426 A. D. 1273. 



fpedlable, became more and more flourifliing. The nobles, who hither- 

 to had engroITed the government and all the honourable public em- 

 ployments of the cities, were reduced to a participation of them with 

 the burgefles. The contefts, which had hitherto banifhed tranquillity 

 from the cities, were at an end, and they became powerful by their 

 imion. Mofb of thofe, which had the title of Imperial cities in the reign 

 of Frederic IT, refufed after his death to pay the taxes impofed upon 

 them by former emperors, and, in confequence of that immunity, af- 

 fumed the title of Free and imperial cities , which was confirmed to them 

 by fucceeding emperors. After the extinction of the powerful ducal 

 families of Swabia and Franconia in the year 1268, the number of Im- 

 perial cities was greatly augmented ; and the new ones were cordially 

 admitted into fraternity and alliance by the antient ones, who diflin- 

 guifhed themfelves by the title of Free cities. \FfeffeU Abrege de Vhifi. 

 d'AUeiiiagne,p. 379, ed. 1758.] 



The regents who governed England in the abfence of King Edward, 

 who was at the Holy land when his father died, ordered a proclamation 

 to be made throughout Ireland, declaring that all merchants might free- 

 ly land in that tingdom with their merchandize, and trade in fafety and 

 fecurity, on paying the due and antient cuiloms, without any other ex- 

 action or grievance whatever. \Kot. pat. i Ediu. /, m. 5.] 



1 274, April 1 o'" — We find the order againfb trading with Flanders 

 again enforced, and the fliirrefs ftridly enjoined to. allow no wool to be 

 carried out of the kingdom, and not even to Wales or Ireland, left, on 

 pretence of ftiipping it for thofe countries, it fhould be carried to Flan- 

 ders. \Foedera,V.\\,pp. 2i\., ^o^^ But, as the Englifh could not find 

 profitable confumption for all their wool, and the Flemings could not 

 carry on their manufadure without the wool of England, a treaty of 

 peace was concluded in July, wherein the countefs, and the earl her fon, 

 finding Edward a man of more courage and condud than his father, 

 agreed to make fatisfaction for the damages done to his fubjecls, he pro- 

 mifing to make fatisfadion for the damages done to the Flemings by 

 the Englifh. But the Flemifli balance of damages was not paid up to 

 England in the year 1278, nor then without having recourfe to rigor- 

 ous meafures. {Fccdcra^ V. 'n, pp. 32, 2^, 39, ill. — Rot. pat. 3 F.dw. I, 

 mm. 19, 22, 26. — Meyeri An. Flaud.f. 80 b.] 



The rcfort of the Netherlanders to the Firth of Forth for the fake of 

 the fifliery, has already been noticed from a writer of the twelfth century. 

 (See above, p. 325.) After that time, though we know that foreigners 

 came to the Britifli ports to purchafe herrings, I have not found any 

 authentic account of their fifliing on our coafts till now, that we learn 

 from the mutual complaints of injuries on both fides, that the Flem- 

 ings were in the jiradife of fifliing upon the coafts ot England and Scot- 

 land. The Englifli commiflioners for negotiating the peace complain- 



