-A. D. 1 241. 393 



merchants of Hamburgh and Lubeck, to eflablifh a guard for the pro- 

 tection of their merchandize againfi; pirates and robbers in the inland 

 carriage between their cities ; [Lambecii Orig. Hamburg. L. ii, p. 26] a 

 precaution very neceffary in thofe days of rapine, when men of the firft 

 rank, having no ufeful employment or elegant amufement to relieve 

 them from the languor of idlenefs in times of peace, openly profefled 

 the trade of robbery *. The acceffion of other cities, and the prudent 

 meafures, which afterwards rendered the commercial confederacy, fup- 

 pofed to have fprung out of this alliance of two cities, fo flourifhi \^, 

 powerful, and famous, will be noticed on proper occafions as fully as 

 authentic materials will warrant. 



Some mines of tin were this year difcovered in Germany, the pro- 

 duce of which was fo abundant, that the metal was even imported into 

 England, whereby the price of it in this country was very much re- 

 duced f. [M. Paris, p. 570.] 



1 242 — Jacomo Theopolo (or Jacopo Tiepolo) duke of Venice, with 

 the afliftance of four noble and learned counfelors, collefted the laws of 

 the republic into a code, [Novelli Statuta Venet.'\ which is almoft entirely 

 occupied in regulating the defcent of property, the recovery of debts, 

 and the punifhment of crimes. And, what is furprifing in the laws of 

 the firft commercial people of Europe, they contain no other regula- 

 tions relating to commerce than feme diredions refpedling freights, 

 averages, feamen's wages, and the like. There is, however, one of the 

 laws XL. iii, c 18] which deferves notice on account of its containing 

 perhaps the earlieft inftance extant of the language of calculation, now 

 tmiverfally ufed by merchants, and, indeed, by all other defcriptions of 

 people. It was cuftomary for purchafers to pay down a depofit, which 

 was now directed to be lodged in the hands of the procurator of S'. 

 Mark, and the amount of it was fixed at ten per cent (' diefe per cento'). 

 Other nations ufed, long after this time, to fay one tenth, one twentieth, 

 &c. or fo many pennies or fhillings on the pound. But the more judi- 

 cious and expreffive mode of calculating at fo much per cent, wliich we 

 have moft probably learned from the Venetians, has almoft univerfally 

 fuperfeded the calculation by tenths, twentieths, quarters,. &c. > 



Thje king of France at the commencement of a war ordered the per- 



* Thofe robbers were too powerful to be con- f M. Paris erroneouny adds, that hiliierto tin 



trolled by the civil magiUrate, and they even dif- had never been found any where in the whole 



regarded the excommunication of the clergy. [See world but in Cornwall. According to an author 



Rolcrtfon's Hijioiy of Charles V, V. i, p. 398, ed. of that age, quoted by Camden, \_Bnlanma,p. 134] 



1792, and ^f/oiy under the year 1255.] As their the German mines were difcovered by a Coniilh 



gangs were numerous enough to be called armies, man, who was banilhed from his native country, 



their depredations affumed the charasfter of war- The Cornilh tin, however, appears to be of a fu- 



lare and victories, and, inllcad of being iligmatiz- perior quality to that of oihcr countries, as is ac- 



ed as bafe and difgraceful, were often rewarded kr.owlcgcd by foreigners in counterfeiting the Eng- 



with public appluute, as meritorious and honour- lilh ftamps upon their tin. \_CamphclVi Political '. 



r.ble atlicns. Jurvey, K i, /. 41, note k.] 



Vol. I; 3 D 



