THE ENGLISH POLICY a.d. 



c H37- 

 For ech other land of necessitie 

 Have great neede to buy some of them three : 

 And we receive of hem into this coste 

 Ware and chaffare that lightly wilbe loste. 

 And would Jesus, that our Lordis wold 

 Consider this well both yong and old : 

 Namely old that have experience, 

 That might the yonge exhort to prudence ; 

 What harme, what hurt, and what hinderance 

 Is done to us, unto our great grievance, 

 Of such lands, and of such nations : 

 As experte men know by probations, 

 By writings as discovered our counsailes, 

 And false colour alwaies the countertailes 

 Of our enimies ; that doth us hindering 

 Unto our goods, our Relme, and to the king : 

 As wise men have shewed well at eye ; 

 And all this is couloured by marchandye. 



An example of deceite. 



ALso they bere the gold out of this land, 

 And sucke the thrift away out of our hand : 

 As the Waspe souketh honie fro the bee, 

 So minisheth our commoditee. 

 Now wol ye here how they in Cotteswold 

 Were wont to borrow or they shold be sold 

 Her woll good as for yere and yere. 

 Of cloth and tinne they did in like manere : 

 And in her galies ship this marchandie : 

 Then soone at Venice of them men woll it bye. 

 Then utterne there the chaffare by the peise, 

 And lightly als there they make her reise. 

 And when the goods beene at Venice sold, 

 Then to carie her change they this money have, 

 They will it profer, their subtiltie to save, 

 To English marchants to yeve it out by eschange 

 To be payed againe they make not strange, 



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