TRADE AND MARKETS. 141 



The commercial relations of England and Portugal were 

 intimate. The principal exports of that country were figs and 

 raisins, oil, wine, osey, which appears to be also wine, wax, 

 honey and Cordovan leather, dates, salt, and hides. Brittany, 

 though a nest of water-thieves, supplied salt and wine, crest 

 cloth and canvas. The produce of Pruse, by which is generally 

 meant Northern Germany and the south coast of the Baltic, 

 was osemond, a kind of choice iron, copper, steel, bow-staves, 

 wax, peltry, tar, pitch, timber, flax, thread, fustian, canvas, 

 buckram and silver. From Genoa came cloth of gold, silk, 

 velvet, pepper, wool, oil, woodashes, cotton, alum, and gold. 

 From Florence and Venice, all kinds of spices, groceries, sweet 

 wines, and apothecary's drugs, besides toys. But as the marine 

 of defence had fallen into decay, so the mercantile marine of 

 England was far behind what it had been, and great part of 

 English goods was carried in foreign bottoms. 



It is worth noting that the writer sets great store by the 

 national resources and products of Ireland, and expresses much 

 anxiety that the native population should be civilized. The 

 products of the island were hides, fish, especially salmon, hake, 

 and herrings, linen and woollen cloths, valuable furs, among 

 which is mentioned that of the Irish hare. Rabbits are 

 abundant in the island. The writer comments on the ex- 

 cellence of the Irish harbours, particularly on that ofWaterford, 

 laments that the wild natives had considerably encroached on 

 the English pale, and are threatening the very existence of the 

 settlement, and quotes the authority of the Earl of Ormond 

 to the effect that the cost of a single year's war in France 

 would be sufficient for the complete and immediate reduction 

 of Ireland, a result which would be followed by the most 

 marked commercial advantages. If this be not done however, 

 he dreads that if Ireland and Wales rise in successful rebellion 

 against the English authority, they will get the assistance of 

 Spain or Scotland. 



Twelve years before the Libel of English Policy was written, 

 the merchants of Bristol had reached Iceland for fishing 



