A. D. 1 191. 355 



beyond what had ever been taken in any one battle : and we may form 

 fome judgement of it from the number of cattle employed to carry the 

 merchandize, when, befides very many that efcaped, the camels and dro- 

 medaries taken were eflimated at 4,700, and the mules and affes taken 

 were faid to be innumerable. [V'inifauf, p. 400.] We may here remark, 

 that fuch articles as filver pots and candlefticks and fome kinds of drape- 

 ry ufed to be carried from Egypt to the Eaft in the firft century, and 

 alfo money, the balance of trade being then very great in favour of the 

 Oriental merchants ; whereas now a large balance in money and bullion 

 appears to have been brought y>-o?« the Eaft. 



We have already feen the citizens of London have a principal fhare 

 in the eleftion of King Edmund Ironfide and Harold the fon of Cnut ; 

 and other fimilar inftances might be adduced, if neceilary. We now 

 find them joined with John the brother of the abfent king, the bifhops, 

 earls, and barons, in depofing one viceroy, and appointing another, who, 

 together with his aflbciatesin the adminiftration, gave the citizens anew 

 charter of their incorporation or communty (' communa') *. [^Hoveden, 



/ 399 b.] 



1 192 — King Richard, whofe prodigies of perfonal valour in Paleftine 

 have ranked him among the heroes of romance, had the misfortune to 

 be trepanned in his way home by the duke of Auftria, who fold him to 

 the emperor of Germany : and he was accordingly tranfported by his 

 new proprietor from Vienna to Mentz and other places, where he was 

 generally kept in a rigorous confinement, till a treaty was concluded, 

 whereby the emperor extorted from him, or rather from the people of 

 England, one hundred thoufand marks of filver of the weight of Co- 

 logne, to be paid in advance, together with an obligation, to be fecured 

 by the delivery of fixty-feven hoftages, for fifty thoufand marks, to be 

 paid, if fome fecret engagements concerning the duke of Saxony were 

 not performed : and the emperor, in return for fo much folid treafure, 

 made him a prefent of an imaginary kingdom of Provence. The king 

 thereupon wrote to his mother and the jufticiaries of England (April 

 19'"), defiring them to coUedl as much money as poflible by contribu- 

 tions and loans, and alfo to receive all the gold and filver belonging to 

 the churches, and to give their oaths to the clergy for the reftoration of 

 them. The king feems to have expected, that the money might be 

 raifed by voluntary contributions and loans ; but fo heavy a demand, 

 coming before the country had recovered fro'm the effeds of the drain 



* The learned Somner {GloJ. ad Script, decern^ porated community, appears evidently from feveral 



confiders communa on this occafion as lignifying a charters of King John, granting to his towns in 



covenant of confederacy witli the bifliops, earls, Normandy their communa. Set Madox's Hijl. of the 



and barons, for their joint fecurity. But, that the essheq. f. 13, J 13 ; and Firma burgl,p. 35. 



word expreffed the rights or privileges of aa incor 



I 



Yy 2 



