A.D. 

 I4O7. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Item, the foresaid marchants are privileged by their 

 charter, that concerning the quantity of their marchandize 

 brought into the realme of England (in regard whereof 

 they are bound to pay 3-d. for the worth of every pound 

 of silver) credit is to be given unto them for the letters 

 of their masters and of their companies, if they were 

 able to shew them. And if so be they had no letters 

 in this behalfe to shew, that then credite should bee 

 given unto themselves, and that their othe, or the othe 

 of their atturney should be taken, without any other 

 proof, as touching the value of their marchandize so 

 brought in, & that thereupon they should be bound to 

 pay customs, namely the customes of 3. d. justly for that 

 cause to be paid. But nowe the customers of our 

 soveraigne lorde the king put their goods to an higher 

 rate then they ought or were woont to be : and heereupon 

 they compell them to pay custome for their goods, at 

 their pleasure, scanning about their fraight and expenses 

 particularly disbursed in regard of the said goods and 

 marchandize, to the great hinderance of the said 

 marchants, and against the tenor of their charter. 



The great Item, the foresaid marchants by way of pitiful com- 



arter of pi a j nt jo a H ea gre, that whereas the worthy progenitors of 



our Lord the king that now is, by vertue of the saide 



great charter, graunted libertie unto them to pay the 



customes of certain clothes, namely of skarlet, and cloth 



[I. 172.] died in grayne, and of other clothes of assise, which were 

 by them to be caried out of the realme of England, even 

 as by their foresaid Charter it doeth more plainly appeare : 

 and whereas our soveraigne lord the king that now is 

 (ratifying and confirming the saide charter, and being 

 willing that they shoulde have more especiall favour 

 shewed unto them) granted unto them by their Charter, 

 that the said marchants should be exempted and freed 

 from all custome and imposition of small clothes, as in 

 pieces and in narrow clothes which were not of assise, and 

 in such other clothes of like qualitie : yet of late the 

 Customers of our Lorde the King that nowe is, not allow- 



74 



