ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



J 407- . . . 



said soveraign L. the king his meaning is not to disturb 



or hinder such priviledges as have bin heretofore granted 



& vouchsafed unto the common society of the marchants 



aforesaid, by the renoumed kings of England, & the 



worthy progenitors of our L. the K. that now is, & 



by himself also under a certain form confirmed : even 



[1. 174.] so he is determined (without ye prejudice of forren lawes) 



upon just, mature and sober deliberation, by his royall 



authoritie to withstand such priviledges, as by reason of 



the abuse thereof, have bene infinitely prejudiciall unto 



himselfe and his subjects. 



Inprimis the said ambassadours doe affirme as afore, 

 that whereas all and every the Marchants of the said 

 company, as often as they would, were, both in the 

 Realme of England, and in other territories & dominions 

 subject unto our soveraigne lord the king, admitted and 

 suffered (according to the tenor of the forenamed 

 priviledges granted unto them) freely, friendly and 

 securely to traffique and converse with any of his 

 Majesties liege people and subjects whatsoever, or with 

 other people of whatsoever nation living in the realme 

 of England, or in the dominions aforesaid : the said 

 common society of marchants by their publike & de- 

 liberate common counsel did appoint & ordain, y l no 

 society in any cities, townes, or places, neither yet any 

 particular man of any such society (there being no law- 

 full or reasonable cause why) shoulde in any wise admit 

 any marchants of the realm of England resorting unto 

 their cities or other places for marchandise, to enjoy 

 intercourse of traffike : but that the saide English 

 marchants should bee altogether excluded from all 

 traffike and mutuall conversation among them, by de- 

 nouncing and inflicting grievous penalties of money as 

 well upon cities as other places, and upon particular 

 marchants also of the foresaid societie practising the 

 contrary. 



Item, that immediatly after, the foresaid parties 

 enacting and ordaining published their sayde statute and 



80 



