HANSE MERCHANTS' GRIEVANCES ad. 



1407. 



for ech mans name written a peny, at ye arrival of their 



goods out of every ship wherin the said goods are found, 



what commodities & marchandize soever they be : whenas 



notwithstanding, if there be a chest or any other smal 



matter, there should not therfore be any custome due 



unto our lord the king, nor any received unto his 



Majesties use. In like maner do the customers of the The customers 



subsidy deale. Wheras also the foresaid marchants were G J thesu ° sldie ' 



not wont to pay for a cocket for the conveyance & 



transportation of their goods out of the realme (albeit 



many names were written therein) more then 4-d. of late 



the customers of the pety custom do compel them to pay 



for every name contained in the same cocket, 4.d. and in 



like sort do the customers of the saide subsidy deale. 



Which contribution in a yere extendeth it self unto a 



great summe, to the unknown prejudice of our lord the 



king, more then any man could suppose, (for the [I. 173.] 



customers enjoy their fees and commodities from his 



Majestie that they may doe him faithfull service) and 



likewise to the great damage of the said marchants. 



Item, pitifully complaining the said marchants do 

 alleage that they are constrained to pay for subsidy, 

 sometime I2.d. and somtime 6.d. in the pound, con- 

 trary to the tenor of their charter : and yet notwith- 

 standing when their marchandize commeth to the wharf, 

 the customers prolong & delay the time 3. or 4. weeks 

 before they wil take custome for their goods, in the which 

 space other marchants sel their goods, the customers not 

 regarding whether the goods aforesaid take wet or no ; 

 to the great damage aswel of our lord the king, as of the 

 said marchants : because, if they had quicke dispatch, they 

 might pay custome unto his Majestie oftner then they 

 doe. 



Item, the said marchants doe farther alleage, that the 

 customers of the petie custome, and of the subsidie in 

 the port of London have appointed among themselves 

 certaine men to seale up the goods of the saide marchants, 

 so soon as they are arrived at the port of safetie, until the 



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