A. D. 1066. 289 



It will found ftrange to the ears of many, that human creatures, not 

 Africans of a different colour, but white people, natives of Britain, con- 

 ftituted an article of trade in thofe days. The people of Briftol were 

 great dealers in Haves, whom they generally exported to Ireland. \_W. 

 Malmjhur. Vit. Uljiani, in Augl'ia facra, V. ii, p. 258 — Gir. Camhr. Hib. 

 exp. L. i, c. 18.] Some Northumbrian flaves were carried as far as 

 Rome, where, being expofed to fale in the flave-market, their handfome 

 figure fo engaged the compaflion of a monk called Gregory, that he 

 afterwards, v/hen he was pope, fcnt Augufline to convert their nation 

 to the Chriftian religion, who, inflead of proceeding to Northumber- 

 land, took up his refidence at Canterbury. {Bedx Hiji. ecclef. L. ii. 



The foreign trade appears to have been chiefly carried on by ftran- 

 gers, and was therefor a paflive trade on the part of England. The at- 

 tempt of Athelftan to allure his fubjeds to avail themfelves of the na- 

 tural advantages of their infular fituation would not have been either 

 neceffary or proper, if many Englifh merchants had traded to foreign 

 countries, or if many of them had been capable of fitting out and load- 

 ing a velTel. 



The internal trade of England muft alfo have been on a very dimi- 

 nutive fcale, when the prefence of two or more witnefles, of the chief 

 niagiftrate, the liiirref, the prieft, or the lord of the manor, was necef- 

 fary to give validity to a bargain of more than twenty pennies. If we 

 may place any dependence on the laws afcribed to Edward the ConfcfT- 

 or, the clergy were entitled to draw their tenths even from the profits, 

 of trade, which was a fafe and good trade for them. 



The inland trade was aflifted not only by the many navigable rivers, 

 which interfed England, but alfo apparently by artificial canals, where 

 the ground was level. Abbo of Fleury defcribes the kingdom of the 

 Eafl-Angles us bounded on the weft by a rampart and ditch. {^See 

 Camdeni Brit an. in Cambridge-JJjire, where feveral Juch are noted.} A canal 

 in Huntington-fhire, called Kingsdelf, is at leaft as old as the year 963. 

 [Chron. Sav. ad an. — Hi/i. Ra?nes. ap. Gale, p. 457.] It is not impolTible, 

 that thefe canals may be of ftill higher antiquity, and may owe their 

 origin to Roman policy and Britifli labour. 



Though the fubjedion of the Englifh by the Danes was fatal to fome 

 great families, it muft be acknowleged that it was highly advantageous 

 to the great bulk of the people, and more efpecially to fuch of them as 

 were engaged in any kind of commerce. The merchants of all the 

 northern countries of Europe, poftefling any quantity of fliipping, being 

 iellow-fubjedls in the reign of Cmtt, navigation was perfectly free from 

 the danger of pirates, and trade was fafe. The fubjeds of fo great a. 

 king were alio, upon his account, more refpeded and favoured in other- 

 parts of Europe, as we have already had occafion to obferve. 



Vol. I. O o 



