2 JO A. D. II 5 6. 



of the greatnefs of the city, are confidered as people of the firfl: quality 

 and noblemen (' optimates et proceres') of the kingdom. It is filled 

 with merchandize, brought by the merchants of all countries ; but 

 chiefly thofe of Germany : and, in cafe of fcarcity of corn in other 

 parts of England, it is a granary, where it may be bought cheaper than 

 anywhere elfe. [Novell./. 107 a ; Gejla pontif. f. 133 b.] 



Another circuraflance, tending to Ihow that London was compartively 

 an opulent and commercial city at this time, is, that it was the head- 

 quarters of all the Jews in England ; a people who have never failed to 

 follow wealth and commerce, and who have generally contributed 

 largely to the advancement of both wherever they fettled. One of the 

 many hardfhips, impofed upon that race of people, was an obligation to 

 carry their dead from all parts of England, to be interred in one gener- 

 al cemetery appointed for them in Red-crofs flreet in London, till the 

 year 1177, when Henry II gave them permiflion to purchafe burying 

 grounds in other parts of the kingdom. \Bromton, col. 1 129. — Blow's 

 London, p. 553, cd. 161 8.] 



Nothing particularly illuflrative of the ftate of the Cinque ports about 

 this time has occurred to me. 



William of Malmfbury [GeJla regum,f. 28 a] fays, that Exefter, which 

 was fortified with towers and walls of hewn ftone by King Athelftan, 

 though it was deftroyed by the Danes in the year 1003, [Chroti. Sax. ad- 

 wi.} and though the country around it is fi:ill in fo poor a ftate of cul- 

 tivation, that it can fcarcely produce a crop of the moft indifferent 

 kind of oats, has now become a magnificent city, filled with opulent 

 citizens ; and being the principal port tor the mineral produdions of 

 the adjacent country, [H. Huntind. J. iji a] it is fo much reforted to 

 by foreign merchants, that every thing, that can be defired, may be 

 purchaied there in abundance. 



Briftow, according to William of Malmfbury, \GeJiapont.f. 161 a] is 

 a celebrated town, and a port for veflels coming from Ireland, Norway, 

 and other foreign countries. Henry II, in the eleventh year of his 

 reign, gave the burgefl^cs a charter, exempting them from tolls and. 

 fome other impofitions in England, Wales, and Normandy. 



Gloucefter, according to William, [/ 161 a] is a city fituated in a 

 ▼ajiey remarkably fertile, and particularly famous for abundance of 

 excellent apples *, which keep good through the whole year. It alfo 

 excells all England in the abundance and pleafant tafte of its grapes ; 

 and the wine made from them is entirely free from harflinefs and four- 

 nefs, and very little inferior to the wines of France. 



• When jiralfiDg the apples of Gloiiccftcrfhlrc, t'nuhn.f. 210 a] ami in lii's own time the farmer of 



lie hn3 not a word of cider, tliongli it is nicmion- Windfor was allowcil fix flillliiigs and eight pennies 



cda-. being provided long Ik fore his time along with for wine, perry, and eider, for the ufe of King 



wine, mead, ale, pigment, and morat, at Hertford Henry H. {Maihx's liifi. of the ixchcq. c. x, J i 2.] 



(to this day the center of the cider country) for Probably cider and perry were rare, and only iifed 



the ufe of King Edward the CunfefTor ; [//. Hun- by people of the highell ranks. 



