A. D. 1264. 41J 



longed to fet them free from all reftraint. The government of England 

 being at this time diffolved by the war between the king and the barons, 

 there were more piracies than ufual committed by Englifli fubjecls : and 

 the mariners of the Cinque ports in particular are noted as moft guilty 

 in that way ; for they not only carried on unauthorized, though pro- 

 fefled, war againft the inhabitants of foreign cities, with fome of whom 

 they had quarreled, but they alfo feized every veflel they were able to 

 fubdue, and murdered all the people, not even fparing thofe of their 

 own country. Foreign commerce was foon at a ftand ; and wines which 

 tifed to be fold for 40 fhillings, were now fold for ten marks ; wax rofe 

 from 40 fhillings to above eight marks ; and pepper from fix pennies to 

 three fhillings a pound. There was fuch a fcarcity of fait, iron, fteel, 

 cloth, and all other merchandize, that the people were grievoufly afflict- 

 ed, and the merchants reduced to beggary, by it, the fale of the ex- 

 portable produce of the country being alfo at a fland in confequence of 

 the interruption of the navigation. The earl of Leicefler, the leader 

 of the barons who w^ere confederated againfl the king, attempted to 

 perfuade the people that foreign commerce was unneceflary, tlie pro- 

 duce of the country being fully fufficient to fupply all the wants of the 

 inhabitants ; and many people, in complaifance to him, laid afide their 

 coloured clothes, and drefled themfelves in plain white cloth. It muft 

 be acknov/leged, that the mariners of the Cinque ports were encour- 

 aged, perhaps commiflioned, by King Henry, who wifhed the fup- 

 plies coming to his enemies to be intercepted. But they muil have gone 

 beyond their inflrudions, which drew upon them the vengeance of 

 Prince Edward, who punifhed fome, and pardoned others, after which 

 there was perfect tranquillity upon the fea. \Cbron. IVi.kes, pp. 61, 6v 

 — M. Wejlm.p. 396. — and fee Focdera, V. i, pp. 250, 273 ; V. ii, p. 82.] 

 From the notice concerning the white and coloured cloths, we lee, that 

 part of the cloths made in England were undyed, and probably of the 

 natural colour of the wool. But fome cloths muft have been dyed in 

 Englai:id, as very confiderable quantities of woad were imported in this 

 age. The dil^refs occafioned by the want of foreign fait, iron, fleel, and 

 cloth, alfo fhows us, that the manufadures of thole articles^ which, ex- 

 cept that of fteel, muft have exifted in the country, in fome degree of 

 perfection, many ages before, were carried on upon a very fmail fcale, 

 and were now perhaps totally interrupted by the public diflurbances. 



December 14'" — According to the Magna charta the king, in order to 

 eonftitute a common council for aiTefling an aid, was to ilTue his letters 

 to each of the archbifliops, bifhops, earls, and greater barons, indi- 

 vidually, and was to order the fhirrefs and bailifs to fummon all who 

 held of him in chief. There u'ere no elcftive members ; and the in- 

 habitants of cities and towns, including the merchants and manufactur- 

 ers, had conlequently not the moft diftant connexion with making the 



