A. D. 1282. 437 



Kafter I2?r to Eafler 1282 : and from fome particulars of their account 

 we find that there were .fliipped from Newcaflle upon Tine 



771 facks 7y ftones of wool, paying a cuftom duty of 6/B per fack ; 

 11,182 wool- fells (Iheep's flvins with the wool on them) 6/"8 for every 300 ; 

 and 80 lafts 1 2 dacres of hides 1 3/4 per laft. 



The amount of the ufual cuflom in the port of Hull was this year 

 £1 ,o?i6 : 10 : 8, and their whoic receipts for the year amounted to 

 ;^"8,4ii : 19 : I li. [Madox's H'ljl. of the cxcheq. c. 23, § I.] 



Many ovher i; ilances might be adduced, if neceifary, of the collec- 

 tion of the cuftoms being put into the hands of foreigners, who were 

 generally partners of fome of thofe flrong and numerous coinpanies, 

 who had their chief houies in Italy, and had branches of their trade, 

 managed by one or more of their partners, in London and other cities 

 of Europe, whereby they got into their own hands nearly the whole of 

 the trade between the Mediterranean coafls and the countries in which 

 they lettled. Such were in this age the FrifcobalJi, the Kembertini, the 

 Dardi, the Spini, of Florence; the Riczardi, the Ballardi, of Luca, &c. 

 Thole merchants were very ferviceable to the kings in lending them 

 money, and negotiating exchanges and other kinds of bufinefs for them, 

 and confequently enjoyed a good deal of their favour. They were alio 

 generally agents for the pope, and received the money extorted by him, 

 on a variety of pretences, irrom every country in his communion, which 

 they either remitted to him, or lent out at interefl on his account : for 

 the canons of the church, made to deterr the people from taking intereft 

 for the ufe of money, were not binding upon the head of the church, 

 who affumed a power of fufpending the laws of God and man for his 

 own purpofes. lx\ return for thcjfe lervices the popes, who knew how 

 to pay their own debts at the expenfe of others, ufed to defire the kings 

 to favour their merchants with privileges, exemptions, and lucrative jobs. 

 [Feedera, V. ii, pp. 311, 682, 705, 039, 1051, 8cc. &c. — M. Paris, pp. 

 362, 938 — Madox's n:ji. c. 22, § 2 ; r. 23, § 22 ; f. 24, § 7.J ^ 



The German merchants in London (called merchantb t)f the Hanic 

 by Stow, who, however, quotes no authority*) were bound, in conii der- 

 ation of lundry privileges, to maintain the gate of the-city called Bilhopi- 

 gate. Upon their refufal to fulfill their pint of the covenant the mat- 

 ter was carried before the barons of Uie exchequer, who gave judgemenc 

 againft them, and directed the mayor and fnirrefs of London to diftrain 

 Gerard Marbod alderman of the Hanfe, together with iix other merch- 

 ants, citizens of Cologne, Triers, Trivon, Hamburgh, and Munlter, for 

 the expenie of the reparations ; whereupon they paid 210 marks to the 



* As I have no opportunity of tracing Stow's fad related. If ti;e word Ihnfe be getmine, quere, 



authority, it is iinpoflible to tell, whether in tranf- if it is not the eatlieft known application of that 



lating he had fupphed a name well known in liis name.'to the great affociatiOiT of mcccanlile cities? 

 own age, or found it in a record co-xval with tlie 



