king adding, as a condition, that the Genoefe fliould give no aflift-
ance by land or fea to his enemies. It appears that 2,000 marks were
paid to tlie Genoefe in the following year by the king ; and at the fame
time a perpetual peace, or aUiance, between England and Genoa on the
above terms was concluded, or confirmed (26'" January, 1372). [Foed-
cra, r. vi, pp. 66^, 670, 673, 676, 679, 682, 706, 707.J

Lent — The parliament, apparently in confequence of the duty, m-
lended to defray the expenfe of guarding the fea, being impofed by
the king's authority, enaded, that any new impofition laid upon wool,
wool-fells, or hides, without their aflent, Ihould be null. IStat. 45 Edw,.

ni,c.4.-] n r 1

■The commons reprefentcd in parliament, that fliips were often taken
up for the king long before they were wanted, and the merchants ruin-
ed by fupporting their feamen in idlenefs ; that by the merchants, the
fupporters of the navy, being fo often deprived of their fliips, the mar-
iners were driven into other trades ; and that the matters of the king's
\eflels took up (prefled) the mafters of other veflels, as good men as
themfelves, whereby the men were alfo obliged to feek other means of
living, and the (hips were rendered ufelefs ; and that by thefe means the
navy was reduced. [Cotton's Jbridgevient, />. 113.]

1372, February 7"' Notwithftanding this remonftrance, the king

Mued orders for all veflels in England and Wales to enter into hi&
krvice, and tp aflemble on or before the firft day of May in the har-
bours of Southampton, Portfmouth, Ilamel in tJie Rys, and Hamel
Hoke, all on the coaft of Hampfliire oppofite to the Ifle of Wi^lit.
{Fadera, V. vi, p. 708.] „ ^ . .

April 7"— A merchant of York obtained leave to flnp four pipes ot
Rhenirti wine at York for Kingfton upon Hull, and thence to carry it
to Pruflla for fale, he being bound lo bring home wood for bows in rc-

• .Apparently of Valencia in Spain.

,<Ppf^

A. D. 1372. ^yg

turn for the value of it. [Fadera, V. vi, />. 7 1 8. J By this very circuit-
ous carnage we might fuppofe, that the merchants of England carried
on a moic adive foreign trade, when they would undertake to fupply the
I'ruflians with wme, which grew in a country between themfelves and
York. But this was only a rare inftance for a particular purpofe.

May 24 —The race of architeds. who ereded the magnificent ca-
thedrals and abbays in Scotland, the ruins of which are contemplated
even m the prefent day with reverence and admiration, feem to hare
been extind at this time ; for we find, that fix men were licenced to go
trom England to ered a tomb for David II, the deceafed king of Scot-
land ; and Scottifh agents were licenced to travel through England on
their way to the continent to procure a ftone (mod probably a flab of
marble) tor it, which, we thus fee, could not be procured in all Great
Britain * [Fadera, V. vi, p. ^21 ; V. vu,p. 10.]

fi J^u''^r''^^''-^n.T confiderable naval engagements this year. In the
hrlt the Enghfli fought with the Flemings, without knowing whom they
were engaged with, as it is faid, and took twenty-five of their veflels
loaded with faltf. The other battle was fought btfore Rochelle (21*
June) with the Caftilians, who by the fuperior bulk of their veflels, and
alio by the execution of fome cannon, now for the firft time (as far as
we know) ufed at fea, had fuch a fuperiority, that, after fighting almoft
two days the moft of the Englifti veflbls were burnt, funk, or taken.
{Anon. Htft. Edw. Ill, p. 438, rd. Hearne.-^FroiJart, L. i, cc. 302-^04.—
Munm.Contin. p. 1 2y.] ^ ' » J j ^

July 19"— In a league ofFenfive and defenfive between King Edward
and us fon-in-law, the duke of Bretagne, reciprocal freedom of inter-
courle upon land and water, and free trade in all parts of both coun-
tries, were ftipulated. [Faedera, V. vi, pp. 738, 750.]

It is worthy of notice, as illuftrative of the growth and progreflive
profpenty of the great commercial capital of the Britifli empire, that
at this time at leaft twenty of the houfes in Burcher (Birchouer or
Birchm) lane, in the very heart of the city, came under the defcrip-
tion of cottages, and under that denomination were conveyed to S'
Thomas's hofpual in Southwark. [Rot. pat. 46 Edw. Ill, m. 2.1 It may
be alio obferved, that about this time ftiops in London appear to have
been detached and feparate tenements, or at leaft feparate properties un-
conneded wuh houfes %, as they are at this day in feveral cities and towas.

• The mountains of marble in Scotland were,
it fecm«, imkriown to the king and his minifters.
YIt tnarble is mentioned umoiig the produdioob of
.Scotland by Fordun, [/,. ii, c. 8] who furvived
King David Ijiit a few yeiirs.

t This fecnis the fame battle, which Meyer,
tiie annalili of I'landers, dates in 1371. He fays,
tiie Fleinilh (hips were loaded with wine from
Kuchellc ; and he adds that the En^lifij fleet af-
terwards blocked up the Straits of Dover, where-

upon the citiiens of Ghent, Bruges, and Ypres,
without regarding the king of France or even their
own earl, accommodated matters with the Englifti,
whom they confidered as their bcft friends and al-
hes. connc^cd with them by the mutual benefits
ot dayly commercial intcrcourfe.

X Of many documents, which might be adduced

in fupport of this obfcrvation, one grant by King

Edward III to William Latimer maybe fufficient.

It conveyed to him j mell'uages and 4 (hops in the

4 D 2 parift

58o

A» I>. i^^a«

The citizens of lotidoTl rhis year rtpfeftinted to the king And his
council, that by their inAtffiry and their franchifes they had gained their
lix/elihood by laftd and water and in various countries, from which they
had irtiported many kinds of merchandise, -^^IWreby the city ar^d the
whole kingdom tvere greatly benefited, atid the navy fupported and in*
cteifed : but that lately their franc'^ife* were taken from them, con-
trary to royal graftts and Magnu charta, which would be of ruinous
confeqaence to the city, the kingdom, and the navy, And difable them
from paying their taxes. They therefor prayed, that they might have
relief, and that the relief might be extended to all the cities and burghs
in the kingdom *. [Brady on bttrghs, Jppend. p. 36.]

^373. Jaftiaary-^King Edward having engaged a number of Genoefe
gallies in his fervice, and appointed i\\t brother of the duke of Genoa
to command them, alfo employed Genoefe officers, foWiers, and mar-
iners, who received certain pay, and were moreover to have all the pri-
loners and merchandize they Iboitld take, together with all things that
rould reafonably be called pillage, to be divided among themfelves, the
oaftles, towns, and fhips, taken from the enemy being referred to the
kmg. \T(xdera, V. vi, pp, 753, 762, 763.]

November — The city of Briftol with its fuburbs was detached from
the counties of Somerfct and Glouceftef, in both of which it is fituat-
ed, and made a county of itfelf by parliament ; and all its liberties and
charters were confirmed. \pottorCs Abridgement, p. 119.] Briftol, feat-
ed in the heart of the clothing country, was at this time unqueftionably
the fecond commercial city in England.

By a new regulation for the mcafurement of woollen cloths it was now
cnaded, that cloths of raye fhould be 27 elns long and 5 quarters broad,
and cloths of colour 26 elns long meafured by the ridge, and 6 quarters
broad ; and half cloths in proportion. Thofe who made cloth for their
own ufe, or for clothing their retinue, were not bound by this law
\Stat. 47 Edw. ni'\

1374. July 24"'_King Edward, obferving that tlxe money of Scot-
land was now inferior to that of England, ordered the chancellor of
Berwick to proclaim that the Scottifh groat fhould be taken for only
three pennies, and other coins in proportion f. [FetderOy V. vii,/. 41.]

ptttilh of S'. Dinnts, Langburn ward ; j mcfTuagcs
iiiid 5 fnops in S'. Audrcws, Billingfgatc ; i mclT-
uage atid i Hiop witli a quay adjoining in S'. Mary
at Hill, Bilh'ngfgatf \ 7, mcfluages with a cellar in
iS'. Botulph's, fiilKnglgate ; and 1 mefTiiage and
2 lliops in 3'. Mildred's, Bread ftrett. {_Rtt. pat.
Jec. 47 Ediu. III,m. 18.]

• All tlie aniialifts fay, that the merchants of
London, Norwich, i(c, were incHned to rebel) this
year : but there is nothing in the preceding or fub-
iVquent events to warrant fuch an aflertion.

f This was but a lumping way of fixing a

flandard of exchange. By the beft information wc
are pofTefled of, the filver money of both king-
doms was of the fame ftandard. The Englilh
coined £i:y.o, and the Scou jC' : 9 = 4. 'mni
a pound of ftandard filver. So, if the Scots had
fubmitted to King Edward's regulation, and given
jfi ; 9 : 4 of their own money for ^1 : a : o of
Englifh, they would have fuftained a lofs of about
14 per cent. — Therefor wc arc fure that the people
of Nonhumberlaiid difrcgarded the proclamation,
or evaded it by coUufive pricts.

i

A. D. 1375.

581

rJP^'-^TV Kt-^"^^ ^*^"'^ ^"^^ers having been plundered at

uui one maj iumce.--K.ing Edward licenced James, fon of the earl of

wheat and 300 quarters of malt in Lincoln-fhire and N^?k and to
ftip them at any port for Scotland. [Fcedera, V. vii t, eg 1 '

tebruary-Though King Edward in the y;ar x'/hid Ldered his
naval commanders to refpcd the Venetian Aq a tL Tl rxr .

£rf7r. ///, ;«. 2 1 .] ^ ' ' '^' S^'—Rot. pat. prim, 48 -

1376, January—It being ufual for fraudulent debtors to make ovpr
thear tencnents to their friends in confidence, and live upon the ,^m^
of them in the fandtuaries of Weftminfter S' M^n^n. un a \
other fuch privileged places, in ordTr To compertS cr^^^^^^^

Sed Thi'irr'"""^ '^ full payment of th'eir deb^.'thl ^ar iament"
enacted, that all tenements or chattels, collufively conveyed flio , W K.
liable to the juft claims of the creditors. iStat. Jo^HI .6
• ^^^r/"»<^^Vh«t no woollen cloths fhould be exiled whhout h.
mg fulled ; nor fhould any fubfidy be demanded for^Sem Tfore h^v'
underwent that operation. \Stat co Ed-u, JfT r ^i ^u r f^

cloths before they were completely finilhed, could be enaded ^

of Irilh wool brought to England ; and alib that tty ft^t^d notttt

mcrchanl, in Vrnicc, for tl.crc were anot l„ v '* ^/ f^'!' '^ '"•^' 3J4] the fuperior f,,l.„J-

5«*

A. Di 1376*

je«9: to the law, lately pafled, for regulating the lengths and breadths of
cloths. [Stat. 50 Edw. Ill, c. 8.]

The magiftratas and community of London petitioned the parliament,
that they might enjoy their liberties, and that ftrangers might not be
allowed to have houfes, to be brokers, or to fell goods by retail. Soon
after, in the fame parliament, the community of the city reprefented
to the king and council, that their franchifes were invaded, merchant
ftrangers adted as brokers, and fold goods by retail, and alfo difcovered
fecrets to the enemy ; and they prayed that a flop might be put to thofe
enormities. Their petition was granted, ' faving to the German merch-

* ants of the Hanfe the franchifes granted and confirmed to them by the

* king and his progenitors.' {CottorCs Abridgement, p. 133.]

July 23'' — The ftaple was again fixed on the continent. The inhabit-
ants of Calais having complained to the king, that their city was declin-
ing, he ordained, that the ftaple for wool, hides, wool-fells, and alfo lead,
tin, worfted ftuffs, together with cheefe, butter, feathers, ' gaulae *,'
honey, peltry (' felpariae'), and tallow (' cepi' apparently iox febi), fliould
be held there ; and he ordered that all thofe articles f , exported from
any part of England, Ireland, Wales, and Berwick upon Tweed, fhould
be carried to Calais, and to no other place. [Fadera, V. \n,pp. 1 16, 1 1 8.]

Licences were required for bringing corn into England as well as for
carrying it out, as appears by a permilTion granted this year to import
400 quarters from Ireland to Kcndale in Weftmereland. [Rot. pat. prim.
50 Edw. Ill, m. 5.]

I377» January 30'" — Some Florentine merchants being perfecuted by
the pope. King Edward took under his protedion all thofe who were in
England or Calais by putting them in the Tower and taking all their
property into his own hands. He then declared that ihey were his own
real and unfeigned fervants, and that the property, which he again put
into their hands, belonged to him, and was to be improved by them
for his advantage, wherefor he ordered all perfons to abftain from doing
them any injury:];. [Fadera., V. vii,/. 135.]

January or February — The parliament granted the king a capitation
tax of four pennies from every lay perfon of either fex in the kingdom
above fourteen years of age, real known begg-xrs only excepted. The
unproraoted-ecclefiaftical perfons of either fex, except the brethren of
the four mendicant orders, paid the fame tax, and thofe who were pro-
moted, twelve pennies §. [Cottons Jbridgement, p. 145. — Walftngham,
p. 191.]

• Gaulc, in French, a fwitcFr, rod, or pole.—
Qji. if oficr branches for ihc coopers and balket-
makers on the ojatinenc \

f They probably comprehended almofl all the
exports of the kingdom, except fonie clolh, and
iorMtimes corn.

X Walfingham [/>• >9o3 fays, the pope gave
them the option o? being flaves to the king o(
England, or fuUfiiitting to the mercy of the papal
court J and of two evih they chofe the letft.

\ WalGngham [/. 191] olilervcs, that this wm
an unheard-of tax.

i

A. D.

'377-

/rbkd ,o rr 5 'tni^f °':'^'» ««%>-»pp"y p^^™''

583

we

whole kmgdom, and particularly of the following cities and town"

1-ay pcrfom, t ,

London, a city

York, a city

Bristol

Plymouth

Coventry

Norwich, a city

Lincoln, a city

Salisbury, a city -

Lynne

Colchester

Beverly

Newcastle upon Tine

Canterbury, a city -

S'. Edmundsbury -

Oxford

Gloucester

Leicester

Shrewsbury

Yarmouth

Hereford, a city -

Ely, a city

Lay pcrfom,"
above 14. Eftim.totalf.

23,314
7,248
6,345

4,837

4,817

3,952

3,412

3,226

3,127

2,955

2,663

2,647

2,574

2,442

2,357

2,239

2,101

2,082

1,941
1,903
1,722

34,971
10,872
9,517
7,256
7,225
5,928
■5,118
4,839
4,691
4,432

3,995
3,970
3,861
3,663
3,536
3,358
3,152
3,123

2,911
2,855
2,583

Cambridge

Exeter, a city

Worcester, a city -

Kingston upon Hull

Ipswich

Northampton

Nottingham

Winchester, a city -

Stanford

Newark

Wells - .

Ludlow

Southampton

Derby

Litclifield, a city

Chichester, a city

Boston

Carlile, a city %

Rochester, a city

Bath, a city

Dartmouth

Lay perfons,
above 14. Eftmi.tot»I.
1,722 2,583

1,560

1,557

1,557

1,507

1,477

1,447

1,440

1,218

1,178

1,172

1,172

1,152

1,046

1,024

869

814

678

570

570

506

2,340

2,335

2,336

2,260

2,216

2,170

2,160

1,827

1,767

1,758

1,758

1,728

i,56g

1,536
1,304
1,221
1,017
855
855
759

'T'u ■ ^ IZ' *,joo i-»arimoutni - _ son tun

The counties of Bedford, Surrey « Dorfi^f MJ^^i^r i /^ ,.

don, Buckingham, and Lancafter, contained no towns thoueht wor?hv
tLFZf^^''- ^'^r''-^"^"- Chefter and Durham, Sg paSe coun
IJ Waf "' ^^- -- -"^^o«. -e not includ;d in Hl^UnlX'.

The whole number of lay perfons taxed in the fliires and towns inferted

li'^'nM^"'* "'>'*'"»|l''nd'"« th' h'gh authority of
^ubltc record, and though the number i, «-

Carhlc, like almoft every other town in the IciW-
dom, ,, furdy much more populous „ow than Tn
the fourteenlh^century : anj in the year 1780 the
c.tyapdfuburbs contained only ,.«o^ famLs. or
6299 perfon... who lodged in 89, l.oufes. See
S.r Fredenc Eden'a Smu ofth^fcor, F. \\,p. 64.
« Southwark feeme to be in Judcd in London.
fJ\ " '^"'P"«ng '^a' Wellminfter is not no-
ticed. We can fcarcely fuppofe it included in
London j and yet the taxablcs of Middlefex, onlv^
n,243, ieem too few to comprehend the inhiibiu-
Mta ot that city, or large fuburb.

. t/"^'**? publication of them we are indebted
to Mr. Fopham and the Antiquarian focicty. See
their Atcht4>log\a, V. tii, p. y^o.
AJ^* "V»"r people would endeavour te pafs their
children of 15 and 16 a. tinder .4, and many muft
have been omittea by the colleaors. we fhall pro-
bably come very near the truth, if we reckon the

tL l^ f "'•'° P'/^ '^ '■ '«■ Thof.. who have
made the duration of human life their ftudr, aeree
that one third of the perfons living are under C«.

X It it recorded in the patent rolls [>. ,4
Ru. n, m. 3] that onf thoufa«dJve hundreAoM^n
were burnt ,n rhe three principal ftreett of Car-

■ <■

584

A. D.

^m-

in the roll, agreeable to tbe addition * at the bottom of it, is 1,376,442

Chester, supposed equal to Cornwall _ - _ _ 34,274

Durham, to Northumberland, including Newcastle - _ - 16,809

and Wales, including Monmouth-sliirt, to York-shire with itstownsf 131,040

1,558,565
Proportion assumed for children under fourteen, and omissions - 779/^82
Ecclesiastical persons, male and female, except mendicant friars - 39>1^1

Suppose the number of ecclesiastics in Wales and Duriiam, mendicant

friars, and other beggars _ _ - - - 1 32,992

Tiw whole people of England and Wales appear to have been about 2,500,000

The parliaments very often granted taxes of tenths and fifteenths to

be levied upon perfonal property. In a record of the year 1373, when

both a tenth and a fifteenth were colle<Sted, the following appear to have

been the only cities or towns which paid feparately from the (hires %,

London paid - ^733 6 8 Kingston upon Hull ^33 6 8

Bristol - - 220 0 0 Bath - - J3 6 8

York - - 162 O O

During the long reign of Edward III the commerce and manufadlures
of England appear to have been in a progreflive ftate of advancement,
notwithftanding the rapid fucceffion of contradi<Slory laws by which they
were haraflcd. The merchants began to open their eyes to the bene-
ficial effeds of taking the exportation of wool and other Englifh produce
into their own hands ; and confequently they poffefled more (hipping §,
and carried on more adHve trade, than their anceftors had ever done.
The woollen manufacture, which almoft ever fince the reig". of Edward
has been efteemed the chief fupport of England, made fuch a progrefs,
that before his death the people Teem to have been almoft entirely cloth-
ed with it ; we fee Engliih cloths even a confiderable article of export,
and have reafon to believe that no great quantity of Flemifli or other
foreign cloth was imported. The regulations for the fifhery, though far
from being judicious, fhow that it was at leaft an objed of attention.
But the rage of conqueft fwallowed up every other confideration : to
that the interefts of commerce were unhefitatingly facrificed upon every
occafion ; and even the marriages projedled || for his children were di-
redted by belligerent politics. Thence, though he got vaft fums by
marriage contradts and by the ranfoms of two captive kings, he expend-

• The total difagrees with tlie particulart, and
alfo with the fum. But it ia impoffible to (ay,
where the Errors lie. The appearance of four
pairs of towns, pcrfeflly equal to each-other, is at
feaft a flrange circumllance, if not erroneous. Tluit
Bofton, a town of confiderable fuicign trade, fhould
contain only 814 people above 14 years of age, is
alfo very furprifitig. But it mud be acknowlcgcd,
that there is much inaccuracy in the numbers, and
alfo in the words, of many of the records of the
middle ages.

f In the numbers affumed for Chefter, Durham,

and Wales, I have followed Mr. Chalmers in his
Efiimate of tbejircnglh of Great Sriiakt f- 141 eJ-
1794.

J This tax-roll was prefented to the fociety by
Mr. Topbain at the fame time with the others, and
is alfo publiflied along with them.

§ The proof of the increafe of (hipping is found,
notwithftanding the aflertiuii to the contrary, in
the firft Navigation all, pafled in the beginning of
his fucceflbr's reign.

II Many marriages were projected, which did not
take place. 1

A. D. 1377.

585

hf.n i^ '^^-Su"' g^^^'-a»y gave it with good will) than any of
it/wl of h"- r, ^^; '"T^'i^^^" °^ ^^^ "°"^ °^ France was the dar-
i^lfhl 1 Lh' ' ""f- th\g'-«f.°bjea of all his politics. But. of

h im «t h^! 1 ., T' k"^ r'" l^^' ^'''Sdom, there remained fubjed to
him at his death only the fingle town of Calais, an ufelefs incumbrance
upon the treafury of England * : and, fortunately for Great Sn^!
attempt to conquer France deprived him of almoft all the terrkor es' in-
herited by him from his anceftors in that kingdom, except BourTeaix
Bayonne. and the iflands lu the Channel. In his reign tlfe integrity of

hr fn''M;"\^"'°rr T ^'? ^'^^' °^' ^"'^ permanent tLes became f^ml
har to the hnghlh ; but that hardlhip was in feme degree alleviatedTv
the representatives of the commons, the branch of the parliament moft
conneded with commerce, beginning to feel and aflert ^therTwn Zt
tical importance as an eflential part of the Ie^iflative body and^ruftees

auietwFmfth'^''"'' ^^"?.^^"-",. If Edwlrd had fe.'himfelf Sown
quietly 1 and there was nothmg to hinder him) to mind the beft dutv

foon have become a great agricultural, manufaduring. and commercS

November-Before the introdudion of manufadures created profit-
able employment for the people not necelTarily engaged in agricukure
^or the population of Europe, though far Ihort of fhe numbers now
mamtamed m the more civiUzed parts of it, was more tha^ fuffic?enT
for cultivating the ground, as cultivation was then managed) the fuper!
fluous people attached themfelves to chiefs, by whom thfy were S

Tht^ flf :r r'''^^' ^^^^^' ^"^ -^^^^ ftandard Ihly foZeJ
Lt •• ?u^'^'"^ '^1". '.°""''^y' '^ ^°"^"l^e " by civil war, or to at-
^^t :;7S'^'^^"""g ^hj^f. J"ft as their lord commanded them In th
ftate of fociety even the fmaller barons found it impoflible to Uve in
fafety m the neighbour l.ood of a great lord without conncding them"
felves with him by an obligation of military fervice on their part anTa
promife of protedion on his. Thus was a kingdom, though nominally
united under one foyereign. adually divided into a number of i^de
pendent territories the lords of which paid no more obXnce to the"

the^Tn rr^'" ^'^? ?r ^^'^ inclinations or interefts prompted
them to : and thence we find the perfonal charader of the fovereign in
hofe ages have a much greater efFed in exalting a kingdom to .1 a^
litory fuperiority, or finking it imo a temporary^declinef thTn eve an
j^ears^m the better conftituted and confolidated governments of later"
times. It appears, that fome people of fmall eftates^in EngTand perht,
defirous of imitating the condottieri, or leaders of the confpanL^srvvhS!

yeaV" f C^rX^lS .74 .'/ ' " ' '''' ''-'''' '" •'^'•'•^'""'' '"^^ C^'' -ft^-.- a'

Vol. I. „

4E

586

A. D. 1377.

independent of any fovereign authority, about this time rendered them-
felves the terror of France, Spain, and Italy *, alfo fet themfelves up
as chiefs of retinues of armed idlers. The retinues or bands of each
chief were diftinguiflied by uniform hats and clothing, which were call-
ed liveries f , and ferved as a fymbol of union and attachment. The
parliament, fenfible of the pernicious tendency of fuch aflbciations, pro-
hibited the ufe of liveries under pain of imprifonment and forfeiture.
^Statute I Ric. II, c. 7.] But the law, though feveral times renewed,
had little effetl %, till the extenfion of manufadures and commerce, by
which the lower clafles of the people found ufeful employment and were
enabled to eat the bread of independent honeft induftry, and the nobles
found more agreeable means of employing their redundant wealth, gra-
dually, but much more ertedtoally, rel'eved the kingdom from the nuif-
ance of chiefs, who were above the law, and vaffals, who knew no law
but the commands of fuch chiefs.

1378, Summer — John Mercer, a merchant of Scotland §, who ufed
to trade to France, and was in great favour with the king of that country
on account of his prudence and good fervices, when returning home to
Scotland in the year 1 377, was driven by ftrefs of weather upon the coaft
of England, feized, and confined in the ciftle of Scarburgh, till an or-
der from court efFeded his difcharge ||. His fon, to revenge the injury,
cruifed before Scarburgh with a fleet compofed of French, Scots, and
Spaniard' , and took feveral veflels. John Philpot, an opulent citizen of
London, thereupon took upon himfelf the protection of the trade of
the kingdom, negleded by the duke of Lancaft^r, who, without the
name of regent, governed the kingdom in the minority of his nephew,
and having hired a thoufand armed men, fent them to fea in fearch of

» The companions confiftcd chiefly of Englilh
and French foldiers, dilbanded after the peace of
llretigny in the year 1360, who, unwilling or in-
capable to return to honeft induftry, affociated un-
der the banjiers of profligate chiefs, and fupport-
cj themfelves by plunder. The king of France
feized the opportunity of the civil war in Spain to
perfuade them to enter into the fervice of Henry
of Traftamare, who by their means became king
of Caftile. The two daughters, legitimate or ille-
gitimate, of Peter the Cruel, the dethroned ty-
rant, were brought to England, and married to
King Edward's two fons, John and Edmund, the
former of whom immediately afFumed the title of
king of Caftile and Leon, and thereby drew the
enmity of King Henry upon England.

f The name and the uniformity of drefs ftillre-
nain in the fmall retinues of noblemen and gentle-

men.

X So little regard was paid to this law by the
courtiers, that Simon Burley, warden of the Cmquc
ports and a great favourite with King Richard,
every Chriltmas gave from 140 to 2Z0 pieces of

cloth, fome of them fcarlet and others gilded
(' deauratos*), among knights, fquircs, valets, and
others, his dependents. ijCnyghlon, col. a?*?-]

( He feems to have been a burgefs of Pert
apparently the chief port of Scotland after the
lola of Berwick, till the royal reli'lcnce, perman-
ently tixed at Edinburgh, gave Leith a fuperiority
over the other ports of the kingdom. He obtain-
ed charters for feveral tenements in and near Perth 5
and he alfo held lands of the earl of Douglas, who
calls him his vuiTal in a letter fent to King Richard,
remonftrating upon the injuftice of the feizure.
IRohrl/on't Index, i>p. 66, 74, lio, 12^.— Original
letter in Bib. Colt. Vefp. r vii,/. 34.]

11 Walfingham fays, if he had been rcleafed as
a captive for a ranfom, the king and the whole
kingdom would have got inejlimablt riches by it,
and he regrets the lofs of it. This is furcly over-
rating the opulence of Mercer at a prodigious rate.
The narrow-minded monk, blinded with, what he
fuppofed, patriotic zeal, did not fee any injuftice
in detaining a man a prifoner in time of peace.

A. D. 1378,

587

Mercer whom they took together with his prizes and fifteen SDanifh
veflels h« conforts all richly loaded *. [fVa(/i.s/,an,, p. . ' ] ^"^

^r^^Z~l^^ f f ^^76 having abolifhed'^the liberties formerly
granted m t.ngland to foreign merchants, except thofe of the Hanfe it
now appeared, that the franchifes. claimed by the cities and bura'fit
were deflruaive of trade and hurtful to the /ommun^ The part
ment therefor, perceiving the advantages derived from the refm of
merchant ftrangers, revived the ads of the years ijsfand i^i and
gave the foreign merchants liberty to remain in the kSgdom af longas
U^ey hadoccafion. mftead of being reftrided to forty days with oeJ
miffion to buy and to fell, either in wholefale or retaiUorn,' S It
wifetThKaT r* -d/^^°!iP'-n^^ '-its. furs. filk. gold and 'fifver'
fon w^Ll ' '^^^"^h^/^' ^nd Other fmall wares, from or to any per-
fon whatever, native or foreigner. But wines were to be foldhi^the
caflcs wherein they were imported, and not to be retailed by any but he

fenda t. napery, hnen, canvafs. and other large articles! might be fold
^nwn f ^ '™P°"r' '? ""y P"'^°"' "^^i^*^ ^'^ foreigne . in any city

trnkpl?;ri;'th;V"'°" "°^ ^-^^^P^^^' ^"^ inquamltiesTotS
fpH tK r !• r I ^ freemen of cities and burghs being allowed to
fell thofe articles by retail as well as by wholefale All charters and
franch.fes containing any thing contrary to this ad. were annuUed as
prejudicial and oppreffive. The prelates and lords, however, ftillemin!
ed their oppreffive prerogative of purveying viduals and other nece^-

the ftaot atT 7" "°"' ^° '° ^" ""'^ '"^'^^ ■ ^^ ^^^ ordlanccrfbr
the Itaple at Calais were maintained in full force. Strangers were ner

mitted to buy and fell wool, wool-fells, mercery. clotTS," Ind oSier"

SteTand'o'^her-'"' T^''' ^" ^'^ ^°""^'>- '' ^---^^ ^Vma^
g^ltra tes and others m authority were defared to proted the foreign

merchants in the enjoyment of the privileges now conferred upon them
-The laws againfl foreflallmg wines, viduals. mercery, and other merX
andize, were alfo renewed. [5/^/. i . 2 Ric. II, cc. 1 ,2.]

The parliament in the very next ad made an encroachment upon the
aTiTcenofv'''^- ^' 'r'^'^f'^- ""' ^-nting permiffion to the ^r t
to he wtltx^ard, and in amity with the king, who brought carraks fliins
galhes, or other veflels, to Southampton or other ports of EnTlandlS

* TKv till* «nfrA»rk*..*A. dl:i * ___. 1

... .,?y '•"• enterprife Philpot got much envy and
illwill amone the nobles and militaiy men, but
much applaufe among his fcllow-citiztns, wbo chofc
him for tht-ir mayor at the next eleiilion.

t A thin niken IhifF. [ZJu C/nj;, G/oJ. vo. Cfn-
daitin' J

t Ii ■"» well worthy of notice, that woollen
clotlis arc not mentioned, \vhit.h, confiderinij their
former importance in the lill of imports, may be
regarded as a good proof, that, if any were now

imported, the quantity of them was very fmall in-
deed. '

J That opprcflivs and unjuft prerogative was
taken away from all pevlons, excejit the kinjr and
queen, m the year 136^, and even for them it was
moailicd fo M to be pretty tolerable, if tlie law
had been adhered to ; hut fimilar afts in fuccecd-
ing reigns fhow that it was not adhered to, and
the legiflators of 1377 appear not to have known
any thmg of it.

4 J^ 2

588

A. D. 1378.

ed or light, to fell their merchandize freely, to load with wool, hides,
wool-fells, tin, lead, and other merchandize of the ftaple, and to carry
them to their own countries, on paying the cuftoms payable on goods
carried to the ftaple at C?.lais, and giving fecurity not to carry them to
the eaft countries *. [Stnt. i , 2 Ric. //, c. 3.]

A further infradlion of the ordinance of the ftaple was a permiffion
to merchants of Gafcoigne and England to carry to the kmg's friends in
Gafcoigne and alfo in Breft, which had been lately ceded to the king
by the duke of Bretagne, com and other vidluals, together with leather
gloves, purfes, caps, and fome other petty articles. [Cotton's Abridge-
ment, p. 157.]

1379, March 6'" — Formerly when the kings of England borrowed
money, they got it chiefly from the clergy, becaufe they wtre almoft
the only people who had any money, the wealth of the nobles coniifting
of lands and the produce of them with the fervices of their vafllils, and
the commons being generally too poor to have any money to lend. The
loans, made by King Richard, fliow that a happy change in the circum-
ftances of the people had already begun to appear. In the firft year of
his reign he borrowed ' infinite thoufands of pounds from certain merch-
' ants:' [Rot. pat. prim. 1 Ric. II, m. 12] and at this time we find in a
Kft, evidently defe<Slive f , of 145 fubfcriptions, as we would now call
them, to a loan, that 55 of them were by fix bifliops, and by abbats,
priors, and others belonging to ecclefiafticai eftabliftiments, eight of them
being for ^^loo each ; 74 by noblemen and gentlemen from ;^ioo down
to /^2 J ; and 17 by the communities of cities and towns, as follows.

London ^5,000
Gloucester 40
Bedford 20

Northainpton 40
Cirencester 33
Salisbury 100

0

0

Winchester^40

0

0

0

0

Brentwood

10

0

0

0

0

Coggcshale

40

0

0

0

0

Cambridge

66

13

4

6

8

Maiden

40

0

0

0

0

Retford

33

6

8

Hadley agso

S'.Edmundsbury 33
Alderton and
Baudsey, Sutiblk
Ipswich 40

Bristol S. 666

33

0

0

6

8

6

8

0

0

3

4

[Fmk'ra, V. vii,/). 210.— Rot. pat. sec. 2. Ric. II. m. J?.]

• Genoa, Venice, &o. thougli fituated to the
caftwar J of England, were accounted weftcrn coun-
triei, becaufe their (liips paflcd the weft part« of
France ami England in coming to tlie later. The
Netherlands and the countries adjacent to the Bal-
tic fea were the eaft countries. This aft permits
Englifh wool to be exported to Spain. How the
times are altered !

f I call it deftSive, becaufe we mav be alTiired,
that no birtiop or earl coufd excufe himfelf from
contributing on fuch an occafion, and many towns,
of more importanc: than tbofe ^^ hicb appear, uie
omitted.

X Scveial of the fubfcriptions are by two or
moie pcrfons conjunftly •. but, as they are not dif-
tinguiihcd as merchants or by any profeflional ad-
dition, we are not warranted to fuppofe them part-
ntrs in trade.

In the year 1346 there was a loan, not by fiiL-

fendi

"E

fciiption, but by prefcription, the king
his mandate to each perfon to advance fuch a fum
as he thought proper to order. Of 89 lenders 19
feem to be laymen, one of whom, John of Clicrlc-
ton of London (appaitntly the mayor of the
merchants of the ilaple, and the only cue in the
lilt who can be fuppofcd a citizen, merchant, or
trader) was charged with ;fi,coo, by much the
largefl fum in the lift. On that occafion the towns
were not required to advance money but to furnilh
prcfcribed numbers of men. [^Fadera, F. v, /»/.

49'>493-] . ,

§ To ix Icfs general loan m the year 1377 the
city of BrilU'l fubfcribed ^^621 : 13 :4i Robert
Spiccr, a merchant of Brillol, £45 ; and fome
other laymen, very confiderable lums. The arch-
bilhop of Canterbury on that occafion fublciibed
iC}ii J (5 : H, and now on'yjfioo. [_Fiiilcra, F.
M<, />, 17-.]

A. D. 1379.

585

thJ fV^nl"?'"/* '''"^' confidering the great force of warlike fhips, which
the Trench had upon the north (or rather eaft) coaft of England and

ure'Tnd'hv "^"'' r' ^'^ ^^^P'^ "^ ^^^^-g^' - partiS by cap'
tures md by paying /:i ,000 m ranfoms within two years, whereby thev

Sgerri ^p: r'tted r"' °^'"^' T ^^P^- ^- b^rge't'd twJ
•J.umgers, properly htted for war, to cruife upon that coaft Vnr r„«

portmg the expenfe of thofe veflels he, at theTqueft o^the commons"
n parliament ordered the admiral and wardens^f tl°e North ^e^?o
levy a duty oi fix pennies per tun upon every fliip and craver fnrLh
twLTLonJ"' -d homeward upon'that feaf eX^fhof ' radt^^^^^^
Sh r^K^" ^""^ ^''•^'" ^'^ <^^^^* ("'hich on the other hand wer! n^t
imuled to the protedion of the fquadron) ; fix pennies per tun from

fift r? Trt '" 72 ^''^ t' ^^^''^ '^ ^'^P^'y^^ upor^hrherrin™
n nery, or tor ,- y three weeks upon any other fifhery : fix pennies ner
tun upon all veu.^ with coals fron^lNewcaftle to be pid quanerr and
fix pennies per laft of grain for each voyage from all Ihipl cravm and
rS' "?'^'"^ '° ^''"^^' ^°^"^y' Sconen. or the adj^em countries
l^lf M • ""' ^•- ''°'^ ^^ ^^'•^ f*=« the Nevvcaftle cial trade an X
jed of the attention, and alfo of the favour, of government bein^ t-^

hUeV^'xt ar'V'%'"^^"^ «^^^ ^^^ vf;"uZ?d; taTefth;
fiighelt. The attention of government to the coal trade aooears furthTr-

caf^e °7L^t'^"f ^^. ^^;r^^ '°^ -eafuring"heLT"af Net
w th erindft nn^^f ^"""' i^"' ^^' '^ 'f''^'' ^^'^ ^^^^ ^^at coals, together
duftrv n? rt ' ' '^.'"' "' "' '^"' ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ief objeds of the in'
duftry of the country adjacent to Newcaftle, may be prefumed from
their bemg firft mentioned among the things fwept avvay by aTreat flood

to iLre^eminenT^h''' "''''^'"' °^^^"°^ °^^^^d ^° ^^^^^ Southampton
maki^no ?tT In r.^'^f T7 ^0°" °" ^^" ^^^^^" '^^^' °f Europe by
t^ carry oFhnSiS"" '^' ^"'"^"^ ^oods. which the Genoefe ufed
tLS th be rnn?r ^"/"^^"^y- ^'^d Bretagne, which countries would
S !k u PP^'f? ^'""^ "• ^° the great advantage of England pro-
S ul^Pton"^?th-' f": "t'T ^^ ""-^ ^'^ 8-'^ in thrcafiirof

i.tep^!:::r h^ i!r Sd ^^ sigiin? aS;\^n^
^p^^at-^ aj^^r is^^^^^i^ S"

engaged in any kind of trade or manufhdures. were fo fir from hpJn^
fenfible, that .n acceflion of well-employed c^apitln or 'of ^(1^^

* Wvcr craft for carrj-ing the coals onboard the (hip,, and ufcd « mcafurc, then. a5,no.v.. .

59

o

A. D. 1379.

«

hands, is a powerful encouragement to every branch of the mduftry of
the country in which they fettle, that they were continually perfecuting
the foreign traders and workmen with every infult and injury in their
power. The weavers in particular were perpetually quarreling with the
Netherlanders, whofe example was deftined to exalt their trade to a fur-
prifing height of affluence and dignity. After a long fucceffion of
fquabbles, embittered by national pride and a collifion, real or fuppofed,
of interefts, between the weavers of London and thofe from the Nether-
lands *, an agreement was effeded between them this year, which was
confirmed by royal authority, as were alfo at the fame time the liberties
granted to the foreign weavers by Edward III. [Rot. pat. fee. 3. Ric. II,

m. 7.]

1380, February 10'" — The accident of a Catalan Ihip bound from ■
Genoa to Sluys, the port of Bruges in Fknders, being driven onlhore
at Dunfter in Somerfet-ftiire, where (he was feized, anti the application
of fome Genoefe merchants for the reftoration of their property {hipped
onboard her, gives us a fpecimen of the articles carried from Italy to
Flanders in thofe days. They coufifted of

Green ginger ;
Ginger cured with lemon juice ;
Arqninetta, one bale;
Dried grapes, or raisins ;

Sulphur ;
Wadde (perl
Writing pa]
\F<rdera, V . vii, ^

is woad) 1 72 bales ;
■11 bales ;
■233.]

White sugar, perhaps sugar-cindy ;

Empty boxes, 6 bales;

Dry prunes ;

• Octo balas risarum,' qu. rice ?

Cinnaltion, 5 bales ;

One pipe ' pulveris salvistrl ;'

Bussus f , 5 bales.

Summer — Some privateers of Hull and Newcaftle took a Scottjih ihip,
the cargo of which was valued by the captors at Jeven thoufand marks.
\Walftngbam, p. 239.] But there were probably very few veffels, belong-
ing either to Fngland or Scothuul, which had cargoes of fuch vahie %. ,

September 8'" What muft have been the condition or management

of tl>e navy of England, when the French, after having infulted many
parts of the fouth coaft, went up the Thames as far as Gravefend with
only four gallies, burnt fome houfes in that town, and after plundering
anddeftroying on both fides of the river, carried off their prey and
priibners with impunity ? [Murim. Contin. p. 150. — Stout's Ann. p. 449.]

November The king i\\ parliament, ordered, that all kinds of wine,

oil, honey, and other liquors, fliould be gauged on importation, agree-
able to the law formerly made for gauging wine. [Stat. 4 Ric. 11, c. i.]

♦ Some years befoie thin time the Nethcrland ricd to Handeri for making camhrici. See San-

wcavcrs in L<Midoii were fo numerous, that differ- uto, p. 24, or above, p. 491. Tliere arc fotne

cnt places were appointed for their delibenitlona other articles unknown, wluch I have left in the

on the affairs of their coiinnuniliex, thofe of IHan- orijMnal Latin — A further Ipeeimen of Genoelo

dcri having the church-yard of S'. Laurence Pult- exports to I'ianders will be leeri under the year

ney, .it.d tliofe of Pirahaiit tJiat of S'. Mary So- 1386
metfet. [^.vcu.'/ Si/ri'.^, /•. 4C7, /'./. 161S.] t I have already liad occafmn to obfcrve that

t Probably tlic liiiell Egyptian llax (fivnH) car- Wallinghatn daflica his numbers at random.

A. D. 1380. ^g,

n l^^^y'^A 4""^' a'^cordingto the account of Zeno's voyage with
Doaor Forfter's geographical illuftration of it, the chLf porf of th.

EntS'r'.? T S^^"^^^^^'^ '^ •"^"y -^^^^ from F^ferSrelne'
f "^ Arff°'^'°?' ^.^'"''y' "^^ Denmark, attraded by the 4ft aEl

wealth. YForJler s Dtjcovenes in the North, pp. i Sr, 202 £«W traJl
138 1 "-Capitation taxes, begun in the S y4 of KinffiS^
now followed each other in rapid fucceffion. S thJvea^i ^70 thofe of
tlie higher ranks were made to pay for their ti^e. aj id aftheir to

ar,fo f ! ^ l^ondon,^4 ; other mayors ftcm.6/T8 to ao/- merch

lower clafs of the people, whom the feverity ordeprXn and n-
haps fome famt glimpfe of the independence which coSerc^ aSd ma
nufadtures were deftmed to confer upon their pofteritv^nft.H 1 ^
gage m any defperate attempt to meliorate L^ifc^ J?° P^^^^^^^^
httle time they carried all before them, and were,TZvbe fZof?^
gmlty of many atrocities. They obtained from the k^l I ^^ r '
the abolition of flavery, for freedom Ttrade and for fh^e ?u^^^^^^^^^
of money rents for lands in place of oppreffi;e Jer^dces Rm W '°''

m^yTrt l!::;^^:";^^^^^ '-^^ i^^i^d b/^^mam^v^rwth'

of their villems on moderate terms *• and f n„lj, .K ^"^"^^'Pa^^o"

A.r)f;r.;r7f tro"f't^^r;.f* 1^ ri '•7"^"— -^ t-'^ .an. according to S.O..

m

A. D. 1381.

manufadlures, now become pretty extenfive, which never ceafed to
operate, till manufaftures finally banifhed flavery from the land, and
"Rberty became the inherent birthright of every Britifh fubjedl. [Kriygb-
ttn, col. 2633. — Walftngbam^p. 247. — Fcedera, V. \'n, pp. 316, 317, 371.]

November — The parliament, after pi-emifing, that, in confequence of
the grievous mifchief of carrying abroad money and bullion, there was
fcarcely any gold or filver left in the kingdom, ftridly prohibited all
merchants and clergymen, aliens or natives, from carrying abroad any
gold or filver in coin, bullion, or veflel, or by exchange. But money
for paying the king's garrifons on the continent might be exported.
Prelates, great lords, and fome others, having occafion to make pay-i
ments beyond the fea„ might remit money by exchange on obtaining
the king's fpecial licence for the exprefs fum. But the negotiators of
the exchange were to be fworn, that they would fend no gold nor filver
out of the country for the purpofe of anfwering their bills. No perfon,
either of the clergy or laity, except lords and other great men, real
known merchants, alid the king's foldiers, was to be allowed to go out
of the kingdom * : and to render the prohibition the more effedual,
London and fome other principal ports were declared the only places,
whence any perfon could pafs over to the continent. The infiringers
of this law were to be puniflied by heavy forfeitures. [^Stat. i , 5 Ric. II,
c. 2.]

In order to augment the navy of England, which was now faid to be
greatly reduced, it was enadled, that no fubjedl of the king Ihould fhip
any merchandize, outward or homeward, except in fliips of the king's
allegiance, after the next Eafter, on penalty of forfeiture of veflel and
cargo. [Stat, i , 5 Ric. II, c. 3.] This was the firft Navigation aB pafl!ed
by the parliament of England.

If any Engliihman pafled over the fea to import wines, he was pro-
hibited from felling them in England at above £$ per tun for the beft
wine of Gafcoigne, Ofey, or ;jpain, and £^ for the beft Rochelle wine,
or above 6d per gallon for any of them in retail. Rhenifti wine, being
imported in caflcs of various fizes, was to be fold by the gallon only,
and not above 6d, whether in wholefale or retail. Inferior wines to be
fold in proportion. The king ftridlly commanded, that no fweet wine
or claret (' clarree') fliould be retailed in the kingdom after the 24'" of
June 1382 f. [Stat, i, 5 Ric. II, cc. 4, 5. — Fadera, V. vii,/. 378.]

The citizens of Cork in Ireland this year obtained from the king an
ample confirmation of their liberties. [Rot. pat. fee. 5 Ric. II, m. 32.]

1382, January— The parliament granted Uberty to all foreign merch-

• This prohibition was in direft oppofuion to + By Stat, i, 6 Ric. II, c. 7 they w^ere per.
the 42<i article uf the Magna charta, which ufcd mittcd to be retailed at the price of Gafcuignc and
to be formally ratified, without paying any other RheniHi winci.
attention to it, at the beginning of every fcflion

of parliament.

A. D. 1382.

593

riWlTfoTS V^ :^ f f -d ^f^^om. to coo. in.
other., to manage their bufmefs under tt"^ .'" franchifed phces or
turn to their own countr^s at the^,^!'^/ '^^"S^^ Protedion. and to r«.
It appears from the ftamteT that t i? rK '* ^^'^'^ '' 5 ^'^- ^^. ^. i-]
in the year 1387. ' ^' ''"' ^'^"^^ '•^q'^ired to be re-enaded

. chofe to pay the Calais fabLS 'and dmiesr/^' TV ^/'''''' ^^ ^^^^X
offered a difcount of 6/8 from the dutv on ^T'c^f' !""' ^^'"^^ ^^ey
every 240 wool-fells, and irpToportionL^ fack of wool, 6/8 on

™as 1383. [^/^/. 2 5 /?/^ //? 21 Th; • '? ?°r"""^ ^^" Michael-

tempt to anticipate Ihe revenue '^ ' """'' ^ ^^^^^^' ^^e firft at-

by^;;txii:^: r^^Set •s^^i^ti-^^^^ r^ i-j-ea

on all wines imported, and fix penSeTLr ^ ^ 1. ^ ""^ ^-^P^'" ^""
cloth and other merchandize imnortedo^^ T^^ ^^^"^ of woollen

and wool-fells, over and aboi^al othe cX^^' ^f fpt w,,,^ j^j^^

duty, as Ipecimens of Englilh manuAi^nr«^ ti ^""°Vn"hout paying

of green tapeftry powderfdTvitrot^rrrefeltef t' °'' ^''^
tiff; I great curtain of green fer^e • o Kin« i 11 I Sovereign pon-

5 pairs of fheets (' linthimTnum^) '/blankets'and I M ''''^''- "''^'^ ^
beds ; I large coverlet for a bed • Lti ^ 1 ' / ° "^"^ curtams, for

bed-curtains'; a long and 2 i^:iVeciVftnuff^ ^ -^

chamber, with a blue bancal ; 2 large pLJs of r5r °^^^T"^'^ ^" '^
the arms of the pope, the king, anlfhe^rch t L ?/' ^°'^^^^ '''''^'
2 large bancals and 1 fmall niece nf r^H 7^"'^^'!-+' ^""^ adornmg a hall ;
andiblacktapeftry; i X T^^n 1 fof S '[ ?^^
with green cLh f 'z mLtle'o^fTx^^^rou/etctt^rr '''\'^^'" ^^"^'^
Areen ; i garment of ruffet lined with THii, ^keways hned'with

for counting upon ; 3 cove ed bed It ^ A '' ' ' ^If" "'"^"'^n ^^'^^^
[oravalet;%5ns .ilu?7of\Tuei^^^^^^

^"^ds; 6 elus of blanket; t rnantl^^;;^ ^t ^^ollrT;ed' tit?/ S

Walfingham f^. jg, J ,f„, , ,, ,^ .^
rum, of the u«s of this pnrhaaunt, eric, out
What. ,h. „fc of ftatutc^of parhVmen when*
l.ey have not the (mallcft effea ? The kin. w h
yspnvy council ufe.l to change or abohnrall
ha wa.don.n. parliament by^hc can,n un.'y

elves. The rapj chanpe, of the law, by the
Irg.nators vva. fuffiaently diilrcfTing to the people
-<1 e(pec,..ll>- to thofe engaged n\ni,, ^Z,l
* OL. 1.

br^r s/fl' ^"^ ""'■■• f"P'"°'- (kill m cm"
Dro„Ury. t'« above, /^. 290, 348.

4 F

594

A. D. 1 383.

{* bayro'), with a fupertunic and capuce lined with their own ftuffi
T blue mantle lined with grife (' grifeo') with a fupertunic of the fame
colour lined with its own ftufF; i garment lined with fquirrel (' calabre'),
with a tunic lined with blanket, and a capuce lined ; i garment without
fleeves, lined with vair, with a tunic lined with lamb-fkin ; a fur of vair
for a fupertunic ; a cap and a pair of gloves lined with grife, and a pair
of beaver gloves ; a tunic of mixt colour lined with blanket ; 2 round
•mantles, one mixt, and one black; 2 garments of Norfolk cloth, one
lined with black cloth, and one with green ; and a caffock of another
form ; 4 ftrait tunics of blanket ; i entire blue robe lined with fine
linen ; i garment of bloody colour lined with fine linen ; i violet capuce
lined with fcarlet *; 10 elns of blue, with hand-towels and other linen
cloths ; a tabard f with a fupertunic and capuce of the fam.e ftuff, lined
with blue linen ; i blood-coloured capuce lined with black; i fcarlet
capuce lined, and 1 blood-coloured one unlined ; and 30 books belonging
to the colledlor.— He had alfo licence to (hip at Southampton a parcel
of images of faints, with many veflels of pewter, knives, &c. which
feem, as well as the books, to have been his own traveling equipage.
In the year 1388 a fimilar licence was given for fhipping a bed of cloth
of gold on a red ground, with gold foliage worked on a white ground
(' fredo') with covering, &c. and curtains of red tartarine J, and fome
other articles of furniture §. Such exemptions from cuftom in favour
of foreign ecclefiaftical dignitaries occur pretty often. [Fxdera, V. vii,

ddober-— It was now enacted, that Englifh merchants, being in foreign
ports, and not finding any fufficient Englifh veflels there, might ftiip
their goods onboard foreign veflels. \Slat. 1, 6 Rk. II, c. 8.]

Aliens were permitted to bring fifli and all other kinds of viduals into
any city or town, and to cut them and fell them in any manner they
thought proper. [Stat. \, Q Ric. II, c. lo.l

Landlords, or hofts, in London, Yarmouth, Scarburgh, Wmcheliea,
Rye, and other coaft towns, were ordered to defifl: from their noxious
pradice of forefl:alling herring or other fifh, or provifions of any kind,
on pretence of any cuftom or charter, all fuch being hereby abrogated :
and they were upon no account to hinder filhermen or vidualers, natives
or foreigners in friendflup with the king, from felling their wares, as
they might think proper. The fiflimongers of London were prohibited

• There fccms to
rlotlis were now dyed
lingland : and wc find
and rufTct, (Engliih
tliouglit worthy of be
jricat lords of France i
;'. vii,^. 415.] It is
that Irilh clotli make*

be no doubt, that fcarlet
and completely tiniflied in
eight cloths, fc.\rlct, black,
mannfafture undoubtedly)
ing fciit a3 prefcnts to the
n the year 1383. [^Failtra,
alfo worthy of obfervation,
fome figure in this enumer-
ation. . , . ,
t The t»bard wm a drefi worn by knights over

their armour, having their armorial bearings re-
prcftnted on it in embroidery. It is ftill worn by
the heralds on folemn occafioiis.

X Quere, if the party-coloured Huff, now called
tarlaii, with red the predominant colour f

$i This lill of articles, which throws light upon
the codume, as well ai the manufarturcs, of the
age, will be very acceptable to fome readers, and
will prove tedious to others. The later have only
^o Ikip over it. »

A. D. 1382. ^5^

from buying any frefh fifli to fell again, except eels. luces ^ and pikes
winch either they or the foreigners might fell in London. [W r, g

fnK.'^fi!'''" ^f~^V\^ exportation of corn appears not to have been law-
ful without fpecial licences ; but now a general proclamation was iffued,
or m.^; In^* under penalty of veflel and cargo, any exportation of corn
or malt to any foreign country, except to the king's territories in Gaf-
coigne Bayonne Calais. Breft. Cherburg. Berwick upon TweeS and
other forts held for the king. IFa^dera. V. Vu,p. 369.] '

.1383— In the beguming of this year a large Genoefe carrack was
driven by ftrefs of weather into Sandwich f. It was reported that The
merchants of London, who had on hand great quantities of fruk va'
nous fpicery oil, &c. fearing that their goods would be rendered im-
fa leable by the arrival of fo great a quantity of frefher articles bribed
le Genoefe to fail for Fhnders: and it was faid, that their cargo, if k
had been landed, was fufficient to make a glut of the articles it c;nfift
ed or throughout the whole country. [Walfu,^ham, p. 296.] But we
may be permitted to doubt, if one cargo, though a vefy la?ge one couM
have had Atch an efFed. elpecially as the Genoefe were under lo oh^t
ation to fell their goods under their value. ^

,n.??.°^''i~"?'^u ^T^ Pf ' complaints of frauds in cloth, the irli-
hw^''' h'k ' '^?r'" ?°'^' "'^P^^^'^ ^° ^^^^' ^"d found cont. v to

SvlTrir/fi:'Vr'/9^^^ ^"'°^"" ''°^^' '^^^ °^^^^^^^^^'
The leftraints put upon the fale of wines, viduals, fifh. &c. were re-
pealed : and the dealers were ^aced under the controul of thrr^Jor
and aldermen of London, [^eis 7 Ric. II, ^ . 1 1 ] ^

No perfon was permitted to carry armour, corn, malt, or any other

viduals or refrelhments to Scotland, [^as 7 Ric. II, c 14] ^ ^'''^'

1384, January 26"'-_A truce was concluded between King Richard

tolt^T '«r S ""^^'T'' '\'rr' ^"^ ^""-"^^"S «" ^he^'' of Oc-
tober 1^84. The merchants of both countries were allowed to trade in
ether country m lawful merchandize, but not in armour or other pro-

• A luce is a pike in tlic laR (lagc of his growth.

Hk- gra(lat.(m of names is f,k, pilt-hcail, p.»I.
jack, p.cktrd, pike. Inc. IHarnfon's l),/nip.
t'onoj Jirilom, p. 224 |„ Holindicd, «]. ,jS6.]
+ .SaiuKvicli has appareuily .n,ifcn in pLicc of

Khniupis, ,hc prnicipal port of IMuin in the time
of 1 he Romans, when there was a "avigal.Ie arm
of tlie fca, open at Inith ends, between Thanet
iiiul the n.ii.n hnid. The 11 rait was mnch (ilminlfli-
td in the a(;c of Ikde, and has llnce diicd up en-
tire V, Its place henig now mollly otenpied by two
f.na.lnve,8: an,! I .-.pprthend this ,;.c-at eanack
mult have rode ni the hay hcfoie SandwI.!,, but
could not enter the river, which probably never
\.as capable, fincc it became a meic iiver,'of rt-

ceiving a largi flilp. [n the year 1385 two French
prize (hipj, which weie too large to get into Ca-
lais, were brought over to Sandwich, imilfmr.
ham, p. 319.] See an account of the chaujres,
this I 'au, or river, has undergone, by Do«or
Campbell, ll\l,r,a,l Sm-vey, F. i. p. 352] who
would have bfn glad to add the arrival of thefe
Ihips to the fac\s he has collefled.

t It appears, that the aninagc, or ulnage, was
fanned: [Rot. pal. Jk. 8 A',V. //, ,„. j-J ,.,„d
thence it is piul.ablc, that the duly w.is not very
faithfully pe.formed. About this time tlieie are
very frequent orders in the patent rolls for a Ilria
mfpct^ion of cloth offered for falc.

4 F 2

596

A. D. 1384.

hibited goo«^?,^ land veflels driven on either coaft by ftrefs of weather,
or putting in for want of provifions, were not to be maltreated. The
truce was afterwards prolonged to the i" of May 1385, and the king*
of Cartile and Scotland begame parties to it. [Foedera, V. \''n, pp. 419,
44I-]

Both kingdoms immediately felt the happy effeds of the fufpenfion of
hoftilities in a brifk commercial intercourfe, wherein the Normans were
diftinguiflied as the moft adlive traders. By them was England fupplied
in the fpring of this year with an extraordinary abundance of wine,
ffuits, fpicery, and filh, which were all fold wonderfully cheap ; and, as
gold and filver were given by the Enghfli in exchange for them, the
reciprocal advantages of the intercourfe made the people on both fides
very delirous of a permanent peace *. {JVol/inghaniy Hijl. p. 308.]

About this time Edinburgh, though lately become the general re-
fidenqe of the kings of Scotland, was reckoned by Froiflart, a French
author who had vifiteJ it, rather inferior to Tournay or Valenciennes,
ciiies in the Netherlands, and eftimated to contain fcarcely four hundred
houfesf. The houfes, according to Walfingham, \Htfl.p. 308] were
thatched with ftraw (' ftramentum'), as, indeed, thofe of the cities of
England generally were. Edinburgh was this year deftroyed in confe-
quence of an Englifh invafion : and its fj|:uation, fo near the border,
whereby it was expofed to a frequent repetition of fuch difafters, was
fufficient to prevent the citizens from ereding valuable houfes, though
they had had the means. It is not probable that any other town in
Scotland, unlefs perhaps Perth, contained even fo many houfes as Edin-
burgh.

King Richard in his feventh year appointed William Brampton of
London to b. governor % of the merchants of the wool-ftaple at Middle-
burg ; and he direded him to fearch all merchants, natives or aliens, ar-

* This fplrlled trade of the Normans, who with
rifpecft to the fptceries appear to have been the
carriers betv"eri the Mediterranean ports and Eng-
b.iid, givcs fuiiic fiipport to what it laid of their
early adventurous voyages and fettlements on the
foait of Africa. (See above, p. 572.) The Nor-
mans Were undoubtedly trie erealell merchants on
the wifl eoall of Franee, as thofe of Marfrillc were
on the fonth eoart. Roheit lircniville was at thii
tiiire diftingiiifhed as the m' li ipulent and power-
ful merchant in Normandy. {Walfingham, lltjl.
/.. 318.]

f Tliough the honfes, and confequently the po-
piiliit'on, of Kdii.'jiirgh are rated fo low by Froif-
tart, we find he places it nearly on a level with the
opulent manufadtiiriiig city of Tournay. And from
the tax-roll of England in the year 1377 it i« pre-
lumable, that the cities of Exeter, Worcefter, and
Winchefter, were not larger or more populous than
Edinburgh, if, indeed, they were equal to it, and
tliat E'tclifield, Chichefter, Cailili, Rocliefttr, and

Bath, were certainly much fmaller. Such wert
cities in thofe days. There is, therefor, no need
to fuppofe FroiflTart millaken, and to correft his
account by altering it \.o four thouf and, a number
fcarcely inferior to that of the houfes in London,
and vaitly too great for any other city or town <ff
England in that age ; or to fuppofe tiiat he mufl
mean lands, as they are now called in Editibuigh,
each floor of which is a feparate habitation, near-
ly fimilar to a fet of chambers in the inns of court
in London. The very fubftautial ftile of building,
necelfary for fuch large edifices, was apparently
then confined to ecclefiadical and military archi-
tedurc in both the Britilh kingdoms.

J The title of governor feems to have come ia
place of that of mayor oflhejiaple. This is prob«
ably the firft eftablifliment of the (laple at Mid-
dlcburg, of which, I believe, we have no other
record, except the rctarn/rom 1/ to Calais in the
year 138H. a

A. D. 1384. 397

/l/l"//!^r r/r ^'"^'^ °' ^''''^' '"^'"^'^ °"^ °^ England. [/?«/. ;>„/.y,f . 7
1385— This year the governor of Calais, the feamen of the Cinaue
ports, and others, took above 800 velTels of various kinds fhips ga2s
cogs carracks, barges, lines, balingars. &c. from the French •^ Of theft
ome which were taken near Calais, in confequence of the fleet being
chfperled by a ftorm m September, were remarkably large and lof y^
one xn part.cular had been recently built for the Norman merchants in
the Eaft country at the expenfe of 5 .000 francs (^833 : 6 : 8 fterlineTfor
aprotediontothereiUfthe fleet; and they had Ibid her at S
Chflon the conftable of France, for 3,000 francs GC500). Another
V L 1 P"^ '^ '^'/'"'^^ ^"^°"' ''^''^ by the Ci?que.port veflefs
L ' r ? '°'°°° ^'■^"^^' ^^^^^ ^"« have comprehenaerhL cargo
2 m .1'^°'"°^:"''^""^' if compared with the value of fome^of
the Mediterranean fti.ps and cargoes. (See above, p. 504.) Two of^hem
were loaded with fpiceries. and fome of them with wMtl blrrh^^s 'oZ
-mount of 400 lafts f. IKnygbton, col. 2t^^.--.WalMb^ T^' g 1

1386 March 28'^-ln an order for pre^ veffelf and feamen'Lo
the king's fervice. the fifliermen of Blakney, Cley. Cromer anTthe ad
.lacent coafts were exempted. [F^dcra, V.vii, l'. 507^ As a contraft
to this indulgence It may be obier^ed. that th^ fifter^i„ of Suffex and

t^wnrfR '"^rP^'^'P"""^^^ "P°" ^^ery boat-load for fortify ng the
town of Rye. [Rot. pat. fee. 8 Ric. //, a tergo 32.] The fifliefmen of
Rye moreover gave a fliare of their filh to the king : and thofe oTwin
chelfca gave a ftiare to the redor of the church. Probably both lofe
taxes were general, at Icaft on that part of the coaft ; and in moft place!

Ju^ent'lorTs t' '""''' " '"' ' "^"^ °' ^'^^^ earnings toTeIr

• ,fc ^7"— Ina truce between England and Scotland ' it is accordit
. %"1-TTt '"^TT '\ "^ °" ^^^ ^^^ ^'^ '^^ Watir of Spee to the

• Ss « ' rTJ ' V "" "^•^'•^^^"des of bath the roialmes^and here
goaesj. Yiadera,V.vv\,p.z,2-^.^

forSr'' Tie^h?'"' '° '^f '"^ ^'""^ "°^ "^"^^ "^-'^ f'-^q^ent than
tormerJy. There was one in the year 1382 ; and in that year the king^

. • Walfing'iam fays, • There were taken and flam
111 thole (hips 226 kameii and imrccnai iej. BlelF-
' «d be God for all things.'

t }\ '« pretty generally bdicvcd (notwithftand-
ing this and many other authentic proofs of the
contrary, to be found in this W)rk) that no lur.
rings were cured in any other way than what arc
called r<-</W/V, till Van Benkclcn invented the
method of ciiriDg luhUe krnng, in the fifteenth
century.

X Ldward III granted to the abbat of Stanley
for ever the profits arifing from the ' kingefhare'
in the fifhing boats of Rye. The tenth part of
the Wh cauglit at Winchclfea, called ' Chriftcfhare,'

was granted, probably rather confirmed, to the
reftor of S'. 1 homas'i church in Winchclfea by
Henry IV. IR,,. pat. prim. 37 Ed-w. Ill, m. 2, j
Urt,a 2 lUn IF, m. 30.J Prilca of filh were due
liom the hlhermen of Hertlepool to the lord of
the place. [Fadera, K viii,^. 573.]

§ Spec, i>_y--J'an.yfe, Thama~hi\e jrodes.
their guViU, and efpecially <rt«/,._Thi, is the fe-
cond appearance of the native language uf the
country ,n Kymer's F^dmi An^lU, ,Ik- tirll beii-K

1 ."I 'Txh'''r'"„''"' '"■" ^"'"h kingdoms,
dated 15 1. March ,j84-j. ip. 468J which con- i
tains nolhuig relating to commerce.

598

A. D. 1386.

London •

formerly e£'5,0001 4?nnnn n

andjtesin 4,000/ *9^"^ "
Cambridge
Cirencester
Salisbury
Corentry 133 G 8")

and 82 10 0 >

and 100 0 oj
Bristol

CO

20
200

315 iG 9

200 O 0

d! 40

0

0

Nottingham

£ 50

0

0

100

0

0

Norwicli -

100

0

0

20

0

0

Ipswich

40

0

0

66

13

4

Winciiester

50

0

0

54

0

0

Shrewsbury

66

0

0

;}"-"

16

0

Derby
Canterbury

20
50

0
0

0

0

100

0

0

Hereford

50

0

0

- 06

13

4

Litchfield

13

6

8

40

0

0

repaid /^2, 000, which he had borrowed from the city of London by
laying his crown and fome valuable trinkets in pawn. The king now
niade a loan, wherein the fums fubfcribed, or demanded, were larger
than in any preceding one. Of 51 fubfcriptions there were 25 by ec-
clefiaftical perfons, from ^^433 : 6 : 8, the fum lent by the archbifhop of
Canterbury, down to ^^13 : 6 : 8 j none by the barons ; and 26 by cities
and towns, as follows.

Chichester

Lynne

Worccstpr •

O Leicester
O Gloucester
0 Lincoln 100 0
and 70 16

Vorli -

S . Edmundsbury

Oxford

Whether the people of Bofton were refradory, or it was the general
form, we find, by a mandate diredled to that town, that every perfon
living in it and its fuburbs, poflcfliug property to the value of ;C2o,
was ordered under pain of imprifonmcnt, to contribute his proportion
of /^200, the fum demanded by the king. [Foedera, V. \'n,.pp. 341, 359,^
543, 544.] It does not appear that interefl was ever paid upon any of
thofe loans, which were therefor in effedt taxes, even if they were punc-
tually repaid, of at lead the value of the intereft. In the preceding
year the king borrowed £\ ,600 from a Lombard merchant. {Rot. pat.
prim. 9 Ric. II, m. 31.] Whether he had the ufe of that money without
intereft, depended upon circumftances between him and the lender.

September 25'" — ^The king obfcrving that the increafcd demand had
raifed the price of armour and horfes, which he thought wicked and
unreafonable, direded proclamations to be made in the counties of Lin-
coln and Cambridge, and the Eaft and North ridings of York-ftiire, or-
dering that they fliould be fold no higher than formerly f . {Fadera, V.
vii, /». 546.]

This year fome Gcnoefe cogs and carracks, loaded with wines, fpiccs,
fluffs of gold and filk, gold, filver, pretious ftones, &c. bound for Flan-
ders, were feized on the coaft of Kent, and carried into Sandwich. By
the interceflion of Michael de la Pole, earl of Suffolk and chancellor of
the kingdom, the captors were ordered to give up the veflcls to the own-
ers, who were moreover indemnified for the damage fuftained by them %.
\Kiiyghton, col. 2678. — Walfwgbam, p. 322.]

liad inveighed a^ainft the rtftoraiion of Mercer
[fee alo'vc, />. 586) Walfingham now rcpiubalts
tliii att of jiillice of tiie carl of .Suffolk, whom,
intending to difhoiioiir him, he calls a merciiant,
the fon iif a merchant, mme engaged from his
infancy in commerce than in miliiary affaits, more
acquainted witii banliers tlian with foldierj. In
thofe days the church and the army eiigroffcd all
refpedabilily to ihcmfclves.

* The London loans do not appear along with
the reil iii the Foedera ; but tliey arc found in the
jiatcnt rolls, prim, y RL-. II, m. 42 and prim. 10
Ric. II, m. s-

t 'i'hoiijjii the proclamation was probably of no
avail for llic purpofe intended by its author, it
fci vts to let us know, that thofe parts of liriglaiid
nuntioncd in it were tlien, as they are at this day,
the chief brctdin;T counlrica for horfes,

I Vvith the ia:uc blind avarice, wherewith lie

A. D. 138^.

599

The king of France got together a fleet of about twdve hundred vef-
fels for an invafion of England, which he Rationed at Slays and along
the adjacent coaft, having alfo a great army* encamped upon the land.
1 hough the Flemmgs faw their country devoured by fo many myriads
u ^°"*"^f «• ^" iniportant was the herring fifhery in their eftimation.
that the fafe arrival of all their filhermen was thought a confolation for
all the haroTiips they had fuffered. [Froiffart, L. iii, .. sS'-Meyeri Ann.
Flandr.f. 207 ^.—Walftngham, p. ^2c^.-\ "^

veflels failing together as ufual in thofe days, for mutual proteftion
was attacked by the earl of Arundel, who took 126 veflels. baded with
between twelve and thirteen thoufand tuns of wine f, the whole of which
the citizens of Middleburg offered to purchafe at fc per tun ready
money, which was no flight proof of their opulence: but their offer
was declined, and the prizes fent to England. Some time after he at-
tacked the harbour of Sluys, where he took feveral Flemifh, and alfo
fome Scottifli, veffels [Knyshton, col. 2eg2.^Walfiusbam, pp. ^26, 539.I
1388 February—Some laws favourable to commerce, enafted by Ed-
ward III, were now renewed, whereby foreign merchants were allowed
to fell m wholefale or retail in London or any other city, burgh, &c in
England, notwithftanding any claim of exclufive privileges, and aU new
impolitions upon merchandize were declared to be illegal and of no ef-
fed. [Stat. 1 1 Ric. II, cc. 7. 9.] -

Auguft2i"_That fome Englifli merchants traded to Pruflia, has
been noticed under the years ,372 and 1379. Outrages, as ufual. were
committed on both fides m the reign of Edward III,' probably in the
very infancy of the trade. The Pruffians complained, that fix of their
veflels had been plundered by the Englifli at the Swyn in Flanders At
the prayer of Ins fubjeds the grand mafter arrefled fome Englifh vefE^ls
atElburgandDantzik: and. in return, fome Pruffian veffels were ar-
retted at Lynne. Conrad Zolner. now the grand maflcr of Pruffia de-
firing to have matters amicably adjufted, had fent ambaff.dors to Eng-
land, and EnghOi ambafladors had alfo been fent to him. After Ion"
negotiation, it was now agreed upon at Marienburg. the rcfidence of the
grand mafler. that juftice fhould be done to the Pruffiun complainants at
London, and to the Englilh at Dantzik ; that EngUfli merchants fliould
have free acccls to every port of Pruffia, with liberty alfo to carry their
merchandize to any p irt of the country, and to trade freely. ' as it uled
to be in antient times 'the Pruffians having equal liberty in England.
If any difpate lliould anfe, the king and the grand mafler were To ulc

Coo

A. D. 1388.

their beft endeavours to accommodate it ; and, if they could not con-
ciliate matters, the merchants were to be allowed a year to withdraw
with their pro|Terty from either country. [Fadcra, V. yii,pf>. 525, 579,
581, 588, 599. — Rot. pat. prim. 9 Ric. 11^ m. 1 1 — Hakluyt^ V. \, p. 148.]

The Engliih ambaliadors, who were fent to Pruflia, were alfo direct-
ed to adjuft fome dil'putes with the merchants of the Hanfc. {^Fadera,
V. vii, ^. 602.]

September — Ever fince the infurredions in the year 138 1 the court
and parliament had been intent upon depriving the inferior clafles of
the people (or rather the people, for the barons and clergy were but a
fmall part of the whole population) of any opportunity, or even hope,
of bettering their condition. In this fefllon the parliament enaded, that
no fervant fhould remove from one hundred to another, unlefs traveling
upon his mafler's bufinefs. and not even in pilgrimage for the good of
his foul, without a teftimonial under the king's feal, which it muft have
been next to impoflible to obtain. — The penalties for taking more than
the prefcribed wages were renewed ; and the wages for country labour
were fixed by law *. — Boys and girls, who were employed in hufbandry
till they were twelve ye;irs of age, were to be confined to it for life f . —
Servants in hufbandry were prohibited from carrying armour, except
bows and arrows for practice on Sundays and holidays. — No beggar$
were permitted to travel about, except certified people of religion, her-
mits, and * fcholers of the univerfities' having the letters of the chan-
cellors. Impotent beggars were to be provided for by the people of the
towns, if they were able and willing. — Beggars, alleging that they had
been impriloned beyond fea, were required to have teftimonials. — The
ftatute of labourers was to be in force, as well in cities and burghs as in
the open country. \Stat. 1 2 Ric. 11, cc. 3-9.]

It was enaded that ftriped or coloured cloths and half cloths, made in
Briftol and the counties around it, fhould be agreeable to the law of
the year 1373 in length and breadth. \Stat. la Ric. II, c. 14.] This law
is mentioned here, only becaufe it proves that the country around Briftol
was then, as it has ever fince continued, the chief feat of the clothing
trade.

The ftaple was ordered to be removed from Middleburg, and to be
again eftablilhed at Calais by the firft of December. [Stat. 1 2 Ric. II,
c. 16.]

1389 — In the year 1379 a general privateering commiflion was given
to the people of Dartmouth. [Rot. pat. prim. 3 Ric. 11^ tn. 10.] In 1385
they brought away fome rich veflels from the mouth of the Seine, one
of w'hich, called Chflbn's barge, had not its equal in England or France.

• Sec them in the .'\ppendix. who put their chiUlrcn appixntices, when very

f This law wa» made for preventing the child- young, to trades, which they afterwards folluwi-d

ren of villeins from becoming free by being ar- or not, as inclination or circumllanccs dircAed.

tii'ana in burghs. It was evaded by the vilTeios,

A, D. 1389. . 601

m^Inshamp. its.] Aiul.this year, after Eafter,a merchant of Dart-
mouth, with a fleet fitted out by himfclf, is faid to have taken 33 veffe s
loaded wuh about 1.500 tun. of Rochelle wine \ [Knygbton. col. z^.^\

June z 8- -In another truce with France the articles for mutuaffVee-
dom of trade were inferted. as in that of ,384. {F^dera, V, vCp.t^r\
hoTr\r*^ IT'^'^f^^^'^^* "•"''«*^ ''' Middlewych and hi fons^to
^lf'Xrm^)T^^^^ '° '^'"^ "' other'mcrchandi.e. iC

He alio grauted to Thomas Scot the filhery of the Thames from Lon-
don bndge down to Yenlade. [/?,/. pat. fee. 12 Ric. // „ 2,1 Tht
leemsan mvafion of the jurifdidion of the city: and It liibjeded the
inhabitants to tl»e extortion of a monopolifl of river fifl,. ^ ^

;390. J'lnuary-^ The parliament confidering, that the prices of nro
vilions could not be permanently fixed t dirtded. that the julL^s of
peace fhould every year afcertain the wages to be given to tSefmen
andjabourers. and alfo limit the price of provifions $. [V.,. x ^3 X

Becaufe the cloths called cogware and Kendal cloths of the breadth of

ly foldTorarto":/"'^* "'^' " ^"'"^^ P^"^ of England, and ufuaK
ly lold h-om 3/4 to 5/ per piece to poor people, or for exportation were
made pf wool which was fit for no other ufe. they were illowed fliU to
be made of the accuftomed lengths and breadths, notwithftanding the
law for regu atmg the finer cloths, provided they were made of w<^l no
better than had hitherto been ufed for them. (stat. 1, i^ Ric // / o 1
Frauds were now beginning to difgrace the woollen manufadure in
the counties of Somerlet. Dorfet. Briftol, and Gloucefter. then, as n
a great mealure now. the chief feats of it ; and a common mode of
evading detedion was to tack the cloths fo as to render it veryTfficuI

wool different colour deficient breadth, or otherways diftioneftly maTe
By thcle deceptions the merchants, who had the misfortune to eTpor
uch cloths, were expoled to great lofl^es ; even their lives were n danger
from the refentment ot foreigners ; and the national charader ofX
manufadure was finking in foreign countries. It was therefor enaded
that all cloths fiiould be fold, agreeable to the pradice in E iSc without
any luch tacking : and the cloth-workers, weavers, and fullers were re

• Thcfc frem tlic prizes, wliuli, acconlins to
Vr W.tt. llnUrtH nf Hnllaml,p. 2,5 F.n^^J. ,ranJl.-\
the iMijrlifh earned i„a) Dort .nmi Ziritzeo ; and,
a,i thofe towiiH Iiad rcfiifcd to join their earl in the
war ajrainft England, the vcirels. belonging to
nuTcliants livinir in them were rcOored by the
Enijlilh captori — If the nnmbers are near cor-
rect, the venela earried kfs tlian 50 tilns each, whteli
IS not likely. Thij inpturc excce-led in nnmber,
tnough pn>hal>!y not in value, the French fleet
from Martinitiiie, taken by Commodore Walker

Vol. I.

in a ilnglc privateer, alfo from Dartmouth, in the
year 174,-.

f Thole falt-works made a part of the revenue
nt the baxon kinga, as noticed above, p. 205.

J Snch 1 conceive to be the meaninjr of the
words, • pnr ce qe homme ne pnrra mye mcttre en
certem lea pria dcs bled,: et antr.s vitaillen '

§ This act orders tliat no holleller fhould mak-
bread tor horfes, bnt it Ihonid be made l.y th..
bakers. The hoitelleis are allowed a pr'jKt of a
hallpemiy iipon a budiel of oats.
J. C

602

A. D. 1390.

quired to affix their feveral feals to every cloth pafTed through their

bands. [Stat. 1, J 3 R'^-^^''^'^^'^ ^ ^ u a , . u ^„..«^
November—The parliament now ordered the flaple to be remo.-ed

from Calais by the 6'" of January, and to be eftablilhed m thofe towns
in England (and, I fuppofe. alfo in Wales and Ireland) wherem it was
fettled in the year 1353 *• Every foreign merchant, bringmg goods
into England, was required to give fecurity to the officers of the cuftoms
at the port of landing, that he would inveft one half of the proceeds
of his goods in wool, hides, wool-fells, lead, tin, butter, cheefe, clotli^
or other EngliOi commodities. [Stat. 14 Ric. II, c. i.] from this adt
it feems prefumable, that they were allowed to carry off half the pro-
ceeds of their fales in money or bills of exchange, if they chofe it \.

Every merchant, drawing a bill of exchange payable at Rome or
elfewhere, was required to lay out the whole money received for it,
within three u.onths, upon the above-mentioned Englifh commodities.

[Stat. \\K\c. II, c. 2.] ^ , , . , •

In order to keep up the price of wool, it was enaded, that no denizen
of England fhould buy wool from any porfon but the owners ot flieep
or of tithes, unlefs in the ftaple, nor regrate wool or other ftaple merch-
andize. No Englilhman was allowed to buy wool, except on his own
account for fale at the ftaple, or for making into cloth. The exporta-
tion of wool, hides, and wool-fells, was prohibited to denizens, and al-
lowed only to foreigners. [Stat. 1/^ Ric. II, cc.^, S]

It was enafled, that the merchants of England ftiould export their
merchandize in Englilh veflels o»Iy: and the owners were defired to carry
them for reafonahle freights, [c. 6.] ■ r •

Dartmouth was declared the only port for the exportation ot tin.

\c 7.]

In order to encourage foreign merchants to come to England, the par-

Uament aftured them of a courteous reception and fair treatment, [f. 9.]

Officers of the cuftoms were prohibited from being owners ot vellels.

The parliament ordered, that the ScottiOi money ftiould be taken in
England for only half its nominal value %. [c. 12.] _

i%Qi January 17'"— The Englifti merchants trading to Pruflia, the
Hanfe towns, and the adjacent countries, imputing the many troubles

♦ Some new Ihple towns were appoiiitid in tlic
-a'" y.ar ot Ldwiird III. (-V/ above, p. 576.)
It is oblervabk, that iome. places in Eugland were

exportation of ftaple goods was tlicn confined to

certain ports, and that they were thence calkd

Itaple ports.

cilicd "ilapie 7»\vn;7 Vhe.; t'he fole legunUpIe wa, t Their ri^ht to carry away one half of their

« Cal.4. r' I i.> the year .377 »''<= M^^^ ^^' ''• """"'y " "P'=^"'>' ''"^"'^ '" "" ^' * ^"'' ^'^

J Uiilcfs tlierc was fome preat, but (hort-'.ived,
dlmlnutioa of the money of Scotland, unknown to
hiitoric or antifjaarian rtle.iich, ihii law was drawn
lip witli ftil! Ida regard to accuracy than the order
of 1 373. ;>ee the tabk uf mon<.y iu the AppeiidiK.

moved fmr.i Q^aetnburgh to Sandwich | ICollan's
yj!,nJxtmcnl,p:iSl} a.id in 1385 Kn.g Richard
removed tlie llaplc of wool and wool-felh trom
Ipfwicli and London to Yar.nouth. [TM m the
Uvjn hall of Tannoul/j, pul/ljjhttt luM LelmdU Col.
tHUnia, ^.^^,^ 28O.] It is probable that the

A. D. 1391.

603

aud dilputes, which had happened in former times, 10 the want of a
proper diredion of their community, and, doubtlefs, obferving the ad-
^!l"I^8f foreign merchants enjoyed by having regulated companies
eftabhfhed m England, had eledted John Bebys, a citizen of London,
to be governor of the EngliHi merchants in thofe countries *. Their
eledion was now ratified by the king, who alfo gave the governor ftill
power to difpenfe jurtice to all the Englifti merchants in thofe countries
to accommodate all difputes between them and the natives, or to de-
mand redrefs from the foverefgns of the countries : he authorized the
governor and his deputies to make ordinances, with the confent of the
hnglifh merchants, tor the regulation of their affairs, agreeable to the
privileges granted to them (apparently in the year 1388) by the grand
maiter of Pruflia : and he empowered the merchants to meet annually
m all time coming for the eledion of a governor f. [Faedera, V. vii
p. 693.]

May 24"'_The fame of Richard's profufion attraded to England every
thmg that was eminently magnificent and coftly. We now find two
merchants of Luca obtaining permiflion to import two crowns of gold
with jewels, and a fet of furniture of cloth of gold and filk for a cham-
ber, to be offered fir ft to the king, or fold to others if he fhould de-
clme purchafing them, without paying any cuftom for them, unlefs
they Ihould fell them t [Fmdera, V. vii, p. 699.]

After fome years of abundance there was a comparative fcarcity of
corn this year in England, and the price was confcquently very high :
but It would have been much higher, if there had not been as great a
Icarcity of money, occafioned by the reftraints laid upon the exporta-
tion of wool §. On this occafion London enjoyed the advantages flow-
ing from fupenor commerce and police : for, while wheat was felling at
Leicefter from 13/4 to 16/8 per (quarter, it was fold in London for about
10/ Some veflels II arrived with corn from the continent in various

• The prcfcnt Brltidi couful m Pruir.a (s pto-
bably the fiiccelTor of this j,'overnor. The name
of confiil, however, wa« wUA htfori; thin time, as
appears hy the mention of it already in this work.
/. 5j6, to fay nothing of other proofs, which
might be adduced, if ijecclTary.

t The mercantile companies, who formerly car-
ricd on very fierce contelU for priority of dignity
and antiquity, without knowing nny lolid founda-
tion whereon to build their claims, might apparent-
ly have found fomcthiug in this grant to guide them
to a knowlcge of their antiquity.

X In the year 1409 Henry IV licenced a Ge-
nocle mercliant to import an expenfue collar ot
necklace on fimilar terms. [/V.iiv;, y. viii,/*. 569.]

} We thus fee, that the (hcep of England pro-
duced more wool than was required for the maim-
(aftiire of cloth and other woollen goods for the
conjumption of all the people, and the export
trade beiides: and it fceras pretty certain, that

fow people in Englaiid were now clothed in foreiirn
cloth. ^

Ivnyphton Hates this fcarcity in 1 390; and he
fays, that the wool had lain unfold in many plac-s
two, and three, years, in confcqucnce of the Eng-
lilh merchants not being allowed to export it. and
the fale of it bi'ing confined to twelve places for
all England. ISiit, as the relhaints were not en-
afted till November 1390, they could not produce
fuch effects in (391, and fat Icfs in 1390. Stow
places the relict procured by the magillrates of
London in the mayoralty of Adam Bamme, which
commenced in November 1390; and thence Wal-
fingham appears more accurate than Knyghton in
the date.

II Knyghton fays, • xi naves.' But I appre-
hend, the numerals arc crroiicouj. The cargoes of
eleven ihqjs, unlefs they were much above the ufual
burthen, could have but very little effed in reducing
the price or alleviating the calamity.

4G 2

6o4

A. D. 1391-

parts of the kingdom : and the magiftrates of London, with 2,000 marks
borrowed from the orphans' cheft *, together with X^48o contributed by
the twenty-four aldermen, purchafed a ftock of corn, wherewith the
poor of London and the adjacent country were fuppUed on eafy terms.
[Knygbton, col. 2737. — Walfmgham, p. 346.]

In the year ending 21" June 1391, during which the quantity of
wool exported is (iiid to have been much lefs than ufual, the cuftoms on
it amounted to ^(^ 160,000, over and above tunnage, poundage, aulnage,
pellage, &c. [Cotton's Abridgement, p. 472.]

November^ It was enaded, that all merchants, denizens, or aliens,

might buy wool from any perfon whatever till the 24'" of June next,
they bringing to Calais one ounce of gold in bullion for every fack of
woolf. After the 24'" of June the ftaple, now held at the towns ap-
pointed by parliament in the year 1353, fhould be held in fuch towns
upon the coaft as the lords of the council fhould diredt. [Cottons Abridge-
ment, p. 341.]

The ad of the preceding year, for fhipping tin at Dartmouth only,
was now repealed. Tin might now be {hipped at any port ; but it was
to be carried only to Calais, as long as wool fhould be carriea thither.
[Stat. 15 Ric. II,' c. 8.]

From theie refliridtons Calais appears to have been flill a ftaple, at
which all wool and tin were to be landed ; ftaplcs and reflraints in Eng-
land, and a lecond flaple and other refl:raints at the fame time on the
continent ! The condition of the merchants, who were obliged to deal
in flaple goods, was truely pitiable in thofe days of perpetual changes.

It was reprefented in parliament, that the cloths manufafturcd at Gild-
ford and the adjacent parts of Surrey, SufTex, and Hampfhire, called Gild-
ford cloths, which ufed to have great reputation as well-made goods,
were now much depretiatcd in confequence of fullers and others buy-
ing them unfuUed, and injuring the iubftance by overflretching them
in length and breadth. It was therefor now enaded, that no Gildford
cloths lliould be Ibid, till they were completely linilhed and fealed. [Stat.

15 Ric. II, c. 10.]

The people of Amfterdam had for fome time pafl traded to Schonen
for herrings j:, and they had obtained from the king of Denmark a grant
of a piece of land for traufaaing their bufmefs. This year the earl of

• This is believed to be the eavlioft notice.jiiw"
ly any lii/loriiin, of the orphan's fund in the city of
London. But it may be prefumed to be much
more antient, as we find an cUablifliment for the
orphans of Sandwich in the year 1890. \^Rol. pal.
18 EJv,. I, m. 3S.] ,. , , ,

f 111 the year 1J97 the parhament ordered the
ounce of gold to be carried to the Tower of Lou-
don ; and ill 1399 Calais was again appointed to
be the place for it. [Co/Zo/i'/ /tbrii/^fment />p. 362,

% Schook [Differl. itf hartntis, § 34] fays, that
the Hollanders had not ytt begun to tilh on the
Biitilb coaft. We know that the Flemings artual-
ly fifhed on the coafts of England and Scotland
above iCO years before, and that the Hollanderii
obtained a licence in the year 1295 to fi(h on the
coaft of England j and they were probably among
the Delgiani who frequented the filhery in the
Firth of Forth in the twelfth ccniuiy. Set abovt,
j-'h 3»3'> 427f 455- *

n

Fi 1

A. D. 1391.

605

Holland gave a charter to his faithful fcabines and fenators of his city
ot Amlterdam, authorizing them to eleft a prefea, and to govern their
lands m Schonen by their own laws * [Chart, ap. PontaniDan. hijl.t. 522.1

i392_.The merchants of the Hanfe obtained from the king a de-
claration that they {hould be fubjeded to no new impofuions in any
town. \Rot.pat.fec.T.^Ric.n,m,'>.<^:\ ^

The magiftrates of London having refufed to lend the king /"i 000
he took occafion to quarrel with them, deprived them of their offices'
refcmded the city's privileges, and got a fine of ^100,000 impofed upor^
It. He was encouraged in thefe oppreflive meafures by the nobles, who,
not knowing that the improvement of their own lands depended upon
the pro^oerity of trade, envied the growing opulence of the citizens. It
was probably thought at court, that the payment of fuch an exorbitant
fine would be impoffible ; and the king hinted a defire to be reconciled
to the citizens who were fo tranfported with joy at the news, that they
beggpd to be honoured with his prefence in the city. He accordingly
made a proceffion through the city (Auguft 29"') ; and the citizens
Itrained their abilities to receive him with fplendour and magnificence.
Two crowns of gold (probably thofe imporced from Luca in the pre-
ceding year), two tables or plates of gold, one reprefenting the Trinity,
and valued at ^800, and the other a pidure of S'. Anne, with a vail
profufion of other coftly baubles, were prefented to him and the queen
and gratioufiy received. The fine of ^^i 00,000 was remitted, aid all
ottences were pardoned, except treafons and felonies (September lo'") The
citizens now rejoiced in the belief that the ftorm of royal indignation
was blown over. But they were foon convinced of their miftake by a
demand of ^10,000, to be paid for obtaining the king's good will • and
'IwV "Y "^^^^'^^'y diftrefling, was colledted by an afliffment upon
all the inhabitants, and actually paid to the king f. [Foedcra, V. sn,pp.
735, 739— MygAton, col 2740 — Walfingham, p, 348.]

* According to fome autliorii, It was not before
the year 1400 that the fta made a breach through
the ridee of hills, which guarded the north coall
of Holland and Frifcland, into tlie lakes formed
by the llagnation of the north inoiith of the Rhine,
Mliich, according to Pliny, [Hl/I. „ai. L. iv, c. 15]
was called the Flcviu, and converted thein into an
inland fea, well known in modern times by tlie name
of the Ziiyder zee, the chief entrance of which
18 at the ifland called the Ttxel. Before that ir-
nintion took place, Amilerdam could have no
other navigation than by boats upon the fredi.
■water lakes and the rivers connefted with them
We here fee undoubted proof that it was earlier
than the year 14C0: but it is impofl'ible to afcer-
tain the piecife time on account of the numerous
inundations difcordaiitly and indiftindly recorded
by the Dutch writers. [See S.booh Ae mum/almi-
his, and >«// Balavui, />. I 2 2.] De Witt [/.. ,01
Lngl. tnm/lA quotes l^int-iK-.H! (nuljKil.etl hv>.f.

Vulliusj who dates it

in 1 170, but will

ferring hi,ii to thofe who place it in 1400. Per-
liaps it may have happened in the great inundation
in January i 198-9 recorded by Hovtdtn, f ^j6 b.
—■^'•n- ll'iiwiL and CAroti. M,!ros, a</ ,'//.' 1 108.
Mvyer [ytrn. Fkmlr. f. iiy b] is fo dillreifed by
the carrleffneis of writers refpcaing the inundations,
that he IS qntc angry with them : and, to-be-fure,
theie can be httle dependence upon the early hif-
tory of a country, wherein an event of fuch im-
portance is fo vciy difcordantiy related.

t The prefent citizens of London, accuftomcd
to turn much larger fums in their piiv.itc concerns
than what is here lUted as perhaps impoflibli: to be
paid by th; eonnnunity of the city, will nut i)l.imc
me, or rathi: Walfinghani, fur faying, that the
colleaion of /;i 0,000 dlllrened the whole titv,
when they recollect that ;^"ic,000 contained 8,000
pounds or 96,000 ounces of dai.dard iilver, and
could purchafc 50,020 quarters of wliwl at an

HVCrBLTC

lont pre-

puce.

6o6

A. D. 1393.

T 393, January — London, and the other incorporated communities,
were now indulged with an a6l of parliament, prohibiting all foreign
merchants from buying and felling with each other, and from cutting
up or retailing any goods *, except provifions (' vivres et vitailes'). No
fpiceries were to be carried out of the kingdom, either by denizens or
aliens. [Stat. 16 Ric. II, c. i.] Thus, after being unfairly deprived of
their juft rights, were the citizens of London, in return for what ought
not to have been demanded from them, gratified with what ought not
to have been granted to them.

March 8'" — Some merchants of Plafencia, a city on the north coaft
of Spain, having plundered Nicholas CoUyng of Chepftow, the king had
granted him letters of reprifal to the amount of ;C3.2oo, that he might
recompenfe himfelf by taking veflels belonging to Plafencia ; and he
had moreover, at his fuit, imprifoned all the Plafencians found, in Eng-
land. But at the requeft of the earl of Virtues (' comitis Virtutum'),
the lord of that city, who appears to have undertaken to compenfate the
damage, the letters were now fufpended. \Tadera, V. vii, pp. 740, 749.]

April 20'" Margaret, queen of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, the

countries whofe naval power four centuries before this time had been
a terror to all the weftern coafts of Europe, finding her fleet fcarcely
able to make head againft that of the Hanfe towns, and having applied
to the king of England for his afliftance, he licenced three large warlike
fhips of Lynne, with their commanders and mariners, to enter into her
fervice. \¥asdera, V. vii, /. 744.]

April 22^ ^The following articles, which were permitted to be Ihipped

at London for the duke of Bretagne without paying any duty, may ap-
parently be conlidered as fpecimens of the manufadures, fifliery, and
trade of England, viz. i piece and 15 elns of fcarlet cloth ; 9 cloths of
various colours ; 1 5 elns of blanket f ; 1 5 elns of black cloth ; 1 6 faddles ;
3 buts of Malvelcy wine ; 132 pounds of fugar ; 50 grelings, 50 lings,
3 barrels of while herrings, 4 cades of red herrings, 1 20 ftock-fifli ;
1 2 brafs pots with covers, and fundry other articles of metal ; i bed of
bloody colour and green with 8 ' tapetis' (figured cloths, or perhaps bed
blankets) and curtah;s ; i image of alabafler, and ieveral fmall articles.
[Fa(/aii, F. vii, /. 745] From fome other fuch licences, occurring in
the fubltqucnt p:uts of the Foedera (and particularly V. vin,p. 117) it
appears, that the gokliiniths of England ftill kept up their reputation as
excellent workmen.

1394, January — It was cnaded that no filver money fliould be melted
for making veilcls or any other things; and that Scottifh, or other

* It may be r<'markcd once for ;i'I, that tl\e upon foreign doalcrs in fidi, &c. was repealed by

t^anlicnt foreign nuruhan-, w!io could fi-hmit to Henry IV m the lirll year uf hia uijfn.
rhe petty drudgery of rctalhiijr I'.is [roods, mull f Dlaiikct, a coarfe kind of <l.;tli, alhuii d for

iuvc had but a "voty trilling cargo. — The rellraint the drcfa of country labourers by pailmmciU in the

3 year 1363.

A. D. 1394.

607

foreign, money (hould not circulate, but be carried to the mint, IStat,
17 Ric. //, c. I.]

All perfons were now permitted to make cloth and kerfey of any
length and breadth, the quantity (and apparently alfo the fufficiency of
the fabric) being certified by the aulneger's feal, before it might be
oflFered for fale. [c. 2.]

The merchants, and the makers of the fluff called ///f/<r voorjled, were
allowed to export bolts of it to any country not at war with the'king,
paying only the cufloms and fubfidies without the Calais duties, not-
withflanding the charters granted to the burgefles of Calais and the
merchants of the flaple of Calais. But they were not permitted to cany
any double worfleds or half doubles, otjlriped or mot led worfleds. [c. 3.]

All the fubjeds of England were allowed to export corn to any country
not hoflile, on paying the due cuftoms. A power was however referved
to the king's council to flop the xportation, if neceflary. [c. 7.]

According to the ordinances of Edward II and Edward III, the alder-
men of London continued in office only one year. But now it was enaded,
that they fhould not be removed out of office at all, unlefs for fome jufl
and reafonable caufe *, — The ward of Farringdon being lately very much
increafed in houfes and inhabitants f , it was enaded, that there fhould
be one alderman for the divifion within the walls, and another for the
divifion without, in all time coming, and that they fliould thenceforth
be called the wards of Farringdon within and Farringdon without.
[cc. II, 13.]

Augull 29"'-~The king, underdanding, that, in confequence of the
failure of herrings in other places %, many foreigners, with veffels, fait,
and other requifites for curing herrings, had come lall year and this
year upon the coafl of York-fhire, where they had bought up great
quantities of herrings, which they falted and barreled, or cured red,
and carried away for their own advantage, to the great hurt of the
whole kingdom by raifing herrings to an extravagant price, but efpecial-
ly of the inhabitants of Whitby, who fupported themfelves chiefly by
curing herrings, he therefor ordered the magiflrates of that town § to
proclaim, that no flrangers iliould thenceforth be permitted to carry
away any herrings. iFa:dera, V. vii, p. 788.] We do not, however,
lee, that any attention, adequate to the importance of the objed, was'

• fiiow, In his lill of temporiil governors ?t tlic
inj ot liJA Survey dates this alteration in the coii-
Ihtulion of the city in the year 1^54.

t Wc mud not fuppole, that this ward thca
ap|.r.>-u-hcJ to any rcrcinMancc of its jrcfent crowd-
ed llote. Ill the fjcond year of Henry IV t!i<;
bifhop of Satiflniry leafed two gardens in S'. Brides
paiilh, ricct ilreet for 80 years to George CrcflTey,
.1 liti/.cn of London, at a rent of jq/" a-year.
IRjt. /'oi./tc. 2 Hen. U\ m. 15. j Tcrhaps a part

of thofe gardens may be the modern Sah'ibury
fijuarc.

t Wcrdenhagui [p. 366] fays, tlie filher)- on
the coadof Schouen was niterrupted by the piratei,
who infellcd the 13akic fca. But King Richard's
mandate is far better authority.

J Simihir orders, wc ni;iy prefume, were fent to
the other towns on the coall vifittd by the litr-
rings, though they do uot appear.

6o8

A. D. 1394.

paid 10 the fifhery, fo as to make herrings a confiderable article of ex-
poriation.

1396. October 25'" — The Genoefe, formerly raifed by profperous com-
Tnerce to fuch a height of power and infolence that they pretended to
pinhibit the neighbouring ftates from navigating the Mediterranean fea,
were \'o far reduced by tlreir inteftine divifions as to be incapable of
conducing their own government, and now furrendered themfelves to
the dominion and protedion of the king of France, under which they
remained till the year 1409, when the French, unwilling to be at the
expenfe of maintaining a fufficient force in their city, obliged them to
refume their independence. [Stella Ann. ap. Muratori Script. V. xvii, coL
1 1 51. — Muratori Ann. V. x\\,p. 473.]

It was not long before the king of France found himfelf obliged to
his new vaflhls for a piece of fervice, which his own fubjeds could not
perform for him. The religious and military ardour of fome of the
princes of France and Burgundy had plunged them into a kind of cruf-
ade again ft the Turkilh fultan Bajazet, and in the battle of Nicopolis
their own impetuous valour made them his prifoners. In the prefents,
fent to the iultan by the king of France to induce him to ranfom his
captives, we have a fpecimen of the moll valuable manufadlures of
Europe. They confifted of fcarlet cloth, fine linen of Rheims, and
tapeftry of Arras reprefenting the battles of Alexander the Great. The
ranfom was fixed by Bajazet at 200,000 ducats : and the merchants of
Genoa became bound for their fovereign in an obligation for five times
the fum, ' a lelfon to thole warlike times, that commerce and credit are
* the links of the fociety of nations,' \GihboiCs Roman hiji. V. xi, p. 453]
and alfo a proof, that the commerce of Genoa was ftill very great and
refpedable in the eyes of the Oriental princes, who, however, might
eftimate it rather by its former fame than its adual Itate at the time.

1397, Auguft 10''' — We hear of no loans for fome years paft. But
there was one made now, the contributors to which were more numer-
ous, and the fums larger, than in any preceding one. Of 193 fubfcrip-
tions there were 78 by the clergy, from ;{'l,ooo by the bifhop of Win-
chefter down to X'13 : 6 : 8 ; 45 by gentlemen from XI400 by Sir Robert
KnoUys down to £2^

Bristol

Norwich

Boston

Lyiine

York

Gloucester

Salisbury

Lincoln

SvjiHhampton

Si. Edniuitdsbury

80O O

;>ai o

UW) 13

200 0

2(X> o

•ioo 0

13.'J 6

113 fi

lod i:i

6

8 ; and 70

by

cities and towns, as fol

lows.

4

Cambridge

k-'ioo 0

0

Chichester

Jim 13

4

0

Winchester

-

100 0

0

NorthamiUon

0(j 13

4

K

Colchester

.

100 0

0

Yarmouth

m 13

•1

0

Kingston upon

Hull

100 0

0

Abingdon

60 13

4

4

Hereford

.

lai 0

0

Scarburgli

firi 13

4

0

Shrewsbury

-

UK) 0

0

Nottingh.im

60 13

4

0

CanliTburi'

.

m 13

4

Worcester

m 13

4

0

Sandwich

..

(W 13

4

Ixicesler

Of) 13

4

8

Staniortl

.

66 13

4 Cirencester

(X) 1

0

8

Cianthani and

}

f;: 13

, Oxford

.53 tj

8

4

1 larlaxton

4

1 Wells (' Walleys

) 53 ti

8

and others for fums under ^^50 down to Xi^ • ^3 • 4- \^<xder(it ^ viii,
p. 9.]

A. D. 1397.

609-

mnlh t f ■ ^u T^^^^'y ^^'•y ^iefeaive *. Hiows that the people were
miu:h richer, or the king much greedier, now than a few years before

1398, January-The comtnons reprefented in parliament that the
ftaple was appomted to remain at Calais, and thatlll wTol 'woo^^dt
n^hnd fn '.v'^'^'' butter honey, peltry, and tallow, from England
r eland and Wales, ought to be carried to Calais and «o other place •
but that fome perfons had purchafed licences to carry thofe artiSes to

of rllllc TK I f^'P'^' ^"""^ detriment of the coinage and cuftoms

lebrtiary 2i"_The grand mafter of Pruffia comolainrf m Ifln^
Richard , ha, hi, ful^^as co.ld get „„ rcdrefe a. h^X for dam.l"!
done to ttem by the Englift : and he therefor renounced the comm™ M

.0 rhdrrffo'"hu7"" '■'''■ '"°T,« "-^ E"8li<h mercha,ra7e:
to withdraw from his dominions agreeable to the terms then ftipulated

fheE^I^ftZ'^.rY' ;fl«».'«"y iT'-^d by the grand mafters'^nft

tW*" '"'^^^'^ ^''''f*"' !'"' y^^' purchafed Blackwell hall, which was
thereupon appomted to be the only place in the city wherein any fo?

s!::z^TB':,^!'6:f^^^^ ^«"-^"- coth:^^^;

1399. April ,6"'_King Richard, while preiwing for an expedition

VZZ^ fA'? ^'f ''J- "^ "^^^ ^^"^y particular in ordering the ce-
remonial of his funeral, for which he allotted /:4,ooo. {F^cra FvA

{d^y . T'^'r n"'"^^^ '^^ "^h^PPy »i<^h-d was dep^d. murder-'
ed, and buried without any pomp. He was fucceeded (September S
ll^T^ aI^^ i Lancailer, who had no hereditary Hght, though
Richard had been dead ; and that ufurpation was the direful Vr ne of

ed"and';tV°'r" '^."^'''^"'/ '''' ^^^'^ ^^^^^y -« nlmoft extiriLt-
wh^r (• ^"^,^°"l^TP"'^'"^' ^y^^ flaughters in the civil ,^rs
which enfued whereby the manufadures and commerce of the countrv
were gnevoufly deprefled. and their advancement Sed ^

During the reign of Richard feveral projeds for minin- were f^t on
foot m England, but we know not with IhL fuccefs [Zr/r;.^«T

thc*K^^* '"''^,? ".^ Wi„ch*fttr for /:,.ooo, and

"^ b,(hop ot Hcrctord ftr ^66 m 3 : 4 are the only

"'" .'ps .,. the hft. and there h not one noble-

11 : but we may be fi.re, diat no biftiop or 1,0.

Wfman could be cxcnTcd. \VaifMwhBm T^. ^cO

'^-ys cxprefsly, that no prelate, ,„ city, no citizen

repute.l to be rich, I'li the whole kinrdom efcaoed.

\ OL, I,

+ ^'^^.^"'''''c "merchant J of Newcaftle m pof-
tellioii of lueli a licence in the year 1401. rCet-
ton's AbnJgcmtnl, p. 408.]

t Foreigner ovjranjrfr mult here mean one not
a citizen ot London.

4H

6i>o

A. D. 1399.

It may be obferved, that England muft at this time have had no
Jlrength of {hipping befides thofe attending the king in his Irifh expe-
dition, when the duke of Lancafter, after Ihowing himfelf on feveral
parts of the coaft, merely for the fake of difcovering what refiftance he
wastoexpea, and thereby giving very fufficient warning, could land
deliberately and unoppofed, with a very tn fling retinue.

Oaober—For the eafe of the poor it was enaded, that cloth, kerley,
Kendal cloth. Coventry frife, cogwarc, or any other Englifli cloth or
Wehh cloth, of value not exceeding 13/4 per dozen*, fhould not be re-
quired to be fealed, or to pay any duty, for the fpace ot three years.

[Stat. I Hen. IF, c. I g.^ ^,, ^. , , j, • n. \a

It was enaaed.that the ftaple for wool-fells, fkms, lead, and tin, fhould
be held only at Calais ; faving that the merchants ot Genoa, Venice, and
other places towards the Weft, in friendfhip with the king, might dil-
charee their merchandize at Southampton, and take in fucli ftaple wares ;
and faving alfo to the people of Berwick their liberties for their wool f-
[Cotton's Abridgement^ p. -^gS'] 1.1

Odtober 27'*'— Letters of marque and reprifal were granted not only
for revenging or compenfating hoftile aggreflions upon individuals, but
alfo for procuring payment of debts due to them 4n foreign countries, as
appears by fuch letters now granted to John of Waghen of Beverley
againft the fubiedls of the sari of Holland, becaufe he had not com-
pelled two of them to pay fome money due to Waghen. Kmg Henry
moreover ordered his admirals to detain all velTels and property found
in England belonging to Holland and Zeland, till the earl fhould de-
termine the af&ir according to juftice |. [Fadera, V. \in,p. 96.]

December 6'"— King Henry fummoned the grand matter ot fruilia,
and the governors of Lubeck, Wifmar, Roftock. Stralfund, and Grip-
pefwald, to appear in perion, or by deputies, before his council to an-
fwer to the merchants of England, whoxomplained. that they were not
treated in thofe places fo well as the merchants from them were treated
jn England, though the exprefs condition, upon which they had obtain-
ed their privileges in England, was, that Englifh merchants fliould en-
joy the fame advantages in their countries §. He alfo warned the meich-
ants of the Hanfe, that if they allowed others to enjoy, under colour ot
their name, the privileges granted only to themfelves, he would totally
abolifh and annull their charter. [Fadera, V. viii. /. 1 1 2.]

About this time Timour (corruptly called Tamerlane) completed the

• It appears by an adt 1 1 Hen. IV, c. 6, that
a dozer, of cloth wa a half piece tonfilling offeur.
tien yards.

f Their liberties autlioriifd them to export all
the wool produced on the mvrlli fide of Coquet
liver to auy place wiiatfoever. [CoMim'/ bridge-
ment, p. 482.]

t Waghen, howev<;i, go; no fatisfattion, and

hit letters of marque were renewed in 1412 and
1414. IFadera, F. viii,/. 733 ; ^ ix. PP- 1*5.

>88.] «. . , ,

\ When thofe condition* were ftipulated, the
reciprocity was mertly nominal, for there were
very few Englifhmcn who traded to foreign coun-
triea : but there were now many, and thcnec more
frequent occafions of quarrel.

A. D. 1399.

6tw

conqucft of Hindooftan, a country, which, by the great riches and un-
mil'^ary temper of its inhabitants, has repeatedly invited, and fallen a
prey to, thofe fcourgc. of the human race called conquerors.

1400—About this time the fiOiery on the coaft of Aberdeen-fhire,.
which m later ages has been almoft abandoned to^ tlie Dutch, was fre-
quented by the Enghlh. The Scots titted out a fmall fleet under Sir
Kobert Logan to drive away or deftroy the Englilh veflels. But Logan's
torce was apparently infufficient. for he himlelf was taken by the veirelc
belonging to Lynne. [Wa//i»^^bam, p. 364.]

The Roman world comprehended now but a few milei beyond the
walls of Conftantmople. the peninfula of Peloponnefus or Morea, and
fome trifling fpots and iflands. Manuel, the unhappy emperor was
driven by the terror of the Turkifh arms to mendicafe pecuniary kift!.
ancc from the dependents of thofe barbarians, who had ufurped liis
weftern provinces. From the obfervations of the emperor, or his at-
tendants, on ihe different countries vifited by them, I {dta fuch parti-
culars as fliow the ftate of commerce and manufadures, at leaft as thev
appeared to the Greeks— The natives of Germany excell in the me-
chanic arts, and they boaft of the invention of gun-powder and cannons.
Above two hundred free cities in it are governed by their own laws-»
1 ranee contains many flourifhing cities, of which Paris, the royal refid-
ence, is pre-eminent in weahh and luxury.— Flanders is an opulent pro-
vince the ports of which are frequented by merchants of our own fca
(the Mediterranean) and the Ocean.— Britain (or rather England) is full
ot towns and villages. It has no vines and but little fruit, but it abounds.
*?,?''"'t T^' ^"d woo/. /ro»2 wA/V^ r-6^ natives make great quantities of '
clotb. London, the capital, may be preferred to every city of the Weft
for population, opulence, and luxury. It is feated on the River Thames
• ' 'n-^-^iT '® ^'Iv^^tage of the tide, dayly receives and difpatches trad-
ing veflels from and to various countries.— Venice * excells all the cities
of Italy in the opulence of its citizens and the magnificence of its build-
ings. The Venetians fend every year ten triremes f to the Ionian and
iEgaean feas to proted the fliips trading to Egypt and Africa againft
pirates ; and they are relieved by other ten at the end of a year's cruife
Twenty-two veflels, larger than others, trade to Alexandria, Syria Ta-
nais (or Afof ) the Britifli iflands, and Africa, under the care of the
fons of the nobles, for fuch is the cuftom. [Laon. Cbalcocondyks, L. ii
pp. 36-50 ; L. IV. p. 105.] •' '

I4PI, January 1 1""— King Henry propofing to go to war. and under-

* The dcfcnption of Venice is taken from tl,e gave the claffical name of ttiremi* or ««« Stella

emperu. s v.f.t to n .n the y.ar ,438, and brought the Gcnocle chromchr, fays exprcLuX the tri'

.« here for the fake of conne^l,o„. 'cmes were the fame vdT.ll which in Ws, lew "

t lTomSa„uo[/>.57]aad.nanyotherItah-an /./i./W/y. called gallics. The real trirera were-

j,uthor. . ,s pretty certain, that the tu/.aroli (gal. ;hen as nu.ch untnown and forgo t.T?f U «

1.CS with thr.e men to an oar) were the vtffel., to Lad never cxllled, *" '^"

vl.jdi they, and this deck wr:tcr imitating thcnv

4 H 2

6l2

A. D. 1401,

Handing that barges and balingers were the veflels moft proper for that
purpofe, ordered the community of the city of London to provide one
of each at their own expenfe. The other confiderable towns, inland as
well as maritime, were taxed, fome * . find a barge, and fome a balinger;
and the fmaller towns were made to join, two, three, or more, according
to their abilities, to find a barge or a balinger *. [Foedera, V. viii,/>. 172.]

Tanuary — In order to put a flop to the frauds committed by means of
the currency of Flemifti and Scottish coins in England, it was enaded,
that they fhould be all coined into Englifti money in England or Calais ;
and that no more fhould be admitted into the kingdom f . [Stat. 2 Hen.
IV, c. 6.]

June 8'" — Notwithftanding the complamts on both fides, and the
formal renunciation of the grand matter, the commercial intercourfe
between England and Pruflia was ftill kept up, and many Englifti merch-
ants were fettled in that country. But the harmony was interrupted by
the capture of a Pruflian veflel by the Scots, which being retaken by
fome veflels belonging to Lynne, it was reported in Pruflia that flie was
taken by the Englifti, and, in confequence thereof, all the Englifti fub-
jedts found in that country, with all their property, were arretted. King
Henry, therefor, now wrote to the grand matter in order to corred the
mifreprefentation, and requeft«d him to take off the arreft from his
fubjeds and their property. [Fsfdera, V. viii, p. 203.]

This year the magiftrates of Barcelona eftabliflied their bank of ex-
change and depofit, called Taula de cambi (Table of exchange), upon the
fecurity of the funds -of the city, and with the intention of extending
the accommodation afforded by it to foreigners, as well as to their own
citizens. And it appears, from records ftill extant, that foreign bills of
exchange were ufually negotiated in it, and that the diredtors of it gave
afliftance to the manuirnaurers, when making their purchafes of raw
materials, fuch as Znglijh w d, &c. The Spanifli writers call this bank
the firft eftabliftiment of the kind in Europe %. [Capmany, Mem. bift. de
Barcelona^ V. i, Com. pp. 144, 213; V. ii. Col. dipt. p. 203.]

1402, Augutt n"" — The magiftrates of Bruges complained to King
Henry's council of feveral injuries, and particularly, that a fiftierman
of Oi^'^id, when fifhing for herrings in the North fea, and alfo one be-
longing to Briel in Holland, had been taken by the Englifti, and car-
ried into Hull, though they lowered their fails § the moment the EngUfti
called to them. [Foedera, V. Vm, pp. 273, 276.]

• In llie preceding year fevcrnl of tlie barons
found vellcU for the kiii}f at their own expenfe.
IFadera, K viii,/>. IJ5.]

f The meaning mud be, tliat they fliould no
longer be current. A refulal to admit money
would have been in direft oppolition to the policy
of the age.

J I have not been able, even with the afliftance
ef a Venetian gentleman, to find any information

concerning the conftitntion and management of the
bank of Venice in the early ages of its exiftence.
Capmany and the authors preceding hiin mull lave
confidercd them as very different from thofe of the
bank of Baicclona. The creditors of the republic
of Gen )a were not yet incorporated as a banking
company.

^ This acknowlegement of the dominion of the
fea is marked with capital letters by Rymer.

A. D. 1402.

613

J

Oaober— All importers of merchandize, whether Englifli or foreign-
ers, were ordered by parliament to inveft the •whole proceeds of their
cargoes m Englifh merchandize for exportation, referving money only
for their neceflary eyenfes. Neither vvas any perfon whatfoever per-

T^t /rfrris^^e r '^"^°''' '^' ^'°^'' ^P'^^^^ ^^'^"^^- ^^'^^

It is probable that the Canary idands. which were undoubtedly known
to the Phoenicians of Gadir. and by report even to the Romans were
never entirely forgotten in Europe * The French and Spaniards' claim
the merit of having difcovered them in the year 1 395. and feem to aS
knowlege that they were put upon the fearch for them by the report of
Macham s difcovery of Madeira. Jean de Bethencourt, a Norman gen-
tieman of Dieppe, now made a conqueft of thofe iHands. \Hakluvi V
a, part 11, p. 1 .^Mem. de litterature, K xxxvii, />. 521 ]

1403. March lo'-'—It is vexatious to find the records filled with com-
plaints, niade by the continental merchants and efpecially thofe of the
Hanle, ot outrages and depredations committed by Englifli feamen
who It muft be acknowleged, feem too often to have confidered powe^
as the only ftandard of right. The aldermen and jurates of the Hanfe
merchants refiding at Bruges complained of the capture of a Pruffian
veflel loaded with wine in July 1402 ; and the confuls of the maritime
cities ot the Hanfe affembled at Lubeck reprefented. that a veflel be-
k>ngmg to Stetin was taken by the mayor of King Henry's city of
Bayonne, who prefumed to detain her in defiance of the king's order
for reftitution f The magiftrates of Lubeck. and thofe of Hamburgh
alfo reprefented, that a veiFel loaded with 29 lafts of herrings t was
taloen on her way from Malmo to Flanders in Autumn 1402 by fome
vefTels belonging to Lynne and Blackney. [Fadera, F. viii, pp. 260.
370. 284, 287, 297.] » /r "y»

June 27'»'— It was agreed, in a truce with France, that all perfons
vellels, and property, fliould be mutuaUy and freely reftored ; that merch-
ants and others might go about their bufinefs in either kingdom with-
out any hinderance, and without needing letters of fafe^condud; and
that, tor the fecurity of navigation, all armed veflels fliould be called
into port. It was afterwards further ftipulated, that during the ap-
proaching herring feafon the fifliermen of both kingdoms might fiJh
treely and together from Graveling and Thanet down to the mouth of
the beine and Southampton ; and, if they fliould be obliged to go into
port, they fliould be kindly received on either fide. [Fadera, V. viii,
PP- 3^5' i2>^'] But all thefe harmonious meafures were very foon broken!

for a vo)age made to them by the Saracens in the tutioii. X t>. «4.1

iwclftli centiirv. + ur- .r ,■ .i .1 • • . .

+ Til.. v,.<n.| „„. rt.-ii J . • J • A •, + "'"'"' '««^> "'«' tl'ecapnciouj herrinirj had

6i4

A. D. 1403.

. This year treaties, containing ftipulations for mutual freedom of trade,
were entered into with Caftile, Portugal, and Flanders. [Fadera, V. viii,
/'/>. 312, 327, 329.] All of them were frequently renewed ; and the
renovation is a Sufficient proof of their inefficiency.

1404, January— The parUament made it felony to multiply gold or
filver, or to pradife the art of multiplication. [Stai. 5 Hen. IF, c. 4.]

The parliament, in their anxiety to keep money within the country,
obliged all foreign merchants to give fecurity that they fliould lay out
their money on EngliQi merchandize, and moreover compelled them to
fell \\n-,v £(.ous within three months after their arrival, and to Lnglifli-
mcn only, but upon no account to other foreigners. The magiftratts
of the fea-ports were alfo direded to aifign lodgings to foreigners ».

To prevent deceptions in putting off gilt or plated locks, rings, beads,,
candlefticks, harnefs for girdles, chalices, fword-pomels, powder-boxes,
and covers of cups, for folid metal, all fuch workmanfhip upon copper
or latten was prohibited, except ornaments for the church, of which
fome part fhould be left uncovered to (how the copper or latten f . \c.

13]

May 13"' King Henry borrowed 1,000 marks from ten merchants

of Genoa, and for payment he allowed them to retain the duties on
goods to be imported, and on wool, hides, wool-fells, cloth, and other
goods, to be exported, by them in London, Southampton, and Sandwich,
for four months ; and he engaged to pay them the balance, if any, at
the end of four months by the hands of his treafurcr. Five merchants
of Florence lent him 500'marks on the fame terms. And in the fol-
lowing year fums to the fame amount were lent by the fame parties, and
on the fame terms. [Fcedera^ V. viii, pp. 3.58, 359, 383.]

June 6'' — The king empowered the Englifli merchants trading to
Pruffia, Schonen, and other places within the limits of the Hanfe, to
meet, as often as they fliould think proper, for the purpofe of eleding
governors ; to whom he delegated the fame authority over the Englilh
merchants, and for obtaining juftice in difputes between them and the
natives of the places of their refidence, confiftent with the privileges and
authority granted to them by the grand mafter of Pruffia or other po-
tentates, which had been conferred on a fingle governor of the merch-
ants in the year 1391. [Fcedera, F. viii,/>. 360.J

December 4 " The commercial reader will undoubtedly be pleafed

to fee how nearly the tenor of bills of exchange, and the circuniftances
attending the non-payment of them, about four centuries ago rcfembled
thofe of the prefent day. Antonio Quarti, a merchant of Lucu refid-

goods imported by fortigiiers ; a piuliibiiion ap-
parently uimcccflar)'.

f '1 his art dcfcrves notice merely as an evidence
of the pcrfcdtioii to wliich gilding and platinj; were

then bioiiglit iii England.

* Tlw rcftrainU of this law, being found de-
ftiuSive to the trade, were partly repealed In the
mfuing year, with a fjviiig of the privile^ of
Loodoii, and a piyhibitloii of exporting iuu'ign

A. D. 1404.

6-5

ing at Bruges, the center of the commerce of the wetlem parts of
Europe, had fold two bills of exchange for i.ooo fcutes each to John
Colombo, a n^erchant of Barcelona aUb refxding at Bruges, to be paid
by Francifco de Prato a merchant of Florence, in the ufual manner, at
Barcelona. The following is a clofe tranflation of one of the bills *.
Francifco de Prato and Company at Barcelona.
In the name of God, Jmen^ the 28"' day of April 1404.

Fay by thisjirft of exchange at ufance to Piero Gilberto and Piero Otivo one thou-
fond fcutes at tenfhillings Barcelona money per fcute ; which tboufand fcutes
are in exchange with John Colombo at twenty-two grofjes per fcute. Pay on
our account, and Chri/l keep you.

Antonio Sluartifal. of Bruges.
The other differs only in the date, iS** of May, and being payable
to Piero Gilberto and Piero de Scorpo.

The bills were fent to Barcelona, but were not paid by Prato ; and
William Colombo, as agent for Gilberto, Olivo, and Scorpo, purchafcd
fcutes in Barcelona to pay the bills, for the expcnfe of which he claim-
ed reimburfement from Antonio Quarti, and for that purpofe returned
the bills protefted to John Colombo at Bruges. But Quarti alleged that
William Colombo ought to have got money for the bills at the bank
{taula di cambi) of Barcelona, according to the cuftom of the city in
fuch cafes, which would have been lefs expenfive, and that therefor he
was liable only for the expenfe attending the re-exchange in that form,
and not for the expenfes and intereft demanded by John Colombo!
Thus the matter refted at this time, when the magiftrates of Bruges
wrote to thofc of Barcelona, requefting information upon the ulage re-
fpeding bills of exchange in their city : and to their letter we are in-
debted for this curious relique of commercial antiquity. [Capmany^ Mem.

hifl.de Barcelona, V. ii. Col. dipl. p. 203 above, p. 612.]

1405, July 16'''— The king had ordered fome pirates of Whitby to
make reftitution to two Danilh merchants, whofe veflels they had taken.
But they paid no attention to the mandate ; and an officer was now or-
dered to bring them before the king, that they might anfwer for their
difobedieiice — ^The Scottifh traders were alfo haraifed by lawlefs Eng-
lifti cruifers, fome of whom, belonging to Cley on the coaft of Norfolk,
fliowed themfelves as regardlefs of their fovereign's commands, and of
their own contrads, as if they had been fubjed to no government, and
might ad as independent of controul upon the land, as they did upon
the fea. \Fcedera, V. viii, pp. 404, 450. — MS. Bib. Cott. Vefp. f vii, ri. 22,
89, 116, 117, u8.]

• For the fatisfaiftion of the reader I here add the original bill.
Fratuifco de Prato £tf Comfi. i Barfalona,
Al name dt Dio, Amen, a di xxviii Afirile 1404.

Ptfgatetur qurfla prima di camb. h ufanTta <i Piero Gilberto e Piiro Olivo /cuti mille i/old y Barfelonej:
prrfcuto: i guali/cuti mille fono per cambta che con Giovanni Colombo a groji xkH d.r-feuto : i^ tag. a
nijlro canto, i!f Ciri/I» vi guardi.

Amonio Quarti /aide Bnifgiat.

J

6i6

A. D. 1405,

September 4'*' — The king, dcfiring to anticipate the receipt of the
taxes voted by parliament, commiflloned the fliirref and fome other
j^entlemen in every fhire to oblige the richeft men to advance the money
for the taxes to be collede<l in their diftrid, which (hould be repaid to
them by the collcdors. [Fa-fiern, V. viii. p. 41 2.]

Ocftober 1 2"' — In the Scottifli court of tlie Four burghs, held at Stir-
ling, it was ordained, that every royal burgh on the Ibuth fide of the
River Spey fliould annually commifllon two or tliree fuflkicnt men as
members of the parliament of the Four burghs, which, I have already
obfcrvtd, was a board of trade •. [Re^^iam rnajefiatem, ^c.f. 15,^ b.]

1406, March — The magiftrates and traders of London having taken
upon them to prevent the cloth-makers and the dealers in wine, iron,
oil, wax, and other articles, from felling their goods by wholefale in
London to any but the citizens, the parliament enaded, that they might
freely fell their goods by wholefale in London to any of the king's fub-
jeds. [Stat. 7 Hen. IV, c. 9.]

It was enadied, that thofe, who did not poflcfs twenty fhillings yearly
in land or rent, fliould not put their fons or r'aughters to be apprentices.
But fuch perfons were allowed to fend their children to fchoolf. [c. 17.]

April 6'' — The parliament having afligned to the merchants the guard
of the fea from the i" of May 1406 to he 29"' of September 1407,
they were empowered to receive 3/" upon every tun of wine, and one
ftiilling in the pound of the value, befides a quarter of the fubfidy, up-
on wool, hides, and wool-fells, they being boimd to keep 2,000 fighting
men fulHciently armed, and 1,000 mariners, upon the f°a. The merch-
ants were alfo diredted to appoint an admiral for the I'outh and another
for the north, to be inverted by the king with the ufual powers of ad-
mirals to punifti all offenders, take up veffcls, prefs m'-n, and appoint
deputies :|:. In a few months the ftmds allotted to the merchants were
rtopped in confequence of complaints of the many lofles fuftained for
want of a fufficient guard upon the fea. [Fcrdera, V. viii, pp. 437, 439,
449» 455- — Cottons Abridgement, p. 452]

Odober 5'''_rhe king again granted his protedl on till the 2" of Fe-
bruary to all fiiliennen of France, Flanders, and Bretaj;ne, for their fi(h-
ing bufinefs only, and provided they did nothing contemptuous or pre-
judicial to him or his kingdom. [Fadera, F. viii, />. 4 j i , -r-..^ fee 459.]

J 407, February 5' —The Englifh merchants trading to Holland, Ze-

• Skcnf, in Ju8 title, noft thoughilcfaly calls
Edinburgh, Stirling, Ucruiclc. and Roklbiirgli.
ihefuur Lurghi, thouj;li he ought to have known,
I'vtn from tlic ojjpolite page of hit own b(K)k,
lh,it Lanark and Linlithgow w trc at this time fub-
Hitutcd for Bciwick and Koklburgh, which were
in the hands of the Englilh.

f The poor would fully comprehend the op-
prcdive tenilcncy of this law, whuh was to pre-
Tfiit tlieir childrai from acquiring the fmall por-

tion of fieedom enjoyed by moclmnics. The per-
midiiMi t.) Knrii ■ read was of liti'- avail before
the ait of printing brought books wuhin the reach
of the poor.

X Together with tlic maritime towns, to which
the king feiit notice of this regulation, we fuid
not only Lincoln, Norwich, Beverley, and Not-
tingham, which were accefliblt by boats, but
Giantham, which could fcarcely have any con-
iiirdion with the fea,

4
^

u

A. D.

1407,

617

land, Brabant, and Flanders, feeling the inconvenience of a want of re-
gulation and government, obtained authority from the king to elcd go-
vernors, on whom he conferred the fame powers, which had been given
to the governors of the merchants in Pruffia. &c. they ading agreeable
to the privileges aixd authority granted to them by the lords of the places,
ot tlieirrefidence* [Fxtiera, f^. xiii, p. ^65.]

n„ . fw »°'V^n/ convention between the ambaffadors of King Henry
and thole of the duke at Burgundy, who ms alfo carl of Flanders it
u^s agreed, that the king's fubjeds of England, Calais, Ireland. &c. iid
thole ot Handers or other parts of France t. whether dealers in wool,
miles, provihons, or other goods, except cannon and other warlike ftores.
hould have mutual freedom of trading by land between Calais and
i landers t— All merchants, mariners, and veflels, Ihould have free en-
trance mto the ports of either Hde with their goods, they carrymc no
cannon or other warlike ftores beyond what were needful for their own
detence.-No repnfals Hiould be made on either fide on account of al-
leged hoftiluies or pillage; but all fuch fhould be duely redrefTed bv the
lr?wPr^°" ^°'^ r:des.-The Hberty lately granted to the fi(he?men
on both fides, was confirmed, and extended to the whole coaft of France
— iirates were not to be allowed to enter the ports on either fide nor
to go out of them to prey upon the fubjeds of the other fide, nor to
lell, or land, their plunder in any port.—In cafe of any infradion of
the treaty, commuTioners, appointed by the king of England, the can-
tain of Calais, or the company of the ftaple. on the one fide, or by the
kmg of France the duke of Burgundy, or the four members of Flan-
ders. on the other, fiiould have free pafl^age by fea or land to demand
redrels._rhe nierchants of Brabant, Holland, Zeland, Italy, &c. who
were accuftomed to frequent the wool ftaple at Calais, fliould have free
palage to and from it by land or water with their wool or other merch-
andize, except cannon and other warlike ftores This treaty \vas to be

m iorce for one year, and not to be broken, even though hoftilities
could commence between England and France within that time —On
occafion ot one of the feveral renewals of this treaty. King Henry ob-
ferved. that the fuftenance of the Flemings depended upoS trade and
very much upon drapery. We m;iy thence infer, that the chief de-
pendence of their maiuifadures was ftiU upon EnglilTi wool. The po-
licy ot the kings m keeping up the commercial intercourfe of their fub-

• Tills is the clwrtcr. by wluVIi the company
<i\ merJhml-aJvrnluifis clalincd tlic txercilV of fx-
rUifiv, trade. Hut there is liere no mention of
any ciidufive ppvilcgf, nor any hint of a corporate
body, or a collccti* name, whitlu-r oJS>. Thcmiit
Bedel or adventun-n. Whcilcr, Miinidcn, Ma-
Ivnes, and other kirn difputants on both lides of
thole nuw.dotm.int conti lis, fetm all to have af-
lated Lo!d!y without givi.iij thcnifdves much

Vol,. I.

trouble in fearching for records to fubilantiatc their
prclcnilons.

f F/andrrs is here reckoned a part of Fiancr,
of which it was a liif : and tills treaty iti txprefs*
ly faid to be authuiiittd by the king of France, .i»
the duke's over-lord.

t The ir.eieh lilts were to li.ivc no dogs with
them, and to latih no rabbits ou the downs be
twceii Calais ai.d Graveling.

4I

6i8

A. D. 1407.

ieas even when themfelves ftiould be at war, (hows, that they were be-
ginning to difcover that their own welfare depended on the profperity
of their fubjeas * [Foedera, V. viii, pp. 469-477. 53°. 548-]

July I ith_It was alfo ftipulated, in a truce of one year between King
Henry and his ftep-fon the duke of Bretagne, that the merchants of
either party fhould have freedom of trade in the dominions of the other,
without being concerned in any hoftilities. [Fadera, V. via, p. 490.]
This treaty was alfo frequently renewed.

Tune 27'''— The king again anticipated his revenue by borrowing on
the fecurity of his fubfidies on wool, hides, and wool-fells, for the pay-
ment of his garrifon at Calais. The tranfadtion merits notice only as
{howing that laymen were now become more able to advance money
than formerly, the happy eflfedl of the filent influx of commercial opul-
ence. The fums were as follows

The bishop of Durham ^' 66 13 4

Theearl of Westmerland 500 O O

William lord of Rocs 166 13 4

Hugh lord of Burncl 166 13 4

John Norbury f 5^2,000

John Heride f - 2,000

Richard Whityngton f 1 ,000
The merchants ofthe staple 4,000

O
0
0
0

The ItaUan company of the Albertmi alfo lent jCi.ooo, for which they
were allowed tc retain the cuftoms on wool, &c. exported by them at
London, Dover, and Southampton, till their debt ihould be paid up.

iFcedera, Fi viii, p. ^^S.'\ , ^., , a .r.-

The bank of Genoa may be properly faid to have commenced this
year. It had been ufual for the republic to borrow large fums from
the citizens, and to afllgn certain branches of the public revenue as
funds for the payment of the intereft, which were put under the man-
agement of fome of the mod refpedable citizens, who were to pay the
intereft to the creditors, and account to the ftate for the funds entruft-
ed to their care. In procefs of time the multitude of thofe funds, there
being apparently as many as there had been loans, bred confufion ; and
it was now thought proper to onfoUdate the whole into one capital
ftock. to be managed in one bank, called the chamber of S'. George, and
to be governed by eight protedors eleded annually by the creditors or

• On a fomewliat-fimib'- occafion it was ob-
ferved by Rapiii, that England and the Ntthcr-
lands wen. fo clofely conncfted in trade, that it
could not be interrupted without remarkable pie-
judicc to both, and therefor treaties for guarding
the interells of commerce were ot'tin made even \n
timc8 of the hotteft war. He adda, that « ih'n

* mtixim was wjlmkly bfller li^.-.n -what has been Jul-

* loiueil fmce of making a prey ofihe mtrchanis, which

* proves to ihnr ruM.' [Kj/m'/ ^ila re^ia, y. u,
p. 167, 8vo <■(/.]

f ff Norbury was treafurer of the exchequer m
the lall year of Richard II, and firft of Henry IV,
and afterwards king's treafurer, as appears by the
Talent rolli. The other two gentlcmeu wcrt ci-

tizens of London, and great builders of churches,
colUges, &c. riende was eleAed mayor in IJ91
and 1404. Whliyngton was fubttituti.d by royal
authority i-* place ot Adam Damme, who died in
his mayoralty in \y)-], and he was eleded mayor
in that yeai, and alfo in 1406 and 1419, fo that
he was in office at the time of this loan, and in
all three years and five months. He fcems to have
been alio mayor of the ftaplc at Calais, but rcfid-
ing in London, about 1420. [MS. Bit. Colt.
Galba, B i. n-. \ 72.] The manufaaurei.. of book v
for children have moll unaccountably taken it into
thur heads to make Whityngton originally a fcnl.
lion boy, and have very confidently provided a
great fortt-ne for him by means of s cat.

A. D. £407.

619

ftock-holders. Under this form of government the affairs of the bank
were conduded very profperoufly, till the further increafe of the public
debts, and the acceflion of whole towns and territories, among which
was the little nominal kingdom of Corfica, made them fenfible of the
inconvenience of annual fuccefllons of new protestors, and determined
them, m the year 1444, to eled eight new governors, of whom only

two were to go out every year. [Bizari ^nn. Genuenf. pp. 205, 707

J. De LMetde princip. ltd. pp, i-j^, etfeqq.']

PD^^^^" ^^ ^°^^^ ^^ ^ retreat of the northern pirates in the year 883.
\_R. Hoveden, f. 240 b.] At this time th- citizens, being diftreffed by
their too-powerful neighbours, applied i.^r afliftance to the aflbciated
cities of Hamburgh and Lubeck, whofe maritime power was now very
refpeaable. They were the firft of their nation, who were afTumed in-
to that confederacy ; and, in confequence of the fupport of their new
allies, they in their turn became formidable to their enemies. \Pontam
Rer. Dan. hiji. p. 539.]

1408, March i"_The Englifli merchants trading to Norway, Swed-
en and Denmark, were empowered to eled a governor, whofe fundions
and authority were made fimilar to thofe of other governors of merch-
ants, already fpecified. It appears, that his refidence was at Bergen,
and that he was alfo called alderman of the merchants. [Fadera, V.
\m,pp. 511, 685.] The office of governor of the Englifh merchants
trading to a particular country now beginning to be general, it will not
be neceflary to particularize any more of them.

The city of Wilhuy with the ifland of Gothland, after being jointly
poflelfed by the northern heroine, Margaret queen of Denmark, Sweden,
and Norway, and by the Vitalian pirates, was wrefted from them by a
fleet equipped by the citizens of Lubeck, Dantzik, Thorn, and Elbing
and put into the hands of the grand mafter of Pruflia, from whom Eric^
king of Sweden (under Margaret), endeavoured to take it. But, by the
mediation of the emperor Wenceflaus, he agreed to pay the grand maf-
ter nine thoufand EngliJJj nobles for the furrender of the iHand, which
accordmgly took place in the year 1408, Eric not being able to raife
the money before that time *, [Pontani Rer. Dan. bift. pp. 531, 532,

The people of Holland were now beginning to lay the foundation of
that commercial importance, which afterwards aftonifhed the world.

• Olaus Magniu [L. ii, c. 2i] makes the price
10,000 nobles or diibloons ; and lie makes Queen
Margaret the purchafer, ?3 doei alfo Puffcmloif,
who Hates the fiim 10,000 nobles. Thus it ap-
pears, that all the afls of the Etigliili parliament,
could not prevent the ^old of England from find-
ing its way 10 the continent : and the Engliih no-
liics continued to be current money in the Nether-
lands, as appears by a payment of 100,000 of thcin

to t!ie duke of Burgundy at the current rate in tlic
year 1431. \_Meyert Ann. Flandr. f. 178 a.]

After this we hear little or nothing of tlie celi-
brated commercial eitv of Wifbuy, which in the
fixtecnth centui7, perhaps earlier, was only know*
by its ruins, among which the fragments of polifh-
cd marble, doors made of iron, brafs, and copper,
and windows made of copper covered with goW
•ind lllver, exhibit proofs of the magnificence of
the antieijt inhabitants. [0/. Mag. L. ii, c. ji.J
4 I 2

M'f :v

62te

A. D. 1408.

The frequent fquabbles between the cities and villages of Flanders and
Brabant, refpetSting the right of the villages to make woollen cloth, had
driven many of the manufadurers to take refuge in England and Hol-
land, and efpecially in the later, whereby the towns of that province
were greatly increafed in magnitude and population. The Hollanders
alfo engaged in maritime commerce : but their trade was much infeft-
ed by piratical veflels fitted out by their neighbours of Eaft Frifeland.
The earl and the barons, thinking themfelves not at all interefted in the
profperity of the commerce of their country, ufed to pay no attention
to thofe depredations ; and they went on with impunity, till the citizens
of Amflerdam and fome other places in North Holland, with the aflift-
ance of thofe of Lubeck, Hamburgh, and Campen, cleared the fea of
thofe pirates *.

1409, May — The magiftrates of Norwich were authorized to infped:
and liieafure all worfted ftufFs made in their own city and in all Nor-
folk, and to affix their feal, without which they fliould not be offered
for fale f . [Cotton's Abridgement, p. 474.]

Auguft 23* — King Henry granted permiflion to the merchants of
Venice to bring their carracks, gallies, and other veflels, loaded with
merchandize, into the ports of England and his other dominions, to
tranfad their bufinefs, to pafs over to Flanders, to return to his domi-
nions, to fell their goods without impediment or molellation from his
officers, to load their vefl!els with wool, cloth, c:- other Englifti merch-
andize, and to return to their own country. [Fadera, V. viii, p. 395.]
We find frequent renewals of this permiflion, with the fame routine of
the trade, in the fubfequent years.

Odober 10th — A negotiation and cc Tefpondence were kept up dur-
ing fevcral years for the purpofe of efFeding an amicable compenfation
for the damages fuftained by the fubjcdts of England on the one fide,
and thofe of Pruflla and the Hanfe confederacy on the other, from the
freebooters of both fides. As the complaints brought forward on each
fide in the courfe of this bufinefs contain many curious fiidls illuftrative
of the nature of the trade between England and the Eaft; country, a
brief enumeration of them will not, I truft, be deemed tedious. At the
laft meeting, held at the Hague in Holland in Augull 1407, the Eng-
lifli complamed, that in the year 1394 a fliip of 200 tuns belonging to
Newcaftile, valued at ^^400, having onboard woollen cloth, wine, gold,
and money, to the value of y^i33 : 6 : 8, was taken. — An inhabitant of
Hull, being paflenger onboard a Prufllan velTel, was robbed of goods to
the amount of ^^53 ; 6 : 8 In 1395 an EngUfliman was robbed of 5

* See Vojm Anna]. L, x», p, 1 16, or Di IVitt'i containn all the tentu, fabricn, and cjuantitie», ..f

Inttrejl of HollanJ, p. l6i, and alfo *. 47, of Engl, the various kinds of worlled ftufTs. 1 hey arc ,^11,

tronjl. ami Mtytri j^nn. Flsndr. pajjim. bably the fame as thofe wliich the reader may find

I Sir Robert Cuttoii obfcrvea, that the grant under the year 1422.

A, D, 1409. gjj

cloth, value /-fee" ,, Tthe DZ^;r r '398 eleven packs of woollen
plundered oul of VPryakveVe7iy, °^ T''^'"" ?■" '^°''^5=''"' »'"'=

s-:^intt:^si~S? ~^^^^

of a merchant of Yarmniirh Tr, , . t ^? , ' ' ^ ' 4' ^'^^ property

was taken near Plymouth tlT^, f'' " barge belonging to Yarmouth
canvarsofBrctagnrvTlueVTtf ft^^^^^ ""^ ^'^' and i .000 pieces of
mouth was takef^n sl ^^^^ r V^'' '4°5 another veflel of Yar-

and falln value /-folix^v^^fer/^^^^^^^^ ^^^'^f ""^ ^^^^' ^^°^^'
with fait fifh wire nken~nnH Zt J^^^^S'^S ^^ ^ley, chiefly loaded
The nennlp Afw^ ,' n^'^ "^°^ ''^ ^^<^"^ carried over to Norway —

and^ther e.od7,o , ."value oy/ei'r'Tf 7 " "-r^A "* "'''"""''^
and the Sciw • -.n^ >^ i ^ '^^ ' ^^ ^' ^'^^ ^^^'^^ betwer Bergen

roIpUil'^'"^ "° '^'^•^"^"^ "^-"- «f --^" C/«.W., and fonic other article, mentioned in U.fc

^2^

A. D. 1409.

rates fitted out by the Hanfe towns, and chiefly by the citizens of Wif-
raar and Roftock *.

From this ftatement we learn, that woollen cloths now forrrved a con-
fideiable part of the exports of England, and that there was fome ex-
portation of wine notwithftanding a law againft it. From the frequent
mention f)f Englifh property onboard foreign veflels, it alfo appears, that
the navigation a£i, which has been pretty generally fuppofed to have re-
mained in full force ever fince its firft enaament, was but little attend-
ed to.

The complaints of the merchants of the Hanfe turned chiefly upon
infringements of their chartered privileges by the communities of Lon-
don and other corporations. They alfo ftated, that befides the antient
duty of 3/4 upon every fack of wool paid by them in addition to the
duty paid by EngUfti exporters, they were of late comp«'lled to pay 1/7
as an impoft for the town of Calais, contrary to the terms of their chart-
er ; that the ofllicers of the cuftoms over-rated their goods for the pay-
ment of poundage duties, and exaded duties for fome kinds of cloth,
v/hich were exempted by the charter of merchants ; that they were com-
pelled to pay the duties twice upon goods, which they had occafion to
remove from one port of England to another ; that the officers aug-
mented their fees, and demanded new ones ; and alfo created unnecei-
fary delays, whereby the merchants often loft their markets, and go;;
their goods damaged by lying three or four weeks upon the whar.'s ;
that the officers at Southampton overcharged them 2/ for every laft ot
herrings f, pitch, and foap-aflies, 2d for every hundred of bow-ftaves
and wainfcot boards, and 4^ for every hundred of Richolt boards, im-
ported by them ; and that they had alfo been impofed upon by the ma-
giftrates of Ncwcaftle. The Englifli commilTioners, on the other hand,
affirmed, that the Hanfe merchants had combined to diftrefs the com-
merce and manufadures of England by refufing to hold any intercourfe
with Englidi merchants in the Hanfe towns f, or to buy any Englifti
cloth from Englifhmen, and had even impofed fines upon thofe who
had Englilh cloth in their poffeffion. They accufed them alfo of paflf-
ing the goods of people not belonging to the Hanfe under their names,
in order to Ihelter them, from paying the proper duri'.s ; and they de-
manded a lift of the cities, towns, and companies, cViiming the privi-
leges granted by the kings of England to the Hanfe alfociation, and alfo,
if the general aflbciation difavowed the hoftile proceedings now com-
plained of, the names of the cities wherein the Englilh were fo mal-
treated.

• Kraritz [HiJI. Koiwfg. L. vi, c. «] alfo fayi,
that tbolc piraitJ, whom he calls Vitalianii, adted
by the authority of llie cities of Wifmar and Rof-
tock.

f Hcrriiigb thus a^, ••r to hare been imported,
ai well as exported, in thofe times.

X To f jch excefs did they carry their barbarity
in one of their principal cities, that they rcfufed
to purc'iiale cloth from foine Englilh merchants,
who hiid arrived deftitute of provilions or money,
though they defircd to fell it only for the purpofe
of obtaining food. *

A. D. 1409.

62

The people of Hamburgh claimed reftitution to the amount of 9,11 7
nobles i (hilling and 8 pennies ; and upon examination their demand
was reduced to 416 nobles 5 (hillings.

Bremen demanded 4,414 nobles
Stralfund 7.4 1 5 i 8

Lubeck 8,690 3 4

Gripefwald 2,092 3 4

Campen 1.405 o o

not fettled.

reduced to 253 nobles.

55°

r , J *53 3 4
not fettled.

4
2

2

5

At laft the commilfioners, or amba(radors, having made the beft fet-
tlement they could, King Henry now gave his obligations as follows, viz.
To the grand mafter of Pruflia for his fubjeds of Pru(ria and Livonia, '
payable ii'" November 1409 ... En^h^ nobles 5,318 '4

2" February 1410 - - _ 5,318

2* February 141 1 - _ 10,637

2'' February 141 2 - - - 10,637

andto themagiftrates of Hamburgh, due 2* Feb. 1411 416 ^ „

At granting thefe bills he (tipulated that the money (hould not be
carried away in gold or filver, but in bills of exchange *.

The grand mafter, on the other hand, became bound to pay 766
nobles to the Englilh fufFerers. IFoeJerOy V. viii, pp. Coi-Co^.'—Hailuyt
V. i, pp. 154-179.]

December 4"" — The commercial treaty with Pruflia was renewed.
Mutual freedom of trade, and oblivion of paft injuries, were agreed
upon. In cafe of any fubfequent outrages the fovereigns were bound
to make fatisfadion for the aggreflions of their fubjeds ; failing which,
the fovereign of the party injured was at liberty to arreft any fubjed of
the other power, found in his dominions, within fix months after pre-
ferring the complaint. It was alfo fettled, that feveral fums, particular-
ly exprelTed (and all reckoned in nobles), (hould be paid for outrages
committed by the feamen of Hull Scarburgh, Blakney, Cromer, Ply-
mouth, Dartmouth, Calais, and Bayonne, and alfo by a vice-admiral of
England for provifions taken from a Pruffian (hip of 300 tuns, together
with 838 nobles due by Henry de Percy for corn bought for the caftle
of Berwick upon Tweed in 1403. On the other fide only aoo nobles
were found due for an outrage committed by a man of Dantzik. SHak-
luytyK'i, p.i^i\.} ^

1410, April 28"'— In a royal grant of tolls for paving the ftreets of

• I remember reading in a newfpaper a fpeech',
made in reply to a rcmondrancc a>;ainft continent-
al fubfidirs, wherein it was ad'erted, tliat tliis coun-
try fuffcred nothing by fuch fubfidics, as they were
paid in broad cloth and bills of exchange. -The
anlict.t politicians of England, like this modern
one, mull have fuppofed that bills of exchange
could be got for nothing,— The llatcment of all
tht acoounti uj Eiigliili nobles affords an addition-

al proof of the common currency of that fpeciei
of Eiiglifh gold coin upon the continent, contrary-
to aft of parliament.

t The king's commilCon for treating is in the
Ftrdera, as is alfo the treaty itfelf, but v/ithout the
ilipulations for compenfation, in a conljrmation of
it in December 1410 by the fucceeding grand maf..
ter. [Fc(/fra, f. fiii, />^. 6i 2, <J'64.J

624

A.^D, i^iio.

Cambridge and the adjacent roads, there are fome thing?, jvjpr^ngtj^
Coals (fold by the chalder)," turfs, reeds, and fegs .(fedgea)r appear to
have been articles of fuel; lalmon.frelh or faked, and porpufss^ paid o»fi
farthing each ; herrings, a hiUfpqiuy, per barrel ; a large bqatl' navis')
loaded with herrings or other fifli, 4aL; a fifhing boat with filh, oifters,
or muflels, 2d; a cart-load of fifh, freQi or faked, 2d. Irifli cloth rauft
have been prett -• common in England, as we find it here charged,
equally with worded fluffs, canvas, and fome other articles, 2d per hun-
dred (• centena'). \fcedera, V. viii, p. 634.]

This year Sir Robert Umfraville, vice-admiral of England, with ten
(hips of war, entered the Firth of Forth, both coafts of wluch be plun-
dered, the Scots having apparently had no naval force fit tg oppofe to
him. He burnt many vefiels, among which was one, probably belong-
ing to the crown, diftinguiflied by the name of the Galliot of Scotland;
and he carried off fourteen veflels (called good fliips), with prizes of
woollen and linen cloth, pitch, tar, woad, meal, wheat, and rye. Un-
fortunately we are not able to diftinguifti, what part of thofe goods were
Scottifli manuladure and produce, and what imported : but, if there is
no exaggeration, the quantity of them was fo very great, that the falc
of them lowered the prices in England ; and thence Umfraville got the
name of Robin Mend-market. \Stow, Ann. p. s^Si-^

1 41 1 , June 25'" Guns were now become an article of Englifh manu-

fadure and exportation, as appears by a licence for fending two fmall
guns for afhlp, along with the king's great gun, to Spam. \Fcsdera,

v. viii, p. 694.]

1412, February 3* ^The fliare, which the Englilh had now obtained

of the adive commerce of Europe,- was fuch as aro,ufed the jealouly of
thofe mercaatile commimities, who, in virtue of long, and alraoft unri-
valed, occupancy, conceived the commerce and navi^ustion of Europe
to be' their own patrimonial ipheritance: an^, agreeable to thettrocious
and unprincipled manners of the ?ge. they had recourfe to the moft
atrocious meafures for crufliing; the-, EngUfli adventurers, before they
fcrd>cquir,e much weal(,h an4,P0wer. William Waldern and a con-
IlderaUe niimber of other principal citizens ot London * had Hiipped
wool and other goods, to, the amount of £,2^,000, onboard icveral
veflels t for the Mediterranean J:, under the care of fadors, o»;fuper-

• William Waldern was clfaed mayor in 1412
anil 14*2. Hii partners were- Drue B»rant\n,
mayorm M98, 1428, who lent the king ^i,;oo
in 1409; IRQt.pat.fu. II Htn.iy, m. 5] Joliu
Rev iicwdll" mayor in 1426; and other gentlemen,
who had been (hirrefs, .S;e.

I \Vc are not told, whether the vcHeU were
Knglifli or foreign ; aiid Mr. And :rfon fuppofes
llKiii Vonctian, and thereby accounts lor the lei*-
ure by the Gcnoefe. But there Iceins no rcafon
to fujipoic thcnt any other than En^jlifli. •

t ' Vi-rrus partes orcidcntales per Didrii'^us de
* Marruk' (to the wellern countries iJ^ (01 through)
the Straits of Morocco); tluit is to (ay, wi.'hin tht
Mi'diurra.iciiH. For the aiiplicalioii of •-.jijlan to
cdunlties rcallv fmith-eajl from England, ice above,
p. 588 m.tt, ajid p. 610. Thert i> i!ot a (ludow
of a rtalon tu fuppofc the voyage iiitindcd for
Morocc, a country which never had iiccafum to
impoit wool. The fliipa were probably delUncd
fo Catalonia or Tufcany.

A. D. J4ia,

6aj

rargoes, to whoni, as it was a great, and apparei>tly a new, undertaking
officerif tTc 3: '■"■°'™""''"§ 'h™ '- «l.e ftiendmip a"d g„Td

tTcir careoetTn ill, I ' r'"'' ^'^'^ '^' '"'''^'- ""^ P^Wicly fold

In the Nortli fea the Hanteatic affaCi^tion; adLWed bfthe fume fDir-
al feature ot the modem commercial charader, committed rnanv out
offerTn in No^"^'"^- ■ ^""T ^'^-^^^^ ''^^o they ente "d the hXa"
merchants fettled there under the charter of the fovereign of the coun-
2l ^r?' '^''" ^^"^" "^^ merchandize to the value of TJa 000 "o-
gether with fecuruies for debts to the amount of above ^x 000 * No"

En^lfrt^^^^^^^ °' '""^ ^^"^ of Denmark fn Cur" of d^

tngiUh, the Hanfe pirates contmued to harafs and abufe them and in
mere wantonnefs of cruelty, drowned too fifhermen belongTnK ^o tl^
coaft of Norfolk, who had fled to a Norwegian port for fafety from ene-
mies A fhipmafter of Bremen, whofe veflel was chartered b^fome

vdue of /•V;^ fn R ^"g^^^^"^"chants were robbed of hard m to the
hnl. ^-^A " ^^'■^^"' "^^^'^ ^^"^ fovereign of the country feems to
edTn.o r '"^k"^ government. The Hanfe merchants at Bergen ^er!
ed into a combination to have no intercourfe with the EngUlh fmled
t kin. h' ""'' "^^'^"^.jhey hoped to drive them out ofTe NoS
Rnft. ^ ?'^ repeatedly arrefted the metthants of the Hanfe at
Bofton.. m order to make them anfwer for the aggreffions of their bre-
thren m Norway; for. according to the reprefemtfion of he merchan s
of Lynne. the whole of the Hanfe confederacy were combined^ln a de

how'^'outofh^'^^'r^ but^hey found means^f^m -

now to get out of his grafp. He then wrot^to the alderman + of the

ants there, defiring them to mquire into the truth of th. complaints,

^^•^Perhaps thi, i. the fame outrage, which is ah-c,dy uoticcJ, under th.- year :,c<j, a. ..mn.n.d il
t The fame who was formerly called goternor

Vol. I. ^j^

«26

A. D. T412,

and fend him information. W'e are not informed, what efFeift thefe
meafures produced : but we find by a letter from Henry to the magif-
trates of Bergen, dated 22" September 1411 *, that the Englifti had been
treated as the aggreflbrs : and the affair appears to have been ftill unfet-
tled in December 1415. [Fadera, V. viii, pp. 684, 700, 722, 736 ; V. ix,

P' 415-]

March 5'* — The Englifti were alfo infulted in Portugal. A fhip of

200 tuns belonging to a merchant of London, and carrying a merchant
or fupercargo, and a purfer, beiides her commander, was feized in Llf-
bon on a falfe information, after having taken in a cargo of oil, wax,
and other merchandize ; but there is no mention of wine. Her com-
mander and people were loaded with irons, and obliged to fupport them-
felves at their own expenfe in the prifon, wherein they were kept feve-
i-al weeks, till the error was difcovered. Thomas Fauconer f , the own-
er, ftated that the freight of his fliip amounted to 6,000 crowns of gold,
for which, and the damage and expenfes, he got King Henry to make a
demand upon the king of Portugal. \Fadera, V. viii, /. 727.]

June 11'" King Henry having written to the magiftrates of Ghent,

Bruges, Ypres, and the free territory of Flanders, defiring to know, whe-
ther they would adhere to the terms of their truce with him, or aflift
their earl againft him, they, preferring the profperity of their trade to
the gratification of their earl, anfwered, that they wiflied to preferve
peace with England : and the truce was thereupon proclaimed on both
fides. \¥asdtra, V. ^'\\\, pp. 737, 75 1, 756 — Mcyeri Ann. Yhndr.f. 238 b.j

June, July ^The king borrowed 10,000 marks from the community

of the city of London, 400 from Norwich, and other fums from the
prelates and nobles, for an expedition to Guicnne. {Fadtra, V, viii, pp.
747-767.J

July 5"' The kin^, having given letters of reprifal % to fome merch-
ants, from whom two veflels loaded with wine, &c. to the value of 5,250
marks, had been taken by a French lord, at the fame time declared,
that merchants going to, or returning fi-om, the ftaple at Calais ftiould
not be liable to feizurc in virtue of thofe lettei-s. {Fcedera, V. viii, p.
755] Thus did this favourite town enjoy the privileges of a neutral
port §.

Notwithftanding the turbulent ftate of England during the reign of

♦ It is worthy of notice, Uiat in this letter 'he
king appearo to rar.k tii ■ Eiiglilh merchanta of
J.yiini trading to Bergcii .iir.oiig the merchants of
tlie Hanfe ; — ' Mercatorfs vilte nottra; de Lenii,
' p.irtes dc North Benie pradifte raercantiliter
» ulitantcs, ex una, ctterefque meicatoresdt llanfa,

♦ regnuni poftnim Anghm modo conliinili freqiicnt-

• antes, parte ex altera.'

f This gentleman was eleftej mayor In 1414;
and in his mayoralty the city lent the king 10,000
marks, for \vh;';li he received jcwtU in j[)lcdg(;.

[Aoff'j Survey, f. ^^^^—Fadtra, V. ix, pp. 298,

405-]

X Letters of marque or reprifal were >;enerally
granted for the recoyery of private proptity, wliere-
by the execution of jullicc, perhaps iiijiiltice, was
pnt into tlie pnrty's own hands. Of a general pri-
vatetring comminioii one inilance Ijas occurred in
the year 1375. See above, p. (00.

§ Another indanee of the trade with Calais be-
ing protcdsd from capture occur» iu Fadera, V-
ix, /). 156. 1

A, D. 141 2.

627

more ftridly mamtamed ; piracy was more rigorouflv fuDDreff-eH • TnH
more attenuon was beftowed in termir^ating the^uSs r^tv wa^
oftherearnen and merchants of England ^ith tLf^f'the S^en?
tnan m any precedmg reign. i-uuunenr,

Syria, and Egypt, which paid only one third^Corra^d a vta.^ n '

Sed witSt- ""^ ^-^-- ^-y on rm;;'^^;^: Th'eyt ^.^
charged with five per cent on exportation, except to Majorca, Mmorca

ifr^rT i^'^"^*!,^ ^'•"''' J^^^''- ^^"^«' ^"d wearing apparel exZed
as merchandize, paid two and a half uer cent -^Clntt ^\}a Vu ^^P°"^"

Jaaures paid no Suties on cxport^tLf: ^^S tie K ^od? f^nred
for fairs, paid only at the place of fale, where a d uy o^lu^e ZTtert

nnr^L^ ;~r 'P' ^"''' ^""^ ^"'"-''^^ countries, and all fhip timber ex-
ported, paid three i>er cent on the value.— Small oarrel. nJ^ J
m value five fuddol (twenty reals of modern mon';)?'^^^^^^^^^
ther inward or outward—Neither was any duty charged on cafe wk„
pers. or other packages.-Veflels arriving in port afd rithjr iJl^^^^
nor tn^^flupping any goods, were not rljuii^^d "o pay arduty fcl^'i'

ality ot thele regulations, in an age wherein cuftoms were i^ener^ilv
m^poled With no other view than merely to raife TZZZfo^^Zf^
vereign. muft imprefs us with a very hich ooinion n f f K ^ 7

pohcy and experience of the Barcel7nl'S.^.7which ttey aon'r^oT"^

age . it ,s a pity that we have no fimilar documents of the commJ
mljurifprudence of Venice or Genoa, or of the Hanfe tomas In Si
i^tSr '" '"" '°""^^^' "°" ^'^ pre-eminent, was then^LeLg
eranied ^Tw ^' '? '^'^^^^^inning of his reign, confirmed the privilege^
rg^^eraT '^^f^ ^ ^ ^f^'^^ '''' '' '-''' ^^^^^

Other pre >fj of the commercial wifdom and
n^ruluy of Barcelona have already appeared .,,
th;s work. But the general wife policy of the
other duties and exemptions feems to r/ndcr the
penumenrfs of the <Intv on fiiver ware, jewels, &c.
r.v^.rW fur fale (• f, (c extrahian por via de com-
mercio ) rather doubtful. C»ptr.any has not in-
f>rtcd the or.rinal in the C;/V,,/<./, ,/ij,Umai.,;

which oceupiei almoft the whole of his fecond vo-
lume : and I obferve that air John Talbot l):;„n
«-l,en mentiomnu thefe duties in hk Hl/Iory ' '/
f-' Ihf Lrue, has written ' /.«/-«-/^^ inli^a.: ,,.
fiarttJ perhaps from the original Llilre . ■ IV
je„y„ls Mgcncnil .:, Culalvnya, which crt ;,!y j,
more conhlteut with iound Cu:r.rurcidl pohiy.

4 K 2

1 jp«

6a 8

A. D. 1414.

1414, May 26'" — The king farmed the Ible right of drawing bills of
exchange for the ufe of perfons going to the papal court, the city of
Venice, or other foreign places, for three years, to Louis John, at an
annual rent of JC133 : 6 : 8 ; and he bound him down to export no gold
or filver on account of his bills. The merchants were, however, allow-
ed to draw bills for their merchandize, but upon no other account. But
no perfon was permitted to carry money to Bruges or any other place
for remittances to the papal court or elfewhere. The leafe of the trade
of exchange was afterwards renewed to Roger Salvern and Louis John,
and the rent raifcd to X^200. [Foedera, V. ix, p. 1 30 — Rot. pat. 5 Hen. V,
«. I.]

September 26'" — It is probable that gun-powder was not made in
England in the year 1386, as we find a quantity of it efteemed more
valuable than all the other articles found onboard two French (hips
taken at that time. In 141 2 the ambafladors of the earl of Alen^on
were licenced to export 400 pounds of faltpetr * and 1 00 pounds of ful-
phur, along with other military ftores, whenc<: we may infer, that pow-
der was then made in England : and now we find the exportation of
gun-powder flriflly prohibited. \Walftngham, p. 323 — Fadera, V. viii,
p. 754; r. ix, p. 160.]

November — ^The parliament ordained, that goldfmiths fhould take
no more than)^2 : 6 : 8 for the Troye pound of flandard filver gilded;
and that they (hould charge only a reafonable price for gilding *. [A6ls
2 Hen. F, Jiat. 2, c. 4.]

The exemption from the obligation of carrying the flaple goods to
Calais, granted to the commercial llates of Italy and Spain by the ad of
the fecond year of Richard II, was renewed. The parliament alfo con-
firmed to the merchants and inhabitants of Berwick their privilege of
purchafing wool, hides, and wool-fells, of the growth of Tiviotdale and
the adjacent part of Scotland then fubjedl to England, and of England
as far fcuth as the River Cocket, and to fell the fame in Berwick, or to
export them. The merchants of Jerfey, Guernley, Bretagne, and Guy-
cnne, having made a pradtice of buying unfounded tin and fhotten tin
in Cornwall, and carrying it to France, the Netherlands, &c. all perfons,
except thofe above-excepted, were ftridlly ordered to carry all kinds of
ilaple goods to Calais, [c. 6.]

1415, March , April — King Henry, having determined to aflert his
claim uiwn the crown of France by the fword, lent commiffioners to
hire vellels for him in Holland and Zeland. He alfo ordered all the
velTcls in England of twenty tuns burthen and upwards to be taken into

• Vtf itiii aft tirc goMfinichs were a'lijwed it determine, wliat wa» a r,-af(>na!,le price for gild-

/"i ; I : 8 tor llie gold u.id vvorkm.iiifliij). If lliat iiig. Biitkr, the author of Hudibras, who uiidcr-

wai too little to pay ior furticicnt gilding-, thoy flood that ratter better than our anticiit legldat-

l.ad only to make it flij^ht ; for the law did not, on, fayi, tliat the worth of any thing is fo much

like the one now in fiircc, alcjrtain the quantity money as 'twill bring,
of guIJ to he laid on a g'vcn furfj'.e. Ncitbtr did

A. D. 1415.

6i()

' his fcrvice ; and the whole. Englilh and foreign, were dire^ed to af-
Z! RriL 1??"' ""^ Southampton. London, Sandwich. Wincholfea.
and Briftol. 1 he commanders o^feveral (hip,, which, being diftinguifh-
ed as helong,„gto the rower may be prefumed to have been royj/bips,
were commimoned to prefs men for their veflels. The whole fleet. coU

levied for the invaHon of France, confiftcd of 1.500 veiTds. XFcedera V
IX pp. 215. 216, 218, 2:i^.-.WalJingbam, p. 390.]

November The parliament ordered, that none of the foreign coins
ca ed galley halfpennies becaufe imported in the Genoefe gallies thofe
called feikyns and doydekyns. nor any of the Scottilh fiC money
Ihould any longer be current in Kngland *. [A^s 3 Ilcn. V, ft. i ^ i 1

Noven^ber aS^^-Ku^g Henry, in order to conciliate the favour of the
kmg of Denmark and Norway, ordered proclamation to be made in all
the ports on the eaft fide of England, that none of his fubjeas fhouM
go to any of that kmg's irtands. cfpecially Iceland, for the fpace of a
year, to catch fi(h, or do any other bufinefs. except what ufed to be done

JCS"' Tk ^^^^""' ^ "• ^ 3"] It may be obferved that
Itocktiih. which were common in England above a century before this
time were all brought from the Norwegian territories.

Ihisyearjohnking of Portugal, with the affiftance (according to
Walfingham) of fomc Englifli and German merchants, took the city of
Ceuta fnuated on the fouth (hore of the Straits of Morocco (or Gibral-

wirl' %T^ ''''"' ""^^f"?"-. K'' '^^ ^^"^' '^^^ by converfations

with the Saracen captives John's fon Henry full conceived an idea of

Afr'n .r ^ ^'^ ""^ Vn''^ '° ¥'^ ^y ^"''"g ^°"°^ fhe fouth end of
chntm.rJ ''Tw^ru'''"^ '' °^ ^'l^' importance indeed in commer-
cial hiftory [Wa^tngbam p. ^.-Purcba/s Pilgrims, B. ii, p. c.l

.In^'"?! T^ ^°" "^ ^^"^ J^*'^ ^y P^^^'^PP^ ^he daughter of John
duke of Lancafter, was a prince enlightened beyond the ftandard of the
age ; and he fpread the illumination of fcience all-around him by the
munificent encouragement he gave to learned men and artirts. whom
he endeavoured to attrad fronri all countries to his relidence at Sagres
near Cape S Vincent, where he ereded an obfervatory. and eftabliflied
Icliools tor the fciences conducive to the improvement of navigation
James, a man eminently (kilful in geography, navigation, and the ufe
of the inftrumems then known, whom he invited from Majorca, in-
ftruded the Portuguefe youth in thofe fciences : and, cheri/hed b^ the
beams of roya favour, a number of artifts quickly fprung up, who com-
pofed maps, wherein all parts of the world, known by report as well as
by difcovery, were inferted, with very little attention to corrednefs in
their configuration or pofuion. Thofe maps, fuch as they were. diOe-

c. 5. S.OW. however. (.,; U.ax tl.ey " :ui..!.Ii l^^ch i^SoJ " S ^f fi::^^ ^Ll^t^^^
c.:rc«t =a fome degree even m h.s own younger of theag.of Henry vVcJJiiy-li^^^^^^

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A. D. 141*.

rbinated among the Portuguefc a fcieiice hitherto fcafcely known to any
Chriftian nation, except the commereial ftates of Italy *, and contribup.
ed to nourifli that fpirit of feftterprife, which in time accomplifhed the
greaitftft revolmion that eVcr happened, or probably ever can happeu, in
the commercial wofld.

Prince Henry, being defirous of making difcovcries upon the weft
coaft of Africa (but whether with the expedation of finding a j^aflage to
India, I will not venture to fay) fent out two veflels, with orders to pro-
ceed as far as poffibk along the coaft, which they traced only as far as
Gape Bojador in 27 degrfees north latitude. {Purcbas's PUgrims, B. i,
c. 2, § r ; 5. X, ^. 1 ; and authors there quoted.']

1416, March — ^The crimes of clipping, wafliing, and filing, the money
of the kingdom were declared by parliament to ht treflfon ; and the pu-
nifhrilent of them^ as well as of importing bafe money, was committed
to the judges. [Affs 3 Hen. V^Jlat. 2, cc 6, 7.]

It has been obferved (p. 515) that merchant veflels ufed to fail in
fleets in time of war, that their united force might enable them to re-
pell the attacks of the enemy. Before they failed, they eleded admirals
among themfelves, and all the commanders, in prefence of the magif-
trates of the port of departure, fwore to ftand by their admirals. In
confequencc of a fepaf ation of the Veflels of a fleet from Bourdcauk, one
of the admiral fliips, a veflel belonging to Hull with a valuable cargo,
was taken : and the owner of her applied to parliament to oblige the
owners of the other veflels to indemnify the lofs fuftained by their de-
ferHon. [Cotton*s jihridgement, p. 548.]

It appears from the rolls of the king's wardrobe, that the greateft part
of the linen ufed in England, efpecially by thofe of the higher ranks,
was imported, and was chiefly of the fabrics of Reynes (or Rennes) and

• If we may tr<dlt the accoiinti given of maps
exeeiited in tiiis a|;f, cfpctially tlic Venetian ones,
not only the Cape of Good Hope, under the nattie
of the Fort /rent of .■Ifriva, but even the Straits
tif Magellan, called tiie Dragon's tail, were now
known. Pedro, an elrftr brother of Henry, is faid
to hate i^ot a map of the world at Venice in the
year 1428, wherein thofe foutliern extremities of
the old and new continents were delineated : and
Oi^v.w»Tt1^t<r«, that Francis «1< Sofa Tatares tald
hi^ ibit in the year 1518 he faw a map, drawn
in 140^, containing < all the Navigation of the
' fc.All-Indfcs with the Cape cf Bona Sptran^a
' f Good Hope) according ni our later mapi hiTc
• defcribed it.' iPHrcbat, £. *, ^ 1673.3 To
the/e may be addt-d the maps, flill pirfcrvea in the
tihrary of S'. Mar^ at- Venice, be tripg; thi: nUitt
of Andrea Bianco and the date cf 1436, and pub-

liflied by FormaleoAi, wherein Africa appears with
aclear/ra to the fouthiuard of it, one of the A9ores,
orWellern i/lsndd, hastl« nartw CifBrafii'*, and to
the weftward of them there is iduiliy delineated
n great idand called Wnlil/ia. But it may well be
doubted, whether envy of the naval pre-eminence,
fnatched out of their hands by tilt Poiiuguefe snd
Spaniards, may not have inftigatcd the Venctiaas
to make interpolations upon, and give fidlitioas
dates to, Ibnie antient map* } for iiknds cat) ealily
be infcrted in the void fpaee reprefeiiting the fea
long after the original conllrudtiun of a maniifcri}>t
map, without the overcrowding or erafure, which
detcA interpolatioos in a inanufcript book ) and
we, who fee tliem only in engraved copies, hive
not the fitiallcft oppdrturtiiy (q judge of iheit gen-
Uineneitt

* InTerrteirs, ortc «if tin Azores fhrre «re two ; 1» • tftc enchanted ifland, tlse pjttdae of (he pi^t> Irifli,* wu
called Brcfy I. lJLiii/H'iittm'i/-'t>\firi,ff.iii,tfK>.] I know fiippolcd to be fituated in ibe Ocean 10 the weftwatd of
r.ct if it be worth while to ob&tvc, that ' Uy mafail, or Ircliwd. [fWArnrfyV Csji. rf. ni. Hiinn. Xi »i, f. l8j.]

■

A< B. <4ij6i.

631

« ^l*Jf"2'®^'i°'' (mayor of London) ordained lanthornes with Jirhts

' can^ieir;r "^z/^^^^r" "^"^^^ "-'^^'^^^^*

,irnt'''i%?'*r-'^^^ r*^^ ^^'^ '^^ duke of Burgundy, who was
alfo eariof Flanders. Bologne, &c. was renewed till lafterilro T
was agreed, that during war with Genoa all goods, bebngine 7o the
Flemings or others, found onboard Genoefe velels. ftould £ fiable to
feizure and condemnation ; but that the property of the E.gMi n Fk^

un errfl'^H'K' ^^'""^T ''^ ^"S^*^'* ihould not be liable to any ar eT
trut I rl^'l contraded, or crimes comautted. after the date Jthe
truce. In the fubfequent confirmation by the duke, it was a'fo nrnvi^
ed, that no d.mage fhouid be done to the me«.h^ . Llmen piCr^s
clergymen, and fifhers. <m either fide; that vefleL belon^S ?o S hS
party taken by corfairs, and carried into the ports of "hf mher partv
Ihould be reftored to their owners, or the valued made gocS to retL^;
grovifions and merchandize might be imported in neutS ve^k Imo
either country without moleftation j unarmed merchant veffek cUfe2
by enemies Ihould be freely admitted into the ports of Ifther mitv
he Ei.gli(h fl.ould make a fpacious road from CalL to Gravd^g^* "nd
the Flemings fhould continue it along the Downs of Flander foi the
nle of merchants and other perfons of both countries, who weri ^ have
no dogs With them, and not to moleft the rabbits <^ the Down^- ?he
Enghlh fl^ould have the liberty to make faft their veflel^ inX Flemift
ports, as pradifed by the Frendi, Hollanders, Zelanders. and Scotrthe
Flemings havmg the like liberty in the English ports • neither narr!
ihould carry goods belonging to the enemies of tiro h;r Tliffi
moreover engaged, that the four members ot^ Flanders Luld become
bound for the due execution of this treaty, ai^dthat he would Sn
the confirmation of his over-lord, the king of. FrancL. It w" alfo de

oS/fiU'/^T^p';^"'' '^ ''^'''^' '" ^" his^^rrKorils froS tt;
coaft .,f Flanders to Cologne on the Rhine ; and that no infrineement
of any of the articles by individuals of either fide, nor even S 2'

^ lyT^^ ''"^'^"'' "^^^'^ ^^^^J^^^M ^l^
Fre1;TbT"The"JlSH«?' '^IT'^^ f at tii'fliips; i^^tight to *flitt "the

ton fuch favTIn "f'i "^" ^^^"''' ^^^»«^-^««^. ^^^ « Southamp-
ton, luch, fays an old writer, as were never feen in the world before

_ The encellcnce of the Uncns of thofe conn.,
tries 1. celebrated in many romances and poems
con.pofcd before the age now under oui conlider-

prefcnts fent by the ktng o7rSia%
already noticed, p. 608.

ajiset, at

63^

A. D. 1417.

three of which had the names of the Trinity, the Grace de Dieu, and the
Holy Gboji. But the principal veflels cf the whole flen, wherewith he
now made his fccond invafion of France, were two large fhips, nioft
magnificently fitted up. One of them, called the Kings Chamber , in
which he embarkfd himfelf, carried a fail of purple (ilk (furely only for
holiday exhibitions) whereon the arms of England and Franr^- were
embroidered ; and the other, called the Kxng^s ball was alfo very fump-
tuoufly adorned *. [Fragment, and Ubell of Engliju poUcy, in Hakluyt, V.
i, pp. i»5, 203 — Ttt. Liv. Fit. Hen. V,p. 33.]

We have already feen that the Normans were the molt fpirited merch-
ants in France ; and, as commerce and manufa<Slures mutually fupport
each other, we find them alfo the greateft manufadurers, at lea ft in
the woollen branch. The arrival of the Engiifti army in Normandy
ftruck fuch a terror throughout the province, that above twenty-five
thoufand families fled from it into the adjacent province of Bretagne
(whofe di^ke was then in friendfliip with King Henry) and carried the
art of making woollen cloth among the Bretons, who were hitherto ig-
norant of it : and thus was Henry's invafion the means of fprcading
that manufacture more widely through France. [Meyer i Jtw. F/anOr,
f. 250 b.]

1418, May 4'^ — King Henry, having got pofleffion of Normandy,
and underftanding that his fubjeds of that country had been grievoufly
opprefled by heavy duties impofed upon fait in times paft by his adver-
faries, and tyrannically compelled to buy fait at exorbitant prices, gave
notice, that lie, being defirous to relieve his poor people from fuch op-
preflion, and to govern them according to juftice, licenced the Normans
and his other French fubjeds to buy whatever quantities of fait they
iliould think proper in places to be appointed by him. And forafmuth
as it was ufual in all Chriftian kingdoms to levy cuftom upon every
kind of merchandize bought or fold, and fait among others, and he was
in great need of money to carry on the war, he impofed a duty of one
fourth part of all fait fold, to be levied in kind or in money at his op-
tion, and ordered that all fait ftiould be ftored in warehoufes to be efta-
bliflied by him, and meafured by his meafurers, under penalty of for-
feiture of the lalt, the flefh faked, carts, horfes, harnefs, 8cc. [Fasderoy
V. ix, p. J83.]

; ' ftcptember 24* Alfonfo !ting of Aragon having about a year before

granted protedion to the fubjeas of England with their veflels and merch-
andize in his territories, which feems to have been little, if any thing,
more than a fhadow of favour in order to obtain a fubftance hy \vay of
reciprocration. King Henry now granted fimilar protection to the fub-

• Ai tKe LibtU of Engiifti policy has no men- btcn given on the occaCon to tw« •( tbe three-
tlon cf the King't chamber and lJ»e King'* hall, large Ihipt paiticularly Darned In it.
ti is not itBjpolwUc, t)t>t tbofe natnrs may havr 3

4i.P<l4Py8'

«>ftrade was renewed. KingHenrvh^^n.,*^^''^'^" '^J*^*i^«^^^
land and^relwxd in t£ w of |luv. ^^"V^T ™"^l^nts^f Eag.

trim ; Sufno comaierS'traLfea oS's ln.17-'"^''''' ^"^^^ ^'"^^^
m ^ere then in. a^ ffi^de^^ J n^^ a- '^'^.'^^J^^<^^r, that the

ftranger buying ^Tn Eneland m h.? f^ »'"^">S<:vcty. iM«la,i

tor.._The annual ^lueif J^S ?±I°°°"^ iMocenigo to <1« .fe«-
and the profits, Omward ^ 1^1!,^ ™ ^" ""«»'«<>«• "f *.fcai, ,

burthen ororing 17 Joo fSe ' L^S- "" ™° '""«''■■='? ?*fc ■
„ , J uftty^o leameB, 300 /hips caraying ,8,900 l«inM, .

• In the fprnrift »>.«. „f D.vi ......

I

ift ,.|%^

4L

^34

A. D»^i4ao.

and 45 gallies/grcat ard imall, manned by i r,ooo fcamen * : and there
were 16,000 carpenters employed in the dock-yards. The mint of
Venice coined annually 1, 000,000 of ducats in gold, aoo.ooo pieces of
filver of various fiaes, fend 800,000 foldi. Every year 500,000 ducats
were lent into Syria and Egypt, and 100,000 ducats to England (the
balance of the Venetian trade with England being thus one fifth of the
fum paid for the oriental produditions, for it may be obferved that the
Venetians afluredly carried a great deal of merchandize to England, and
jH-obably very little to Syria and Egypt). The Venetians received an-
nually from the Florentines 16,000 pieces of cloth, from middling qual-
ity to the very fineft, which they fent to Apulia, Sicily, Barbary, Syria,
Cy|»ru8, Rhodes, Egypt, Romania, Candia, and the Morea through Iftria.
Though the Florentines fold fo much cloth to Venice, ihey alfo carried
thither 7,000 ducats weekly, and purchafcd French and Catalonian
wool, orimfon, and grain, filk, gold and filver thread (or wire, • filati'),
wax, fugar, and violins. The value of the houfes in Venice was cftim-
ated at feven millions of ducats, and the annual rents at half « mil-
lion. [5a)i«/o> Viu4»ducb«di Veaczia, (^. Muratm Script. V. X*ii, .»/.
959O ' 10 > fct:::i-_^?t.'. ri^'^H* ' •*>mi*:f''*^- '..' y^^. 'ux\k->ni

1421, May 6«'^*i-A'8 we can have but few o|^rtunities of fecmg any
account of the antient revenue and exp<^diture of the kingdom of
England, the following flatcment of thera £lr one year ending with
Michaelmafs, prefented to the king by the treafurer of England, appears
worthy of notice, efpecially as it (hows, that, even in thofe days, the
greaieft part of the public expenfes were fuppUed from the trade of the
country.

The revenue confifted of
Customs on wool - - . , j63,976 l

Subsidy on wool , - - - - 26,035 18

Siuall customs - - - - - 3,438 9

Dut) of 1 a pennies on the pound in the value of goods (the whole a-

mount ofwhich thence appears to have been ^gl 64,7 50: 1 5 : 10) 8,237

8

Causual revenues paid lato the exchequer
Total revenue . - -

Out of tlje above were to be suoported
Tne custody or defence of Englana - ^5,333

—————of Calais and its nwnhed in time of war 1 9, 1 1 9
of the marcbt'S of Scotland and Roks-

10
40,676 19
15,066 11

9i
9i
1

55,748 10 iO^

burgh, in war
-of Ireland f

19,500
1,666

6
5

o
13

8
10

0
4

* T^« jooo \tS<)» canicd only five or G« men
rich on in ivcrige, and the 300 (hips ibout
iw<rnty.on« eich. Of tlie 45 gillies feme muft
hive been formidible veffels, eich of them hiving,
upon in average of the whole 45, about 244. fea-
n)«n, I fufficient cotnplcjm.nt for a very refpttlable
modetn frigate.

f With refpeft to the marchea of Scotland we
have the correfpondinfr teftimony of the hittoriin
of Croyland, [o/. OaJe, /. 563] that the keeping
of Berwick ilone coft ibout this time ic.ooo
marks annually ; ind thence he concluded, that
the pofleflion uf it was a lofs, rathe; than an ac-
quilition, to England. Thus thofc two antisnt

A.D.

1421,

'riie tiiMcxly of the. tie of Prounsako ' -« jfi366 13 4
Sularies of the treasurer, keeper of the pHvy sea',
judgeg, barons of exchequer, and
and other officers of the court 3,002 1 7 6

of tlic oJH<x'rs of the customs, &c. 847 O O

of dukes, carls, knighu, esquires, abbess
of Shenc, &c.

hs

7,751

4,374

274

17
o

12
4
3

7}

3

4

-+52.235 lO 101
J^3,a07 13 uj

Annuities chargwl on the customs

Salaricsofofliorsof thecustomsir.thesevcra! ports*

■' Totai expenditure - .

Surplus of revenue
out of which were to be defrayed the charges of
The king's and queen's houfehold and wardrobe (' camera— hofpitio—.
* /arderoba') j The king's works, the new tower at Portfmouth--clerk
of the kmg's (hips— the king's lions and the conftable of the Tower—
artillery—the king's prifoners— ambafladors—meflcngefs, parchment,
etc — the duchefs of Holland. or ,

There remained unprovided for

Old debts for Harfieur and Calals—thc king's wardrobe, and clerks of

the king's (hips and works — arrears to annuitants— debts of King Henry

.;.i *1JS °^ ^^^^ ^ ^^*" P"***^® ^^ Wales. IFadera, V. x,p.ii v ex
MS. Bib. Cott. Gleop. F iii.] ^'4/

May— It being cuftomary to build the keels, ufed at NeWaftle for
carrying coals onboard the fhips, larger than the ftandard meafure of
twenty chaldrons, in order to evade part of the duty of two pennies
payable by all perfons not free of Newcaftle, it was enafted, that their
burthen (hould be meafured and marked by commiflioiiers appointed
by the king \. lAas 9 Hen. V.JlaU i, c. 10.] ^^

• Notwithftanding the late law againft vitiating the money, it was now
U? . .V* "''^^^' ^^^^' ^^^ parliament enadled, that the gold money of
England flbould only be taken by weight. And the people were ordered
«> carry their light and vitiated money to the tower to be recoined the
king, in confideration of their lofs, foregoing the emolument due to'him
upon the coinage Ij. [c. 11.]

May ap"*— Peace being made with the king of France (May ai'') it
was immediately followed by a reconciliation with the Gcnoefe, an^'by

GibmlUrj, Calais and Berwick, appear to have
coft alinoft fixteen tinien m much *.% the whole
fciiigiluni of Irelaiul.

• A> the officem nwll have been very numir-
o\n, this very fmall amount of all their falaries ac-
touiitt for the fretjuent conii'lainti of thtir thtor-
tioni.

t In thit account ^t find tlie very ufual difa-
Krcemcnt between the totala and the particular
number* : but, ai it it iuijioniblc to tr*ce the error,
wc mutt take them ai they (land in the record.

X The parliament fcem to have known nothing
of an order fimilar to thi* aft in the reigo of Rich-
ard II. See above, p. j8o.

II Stow \Jvn ey J London, f. 85] fays, that the
noble* were t«kt n thia year in paymint of the fif-
teenth granted to the kmg at the foH value of 6/i«,
if they were worth 5/8. That regulation was
probably fubfiqumt to the diminutivn of tbc mo-
ney, for which f< !ie appendix.

4L a

%^

A. X>. 7H2A.

a new treaty, whereby All pad injuries were ccmiignsd to oblivion. Each
party was at liberty to trade with the c^iemies cJ the other, but not to
give them any alliftance by fna or land. In cafe of a breach of this
perpetual allianoe the fubjeds of cither party were to be allowed eight
months * to retire with their property. The fubjedh of each power
might import and export in the ports of the otlicr all kinds of merchan-
dize not prohibited, on paying the ufual cuftoms, and freely tranfaiil
their bufinefs. ,Inifra<*lions of this treaty by individuals (hould be duely
punched, but ihould make no breach of the frieiidflup between the
contjrafting powers. The duke and community of Gaioa Lecame bound
to pay to William Waldern and his partners, who had obtaii^d letters
of n^ar^uc.agaii^ them, (fee above, p. 605) >£6,ooo fterUng, as the full
balance for damages remaining unfaiisfied f . \F(xd^A, V, x,p. Il7»j

I^fi^emb^r—- The parliament «na<3ed that exchanges for gold and f|l-
ver ijiio^ey Ihould iN -eilabliihed in London and other .places in the
kmgdom, where money ihould be coined for the public &a jpftying 5/
for the Tower pound of gold, and 1/3 for the fame weight of filver, as
the d»;es of feUjnorage eiKl coinage, [^^j 9 ffetf. V,Ji. 3, c* a.]

For the eafe ef the merchants ^m^ others >^fid)ng ^it -Calfiisg/rit was
enabled, that ^ mint and coinage fhould be ellabiiffaed there durii^ f^Jfie
king's pleafure, faving to him his dues from tfce coin^gCi &c. £<?. 6.]

1444.4 Auguft 31 "—It pleafed God to eut pff Kiag Homy tin his ;bril- 7
liant Career of ^i^ory, and to fave the British iflands from becoming
provraoes of the French empire. I fay the Britifti iflaads ; for not only
Ireland, as ^n appendage of Engiand, would have been fubjedt to the
king of France and England, but Scsotland aUb, as foon as the French
{hould have perceived, that, inftead of being a conquered and deprefled
people, they were really the predominant nation, and had acquired a
great and valuable addition of territory and of naval and military power
along with their new king, muft have fubmitted to the irrefiftible unit-
ed naval and niiliiary forces of France, England, and Ireland : and
then the agriculture, manufadures, and commerce, of the Britiih king-
doms would have been as completely fubfervient to the intereft and
policy of France, as ever thofe of Ireland and the colonies were t-o thefe
©f England. By the invafions of Ftance England was depopulated^ i
and Henry, like his predeceflbr who firft darted the fatal pretenfion to
the fovereignty of that kingdom, found himfeif reduced to the mifer-
able and illufory expedient of diminiflung the value of the current mo-
ney of the kingdom i|. In fliort, the interefts of commerce and the

• In the treaty irithPruffia in 1387 the merch-
ants were allowed ttatlve months to fettle their bu-
linefi in cafe of a rupture.

f In the year 1414 the Genoefe made offeri of
compenfation to the injured merchants, which
were probably not fatitfa£iory : [ Aoifro, V. iz, p.
160.] It it obfervable, that thii t-vaty, which
contain! but little matter, i« almoll at prolix ai a
modern one.

X One proof of the depopulation is recorded by
parliannent, in the «£l 9 Hm. V,fi. \,c.i, where-
by the fhenifg, inflead of being changed annually,
were to continue fe»eral years in ofiu:e, tecauft -a
fii^tient number of perjant dtuly quahfidfarithe offitt
c> uld Ml be found,

H See the appendix.

A. D. 1422.

^si

^appinefs of the pcop!- were equally difregarded during this loienniH
reign of conqucft and defohtion. The Scot., hv S Lenuoui^^^^^^^^

JJhocaea, a city of fome note m the early annais of commerce Th!

^e«n to th»r mj^hbounog por.s of luly f . |:b.L, k 4,1?..

Tied*™; rf^iS'in5i°''%"*'^P"'""'''' S'^'' »"« f*" «<> be o.r-.
ri«i (mt ot the kingdom for tnilitary eipenfes «nA m ,«. f™ t r

oxen, fl,«p. and other things, bought inS^thJ^fll Jf^ 'fV'

;trt\csri-i-f^?^^^^^^^^

tbe rea^rnt *^«i tf wme mcafarmg lefs than 25 z gallons CKfbm^

a« author, whofe general accuracy, ftria attention
to authority and extent of rrfearch, are almoa T

ditrirr"'"^''^?""' '"^°"8 thenatiof,
&/^^ '° ^^"; Phoc«a ,,an «rly «vide9ce
of M«diterranean Uade.— I ^v«, nvyfelfvrrv much
pleaW ,0 think that the EugmZrc mTcarriS
Uy the fp.tit of comoiacial eiitsrprife almoft as far
ifom home, as Ae.r ancettors had been by the
frenrv of CnrrCHtL^^ .;ii i — r i. , . '. ."■"*

frcnry of fuperftition. til! I^„fXd t^ ^^ ^^ flf^t'r V'" f e^°"'-'~^o.» the verb
author.. who only fay.._ .hat ih^a^rZi^f. {t/rti'P|^Jl!^V"."! -.»'>'!>'-■- ? Wa.

aulhor,.who only fay,, that the meriner. fSinR
trom the eaft to the welUhough^.aium » uftfuUnd
convement cargo fcr thdr 0.ip^.(,^ I fupp„fc, ;^

^mber.),an.l that the French. German,, Enriiih,
&c. pu.chafcd the alum dug fro, the mountain
wh<cK.. very valuable to fuller, and dyer,!^

}«<•»,»,..■■ — *.'""■«; "lu'n i Dui ine lublequent
information ,n p. 9, Uaveg no doubt, that th^ re-
ceived It in th«ir own port, fwm >he Genoef/vef-
lels. In the year ,450 we (hall fee alum to the
V. ueof^4 ooodehvered bythe Genoefc to Henry
VI king of England.

, l.'i'l''* °"*'^" f *'^»*^^' q« """ homme

• apporte en le royalmr d'Engletetre, dc

qel pail, qc ceo foit, ne face dein. mefme le roy-

almc, to..«ll de^vyn, s'il ne conteigne del mefu^

d Engleterre Set x.i galon».'_Doe. the verb

IC£ f mnMf J annlv tn tli**..., a. .l «

- . ' ,'.rr-/ -""■>•"•", ui luuic wine r vvai
wine made in England at tlii, time in fuch quant-'
rtiM as to be an cbjea of trade and legifktfvc re-
gmitKin, or wm it only mentioned from fupcr.
abundant caot.cn ? Dodor Henry ^K viii, *. ,^1
tbmk. that th<, a« indicate,, that the win*, madi
m Jingland were conlidcrable in quantity, and of
the i»me kmdi with ioreign xvine,.

A. D. i4J^3.

.i^hcipipc fJOn.tJje icrtiaa and hogfliead m proportion; that the
\^oX h«4?jring$ w eels, fhoAJdd contain^ 3a gallons, the butt of falmon
84 ^ailobfi^ and. iinaUer^^ancs. in proporuoii, the fiih in all of them, whe-
^>er i>nport,ed.,or pprcd at home, tj^mp fylly l/acked. [<•.*! .]
. The fa>YS ^oj;, regulating, the ftandard quality of filvcr were renewed.
Tl^,ftlyi9rfni|khf,yfr5j;e gr^ercd ,tp,jfffix their own mark to iheir work,
keepers ;tu i^ije touch (or euajr-mafters) were appointedi in L*andon,
i^ork^, Neyii;c»ftje fipon Tine, t-incoln, Norwich, RriftoJ, Saliftury, and
Qokepf^ty ,jyiho w^re to ftim^> all filver work of the due ftandard with a
j(i^q|i^d's head. In other places the filvejcfmiths. were, avowed 10 i«ll
;i^^ wai;es, with their owfl ftamp only, but liable to a^pcnaU-y of double
ij^e v4ii\e pf any filver fpunii under the ftandard x)f..-AerUag money.

{r. 14-] ■ ^''\^J<in'frSTp''fh-ur,"

, *424, February. — ^James, kmg of Scotland, havmg bound mm ferf and
his kingdom to pay ^40,000 fterling, byi inftallments in the courfe of
fix years, to Henry VI, king of Ertglimd, for his board or keeping •,
gave his own obligfition, and delivered a number of hoftages of the firft
families in Scotland ; and moreover, as if thofe fecurities were not fuf-
ficient* the communicies of Edinburgh^. Perth, Don dee, and Aberdeen,
as the moft opulent towns of Scotland, gave their obligations for r5®,ooc
marks eachr every one of them thu» taking burthen ibit the whole,
which, by an allovrance of 10,000 marks as the porejon of Lady Jane,
daughter of the duke of Somerfet, married to Kingrjames, was reduced
to that fum inftead of the original 60,000 .narks. In a truce of feven
years, which accompanied this pecuniary tranfadion,i the only article, in
the froalleftdegree connected with cpmmtrae, provided that the merch-
ants, pilgrims, and fiChers, of either party, driven by ftrefs of weather
into the ports of the »ther^ Jhauld,.not ,l^fei2cd.. .^ctderot V. x, ^.

a?4, 329^.]. O 1'.' ntR^tI-)-i.l !K<;/t:fr: f<fft tn fiht' l.fJJi HCnn*i>ni'in ;;->»',.< ll;vf

l,njMay-f-.James I, king of Scotland, was diftinguifiied by a bright genius,
a vigorous mind cultivated in the fchool of early adverfity, and an eager
dcfire to improve the condition of his kingdom, which had been in a
retrograde ftaie fince the death of King Alexander III. Wiih his reftor-
atio«n commences the regular feries of the written laws of Scotland J,
wj^j,9^ .^ilJi; henceforth furnifh authentic materials for the commercial

, (fc ft. «Pfl» tempore quo diAut dommus Rex Ja-

. *-«)bu» iietit ill prefentia regum Anglii '. The

conuniffionert etrcfuUy a»oided the word ran/om,

at they did nut chuie tu fay that Jainea waw a prif-

Wier.

t The pages here quoted are only thofe con-
ftining the ubiigationt of the four tow a*, which
Itad tiie Ivcavy hooour uf bting fccuritiei for their
r*w«reign, and tbe article of tlie truce referred to.
Of the hundred* of writings concerning the h'bera-
tion of King Jamei, thofe printed in the ninth and
tenth volume* of the Focdcra, though only • par'.,
arc far too uumeroua to be particularly quoted.

I It it worthy uf obfervatbti, that the laiys of
Scotland, which had hitherto all been written in
Latin^ were after the relloraticm of James, with the
exception of about half a doxen, all expTcfled i<>
the language of the people, who were to be go.
verned by tiiem, and the (hirrefa were di reded to
make ihem fafficiently public throughoui the hins-
dom. In England the lawa were ettbcr in Latin
or French, and moftly French, till the reign of
Richard III, when the firft Engltfh' Ibtiite ym
enabled, which was long after the Fmvch lan-
guage bad become (^ii)lete c^en among the tipper
laoks. a

A. Jj. 1424* ^'?Q

hiftory of that kingdom. In his firft parliament the gr-cat and fmall
*^"!I^"".t *^1 *^* bdrgh mailles (or rents^ were annexed hj> the cro^'
^Thc fiaughter'of falmbn'in the improper ifeaOm wi.S flriftly prohibiti
ed»— Cruives ana ya.rs (engines for catching fifh) were prohibited rh
tide river* J and thoft.'who had righi! x6 fet iUtA In riv^s above the
tWe;'Were enjoined to obferve the laws for prcferWng'ih* breed o^^hc
Jifh — All mines, yielding three halfp<tnniei oF filvei' 'but of a p<Whd W

, ; '^'i'Ji '^^^'^^^^''^^e pr6pcrty of the kirigf.—The exportation of
pold and filver was «*rmitted. but Jo.-iHi^ t^uu\t%^'*r,^u:uixJ^r.LL

their imports in Scottifh merchandize, or paid the' duty for exportirik
the money.— The following duties were impofed upoti battle and'othe?
goods carried out of the kingdom. ' ^ i - f

a

Ho^cA, oten, and ihecp, ofte . .„.,

per potthd of thcwlu* . . .w . . . />t

J.

<".'

Herrings, pec thousand . ,,.,,,i.....'..j'.Ai,i .
Hcnings, barreled, taken by n»Hve;, per last ' J ' 'b*

• by fiirtignerti •

Skliu of mertrik* (martms) each. * . . T^!^.^ 4' 0
•■*— of fowmaru (weaseli) — ....:■,.'■ i t il
of cunoiiigp (rabbiU) perh^^ro*,^!, / L ,«
of otters and foxea per daker ..,,„. 0 fl
ofharti and hiuda . , . . . . .";'.'. . ^JM, ''yiB^j
of doei and roer •very t«r.. a v iiiii i / o<; t4

tte()bemogs,curQdiaSicotlaad.ix'rtkouiaD<) ■, Q

u^^ho pafhament empowered the king to reftore the mohev to> ati
equality wit)> that of England 4:.^ Able beggars were nu: to be permit-
ted to mfeft the country ; and thofe efteemed proper obie<as of ch» Atv
were to be furniflied with tickets by the Ihirre^ in the counti^y. and oy
the feldermenand bailies m the towns ||. {Aaslac. /, cc, 8. 12 ii« t/
17. 18, 23, 24, 25, 27.].Mi. wf R^ii/,n4fixo^.r nt/i u-

Thefe regulations were intended to be pa-ln%ncnt. But as it was ne^
ceflary to make proi^fion for the payment for which the kingdom was
bound to the kmg of England, a temporary law of this feffioh frr 10
III] impofed a tax ot twelve pennies on every pound of rent and other
branches of income, and alfo of the annual incrcafe of rorn and cattle
to be paid agreeable to a ftandard valuation fixed by pariiament &- and
this tax^was to be paid by the clergy as well as the laity. We "learn
isfwii Walter Bowar, one of the commiJioners for this taxation, that* it

y«t_recovtr«d from the coUmiiy pf .KiagCvid's
ranfom, and now further drained by the con^ribn-
tron for the board-money, ranfom, 6r finante, of
King James, together with the erroneous ideas of
the age concerning mone» jperated more power,
fuHy than any aft of paiiiament, and produced a
diminution, mftead o£an iinpro*emem, of the mo-
nev of Scotland. See the appendix.

II The repetition of this F,(St in lefs than a Tear
(hows that It was inefficient.

§ For the rates fee the appendix of prices. But
It mull b« obfervcd. that the articles ate aU much
undervalued, e. g. a boll of wheat only ,/. which
I* much below the price in Englan.t, and, allowing
tor the dmimunon of the money, below the ufufl
price ui the happy days of Alcxandt' III.

• From an adof the next feffion the proh^lted
feafon appears then to have begun on the 15'" of
Aoguft and ended on the 30" rf" Novtmberl

f This law is fomewhat obfcure. It fays, ' Gif
« any myne of gold or fiUer b« fundin in ony lordis

• landis of the realme, and it may be previt that

• thre half pannyis of 'filver may be fynit out of the
« pund of leid : the lordis of parliament confentis,

• that fic iPjrne be the kingis.as is ufual of utlier
' rtalmes.'— Was the lead, with the fiWer, or only
the filver, to belong to the king ?-Th<Hjgh gold is
(nenti^ned, no provtfion is made refpefting it.
There was pix)bablv no expeiStation of ever iJnding
Jrtiy : but feme gold was afterwards found ii\ fdme
of the rivulets of 'S^iiiand.

% The impoverifhed ftatt of the country, not

640

A' O. 1424*

arauunied in the firft year alnooft to fourteen thonrand muT^i, which,
without makiiifi any aibwuncc for (hort returns ufual m lucU cafes,
roakcs the annual income of the people of Scotland, iiMki>endeiit of rbe
landi and cattle employed by land-hQld<'rs in tiv«ir G«m hulbaidry,
»vhiph were exempted, amount to near ;{8o.ooo mariu, e^ual in efie<flive
value to about three /nillioui of modern fterling money. Next year,
the zeal of the people being «>olcd, the tax wat Itk produ«fHvc ; the
people grumbled (for taxes, except in cuitoms, which becan^ part of
the apparent price of the goods on which they were charged» wete un-
known) and no luore «a6 levied. iScotkirw, r,k,^ 46 a.}

1425, March — Tlw parliament of Scotland prohibited tlie exportation
of tallow. — No perfun was allowsd to go abroad as a mercltanc, who
had not three ferplaiihs* of wool.or otiier goods of equal value, either
of his own proj>erty, or configned to him.«~A duty of a/ in the pound
on the value was impofed on wcollen cloth exported ; and a duty of 2/6
in the pound was laid upon ialmon exported by ftrangcrs. £ngltih
goods impotted were charged wirh a duty of a/6 in the pound, alio of
the value. [.fc'It Joe. /, a\ 35, 41, 44.") Thefc laws <how, tlwit there
was fome manofiidurc, and even e5qx)rtation, of woollen cloth in Scot-
land. And they alio (how, how much the principles (MP comnmerce were
miftaken by one of the mod enlightened and patriotic kings of the age:
but thole principle! were not then known on this fide of the Alps and
the Pyrenees, unlets perhaps by the Flemifh mA Hatifeatic merchnnts.

May — It was now a common praAice to carry fticep from England
to Flanders, w)iereby the price of wool was lowered, to the great dam-
age of the king and the kingdom. The parliament therefsr i^ridly
prohibited all pcrfons from carrying {beep beyond the fea, except for
vidualing the town aiui marches of Calais. [.A3s 3 Hen. VJ^ e. a.] If
the exportation of live Iheep was really fo conlidcrable as to depreis the
price of wool in England, it proves, that there was ftill more wool ex-
ported than wiw worked up in the home manufi»<fhire8. The uneon-
troulable opportunity of fmuggUng Hicep fi"om Calais (which might as
well have received carcafes from the butchers at Dover) was one of the
evils attending the poiltjflion of that poft.

We find an inftjince of attention to inland navigation in an ad en-
forcing the ordinances formerly made for removing all impediments to
the paflage of boats on the Ri\'er Lea, whether by abftradlion of the
water in ditches, by kidcls, wears, or mills, [c. 5.]
. Odober n"" — The Lombards traded to Scotland in very larm car-

KterdnnI, tsjilaini Uircc ferp1aitli« to be <i4fton(i
of wool. Qli. if^ot «ii error for a4p ?-.— In Eugi

• The quantity of the fcrplaith probablv varied
in the coiirfe of ages. Tn the year 15J7 tnq lorJa
of coiir.cil in Scotland delemiiiicd itt
be eighty ftoncs of wool
I Miivrav in the

alpliatietical ahrFJg«mei)t at

we.]

the end of his edition of the L^ttut of ScoilanJ, va.

contents to Innd a farplcr (appareatty the fanic wprd) w«t
cqiial to twn facka and a half in the year. t44^< f»
appeura by the a^ t^ fkn. VI, c. a, uhl>|;iwttccitl
ill due time, 4 ,, 1 ,,' ,,;, ),',

A. D. 142/.

i^i

racks one of which ('navisimmanillima'jwai wrecked neai Leith by
« fucklen ftorm u-.th a fimn« tide ^n the changt: of the moon •. fScol

The Klciumgs 8j allies of England, having committed icverul holtil-
icH aga.nrt the Scot,, the alUes of France. King Ja.nes had ordered c
ft«pc of the hcottift, commerce in the Netherlands to bo ranoved iS
Muld^b.rg m /clamf. About the end of this year the Fie ningr cm
ambuffiidnr, to Scotland to foUcit the return of the tra<i^ wl c^, It^
g'-anted „. conhdnntion of more ample p.ivileges ftinulued br the
ScoitUhmrrchauts in Flanders f. [iico(kbron. ib.f ^ '"^a ror thq
W.I 1 V ^"""?« ^*^!"8 l^c'l^i-^d the iK,rt of Leghorn by purchafc.
were defirmw of part.c.pating in the lucrative commerce of Alexandr a
then almoft entirely m the hands of the Venetians. Their HrU S
c'jrned ambafladors with prelents for the lultan of K^ypt. who granted

VFhrehm.lc bath &c. and a conful. at each, with ail thcnrivileKcsEranJ
ed to the Venetunst. [UiAmz. Mantiffi, CUjur, gj. #ttr 2 T
i63,^Rorco,^s Life ^ .or.deMediciW.tp.i^f^,^ ^ ^' ^f^^ par 2,/>.
1436. February 1 8''-Formeriy one of the aldermen of London ufcxl
o art as a judge m mercantile caufes, wherein the Germ-, c ,rchants of
the Hanfc reHdmg m England were parties : but for .^ o e feven years
the magdlrates of Londo>. l,ad rcfufcl to appoint any one of their S
bcr to aa m that capacity. Aftc. repeated applicaSons of the Se
merchants to parhamrnt. the king now nominated Alderman Crowmer
V. X A "?7l'' •'''^"'""'' ""^ J"'^^ °*' ^^e "a«*e n»crchants $. [IWrrn,

March-^The Scottifl; iwliament direacd the merchants returninn
from foreign countries to import hamefs (dcfcnfive armour) fncirs
flmfts. bows, and ftaves._.They renewed the unavailing law for conS
mg money withm tlie kingdom, and fubjeaed foreign me.-chants not
only to the mlpedhpn of their hofts. but^UCo to the controui of two
upervifors m every porc.--They ordained, thacunifbrm mealures of the
boll, hrlot halt (.riot, peck, and gallon, conform to llandards kept at
Ldinburgh, hould be uled throughout the kingdom; that all good
lod by weight niould be weighed by the ftone. containing fifteen law-
iul Troye pounds, equal to fixteen lawful Scottifti i^unds .and that the

T lie fmlora of tliia girnt (lit'i^ accuiioinrd ei)«
parcntly only to the i»liiioll.t„!clcf» Mediterrnnean
1m, were iiol awtirr of tlic girat nIV of the fprinir
tklei on our IJntilh fhortB, Mid liieir ftiip fecini to
lia«e been lod by ilragginjj her anchor! or parting
her cables. vShc was wrecked at Graiilon about
tliree milei above Ltiih.

f Bowai mentiont, without any date, a pacific,
ation between King James and the Hollaiulen,
with lome tircumllaiices finiilar to lliolc of thi!i

Vol. I.

treaty with the ncmlngi. lS(i»ith,(m. V. ii. a
109. J PeHiap. he ia conf.iltdly lepettinK the
uinc tranlartioii a fetfoiiH ti.jie.

I A Ipecimen of H,e fait. „f ,hc Florenti.n
woollen nianufacturtshasalread* liecii givei- in the
view of th? eommercc of Venice under the year
I4*c. '

} In the year 14^1 ,vc fmd the Wxxs n.akiV «
linjilar nomination of Aldeimay Fiowyk. {fadtra,
V. xi,/>. 16.] ' ^

4M

642

A. D. 1426.

alderman and bailies of each town fhould appoint a fufficient perfon to
meafure coals and other goods fold by the water mete, with whom the
fellers fhou!^ not interfere. — Laftly, they ordered that the ads of this
and the two preceding parliaments fhould be regiftcred, and that the
fliirrefs ftiould ufe the proper means to render them fufficiently known
in every part of the kingdom. [j4^s Jac. /, cc. 52, 55, 63, 64, 65,

77-]

July 29' — In a treaty between James, king of Scotland, and Eric, king
of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, theantient treaties were renewed or
confirmed ; mutual freedom of trade in the ports formerly frequented,
and agreeable to the rights and approved cuftoms of both kingdoms,
was agreed upon ; and all damages, tranfgreflions, and defaults, on both
fides were forgiven and cancelled, the annual rent for the vaflal king-
dom of Mann and the Ifles being ftill payable to Norway. [Tra£l. ap.
For dun, p. 1353, ed. Hearne.]

Jfily 30"" — The commanders of fome Englifli fhips, alleging that the
Flemings pafled the goods of Spaniards, Bretons, and other enemies, as
their own, had feized feveral Flemifh veflels ; and the duke of Burgun-
dy had interpofed in behalf of his Flemilh fubjedls. The council of
England thereupon promifed, that juftice fhould be done to the Jlem-
ings, and ordered the king's fubjedts to abflain from doing any injury
to them. [Foedera, V. x, pp. 360, 361, 367.]

1427, March — The parliament of Scotland decreed, that the elne
fhould contain thirty-feven inches, agreeable to the law of King David I;
:»nd they made fome alterations on the corn meafures *, which have re-
peatedly been altered fince. [JBs Jac. I, cc. 78, 79, 80 f .]

July — ^They alfo ordained, that caufes concerning the property of
Scottifh merchants or pilgrims dying in Zeland, Flanders, or other for-
eign countries fliould be tried in Scotland before their ordinaries, by
whom their wills fhould be confirmed, though fome part of the property
might be in England or beyond the fea. [A6ls Jac. /, c. 99 f .]

Odober — The parUament of England pafied an ad, whereby all merch-
ants, whether denizens or aliens, were permitted to fhip wool, hides,
wool-fells, and other merchandize, at the port of Melcomb for Calais on
paying the due cufloms, &c. \^il£is 6 Hen. VI, c. 6.]

1428 March — The parliament of Scotland permitted merchants for a
year enfuing to fhips their goods in foreign vefTels, where Scottifh ones
were not to be found, notwithftanding the flatute made to the contrary.
{yl8s Jac. I, c. 117.] This law, copied from the Englifh ad of the 6""
of Richard II, (as, indeed, almoft all the Scotiifh laws were copied from

* The mcarures are contradiflorily defcribcd in two refliont of parliament, between which another

ihe aft by the blunder of the original clerk, the one, belonging tu the preceding year, is placed in

tranfct ihcr, or printer. the editions.

ff There is an error in the numeral too of thefe

A. D. 1428.

643

thofe of England) neceflarily infers the pre-exiftence of a Scottifli navi^
gatton aa, whereof we find no traces in any edition of the ads •

nf Fnlr;J^'^■l!°"'^''?'^°^;^' progreffive ftatc of the manufadlures
of England may be obtained from a comparifon of the articles now
(hipped Without paying cuftom. for the ufe of the king of Portugal and
the countefs of HoHand. with a fimilar Hft of articles in the year , ,9,
Forthekmg,6fiIver cups, wcighing6marks each, gilded; i piece of fcarlet
cloth; .piece fanguine dyed in grain; 1 piece blood Volou 2 pfece
muftrevilers; 2 pieces of marble colour ; 2 piecesof ruflet muftrevilers
2 pieces black cloth of lyre ; 1 piece white woollen cloth; 300 pieces
Eflexftraitsforhveries; 2,000 platters, dilhes, fawcers. pots, ana ther
vefTels, of eledrum f ; a number of beds of various kinds and fizes with
curtains &c. ; 60 rolls of worfted ; 12 dozen of lances ; and 26 amb 1
ing horfes. For the countefs. feveral cut quantities of various woollen
cloths; 12 yards of red figured fatin; 2 pieces of white kerfey ; , man-
ties of rabbit stur; ii- timber of martin's fur ; a quantity of r^e: whole
and ground, m ca/ks. iFadera.V. x, pp, ^gi 398 J ^^. ^^'^oi?

July i«— The merchants of Holland. Zeland, and Flanders, had fo^
fome time in a great meafure given up trading to England in apprehen-
fion of being arrefted on the complaints of fome Englifti fubjeds. The
council of England, therefor, fenfible that commerce was ufeful and ne-
cefiary to all the world, and in compliance with the requeft of the
merchants of England, declared, that all people of Holland/ Zeland and
Glanders, coming in a mercantile manner, with provifions, merchandize
gold filver coins filver velTels, jewels, and all other goods whatever
ihould be freely admitted in the king's dominions to fell their goods and
purchafe any other lawful goods in return. [Fa^dera, V. x, pp. lo-i io± 1
1429, February i8';-The king's fubjeds of Bayonne in France were
prohibited from exading toll, laftage, pavage, pontage, or murage, from
the citizens of London, the charters of former kings having exempted
them from thofe imports. [Fadera, T. x,/). 411.J

May 13''— The eftablifliment of Bergen in Norway (' Norbarn'), as
the Itaple tor the trade in filh and other merchandize, by the kine of
Denmark, was announced by the council, who llridly prohibited the
Enghfli feamen from going to Finmark, or any other place in the Dan-
ilh dominions than Bergen. [Fcedera, V, \,p. 416.]

September— The weight called auncd behig found a means of fraud
It was prohibited % ; and all cities and burghs were required to provide

• The (imifiion need not furprlfc, when we find
a fmiilar want of fome adt* of ilie parh'ament of
England, where the records have been preferved,
probably with more care than in any other coun-
try ill Europe. Sec below in the year 1463.

f What kind of fubftance or metal la here
meant by the name of ileftrum, I fuppofe, it is
now impolTihle to tell.

I ThoiiL'h the auncel weight, which feeini to
have been fomething of the nature of a lleelyard,

4 M 2

644

A. D. 1429.

balances and weights made conform to the ftandard of the exchequer
and fealed, for weighing wool and other merchandize. None but
makers of cloth were permitted to buy woollen yarn. [Jds 8 Hen. FI,

C' 5]

The parliament, obferving, that many merchants for their own pro-
fit carried to Flanders, Holland, Brabant, and other places, the wool
and other ftaple goods of England, which ought all to have been carried
to Calais, whereby the payment of the duties was evaded, and the king's
mint at Calais was almoft at a Hand, ftrid'y prohibited all perfons from
carrying any fuch goods from England, Wales, or Ireland, to any other
place than Calais, on penalty of forfeiture of double value and imprifon-
ment for two years. The merchants of Genoa, Venice, Tufcany, Lom-
bardy, Florence, and Catalonia, were, neverthelefs ftill allowed to fhip
wool, &c. for their own countries ; and the burgeflcs of Berwick were
alfo ftill allowed to retain their farmer privileges. \c. 1 7.]

For the profit and wealth of the kingdom it was ordained, that the
prices of wool, wool-fells, and tin, ihould be raifed ; — that they ftiould
be fold only for gold andfilver ; — that three quarters of the price fhould
be carried to the mint at Calais to be coined ; — that the merchants
ihould account faithfully to thofe concerned with them ; — and that the
fellers Ihould give fealed difcharges to the buyers, and make no coUuf-
ive agreements for giving them credit, [r. 18]

The parliament, obferving that the people of Flanders, Holland, Ze-
land, and Brabant, in order to avoid carrying wool and otlier Englilh
merchandi'/.e of the ftaple to Calais, frequently packed them in tuns,
pipes, &c. and ftowed them in their veflels under wood, wheat rye, &c.
(whence the exportation of corn appears to have been pretty common)
all fuch fmuggUng was now prohibited under the penalty of confifca-
tion of veflel and cargo, perrjiiflion being ftill granted, as formerly, to
carry fuch goods into the Mediterranean*. \c. 19]

The merchants of Calais 'having lately made a pradice of preventing
rtrangers from buying the ftaple goods from the importers, that they
might §et them into their own hands, whereby they made great profits,
to the prejudice of both parties, the parliament, in their zeal for the
welfiire of trade, prohibited them from buying any ftaple goods beyond
the fea, on pain of forfeitore. \c. 20.]

The exemption, enjoyed by the men of Newcaftle and Berwick, from
the obligation of carrying their ftaple goods to Calais, being found pre-
cis now prohibited by parliament, V appears to • ' Outre Iw eftroites d« Marrock.' Though
have been Hill ufcd ; for we tliid lli*c)trgy in tlie wire is written in this aa ■ I'ltad of par, the word
l"ulIou■in^' year adding tlicir authority to that of ufed in others which liav. a rnniKir claufc, tlitre
the pailian.ent bv a canon enjohiinp the fuppref- fcema no rcalon to belio-. ■ lh:a any plate rial y
(ion of it under the terrible penally of cxcomniuni- liyond (i.r to the/o«/i«'ar.V of) the titraiti could

i.-.itioii. llVdkhii'' C'.nc'il'ta.p. 516.]

be intended.

A. D. 1429.

645

judicial to the kingdom, and it being alleged that they imported no
money (their proceeds being apparently inverted in goods wanted at
home, and yielding a profit upon importation) they were now ordered
to carry their goods to Calais, as other fubjeds of England were obliged
to do. Perfons conveying ftaple goods into Scotland, in order to evade
this law, were to be puniOied by confifcaiion of their goods with double
value, and a year's imprifonment. [c. 21.]

Some regulations againrt f-iudulcnt pradices in exporting and pack-
ing wool, and againft felling the ends of woollen yarn, called thrums
were now enaded. [cc. 22, 33.] '

It was ufiial with foreign merchatit* to ftipulate with the buyers that
the payments fhould be made in gold, apparently for the convenience
of carriage, as ihe laws fubjeded them to the expenfe and rifle of fmug-
ghng their money out of the country. The parliament, in order to
counterad their purpofe, ordaiaed that no perfon (hould be compelled
to pay in gold: and they alfo enaded. that no perfon in England (hould
fell any goods to a foreigner, unlefs for ready money, or goods in ex-
change immediately delivered, [c. 24.]

AH thefe fetters upon commerce, impofed, as the legiflators fmcerely
believed, for advancing the profperity of it, were like attempts to pre-
vent the rivers from running in their natural courfes.

1430, March— In Scotland the parliament enaOcd, that no perfons un-
der the rank of knights, or having lefs than ;2oo marks of yearly in-
come, ftiould wear clothes made of filk or adorned with the finer furs.
The fons and heirs of the noble and opulent were allowed to drefs as
fine as their fathers — In cafe of veflels being wrecked on the coaft of
Scotland, the prefervation of the property for the owners, or the con-
fifcation of It to the king, was regulated by the law refpeding wrecks
m the country to which they belonged.-lAll proprietors of land within
fix miles of the weft and north coafts, e^pt thofe who lield their land
by the fervice of finding velfels, were nosT^rdered to contribute to the
building and equipment of gallies for the'|ublic fervic, in the propor-
tion of one oar of the gallies to every foupfanarks worth of laad. f^£fs
>f./,^. 133, 138, 140.J .V ..ii* «-

July 1 2"'-.The fuperiority of the Englifli commerce and manufac-
tures over thofe ot Scotland appears by Kina James employing two citi-
zens of London to {hip -for his own ufe '•20 %uns of wine, 12 bows, 4
dozen yards of cloth of different coldors* - -

yards of red worfted, 8 dozen pewtei:^:^©!!
caps) packed in 4 barrels, 3 dozen covfer«iifef
faddles, i hackney faddle, and t Nv^ih '
portmanteaus, 4 yards of motley, 5 yards of

cloth of lyre, 12 ya s of kerfey, 12 ikins of red lea thi and "fom«"triflI
ing articles. Theie goods, (hipped onboard a vellel belonging to Lon-

d 12 yards of fcarlct, 20
1,200 wooden bowls (or"

I bafin and font, 2 ilimmer
faddle with furniture, 2

"tnorrey, 5 yards of black

1;!' ■> '■

646

A. D. 1430.

don, were fecured by a royal order from being molefted by Englifli
cruifers ; but they were to pay the cuftomary duties *. {Faederat V. x
p. 470.] About this time a great cannon, made for King James in
Flanders, and <jalled the Lionf, was carried to Scotland. [Scoticbron^ V.
ii,/. 490.]

May rp'* — The king, or rather the council, borrowed ;C50.ooo for
the expenfes of a coronation in France. We find only fifteen cities and
towns in the records as lenders, whereof London gave ^6,666 : 1 3 : 4^ ,
Briftol £si3 : 6 : 8, York £162, Coventry /^loo, Sarum £,'j2, and the
others fmaller fums, down to £j^.. Of the clergy, the bifliop of Win-
chefter, cardinal of England, fubfcribed the enormous fum of ^9,950 1/
the prior of S'. John of Jerufalem £^^^ : 6 : 8 ; and feveral others
contributed fmaller fums. Sir John Cornwall was the only lay individ-
ual, whofe fubfcription was fo high as jCsoo- [Foedera, T. x, p. 461 .]

July 1 9''' — The fubjeds of the crown of England were prohibited
from attending any market in Brabant, efpecially Antwerp, till proper
fteps fliould be taken for the fecurity of their perfons and property.
They were alfo ordered to purchafe iio liners of^ Flanders or Hainalt,
nor any napery or bokeram made in thofe countries, except according
to the regulations made by the four members of Flanders, and lately
proclaimed in Ghent, Bruges, and other places in that country. [Fcedera
V.x,p.47u]

November 8"" — A truce, to laft one year from the firft of May, was
concluded with the king of Caftile, wherein mutual freedom of trade
was ftipulated ; and it was agreed, that any depredations committed on
either fide ftiould be puniflied, and juftice done to the party injured, by
the fovereign of the offenders, without a breach of the treaty. It was
alfo mutually agreed, in order to prevent piracies, that no armed veflel
fiiould be allowed to fail out of the ports of either kingdom, till fuffi-
ciem fecurity were given, that (he fhould commit no hofl.ilities on the
fubjedls of the allied king, not carry any prizes whatever into any port,
but that from which flie was fitted out. [Fade/a, V. x p. 473.]

December 15'" — A further truce of five years, reckoning from the
i" of May 1431, was concluded between England and Scotland, which
is moftly occupied with expedients for reftraining the border mar-
auders. The mcrcb:).nts, pilgrims, and fifhers, of either kingdom were,
us in the former truce, not to be feized in the ports of the other, if
driven in by ftrefs of weatlnpr ; and fliipwrccked men were to be allow-
ed to pafs to their own hon|e., In cafes of piracy not only the princip-

• Though Jamffs lud been fo pfont^ble a
boarder to Kiiiij Henry's grandfather, hia fa-
ther, and himfdfV tlie compliment, ufually paid to
fore'gn princes and prelates, of exempting their
gocds from cuftom, was withheld fruiii his moil

dear coufiii the king of the .Scots (' cariOimo con-
• fanguineo nolho Jacubu u'gi Scotonini'),

f Grafton fay«, this I.ion was tie gun, which
burft and killed King Janicu II at tiic fi;ge of
Rukfburgh.

A, D. 1430.

647

als, but alfo their receivers and encouragers, were made liable for com
penfanon 10 the perions injured, or to puniftment. It was agreed Xa
aggreffions by the fubjeas of either king ihould not occafionabrS
^oH ^ ""ff '^J"'/"'''' ^\ ""' ^- ^^^-3 The^e were all the mutual accom
fXrTngdoms ' '° ""'"''"' ^"™*"^ ^^ ^^^ governments ofTe
1431 . January s'"— • King James foon gave a proof of his finceritv bv
aamg appuremly beyond the fpirit of the trcafy. On the comnlaiS
of three Enghfl, merchants he iffued letters empowering lu perfoSs S

^IrrLn? f f ""''"? ^"^J"*'^'' '^""" '^""^^d, UCCUfcd by thofe

merchants of havmg. about the end of November 1428. taken wo
veflels belongmg to them with their cargoes, valued at A coo wh^h
they conveyed to fome foreign countr'y in contemp ff 'fhe' farmer
aT^'a I^' ^'"^' ^" ^'' ^''S""^^^ ^° d° J"ftice to the injured perfSis

name, but alfo (if there is no error m tranfcribing or primiajrA anv
other 'iierchants or mariners of Scotland, fhould be arretted at *here^
queft of the Englifh claimants. Surely juftice did not require tint th J
mnocent fliould fuffer for the guilty. ^ ''

At this time Bruges was the ftaplc of the Scottifli trade in Flanders
knd^ .Xrir. K*^ beneficial on both fides, that the merchants oftotl
knd. authorized by their fovercign, entered into a treaty with the magi-
ftnues of Bruges (undoubtedly alio fandioned by their foverefgrthe

Til- \ % Pnvileges to be enjoyed by the Scots at Bruges, during
a period of one hundred years f. ^ uuimg

fJ^TP'^'^^^ ^'''^ °^'''^ K y*^"*" °^ "^^^y VI. which prohibited all
fales to foreigners except on the terms of receive and diliver. havine
produced a ftagnation in the woollen manufadure of England and f
deficiency m the cuftoms. the Englifh merchants were noi peri?^tted

21'^/!' 2!]'° ^°'''^'"' ^"' "°^ ^° ^" " ^^^^^d fi'' months^ T^St
1432, May-Mi-ny of the Englifii merchants complained, that their
merchandize was leized by the king of Denmark, apparently iS Wo

and^HnTl H .°V r "'P'^' Y^'^ " ^^^^ P^^« '^'^ ^'^^^^^^ "^ York
and Hull had loll ^Cj.ooo. and thofe of other ports of England ^20.000

by luch feizures. As no Danilh fubjedts traded to EnglaLl. no repr^UUs

♦ King Jamri's letter Is dated 5" January 14*0
(that IS 14.31 reckoning t\ie i" of January the be-
ginmg o( the yc.u), and the twenty-lixlh of his
reign. I he twenty-tifth year did not expire till
5 • April 14,1. But the correfponding date in
JVing Hciirv't older to his own fiibjerts ihowi that
*"*1'J,'! "B'"' ""J/'*'" printed iiil\cad of yirm/o.

t 1 hi* trtnty n kngwn from the mention of the

expir».tioii of it in a treaty for renewing it for an-
other term <9 one hundred years, dated at BrufTeN
=+ J'i'/»53'- IMS. Bli.Ilarl. 46,7 y. ii,.]
.t IS alfo mentioned in fevcra! letters of the yeai
I53» .{«8 "ppears by their contents, for the yeai-
18 omitted in 'he date of every one of them ^
prtferved in the Cotton library.

^4^

*' A. D. 1^32.

could be vnade within the kingdom ; and the king and parliament or-
dered, that letters fliould be fent to the king of Denmark, requiring re^
ftitution of the property, [^^s 10 Hen. VI, c. 3.]

The commons in parliament propofed (or petitioni^d) that the Hanfe
merchants fettled in London fhould be made liable for compenfation to
thofe vvhofe property fhould be feized by the Hanfe merchants in their
own countries. But the kiiig would not confent. [Gottoti's Abridge--
ment^p. 604.]

1433, J"ly lo'*' — The filverfmiths and gilders of England ftiH retained,
their fuperiority of workmanfhip, as appears by a pretty confiderablc
number of articles, partly of plain filver, and partly gilded, exported to
France and Navarre. {Fadera, V. x, p. 553.]

July The parliament prohibited the ufual praftice of accounting

nine, inftead of eight, bufheli of corn to a quarter — They alfo ordain-
ed, that no woollen cloth fhould be offered to tale without being mea-
fured and fealed by the king's meafurer. They moreover ordained,
that o»iy broad cloths fhould be fubject to tlie regulations of the feventh
cf Henry IV, and that the cloths cAWediJirmts might be made only 12
elns in length and one in breadth. {J6ls 1 1 Hen. VI, cc. 8, 9.]

November 21" — The citizens of Barcelona claim the honour of hav-
ing made ordinances for regulating the important bufinefs of maritime
infurance before any other community in Europe. The counfelors and
chief men of the city now ordained, that no vefTel fhould be infured for
more than three quartei-s of her real afcertaiued value ; that no merch-
andize belonging to foreignei-s fhould be infured in Barcelona, unlefs
it were freighted onboard a veffel belonging to a fubjed of the king of
Aragon. Merchandize belonging to fubjeds of Aragon, freighted in
foreign vefTels, fhould be infured only to the extent of half the real
value : and no merchandize whatever, except corn and wine, fliould be
infured for more than three quarters. The words value more or le/s, and
the like, fometimes inferted in poKcies (' feguretats'), were declared un-
lawful, and prohibited. If a veffel were not heard of for fix months,
fhe fliould be confidered as certainly loft. The iiilurance-broker's com-
.miffion fliould not exceed two fliillings: on the hundred pounds, to be
paid by the party infured ; and no broker, nearly related to, or con-
nedcd by marriage with, either of the contrading parties, fliould be
employed to negotiate an infurance. [Orden. ap. Capmany, Mem. hiji. de
Bat-celona, V. ii, p. 383.]

i^^^j^ — It may appear ridiculous to introduce religious pilgrimages as
fubjeds of commercial hiflory. But as great fums of money were ex-
ported and imported by means of thofe fuppofed ads of devotion, they
feem to merit Ibme nonce. A pilgrimage to the Holy land, being an
arduous and expenfive undertaking, was now only performed upon very
extraordinary occafions : but a fummer trip to Gompoftclla in Spain

A. 0. 2434.

649

Und" A^Vl-"''''?/''"' '"r^-'ly fio" the fouthem ports of Ena'

when dead K„t .iT^ • . ' ^""^ "^ **^ ^o^e fervice to it

E/^.a„d, w"e no^ SL''b7X™nt'? '".tT'""'"' '''=*''.'"
ed <hey aaed as good fubiefe • ShIrZ3,t ? ■ ^"°™'' P'""''-
w«. many bomfn HohaTGe^X Tc 'f wdf:!' .hT "I" ''°^"

toreign country, aad particular y Flanderf ?vi hoTt , Z" l". ""^
and rhe merchants of Neutral natinsC a;a™d themfelv«'i,,!'°" '
h.brt.o„. andrmported linen cloth (• pannumlmeu^tllfa ^^^

• In tl,. „., „ n , . _. ' *

In the ywr ,434 mod of the veffcls carried

T\ ^J'^g"T ''■'«<; f'nallell cargo wa. 24 1

and the Mary of Southampton wa. ti.e only velte

which carried .CO. Only two vctTd, failed from

l^ondoM >n th,5 tranfpoit trade with cargoes ut Hq

Vol. I.

?ntht^eafJJr"°'"-^^='^^'-«-^*-ca^3C

t li. tlie firft tranfport of the fnry. excited h.

he dcf.x' ion of the duke, fome of hL' iubS rl.

d.«g in London vrere plundered and murdered hr

thepopidacr. ^ Monllrekt. f. ,,nri '"°"^«» "^f

4N' """

650

A, D. 143^'

But the king's council, cletcrmintd to cut off" all communication or in-
tercourlc, forbad all foreigners to import any goods whatever from
Flanders. The orders were addrclTed to the warden of the Cincjue ports,
to the rtiirrefs of London, and to the mayors and bailifs of Kingfton
upon Hull, Southampton, Chicheftcr, Briftol, Lynne, Orwell, Borton,
Yarmouth, Colchefter, and Pool.

Odober — The parlinnuut of Scotland enadcd, that ihc exporters of
wool lliould give fccurity to bring home, and deliver to the mafter of
the mint, three ounces of bullion for every fack of wool, nine ounces
for a laft of hides, and three ounces for fuch quantity of any other goods
as paid freight equal to a ferplaith *. — No perfon was allowed to purchafe
Englilh cloth or other goods from Engliflunen ; and Englilhmen, hav-
ing permiffion to enter Scotland, were not permitted to carry any goods
with them, unlefs fpecified in their fafe-conduds. — The Scots were pro-
liibitcd from felirng falmon to Englifhmen by previous contradt, and
were directed either to fell them in Scotland for prelent payment in
gold, or to export ihem to Flanders, or any other foreign country ex-
cept England. — They were alfo prohibited from buying wine in Scot-
land imported by the Flemings of the Dam. [Jih Jac. I, cc, 160, 162,
163, 164.]

William Elphinfton, who is reputed the founder of the commerce of
Glafgow, flouriflied in the reign of James I f. His trade is fuppofed to
hiwc confifted in exporting pickled falmon. [Gib/otCs HijL of Glafgou\

/• 203.]

1437, January — As the law flood in England, no com could be ex-
ported without a fpecial licence from the king, whereby the prices of
corn were fomctimes kept rather under their fair value. For relief to
the farmers, it was now cnaded, that all perfons, without applying for
licence, might Ihip corn for any country in friendfliip with the king,
whenever wheat Ihould not exceed 6/B, and barley ^, per quarter. lA8s
15 Hai. VI, c. 2.]

The Englifli merchants were fo much offi^nded at being prohibited
from iailing to Iceland, that they got a petition prefented in parliament,
praying the abolition of the p'rivileges of the Eafterlings (or Hanfe

* Thi» law, bcfkles the impolicy of preventing
tLe mcrcliants from bringing liDmc fuch goods as
thtir own jiulgf irent ami inttrcft might direiS, re-
jrulateil the litlivery of the filvcr by the fcalc of
llie freight, tiial is, by weight or meafure, and
not bv value.

• -f Gibfon dates tlie commencement of EIphu)»
Roll's trade in the year 1420. But that fccnis too
early, as he lived till the year i486, being then
indeed an aged man, as his Ton, the founder of the
uiiiverfity of Aberdeen, who was born in 1437,
was a bilhop fome years before his death. [Craw-
furifi Officers, p. 47.] Macurc, the earlier hillorian

of Glafgow, [/>. iij] fays, the next confiderable
mercliant in Glafgow waa Archibald I.yon, who-
'.raded to Poland, France, and Holland, with great
fucccfs. The notions of dignity in .Sculland, \vc
may well prefunic, were then at lead n» ftrongly
infccUd with feudal pride, as they have been in
later times, and .ire in fome degree in the prcfent
day. It was tlunfor a proof of great hcroifm in
Elphinfton and Lyon, both born of honourable
families afterwards eiinohlcd, that they furmounted
the filly prejudices of education, and dared to be
ufeful to the community and thcmfelvei.

A. D. 1437.

6s i

iCotton't

merchants) in England. Bat the king would not agree to it.
Mrijgement, p. 616.]

March 22'— The commiaioners of King Henry fettled a treaty with
thofe of the grand mafter of Pruffia, the cities of Lubeck and Ham-
burgh and the Hanfe towns, whereby the antient privileges were con-
firmed on both fides. The merchants of Pruflia and the Hanfe towns
were exempted from the jurifdidion of the admiral of EngLind. and were
indulged with im option of having any caufes, wherein they {hould be
concerned tried with difpatch, and without the buftle and formality of
a law-luit, by two or more judges to be appointed by the king : and a
fimilar mode of trial was ftipulated for the caufes of Englilh nierchants
in their countries. There being ftiU 19.274^ Engli(h nobles unpaid of
the lum iettled m the reign of Henry IV as d-e to the Prulfians ffee
above, p. 623) It was agreed that King Henry : ..Id pay it off by an-
nual inftallments and aflignments of the cuftom. upon their goods It
was ftipulated on both fides, that in cafe of any depreda'Jnn at fea the
inhabitants of the port, from which the piratical veird failed, fhould be
obhged to make compenfation, agreeable to an ordinance of King Ed-
ward, and th:u fufficient iecurity to that elfec^ ftiould be given before
any armed veflTel ihould go out of port. [Fadern, K x, p. 666 ]

A politicoK:ommercial poem, called the Libell of Englijh policie, writ-
ten about this tune *, gives the following view of the commerce of
Europe.

The exports oi Spain confifted of figs, raifins, baftaid wine, dates, li-
quonce, Seville oil. grain, Caftile foap, wax, iron. wool, wadmole, Ikins
ot goats and kids, laffron, and qulckfilver. which were all ihipped for
Jiruges the great Flemilh emporium. Of thefe wool was the clm-f ar-
ticle. In return the Spaniards received fine cloth of Ypres, which is
noted as fuptM lor to that of Enghnd, cloth of Curtrike (or Courtray)
much ftiftian and linen f.-The Flemings could not make ^^ood cloth
ot the Spanifh wool, by "lelf. and were obliged to mix it with the Er -
hlh. which was the chief fupport of their manufliaurc. and wiihout
which, mdeed. they could not )oflibly carry it on. or fupport their
numerous population, their country not producin- food fufficient for
one month in the year.

With Portusat the Knglilh had confidcrable intcrcouril-. and ufed to
make voyages to it. The commodities were wine, ofay, wax. grain fi-s
raifins, honey, cordovan, dates, fiilt. hides, t<c. & » & »

1 ho poem mentions llie precipitate roticat of end of 14 if,
the Flemings fioTn I'.ilai's, which was in Jnly 1436, dkd,
IliiJ the lofH of 11,11 fit'w, whicli liiililuyt li.ii dated
m his marK-iii in 144,;. lint if ht ha:) rightly (;iveu
till' authi.r*9 text, w'l.re lie fays, the empaor Si-
gilmund 'yet iri-ndh' (for in the Harlciaii maiiu-
fciipt it is written ' nh;iii,:) that lufs of liarllew

'4)7' '" ^''•''^■'> y-iir SigiTmund

mull he the ea(nnre ot' it hy the Fmuh in 143J ;
and liie poem mud have been written in thcLtcr

t It is neci.fl"uy to remember that tipain ut this-
time cQiuaiiiea I'evn.il Liii-ilunis. often at war
miuuij. thrmfvive-;. Tlie Ivadc hcie defciihul ii
app.uvi-.t!y Uwt i>f Cillilo. CatiJonIa polfaVed'
flonnfliing iiinuufadiiics in wool, eoiioi;, linai,
flUkl &c.

4 N 2

NiT

(5^

A. D. 1437*

Jtr/Atfwf f^jwrtoti liilt. wine, crcft cloth, uml cauvufs. The Brctoni«
cliKviallv iholo ot' S'. Malo, wrro uwioh tuUhClai to |\iracv, nnd cnrcU
very liiile Km- the av.thority of their dwke. They oAvvx plunvlrrcd the
r«lt iHvalb of Knjtbnd, and levied contribwiioni, or mnroius, ♦V>in the
to\vn«,

'i'hc exports of .^^ru/AiW ronliiUd of wool, wooUrdl* and hide*. The
Scott iJh wool, iMixrd with Englift\, was ttiadc into cloth at Puttering and
Mell, mj»nuH»tlunng towns in Klandrr*. The Scottiih veflcU carrieii
hoiwe froti\ Flanders mercery, habrrdalhery wave, and even cnrt-whccU
atul barro\»>s.

The expi>rM of Pni^ were beer, bacon, ofnurnds, conpcr, fteel, bow-
flaws, wax* witty, pitch, tar. boards, llax, thread of Cologt\e, fuUlan,
canvafs, cards, buckram, aitd alto ftlver pnrchaU>d fron> Bohemia and
Hutxgaiy. The returns fitnn Fhtnders were woollen cloths of all colour*.
And many of the Hrulfians utWt to fail to the ii«iy of ilifcay for fait.

The Ottwft, in great carracks, imported ituo Kngland cloth of gold,
filk, black pepper, woad in great plenty, wooK oil, wootl-alhcs, cotton,
rochc-alum, and gold fw {ntving tnoir lvalai\oe«. They took iti rctttrn
wool, and woollen cloth ot all colours, which they foineiin»os carried to
FliiidetTi, where the chief flaple of their trade was.

The Venftiiim and Florfntinrt imported into England, in Ifge pallirs,
all kitids of fpiceries and groceries, fwect wines, Mi>es and other foreign
animals, and many triHing articles of luxury. In tcturt\ ihey received
wool, cloth, and tin. The balance anjKars to have bceii in their favour j
for the author is much difplcated, that

' Thci Ivrr tlu' wiUI out of this Uwl,

* And sowketh the thrille out of o«ir homi,

* As the wasfHj Miwkvth hony oftho W'

The Venetians were alfo dealers in exchange and lending money at in-
tercll, which ihe\ lound To profitable, that, when they bought tlic Kj»g-
lilh wool on credit, they did not mind rtlling it At Hrugcs five per cent
under the coll, in order to have the conunand of the money for lemling,
till it iliould f.ill due. They alfo ufcvl to travel to CotTwold and other
parts of England to buy up the wool, cloth, tin, &c. Thereupon the
author regrets, that they were not comiHllcd to unload in forty days,
and to Kxul in other forty, nor obliged to act under the controul of an
holt m- latuUord-brokcr, as formerly, and as the Englilh at Venice were
oblij^cd to do *.

Ii\ the marts or fiirs of Brabant the EnglKh (and probably other {o\-~
eigtiers alfo) weir obliged to fell their cloths, &c. in fourteen days, nnd
make their purchatcs, conlifling chiefly of mercery, habenlalhcry, and
^groceries, in as many i^uirc, on pain of forfeiture. Thofc fairs were
trciiucntcd by the Englilh, French, Dutch (or Germans), Lombards,

* t^. la there an* earlier notice, c^uaUy authentic, of Engliflirocn traJin^ to Vcuive.

A. D. 1437. g^^

zch^o.;;^!?/^!.^^^^^ ^'^ "'"''^"^ «^"^-"' ^''-^-. "^<i

Mh I hr Wpy/r,»^r.jr bougl.t the Knglin. wool «,ul wonl-tVlU nt ("«ki
I. tlu. ,nutt» of Hrah«nt wcrr nlfo fold ,1,^ mrr.hnudl,e of llainau "
o^; "h'ini ^^""^•^' ^•"''«"''' ""^ Cambray. which xvcre broughtiriru

The ctpom of //-r/W were hide*, wool, fahnon. hake hpirinif* !!.»*.«
fijldrnK. mu! the (kin^ of ,„,.r.in,. ha«.. <me,.. (i u m';/ 7 ;t^'^ ^
Jeep lamh«. fox«. und ki,l.. S<„nr. gold o,^ h ,d l«tdy bcin b ,«« t
from rdund to London The abundant f.rtih.y and mrS h3
^ Irelatu! arc noted by the author, who huncnil that ihr irtancl ^i not
made more proh.uble to Kndund by « complete t«onquert

...:;h! r.ir ii^t^ f::,i'^f '.if c-; -.'r iri^t/n-rj

;i he mam intent «.f the author was to exhort his cotmtrymcn to main-
fun the c-o,„uumd of tht: fea. • which of Kngland i« tinowno^an •
and el ,ec.ally of the ftrait between Dover and clhuMvh eb^t^y nZht
^« ily "'t'rcTpt the nnpning of any of the ab(,vc.niet,ti,,ned na on
who nlhnadc Flanders the ftation of their trade, an tS aS
the I lennng, wlu> at this time were hoflile in eonfr.iucnce of the^rf
coned.atMU. of their iovcreiifn. the duke of Ih r^i ul^'o rho k n/of
Frnnce) to (ee thei.- own IntereA in amity with Knglaml • ^

or tne hng! (h noblemen abovu this time, as tirawn bv Poinrio un irul
nun wo .elHled ibmc .i.ne in KnHla.ui whh the c JiiSl i^lffe^J'of \it

' IWK ^''ey hve retired in he unmtrv among woods and part n re
He who Ims the grenteft revenue is .nort rdpe^Ud. They ate to
country buht>ds. and fell their wool a.ui cattle, not thSng it L y
dUparagemcnt to engage in rural induftry f.' fAW/ Optra I 60 7

fh°rtvn t In^l^'"^'"" <'V V=?'* *1^'" »<^'coimt ; and at thiS time
iiJtrt XV as at Icall one mlbnce of lliipping them in iorcittn vefUU hv
reaton of the war with Flanders, as we learn fro.n the ci c^Han e of^
fram bcmg eonm^.tted by the eotnmander of a Veneti n c^ ack vW L
m lead oi- proceeding to England according to contrad, put into I ift m
where he contrived to embezzle the guodsf [/>,/,.,;. ll xl/.jstT

III

i m

m

654

A. D. 1438.

March ai" An agent of the king of Portugal was licenced to ihip

fixty facks of Cotfwold \too1, wiibout paying any ctjftom^ for Florence, in
order to procure fluffs of gold and filk for the ufe of that king. \Fct:d-'
era, r. X, p. 6S4.]

March 31" — Soon after the acceflion of James II, king of Scotland,
the truce between the Britifh kingdoms was prolonged till the i" of May
1447. In addition to the ftipulations againii feizing veflels driven in-
to port, or hindering Ihipwrecked men from returning home, it was
now agreed, that, if any veflel belonging to either kinedom were car-
ried by an enemy into a port of the other kingdom, no lale of the veflel
or cargo fliould be permitted without the cot lent of the original own-
ers J that no veflel driven into any port fliould be liable to arreft for

any debt of the king, or of any other perfon *, but all creditors fliould
have fafe-conduds in order to fue for md recover their debts with law-
ful damages and intereft ;— that in cafes of fliipwreck the property fliould
be prefervec!, and delivered to the owners ; — that goods, landed for the
purpofe of repairing a fliip, might be reloaded in the fame or a differ-
ent veflel, Mrithout paying any cuftoms, except for fuch as might be
fold ; that no wool or wool-fells fliould be carried from the one king-
dom to the other, either by land or by water ;— veflels of either king-
dom, putting into the ports of the other in want of provifions, might
fell fome goods for that purpofe, without being liable to pay cuftoms
for the reft of the cargo. — In cafes of depredation not only the princip-
als, but alfo the receivers and encouragers, and even the communities
of the -^.vns in which the plundered goods were received, were made
liable for compenfation to the fufferers, who might fue for rtdrefs be-
fore the confervators of the truce, or the wardens of the maiches. — No
ads of individuals fliould be allowed to produce an infradlion of this
truce. [Fadera, V. x, p. 688.]

November 21 -' We have already feen fe'^ral unqueftional)le proofs

of the wool of England being fuperior to that of Spain. A further,
and a moft authentic, evidence of its fuperiority appears 1.; a body of
laws, drawn up at this time by the municipal magiftrates of Barcelona,,
for the exprefs purpofe of regulating the vmntifaElure of cloths made oj fim
I'.nglij}} -wool (' lanes fines de Anglaterrd\ and other fine wools. The tirft^
fedion (exadly like ':■ ord'nance in the patent given to the weavers of
London by King l^-- . r« ^ prohibi ?. .lie mixture of any other wool
with the. Englifli. ' . oiucr fedtions, to the number of thirty in all,
arc entirely filled with precautions for preferving the purity of the wool
in fpinning and through the other ftages of the manufadure, and againft
debafing the flibric, rules for the infpedion of the finiflicd goods and,
for afceitaining the quality by known authorized marks. [Cupmany,
Man. hij}. de Ba/ccLmi, V. ii, Col. dlpl. p. 427.]

• This article feems intended to provide a remedy agiinft ll.e fuperabundant seal i'or c umpcnCi -Jo n^
litdy maiiifelled by Kiii^- Jaiaca 1.

A. D. 1438.

i'ss

As belonging to the fame fubjedt, 1 will here add. that in March 144,

he .numcjpal mag.ftrates of Barcelona wrote to their :.gent in Bruges

o pardiafe four lumdr.^ quintals of the fineft FngliHi wool to be E

I? 51,^""^'^rP^"" ?•• '^^ndon. to endeavour to get it weighed by the

forinerl> bought by. and to bay it ten percent lower than the laft nircel
but how cotUd he do that and get thi fineft wool?) and mo eo^^^^^^^^^
fbpulate.n order to guard againft deception, that the wooTLuTd be
at the nfk of tire feller till landed in Barcelona. [Cnpmany PnCol
d.pl.p. 24.. The Englifl, wool was fometimes fent bSo hs i'atWe
country ,n the form of manufadured cloth ; as appears from a record

w^il^; 1 ^ ^^ '7?^' ^^'g^»"g eight arobas (about two hundred-
we.gh ) each, importediby a Barcelona galley returned from England
were djftnbuted about this time to different manufadurers.Tn order to
be made mto cloth to be fent to England. iCapmany, V. i. cZp\\l-\

the," T" ^n '^Vl'' ^"'^''^ ^""^ "'^^ yet 'attained the Lrt of maldr.
thcfiuej} woollen cloths, that Ypres was n k the only place which excdl"
ed England in the manufacture, (fee above, p. 65/) and that the fineft
cloths of C-nicma were in demand in lingland, long after Engl 0) cloths
had become a confiderable article of exportation. On the olher hand
we find (from Capmany, V. i. Com. p. .42) that fome of the Englim
abr.cs and thole of Florence, were afterwards thought v-orthy of ^rii-
ration by the h^anufa^urers of Barcelona, as fome of thofe of RlLiS

the fubjeds of Aragon. whofe principal errand to England wa the nur
chafe of woo . treated with peculiar favour in this country ^

We have already fcen that Caftile, the principal kingdom in Smin
obtamed a large flock of fine-wooled /heep from England in the rd en'
anc apparently by the .d, of that very king. Edward III who h,s efn'
.rally obtamed the praife c^ being the gref^ preferver of the woo ^ancl
ounder ot the woollen manufadures, of England. In procef^ of tVme
the exportation of wool having never been prohibited ^by the govern:
mem of Spam, that country, by unremitting attention to thf royal
flock, has acquired the reputation and the ef:abli(lied market for the
fineft woo m Europe : and the Spaniards now receive their own woo^
from England, made into cloth. What a wonderful change in the Zc

_ 1439. February—The crops of corn, efpecially wheat and rye hiv-
ing been very deficient in England, while {hey u' re more abundant in
the Damfh dominions and the Eaft country. Robert CluuMuan a inTrch
ant of \ork being furniflicd with a letter fiom King Heuy to tl e kh J
of Denmark, failed to that country for a cargo of grain. ^ S^ic S
Browne, mayor of London, alfo imported fevcrul cfrgoes of >x {^^ ^

«5«

A. D. 1439.

Pruljia, which gave great relief. \Fcedera, 7. x, p. 71 7. — Stvw's Survey
of London, p. 937.]

November — The parliament, confidering that butter and cheefe could
neither bear long keeping nor heavy expenfes, permitted them to be ex-

ftorted, without any fpecial licence, to other places as well as to Calais.
Ads 18 Hen. VI, c. 3.] The parliament muft undoubtedly have thought
that foroe good efFeds arofe from the fyftem of impofing the hardfliips
of long keeping and heavy expenfes on wool, hides, tin, &c.

The parliament now prohibited merchant ftrangers from buying and
felling with each other in Eijgland. They alfo enforced the law oblig-
ing them to live under the furvey of hofts, who were to be fufficient
Englifhmen, experienced in l)ufinefs, but not concerned in the branch
which their guefts were engaged in, and to be appointed by the ma-
giftrates of the towns wherein the ftrangers tranfadted their bufinefs.
The merchant ftrangers were obliged to do all their bufinefs of buying
or felling, landing or (hipping, under the infpedion of their hofts, and
to make (ale, within eiglit months after their arrival, of all goods im-
ported by them, except cloth of gold and of filver, or of filk. They
were bound to lay out all the proceeds of their fales in Englilh goods.
The hofts were required to lodge in the exchequer twice a-year attefted
accounts of all the tranfadtions of their guefts in buying and felling ;
and they were entitled co two pennies out of every twenty ftiillings of
goods bought and fold. [c. 4.]

An abufe had crept in of meafuring cloths, not by thafyard and full
inch, but by the yard and full hand, which the buyers alleged to be
the mealure of London, and thereby got 2 yards in every cloth of 24
yaids. It was now enaded, that one inch only ftiould be allowed in ad-
dition ta the yard. \c. 16.]

The parliament, confidering that oil and honey were not by law liable
to be gauged *, ordered that they ftiould be gauged as well as wine, and
that the buyer ftiould have allowance for any deficiency of the ftandard
raeafure of 252 gallons in the tun, and in proportion in the pipe and
tertian or tiercf. [^.17.]

The commons propofed in parliament, that the Italians and others
living within the Straits of Morocco ftiould not be pennitted to import
into England any other merchandize than the produce of their own
countries f. They alfo defined, that all fpiceries, fold in the out-ports
by merchant ftrangers, ftiould be as clear garbled as in London. But
both propofitions were rejeded by the king. [Cotton's Abridgement .t p. 626.]

1440, February z* — King Henry addrefled an expoftulatory letter to

• If the parliament had looked back to the afl one of the innumerable evils, to which the art of
4. Rich. II, c. I, they would hav- freii, that oil ptintinf; has applied a remedy,
and honey wre already oiixhe fame footiiii; witli f The reader .vill pereeive that a principal part
wine iu refpeft to gauging. That overfujiit was of the famous navigation ad was piopufcd by the

merchants in the year 1439.

A. D. 1440.

^57

exadedtr vl ^^'"^'' ""-^^"1' '^''' ^"^ ^^'^'' ^i"^^^ no duties were
FnptnA T K ° r ''"■^°'' '" ^'■"^'«' '^"^ of 1^^« the merchants of
Eng and had been often compelled to pay a duty upon the value of their
veHels and cargoes in Dantzik. and been opprefTed with other arbitrary
exadions detention of their vefTels. &c. Some Enelifh merch^m^ h^v^

"Lr/S aid's r^Tf^ '"^P"^'^"^^ a'ni pS:S in Tl e"
proconfuh &c of .£ S ^"r '''' ^^"g ^--ot^ ^Ifo to the burgomafters.

xI^^'T-^ 8"'~A more produdive method of making fait was now in-
T^hn nf .'"1 ^!!^^'"^^ '"^' ^°'- '^'^ advancement of that mamSure
John of Schiedam, a native of Zcland, was encouraged to b^W over'
trom Holland and Zeland a number of people, nof exceedii eTtv
who were taken undei the king's protedion^ fc^^ ^ x ^7611^'
February 26--^After the reftridion of the foreign rfde of Norwlv

itnr g^Xd^^K n!^'^^^^^ '^ ^^ ''^S of penl.rk. we find'^^S
iicences granted by King Henry to the two bifhops of Iceland for C^-nH
;ng Engh& velTels to that ifland on various preteLes % whTch feem to"
have been fchemes of collulaon between the bifhops and the owne^ of

d aS tZT^ '" "^ ''''''' ^^""^^ ^^-^ -- oftenfibly gu rd.
stlhn k V T-^^'- ^-^o^ever, one now granted to the bilhop of

■ J"?^ J/'— The manufadiires and commerce of the Netherlands Hp

wr'ot'eTo in " h' '^ ^'" "f ""^ ^"S^^^^' ^^^ duchelfo? Burgundy
wrote to king Henry, to whom fhe was nearly related + earneftlv e7

of war were conhdered as piracies, and commillioncrs were appo n ed to
alcertain the compenlations due on both fides, who found th?Femin°
mdebted to the Enghih on that account 32,000 riders, "ach of fhe3
f 'Ji^^""!,"^' °^ ^^""'"''^^ "^°"^y t ; and for that fum 5he four me
bers ot Handers gave their obligations. [Fac/cra,r. x.^^ 730. 761, 791 ]"

* One was, that tlic new.^iiDointcd h'lhcu nf ». T' • t

!>. M.fpra l„» bilhoprick as dcpucy bilhop. Doll t Th t nf °f i^'''*^'"^-"*-

l-Mhop. xvae conn Jud with John Wcllo > a ft o ' . m .Lv . r""" '"'' "■"'"' 3/4 of Engh'fh

l.llmu.njrer in J.ondou. ^^^"7' '' 'Pr"" '^'>^'" •"' act of the pa.i;,m;nt of

1 f _ _ T ^OuUiiti I 111 tilt- vt-jr r.* r I

Vol. I.

•451.

4

O

658

A. D. 1440.

Odober 13'" — In a treaty between King Henry and the duke of Bret-
agne a mutual freedom of commercial intercourfe between the fubjeds
of both was ftipulated : and, in order to guard againft piratical depred-
ations at fea, tl commanders of all veflels, fitted out in the ports of
either country, were obliged to find fecurity before their departure, that
they fhould not commit any depredations on the fubjeds of the other,
and judges were to be appointed in each port, who, without the formal-
ities of law, fhould do fummary juflice upon the offenders and their
fecurities, or, failing them,- upon the inhabitants of the place. [Fad-
era, V. X, p. 803.] Such fecurities for the peaceable condud of veffels
upon the fea were now become fo common, that it will henceforth fcarce-
ly be neceflfary to mention them.

Odober 28'" — The duke of Orleans, after a captivity of twenty-five
years in England, agreed to pay 100,000 nobles for his ranfom, whereof
he paid 40,000 in hand, advanced to him by four Florentine merchants
in London. Having reprefented to King Henry, that he never fhould
be able to pay up the remaining 60,000, unlefs his vaflals had the liberty
of trading to the dominions of England, the king granted licences to a
great number of them to import wine, iron, fait, linen cloths (' toilles'),
and other merchandize, from any place in the obedience of his adverf-
ary of France, in veflTels not exceeding 200 tuns burthen nor carrying
above 20 men, or in carts, &c. to his dominions on cither fide of the
water, they paying the ufual cufloms, &c. \Fcedera, V. x,pp. 777, 783,
812-826.]

Pliny obferves that paper confers immortality upon the works of man.
That beautiful and juft eulogium may with fi:ill more propriety be ap-
plied to the art of printing, which beftows furer immortaUty, together
with univerfal circulation, upon all vorks worthy of prefervation; which,
by rendering books cheap, has brought knowlege within the reach of
all mankind, and has done a thoufand times more than the ledures of
all the philofophers of antiquity in difpelling the thick mifl of ignor-
ance, diffiifing the lights of learning and fcience, and enlarging the
powers of the mind. This mofl valuable art appears to have been in-
vented about this time : and the honour of the invention has been very
keenly conteflied by the partizans of Gutenburg, Fuft;, and Laurence.
Gutenburg is faid to have printed at Strafburg in the year 1440, and
afterwards at Mentz, his native city, where he affumed John Fuft as a
partner. According to others, Fuft was the original inventor. A:>d
John Laurence of Harlem is alfo faid to have invented tlje 5irt fome
years before this time *. The firft rude efl^ays were made with wooden

• Gutenburg Iws the moft numerous, and the firft types, rudely cut in wood, among which tliere

moft antient, evidences in favour of his priority of are fome containing whole words, (fo that the

invention. In honour of him, the invention has modern logography is no new mvention) are ftill

been commemorated by a jubilee held in the for- preferred in that city along w.lh fome miprcllions

tieth year of erery fuccecding century : »nd the of the firft printmg, wluch eriubit the unperfec

A. D, 1440,

^59

blocks containing the whole letters of a page in one piece : and this kind
^l^rAT? '' aPP^arently of very high antiquity among the Chinefe

fi,hft> ,^ f ""V^"' ^°^""^^" ^yP"^ °^^^^'^' '^' &^- ^ere very foon
^bftituted : and the various improvements upon the manufaduJe and
management of them in a very fhort time brought printing to a con-
fiderable degree of perfedion. ^ ^ ^

1441— A furious war broke out in the year 1418 between Hnllan,!
and Zeland on the one fide, and the cities o'f LubeU. HaSgh. Lun-
enburg, Wifmar, Roftock. and thofe of the Sound, affifted by the Vene-

S JP"'"''''^'- w ^'^?"?^' °" '^^ °^^^^ ' ^"d the Netherlanders
fufFered very much from the frequent captures made by their enemies
In vam the duke of Burgundy endeavoured to accommodate mat^erTby
a convention of deputies. The claim of his fubjeds for compenfaTion
amounting to 50,000 florins of gold, was haughtily received by X'
Efterlmgs and the meeting broke up with mutual defiance. The Hot

i numh^r f i? ^^1"' 7k^ '^^ '°"^^"^ °^^h^ ^^^'' immediately buUt
a number of ftout ihips (but not equal in fize to thofe of the Efterhng"?

M-^f u"' Amfterdam Home, Enkhuyfen, Dort, Gouda, Roterdam
aJd STvf '^"'' ^^t^^' :^^-^yden. Ziriczee. and fome ^the tow™'
and fent them out. well armed and manned, againft their enemies. Thefe
cruifers took twenty large hulks, three carracks from Pruffia. and a erm
Venetian carrack loaded with all forts of goods, by which the damages
of the Netherlanders were compenfated. At laft a truce of ten years
concluded with Lubeck and five other principal cities, terminated or
fufpended. this war of commercial rivalry, [pait, dron. deSoLZ

1442. January 26-~It was apparently in order to avoid the hard-
ftips impoled upon foreign inerchants by the late law that Teronimo
Dandulo of Venice and his fon Marino plid forty maTks for fuce^e
whereby the king made them denizens of England, and inverted them
Id H Ih Py,^^^l^f «.<>f ^^tive fubjeds *. and leave to export wool ti^
and cloth without being obliged to carry them to Calais, paying in th«
cafe the duties paid by aliens. [Fcedera, F.x\,p. 2.] ^ ^ ^
rl./t""'''^r'^*'^ parliament enaded, that denizen merchants, having
h.n ;r^ A T''^^'"P°'^ ^^^'^ wool-feHs, and tin, to any other placf
than the ftaple at Calais, fhould pay the fame duties, which aliens paid
upon fuch goods, [.las 20 Hen.FI, c. 4.] ^

thJjr'".!?!^""'"?" "^"'^ *°'/^'^ °^'"" °^^h^ ^"«°™5 to employ, as
their clerks or deputies perfons who were owners of fliips, engaged in
trade, occupiers of wharfs and quays, tavern-keepers, brokers, &c. where^

tion of an art in >t3 infancy. lSch.f,jl;„, l„ Mm.

t i"""^'.^- "'"• f- 7^*-] '^"''« -idvocatca for
I'ult and I.aurericc arc fciually fatisfieii In the ind.
nefs of tiK-ir claims to the honour of the invention.
1 he contell will never be decided. Pnhnns each
ol thera invented fome i'ipiir<,v,.„ a .. r.,,.

printing figures upon blocks, there can be no doubt,
that It 19 at leall as old as the year 1423.

• The king fayj. they fliall be nalivft I' indi.
gen* ] } and that word continued for fome time
to be ufcd iiiftcad of denizen.

4O2

66o

A. D. 1442.

by the regular merchants wer»? hindered in their bufinefs, and many-
frauds were committed. It was therefor enadted, that no perfon con-
cerned in fuch branches of bufinefs fhould have any employment what-
ever in the cuftoms. [c. 5.]

It being reprefented, that the worfted goods of Norwich and Norfolk
were unfairly made, and had loft their reputation in foreign markets,
the parliament direded that fix wardens fhould be annually chofen to
infped the fufficiency and uniformity of the fabric, and the due meafure
of the goods *, and to feize all found defedive f. [c. 10.]

The legal reftraints put upon the wool trade at Calais were found to
have very much reduced the fales, to the great injury of the king's re*
venue, of the merchants and mariners of England, and of the country
in general. The laws refpeding the bullion were alio attended with the
bad eonfequence of producing retaliating laws in other countries, which
it is wonderful that the parliament did not forefee. It was now decreed,
that merchants might fell their wool at Calais under the rules of the
ftaple, whenever they fhould think proper. But ftill they were ordered
to carry a third part of the price to the mint at Calais, to be coined, and
to bring the coined money into England, [c. 12.]

1443, January 18'' — King Henry, defirous of conciliating the favour
cf the king of Aragon, granted all the Aragonefe trading to England
an exemption from the late ad of parliament, obliging merchants to
tranfad their bufinefs unde - the inipedion of hofts. [Fadera, V, xi,
^. i8.}

June 2f ^ — ^The water formerly brought to London from Tyburn
(fee above, '>. 389) being found infufficient in the year 1439 for the in-
creafed po alation of the city;}:, the magiftrates obtained from the ab-
bat of Wertminfter a perpetual grant of a fountain in the manor of
Paddington, together with right to break up the ground for laying their
pipes, for an annual rent of two pounds of pepper. . The king now con-
firmed the abbat's grant, and moreover authorized the magiftrates to
break up any public road, and any ground belonging to himfelf or to
any other peribn, to purchal'e 200 fodders of lead for their pipes, &c..

• Tlie following were the ftantlard mcafiires of Norwich (InfFs, agree.-ible to the afl.

Beds of the grtatcft fize 14 ya.ds largely, by 4 yard*.

Beds of middle fizc 12

Beds of the fmalleft fize 10 largely,

Monk's cloths - 12

Canon clot'.is • S -

Cloths called ilc'hs 6

(In aft 23 Henv VI, c. 4, they
are called canon cloths of the
other fizc.)

Double worlleds 10

Half double* - 6

1^)11 worfteds - 3 c

f This law was renewed, and dcti

I The king's confirmation fays, that llic fou'italns w«rc defcftive and dried up.
running to this prefent time.

3

'i

2

1^ laigcly.

_ lariTcly.
) be in furce for three years by an a£l

13 ifm. ri, r. 4.

But they confaue

A. D. I

443-

66i

The Portugueie, in the progr^ifs of their difcoverics alon? the coifl:
Africa, hawng kidnapped iome of the Moors. Prince Henry th^
year ordered the commanders of his veflels to curry them home to thei.
own country. His officers, however, inftead of obeykg hTs hu^
and judicxous older obliged the friends of the captives^o^red em them
and received m exchange ten Negro flaves and a quantity of gold. S

Port^ueff n" "'^'^^'' ^^^"^ -^^-^P^<^-dly oflfe'-ed to the a^dity of the
Portuguefe, filenced the murmurs againft Prince Henry's fchemes of

^r.m J oiwif '^ Portuguefe. to whom the pope had very liberally
granted all the countries between Cape Bojador and India. A comp.nv
of merchants at Lagos obtained from the prince a charter for t^e^ ex-
clufive r.ght of tradmg with the Moors of th. African coaft for a Hmk-

r'if^ft W;.V'''""°""^ year (1444) a few veiTe Is belonging o

nft ". ^"y^f '-''"". f '¥/'«;' arrived at a Imall ifland called Nar. But

nftead ot trading with the Moors, they made a hoftile attack upon

hem. flevv- many, and brought off 155 captives. Prince Henry Xr"

wards bu.lt a fort on the little ifland of Arguin for the accommJdado a

of the company , and there they eftabliflied their factory, to wh ch they

lUver. Thefe they exchanged with the Moors, or Arabs for Neero
flaves (to the number of feven or eight hunded annually about fhe
year ,456) and gold duft. Such was the commencement of the Euro!
ioPo tulVr^F' ''-%^',^f^-^or^...s, who were then aU carr ea

1444, May 2 8"-- After an age of warfare the ambaflkdors of England
and trance concluded a truce to laft till the i« of April 1446. whS

he fubjeds of both kingdoms were allowed reciprocal freedom Tf trnde
and It was agreed, that their property, being in any town belongin to

1445. Odober 2i«--Notwithllanding the repeated injunaions of
councds agamft ecclefiaflical perfons being concerned in rade many
of them were merchants and traders of every denomination ; a^d b!^-
mg exempted from mofl ot the taxes paid by.the laity, they unde'rfold
and ruined the regular traders, who contributed to fupport Vm In
order to give iome check to the prepofterous converfion of moirfterie"
mto warehoides work-fl.ops, inns, and tap-houfes. Philip duke of E,
gundy now .fl'ued a placard, wherein he fe!s forth, that many mo^e con-
vents for monks and nuns had been founded within a few years L hi
territories of Holland and Zeland. thnn ..... proportioned to thl "xten

of tholb count

ries : that all trades

'i-r.ri

iuicrans arc* uiiried on

m

662

A. D. 1445.

them, whereby they accumulate eftates, which remain with them for
ever, and all the land in the country muft in time come into their
hands. He therefor prohibits them from receiving or purchafing any
more eftates in his dominions, till commiflioners, to be appointed by
him, fhall determine in what manner they may hold lands. [Brandt's
Hi/l. of the reformation^ V. i, p. 23 Engl. trnnf„. *] This perverfion of the
privileges and wealth, obtained from the miftaken piety of princes and
devout perfons or the remorfe of opulent criminals, this licenced fmug-
gling, was by no means peculiar to the Netherlands : it was common in
other countries, and perhaps in none more than in England f .

1446, Auguft 4^" — A truce between King Henry and the duchefs of
Burgundy, adting for her hufband, was followed by another treaty,
whereby a free commercial intercourfe was continued till the i" of No-
vember 1459 between the king's fubjeds and the merchants of Brabant,
Flanders, and Mechlin, whether dealers in wool, hides, provifions, or
whatever other merchandize, (except armour, artillery, powder, and
other warlike (lores) on paying the cufloms ufual in the ports of each
country — ^The fifhermen of either country were to have liberty to filh
where they pleafed, and, if obliged to take flicker in the ports of the
other, they were to be admitted freely on paying the ufual duties— No
privateers were to be permitted to iflue from the ports of either coun-
try to prey upon the fubjeds of the other : neither fliould they be per-
mitted to land their plunder in the ports of the contracting powers.

Neutral vefTels, bringing provifions or other goods from the Eaft coun-
try to the dominions of either party, fliould not be moleflied in any
manner. — Veflels of cither country, not fitted for war, being driven by
ftorm or enemies into the pcrts of the other, fliould be allowed to enter
and depart at their pleafure, but not to land any goods without a licence

* Brands next gives a book of rates, or table,
of the regulaiJ'J prices of pardons for a variety of
fins, wherein it is obfervable, that the murder of
the ncareft relations is the cheapell fin in the cata-
logue.

f In the reign of Henry I the abbat of S'. Al-
bans was a filhmongtr. See abjve,p. -1,%^, In the
reign of Henry II the bifliop of £lv owned a vef-
fel (if the kind called an cfncck ; and in that of
Richard I the bidiop of Durham was owner of a
fliip remarkably large. ^Madox's Hjjl. of the exch.
f. I 7, § 3 ; Note on Dial, defcacc. L. i, c. fi.]

A. 1). 1316 — The, bifliop of Nidaros (Dron*
theim) in Norway traded to England as a merch-
ant. See above, p. 479, note f.

1340 — In the famous battle near the Swyn there
was a (hip belonging to the prior of Canterbury.
{^Sloiv's Ann. p. 3-0.]

In the fame year King Edward III licenced a
cardinal to export lixty facks of wool every year
of his life, \_Fied/-ra, V. v, p. 1 15] which was a
very good annuity. It was moreover a violation

of the king's own law againft the exportation of
wool : but that law wa' never kept.

The Crfterclan monxs wer-^ great wool-merch-
ants, till their trade was prohibited in 134. See
above, p. 533.

The frauggling fchemes of the two bifliops of
Iceland have been noticed, p. 657.

It is not necelTary to add to thefe examples a
long lift of the very uiiial grants enabling the popes
and other foreign priefts to export wool and other
cullomable goods without paying euUums.

Neither was Scotland without fome examples of
trading bifliops.

13C5 — The bifhop of Aberdeen was owner of
a vcflcl. See a'ove,p. 571,

1404 — A rich veffel, wh'ch the bilhop of S*.
Andrews owned, or was largely intcrefted in, was
taken by the Englilh. [_MS. Bit. Coif. Vejp.
F vii.]

Tlie fiicceeding bifhop of S'. Andrews built the
fiiicii fhip then in Scotland, which v/as called The
biihop's barge. \_L'Jl. pp. 303, 304.]

A. D. 1446.

663

from the proper officers.-The EngliOi miglit make faft their vefTel-

LtTHoir'f'^rr ^i-^-«'«-- in th'e manner "d b^The
French Hollanders^^elanJers. and Scots; and the Flemings &c raieht

hfbke'/r' '" '^'^ ^"S^'? ports^The veOels of eitheTpafty weVrS
cafrnf I'^'^n'^'T^- f^' P«-«P^«yof the enemies of the^otheriln
cafe of the veflels of either country beine wrecked on the rnJa. f 1
od.er. the property (hould be ddive'red to^rownlro;';a7n^:afo^

ed anSTh '-^^k' "'^ '^""^ '^' ^"^« ^^°™ Calais fhoufd Ef rfnew:
5i' K u ""^^^^^"^^ ^e'-e. as in former treaties, forbidden to unke
dogs with them, or to catch the rabbits on the Dov.ns -Thr EnS

BrablT'V^".^^ ^'''Vr'' °^ ^°^^'^' f°^ themfdves "^the Ss S-
Brabant Flanders, and Mechlin, and enjoy all the privileges thev en

Ew h °™" r^fu-^y ^^^^^^°" ^f ^he trLtytyTn^vTdiS^

mre of^he'tZr^'' A^ -^^ ^°^'^"^' ^"' ^^^^^ not^p^o^duce a r^p!
ture ot the truce.--Laftly, it was agreed, that the four members of Flan
ders fliou d bind themfelves to obferve this treaty: an^rey a^ordinr
]y did fo in a few days after. [F.dera, V. xi. // 140 x 46./ ^"

King Henry granted the mayor of Briftol the privilege of bein^ >t

I447__lt is impoflible to reconcile the various £Era<! afT^cmp.? K, .x.

^nvred'b'w''f,^'"^l"'^^^° ^^^^ ^"^Fo-'l method oTcudfgtr'i^nt'
invented by William Beukels, or Beukelens. of Biervliet in Flande?!'

not^e^^HT' T^ ^J^^^^J^^ ''^^^°""^' ^^^^^ ^^^^ y^^^ From a variety of
notices, difperfed through the preceding part of this work it iTev^I^f

fvV^'^l ^^^,™^«^k?' -ho riprefent him as the fzrrwho evercured
mentfn ;h7^' truth feems to be. that he irWuced fomelmprve^
mem in the manner of treating the .lih. or perhaps of prepS the
fait, concerning which the information is very obfcuref S bein^
adopted by his countrymen, procured a fuperfor reputal/on to thefr fil -

fearch upon ft, is the following.— • Ceux de Brer-
^ vlytt, [no mention of Beukelens] ifle de Flan-
dres, qui premierement fnventcrent (pour le
m.eux gardcr etant falli) de I'egorger. et lui ofter
Ics machoiri*. qui le failoient autrement bJen tod
corrompre, ce qu'en lan^r„e du pays fe diColt ka-
k'n, c'ell a d.re demachekr.' \_Chroniqu, ,U HoU
Jw /"" ^r'!'-K: '84— See alfo Marchantii

-^choock dc harenps, § 36.— Dt fVllt's InUr.l} of
Holland, pp. 49, ^o, Engl, tran/l.^ Beukelens '
feems oneof thofe chaiaaers, who, by fome .-incid-
ental c.rcumftances, have obtained higher piaces
.n the temple of Fame, than their reaJ merits eu-
titled them to. Such a circumftancc was the vifit
of the emperor Charles V and his filler to the tomb
of Beukelens, where they offered up their prpycrt
for his foul. Goguet moreover fays, that the era-
peror rredled a ftutuf fo liim

. P« '•""'^ of^the Englidi at this time /» tnioi
tkcirformir pnvilfgti in Antwerp, the chief city of
Brabant, is related by Wheeler ITrtatife of com-
'>'erce,p. 16] as their firft arrival in that -city,
which he ignorantly fays, confilled of thatched
imts. contained only four poor and ignorant merch-
anti, and had only fix fmall velFcls for the river
hut none fit for going to fea. What he and others
fay of the order of the golden fl-.ece, being inlli-
tuted by the duke of Burgundy in horour of the
linghfl, wool and cloth, is unfupported. or rather
.8 contrad.aed, by hi. diploma of the original cre-
ation of the knights, dated 27"" NovemW u,i.
which 1. recited verbatim by NLyer in his Ammlu
Fl^'ndru, f. 274. The duke appears to have had
the fleece of Gideon, the judge of Ifrael. in his eye.
when chuCig hi. device. IMarchaniu FlandL,
p. 285.J

t The moll difvina account of the procef. that
i- have ucca able to fu«i, aficr faeilowing much re-

■p.

664

A. D. 1447;

Rt Rome and other foreign markets, where they were dillinguinied by
the name of Flemifh herrings. The herring trade, together with other
branches of Flemifh induftry, pafled afterwards into the hands of the
Hollanders, who have been wonderfully enriched by it.

According to Galvano, the crew of a Portuguefe fhip reported, that
they had been driven by a ftorm to the weftward, and had arrived at an
ifland, wherein there were feven cities inhabited by people fpeaking
Portuguefe, who faid, their anceftors had fled from Spain on the death
of King Roderigo (about the year 700), and aflced, if Spain was ftill
troubled by the Moors. Some fand, brought from the ifland, produced
a good quantity of gold. Galvano adds, that this ifland was fuppofed
to be the Antiles, or New Spain*. \Galvano, copied in Furchas, B. x, c.

1.] - .^

1448, July 24'" From King Henry's appointment of commiflioners

to fettle all difputes with the gr?.nd mafter of Pruflia and the people of
the Hanfetowns, and to confirm or renew theantient treaties with them,

* Tbefe feven cities, which afterwanls became
golden cities, and tilled the heads of the Kpanilh
difcoverers, and alfo that of Sir Walter Raleigh,
with golden dreams, perhaps grew out of Zeiio's
report of a nation poffefling gold and fdvcr, cities
and temples, in an unknown wellern part of the
world, (probably Mexico, /« nioiff,/. 563) incor-
porated with fume obfcure tradition of an anlicnt
migration from Spain, Tiia; the Uory was not in-
vented nft:r tlie difcoveiy of the wtttern lands by
Chriftopher Colon, is evident from a letter written
by Paolo (Tofcanelli) a phylician of Florence,
25" June 14-4, to Teniando Martint.;, who, at
the delirc oi the king of Portugal, had confultcd
him on ihe niortell courfe by U-p to India. He
icnt him a chart of the wellern coafts of Europe
and Afiica from Irelawl to Guinea, exhibiting all
the known illaiids, and alfo containing the coall of
India and the (pice illands in the tutjltrn part of the
chart: and, nfter a pompo is dcfcription of Catai
and Mango (north and louth parts of China) he
obfcrved m his letter, that 'from the iiland of Aii-

• tilia, whicli you call the ifland of the fevtn cities ;

• and of which you have the knowlcge, to the
' moll noble ifland of Cipango, there are ten fpaccs,
« making 2,500 milfs, which ifland abounds witli
« gold, lilver, andpretiousftones.* — He afterwards
fent a copy -f the fame letter, and alfo of the chart,
to Chrillo'plicr Colon, and added drfcriptlons and
argununls tending to inflame his ambition of being
tlic thil Einopia-n to accomplilh a wcilevn paifage
to tliofe regloi.s of riches. [//(/?. de Den dirij!.
Colon, pr^r fu hijo Fernando, c. 8.] Tolcancili was
the arlill," who about the year 1460 conllriittcd
the celebrated gnomon at Florenci , wliicli is tf-
ttcmtd one of the noblcll allronomical iuUrumente
in tilt, world.

.Somewhat finiilar to Galvano's (lory, but
ftill more improbable, is the following, which I

have tl ertfor thought proper to place in a note.
— In the year 1450 Pliran/.a went as ambafi'idor
from the lall emperor o*' Conllantlnnple to the king
of Iberia, and was told by Ephrem, a native of
that country of about ico years of age, that he
had been carried off when a boy by barbarians,
and fold in Perfia to one of a company of merch-
ants traveling to India. In India he found an op-
portunity ol leaving his inalVcr, and, after long
traveling through deferts, at Uft arrived at ifland*
inliabitcd by people who generally lived 150 years,
and enjoyed a perpetual fprinp and harvell of aro-
maticiand large nuts. Tlieir country alfo pro-
duced the magnet ; ihc cnimals in it vtre of a
ftnpcndous magnitude ; and the fprings of the Nile
were in it. (How could the Nile rife in an Ifland?)
After living among thofe happy ncoplc long enough
to be mafter of their language, lie wllhcd to return
home, and was coiidufted to a place, whence vci-
fels from the farther India failed with aromatics.
He embarked in one of them, and afterwards found
a great Iberian llii]), w\ik-\\ carried him to Porlugni,
■whence he failed to the Ihit'fh iflands, and from then
to liieria. [^Phran'&a, I,.'\\\, c. i.'\ I'hran/a wrote
in the year 1477, \_L. iii, c. 30] and therefor this
rtory ' is fpurioiis or -jDonderfiii.'' [Gib'jon, V, xil,
/>. 178.] Of Phranza's work we poilefs only a
Latin tranflation, made by Pontanu'i, who has lup-
prcflcd fuch parts as he thought ufelifs digrcirions.
Qiicre, If he has taken the further liberty of ii:-
trodncing {MVn^in'.prm'tyneiAi ? If Ephrem evcrw.it.
in Uiitain, he might fall for G:ni a, and thjnce to
the lilack fca, and fo ti ave! by land to llicria, which
is an inl.wd cjwnxtv bctwori that fea and the Caf-
plan. B'.it th It llkrii Ihould have any Ihips (If in
the ftrange confuiion llerian does not mean Sfian-
ifh) i'! as incomprehenfible, as that a voyage from
the Indian ocean to Portugal flionld be invented
by any Iberian or Greek before the year 14.98,

A. D. 1448.

66$

it appears, that fome depredations or other tr.ormittes had heen r««,
mitted probably on both fides*. [Fctd^ra, KxTT, 1 ""

At this time flouriihed Cardinal Cufa, the firft European after Pvtha
goras and his difciples, who conceived the truth of the fyftfm of cof"
mography by which Copernicus, whofe nameisattacUtoTttim
mortahzed. [Nouvcau Dia. biji. art. Nicbokv (ac Cn/TvV^ ' ""

1449; February— EnghOi cloths were now prohibited in Brabanf
Holland, and Zeland, which being judged coitrarv to the fS J
treaty and found very diftreffing to'tile Ln ^^::ij:ntJ:At:!
and the women webfters. carders, and fpinners, and all others concern

'? ''^S-i''"^^' " ^"^ '"^°^^^^ ^" parliament, that, if the duke o? Bur
gundy did not repeal the injurious ordinance, no merchandize of thl
far'f^^T^tf ^/!f,^^^ dominions (hould be ad^ittetln^i';

The parliament remarked, that the revenue arifmg from the ftaole of
Calais in the reign of Edward III was above ;C68.olo a year nd the
kingdom was enriched by the trade of the merchai^ts of th^ftap e who

trlt' r^ V u^F^^' '^"""^^^ °^ licences exempting indi^duak
from the law of' the ftaple. the revenue was now funk to ^,^600+
Therefor it was enaded that the mayor, conftables, and merchants If
the ftaple at Calais fhould enjoy all their anfcnt privilegerun^pdred
and that no hcence to be heticeforth granted by °he king for XlTnt'
Tnv avT^"^'"'' 7 ''H- ^''^"^ ^"S^^'^^' I^^^^^d- °r Wales! ftouW be of
aHenrdutr'^Th"' ^^PP^"^^'"^ ^°^ '^' Mediterranean upon paying
aliens duty There were, however, referved in full force a licenrf

f^nram"de?a%T^\"^ ^' '"^"^'^ ^'''f'''^ '' ^^^ ^^-°- --c -
NorfT .1 ^ \' ^'PP'"S 2,000 facks of wool of the growth of

Norfolk, a hcence to the convent of S'. John of BridUngton fo? fhipDin^
Zt^ ' contammg 30 facks, and licences to three o^ther TerS aU
thefe beingftill permitted to carry their wool to the beft market accord-
ing to the diredion of their own judgements, [c. 2 1

The law agamft carrying money out of the kingdom had been fre
quently broken by Englifh and foreign merchants Importing cargoef of
gram. The parliament now diredled tlnr all rr,»,Ck & ^"'5"". or
grainjhould ^ive fecurity. that thef ::!>Jlii'^f'^^^^^^^
arifing from their fales in the purchafe of Englifh goods \c Til
fcarcuy of corn muft immediately have broken f his if w! ^ ^'^ ^
fh.il^.v ^° —Wilham Canyngs. an eminent merchant of Briftol like
the Itahan merchants, fcnt fadors to tranfad his bufinefs in foreign

• Werdenhagen, ill Ilia carelet compofition call 4. Th- r .- ■ i r i i-

^^^mryojy.Ho./.a>Ur.,.i!.., .L :;"«"' .pthj'd £".?;" '" '=" '— P-^abl, made

Ihofe piracies into a great and ferious Wit-- <= "^acicacy.

VoL.1. ^^

666

A. D. J449.

coxmtries, as we fcann -by tvm lU^ecs xxf King Henry, addrened to the
grand mafter of RrufHa and chc unagiftrttes of Dantaik, recoramcnding
t© their igood offices two pcrfonsdefcribed by the Iking as factors of his
beloved and honourable -meiidhant, WaHiam iCatijttigs. {FiOBirra, Km,
pp. 226, 237.3

April i" — The propoffed marringe of James 11, Jcitig trf" Scotlaiid, with
Maary^ ithe daoghter of the duke of Gelder, and niece of ithe dufce of
Bui^undy, m'uh whom, as the mnore ipowerftjl prince, the treaty was ne-
gotiated, and aFa, the confideration of the friendly commeaicial inter-
courfc Tuaintai'ned between the Scots and the people at' Brabant, Flam-
ders, Holland, Zelamd, and lotfacr territxDries, all inow (fubjed to the duke
of Burgundy, fr'nn the moft remote ages, produced a treaty of perpetu-
al ahiance, wherein each priice promifed to compell aggreffors upon the
fubjefts of the other, whether by land or fea, to make coropenfation to
the party mjured. [MS. Bib. Harl. 4637, V. m,ff. 5 b, n a.]

July 17"' — The Eii.gHfh nvenchants and fcamen, in jdcfiance of the or-
ders of the king of Denraarfc, frequently arefcrrted to the coafts of Ice-
land, Halgaland, and Finraark, in confequence of -which fome of them
had beenfeized about the year 1447. and were -ftill detain^ as prifonens.
The ambaHadors of the ikings of England and Denmark, having met at
dopenhagen *, now agreed that all injuries on both ifidet ihinrld be re-
drefled, that the fubjeifts of both kings fliould have mutual freedom rf
navigation, and particularly that the Enghih merchants (hould enjoy
their antient liberties and privileges, and pay the anirient ciJftcRns. But
they were exprefsly debarred Ifram failing to Iceland, Halgaland, and
Finmark, on any pretence whatever, without having a fpecial licence
from the king of Denmark ; and it was declared, that the feizupe and
punilhment of contumacious interlopers ftiould not be confidered as «.
breach of the treaty. In a few days after, the king of Denmark wiorc-
ever granted the Englifti, trading to or from Pruflia or any part of his
own dominions, the privilege of trai'diiig or failing throng his tetrito-
tories, either in Englifli or German veffek. [Jroedera, V. xi, fp. 264,

273-3

December 2"^ — John Tav^mer, a mariner of Khjgfton npon Hull, by

the help of God and fome of the I -ng's fubjeds, had built a Ibip as
large as a great carrack, or even larger, which he called the Grace Dieu
(Grace of God). The king directed that fhe {houkl be called the Car-
rack Grace Dieu ; and he granted Taverner the more foiid advantage
of taking onboard his carrack wool, tin, lamb-lkins, wool-fells, paffelarges
and other hides raw or tanned, and any other merchandize, the property

* BertiiM \_Rer. Germ. L. iii, p. 139-] fays, Cop<!nhag«n appears by this treaty to have been

that this city was put on a footing with the other the royal refidence, and to have had feyeral churches,

towns of Drnmark in refpeft to municipal privi- in the chapter-houfe of one of which, called the

leges fo late as the year 1443. 11:^ infoi-natioii is greater chureh, the ambaiTadors met.

^umclintes defective ; and tliJs date kerns too late. '

AfD. 1449.

€6f

of Ei^h& or foreign merchants, m the ports of London. Southampton.
Kmgfton upon Hull, and Sandwich, or in any of them, and cari^in«
them direa to Italy, on paying alien's duty. The king expeaed. that
he would import bow-ftaves, wax. and other foreign produce necelTarv
for the country to the great benefit of the revenue and of the nati^
[f^ifrfl r xi,;fr. 258.J The exemption of anEnglifh fobjed from the
law of the ftaple m confideration of the extraordinary Gze of his (hio ii
a clear proof, that no fuch veflel "^aii hitherto been built in England

1450 Not^raber— In confideration of alum to the vaUie of /juOock
delivered to Kmg Henry by fome merchants of Genoa, the parliament
licenced them to fhip ariy ftaple wares, from the foutii part of England,
till they (hould be repaid by the amount: of the cuftoms. The kin« fold
the alum for £8,000 in ready money to fomc merchants, to whoim the
parliament gave amonopoly by prohibitmg all perfons from importing,
buying, or felhng, any ot»>er alum diiring two ye««. iCotta^x J^ruhe-^
pient, p. 647.] *

rin?i''T^/'Jl^"":T""*"l^^^y"S'' rmrcham in Briftol; already, men,-
tionef' hadobtamed letters from the king of Denmark, authorizing him
to ioad. certain vcilels with lawfol Englifti merchandize for IcelarS and
l»mmarfc, to take m return fifti and' other merchandize, and to make as
many voyages as he Aould chink proper during a limited oerm in order
to recover debt* due to him in chofe countries. The trade was prohi-
?h' 1^1 EnghA aa of parliameRt : but Kmg Henry, confidering
the- good( fervicei- rendered to bmi by Ganyags while mayor of BriftoL
gave him. leaw to. employ two fhifps, of whatever burtbenL durinir two
years, in the trade to- Ifceland andi Finraart, and ta export anv fpeSes of
gxjods not refttodted) ta th« ftapie of Calais. {Fwdtrali. xiL l inn- 1 It
19 known tjac T^ny^g* pofle#ed fhips of 400, .500, and evm 900 tuns
burthen : but it is not likdy that he^ employed them m. that noctheni
trad*; even though, the limited number of veffels would tempt him to
have dicm aft lar^ as poffible. Thofe- very hirge fhips probably tr^fi-
ported timber and other b y^articles- from the Baitic. where, we niay
bdievv. rhey were purchute aj the-extiaordinary notice taken of Ta!-
verne^s great fliif^ m 1^ year 1449 peadersit improbable that ther
were built m England •; '

According to a) roll pr efesve* i» the towec, the king this year bor^

• Canyngs wa> five timej mayor of Briftol. and
founded the church o£ S'. Mary Raddiff on the
outfide of the walU, the nwil magnificent paiifli
church in Englud in the opinion of CamdcD.
{.Brit. p. 1 7 J.] From hit monumenU in that
church we learn, that King Edward IV, on fome
occafion of difpieafure, took from, him j.470 tuna
ol fliipping. among which wtre the three great

Ihipi mentioned in the text. That the king's dif-
ricafuxe wa» not incurred by piracy, as hat been
fuppofed^ or by any diflionourable deed, i» evident
from the fart being recorded on hl» monument.
Hi* memory hu lately been revived, at connefted
with Kowley, the alleged author of moft of the
poemt publifhed by Chattertop, and. at wtiior of
fomc of them himlelf.

4P«:

I i' 1I

668

A. D. 1450.

rowed infinite Aims from the merch'ams of the ftaple and other mcrch
tnts ♦. [Rot. pat. prim. 28 Ne/i. fV, m. a.]

About this time, the Azores, or Wcftcrn iflands, faid to have been
prcvioufly difcovered by feme Flemith navigators, were occupied by the
Portuguefe under the aufpiccs of the enlightened prince, Don Henryf .

1451, Auguft 14'" — The truce between the two £ritifh kingdoms was
renewed. The promife not to plunder wrecked veflels, and to permit
veflcls in diftref'; to purchafe provifions, was again mutually repeated;
imd each fovercign engaged, that the enemies of the other, bringing
prizes into his ports, ihould be prohibited from difpofing of their plun-
der without the confent of the original owners. It was agreed that vef-
fcls, ftiowin^ by cockets and other fcfficient documents that they be-
longed to eitlier nation, Hiould not be compelled to lower, or take in,
their fails, or be any way impeded in their navigation, by any veflels of
the other nation. [Fdedera, V. xi, p. 293.] Truces, nearly in the fam \
terms, were repeatedly renewed during the reigns of Henry VI and
James II, wliich both terminated in the year 1460.

»452, January 20'* — In a diet, which had been held at Utrecht by
commiflioners "from King Henry and reprefentatives of the grand maf-
ter of Pruflia and the H^iic towns, the matters in difpute were ddjufted
in a manner fatisfadory to the king and the grand mafter. But the ci-
tizens of Lubeck refufed to abide by the determination of the diet, re-
tained a number of Englifh fubjeds in prifon, and even prelcribed td
the king rules for the condud of his fubjeds. The other Hanfe towns
appear, in complaifance to Lubeck, to have alfo negleded to accept, or
ratify, the ads of the diet. The magiftrates of Cotogne, however, ap«
prehending the difpleafure of King Henry, had written to him requeu-
ing the, continuance of his favour, and the merchants of the Teutonic
gildhall in London importuned him to the fame effed. The king now
wrote, in anfwer to the magiftrates, that nothing ihould be wanting on
his fide to the faithful prefervation of the antient friendftiip between
England and Colog^ie, and he del ;d to know, whether the Hanfe towns
were to take part with Lubeck in the hoftile condud of that city to-
wards England, or to comply with the decrees of the diet. He alfo
wrote in the fame manner to the grand mafter, in anfwer to his letters
fignifying his approbation of the proceedings of the diet, [Fader^t ^.xi,,

PP- 304. 305-]

• We afterwardi find other loans from the mercH-
ants of the ftaple ; for example, ic,ooo marki in
the 31" year of K-'ng Henry VI, and ^20,000 in
his 43* year. [Co«o«V JtbrUgement, pp. 6$^,
«J9.]

f The dlfcovery of thofe iflandy is Tarioufly dat-
«d in I449> i455> i46o,_and 1481. Mr. Otto
l^Amtr. fhUof. tranf. F.^u jp-'sfij] layS »!»*' '''

1460 Martin of Nurttiberjf, imder the aufpice* of
the duchefs of Burpindy (who thereby proved
herfelf a worthy fifter of the illuflrious Don Hen-
ry oP Pbrtogai) occAjpted Fayal, the principal
ifland, for the truth of which he appeals to the re-
cords of Nurenberg, See aKo ForfitrU Difcwerim
m ibt North, p. 257 £>fj/. Ira^

A. D. 1451.

66g

A^°!!?f^'^'~"^'"^"*^'^y8ranted3 fafe-condua for four vears to
fhrce flcilfu mmers with thirty other perfons. from BohemirHrnKa^

1453, March-^The parliament granted the king the duties of tunna^e

woo.^rA^ ^'"^'- '^^^y«'^° granted himfdurinrhTsfuLfidyf^
woo'. 3^4 from denizens and £5 from aliens on e-ery Lk with nr^
portionalf duties on other ftaple wares. And the> imV>fed an annu^
tax of 40/ upon every alien merchant keeping houfe in England and

kinef Hfe^ r^./?. . paul annually by every alien merchant during th^

kmgslife [Cotton sylbnd^mm, p. 649.] Whether thefe taxes operat-

fnt^H'L a"^?"' "P^*^ "^^ Englilh confumers and fellers, or X aV

ntended aaually taxes upon the foreigners, depended up^n the Ene-

M^v'l^^"'^^''"^ '■''P'V"'- "'• ""P"' «f ^O'^Fting with them ^

Kv m\^ T?^ "^P"'^^ ^'J'y °* Conftantinople was taken by aflaulr
by Mohamed IT. emperor of the Turks. Gonftantine Pal^o Jus the
laft of the many fucceflbrs of the firft Contlantinc. who tran^Sed he
feat of empire to the (hore of the Bofphorus, was found buried vmder
amountam of hi8ilaughte..Jfubjeas: and the Roman empire. ^fter
dragging out many centuries in the imbcciUity of extreme old agi was
eonny"'"^"'^?^ Conftantinople wa, no' longer an emporium or
conneaing point for the commerce of the eaftern and wefteJn regTons
of the^world. The Genoefe were obUgeo! -.0 abandon their f«t cment
at Pera, adjacent to that city; and they ibou after loft all their Xr
faaories or colonies in the ^g*an fea. Fhciretftem trade which had
been chiefly fupported^bythofe fettlements. declined r^JyTrnd the
Venetians, almoft without a rival, fupplied the increafmg demand of
tainT fr ^^^P'-^f "^-"» -^ »he Eaftfwhicr, they were eLbled to ob:.
rorthe^lS^lLt.""'"" "^™^ '^ ^'^'^ ^°"-^-^ -^^ ^' ' ^"l-

th.?"!^ r''^ confequence of the overthrow of the Greek empire was,
that many men of literature and fcience. and along with them mTnv

cTumri^'c^E^roi^'^''^^^^^^

r^nn? ,f Europe ; and the knowledge dilfeminated by their inltruc-
ttons. and by their books, which were multiplied, and rendered a ten-
able by people of moderate wealth, by the late happyTnvention of
printing, wonderfully enlightened Europe, and h.d great influence in.
bringing on a ftate of civilization, favourable to the advancement of
commerce, the arts and the happinefs of . ankind. ^"""^'"^""^ °*
UCtober 1/ —The city of Bourdeaux was a fecond time taken bv thp -
French ; and the Englifl, were finally expelled from every part oTrnnce
except Calais ind its fraaU diftria. W.^hnnr ,i«»,„/*::Jl i !./''''*'^'^

670

A. IX 1453.

dcrfiil effeds of the patriotic enthufiaftu of the Maid of Orleans, or the
military talemts o£ the French general --, an hiftorian of commerce may be
permitted to obferve, that this event, happyfoT France, and infinitely more
bai^y for England, wasin a confiderable degree owing to the unexampled
opulen( =! and patriotifm of Jacques Coeur, who, at a time when trade
was fcaLcely ki -wn in France, is faid to have employed three hundred
factors.* to manage his vaft commerce, which extended. to the Turks and
Perfians of the Eaft, and the Saracens of Africa, the moft remote na-
tions then known to the merchants of Europe. His exports confifted
chiefly of woollen cloths, Unens, and paper, then the principal manufac-
tures of France ; and his returns were filks, fpiceries, &c. But fome fay,
that his dealings were chiefly in gold, filver, and armsf. This illuftri-
ous merchant was treafurer (' argentier') to the king of France, and lent
him 200,000 crowns^ without which he could not have vmdertaken the
redudion of Normandy. Being fenc on an embafly to Laufanne, his
enemies took the opportunity of his abfenee to bring fiilfe charges
againft him ; and the king, regardlefs of his multiplied ferrices and
zealous attachment, abandoned him to their malice. Though nothing
could be proved againfl: hira in a trial conduded by his enemies with
acknowleged unfairnefs, he was condemned {ig^^ May 1453) to the
umeitde bomrabtt^ to confifcation of ail his property, and inaprifoniaent:.
Having efcaped from confinement by the grateful alfiftancc of one of his
clerks, he recovered fome part of his ]>ioperty which \was in foreiga
countrif"^ -, aad^ being appointed by the pope to coramaad. a divifion o£
his fleet, aft died in that Ibrvice at Chio in the year 1456, \^MtzerajfyV.
u,p. yo^ — VtHarH\ V. viii, ppx 23^7-345* — Noirvcau Di6i. bjfi. F". ii, /.

'704. Ji

In the year i^^ the duke of Burgundy exacted a duty of 18 {hil-
lings, money of Paris, upon every facV of fait. The citizens of Ghent,
unacGuftomed to arbitrary impofi.' , ref«fed to pay any new taxes.
Next year he laid a tax upon wheat,, which they alfo refufed; and in
1451 they refufed payment of the duty on herrings at Sluys and the daaty
on wool. The confequence was a very furious war, which proves the
great power and refourccs of the citizens, derived entirely from their
flourifliing manufadures. But the fuperior power of the duke, whofe
territories equaled in extent, and exceeded in population and wealth,
fome of the kingdoms of Europe, obliged them to fubrait to the con-
ditions didated by him (ia which the taxes are not mentioned), to pay
him a. fine of 300,000 riders, and moreover to pay 50,000 riders for the
reftoration of fome churches deftroyeti in the war. IMeyeri Ann. Flandr,
ff. 301-314.3

• Probably all the clerki employsd undtr the came treafurer totlia king, hit attention would ne-
faAora, and even the portert and menial fcrvanH ccflarily be turned to the importation of the pre-
«nght to be comprehended in thi» number. tiou» metal* fcnd the fupply of arrotk

♦ Both acco«m» may be true, m, after he be-

A. D. J454.

671

»4S4» Apnl—The parliament having igramod a fubfidy of twelve
pennies m the pound of the value of aU merchandize exported, whether
by denizens, aliens, xu-merchanta of the Hanfe. and raiibd the duty on
V.00I and wooMh from 3-3/4 to 43/4, it was reprefented. that the im-
pofmon ofmelve pennies per poimd would ditnini& the fale of woollen
cloth* and the augmentation of the other ducieswould bwer the -value
S^^iTi i'^T therefor ^enaaed. that the exporters of wool and wooK
tells t» the ftaple at Calais, or by Ucence to the Mediterranean, fhould
be exempted fromipaying the additional ten ihillings. [^^x 31 Hetj.

1455, March ^i'^-Jt has already been obfcrved. that the northern
nations built large vdFels m the tenth century, when even the Italian
ttffws had probably «one equal to diem ; and they ftill excelled ia the
cortftruaion of fli.p«. The king of Sweden at this time owned a trad-
ing Ihip of near 1,000 tuns burthen, called the King's barge, which he
lent to England with a requeft, that flie nxight be permitted to trade,
and to reload with lawful merchandize, wihich was granted, iirovided the
due cuftoms were paid. [Fv^dera, ¥. xi» />. 364.]

July--Thefiik-women of London complained to parliament, that the
l^ombards and other foreigners, feeking to deprive women ctf their honeft
employments, imported the articles made by them, inftcad of brinaine
unwroughtfiHc^s formerly. To prevent the ram of thofe induftriovw
women, it was enadted, that during the five enfumg years iw perfon
whatever (hould import any wrought iilk, twined ribands or chains
girdles, or any other article interfering with the raanufaa«res of the
filt-womien, excefpt girdles of Genoa.. [A6ts 33 Hen. VI, c. 5.]

The lords, to whom the guard of the fea had been entrufted, refigned
♦heir charge ; and it appears to have been afterwards put into the hands
ot the mayor and merchafnts of the ftaple, to whom we find the tunnagc
and poundage, duties exprefsly appropriated to that objeft, ordered to
be paid f.^^ iCotton's Abridgement, pp. 652, 657.-^01. pat. prim. 35 Hen.
rl, m. 1-4.3

1456, March 5*-~The mifunderflandijig with Lubeck feems to have
proceeded to an open murici-me war. which, at the interceflion of the
other Hanfe towns, was now terminated, or fufpended, by a truce of
eight years, during which both parties fliould have liberty of com-
merce, and the differences, it was hoped, might be amicably adiuftedi.
[fa?d'r/-a, r. xi,/. 374.] ' ^ "^

♦ I «fn here obliged to notice on orerflght 6f

Mr. Andcrfon, who fup|iofcs this the firll fubfiJy
on woollen cloth. I fee no reafon to believe, that
it wa* exempted from paying duty on the very firft
exportation of it : and, not to multiply pro«f«, I
rnay only refer to the %&. of i*rliament in 1348
for new (apparently additional) duties on the ex-
portation nt wru)'!??! rloth, sr.d that nf ■;-': f:-.r
ether duties, which were to be paid by ftnglilh
coiifumersas well a« exporter'?

f I am '>blig«d to omit fome matters concerning
the merchants of the ftaple and the merchant-ad-
venturtrs, mentioned by Malynen and Wheeler, be-
caufe their afTertioni are fometimea found contra-
didory to record, and 1 dare not truttto fuch zealoua
advocatet, when unfupported by better authority.

t NotwittUtanding this truce there was an cn-
gagrr-eni iretwctn the Lubcckcrs diid the iiiips uL
the carl of Warwick in the year 14C8. TFadtra,

r. xi,/, 41;.],

672

A. D. 1456.

May 31''— Though King Henry had in former ycaii commiffiofned at
leaft three pretended philofophers to make the pretious metals, without
receiving any return from them in gold and filver, his credulity was un-
ftaken by difappointment ; and he now ifliied a pompous grant in fa-
vour of three philofophers, who boafted, that they could tranfubftan-
tiate the meaner metals into gold and filver, and could alfo cure all dif-
eafes, preferve the life of man to the utmoft term with unimpaired
powers of body and mind, &c. &c. all by means of a moft pretious nie-
dicine, called the mother and queen of medicines, the inejtimable glory, the guint-
efence, the phitafophers /lone, or the elixir of life. In favour of thofc three
* lovers of truth and haters of deception' he difpenfed with the law (5 Hen,
IF, c. 4) againft multiplying gold and filver, and empowered them to
tranfmute other metals into thofe more pretious ones. This extraordi-
nary commiflion had the fandion of parliament, now a common corro-
boration of the king's grants. [Fadera, V. xi, pp. 68, 128, 240, 309,
379.] Thefe impoftors, perhaps impofing even upon themfelves, kept
the king's expeftations wound up to the higheft pitch ; and in the fol-
lowing year he aftually informed the people, that the happy hour was
approaching, when, by means of the flone, he ihould be enabled to pay
off all his debts in a few years *. [Tovefs Anglia Judaica, f. 257.]

1457, March 2'' The king of Portugal obtained a licence to fliip

from the port of London 3,000 pounds of tin and 2,000 pounds of
lead, paying the due cuftoms f. [Foedera, V. xi, p. 387.]

1458, March— The parliament of Scotland cnaded, that gold and fil-
ver ware ftiould be examined and ftamped by iht deacons of the gold-
fmiths, or in towns, where there were no deacons, by the principal offi-
cers.—-They prohibited dyers from buying cloth to fell again, or being

drapers They alfo decreed, that none but perfons of good credit, and

having ai leaft the value of three ferplaiths of their own property or
configned to them, (hould go abroad as merchants. — They alfo enad-
ed a fumptuary law, prohibiting merchants, unlefs they were aldermen,
bailies, or members of the council of a town, to wear filk, fcarlet, or
fur of martins. Landed men, having within f^i^o a-year of old extent,
were to drefs as merchants. Labourers and huibandmen were to wear
grey or white, and on holidays hght-blue, green, or red. Women were
diredted to drefs in proportion to the condition of their hufbands and
fathers. The clergy were alfo prohibited to .ear fcarlet or martin's
furs, unlefs they were dignitaries of the church — The parliament alfo
ordained, that, as there was but one king and one law, there fhould be
but one meafure, agreeable to the ftandard kept in Stirling, and that

• After all tlit prDoh King Heniy liaci '>f tlie
ignorance or knavrry of tliofc pnijcttora, lie con-
tinued to encourage others of the fame clafa to the
end of his reign. Nor wan liis fuccrfl'or (xempt
from the fame crediilfiy. 6ee Fadtra, F. xi,/j».
462, 637, &c. 4

t \ye|y the mines now exhaufteJ or forgotten,
which produced thofe metals in his own coun-
try, probably before the Britifli mii.<.s were
known i

A. D. 1458.

^73

meafures of ehe ftandard (hould alfo be kapt in Aberdeen P.nl, a
Edinburgh Several a<^«! wpr.. r.ofr^j r • ■^^"craeen, rerth, and

the counfry, for prohibk n7theCure^^^^^ ^^^ '^ff'''' °^

by illegal engines, for deftr'o yfng wK and £rds TZ7"' ^'f^' '"^
fervmg the breed of hares and rabbis Laftlv rh5^ {• '""^ ^""^ P/^'
ordered, that copies of their .iJl/o: m'u ^^' , Parliament wifely

repreferitatxveroTburghs a^^^^^^^ ^' K^^.^l'^^ ^"''^' ^"^^ ^he

dom. that the people ShrnotL^ pubhflied throughout the king-

hundred years +. rr^/I mn c^ * ..on V' ; °^ ^^ ^^"^^^ "^r oi^e

cia, ci., c^ould In,/^gZ;.r/„f tlLrt'""^ "'"■ " ^°■"'"-

■HE the harh„,;r Tn i ^ *""* of duties upon veflils for repair-

Scotland: ^t^z^::2;::^Lti^ '^fT^'-' --^-- ^^

emploj.d. in conjundfo7wTh X detv Te f f"' "^'•%^^^"-"^Jy
and the nobles, in embafli^s -ind Vv,!^^' k, ^^ '^^'' °^ learning,

James II. [F^d^ra xf t T, , oP"^^'"^ negotiations by King

impr'o tmlm ^f the c^o^ "rv'' ''''' ^° -^^ V^^^ ''' ^^^ — -- and
Sco'tland'nf r th 't t^e co^^^^ '^' \f ^^^ P-J--ent of

degree of commercial pro7pent7"'"^ """'"' ^W^^^ ^°"^«

con^dtn':"to \;a; d'^rcf L"kf The" ^^^^ ^^ "-l-i-ed, and
the injury done to EnTnd hv ,J J '^''^''^. ^^"^""'^ ^^'^^ ^^^^ ^o be
ant of BriftX calleSturm/n^ wh ^""^ ' *> ^'^°"Sing to a merch-
the Levant arid o ht pa ,7o?\he^^^^^^ ^° ^^"°"^ P"«^ °f

growing plants of pepnJr and orl. r ' u ^ pretence that .he had

.0 propf,^te in En^^^ f^S^^^vS^t^^ll^ti^br^^^^

u,\ T °J 'r* "^^ °*" '•>'• parliament arc rcpr.
U.ons of aa, of James I, which thence appear not
to have been duely enforced: but that .eed not
A rpr.fe us. when we fee HmiLu- repetitions com
mon m the aft, of the parliament of England, a
country more advanced in civih.aticn. '^ '

f Tins, like the Flanders treaty, is only known
Jrom us renewal in the year 1557. ^

t Hardyng, a contemporary Englin. traveler in
Scotland, ij. ,36 bj cali. Dundef the priulal

Vol. I. '

burgh benorth the Scottifl, fca (Firth of Forth)
1 he port duties were, 10/ on every (hip, r/ on
every caycr Lufs, barge, a.fd balinger, J'oJLZ
fcrcoft, „,d 6 pennies on eve.y large boat; a. copied
bybkenc from the original record. FallX
cur, as akn,d of velTel in England. IF^Z^K
x.,/>. 44] and ,. ai)parently the fame with fWco/l
onc^or othe. be.ng erroneoully traafcribcd fr^ the

4Q

I

674

jAk P. 1458.

lifli voyages to the Levant were as yet very rare ; nor is this one un-
queftionably authenticated *.

i459_The merchants of the ftaple, probably finding the ad of par-
liament of the year 1449 not fufficient to guard their monopoly at Ca-
lais againft the licences, wliich had been fo prejudicial to their trade, ob-
tained from King Henry a promife, that he would grant no more of
them. [Rot. pat. prim. 37 Hen. VI, m, 17.]

1460, February 13'" In a treaty with the Genoefe it was agreed,

that they fhould have free admifliou in every part of the king's domin-
ions, and leave to export all lawful goods, they having none of the king's

enemies in their fervice They fhould give no affiftance to the king's

enemies ^They fhould not carry in their vefTels any property of the

king's enemies; and, if they had any fuch onboard, they fhould fur-
render it to the commanders of his fhips, who would pay them the fti-
pulated freight For the Take of form it was agreed, that all thefe ad-
vantages fhould be reciprocal ; and it was added, that the mifcondua of
an individual fhould not break the treaty. [Fadera, V. xi, /•• 44i']

February Jerom Lynch, goldfmith of London, was appointed maf-

ter of the mints of Dublin and Trim in Ireland f, and ordered to coin
copper money, which was apparently the firft of the kind in the Brit-
iXh iflands fmce the days of the Roman dominion %, {Roi. pat. 39 Hea.
VI^m.T.—WaraiHiberma,p.iy],ed.i6sA-'ii

May 9" It feeros that Caen in Normandy was the moft convenient

place known, frori which ftones proper for the reparation of Weftmin-
fter abbay could be got : and they were imported in a veffel belonging
to that foreign port. [Fadera, V.^i, p. ^S^.^

1461— The earlieft notice, I believe, of the manufadure ot beer m
England, is found in a patent appointing John Devenifh and others to
be fupervifors of all the beer-brewers in England, with a fee of half a
filver penny for every barrel of beer. [Rot. pat. tert. i Edw. IV, m.

King Edward granted to the mayor and citizens of London the pack-
age of all woollen cloths and fkins within the liberties of the city. [Rot.

pai. tert. I Edw. IV, «r. 16.] ^ i

That the woollen manufadure of York-fliire was now fomewhat con-
fiderable, may be inferred from a grant of the uhiage of woollen cloths
in York, Hull, and throughout the (liire, to Lord Montague. [Rot. pat.
quart. 1 Edw. IV, m. i.']

* Fahyan, wlio nlatti thit ftory of Sturmyn
with fonie htl'itatlon, obfcrvcs, that, of all the iia-
tions who ttaii«l to England, the Gmoefr were
the Icaft ciintxrntd iti the fpicc trade in his time
(he was (hiriel of I-uiidou in I49.^)> i""' '•'*' "'
wast'.Titor itrprububie that they Ihoiild have at-
tacked Siurmyii from apprthenfion <it fpicii, beinfr
naturalized by him in England. He might have
added, tiia'.ilx importsticn »f liv? pbuts from Ind-

ia, confidering how maoy hands th«y nttift have
gone throvigh, was exceedingly improbable, or ra-
ther impofTible.

t Drogheda (« Dtodath'), Wiiterfotd, Cork,
Limerick, and fcmic other piaeet. iii Ireland alio h;'d
mints iu the year 1474, and probably uow alio.
l^Rnt. pnt.fec. i.\.Eikv. IF, m. 22.]

J The Saxon llycas were made ot brafs. [^H'ula,
B\ff,:rt..tp<fl,p. 182.] 4

A. D. 1463.

^75

.■.nf?^' .^fc^^'^-King Edward gave the merchants of the Teutonic
gildhall in London a confirmation of all the privileges granted by his

Tto^'^llnnnr/ '"-'^'^ '''""^'^^ ^'^"^ ^^°^ ^" new'taxesTmpo'fed
or to be impofed. on imports or exports. Thele privileges they were to

enjoy during two years and * half, to be computed from GhrTftmafs

1462. provided they fhould not attempt to pafs^he goods of othma

t^r'^:::^^^ °^ '^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^-^^^^- ^-

April 29'"— The parliam-jnt, for the defence of the realm, and efpe-
cially for the guard of the fea. granted the king for life a fubfidy caUed
tunnage. of 3/ upon every tun of wine imported, and 3/ mor; upon

the L^nfrn .^"'" ""T ^^P°"^,? by any foreign mercg^ants, thofeof
the Hanfe not excepted. They alfo granted a poundage duty of twelve
pennies on the pnme-coft value of all goods exported or imported To be

who ihould, however, pay double poundage on tin. From this duty

wonl fT^w^ ^°°^J'^ '^?^^' "^^^^ ^y Englifh-born fubjeds. wooT
wool-fells hides, and provifions for Calais, exported ; and alfo the flour

iS^ /A] "^"^'•"•^^"^ ^^' ^"i«^^l«' and wine. 'imported, [j^ 3

June—The parliament, confidering that the wool of England was the
principal commodity of the kingdom, and defirous of pronfotingThe in!

fro^Tf " ^"T' '"^ '^' P'^^^P^"^^ °^^^^ ^°-°^' prohibited?or gnm
from buymg or (hipping any wool. wool-fells, morlings.or flwrlingsf from
England or Waks. Bat thofe produced in Northumfedand. cSl; an?
Weftmerland Durham, and the diftrifls of York-ihire called Alverton
and Richmond, might befhipped. at the port of Newcaftle ol>r any
foreign port : and the wool. &c. of the reft of the kingdom mghtSe
exported, by denizens only, and only to the ftaple at Cala^ The
merchants of the ftaple at Calais were direded not^o fell any woo or

h Jf fT, ^^K^^^'^i^?^"' ''''^'''^ immediate payment, whereof one
half Ihould be m Engh(h money, or bullion, which ftiould immediacy

England. They alfo enaded fines to be levied upon thofe found guilty
of fraudulent package of wool—And they ordained, that no Endifh
Srif^ffi -^^P f"'- r'^^' ^"^-^^^ - homewa;d in foreign 'v?

The importation of corn, except the produce of Wales, Ireland, or

in *,i7^'1, "i^ '^°" not apnear in Its proper plwe
in the colleaioM of the ftatutea, nor is it even
mentioned xn Cotton' j Mridgtrntnt of tU record, of
partiamcni. But it ii quoted in an att iz Ed-w.
'^'/-.i' '" »''« grant oi King Henry to the Gc-
I'ocle in 1471, and in that of King Edward to aU

the Italian, in 1476, which will be found in their
proper places.

t MorKng, wool taken from the (kin of a dead

^'P'r^ ,''?<?• ^ ^'^^ after tiie the fleece is fl.o.u
off. ICoiet't Did.']

4Qj»

676

A. D. 1463.

the iflands belonging to England, was prohibited, whenever wheat did
not exceed ^/S, rye 4/ and barley 37^ per quarter. \c. 2.]

The male and female artificers of London, and other cities, towns,
and villages, of England and Wales, having reprefented that they were
grievoufly injured by the importation of foreign articles of quality infer-
to thofe made by them *, the parliament prohibited for a time to

or

be limited by the king's pleafure, the importation or fale of woollen
caps, woollen cloths, laces, corfes, ribands, fringes of filk or thread, laces
of thread, filk twined, filk embroidered, laces of gold, tires of filk or
gold, faddles, ftirrups, harnefs belonging to faddles, fpurs, bofl!es of
bridles, andirons, gridirons, locks, hammers, pinfons, fire-tongs, drip-
ping-pans, dice, tennis-balls, points, purfes, gloves, girdles, harnefs for
girdles of iron, latten, fteel, tin, or alkmine, articles made of tawed lea-
ther, tawed furs, bufcans (probably bufkins), ftioes, galoches or corks,
knives, daggers, wood-knives, bodkins, fiieers for tailors, fciflbrs, raf-
ors, ftieaths, playing cards f, pins, pattens, pack-needles, any painted
ware, forcers, cafkets, rings of copper or of latten gilt, chafing-diflies,
hanging candlefticks, chafing bells, facring bells, rings for curtains,
ladles, fcummers, counterfeit bafins, ewers, hats, brufhes, cards for
wool, and blanch iron wire, commonly called white wire. The manu-
fadures of Ireland and Wales might be fold in England as freely as be-
fore ; and alio goods taken from enemies, or found in wrecked veflels.
The tenants of the precindof the chapel of S'. Martin le Grand in Lon-
don were exempted from the operation of this ad %. [J&s 3 Edw. IV^
c. 4] By it we are informed, what articles were then in requeft, and
what manufadures were then eftabliftied, in England.

By the king's patent, granted to the mayor and citizens of London,
thetronage (weighing) of wool was transferred from Weftminfter, where
Henry VI had eftablifhed fix wool-houfes, to Leadenhall in London §.
{Rot. pat. fee. 3 Edw. IF, m. 17. — Stow^s Survey, pp. 304, 843.]

Hitherto all people bringing corn, fi(h, fait, fuel, onions, &c. to Lon-
don by water, had been ordered to land them at Queenhithe : but the
trouble and hinderance occafioned by delays in taking up the draw-
bridge had induced many of them to rifle the penalty by unloading at
BiUingfgate. It was now thought expedient to authorize what had

• The application to parliament gives reafoii to
fjfpeft that the foreign goods were a\ fuperior qual-
ity ; and thence the home-made goods required
t!ie protection of a monopoly againll the foreign
maiiufaiflurer and the Englifli confumer. The
(quantity of foreign goods poured into the country
as foon as the prohibition expired (fee below in the
ye.ir 1483) proves, that they were more accept-
able to the confumers.

f Playing cards were invented in Germany be-
fore the erd of the fourteenth centuiy. At firft
\ifed only for amufcmtnl, they were afterwards
made fubfervient to fupcrftition by llamping on

them, by means of wooden blo'-ks, the figures of
of faints with infcriptions. Some fuch, executed
fo early as the year 14J3. r.iay be regarded as the
firll fpecimens of printing. \_Id^t generale d'une
colleaion (rejiampes,pp. 27,<)-2SO.']

X The fame exemption is repeated in all the afts
containing rcftraints upon trade about this time,
fo that b'. Martini tenants were the only free
traders. Stow, in his Surwy, gives fome account
of the privileges claimed by this college or chapel.

§ A pretty ample hillory of Leadenhall is given
by Stow in tlie account of Limc'ftreet ward in hi«
Survey of London.

A. D. 1463.

677

merchants of the ftnnl^ o^ r.io- r ^32.80i to the company of

For a more complete account of thfs K'eat

merchant, and for the authorities, fee Hofioe'. Lifi,

f ^"""l '''• Medui, his prandfon. See alfo cL

ion. ^xn, p ,35.-and Comines, /.. vii, c. 6.

J he later, after noticing the wonderful extent of

ihe credit of hia commercial houfes, as he hi.nfelf.

ud had occahon to lee them i„ France and Ens.

land, fay,, tlwt, to Ins knowlege. Gucrard Ouan.

%ele,.one of Colmo a agents, was the thief iiloFriK

nicnt m fi.pporting Edward IV bv furnifhin.r him

at a trme above li 0,000 crowns, not mi.rl, ,r, ,l,e

-dvai.Uge ot his principal, who, however, recover.

edhu money at laft He alio knew anoj.er of
Coftnos agents, called Portunary, who became
fecunty for Kmg Edward to the duke of Bm
gundy fur 50,000 crowns, and at another time for
24,ooo._Co.«iMes's hint of the damage fudained
by delay of payment is fupported by a grant of
King Edward, daiej 30"" November ;466? where,
by U appears that /; j,, 54 .. ,5 ^ .^ „f\,,^. ^^^^_
uit h.:n by Gerard Cam^ian (whom Coi.uncs calU
^Inanvdc) 11,11 remained due, for payment of
^-..K-.i ,..j,va:u prr~.atcJ ai,,, to herd, clacfe, and
Chan, any wool v,haifocver, and export it,oi' any

other .

678

A. D. 1^4^$'.

146s Tmuary— The parliament, obferving that many frauds had
crept into the munufadure of cloths, by realon of which their reputa-
tion in foreign countries was much impaired, and foreign cloths were
even imported into England, enaded, that every whole cloth, when
properly finifhed for fale, fhould mcafure 24 yards in length, and 2
yards, or at leaft 7 quarters, in breadth within the lifts : it longer, the
buyer fhould pay for the extra meafure. Straits, properly finiOied.
fhould meafure 12 yards in length and i yard in breadth ; kerfeys, i8
yards in length and iVr. or at leaft i yard, in breadth, mif pieces of
each in proportion, and all meafured with an allowance of an mch to
every yard in the length. The makers were prohibited from putting
lamb's wool, flocks, or cork*, in any cloth. Cloth might be made,
however all of lamb's wool : and cork might l->e ufed m dying cloth or .
wool woaded, or cloth perfedly boiled and maddcred. They required,
that cloths fhould be perfedly uniform in their fabric from end to end,
and they ordained, that cloths of unequal fabric, and thofe of irregular
leneths fliould be diftinguiftied by leaden feals, different from thofe put
upon goods of ftandard dimenfion and qualivy.—Another abufe, com-
plained of was, that the manufadurers compelled their carders, fpm-
ners and 'other work-people to take ' a great part of their wages in
• pins, girdles, and other unprofitable wares,' and alfo delivered wool to
them by exceflive weight ; wherefor it was now ordained, that they fhould
pay their labourers in money only, and ufe juft weights.—The parlia-
ment alfo now declared, that all foreign-made cloth, found m England
after the i" of Auguft 1465, ftiould be forfeited to the king, except
cloths made in Ireland or Wales, or taken from enemies upon the fea
without fraud or collufion. [yiSis 4 £</w. /F, «r. i.]

In order to abolifti the trade of fmugglmg wool, which was openly
fliipped off in defiance of the law by day-light, as well as fecretly by
night, it was enaded, that it ftiould be exported at no other ports or
creeks than Pool, Southampton, Chichefter, Sandwich, London, Ipi-
wich Bofton, Hull, and Lynne, at all which ports coUedors of the cuf-
toms'were ftationed, and beams and weights provided ; and alfo that it
fhould be ftiipped only in gallies and carracks, except what was to go to
the Mediterranean. The cuftom-houfe officer at Calais was direded to
give every merchant a certificate of the wool landed by him there,

other wool, to the Mediterranean, and alfo to ex-
port woollen cloth, in grain or without grain, to
any country whatever, and to retain in his own
hands all the culloinj (which for the wool (hould
never exceed four marks per fack) till they (hould
amount to the fum owing to him: and he alfo
exempted him from the obligation of bringing bul-
Hon to the mint in proportion to his exports.
[Rjmer't unpuUi/bfd recordt, Edw. IV, Vol. \,p.
467.] In the following year Camzian had a

fimilar aflignment for the payment of ^^8,468.
IRot. pat. prim. 7 Ed-w. IV, m. 19.] This was
apparently a new debt. Edward was forever bor-
rowing ; and we ftiall again find him receiving far-
ther fupplies from the houfe of Medici.

• Martin in his Dtfcriptim of the IVtJltrn t/iands
[A. 1 3 J] mentions a plant called coriir, which is
ufed by the iflanders to dye their yarn of a cnmfon
colour, which is probably the fame with the (ori
of the aft.

A. D. 1465,

^79

which the merchant was required to Jodge in the exchequer, as a proof
that he had not earned it to any other port, [c 2^ ^

NewcaZ *liT' f f^' """" "^ ^^PP^"S the north-country wools at
Newcaftle. thofe of the counties of York. Lincoln, and Nottindiam
v^ere frequently earned to that port, and (hipped as the produce of the

peT^t": Tr;.]"' '"''"' "^^ now^5::ohibited Cdtra hea';

fhlZ^r''' °^'^u "^"^"^^ raanufaaurers it was enaded, that they alone
ftou d have a nght to make contrads for wool before it was fhom AU

Wih S.1S^ n /""'i Gloucefter, Salop. Hereford. Worcefter,

S;:'sur;:tdsut^: t?]'^''^' '""^'''^^' ^^^^^^'' ^"^^^^'

..Ji'/v'*"''f ''•^ Burgundy had publiflied another ordinance, never to be
Tbf b;::fct'ofT"r ''"' -d.--"en yarn made'inXgL'd
nnnrl« ^ , 1, f ^" domimons, m confequence of which it was

Sersof^;r^','F' TT"' (^"t"' dyers. Ipinners. carders. arS
winders oi: yarn, m England would be thrown idle. The parliament

t're'^f rSuk'J^f i^:' -^'^ ^"P^""'°" '' ^"^ produce%rmanX:
Iceland tiH he^ 'm ''',"1"^' P.'^^^^^^"''' in England, Wales, or
merchant, nnf^f?^''"? repeal his ordinance. In the meantime, the

tTe £c t; bv r^?^ ^'^ ^"^^'' ^"J" ^'■^^^^'^ ^° '^^^ "° advantage of
tne Icarcity by raifing the price. The merchants of the Teutonic gild-
hall were not bound by the prohibitions of this ad. [.. 5 ] Thefefor

and T'r?'^'T^\''^ ^^' '"^ ^^^ * ^barter of monopo y to them
and the duke's fubjeds would feel no inconvenience from it. ^ '

fc their faS,r'n'' ^T ^"^ "'""^ embarraffed in finding fecurity
nr n. 7 ^''™^^y inveamg the proceeds of their cargoes inEnglilh goods

7J:t'lXT7''>rrT'' ''''''' ^^-1-. th«^ manTof'them
officer^of the r^,ft^ ^^ '"^i- ^^ ^^^^ ^« "^"^8^^^ ^^e hardship, the
fSnttn t^or ttf " "'"" ^^ "'^^ fecurity ^of the

For the encouragement of the homers, efpecially thofe of London
t was enaded that no horns Hiould be exported, except wh! n^ghtbe
no altn't ^7?'7-|^heir demand, provided [he homers fhoXj^e
no advantage of i us ad to lower the price of horns * [c. 8,1

October 13 —In a treaty of alliance between England and Denmark
oLTr'v" r:^r..'r\''^^r" ^"owedfreeaccefs'to Lpons of each
oTZ? , T^r f'' '^' ^""^^'^ ^"^ ^''^^"^^^ f^«"^ failing to the coafts
o^ Iceland. Halgulaud, and Finmark ; nor was their bein| driven upon

certain that l,„rn plat^. tl.cu Wwer.V, ''iy'>f loiu.urahe commemoration by the hilbrian

68b

A. D. 1465.

them by ftrefs of weather to be admitted as a pretence for trading,
[Fcedera, V. xi, p. 551.] So anxioufly did the king of Denmark feek to
preferve the fifliery, apparently the only objed of attradion to thofe
hyperborean regions, to his own fubjeds. Walter Cony and Henry
Bermycham, merchants of Lynne, were two of the ambafladors appointed
to negotiate this treaty, they being, it may be preilimed, well acquainted
with fuch commercial matters as might fall under difcuffion.

1466, April 30'" — A treaty between King Edward and the duke of
Bretagne ftipulated for the fubjeds of both princes a mutual liberty of
trade in merchandize not prohibited. [Fcedera, V. xi,/. 567.]

Auguft 6'" — King Edward, dtfirous of fortifying himfelf againft the
rival houfe of Lancafter by the friendfliip of the fovereigns on the con-
tinent, entered into treatie: of offenfive and defenfive allianca with as
many of them as poflible. Some negotiations (whereof, I apprehend, no
record remains) had taken piace between him and the king of Caftile
before Odober 1464; and now he concluded a perpetual alliance vyith
that prince, wherein it was agreed, that the merchants of either king-
dom might freely buy and fell any merchandize whatfoever in the other,
and fhould be treated in all reQ^ds as well as the natives of the country.
\Yoedera V. xi, pp. 534, 569, 572, 583.] This treaty, though not of
itfelf very important in commercial hiflory, merits notice, becaufe the
eaf jrnefs for cultivating the friendfliip of Spain, which produced it,
probably alfo occafioned an exportation of the flieep of Cotefwold in
Gloucefter-fhire to Spain about this time, which, though aflferted by
nnnalifts who lived not very long after, has been ridiculed by fome late
writers, only becaufe they thought it unlikely. It is enough to fay,
that the feveral unqueftionable exportations of Englifti ftieep, already
related and to be related in this work, fufficiently warrant the belief of
the exportation faid to have taken place at this time *.

Odober — ^The parliament of Scotland authorized a commii.^ of

• Harrifon in hia Dtfcriplion of Britain, prefixed
to Hol'mjhed, [/. IC9 a eJ. 1577] complains of the
pradlice of exporting fticep in hia own daya. Thcfe
are hia worda. — ' So much are our woollcs to be
' preferred before thofe of other places, that, if Ja-
« fon had knowne the value of them that are brcddc
« and to be had in Englande, he wouldc never
« have gone to Colchos to looke for any there.

• What fooles then arc our countrymen, in that

• they feeke to bereve themfelvea of this commo-

• ditie by praAizing dayly howe to transferre the
' fame to other nations, in carying over their
' rammes and ewes to brcede an increafe among
•them." In tlie edition of 1586 [^. 22l] he
;idd8, ' — The full example hereof was given un-
' der Edward the fourth, who not undeiftanding
« tiie botome of the fute of fundiie traitorous
' merchants, that fought a prefent gaiiie with the
« perpetual] hindcrance of their countric, licenced

• lliem tQ carle over cetteine numbers of them

' into Spaine, who having licence but for a few,

• (hipped verie manic.'— Holinlhed in his Chronicle
' [A- '3'7» "'• '577] relateathe exportation thus.

' Kyng Edwarde concluded an ametic and

« league with Henrye king of Calllle and John
' king of Aragon, at the concUiding whereof hce

• granted licence for certayne Cotttiolde (heepe to

• be tranl'ported into the tonntrey of Spavne (as
'people report ) whych have there fo niukiplyed

• and increafed, that it hath turned the commoditie
« of England much to the Spanldie profile'. -—
Stow {^Ann.fi. 6()6cd, i6co] nearly npcita Holin-
(lied's words ; as does alfo Speed, [/». 854, •//.
1632] who adds, that clotha made from the wool
of the dtfcendents of the Ihetp now carried to
Spain, were (in his own time) a great hindeiance
to the Englilli merchants adventuring to the Le-
vant fcas The other authors, whom 1 have ex-
amined for this fait, are fdent upon it.

A. D. 1466. 5gj

and, thinking nothing elfe fo viuab 7 the^nr? "h' f '^' '^""^'■>' '
bring two ounces of plre filver to the mint for r" ,"^T^'"^^ '°

own goods, and import vvhat theV had o-.'^^^^^^^^^^ m.ght export their

in trade and wer^ «vcn owners of vcffdi, as appears

Enghft, t^oney pajd by Km„. Edward', a^rent.

L)i-, for a (h,,, Icaied ,vuh .iRrcliandlze, hdonp.

, "■ J;-"'" Culqulioun tlic chambalam o;

iiig

to

ut

. Rudd.man. on the authority of Buchanan,
inclines to behcvc t!,.,t copper money was coined
by fome of tl.e earn.-r kn.j^ of Scotlan.!. [Pr^f
a. D.pL Sco,,^, pf. 66, 67, 7 ,.] But Bi.chanan-s
al mi.,„, if uiilupported by otlur vouchers, is ,u,

• n anodia work) irp.ciy.ly, as he confounds the
cupper mono)- with the mixed it black money,
t hue were fcarecly any i.iiiuvatiiiu, in wlild. the
bcots preceded the Englini.

1 Soni; of the Scoitiflt barons were conc.rncJ

589.] _ Uulcfs the compcnfa'tion was vciyina'd'e-
quale indeed, the veflel and cargo mull luive beet,
very tr,n,„p. u.erely for the Icrvice of his own
houiehold. I,j tins age the kings alfo interfered
in trade, as will appear afterwards.

UL,

I.

4R

682

A. D. 1467.

and thofe of a greater burthen the freight of a fack, to the chaplain of
the nation in the country failed to, and on their return home (hould
pay the freight of a tun to the church of the port of delivery — ^Veflcls
were prohibited from failing to any foreign country b'.cween the 28'*
of Oaober and the 2' of February — ^The merchants of Scotland were
now prohibited from failing to the Swyn.the Sluys,theDam,or Bruges,
and were required to remove their property from thofe places before
the i" of Auguft enfuing, and thenceforth to have no intercourfe with
them. [^{Is Jac. Ill, cc. 14-10.] The interruption of trade with
thefe towns was an infraftion ot tu^ hundred-years treaty, owing to
fome caufe of difpleafure, which the hiftorians of the age have not m-
formed us of.

July— In England alfo the attention of the parliament this year was
chiefly turned to trade.— Notwithftanding the ad for enforcing uniform-
ity of fabric and quantity in the worfted-ftuff manufaftures of Nor-
wich and the adjacent country, pafled in the 20", and repeated in the
2 3^ year of Henry VI, there were now frefli complaints of the delin-
quency of the manufadurers of thofe goods ; whereupon a new ad was
made, which was little more than a repetition of the former ones. [A6is

7 Edw. IV, c. 1.^

The clothiers in the hundreds of Lifton, Taviftock, and Rowburgh,
in Devon-lhire were permitted to mix flocks with their wool, they
having reprefented, that, on account of the groflnefs and ftubbomnefs
of the wool in that diftrid, no cloth could be made without fuch a mix-
ture, [c 2.] r 1 1 1- t. u

The exportation of woollen yam and unfuUed cloth, whereby the
king loft the cuftoms payable upon finiflied cloths, and the people a part
of their employment, was prohibited, [f. 3.]

Auguft 29'" — King James allowed the merchants of Scotland to fail
to Middleburg, but not to eftablifli their trade in that city as a ftaple,
as he intended to fend commiflloners to negotiate privileges for them m
whatever place ftiould be found moft advantageous for a ftaple. — They
were alfo at liberty to fail to Rochelle, Bourdeaux, and the other ports
of France. [ABs Jac. Ill, cc. 20, 21.]

Odober— The parliament of Scotland, after havmg lowered their
money of account by making a nominal rife upon their own and all
foreign coins current in the kingdom, or, in their own language, making
their money equivalent to the currency in Flanders, next obliged all
debtor<; to make payment in the full value originally contrrited for. In
a few months the parliament obfervcd, that that change anfwered no
good purpofe, that the pennyworth rofe with the penny, and that land-
lords were defrauded of the fourth or fifth part of their rents * ; and

• However obvious thefe confequeuces might day3. But fuch ignorance of <Air na/««W W«
be to the eye of reafon, none of the natioa. of of th^ toealth of nalions in thofe ages need not lur-
Europe fcem to have had any idea of them in thofe prife us, when, even :n t!ie prefent enlightened age.

A. D. 1467.

683

ihercfor they reduced moft of the foreign coins current in Scotland to a

V?fi«f T^'^'S"' ''rlf '''"'' '^'y ^^^ ^''^y ^« "PO'^ *hem (January
1468). l^asjac. Ill, cc. 22, 23, 29, and {eenKosS.l

i.^Zuri^l-T^^ ^-"S"^ '"^ '^^ J?^°P^^ °f *he Netherlands feel-
ing the bad efFefls of turning the trade of the two countries into a cir-
. cmtous channel the commercial intercourfe between them was now re-
vived, and regulated by a new treaty between King Edward and the
duke of Burgundy which was to be in force thirtv years. The fubjeds
of both princes, whether dealers in wool, hides, or provifions. or other

tnff1{ 71' '^ ^T ^"-^l^^^ef^ by land or water with liberty to buy
and fell all kmds of merchandize, except warlike (lores, on paying the
duties, eftabhftied when commerce formerly had free courfe between
the two countries._Each prince, in cafe of fcarclty. might prohibit the
cn"> ration of provifions.— The fifhermen on both fides might freely
nf.i in any part of the fea, without needing formal licences or fafe-con-

tK.v\'"M i ^-'m ^y "'?"'"y '"'° "">■ P°" °'^ ^he oppofite coaft.
they fiiould be kindly treated, provided they paid the cuflomary dues
committed no fraud, and did no damage.— No corfairs Hiould be allowed
to lail from the ports of either prince to prey upon the fubjeds of the
other: neither (hould they be allowed to fell, or even to land, their plun-
der in any harbour, and the officers of .ny place, permitting fuch fale
or landmg,fhould be bound to make compenfation to the party iniured.
—Neutral veflels carrying provifions or other merchandize from the
taft-countryto the territories of either prince, fhould not be mrlefted
by the fubjeds of the other.— Merchant veflels, driven into port by
ftorms or enemies, fhould be kindly treated, but fliould not land any
merchandize without permiffion.— Mariners ftiould be allowed in the
ports to faflen their vefiels to the fhore.— The fubjedls of either prince
Ihould not carry the property of the enemies of the other.^Veflels
itranded or wrecked on either Ihore. wherein a human creature, or even
a dog, cat or cock, remained alive, fhould be preferved with their car-
goes as fag y as poflible, and reftored to the owners for a reafonable
TT i^^";;: ,/,°''^^f°"^ C-'^^^^'* to Cravellngs niouW be kept up; the
Enghfh (hould have inns or hotels, with all their former privileges, in
the towns of Brabant. Flanders, and Mechlin ; and the merchants of
thofe countries (hould have the like in England— The treaty (hould not
be 'f "nged for the adion of any individual.-Laftly, the four members
ot t landers (hould bind themfelves to prcfcrve the treaty inviolate on
their part. [Fa-dera, V. xi. p. 591.]

1468, June— The clothiers "in Norfolk and Suffolk having got into a
pradice cf making their cloths, called fet cloths, very deficient i,i length,

profpcrity. But llic very fame men do not bliidi

^vc fee (and/«/) the race of dopretialion, though
by different means, proceedinj; with a moll dellruc-
tive career, and men, wlio affiimc the charader of
philiilophital pohticians, holding up that very de-
pVctiation as a triumphant tvidciicc of national

■olpcr
to alk, and rcctivc, an augmentation of emolu-
ments, drawn from the nectflities of thofe who are
finking under tnc depretiation, to fliieid thcmfelves
from the bancfid cfRft- of th.eir boaftcd iirc-fpciit)-.

4R2

"M.

684

A.,J?«i 1468.

breadth, and fubfiance, the parliament enaded, that every broad fet
cloth, properly finiftied for fale, fliould meafure 28 yards and 28 inches
by the fold in length, and 7 quarters in breadth within the lifts in all
parts, and fliould weigh at leaft 38 pocmd^ ; and ftrait fet cloths, duely
linifti'ed, fhould meafure half as much in length and breadth, and weigh
at leaft 94- pounds. All fet cloths were to be infpedted and fealed by,
the king's aulneger with the feals of the fubfidy and aulnage. [^cts.
8 Edw.lV,c. I.]

In confideration of ;C33>ooo due by the king to the company of the
ftaplers at Calais, he afllgned to them for eight years the fubfidies of the
port, and all* his other revenues in Calais, for payment, they allowing
out of them the pay of the foldiers and maintenance of the works*.
[Cotton's Abridgement, p. 681.]

An account was prefented to parliament of the money exchanged in
the Tower by the keeper of the king's exchange in three years, whereof
the following is an abftrad.

Years
ending
29'" Sept-
ember.

U68

GOLD.

Old
nobles.

137.875
60,li3
33,400

Emption for
the king's
farm at \d
each,
574 9 7
200 13 7

SHVEH.

Troye I Emption at
pounds jlT(/p' pound
weight,|weight,

TOTAL.

3,845

72
183

\0\
9

Emption,

646 11

384 13

whereof

paid to

the king,

and remain-
ed to the
keeper.

400

200

0

0 246 11

184 13

51
4

[Cotton's Jbri ^ment^ p. 685.]

July 2"*— treaty for commercial intercourfe with Bretagne for
thirty years was now fettled, almoft upon the fame terms as that with
the duke of Burgundy, except that the trade was allowed to be more
general and free j wool, cloths, linens, wines, fruits, hides, provifions,
and alfo harnefs, armour, artillery, horfes and other animals, and all
other merchandize whatever, were lawful. Plymouth, Dartmouth, Win-
chellea within the chain and its little harbour, and Calais, were except-
ed from the general liberty granted to the merchants of Bretagne of
making faft their veflcls in the harbours, and having hotels or inns in
the towns, of England ; the duke of Bretagne having an equal right to
except any of his towns from the fimilar liberty to be granted to the
Englifli merchants. [Frederay V. x\,p. 618.]

September 8'" — The purchafeof the vaflhl kingdom of Mann and the
Weftern iflandi by Alexander III king of Scotland in the year 1266 has
been related. The ftipulated annual payment of 1 00 marks, perhaps
as too trifling to merit attention on either fide, had been allowed to run
in arrear for twenty-fix years. In confequence of the advice of Charles,
the late king of France, a very amicable fettlement was now eflfededbe-

• This loan, and that of 1464, fhow that the ^lo.coo for payment of a part of his filler's por-

mtrchants of the llaple were very rich (^f 33,000 'ion to the duke of Burgundy : and on many otiier

being Hill a great fum) and that the king knew occafiona King Edward relortcd to tlicin tor pe-

ihey were . In the following year lie borrowed cuiiiary affillance. [Cu/Zon,^^. C83, 692) &c.]

A. D. 1468.

685

daughter in marige to K nTfamef tV^ ' '° '^' '""'''^' ^^^^ ^'^^
together with a full dilbharge^fThJ arTe.r ^.°'"u°'' °^ ^°'°°^ fl'^""^.
all demands on that account in time cnS-n J^? f ""'^^' ^^^ ^^^^ of
he engaged to pay downio o^o TrL hT^' K^^'^" ^""^ ftipulated.
for Scotland, and to give limortllTn^^^^^^ ^''- ^^^^^'^^'^ departure
iflands. which fhould^ eL\n ?ulT 'o t ^r^'^'^^i^c"^ ^^e 6rkney
ftould pay the remaining 50 000 When ^h.^-"'"'' °^ •^'°'^'"^' ^"^ ^e
barkation of the princeff arrivecT Chriftlern hT'^PP^'T? ^"^ '^' ^"^-
war, could only pay 2 000 florins ^nnVif' .^'"^l """^^ ^^''afled with
a further mortgage of theXI'omluf T ^'°1^^^ ^^96) heofFered
find it convenienf to redeem thelKv' °^ Shetland, till he fhould
the money was ever paid a^d atuhe ^n^'?"? ^'°°° ^""^^- None of
ocean in the vicinity^of Scmhnd rl ^^'' ^^""'""^ '^ '^^ Northern
kingdom [r..>/o;;i^;;^r^8;rZ^ ^'^^ day attached to that

bel Jr^^^^^^^ once was

edeltlt;ff:?;'oo^— f,p-f-^^^

^md poor in money,! '^a s from hT '^"a"'^ H""^^^'^"^ forfem/es'
was forfeited land, in tSfdavs of f„Sl "'""^T' borrowing. Neithe?
eligible property f. ^' °^ ^"^^'^ revolutions, a very fecure or "

of %'rfougL^re7rd^^ '''"^ ™^"«,^« of the north coaft

on oath, were piratic Ivtarenf 'if'^"?' ''^''^' '^^Y declared up.

Dartmouth. Pirmout^nfFowe^^^ ^^/'^^ fople of SandwicK.

valued by them as folbws t ^' '''"''' '"'^ '^'^^ ^^^''goes were
aslnp of 100 tuns, value ^"107 JO

a ship
a carvel
a ship
a carvel
a carvel
a carvel

70
40
120
110
110
120

100
70
110
140
150
180

O
O
O
0
O
O

O; total of vessel and cargo ^565

wr'tcrT'lT"""' •'" ''"" '''"'^'^ by fucceed.-njr
^utm,u n common oca,rn„„, and as a proof of

inc ita-port. VVe thus fee, what midaktMi ■•„f,..-

t VVe have alrfajy fcen fp. ^^8 ) „ i;f,..„„,
chale 111 bcollanj in the thhtetmh century. ^

ditto,
ditto,
ditto,
ditto.

tl'tto, tlitro

fl'tto, ditto

ditto, and freight

'J'tfo, ditto

ditto

«'itto, ditto

350:
250:
300:
380:
2,500:
430

nlU'r'/"""' '":' "*"■■'' ''' '"ken from the con,
p .xnt of tnc merchants a<ldr.fled to the ki, Z'.
the patticiilars, fwoin to in .1,. . ^ ' ""'

fomcwhat different, a„i;' . T'^' S''^'"'"'^

greater n... tI^ ^l^r :;;; r^A^ '"

»iin;3K. j{,| .u j^j j,cr tun.

686

A. D. 1470.

The cargoes confifted of iron, wine, wool (440 Tacks), raifins, liquor-
ice fpicery, incenfe, oranges, marfac, and 4 facks of cheefe intend-
ed for prefents. The mod valuable veflel with wool, iron, &c. was
bound for Flanders, and all the reft for England. [Fadera, V. y.i,pp.
671, 672.] We do not fee, what was decided by the court. But the
merchants of the northern ports of Spain declined trading to England,
as appears by an invitation held out by Edward IV in the year 1471,
affuring them, that they had nothing to fear in his kingdom.

December ag'^—King Henry VI, being reftored for a few months,
gave the merchants of Cologne, who, with other merchants of Germany,
poffeffed the Teutonic gildhall in London, a grant fimilar to that, given
in the year 1463 to the merchants of the Hanfe in general, by his an-
tagonift Edward IV : but this was to the merchants of Cologne only *,
and was to laft for five years,' inftead of two and a half, the term grant-
ed by Edward. IFadera, V. xi,/. 678.] , ^ ,xr • ,

During the fhort fecond reign of King Henry, the earl of Warwick,
who then governed the king and the kingdom, fent an army over to
Calais to aft ag^iinft the duke of Burgundy and the exiled king Edward

IV. But the Englifh merchants of the ftaple, wuofe greateft fale tor
wool was to the clothiers of the duke's provinces of Flanders and Hol-
land, knowing the ruinous confequences to their trade to be expeded
from a war in the Netherlands, found means to divert xhe earl from his
purpofe. \Comines, L. iii, c. 6.]

1471, February 16"^— King Henry entered into a treaty, or truce,
with the king of France, which, being merely calculated for his own
perfonal fafety, an objea which left him no leifure to attend to any
other confideration, contains v^ry little relating to commerce. As an
article of courfe, the merchants and all other fubjeds of both kings were
to have freedom of goin- into either kingdom on the bufmefs of merch-
andize, fiftiing, or any otiier occafion. \_Fadera, V. xi, p. 683.]

February 22"— He alfo granted the Genoefe an exemption from the
additional duties laid upon foreign merchants by an ad pafTcd by him-
lelf as well as by another of the third year of King Edward. \_Fadera,

V. xi, p. 696.] But a few weeks terminated his life and reign, and their

privileges. r l

Auguft— The parliament of Scotland thought it expedient, for the
benefit of the kingdom, and in confideration of the great riches which
might be acquired from other countries, that certain lords Ipintual and
temporal, and burghs, Ihould build large fliips, bufles, and pink-boiUs,
and fmnifh them with nets and other apparatus proper for filhmg f.
[ //c?j Jac. Ill, c. 6c.]

• Cologne courted the fiiend(hlp of EngUnJ
in tliC year 1452, wlicii Liibeck was lioiUIc, and
the other Hanfe towns were not friendly.

\ The vtry brief ads of the Scolti(h parliament
fpnicijiueb fupprefs a part of what they ought to

contain, as fuppofing it already generally known.
It is from a fubfcqnent adl (c 133) ih^t we learn,
that ih-: filbery wa» intended to be on the well
coall, and for catching and curing iKnlngs and
other lilli.

A, D, 1071,

687

November 9"'---Kmg Edward, mindful of the fricndfhip fhown to

h m in his exile by Peter Bladelyn. lord of the town of Middleburg in

Flanders, granted forever to all the traders (' mercatores') of that town

hough not afTocated m the Teutonic Hanfe, as well thofe workine at

the mechanic trade called battery, as thofe engaged in other trades an

rSr >r,r".^?r ^"^ '^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ wares through S

rheteonl7of n '^' ^^T''- '"^ P""^^^^^^ "^^''^ ^^^ been enjoyed by
the people of Dynant, before it was deftroyed *. [FaJera, V. xi V'720 1
December 22'~He alfo granted for ever to Henry of Borfe /Jd^of
Vere in Zeland. and to the inhabitants of that town, liberty to ir^pon
their merchandize and export thofe of England, ftaple goods excS

wS'tSo:^^ P^"^^^P- Po-d ontlie export's, e^ cS ori
Which they (hould pay twelve pennies for the piece of 28 yards and for
mgrained cloths the fame duty paid by the Efterlings ; and h; affured
them, tha. no other or higher cuftoms Luld ever be demanded of hem
This grant was made on the condition, that his own fubjeds fhould be
exempted m the port of Vere from all duties already impofed or after
wards to be impofed. [F<^dera. V. xi, p. 730.] ^ ^ ' '

1 his year the merchants of Lubeck, Roftock. Wifmar Stralfund

.^^f ''^r °"^"^^'?' J'S^ ^' ^^S'^')' R^^^J' ^«d all the othe Hanfe
towns of Germany, Pruffia, and Livonia, bound themfelves under the
penalty of forfeiting all their rights and privileges, to make BrSge the
lole ftaple for all their goods, and to (hip^hem all onboard certafn vef
felsfufficiently armed for beating off pLes, which fliouWbe reg Jat

l^TZt ^^H^^r^^''^-^^ ^^"y^ ^°^ the accommodation of theTade
On the other hand the citizens of Bruges engaged that th^ nnft

(* portoria') fhould be lowered, that bro£ or'of^s empl^^^^^^^^
merchants Ihould afk no exorbitant recompenfe. and Klhe^ue
depth and other accommodations of their porf of Sluys fhould be pre'
lerved. IMeyeri Ann. FlandrictJ. 354 a.] ^

1472. February 12;^— King Edward licenced his fifter, the duchefs of
Burgundy, to berd, clack f, and clean, fifty facks of wool, arid export
them many veflels whatever to the Mediterranean fea, wi hout paving
any cuftoms, or being obliged to import bullion on account of S
Jndlfni'' ''''''"^ Pnncefs obtained frequent repetitions of fuch g amT.'
and as fhe never paid any cuftoms and was not obliged to bring bulUon
to the mint her traffic, which by herfelf or her proxies was ver? extend
ive. muft have been very injurious to the tair traders. [F^S/ ^ xi
P' 735—Rymer's MS, records, pajfm.] irreaera, ^. xi.

I

668

A. D. 1472,

October — The parliament obliged the foreign merchants to import
four fufficient bow-flavcs along with every tun weight of goods imported
by them. [^SIs 12 Edw. IV, c. 2.]

In order to put a flop to the pradlice of fmuggling cloth of gold, cloth
of filver, bawdekyns, velvet, damaflc, fatin, iarcenet, tarteron *, cham-
elets, and other fluffs of filk and gold, and of filk, whereby the fubfidies,
voted in the year 1463 for the guard of the fea, were rendered inade-
quate, and the law obliging foreigners to inveft the proceeds of their
fales in Englifh merchandiEe was evaded, the parliament ordained, that
all fuch goods, now being in England, or hereafter to be imported,
fhould be fealed and countcrfealed by the collector and comptroller of
the fubfidies of tunnage and poundage in the port of delivery, before
they could be expofed to fale, on penalty of forfeiture f. — Precautions
were alfo taken againft another practice of (hipping fine cloths as coarfe
ones, owing to the negligence of the officers of the cuftoms, who weie
now ordered to examine the contents of every package, [c. 3.]

The parliament, finding that wool of other parts of the country w.ts
ftill fmuggled to the Netherlands under colour of the permifllon to (hip
the wool of the northern (hirc^ from Newcaftle to any foreign country,
now ordained, that thofe northern wools (liip^jed at Newcaftle fhould go
to Calais or New Middleburg in Flanders, and to no other place, and
that all other wool, wool-fells, morlings, and fliorlings, exported, except
thofe (hipped in gallies and carracks for the Mediterranean, fhould be
carried to Calais only, on pain of felony, [c. 5.]

1473, June 70** — Though the bifhops of Durham had for many ages
enjoyed the privilege of coining fterlings, or pennies, the prefent biftiop
did not think himielf fully authorized to coin halfpennies without ob-
taining the king's fpecial permifTion, which was granted. [Foedera, V.
xi,/«.783.]

1474, March 31" — William Caxton, a mercer of London, being a
man of great ingenuity and unwearied application, and having refided
about thiity years on the continent as agent for the company of mercers
of London, and in the year 1464 as one of the ambalTadors fent by
King Edward to the duke of Burgundy, found means to make himfelf
niafter of the new art of printing. He adually undertook to print a
Bi/Iorv of 'Troy, tranflatcd by himfelf from the French, which he finiftied
at Cologne, in the year 1471. In the following yeai he returned to
England with fome copies of his book, and let up a prefs in the almonry
of Wcftminfter abbay, where he now produced the Gome at Cbefs, the
fud book printed in England. ' From this time to his death, A. D.
' 1491, he applied with fo much ardour lo tranflaiing and printing, that,
' though he was an old man, he publifiicd about fifty books, fume of

• Was this llie cliecqucrcd (hiff, now callid f Formcily llie penalty had bi-ui only double
l.irtim, and thought peculiar lo the Highlands of paynieiit of tiie fnblKly.
Scotland i

^Mllil ail k..>^<aaAit..-'.-. . .

A' B. 1474.

68^

• them large y^lum^, and many of them tranflated by himfelf. How
produa,ve IS mceflant labour, and how worthy are fuch men as Cax-
ton of a place m the hiaory of their country * '

annTirl Ti?'^'®"^'"' P'°^^?^y ^'""Sht over as workmen by ,Caxton.
the bufinefsofprmtmgm England, which profpered fo well in^It

fMwy^'"n ^""?°" ^'' P""^«^ books'an ^article of epirtaS
iMtddletori's Oriim of pnnting in England.] puiwtion.

A. H^K^f '' ""l certainty of any eftablifliment of a printing. pre& in Scot-
land before the year 15O7. when Walter Chepman; a merchant of Edin-
burgh, obtained ,;he,kmg's patent for himfelf and Andrew Mvjtr ^o
carry on the bufinefs of priming f. ^^ ^^

Mr.y— The Scottifh parliamem, ftlll anxious to fill the country with
rnoney. and thmking they could command it to flow in. diS the
officers ofthecuftoms to make the merchants give fecurity. ThTt they
fliould brmg to^the mmt .two ounces of filver for every ferplaith four
ounces for a laft of hides, two ounces for a laft of falmon ai^d prouor-
tional quantities for cloth or other goods, before therro'uldl^^^^^^
cockets for their exportation. [ABs Jac. Ill, c. 6 J ^

Oaober-^In the parliament of Eiigland the ad 12 Edw. IV c c
agamftJmuggJing wool was renewed: and. inftead of J ^diebure "the
towri or^yrwtck.m Brabant was declared the only plac 1 efi<ks C^k^
to which the northern wools might K Hupped from N^caft e a powe;
bemg however vefted in the king to name »ny other port infte^dgf
Bymtck,i5pon giving rhreetnonths, notice. [Jds i±/dw.Wctf

De^ccnber ri/^-„K agiEdward acknowleged himfelf indebic'dii'tL
merchants of Qu.pulcoa m Spainin the fum of 1 1 .000 crawls as aim!
pen :.tion for damages done to them by the Eng ift : and^h; affiS
CO them half the cuftoms payable on goods imported and exporSd bv
the merchants of Spain, till the debt flfould be difcharged atT afe of
3/4 ftcrlujg fflrevefy cro^'n. [Fi^dcra, V. ,xj, p. 841 ]

1475. February S^-A large feip built by James Kennedy bidiop of
S Audrevvs, called the Salvotor, and alio, by way of eminence tKp
BrP..p^s arse^^ as being tlie fin.ft vcOel hith;rto' built in Sco t'nd ? ia
wrecked m March ,473 at Bamburgh. where the cargo was pUmd;iS!

'Hie two laft .Ititencfs arc t»kcn vi-rbatin

222.— -There tt-as .i book piiutcd at Oxfotd by

vfmr/iIJi/l. of-fiti„rmgtp, 2 Af;.:WUion's Otiffin.o/

prmtmgin ln:JatiiL~Aji^e's Origin cf lurilmi, f.

'ltd \i\

Corfelib, a forc-iViifr, dated riiecctlxvlii ; but Doc-
tor Middltton, >lr. Lewis, and Mr. A(He, %vho
have LtRowed mucl\ atlwiioi: ujxin (he fubj<^ of
imntiiig. arc of oplinon that ;i;, xmi.uII have dr,<,t
out, and tint mccc \ .nI,! ij tl,e real d.iti: of [he
book i.rintcl liyCotfclis.

Vol. T.

\ 1 he nrigmal pau^nt wa. difcovcrtd a few years
ago by Mr. William R.jbcrtfon of the ReL-KUr
office,. who made the fcat<;h in oidcp tagT.-rtify Mr
ChaJnur.: apd the later, by gnnjioiiiiig it in hii
l.ijcvfRuddman,p. 80, has given tl.c knowlcffe
of It to tlie public. ''

t So the great fl.ip belonging to the king of
Sweden {Jap. 671) was called the Kwg' , large.

4S

I.

I

690

.a:d.H7*^

and the men made prifoners, by the people of the country*. In the
year 1474 the parHament of Scotland had ordered that redrefs (hould be
demanded from the king of England ; and it was now finally fettled by
a payment of SCO marks fterling made at Edinburgh by Lye, King Ed-
ward's agent, to the bifhop of Aberdeen, as a compofition to be divided
among the merchants concerned. [y^£ls Jnc. Ill, c. 62. — Foedera, V. xi,
pp. 789, 820, Sso.—LeJ. Hi/L Scot. pp. 303, 304.] It is not improbable
that the intereft of the Scottifti merchants was in Tome degree facrificed
to a marriage treaty now going on between the two kings.

February 28* — However defirable the management of the trade of
the country by foreign merchants may have been in the early ages,
when, if there had not been a trade of that kind, there would have been
none, the Englifti merchants of this age, who owned many good veflels,
could not contentedly behold the merchants of the Hanfe inverted with
privileges equal, in fome cafes fuperior, to thofe enjoyed by themfelves,
which, together with their extenfive connexions upon the continent,
their mutual fupport, and other lefs juftifiable means, enabled them
generally to command the market. The reciprocal ill will, arifmg from
fuch a ftate of affairs, had during many years part produced frequent
difputes and many captures of veflels and other ads of open hoftility on
both fidgs. Neither was the policy of King Edward, who, in his feveral
renewals of the privileges of the Hanfe merchants, gave them very (hort
terms, fometimes only one year f, calculated to give fatisfadion, either
to them, or to his own fubjedls.

The citizens of Lubeck, who had formerly diftinguiflied themfelves
beyond their confederates by a fpirit of hoftility to England, had in
April 1473 fent deputies to a general aflembly of the reprefentatives of
the Hanfe towns held at Bruges, with inftrudions to ratify the articles
agreed upon with King Edward's commiflioners. After feveral adjourn-
ments, three commilfioners from the king,, with the reprefentatives of
Lubeck, and two or three from each of the cuies of Bremen, Hamburgh,
Dortmund, Munfter, Dantzik, Daventer, Campen, and Bruges, the ie-
cretary of the merchants of the Hanfe in London, and the lecretary of
thofe in Bergen in Norway, met at Utrecht in order to fettle the terrns
of a permanent amicable intercourfe, and now concluded a treaty, m
fubftance as follovvs.—All hollilitles fhould ceafe, and a free inter-
courfe byL.'id and water Qiould be reftored — All fuits for compenl-
ation on either fide fliould be dropt, and all injuries be buried in ob-
livion : no claims fliould be made upon velfels or other property by

• The people of Noirhumberlanil and DuTham
mull have been much addided to plimdcring vcf-
ftls : we find a complaint of l!ic fame kind brought
agaiiift Loid Luniley ami his vaiFals of Hartlepool
by the citizen* of Lubeck. [Failera, F. xii,P' 38.J

f Some of the grants ar; in the Pal.nl nllt of
EdvjardlV, ten. 1, m. 18 [ prim, 9, m. XX ; ftita.
12, m. 6 ; ftc. 14, '«. 16.

A. D, 1475.

6^i

tbofe from whom they had been taken, nor the captains of (hips * or
others be hable to arreft for any by-paft quarrels—This general am
nefty fhould be confirmed by the king and parliament f orETgland"
and all obligations entered into by the Hanfe merchants n England fo^
compenfation of damages (hould be cancelled.-The merchants of Eng-
fend might trade to Pruflia and other places of the Hanfe as freely as fn
former times, and Ihould be charged with no cuftoms or exaSs bu^

Sanfe ^ T " ^"",^'1^ ^'''''. '^'^^^^'^^ ^nd the merchants of the

Hanfe Ihould enjoy all the privileges in England granted by any of the

kings to their predeceffors.-The king and parliament of EnglLd anS

he Hanfe confederacy, by letters under the feal of the ci^y of Lubeck

tttteTft1litie''(h"" rrr^J °^^°!;^^""- «f P"v^Jeges on account of
the late hoftil ties (hould be advanced on either fide.— In civil or crim^

hniThf?- r'?/'^ "'"^" merchants might be concerned in Eng-
land, theking fhould appomt two or more judges, who, without the form-
alities of law. fhould do fpeedy juftice between the parties, the merX
ants and marmers of the Hanfe being entirely exempted from thTiunf-
didion of the admiralty and other courts ; and limSar prov^Son fhould
be made for the eafy and fpeedy difpenfation of juflice in the Hanfe
countries -As part of the recompenfe. found due by the Enghfh to
he Hanfards the king fhould convey to them the abfolute propmy of
the court-yard called the ^.../^../ or 5/../,Wt with the buildEd-
hering to It. extending to th. Teutonic simallin London, and alfo a
cour -yard called the Sta^lhoef or Steelyard in Bofton, and a proper houfe
for their accommodation, near the water, in LynneS. they bee miri^
bound to bear all the burthens for pious purpolls. to wathes"ad!
hoef was made liable by antient foundation, or the bequefls of the faith-
ful II, and having full power to pull down and rebuild, as they might

their tenements in Windgoofe lane in London,
and for tlicM- place in Lynne, appear in /Jo/. A;/.
15 M.i!w IV, pnm. m. 6, and/v. m. iz.

II The Steelyard (Staelhod) and the Teutonic
gildhall have been fiippofed by Hakluyt and other,
to be different names of the fame building • and
thence the appellation of merchant, of thr SuelmrJ
l^s buen ulcd as fynonymous with merchants of the
feuiontc gildhall and merchants of the flan^/ hiil
improperly till after this time, as appears from' thi,
treaty.— atow [Survey, /,. 433, td. 1618] fays,
that a great honfe called the Suel-houf, near the
Icntonic gildhall, (though he leen.s to confound
them a few paragraphs higher) was given to the
cty as a fund for deeds of piety, and that it was
confirmed to the merchants of the Teutonic gild-
liau by the kmg and parliament in the it" year of
Ldward IV for a rent ot ^-70 = 3:4, 'pa/able f»
the city. But no parliament of that year appears
in the llatute books, nor in Cotton'^ Abridi/ement
ot the records of parliament, nor in Stow's own
Annals. I here was, indeed, in that year an ex-

empliiiciitioii

4 S 2

• ' Capitanci navium.'— This is the firft time I
find the commanders of vefTels called cnptams in
any tnglifh record. Fur an example of it in a
Barcelona record of the year 133 1 fee above p.
507. ""^ '^

|- The precaution of demanding the (-iiKaion
of parliament, which occurs feveral times in this
treaty, fhows tliat foreigners did ngt now think
the king's patent of itfelf a fufficiVnt fcciirity.

J Kihan, m his Etymolo^itum Tmlonkx imfut,
explains StaeLbof io be the place where dyed cloths
are fealed with ihtja,/ loot (feal of lead). Qnere,
ifthe Enghlh word lleelyaid be not rather a cor-
rupt tranflation of the fame name than any w?y
connedtd with ileel ?— Kilian finiilitd his work in
1598.

J In the tranfaftions of the year 141 2 we find
the merchants of the Hanfe fettled at Bollon, and
apparently at Lynne. Qnere, if the rich merchants
plundered at Boilon in 1288, whofe opulence was
und.Hibtedly much exaggerated, were of the
Hanfe .'—The grants to the Hanfe mtrchanti for

'I

6if^

A. D. r475.

find convenient.— Ai*«r difcufllng the claitns for pitlbg«s 6f (hips and
cargoes and other outrages oomm«t«d on both fidiess the funi of /^i 5,000
fterling was found due, as a balance of compenfarkin, from the EngliOi
to the Hanfards, befides the above-mentioned houfes : but in conlidera-
tion of the protedtion againft fuirsfer by-p«ft grievances aflured to them
by the king, they agreed to redwoe the fum to ;{'toiooo, and to receiTtf
the payment in the cuftoms falling due on their fuWequcnt imports and
exports*. — If any city ftould be difmembered frdfti the aftnciation of
thi Hanfe, the king, upon receiving due intiifiation, fhoutd put the
merchants of that city upon a footing with other foreigners, till he
fhould be duely certified that they were re-admittfed into the nflbciation.
— The city of London fhould be bound by the prefent treaty in tranf-
at^ons with the Hanfe merchants, whofe antient privileges fluiuld not
be impaired by any later grants made to the city ; and the Hanfe
merchants fhould ftill have the keeping of Bilhopfgate, as formerly.—
The king fhould oblige the public weighers and meafurers to do juhice
between the buyers and fellers ; and he fhould prevent vexatious delays
dt the cuflom-houfe, and the repeated opening of the packages contain-
ing federatures and other pretioua furs and merchandize, (after being
lealed, as having paid the cofloms) at Canterbury, Rocheflcr, Gravef-
end, and elfewhere, and fhould abolifh thcexa^ion of prince-money and
fbme other unlawful charges.— Wrecked veffels fliould be preferved for
their ou'ners on the ufwal conditions. — The king fhould make diligent
provifion againft defefl^s in the length or breadth of cloths, or in the

quality of the wool The merchants of the Hanfe, after giving fecurity

to abide the law in fuch cafes as their property ufed to be arrelled for,
fhould have pcrftdt liberty of felling their goods as they pleafed, and of
retailing Rhenifh wine, according to antient ufuage : neither fhoukl the
mayor of London claim a portion of their fait, as he ufed to do. [Fced-
era,V.\\,pp. 544, 645, 739, 765, 779, 780, ygs-— Cotton's y^bridjment,
/.692.]

June 6 — The commercial and political dignity of the family of Me-
dici was now fupported by Lorenzo the Magnificent, the grandf'on of
Coimo. King Edward, who was perpetually in want of money, had
now borrowed ^^5,000 from him and his brother Giuliano, together
with Thomas Portunary, and others, ftiled merchants of Florence, pro-
bably agents of the Medici, for which, as ufual, he gave an affignment

rmplification of an »€t of the is" parKament of
Edward IV, coiiccrntng the mercliants of the
Hanfe in London, [ff«/. *«/. /riot. 15 Edvt. IF,
nrm. :6, f;] which is pcrnaps what Stow alludei
to : and the funn, mentioned by trim as nnt, was
apparently a compofilion for the pious payments
to be made out of the tenements, for which the
utagidiates of London tvere trullrcs.

* This mode of pa^'ment wm even introduced
in the king's pnvate traofa^'ons. In 1482 he
bought jewels from fome merchants of Genoa,
who were to receive their payment in the fame
way. {RymtrU Unfuhn/hid rteordt, Ed<m. IV, Voi.
iii, BO. 102.] He died foon after, and it depeod>
rd on the pleafure of his fucoeffors, wliether the
Gcnoefe were paid or not.

A. D. H75-

^93

upon the ci^oms to fell due *. [Fadtra, F. xii, pjt. y, 9.] Though we
pottcls ample notices of Lorenzo's muaificence in pationiziflg the arts
and literature, and of his political negotiations, in all which his fa«^e
has even tranfcended that of his grandfather, yet very little kuowlege of
his commercial tranfadions has been tranCmitted by the writers of the
•«ge : and we are indebted to our own- public records for fome of the
inoft important of rhcm that arc known to usf.

This year Caffli, the chief fettlement of the Gcnocfe in the Black fea
was taken by the Turks t The trade of the Genoefe. already declining
was reduced very low by the lofs of all their eaftern poffeJlions ; and
their ftate being idfo convulfed by internal difcord, they were obliged
to court the pcoteaion, or fubinit to the dominion, of their more
powerful ncighbmira. [Werti FoUeta: Hifl. G^n. f. 243 h.—De Guigncs,
Hiji. des Hiitmes^ V. vi\,p. 378.]

1476. July I o'"— King Edward favoured all the merchants of Italy
with an exemption from moft of the additional duties, impoied upon
the perlous and the trade of foreigners by the ads of 71 Henry VI and
3 Edward IV, reducing the duty payable by them on wool from 66/8

^?,r\¥y'^^'^ ''"^^ ®" ^^'^ ^'■^"^ 2/ to 1/3 §. iRynur's MS. records, Edw.
IVy Vol HI, p. 55.}

November 6'*— We have feen the citizens of Cobgne in friendihip
with England, when all the other members of the Hanfe aflbciation
were hoftile, or at leaft unfriendly : and they alone enjoyed the privi-
leges of the Hanfe in England, though for very (hort terms, fubjed to
the trouble and expenfe of frequent renewals i|. In confequence of that
diRindion they had either withdrawn themfelves, or been expelled
from the confederacy. But now that all the Hanfe towns were in friend-.
Hup with England, Cologne was again received into the aflbciation;
and, agreeable CO the treaty, due notice of the re-admiffion was fent to
King Edward by the magiftrates of Lubeck in the name of the whole ■
Teutonic Hanfe f . \Fcedera, V. xii, p. 36.3

At this time, and perhaps long before, the Hanfe towns were divided
into four regions or clafles, according to the following arrangement.

Lubeck, by general confent, was placed at the head of the whole con-
federacy, and inverted with authority to convoke aflemblies of the

The grant is ncaily a copy of thofe foritiffrfy
jji»rn to Camziim, <iii agent of Cofmo de Medici,
abridged iii the note in p. 677.

t We flia!5 nfterwai dj fee a jiroof of the great
and extenfive credit of the bank known by the
family name of Medici, at the head of which Lor-
cnr.o undoubtedly w«.

X The inhabitant* wf Kubefchkh, ■ village
annong the mountains of Derbend, who call them-
felves Franks, are fuppofed' to be dcfcended from
the Genoefe of Caffa.

J Thi» indulgence wu repeatedly renewed, par-

ticularly by Edward IV in December 1 4.8 j, ami
by Richard III in J;u»uary 1485. [FtJenlt V.

II Their pri»ilege« were generally for only one
year, agreeable to the ruk followed by King Ed- .
ward. [Roi. pat. Edw. 1 V, prim. 1 1 , «. 1 3 ; ^fc
13, m. 17 ; pr'm 14, mm. 10, 14, 16.]

f Berlins \Rer. Germ. Z-. iii, ^. 2 5 ] dates this tr»
admiffion of Cologne (which he inadvertently Inp.
pofcs the original accelGon of llwt city to tlie coo-
fedcracy)in the year mcccclixxi, wliercia ljxii
i» evidently a iniilake for Ljivi.

I

694

i A. D. 1476.

neighbouring cities, and there the archives of the Hanfe arc preferved.
To this city, as the more immediate head of the firft divifion, there were
annexed

Hamburgh, Lunenburg, Gripswald,

Rostock, Stettin, Colberg,

Wisinar, , Anclani, Stargard, and

Stralsund, Gdnaw, Stolj)e.

Cologne was the chief city of the second region, in which were comprehended
Wescl, Hervorden, Vcnlo,

Duesburg, Paderborn, Elburg,

Emmerich, Lemgow, Harderwick,

Warburg, Bilefeld, Daventer,

Unna, Lipstadt, Campen,

Ham, Cocsfeld, Swolle,

Munster, Nimeguen Groningen,

Osnaburg, Zutphen, Bolsweit,

Dortmund, Ruremoiid, and

Soest, Arnhcim, Stavcrn.

Bkunswick, the capital of tlie third region, had under its jurisdiction
Magdeburg, Hildesheim, Stade,

Goslar, Hanover, Bremen,

Einbeck, Ulsa, Hamelen, and

Gottingen, Buxtehude, Minden.

Dantzik, the chief city of Prussia, was at the head of the fourth region,
consisting of

Koningsberg, Brunsberg, and also sundry towns in

Colmar, Riga, Slavonia.

Thorn, Dorpt,

Elbing, Reval,

There were alfo fome cities, whofe right to the privileges of the
Hanfeatic aflbciation was controverted, viz.
Stcndak", Brcslaw,

Soltwedale, Cracow,

Berlin, Hall,

Brandenburg, Aschcrsleben,

FrankJbrt on the Odor, Qufdlinburg,
The four chief fadories of the Hanfe merchants were eflabliflied at
NovoGROD in Ruflia, London in England, probably the mod antient as
well as the moft important of the whole, Bruges in Flanders, and Bergen
in Norway. All the merchants of every one of the Hanfe towns had a
right to trade to thofc fadories, and to enjoy all the privileges obtained
from the fovercigns of the countries, conforming to the regulations en-
aded for the general good of the whole confederacy f .

• Dinant was at this time in ruins, but after, many, which is fumetimcs followed by Werdcii-

wards revived. Werdcnliagcn extends ihc nam- hagcn, the piofclTed hillorian of the Hanfe re-

ber of cities of this dcfcription to forty-four, among publics. But, tlioiigh accuracy and unqncilionable

which are Lifl)on and Stockholm. authenticity might be expcded from llie records

-j- Thcfc lifts and other notices aie taken from prcftrvcd at Lubcck, fuch is, notwithllanding, the

Dcrtius, who wrote a book upon tlie cities of Gcr- uncertainty of Hanfeatic hillory, that of the lifts

4 gi^'cu

Halberstadt,
Helmstadt,
Ryla,

Nordheim, and
Dinant * .

A. D, 1475.

695

tered .„ „ by that kingdom with his pretleceirors. The par iament of

Prov.l.ons being very fcarce in Scotland, and the fimply depending
oSSr^r^'^J""' '^'' ''^^?'Sn merchants, impoSng co^rn and
ahL r!^r "^"'■^!>f ^'^^' w^fc allbred, that they Ihou d find nn lionot^-
W^n^r^ ?"'''''^-*'^°"/'''^^'^" treatment, and that they fhould not be
W^H l'!i,'"r'"'P°'^"°"^ ^"^ arrellments. which, it was acTnow
fonn ' ,^,^^. ^^^^ly P^^^ented them from continuing the trade : th^^s

^Kl r^7'?r''' '"''''''^ '' '^' '^Ibooth (cuftom-houfel'the kiiS
and the lords of the council (hould be firft ferved. at the price fixed S

The Scottifli curers of ihlmon having diminiOied their barrels where
w^ere ft. •%"'''"" "^ '^'' ^"■^^'^ ^^ ^^"-''S'^ '^^^^^n- -- impaired they'

1478, January—There had been many abufes committed in the courts
of p.epoudres held at the fairs in Enghxnd. chiefly by the avarice and
mjuft.ce at the ftewards. bailifs. and others, whofc province iw.s"o
hold the courts and adminifter impartial jufl:ice in al ca fes ariing dur!

ofk rrn"''""'"f ' ''^"^r'^i'^ thejuritlidion, of the fairs, bu^ who
took cogn.zance of contrads and trelpalFes unconnected with the ftirs
and frequently having no foundation m truth. Thelb enormitxes p e-*

given by Dertiui, Wer.Ienhagen. John Cluv.ri.is
(who coj)i« fmm Hiiittiel.l's Chroiiiclo, a hook I
have not been able to find) and the writer of an
cflay on the Hanfcatic confederacy i„ the fecond
volume of the K(f/,Mka Gamunia, no two agrt.e \:\
the nanus or numliers of the towns. The laft-
mentione.l author (who got his materials from
Henry budcrman, ambalTador from the Hanfc con-
federacy to Holland, F.nglanJ. and various parts
oj the empire between the years 1550 and 1500)
lays, that ,t clea.ly appears from the charter of
Wcnry III king of England, dated in ihe year

ljo6. that feventy-tvvo cities were then compre.
bended m the Hanfc confe.lcracy. ^Rt/p. Gfim.
F. \\,f,p. 36!>, 370.] But that charter, dated be-
Joie Henry .vas born, is evidently fpiirious. We
have already fcen, that Henry's charter to the
merchants of the Teutonic gildhall is dated in
'■«59-— Whire is any charter of I2c6 to be feen?
* The meafure is explained in an aCl of a fubi
kiiucnt parliament [.-. 131] to be fourteen gallons.
By tl>e regulation of meafnrcs enadcd in the reiga
of James I, [c. 80J the gallon meafure contaiueH
328 ounce! ot clear river water.

60

A. D. 1478-

v*ntcd m^rd^nts frot^ attending the fairs, ^^'^^^^/^^ j'^^f ^^^ '^
country were deprived of the conTcmmice ot purchufmR goods, and tl«;
]S7f the fiiirTloft their cuftomary protits. It was therelor enaded
hat in fuch cafes the plaintifts fhould Iwcar. that thmr caufes^ong.nated
in tU time of the fair^nd within the jurifdidion ot it. [MU 1 7 Juiw.

^^m-makers were' required to have their tiles fufficienily wrought,
-well whited and anealed, and of ftandard dimenfions. [c j.)

March «;'*_Kme Edward renewed the antient tnendlhip and tree
commercial intercourfe with Prileland. which luid been mtenuiued.

^^Ma7V-Tn'thisige^t was cuftomary for fovereigns to be concerned

•in meVchandize. We have feen a great (hip. belonging to the king ot

Sweden, ir. England in the year . 455- The king of Naples had a guleufle

now in Southampton, the commander of which oDtumed King hdwards

roteaion for himfelf and his ve.Tel from arreft for any debt or tran -

Son niie king of Scotland wa: owner of at lead one vdflel, a carvel,

■Swas talen I Cadfant in Flanders by a veffel belonging to the

duke of Gloucefter. for which King Edward ordered his HmbaUador

Lye to promife reparation. But King Edward went beyond «ll the con-

Xorary f^werei^gns m commercial ti«nfaaiom : he owned feveral

veffels * ♦ and, like a man whofc living depended ui»on h.s merchamlwe.

. eiport;^d the fineft wool, cloth, tin, and the other commodities o the

• kingdom, to Italy and Greece, and imported their produce m return.

«'by the agency of feftors, or fupeYcargoes.' [See above, P-J>V'-T-

T^i.] But the trade of thefe royal merchants, wheij they carried it to
u^gUt extern, as King Edward adtually did muil kwe been very op-
pilffive and ruinous to the real merchants, who could not pollib y com-
p«e^ith rivals, who paid no caftoms, and hud the national force to
alTift aTid protea their trading Ipecukitions.

Tune ^•'— Agreeable to the treaty between England and the Hanlc
towns, notice was given, under the leal of Lubeck. ^l-u the ;im^^^^^^^
•Colberg had defrred to withdraw from the confederacy. [Fardera, f^. xu,

^^'tuW ?2"i-The treaty of thirty years, entered into with the duke of
Burgundy in 1467. was now renewed, ^nd declared per|)etual. n ad-
dition to the articles ot the former treaty, it was ftipuU>^ed that the
merchants of England thould be at liberty to carry the gold or filve
acquired by them in countries not fubjed to Ikirgundy, through the

called //.. iwg'sjhifis. appears i.. the year 1481. now called iws s Pfs are. ^
I Fader.,, /' xii,/.. 1 39.] But as they were to

.Nk.*^ ,..*•

A. D. 1478.

6^7

feller,. „red out with attendance, had formerly been obi ^ed ,rt^l5

=|iS sir . V^Mr£S~!3»3

Henry VI, and an annual penlion of 50,000 for life + Neill Z^

• Thefe are the wonls of Rym.r i,, his deJic-
.. io„ of the clcve..th volume of the Fadera to
<^ecn Anne.

j> The followmjr rntes of currcMicy for the coins
of EnKl-Mui. a, IrtthM by the commllTloners of the

.iiMltrftandmjT fo,„o of the tranfaafons of the age.
Enghfltrofe noble X:3 5 o French raoncrf
nnRel 234

(ilvcr groat 026

Vol. I,

2 Engh'fh.
4l

Old ecu of France o 4

new ecu of tlie fun o 4

great groat o o

\_Fx(fcra, v. xii, /. iij.]

There were two couTiiilTions in 1474 and i4,g
for fetthng th; rut., of the mon^- "( fLiu ,d t<l
that ot the Bun;undfan domink,^,. Buf the 1!^.

l.dvj. II, loL n, /w, 117 i y-ol. m,no. 28.]

4T

698

A, v.' 147^

Ibould die firft. What cowie<^s tl^is fingulav tranl^aion with, comraerciat
hiftojcy. is tUe proof it fumiflies, of the gceat r€pu.tation. of the com-
i-nercial. houfe of Medici, it being exprefsly ftipuJused in the treaty, that
the kiivg of France Ihould engage the partners, of the bank of Medici to
become bound for the feitbful and regular pcrfopmance of the agree-
ment on the part of himfelf and his heirs *. [^Foedsra, V. xi, pp. 804,
etfeqq; V. xii, p. loi.] In the year 14.8,7 a houfe of the Mediei in
Naples, apparently a branch of this bank, paid a bill doawn by Masv
chioni, a Florentine in Portugal, to Coyillan, the Portuguefe traveler
and difcoverer of India. [Purcbasy B. vii, f. 5, § 15-]

1480, September 1 6"— Whatever doubt there may be refpeaimg the
iheep fent from England to Spain in the reign of Edward W, there can
be no doubt that that prince now gave ixtrmijfion to his fifter, the ducbefs
dowager of Burgundy, and her afligns, to tranfport one thoufand oxeaf
atod two tboujand rams out of the kingdom every year, as long nsjjejhould
hve, without even paying any cuftom. [Foedera, F. xii,/». 137.] Thus
it plainly appears, that Edward HI and Edward IV had little or no ap-
prehenfion of any bad confequence from the breed of Englifh Oieep
being naturalized on the continent : and it may be believevl» that neither
the duchefs, who well underftood, and keenly purfiied, her own interefc,
nor the fagacious Netherlanders adling under her aflignment, allowed
the grant to lie dormant during the reigns of her two brothers. Her
enemy Henry VII, we may be affured, would put an end to her ex-
portation as foon as he got the power.

HRi, February 15'" — A war with Scotland brought into adion the
greatefl royal navy, hitherto known to have exifted in England fince the
Norman conqueft, as appears by orders addreffcd to eleven naval com-
manders to prefs mariners for manning their veffels, /* of which are
diftinguilhed as king's Ihips. [Foedera, V. xi, p. 139.]

It was in this war that King Edward introduced an cftabliihment ot
riders with pod horfes, to be changed at every twenty miles, who, by
handing letters from one to another, in two days forwarded them two
hundred miles, apparently the fartheft extent of the eftablilhment %.
{Hifi. Croyl. ap. Gale, p. syi.] This improved mode of conveyance, like
that in France from which it was copied, had no connedion with com-
merce or pubUc accommodation, unlefs it may be confidered as the firft
rudiments of an eftabUlhment, which, when properly extended, might

hillorians of the Medici, and, if I miftake not, of
all other liiftorians.

f ' Millc boves.' This latin word comprehends
bulla and cows as well as oxen.

^ We find an order of the Scott!(h parliament
in April 1481 for expediting courivra to every p«rt
of the kingdom ; hut it dots not cxprefs, whether
they hid the changes of hoifes, without which rapid
conveyance is impiafticablc.

• The Medici were to give their bond to King
Edward within eighteen months. But as he very
foon alter made an alliance with Burgundy againll
France, it is probable that the bond was never
executed. The ftipulation in this treaty, fo il-
luttrative of the commercial fplcndour of the hojfc
of Medici, has efcaped the attention of Valori,
Bruni, Tenbove, Rolcoe, Noble, and Clayton, the

A, D. 148 1.

«99

become one of the greateft and moft eflemial accommodations that ev^r

was given to Commercial and friendly intercourfe. '^°'"'''°'''' '^''' ^^'^'•

1 he Portuguefe ftill profecating their difcoveries along the weft coaft

fn.lf ''/''"^[^-'^H P^^l^^'^ent ordained the following ftandard mea

butTsof«r^t''""l^''?^/"''^^ for fale.-Salmon t^^ be pLked fn
butts ot 84 gallons, barrels of 42. and half barrels of 2i._HerrWs n
barre s of 32 gallons, half barrels, and firkins (quarters) in proporfon
ml^hZ K^'r'; "^^' ^'"°"^' half barrels and firkins in pro^pSn ±
Merchantable falmon were to meafure 26 inches at leaft from^the bont
of the fin to the third oint in the tail, and to be fpUt open afid freed

paXXrjl'"" ^!;%"T\k^"'' ^^-^" falLnTwere to be
C mrt^H ?^ r 'I', ''''^ '^^"^ (broken-bellied falmon) were not to
be packed with fizeable or found fi(h.— The herrings in a barrel ^r^
required to be all caught at one time, faked at one tTme and to bTl^
^Tj.ut^r'l^''\'^^ '" '^' '"'■^'^'^ of thecals 'at the ends-

whhCod eel"' TZt:T'''^'f''''' "^ ^^^ ''''' ^^^ ^« ^^pacS
^r\tf-^r ^f—^^^ magiftrates of towns were required to appoint fuf-

The ad prohibiting the importation of feveral kinds of filk goods be-
ing no longer m force, fuch an inundation of corfes, ribands lac^ call
fi k. and Coleyn filk. poured into the country, that all the SgnS mak

Machinery was fo far improved in England, that hats bonnets nnH
caps, were thickened and fulled by miUs.^ This abrid' menTof ab^
gave fuch an ahirm to thofe engaged in the old method of thickenin.^
them by the admn of the hands and feet *, that they petitioned parira^
ment to prohibit the ufc of the mills, which, they SegeTtSd
hem of employment, and broke the flibric of the h^ats &c The Z

trVf "fVh-r'jbT" '^^rfi ^'^ "^'^ of the mills for fwo

mon to the improvement of manufactures by machinery in Enghnd

".cceedi"/nf '^''^ "'" '"^r"''" "Pagainft-the introdtfftion ofte^

ucceeding improvement tendmg tu make goods cheaper by abridging

labour. Upon the fame principle com ought not to be^ound by wat"?

Pennant in our own aay», as ll.ll praaifeil by the ^ bcotla.K..

4T2

70b

A. D. 1482.

or wind mills, bat only by hand mills, com fields ought to be du£» rather
than ploughed, heavy loads ought to be carried by men rather ihaiT
drawn by horles in carts or waggons, and all canals ought to be de-
ilroyed. -> m > r .**!>>*•',» • - .

March (f — King Edward entered into a treaty with the inhabitants
of Guipufcoa in Spain * (they having the confent of their fovercigns
Ferdinand and Ifabella) wherein, befides mutual freedom of trade, and
fecurity to be given for the friendly conduft of veflels on both fides be-
fore their failing, it was ftipulated, that, in cafe of letters of reprifaV
being ilfued by tlie kings of England or Spain, the Guipufcoans fhould
not be injured by the EngHlh cruifers, and they fhould permit noi
Spanifh letters of reprifal againft the EngUlh to be put in force in their
province. [F(xdfra,V. yii, p. 1^8.]

Auguft 4'" — ^\Vhen King Edward was preparing for an invafion of
France in the year 1474, he concluded a treaty with James king of Scot-
land for u marriage of their infant children ; and fo defirous was he of
being on friendly terms with that prince, that he agreed to pay his
•daughter's portion by inftallments to commence immediately, and ac-
tually made feveral payments. It was, however, ftipulated, that, if the
marriage Should not be accqmplifhed, the money advanced fhould be
reftored. Anew fyflem of policies having induced Edward to break witb
Scotland, theprovoft, fellowfhip of merchants, and community, of Edin-
burgh f , in confequence of his declaration, that he did not chufe to com-
plete the marriage, now bound themfelves and ail their property, at
home or abroad, for the return of the money. [Fosdera, V. xi, p. 824 ^
F. xii,//). 161, 165, 167.] It was probably this large and patriotic pay-
ment made by the citizens, that induced the contemporary hiftorian of
Croyland [pp. Gale, p. 562J to call Edinburgh a very opulent town. But,
though the merchants were evidently engaged in foreign trade, and had
property coniigued in foreign countries, its opulence was probably much
inferior to that of ibme of the maritime villages (or burghs of barony)
at no great diftance from it in thepreient day. From this time, however,,
Edinburgh continued to improve with a flow, but gradual progrefs till
the year 1603, when it loll the advantages flowing from the prel'ence of
the fovereign.

September 1 2''' — King Edward confirmed the exifting treaty, or truce,
with the king of Portugal. The Portugucfe ambafladors requefted him
to prohibit John Tintam and William Fabian, who were fitting oui fliips,
at the defire of the Spanifli duke of Medina Sidonia, for the coafl of
Guinea, from proceeding on the voyage, as their fovereign, the lord of

inrtax-c !ii the year Edinbiirgli it c.i^M />iovi_fl as iit prcftnt, and not

1 coall of Spain en- alilef-man .is in tlic laillir ajji-s. '\'\x ftlhjvjhip of

tamj; into a'trc.'iiy for themfilvts. mtnhanli in now ca'lcj tlit meiJ'UKt cu»pany.
I In the obligation, Sec. the chief m.igiftratc of

• We li.ive already feen an
1351 of the people of the north coa

^^

A\ D. ii\B2i

7oit«

rfiat country, refcrved the trade of it for his own fubjcas : and he rrant-
ed all they required of him ». ^ E^^M"

nr^k'?^""~I''^5"u^'™'"'°^^'^°^^«'^^^ ordered, that no corrunted

Jac.ni,c^89U This aft merits notice chiefly as containing nerhios
riie earheft extant notice of i,cer in Scotland. perhaps,

148.3, Aprd 34"wThe only matter worth notice, any way conneded-
with commerce, which occurs i.i the very Ihort reigrof Fdw.rd V ^:

Hull, of the permilllon to trade to Iceland with a (hip. which he is now
allowed to have as arge as .50 tuns t- [F.^ero, V, xii ; • a]

1484, Junuary—Tu the only parliament of King Richard III irievm«.
complaincswerema.- of the many frauds introduced in thL^oS
trade What they were, will appear from the following regSuion s.nd
prohib.tions.-fr/W. cloths were now to meafure o„ly 4 j^frl n Lng h

"^^n^^r.i' ^f ; ^" -'-f ^^^-- - - i^^'^ ^^^' cio^t^ii^

ca IedA«/x. 12 yards long and i yard broad. Kerfeys. 18 yards lon^
tV yard broad. One nch was to be given in addition to every yaT
he cloths were to meafure the required breadth within the ims and to

have the lame breadth and goodnds throughout the who e^iece GlotJs

tucm was to be tmed. Seals of lead, ftamiied on one fide with x\^o nr«,c
of Lngland. and on the other with the Lms ofX towror nam^^^^^^^
Lv%Tn"'^ "'T'%^'^« '^''l^h was made, (hould be affixed to every doth
by aulnegcrs of fufficient Ikill and reputation. No cloths fliould be of
tered to la le. or be exported, without being fully watered -md no cloth
fliould be drawn in length or breadth afte^r being SrwateredT No
flocks or other dece.ttul material Ihould be put in cloth ; n ither'ihoidS
chalk be put upon white cloths or kerfeys. No cloth ftio Id e fl^^^ii^
or cancdied before being fully watered.' Teme^t S^ti' J^^^^^^^^^^
Ihould not be let up within houfes, but in open places. iC , adice of
exporting picked wool to the Mediterranean 'and leavmg Kctand

"ther,, panVd i„ Occonbcr 148,. arc pubimv.d
by Munay. but do not appiar i.i tbc edition of
1500.

I It i. probabk- that Alcock liiid got annual re-
ncwaU fwi lincc 1478.

!> vSurcly it would have been inucii belter t„ fay.
that tlio clod. Ilu.u!d b.- fold at fo ni.ich a-yard.

li 1 he coinplaniT!. all,jr-.|, that it was conunoti
to d.aw a clotl, of 24 yards out to 30. and from
7 ^iuaitci* to g m the brtadtii.

•4 . .

lhi» tranUa.o,,. of which I fee no tracer in
any acccffiblo r,„gl,(l, record, is tranferibed from
•'- 'itugiieic hillonan Garcia* de Rdcnde by

the 1*0

Hakhiyt. [*..«?«, r.,;,^„-/li,*j.^ Accord.
...K o l\.etor C\.,npbcll. f/V. Lvn, /'. ii. 1
6i6J lome lay, that I'lutan, and I'ab.an adiulfy
Bccomphlhcd the voyage, and were ^Kat gainer,
by .t. Hut, though he is generally very copious
ui quotations, he has not given ua the name of any
«Nie naiuior ot tiiat voya>,-e.

t Aa nuinbcicd by Mutiay. This ad and two

702

A. D. 1484.

other refufe at home, being found prejudicial to the finer branches of
the manufaaurfe, was prohibited ; and the exporters were obliged to
take the whole fleece as it was clipped. No orchel or cork of the kind
called jarecork (hould be ufed in dying woollen cloths ; but woaded wool
and cloth made of wool only, if they were perfeftly boiled and mad-
dered, might be dyed with Englifh cork. The pradice of fattening
rulhes upon the lift, in order to make cloth dyed in the piece appear as
if dyed in the wool, was prohibited. To all thefe prohibitions fuitable

penalties were attached From the operation of the adt the parliament

exempted cloths called ray, and cloths made in Winchefter and Salifbury
ufually joined with ray ; cloths called vervi/e, plonkets, turkins, or cek/hines,
with broad lifts ; packing ivbites ; vejfes ; cogware ; worjieds ; fiorences
with cremil Hfts, broad Ufts, or fmall lifts; bajiards ; kendah ; ^nAfrife
ware*. [Jas i Ric. Ill, c. 8.]

The merchants of Italy, including the Catalans f, were acculed of
keeping houfcs, warehoufes, and cellars, in London and other places, in
which they packed and mixed their goods, and kept them till they got
great prices for them ; they fold by retail ; they bought Englifti com-
modities, and fold them again in England ; and they fent part of the
money arifing from their fales to their own country by exchange ; they
received other foreigners to lodge in their houfes, and made fecret bar-
gains with them ; they bought up wool, and fold part of it again to the
king's fubjeds, and employed people to make part of it into cloth on
their account ; foreign artificers with their families reforted to London
and other parts of England in greater numbers than formerly, and they
engaged in the manufadure of cloth and other eafy handicraft occupa-
tions, and alfo in the bufinefs of importing foreign goods and Idling
them by retail in fairs and markets ; but they declined the more labor-
ious occupations of ploughing and carting % ; they employed none but
their own country people as workmen and fervants, whereby the king's
fubjeas were driven into idlenefs, beggary, and vice ; and, after making
fortunes in England, they retired to other countries to enjoy them.— In
order to remedy thofe evils, the parliament enaded, that all Italian
merchants, including Catalans, not being denizens, ftiould fell the goods
they had now in England, and invert the whole proceeds, their reafon-
able expenfes excepted, in Englilh commodities, before the 1" of May
1485 ; all goods arriving after Eafter 1484 ftiould be fold within eight

» There was an ordinance for the U-ngtli nnj
biea.Uh of clotlia ilnring the (ligrt relp" of E(l>
ward V. [Rymir's MS. ncon/j, FJw. fj, wliicli
was probably the foundation of thin act. The
enumeration of !iamca in it, now moftly obf.ilete,
will not be thought ufelefs by thofe who widi to
trace the proerefs of the manufafture, and may
alTord fomc alTillance to antKinarian refearch.

f The Englilh ia thofe days ufed to include all

the people bordering on the Mediterranean under
the name of Italians.

X To foreigners England is indebted for the de-
gree of perfection, which the boalled woollen ma-
> ■ "ifture has attained. Several protedtionn for
foreign woollen manufafliirers had \xtn given by
Edward IV. Surely, if ploughmen or carters had
come from the continent, there would have been
as much reafon for au outcry againll lliem.

A. D. 1484.

I'^i

mon h t^A^^' ""^'^''t ""^ "" ^°°^^ ""^°Jd at the end of eight
months Ihould be carried abroad within two months more, unlefs pre-
vented by the weather, on pain of forfeiture ♦. They were aU owed to
remove the goods vmported by them from one place to anothe" with n
the etght months. They might take their ovvn countrymen to^od^
e^th t?' ^"7° ""fr- ^^'y -"^ P^^^ibited froriSgloltS

kUk! K 1? ' and they were enjomedto carryall the cloth and wool

llfo t 1 17^'° '°"""^^^ "^^'^^" *'^^ Mediterranean. Foreigners were
alfo prohibited from exercifing any handicraft occupation in^nellnd
accept as fervants to Englifh mafters ; and they were KXly debar '
red from havmg any concern iu the clothing trade. Fore gn Scet or"
handicraftfnaen were obliged to fell their wares by wholefle only Id
only m the place of their refidence ; and they were not to 1 ave an'v an
prentices or fervants but natives of England, except their own IhiwTenT
~A dawning attention co the intereft of literature fuggefted an exemnr
ron from the ngour of this ad in fivour of the infporLr of S
wntten or printed, and the writers. iUuminers. and pointers of bo°ot!

The prohibition of the importation of many foreign articles firft en
a<?:din the year 1463. and continued for four yearsT 4sf was now
extended to ten years. And. at the requeft of fhe girdlert point mak^
r i P'^T."!: P""^'"' ?'°^"^' ^"^'^'■«' blade-fmithsfblacklhSi^ Sur

Ssf t^rfr; ^""'"^' '^''"^ ^^""^" *• ^-^'^-^^ card-maG .
fmLh +' ^'"^^-n^o^gers, weavers,, homers, bottle-makers, and copper-
frniths. the parliament prohibited the importation of all k ndsof g^fdles
points, laces leather purfes. pouches, pins, gloves, knives, hangers tail-
ors'(heers, fciflbrs. andirons, cobbards, tongs, fireworks. grid?mns flock
locks, keys, hinges and garnets, fpurs. painted glafles painted papers
painted forcers, painted images, painted cloths, beaten gold or beS
filver wrought m papers for painters, faddles, faddle-trees horfe-harnef^

flanding candlefticks. hanging candlefticks, holy-water ftopps §. chafinl:
diftes hanging lavers. curtain rings, cards for wool (thofe of Rouen ef-
cepted), clafps for gowns, buckles for fhoes. broches. bells (thofe for
hawks excepted), tm and leaden fpoons. wire of latten and iron, candle

Ei^ht, or probably rather in reality ton, or
even twelve, months, when compared with forty
rfay., the tune formerly limited, may be reckoned
a liberal allowance. The time, now (hoitened, docs
not fecm to have been enjoyed by any law, but
only m virtue of that lUent repeal, which permits
awa of evident abfurdity to fmk quietly into ob-
llvion. '

f This fentence is contradiAory to a precedinr
oue..wiiich bUow» no foreign Imidiciafifmei, at all.

But it is obfcurely exprelTed ; and the prohibition
was perhaps rettricked to thofe who (hould arrive
after Eafter 1484.

tt Z.nrimers, makers of bits, fpurs, &c. I know
not, what kind of trade kiiren followed, uiileft
they were workers in hair. Hare is hair in North-
counti7 dialcet. [CVa'x DUi.}

i Probably ratlicr/oByj/, deep veffcla with liandki
lor carrying liquids.

704

A. D, 1484.

flicks, grates, horns for lanterns, or any article pertaining to any of ih»
crafts above mentioned, [cc. 10, I2.]

The bowyers alfo complained of a ' feditious confederacy of the Lom-
' bards,' who had raifed bow-ftaves from 40/" to ^8 a hundred, and
obliged them to take the good and bad together witliout garbling. It
was therefor enaded, that no Venetian or other merchant fhould be per-
mitted to import merchandize without bringing ten good bow-ftaves for
every butt of malmfey or tyre, and that bow-ftaves ftiould be garbled,
and fold only to natives of the king's dominions, [c. 11.]

It was reprefented in parliament, that till about the year 1450 malm-
fey wine (apparently in confequence of a glutted importation) ufed to
be fold from 50/to 53/4 per butt, running from 1 26 to 140 gallons, th
payment being made, two thirds in cloth, and one third in money ; but
now, by the fubiilty of the fellers who were made denizens, the importa-
tion was fo proportioned to the demand, that the butt, running only
about 108 gallons, fold for /?5 : 6 : 8, paid all in money. The parliamei.t
Xwithout interfering with the price) enaded, that no malmfey ftiould be
imported in butts fmaller than i 26 gallons, nor any wine or oil in caiks
fmaller than the ftandard meafures * ; and in cafe of defecftive meafure
they only obliged the feller to allow for it to the buyer. They alfo re-
newed the law for gauging all calks of wine or oil imported, before they
fliould be fold. [c. 13. J

Of fifteen ads, palftid in the only parliament aflembled in the reign
of Richard III, there were feven f for the regulation of commerce and
manufadures, of the condition of which they exhibit a pretty good
view, and alio of the iituation of foreigners trading to, or redding in,
England, which, though to us it appears hampered with ungenerous,
impolitic, or unavailing, reftridions, was much ameliorated in compari-
fon of what it had formerly been.

All the laws of England prior to this feflion of parliament were writ-
ten in barbarous Latin or French, and laterly moft of them in a jargon
compounded of Englifli and French, but all unintelligible to the great
bulk of the people, whofe lives and properties were to be difpofed of by
them. This parliament firft gave the people of England laws in their
own language ; and ever fince mongrel Latin and French have been dif-
carded from the ads of parliament. Richard's ads were alfo the firft;
that were printed.

February 21" — King Richard gave the magiftrates of Kingfton upon
Hull permifllon to export and import all kinds of goods, wool and wool-
fells excepted, and out of the cuftoms of them to retain ;(?6o annually
for twenty years, to be applied for the fupport of the harbour and other
public expenditure of the town. [Fadera, V. xii, p. 213.]

• They arc partLiilarizcil in the ai5^, and are already iiiferted from the aS 2 Htn. VI., c. II.

•f- One of tUrm F ?i] wa3 a perpetuation of the law of lidwarJ IV refpciting courts of piepoudre.

A. 0. 1484. yg^

evf^rM?"'''1^''n P"''™«"' "f Scoeland prohibited for two Tears th.
ejporu,_,n^of .all„„, and hide,, (alted, d^ed. or barked, "[^ry^'

it. M:Xnrf%rr of fi;e tojef" ^ ft' 1"°"' r-^ y'"'

ticaee/a, we ciuld ^rii'Lpo'r"J,it''et7.? £"•!' "^ "=" ^^'^-

taininTto t"fe S^^^^^^ '" 'rf ^'i:''' '•'^'^ '^"^"^ ^" «^^'«'- things per-
tei percent on dlt^^^^^^ "°^^"*' ''"^ 'V'^l^^ ^« ^^^^ive one and a qL-

r L^^-^fz-fl, ^. xii, />. 270.] 1 Ins was pretty certainly the

fays, that th,8 d.fcovery i, authnmVatcd by Mar-

H • °,r '*■■",'." '^"'f ' i" H86. which are jLV^ .
<H .n the archives of Nurcnberg. and alfo by the
I eW^t.OM of a t.rrertrial globe conltruacd by
mfelf ,n ,49J, an,! ftiU preferred in the hbrar^
uf Nurenberg Dodor Robc.fon, the hilU,, aT
of Amcpca, den.ea the difcovciy. If ,re„Mine
voucher, 0 the tr„th of it iUll re,^,ai„ L'Cn!
Zf: '';t('"'''y ^•^••y ""wonhy „f tl>e litcra,y i„.
.1 nlfry of Germany ,„ allow them to lie in obfcLltv
and concealment._Q,,ere, has not Mr. Otto mif.
aken the delnKa.i,;^ of the Nt.renbcrg gl." ,

lL7.'"*^;'''^ ^"Py ?^ •■'' ''"•' ""ly land, del
"ea.ed „> the ocea,., which ha. the Azores and
-1'^' Canary .Hantls on the fall f.de .,f it, an.l C,^
pangu (Japan) and the Indian ifland. on th.- u^^ft
iJ^.arc a fmall ,fland, called Antilla, with the
tanit.us Icven cities in it. and a !:.....r-- rf -• f

Vol. I. " '•■"""'

400 n-tlrs from north to fouth, all on the nortli
lide of the equator. whicJi i, probably dra«-n from
fancy for the fabulous Atlantis of antiquity, but
could never have been drawn by a man who ha.i
ranged along the coall of South America as far as
the btraits ot Magalhaiies.

f Clut.cer, the father of Euglilh poetry, h,
he year ,39, addrefkd an eflay on the allrolabie
to little Louis hi.s Ion.

t According to Rofcoe [Lifi of Lorenzo dt
nalui, f. 10] a Lorenzo Strozzi, probably the
fame perlon, was alive after the year 1518, and
wrote the Life of his brother Filippo Stro/7,i.
which IS pubi.ihfd along with Benedrtio Varchi;
Ihjhry ,J /Aw.-^.-Hcnry VH, ddlro.is of un-
doing whatever was done by his predecfTor, ap-
pointed another Florentine merchant, called Ciirilt-
oj.htr Speiie, to be conful at Pifa. Wadcra, V
X!i.^, 314.]

4U

yo6

A. D. 1485.

firft appointment of a conful for the merchants of England in any of
the countries within the Mediterranean : and the cuftom of appointing
foreign merchants to be conf'-'s for the Englifh in thofe countries con-
tinued for a confiderable time, and continues in fome inftances to the

prefent day. ^ . . , . , « rir •

Soon after the invention of the art of prmtmg the mduitry ot Venice
made it an objedl of commercial advantage, fo that, in every part of
Europe, thofe who could read had books imported from Venice. And
in England alfo, the bufinefs of printing, though fo lately introduced,
appears to have been already fo well eftablifhed, that books from the
Englifh prefles now began to be articles of exportation *.

November—The firft parliament of King Henry VII, obferving, that
in the reign of Edward IV a great number of foreign merchants had
obtained letters and ads of denization, whereby they were put upon a
footing with the native fubjefts in the payment of cuftoms, and alfo that,
they frequently entered the merchandize of other foreigners in their
own names, and thereby defrauded the revenue, enaded, that all for-
eigners made denizens ftiould pay the full duties payable by foreign
merchants. [Jds i Hen. VII, c. 2.]

Confidering the danger to be apprehended from a decay of the navy,
and the ieamen being unemployed, they ena^ed a law, the very reverfc
of that of Edward III in the year 1368, which entirely excluded Eng-
liftimen from the carrying trade ; for now no perfon was allowed to buy
or fell any wine of the growth of Guienne or Gafcoigne, in Englar^,
Ireland, Wales, Calais, or Berwick, unlefs it were imported in a vef&l
belonging to England, Ireland, or Wales, and navigated principally by
natives of England. Wales, Ireland, or Calais.— This law, being ap-
parently intended as an experiment, was to be in force only till the next

parliament, [c. 8.] - , . . ,

The prohibition of the importation of a variety of foreign articles, en-
uded in the year 1482 was confirmed, and twenty years added to it, the
addition of ten years by the ad of Richard III being fet afide, as the

adl of an ulurper. [f. 9.] , -.r r •

The Italian merchants, availing themfelves of the king's dilpohtion to
undo the ads of his predeceflbr, obtained a repeal of the 9' ad of
Richard. But the fines, incurred by tranfgreffions of it, were ihll to be
paid to the king, [c 10.] , n- /r a

i486, January 17'''— King Henry very foon after his acceffion illued
orders to all his fubjeds to receive the merchants of France in a friendly
manner, without requiring the produdion of fefe-conduds or licences.

• This information concerning the progrefs of 148J, wherein there are the following lines :

the art of printing in England is derived from the ' Celatos, Veneti, nobis tranfmittere libros

colophon at the ejid of a Latin tranflation of the ' Cedite, noi allit vtndmut, O Veneti.

EpiftUt of Phalaru, printed at Oxford in the year lALMelon't Origin 4/ ^n»/««f m England, p> lo- J

A. D. i486. 707

And now a more formal truce of three years (not a peace) was conclud-
ed, whereby aU grievous exadions, impofed upon commerce in the laft
two-and-twenty years, were abolilhed in both kingdoms, except the local
duties of towns. &c. [Fadera, r. xii, p. 281.] * ' ^

July 3*_ A truce of three years was alfo concluded between England
and Scotland, in which the feizure of perfons and merchandize fhip-
wrecked was more particularly guarded againft than formerly, the prc-
lervation of the property being, however, now made to depend on the
luryival of a human creature, and not on that of a cat, do?, or cock
which. It may be believed, were never allowed to live to the preiudice
ot depredators. Tlie other articles were nearly the fame as in former
truces between the two kingdoms. [Fcedera, V. xii, p. 185.]

July 22 —Henry was particularly defirous of cultivating the friend-
Ihip ot the duke of Bretagne, and therefor renewed the truce with him
with nearly the fame conditions refpeding commerce, which were in
the tormer treaty of the year 1468 ; the towns of S'. Malo, Breft, and
1 onque, being now excepted from the general liberty granted to the
JinghOi of having hotels in the towns of Bretagne. as. on the other hand
thole towns in England, which the king fhould name by his letters, were
to be excepted from the fimilar liberty enjoyed by the Bretons in Eng-
land. \Fcedera, V. xii, /. 303.] ^

f l^^2' ^•^ober— A difpute between fome citizens of Cologne and fome
(ubjeds of Scotland had been decided by the king of Scotland and his
council. The foreigners were diffatisfied, and obtained from the em-
peror a letter of marque againft the Scots, which was now fufpended
(probably upon the king's interpofition) till Eafter 1488. In the mean
time the Scottifti parliament ordained, that a clergyman and two bur-
gelles (hould go, at the general expenfe of the burghs, to the emperor's
court with an authentic copy of the fentence, in order to fhow that juH
tice had been done to the Cologners, and to obtain a revocation of the
letter of marque. lAds Jac. Ill, c. 126.]

The reprefcntatives of the burghs of Scotland, ading as a fcparate
body or committee, requefted, and obtained, a ratification of the ads
tor the qualifications of merchants, for regulating charter parries, the
mcalure of falmon barrels, the profecution of the herring fifhery in the
weftfea, &c. [a. 127-13 1, 133.] t^ j ^

1 '^*?^y ^^^" ordained, that commiirarics (reprefcntatives) from all the '
burghs Ihould affemble at Inverkiething on the 26"' of July every year
in order to confider the interell of merchandize and the burghs, and to
iTKike regulations for their general welfare *. [c. 132.]

November—King Henry, in his deteftation of avarice, with the aflent
of the parliament, prohibited ai^d annulled ' all dampnable bargayns

• This is apparently the origin of the convention of the royal burghs of Scotland, which is ftiJl kcut
up. I do not iind, when- the convention removed from Inverkiething to Edinburgh '^

4U2

7o8

A. D. 1487.

* grounded in ufury,' however difguifed under the name of new chevyf-
ance, dry exchange, &c. by which the lender was to have more or lefs
for tiie ufe of his money, and impofcd a fine of j^ioo on the offenders,
befides committing to the church the corredion of their fouls. [^Sfs 3
Hen. VII, c. si

The magiftrates of London, in order to oblige the people to refort to
the city for all their purchafes, had made an ordinance, that no citizen
fhould carry goods for fale to any fair or market out of the city. The
afTortment of goods in London appears to have been fo commanding,
tijat thole interefted in the fairs of Salifbury, Briftol, Oxford, Cambridge,
Nottingham, Ely, Coventry, and other places, and alfo the people of
the country in general, were alarmed, and reprefented to parliament the
deftrudion of the fairs, and the great hard fliip of being obliged to travel
to London to procure chalices, books, veftments, and other church or-
naments, and alfo vidluals for the time of Lent, linen cloth, woollen
cloth, brafs, pewter, bedding, ofmond, iron, flax, wax, and other ne-
celTaries. The London ordinance was annulled ; and the citizens were
permitted to go with their goods to the tairs and markets in every part
of England, [c. 9.] In this ad we have a good pidure of the inland
trade of England.

The fhearmen, fullers, and others concerne;d in the clothing trade,,
reprefented, that the ad of 7 Edward III, againft exporting woollen yarn
and unfulled cloth, had not provided againft cloth being exported with-
out being rowed and fliorn. For the encouragement of thofe trades, ,
the parliament enaded, that no cloths fliould be carried out of the coun-
try till they were barbed, rowed, and fhorn, except thofc called vefes,
rays, Jml'ing cloths, and others fold at or under 40/; \c. 1 1 .]

At this time the commercial intercourfe between Florence and Egypt,
which began in the time of Cofmo de Medici, was greatly extended and
improved under the diredion, and by the example, of his grandfon Lor-
enzo. So highly was this illuflrious merchant tfteemed by the fultan of
Egypt, that he lent an embafly to him (a mark of refped very feldom
bellowed by Mohamedan princes on the moft powerful Chriftian fover-
eigns) with magnificent preients, among which were a fine bay horfe,
probably an Arabian, balfam, civet, lignum aloes, large vafes of por-
celain*, fine cotton cloths of various kinds, and other rich Oriental ma-
nufadures. IRo/coe's Life of Lorenzo, V. ix, p. 60 y and original letter in
V. in, p. 271.]

John II king of Portugal, who was very defirous of completing the
dlfcovery of the route to India, had already fent two agents to obtain
information refpeding the nature of the trade of that country, who went
no farther than Jeruflilem, having there difcovered that their want of the

• Porcelain was far from being co non, or even tcr of the maritime laws of Barcelona among the
generally known, in Earope in this agt, though it iiiipoits from Egypt. {^Ctifmiaity, Mem. h'lft. de
is one of the articles enumerated in the 44" chap- Banelona, V. i, Cim. p. 44.]

I

A. D. 1487.

709.

Arabic language rendered their further progrefs impraaicable. This'
year he fent Pero de Covillan and Alfonfo de Paiva, who were both
malters of the Arabic, with inftrudlions to travel to the country of Prefte
ii.ini (or Prefter John), to learn whether his dominions extended to the
lea, and where the pepper, cinnamon, and othf-r fpices, which were
brought to yemce, were produced. Along with their inftrudions, and
money and bills for their fubfiflence, they received a chart drawn by the
king s beft geographers, who faid, they had found fome memorial of a
pailage between the eaftern and the weftern leas. Having bought a cargo
ot honey at Rhodes, they proceeded in the charader of merchants to
Alexandria, and thence by Cairo, the defert, and the Red fea. to Aden
m Arabia, where they feparated: Paiva croHed over to Ethiopia, and
t^oyillan failed for Cananor, and thence to Calicut, where he law ginger
and pepper growing, and learned that cloves an' cinnamon were brought
trom countries ftill more remote. He then returned by Goa and Orrnuz
10 the Red lea, and thence failed in company with fome Moorifli merch-
ants on the Ethiopian fea, which he found reprefented in his chart, as
tar as Sofa a, where he learned, • that the coaft might be failed all-alonjr
toward the weft,' and heard of the Ifland of the Moon, 900 miles in
length. Having now acquired more knowlege of India and the eaftern
teas than any European of that age, he returned to Cairo, where he
heard that Paiva was dead, and found two Jews, fent to him with letters
from the king. One of them he fent back to the king with an account
ot what he had difcovered, and his opinion, that the ftiips, which trad-
ed to Guinea, by keeping along the coaft might get to Sofala and thence
to Calicut, for there was a clear fea. With the other Jew he returned to
Urmuz, and thence back to Aden, which was ftill, as in antient times
the center of commercial intercourfe. There he difpatched the Tew
home to Portugal, and bent his own courfe to the court of Prefte lanni
where he was well treated and enriched, but nex'er permitted to leave
liie country till the year 1520. [Barros, Dec. i, L. iii, c. c.'—Purcbas
B. v\\,p. 1091 ; B. x,p. 1675.]

In the meantime, before the arrival of Covillan's very encouraging
information, Bartholomew Diaz, one of the many Portuguefe com-
manders, who, during almoft a century, had been endeavouring to reach
the louthern extremity of Africa in the hope of finding an open naviga-
tion to the Oriental regions, returned (December 1487) from a voyage
m which he had made a ftretch along 1050 miles of the coaft, and adl-
uallypaffed the louthern extremity of the continent, to which, from
the ftormy weather he met with when oft' it, he gave the name of Cabo
Tormentqfo (or Stormy cape) : but the king, underftanding that the land
beyond it trended to the eaftward, and full of hope that the greatcft dif-
ticulty in the route to India was now lurinounted, changed the name to
the more aufpicious one oi Cabo de Boa F/peranfa (Cape of Good Hope)

I \

I

7IO

A, D. 1487.

by which it has ever fince been called. [Barros, Dec. 1, L. iii, c. 4.—
Purchas, B. ''\p. 7]

1488 — While the Portuguef« were endeavouring to get to India by
an ealtern route, Cliriftophcr Colon (or Columbus) a Genocfc navigator,
whole nautical knowlege was much enlarged by refiding among the
Portuguefe, was induced by Ptolemy's geography, wherein the eaitern
parts of Afia are extended io far into the oppofue hcmifphcrc as to leave
only about one third of the circumference of the globe between them
and the weft parts ot' Europe, by the difcovcries of Marco Polo, and
accounts of land accidentally feen by feveral navigators in the Weftem
ocean, to believe that the cafieil acceis to India, mull be by fuiling to
the weftward *. Strongly impreiVed with this idea, he applied for the
means of accompUftiing his dilcovery to the king of Portugal, who, he
might well fuppofe, would gladly encourage 1 projcd for attaining his
grand objed, tlie trade of India, by a ihorter route than that which had
fo long baffled all the endeavours of his predecellbrs. But the Portu-
guefe court very ungeneroufly and unf .irly kept him in fufpenfc till the
return of a carvel, which tliey fecretly lent out to make the dilcovery
fuggefted by him ; and then, as thei'' own veflel had found no land, they
refufed to pay any attention to his Ic.ieme. It is to the credit of Eng-
land, that Colon next turned his thoughts to that country, to which he
lent his brother Bartholomew, while he himielf made application at the
court of Ferdinand and Ifabella, the f)vercigns of Spain. In his paflage
to England Bartholomew was taken by pirates, plundered of his all,
and made a Have. Having at laft eicaped from them, he arrived in
England, but in no condition to obtain accefs to the royal prefence.
Thus circumftanced he applied himfelf to drawing lea charts for a live-
Uhood, and, as loon as he got himlVlf decently clothed, he prelented a
map of the world to the king, and laid before him his brother's fcheme.
King Henry was fo farpleafed with the proijofal, that he defircd him to
bring his brother to England. But fo muc 1 time had been loft, that
when Bartholomew got to Paris in his way o Spain, he was informed
that his brother had failed upon his voyage, an<l was returned, having
accomplilhed the dilcovery, not of India or the I'pice iflands, but of the
iflands of the Weft-Indies. [Hijl, de Don Cbri,,'. u'jh por Ju bijo Fer-
nando, cc. 6-9, 1 1 , 60.]

The capture of Bartholomew Colon by .pirates thus turned out, under
the diredion of Providence, the me;ms of pref-srving the Englilh from
lofing their induilry and commercial fpirit in the mint^ of Mexico and
Peru.

• Tlic ufiial bfliVf, tl;at Colon frt out with a gfograpliy, received from Plolcmv and other an>

view to (llfcovcr a mw .uitinfnt, is luit warraiitrd tient auihors, fcarcely left fufllc-itnt Ipacc for fuch

I y any );c<ud hilloriaii, aiiii is in diieit opi/ufiliixi a cuDlincnt at America in the Ka liitwecn the ritll

to the Hlftory of his life by his own foil, wliiifc pail of Afia and the wtfl parte of Europe and

authority null certainly be preferred. His ideat of Africa.

-A. D. 1488;

February 1 S**— The firft parliament of Henry VII had granted him
the duties of tannage and poundage with the extra duties payable by
foreigners, as ufual in the preceding reigns. Tlie merchants of Venice,
t.cnoa, Florence, and Luca, now obtained from him an abatement for
the fpacc of three years ; and the whole duties of every kind payable
by them were fixal at jC^ : 6 : % for every fack of wool, and lA for
every twenty -(hillings worth of tin. [Fadera, r. xli, p. 335.]

Oaober_The firft parUament of Tames IV king of^Scotland, in a fet
ot new regulations for money, ftated the obligation upon the merchants
cxportmg Scottifh commodities to import bullion as follows, viz. for
each ferplaith of wool, each laft of falmon, or each four hundred cloth*
tour ounces of fine f.lver ; for each laft of herrings (now apparently ai^
export of fomc confequence) two ounces ; and fbr other goods payinc
cuftom. m proportion, [y^as Jac. IV, <•. 10.]

They reftrided the arrival of velTels, whether Scottifli or foieicn to
the tree burghs, whereof Dunbarton. Irwin, Wigton, Kirkcudbright,
and Renfrew, (all on the weft fide of the country) are mentioned, appar-
ently as the moft confiderable. Foreigners were, prohibitr^d from lay-
ing fifh, till they were falted and barreled, and from having any deal-
ings at the remote ifland of Lewis, or any place whatever except at the
tree burghs, [c. 11.]

The navy of Scotland at this time confiftcd of two veflels, the Flow-
er and the Yellow carvel. They were adapted chiefly fbr war, beint.
well provided with guns, crols-bows, lime-pots, fire-balls, two-handed
IwordLs, and alfo with good fcamen under the command of Sir Andrew
Wood, a brave and experienced officer : but I cannot venture to affirm
whether they belonged to the public, or were Wood's own private pro-
perty. [Bucbanani Uift, L. xiii, cc. i. 3, 6.—Pitfcottie, pp. 145, 155,^^
1778.] During the reign of Tames IV feveral warlike (hips were added
to the Scottim navy, one of them particular !y remarkable, .is beinff
longer than any other velTel that has been built from the time of Ptole-
my Philopator to the prcl'ent day.

1489, January — The parliament of England undertook to regulate
the prices of feverai articles, which, they conceived, were exorbitant.
Drapers and tailors were not allowed to tike for the fiaeft broad cloth
ot fcarlet or other in-grain colours above 16/ per yard, or for clrj i of
the beft quality of plain colours, or ruflets, "above i i/f . The aatters
and cap-makers were accufecl of charging 3/ or 3/4 for hats which coft
them only 1/4, and from 3/" to 5/" for caps whidi coft them only 1/4.
They were now ordered to fell the beft hats at 1/8, the beft caps at i/B,
and thofe of inferior quality as they could agicc. lA^s 4 //f«. FII, cc\
8, 9.]

• *i'^f'","^ r"",,"".' **?"•''»• whetl'er t^" was a cnce of ibices m the- prcfcnt day U owi*.
,in<l of cl«th To pile.,!, or 400 pieces, or 400 jarda. great abuiuiaiicc of Cviglii.wal uow broui
+ 1 he in-iirain colours were thus about ±ft net AmcnVi

tent higher tlian the oUiers. The linallcr difi

owing to the
>ght frum

■ft-iMSiii-*:^:^

7 '2

JkxP.,.14^9'

It is very certain, that tjie greatefl; part of the foreiga trade q£ Eng-
land had hitherto been carried 'on % foreign merchants in foreign, vef-
fels, though fome faint and trarifient indications of a fenfe of the dan-
ger and impolicy of refigning the moft valuable interefts, and the b»fl:
means of the defence, of the country into the hands of flrangers had
fometim(fS appeared. The parliament, now confidering, ' that where
' great minifliing and decay hath been nowe of late tyme of the navye
' of this realme of Englande, and ydelnes of the maryners of the
' fame, by the whiche this noble realme within ihorte procefs of
' tyme, without reformation be had therin fhall not be of abylytye ne
' of ftrengthe and power to defend itfelfe,' enaded, that ho wines of
Guienne or Gafcoigne, nor woad of Tholoufe, flioulcl be imported into
England, Ireland, Wales, Calais, or Berwick, unlefs in veflels belong-
ing to the king or fome of his fubjeds of thofe territories, and navigat-
ed by feamen of whom the greater part fhould be natives of the fame
territories. They alfo prohibited the king's fubjedts from {hipping goods
in England or Wales onboard any veflel owned by a foreigner, unlefs
when fufficient freight could not be found in Englifh veflels. Foreign
veflels, loaded with wine or woad, if driven into Englifh |>orts by florm
or enemies, were allowed to fell as much as would pay for neceflary pro-
vifions or repairs, and no more. fr. lo.] ti ,f »" • m *»>

The aft [4 Edw. IF, c. 4] againft foreftallirig contra(^s for wool pro-
duced in the counties of Berks, Oxford, &c. was continued for ten years
longer, [c. 11.]

The parliament, considering the defolation of the country, the de-
ftruftion of houfes and towns, and the idlenefs of the people, occafioned
by turning corn lands into pafture, fome towns, wherein formerly two
hundred perfons earned their livelihood, being now occupied by two or
three herdfmen *, enaded, that all houfes, having twenty or more acres
of land in tillage annexed to them, fliould be kept up by the proprie-
tors, whether they leafed the land to farmers, or cultivated it for their
own account, on pain of forfeiting half the rent to the king or other
over-lord. [c. 19.] Though the parliament afcribed the excellivc pre-
dileftion for pafturage to the avarice of the land-holders, it was more
probably a neceflary confequence of the depopulation of the country
by the civil wars between the rival families of York and Lancafter fol-
lowing immediately after that occafioned by the repeated invafions of
France, the proprietors being compelled by want of bands to feed ilieep
upon the fields which ufed to be cultivated by their predial fcrvants, as
the fteady demand for wool prefented the only means of obtaininf- any
emolument from their eflates : and moreover, in thofe calamitous times,
living flock, which could eafily be conveyed out of the reach of an ene-

• Many of the greater towns were alfo fo much granted m the reign of Edward IV, as appears by
decayed as to need parliamentary aids to preferve Cotton't jtibiiditmtiit of the reccrJt.
thi Hi Irom utter defolation, which were frequently

A. 0t 14S9.

71^

tio^^^^li;;^^^ '''' '*''"' ''"' ^^"^^ **» "^*^^"«ble deftruc

The embroiderers having complained to parliament that thp r^Mm^

packetsof the gold thread of VerUce. FlorenL. and Genoa conSed

February-ln the fcarcity of Scottifh commercial treaties we muft be

^W^L"^'^°^^7*"«'•^■'" i^^ ?-^r^-^^nt of Scotland orddne^" that
amtefradorsfhould repair to France, Denmark, and Sweden: and hat
their mllruaions direded them to endeavour to obtain friendfliin libe?

andize. [Aifs Jac. IV, c 23] In confequence of one of thofe embaf-
^i'^mT^^T P"'''«^^^" °^^^^"«» ^^ ^heDaniih domSonl
1490. Jatiuary ao"--A treaty between England and Denmark had
been made m the year 1489 at Weftminfter. A more amplTone was
now concludea at Copenhagen by a dodlor of laws, a herald and t^
merchants of Lynne. for England, with the minifters of he kTngTf
Denniark Befides the uiual freedom of trade on both fides It was

m[r. 't ? ^;^,^T^'^^^ ^"^ S^^^"^^" °^ E^gl^^d might fr'eely re
£ »« I'^el'^ndfoi the purpofe of merchandizing or fiAing^hey Zinl
the cuftonury dues xn the ports, and acknowleging the foverdgmy of
the kmg of Denmark by applying at the end of every feven years for re-
newals of their licences. They might purchnfe frefe filh of ^H kTnds

ir^ Tu ""^^^^f^^ "" paying the due cuftoms. Englifh vefTels
obliged by ftrefs of weather ' to go through the Baltic fea tha '

In 3' ''" TH 7 ^r ! '^""'^y '' ^y^-g f- 1^- "» «

on paffing at the Ore-lound, ihouki be no way moletted for infringing
the law or cuftom of Denmark. It was agreed, that before veflels fail?
1 ™ '"' fecunty Ihonld be given (as now uiual). for their peaceable
demeanour at fa,, unlefs they were licenced by either of the kings who
(hou Id thereby become liable to redrefs any ads of piracy committed
bv them.-The Englifli, whether buying, felling, or fifliing.in the Dan-
i^dommwns ftould enjoy as much liberty as any other foreigners.
I hey Ihould alio freely enjoy for ever the projjerty of the lands and ten-
ements acquired by them ,n Hergen in Norway, Lunden. and Land-
ftronc in Sconen. Drugor in Scland. and Loyfa in Sweden, or afterwards

^" f.^'iT"'^'^ '" ''"^ I'^'" "^ ^^'^ ^^•■^"^'^ dominions. They Oiould have
pe.fed liberty at Bergen and other places to eled their governors or aid- "
ermen, vvho Ihould have the power of adminiftering juftice to Englilh
Vol. I. ^ 4 X

^14

Ar'D* ^^49^'

fubje<as agreeable to the rules enatfted by' tbemfelves ; and lany EiigUfJi-
man, refufing to Atbmit to their jurifdidion, fho'trtd be deprived of the
privileges granted to theEnglifh in the Dani(h donr.inions.-^The execut-
or, or next of kin, or failing both, the aldermen or governors, fhould
have the cuilody of the efFe<fts of Englifti fubjefts dying in the Dariidr
territories. — The merchants of England (hould have liberty to fell their
cloths without the interference of any Danifh officer; and they might
appoint their agents in Copenhagen, Malmb, and Landfkrone, who, if
they refided a year or more, and paid the local does, might tranfad bufi-^
nefs for abfent merchants, and fell cloths by the piece or in frrialler

quantities No Englifh merchant (hould be liable to arreft for the debt

fault of another; nor Ihould his goods be arretted for crimes or-

or

debts charged againU himfelf, if he gave fufficient fecurity to fland trial.
— In cafes of wreck the property fliould be carefully preferved for the
owners, and no perfon fliould be permitted ' in fiich melancholy cafes

* to claim any right to the property on pretence of a damned cuftom,.

• or make profit of the calamities of others,' beyond a reafonable re-
ward for labour Every poflible means fliould be ufed on both fides to

prevent the depredations of pirates. — Any irtfradions of this treaty
Ihould be punifhed by the fovereignof the offenders*. {Foedera V. xii,.
/!/>. 375, 381.]

April 15"" Florence, under the wife adminiftration of the illuftrious

merchant, Lorenzo de Medici, was now in the zenith of profperity. The
inhabitants, freed from wars and tumults, exerted their adive fpirit
in commerce and manufadures. Their Oriental trade by the way of
Egypt, was extended and impro^'sd by Lorenzo. Their linens and filk
goods were made from materials produced in their own territories, but
their woollen manufadures depended on importation from Spain and
England, [Ro/coe's Life of Lorenzo, c. 6.'\ The trade of the later coun-
try with Italy had undergone a very important change in the ftiort fpace
nf*^ five years fince King Richard commiflioned the firft conful for the
Englifli merchants at Pifa. From that commiflion we learn, that they
propofed to trade in their own or chartered veflels ; and now we find
Englifh vcilels eftablilhed in the trade, and the Englifli merchants even
fixteading ihtir ideas to the cmploymert of their veflels in a mere car-
rying ttade. A treaty of fix years for (he regulation of this commerce,
fo important to the manufadures of Florence, was now concluded b^ .i
dodor of laws and an alderman of London with the delegates of Flor-
ence, as follows. — The Englilh might freely refort to the territories of
Florence, and carry thither all kinds of merchandize, whether the pro-

• It has bi'cii very properly remarked by Mr. (txctpt in c:\fti of (hipwreck). ! • >ijdigioii»

Anderfon, that this treaty fiippofts the trade be- an alteratio:) had taken place fince the age« in which

tween the two countiica to be entirely in iht lianda the Danes and Norwegians ioniinetrcd upon t*^

cf the EnglKh, there being no reciprocation of Ocean 1
advantages llipulaied for the Danes in England

A.Di

1490.

7'5

tluce^of England or o£ other coa«tEie», not even exceptmfl countn«
^if^""'^,^' *''^' war with FJorence, and might there^b"yand^fe?
wjth the Fiorentmesor any other people, all goods not alreadTprohiblt
ed. and might carry prohibited goods\hrough the Florentine terrkori;
to any aher country whatever, whether friendly or hoftile to Fbren^
---The Florentmes agreed, not tp admit any wjl produced in the En?
1^ dominions If imported in any other than velTels belonging to fubl
I. ? ?r^^^S^' '^'^ ^^S"'^ «" ^he other hand engaging to c°f rv everv
ported annually, on an avera^ of former years, to all the fta^es of Ica^
ZX T'' ^"^^'^^ ^r^"«>ftances. of which the king fliou d ' « judie'
fertv'o Tfrfor \"'P-«^^^,^l^l«-~The EngU.h merchant fhould h S
Derty to hire or acquire houfes for their relidence in Hfa and n.m,M

itLTi^^t'L^r^r r^^^^'^ '^ ^^^ cSs^^f^pf;'; :r;hK

rhZ o ; ^ ? "^ ^^^"^ ^^ exempted .rem feveral municipal bur-
ftate '^cenrpT """ "J^^X duties upon merchandize, in all partes of the
Itate, except F orence, they heme only liablf to pay the excife and nthll
duties upon wine com. and oth^r foo'd. and no? even upon thofe when
bought for (hip s ftores—The Englii?. in Pill, fhould have a rllf'o

funds if"^""' T ' '^r ""^^^ ^°^y' "'^^^ g-^^-" -nd other officers
funds. &c. agreeable to their own regulations : and the magiftraVes of
Horence engaged to give them either a fuitable edifice, or a piece of
ground for ereding one. proper for their joint accommodatTonZTt waS
nl??^ •» f ^" !^'""j concerning the fubjeds of England nly they
liould be independent of the jurifdidion of the city ; in controwrfies
between them and any others, the podefta of Pifa, m coniundion wUh

cales, the Enghih fhould be amenable to the juftice of the country —
1 he Florentintj promifed to endeavour to procure for the Enf^lifh a full
participation of the benefit of any comn^.rcial treaty they m ght f
wards engage m.-The king of England engaged to allow^no fo eign-
cs to export wool from - .y part of his dominions*, except the
V enetians who (hould be allowed in each voyage to England to ca ry
away 600 lacks m their gaU's. and no more, merely for Vhe ufe of the
city and territory r.f Venice.-If the Englifli (liould at any time fail in
carrying the agreed quanti. of wool to Pilh, th. Florentines fliould be
at Ub.rty to receive i , ; her from the Knglidi or from others, as be-
tore—lt was final); .^,. .iated, that the wool fliould be faithfully clean-
ed anu packed, as in former times. [Fcvdeni, V. xii. p. 380.! thou-h
by th.s treaty the Florentines were to have all the Englilh wool tlfat
went to Italy, except . quantity allotted to Venice, at their own dii-
pola . the advr.ntag.. allo\Ned by them to the Englifli fuovv a fpirit of li-
berality, much bcjond the ufual tenor of the treaties of the age.

^^» Surely ft w« ,.t iutendc.!, that (brdgnen (hould be prcvatcO fr.m bujing w«u! in t!>c ftapl.

4X2

i \

7i#

it. IX f%o.

Thft^EngUai nMrchgints eng^i^ti UQ> the trftdeto italyv^ i>i-wbieh:Pi(a
\fas the ftaple, ajtpcar IQ hanc \asea a ragmtated? covyfany^jUhe^ bhe
merchants of the rtaple, and perhaps thoafterchantacbicutoreiK: buthow
loag they exifted as I'uch, I fuppole, is utterly unkiio^wn *.

1 491, May — Nqtwithftaiftding 5he treaty fo fturmalliy concluded! witfe
the Hanfe confederacy m t)m year 14715, the jeateiiiies and coliifums;
which became moue frequent, a6 the EagHfh cama more and more into
the lituation of rivals in trade, liad agaua broken out hsi hoftilities, cap-
tures, and daughters. A meeting of depvrtiea fitom both futes -was now
held at Antwerp in order to adjuil pretenfions and eompenfate damages:
'But the aflenibly broke up wAthout coxoiiQ^ to aay acconiraodatiotv.
Ifoedera, f^. xai,/>. 441 — Werdenbagen, V. ii,/artiry a no.}

6«9iober— King Hewy, intending to inimde Lis antient enemies of
France, granted feveral exemptions iironi ihe oppreiKve burthens of the
feudal conftitutiott to thofe who fliould accompany him» particularly a
right to alienate their honours, cailks, manors, lands, and other heredi-
tary pofleflions, by licence from the king, without paying arvy fine or
tee. \,ABs 7, U^iu VIJ, cc. 2, 3.] Thefe, and Ibme other a6ts of fimilar
tendency, laid the foundation of a. moft iir.portant change m the cir-
cuqaftajaces; of all the people in the kingdona. The great nobles being
permitted', as a favour, to ftiuandcr avfay their, enornaxius eftates, gradu-
ally declined from f.hat dangerous fupetiority, which had, made them
the terror of tlie kings, and the opprefibrs of the people, ever fince the
Norman conqueft : and an opportunity was offered to the fuccefsful
merichant and munufaidturer, to acquice the refpedability and influence
annej^d to the property of lant* ; % kind of property more particularly
defirable in an age, whereia the greateft and moft opulent unlanded
merchant was efleemed inferior to the fmalleft landi-holder.

The Venetians, for the maintenance of their own maritime power,
having impofed a new duty of four golden ducats (18/fterling) on every
butt of malnafey (hipped at Candia pnboard Englilh velfels, an equaliz-
ing additional duty of 18/" was impofed by parliament on every butt im-
ported into England by any foreign merchant, to continue as long as
the Venetians ihould perlift in dcrr.anding their new duty. It was more-
over ordained, that no malmfey (hould be fcla above £/\. per butt of
1,26 gallons with abatement for any deficient mcafuref. [c. 8.]

1492, March 1" — King Henry gave two French merchants a licence to
import wines, woollen and linen cloths made in France or elicwhere, and
any other merchandize, excepting wine of Gafcoygne and woad, in a veflel
of 140 tuns and 64 men ; and to export tin and other merchandize, not

• Tliougli the publ'c huve be.-n formerly ftunned f This af\ 'ncgins with fetting forth the great

with the fierce coutells of tliofc two compai'iei-, trade of Knglini (hips to CanMn lime eiil of minj.

we hear noih' ;• tt »1] of the company of flierclwnts But we know not how to iruft to the chronrjiogy

tradi:iQ to L _ of fueh rfiirtfcmatioiir.

'Jkti3fi^ 14^.

belongtttff to the ftij^eof Csltts *, td

>i7

the

any country. whateVjef, repeating
ye«r, arid: duely paying the

cuftom$, 8tc. [Feeders, V. xa.ip. ^x.^ ".Py^^!^,

rrage of Ferdinand kmg of Aragon with Ifebella qtreen of Gaffrle, which
tool pl«^e m the year 1469. had for fome tmte been in a very ftaurifh-
in?, (^dition About ten thoufand people were employed L the ma-
nul^dure^f filk and wnbt in Toledo. In Catakmiaf bJfore the uhbn
ot the kingdoms of Caftile and Aragon (an event fatal to the commer-
cial profpertty of that province) many of the towns were filkd with in-
duttnous and fkilfiil manufedurers in wool, cotton, flax, 151k, leather tin
copper, iron, fteel, filver. &c. The fhip-carpentcrs of Barcelona built
1/1^' Tl "^^^"^ f^ °'^'' countrymen, but alfo for other nation-
All thele branches of mduftry, together with the produce of a fertile
ioil diligently cultivated, fupplicd the materrals of nn extcnfive commerce
with every port of the Mediterranean fea, and alfo to Portugal the weft
coalt of France, Flanders, and England. [Schtt. Script. Hijp. V. ir pp
308, H\'—Capmany, Mm. bijf. de Barcelona, pajfim f.] But all the Chrift-
lans of Spain were furpaffed by the Saracens of Granada in the cultiv-
;?T c V?f"">"'^^' *h^ excellence of their manufadurcs, particularlv
thote of filk. (which, as already obferved, were in a floin-ifhing contli-
uon in Almeria before any of the Chriftian ftates to the wcftwarrf of
Greece poflefTed a fmgle filk-worm) the extent of their commerce then-
nches and magnificence %. That kingdom was finally fubdtred in the
beginmng of January 14-^2 by Ferdinand, who by the treaty fecured'to
the Saracens the free exercife of their religion with the ufe of their
molques, their own laws, and their property of every kind, including'
even their arms, except cannon. Ferdinand' has generally obtained the
charader of a wiio king : but, with lubmiffion to the wifdbm 6f thofe
who have given him that charadcr, it may be obferved, that h* had
novy an opi)ortunity, by a prudent and conciliatory treatment of his new
fubjeds, to render his kingdom the firft manufaduring and commei-eiai
country in Europe, and that his condud was quite the reverie. Urged
by bigotry and infatuation, he had already eftablifited the horrible tri-
bunal of the; inquifition, of itfelf fufficient to deftroy all fpirit of in-
duflry and euteqirife ; and, not latisfied with fo great a facrifice of the
inherent nghts of the human mind on the altar of fuperftition, he com-

• The king's complaifance to the French merch-
ants made liim forget that tin was a principal arti-
cle of the llaplc, and aJiait not only Fiench-made
woollen cloths, but evfn thofe of other countries
imported by French merclianis : and yet he is faij
to have undcrftood, and aded upon, the principles
of the aft of navigation.

f For this and the ((receding quotations from
the important collcftion of records, publidied by

Den Antonio de Capmany, I have to acknow.
lege the kindnefs of Sir Joiwi Talbot Dillon in .
favouring me with the ufe of his copy, perhaps the
only one in Great Britain : nor Ihould I even have
known of the work, but by his mention of it in
his valuable Hiftory of Peter the ^'rue'.

X The magnilicence of their buildinsr' -ppeare
ia the remains of r hem ftill txiiling.

71 8

A. D. 1492.

manded (March 1492) all the Jews in Spain to become Chriftians or
to leave the kingdom in four months; and 170,000 faixvlips*, ^ij' i^duf-
trious and valuable members of fociety, by whom a, great part;^ the
trade of the country was conduced, were df iven out W enrick other
countries with their arts and induftry, and as much of their property as
they could fave. With refped to the Sarincens, or Moors, irvftead of
imitatin-T the wife and liberal condud of the ancpftors of thole p'eople,
who, when they conquered Spain, permitted their qhriaian fubjeds to
enjoy their religion and laws, or that of the Chriflian conqueror of Si-
cily, who gave the Saracen inhabitants the fame indulgence, or paying
any regard to his own treaty, Ferdinand the Catholic f refo|ved to com-
pell all his new fubjeds to become Chriftians J. Many of them pro-
fefled the Chriftian religion, while they retained their own : but thofe
hypocrites were foon exterminated by the burning zeal of the holy fa-
thers of the inquifition. Others, by far the greateft number of them,
were either murdered, or plundered and driven out of the country.
Moft of the exiles took refuge among their brethren on the oppofite
coaft cf Africa, and, in revenge for the miferies inflided on them by
the Spaniards, refolved to carry on a perpetual predatory war againft
their oppreflbrs. But their war of juft reprilals has been perverted by
their defcendents into indifcriminate piracy againft every nation pro-
fcfling the Chriftian religion, excepting only thofe, who by bribes, or fu-
perior naval power, allure or compell them to refped their flags: and
thus It happens, that a private merchant in the United ftates of Ameri-
ca, a country not known to exift when Granada was conquered, is ruin-
ed in confequence of that event. By thefe depopulations with the fub-
ie((uent drains to the colonies, by blind and furious bigotry, and the
lazy pride introduced by the acquifuion of the American mines, Spain,
from the time of entering upon poITeflion of the greateft opportunities
of improvement, has been falling back in civilization, induftry, and com-
merce, while all the other countries in Europe were rapidly advancing :
a memorable and dreadful example of the fatal confequences of perfe-
cution for religious opinions. [See Mariana, LI. xxv, xxvi, xxvii.]

It has been obferved that the commerce of the Venetians acquired
a very great extenfion by the depreflion of their rivals, the Genoefe,
upon the eftablifliment of the Turkifli empire in Europe. The wealth
ct Europe, and, along with it, the tafte for the ipiceries, jewels, peai-ls,
and other rich produdions and manufadures of the Eaft, continued to
increafe. Thofe articles of luxury were almoft entirely fupplied by the

A.i)

1492.

719

Venetians whofe veflels vlfitcd every port of the Mediterranean and
every coaft of Europe, aud v^hofe maritime commerce was probably
greater than that of all the reft of Europe taken together. In Venice
the rich manufkaures of filk, cloth of gold and filver, veflels of irold
and filver, and glafs, were carried to the higheft degree of perfedion.
The Venetian navy was fufficiently powerful to reprefs the piracies of
the Turkifh and Barbary corfairs. The government was beneficent •
the people were numerous, opulent, and happy. Such was the com-
mercial fplendour and profperity now enjoyed by Venice, from which
flje was foon to declme, without a poflibilit/of recovery, in confequence
of events, which no errors m commercial poHcy produced, and no hum-
an prudence could pofCbly avert. ^ ■' i

LND OF THE FIRST VOLUME..