a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



said authors and publishers thereof imagining, according 

 to their desire, that by this meanes an utter extirpation 

 and overthrow of English marchants might, yea & of 

 necessity must ensue : upon their serious & long pre- 

 meditated deliberation, straitely commanded & injoyned, 

 under pain of losing the benefit of all privileges, where- 

 soever, or by the princes of what lands, or the Magis- 

 trates of what Cities or townes soever vouchsafed unto 

 the said common societie, that not only the aldermen of 

 that society in al places throughout the realme of Eng- 

 land, but also al other marchants of the said company, 

 after the maner of marchants conversing in the saide 

 Realme, should, without exception of persons, utterly 

 abstein from all intercourse of traffike with the marchants 

 of the realme aforesaid : yea, and that they shoulde 

 depart out of the said kingdome within a very short 

 space limited. For the dispatching of al which premisses 

 without delay, it was according to their commandement 

 effectually provided. 



Item, that the society aforesaid hath approved divers 

 against ng- ver y unreasonable statutes & ordinances, made & pub- 



tish marchants . . J . . r \ . . r . 



in Norway and lished by the marchants or the same society residing in 

 in Sued/and. the kingdoms of Norway and Swedland, to the great 

 prejudice of the kingdome of England, and the mar- 

 chants thereof: and as yet both covertly and expresly 

 do approve the same, unjustly putting them in daily 

 execution. 



Item, wheras in the privileges & indulgences granted 

 by ye renoumed princes somtimes kings of England, ye 

 worthy progenitors of our sovereign lord the king y c 

 now is, unto the society aforesaid, it is provided, y l the 

 said marchants shal not avow any man which is not of 

 their company, nor shal not colour his goods and mar- 

 chandize under their company : whereas also in the 

 [I. 175.] confirmation of the sayd priviledges made by our 

 soveraigne lord that nowe is, it is manifestly provided, 

 that the marchants of the Hans towns, under the colour 

 of their priviledges in England, shall not upon paine of 



82 



Statutes 



