A. D. 1 126. 319 



der the direction, of the pope's legate, all clergymen were ordered 

 to abflain from mtereft and bafe lucre *, on pain of degradation. 

 [^Sim. Dun. ap. Twyfden, col. 254.] Under the operation of fo injudicious 

 a rellridion, the clergy, who could not engage in trade themfelves f , 

 were obliged to keep their money dead befide them, as few would chufe 

 to run any rifk of lofs or inconvenience by lending it, when they could 

 derive no emolument from it. But fome laws are fo prepoflerous, that 

 they become void by a tacit general confent without being formally re- 

 pealed : and that fuch was the fate of this one, may be inferred from a 

 more rigid renovation of it in a fubfequent council of the clergy held 

 at V/eftniinfter (13'' December 1138) under the direction of another 

 papal legate. [Ric. Hagujlald. col. 327.] 



1 1 30— The Venetians obtained a charter from Baldwin II, king of 

 Jerufalem, conveying to them the moft ample powers, privileges, and 

 immunities, in all cities fubjeft to himfelf and his barons ; together 

 with the property of the third part of the cities of Tyre and Afcalon, 

 when he fhould take them from the Saracens by their help. [Chart, in 

 Muratori Jnt'ia. V. it, col. 919.] We liave already feen fimilar grants 

 made to the Piians, {above, p. 317) and many fuch were obtained from 

 time to tiir.e by the commercial flates of Italy, who, leaving to the 

 weftern nations the glory of being the principals in the frenzy of ruin- 

 ing themfelves for the aggrandizement of the popes, wilely drew to 

 themielves the profits i negleded indeed by their weftern allies) of trad- 

 ing under the protection of the armies of the crofs. 



The melanc'oly conlequence of wooden buildings being crowded to- 

 gether-was fatally experienced in the city of London in two dreadful 

 conflagrations. In ihe firil (a . 1132) almoffc the whole of the city was 

 burnt down. The fecond (a°. 1135) began at London bridge, and ex- 

 tending weftward as far as the church of the Danes (now St. Clement 

 Danes), conRimed every thing in its progrefs, and among the reft: the 

 cathedral church of St. Paul. \_Mat. Weft m. pp. 241, 242.] 



King Henry about the later end of his reign was induced, by the 

 complaints of the tenants of his demefne lands, to convert the rents, 

 formerly paid entirely, or almofl; entirely, in the real produce of the 

 foil, to a fixed rate in money ; whereby the tenants were relieved from 

 the inconvenience, expenfe, and opprelfion, they often fuftered in con- 



* « Ufuvam et turpe lucrum.' — As t't contriv- follo'w'mg the inJlUutes of the fathers, prohibited 



ers of tliofe canons made no aifferencc b^^trt'een the monks and cicrcrj-men, under tlie pain of anathema, 



moft m.odcrate and tlie moft ex irbitant inteicft, the from trading for profit. \_Spelman ConcU. V. u, 



name of ufury (in modern lanjjuage rcftritted, p. IC3.3 There are in the councils many other 



t'aough rather improperly, to the later) was indif- prohibitions againft the clergy engaging in trade, 



criminatcly applied to any allowance or compspfa- one of the reafons afligned being, becaufe btitin^ 



tion given for the ufe (ufura) of money ; and it is and felling cannot be tranfaded tvi hout fin. \_p. 288.1 



here joined with bale or difgraceful lucre in order to They did not think it any fin for idle drones I* 



jnake it appear equally criminal. confuDie tlie produce of other men's indultry. 



f The council held at Weftminller in 11751 



