A. D. 1285. * 44^ 



inferred that foreign countries then received fome fupplies of provifions 

 from England *. 



1286 — The hiflorians and poets of Scotland dwell with a melancholy 

 pleafure on the virtues of the good King Alexander III, and the profperity 

 of the country duringhis peaceable and happy reign. His lawsfor enforcing 

 agricultural induftry, related by Wyntown, [Oryginal Cro?iyHl of Scotland, 

 V. i, p. 400] produced more plentiful crops of corn in the kingdom f than 

 had been known in former times. He difcouraged idlenefs, and abridg- 

 ed the number of horfes kept for ufelefs parade by the prelates and ba- 

 rons. [Scoticbron. V. ii, p. i 29 ed. Gooda//.] In confequence of the abund- 

 ance produced by a more vigorous agriculture and diligent fifhery J, and 

 of the laws for rendering the lands and moveable property of debtors 

 liable to be fold by the fliirref for the fatisfliftion of their creditors, and 

 for preferving the property in veffels wrecked on the coaft for the own- 

 ers!, ^^ in the laws of England, and the general ftrict and impartial 

 adminiflration of juflice, the trade of Scotland, which had been an ob- 

 je6l of fome attention to foreign merchants, at leaft fince the reign of 

 Macbeth, was now of fuch importance, that the Lombards §, the great- 

 eft general merchants in Europe, made propofals to the king for eftab- 

 lifhing towns in various parts of the kingdom for trading pofts or con- 

 toirs, and particularly one on the peninfular rock at the Queens-ferry in 

 Fife, or on the fmall ifland near Cramund. [Scotic/jron. V. \\,p. 130.] 



Such a contoir, or factory, adually was eftablifhed at Berwick by 

 fome Flemiili merchants, who occupied a ftrong building, called the 

 Red hall, and were bound by the terms of their tenure to defend it 



* Krantzius is fo inaccurate as to call the king f Whoever compares the agricultural regulation* 



of Norway Olavus, and the king of Sweden Eric, in the firft chapter of the laws afcribed to Alexan- 



There was no Olaf king of Norway for feveral der II in Skene's edition oi Reg'mm majejlalem,isfc. 



ages before and after this time : and Magnus was with Wyntown's account of thofe of Alexander 



king from December 1 263 to May 1 280. \_'Torfai III, and confiders the general inaccuracy of Skene's 



Orcades, L. ii. — Fcukra, V. ii, p. 1075.] And, compilation, will fee reafon, notwithftanding the 



according to PuffendorfF, a Swedifh hiftorian, an- profefTed exaftnefs of the date, to think it at leaft 



other Magnus was king of Sweden from 1279 '° ^s probable, that they were enabled by Alexander 



1288. Krantzius fays that the conteft with the III, whom Skene does not admit into the number 



German merchants was the only memorable event of his legillating kings. The prices of corn in 



in the reign of Olavus, as he calls him. His (I Alexander's reign will be found in the appendix of 



mean Magnus's) prudent negotiation with Alex- prices. 



ander III for the ceiiion of the Weftern iflands to j For the filhery of tin's reign fee above, p. 436. 



the crown of Scotland, and his reformation of the || Thefe laws are the 24'" and 25"' chapters of 



lavvs, which obtained for him the honourable appcl- thofe afcribed to Alexander II. If he was the 



lation of Lagbelter, were unknown to, or thought author of the firft, the law of merchants, enaded 



unworthy of notice by, Krantzius. Werdenhag- in England in the year 1285, was later than a 



en in his fuperficial H'l/lory of the Hanfeat'ic repuh- fomewhat-fimilar law in Scotland, which will be 



lies, has followed Krantzius without any examina- thought rather improbable. 



tion. And both thcfc writers have the good for- J It is perhaps alnioft unneceftary to remind the 



tune to be quoted as refpeftable authorities reader, that the numerous ftates in the north part 



From the letters of the German princes to King of Italy were comprehended under the general 



Edwaid, Krantzius appears alfo to have a.'^itedated name of Lombards, 

 the war. 



