TO BAlsfGOR 1SC0E6. 12^ 



of the twelfth of Edward IV., recites that the king 

 had perceived, by a petition from the Commons^ 

 the great fcarcity and exceilive price of bow-daves, 

 whereby the practice of archery was greatly dif- 

 continued and ahndl loft:, it is therefore ordained 

 that " every merchant ftranger, that fhall convey into 

 this land any merchandize of the city or country 

 of Venice, or of any other city, town, or country^ 

 from whence any fuch bow-P^aves have been before 

 this time brought, fliail bring at the fame time four 

 bow-ftaves for every ton of ftich merchandize, on 

 pain of forfeiture to the king of fix fhillings and 

 eight-pence for every bow-flatf fhort/' — -Another 

 Itatute, of the firft of Richard III., informs us, that 

 upon the bov/yers reprefenting, that " in times pall 

 good and able duff" of bow-ftaves had been brought 

 into this realm as well by Englifti merchants as 

 ftrangers, whereby the inhabitants, bowyers, might 

 competently live upon fuch ftuff, which they bought 

 at 40J-. the hundred, or 46s. Sd. at the moft j" but 

 which then, by the feditious confederacy of the 

 Lombards, who frequented the ports of this realm, 

 ivere at the outrageous price of eight pounds a hun- 

 dred ; fo that in fhort time this realm was like to 

 fail, as well of ftuff of artillery, as of worlonen 

 thereof; — -it vvas ordered, that no merchant of Ve- 

 nice, nor other vv-hich ufed to repair unto this realm 

 with merchandizes of thofe parts, fhould bring into 

 this realm any fuch merchandizes, unlefs he bring 

 at the lame time teji bow-ftaves, good and able 



ftuff. 



