KING JOHN'S SAFE CONDUCT 



A.D. 



1 1 99. 



^olit^e merca- 

 torum consue- 

 tndines. 



A generall safe conduct graunted to all forreine 



Marchants by king John in the || first yeere ||ii99- 

 of his reigne, as appeareth in the Records of 

 the Tower, Anno i. Regis Joannis. 



Cannes Dei gratia &c. Majori & Com- 

 munitati Londinensi salutem. Sciatis 

 voluntatem esse nostram, quod omnes 

 Mercatores de quacunque fuerint terra 

 salvum habeant conductum ire & redire 

 cum mercibus suis in Angliam. Volu- 

 mus etiam quod eandem habeant pacem 

 in Anglia, quam Mercatores de Anglia habent in terris 

 illis unde fuerunt egressi. Et idee vobis praecipimus, 

 quod hoc faciatis denunciari in Balliva vestra, & firmiter 

 teneri ; permittentes eos ire & redire sine impedimento 

 per debitas & rectas & solitas consuetudines in Balliva 

 vestra. Teste Galfredo iilio Petri comite Essexiae apud 

 Kinefard 5. die Aprilis. 



In eadem forma scribitur vicecomiti Sudsex, Majori & 

 communitati Civitatis Winton, Ballivo de Southampton, 

 Ballivo de Lenne, Ballivo Kent, Vicecomiti Norffolcias & 

 SufFolcias, Vicecomiti dorset & Sommerset, Baronibus de 

 quinque portubus, Vicecomiti de Southampton sire, Vice- 

 comiti de Herteford & Essex, Vicecomiti Cornubias & 

 Devon. 



The same in English. 



John by the grace of God &:c. to the Maior and 

 communaltie of London, greeting. You are to 

 understand, that it is our pleasure, that all Marchants 

 of what nation soever, shall have safe conduct to passe 

 and repasse with their Marchandize into England. It 

 is our will also, that they be vouchsafed the same favour 

 in England, which is granted unto the English Marchants 

 in those places from whence they come. And therefore 

 we give you in charge, that you cause this to be pub- 



319 



