A. D. 1288. 449 



hering to the point of honour among thieves, he obflinately refufed to 

 betray his accompUces, who quietly enjoyed their plunder and the tri- 

 umph of having trampled upon the laws. [T. Wikes, p. 117 Trivet, p. 



266 — Knyghton, col. 2466 *.] 



This year the harvefl: was fo abundant in England, that the quarter 

 of wheat was fold in fome places for twenty pennies, in fome for fixteen, 

 and in others for twelve. [fTrivet, p. 266.] Stow fays, that in the weft 

 and north parts of the country it was fold for eight pennies (being a 

 flirthing the peck) but in London, when at the deareft price of the year, 

 fo high as three {hillings and four pence. Such a monftrous inequality 

 in the price of an article of the firft neceflity in various parts of the 

 fame kingdom fhows, that the home carrying trade, the greateft, and by 

 far the moft important, in any well-regulated country, was ftill almoft 

 unknown in England. 



In the ordinance made this year for regulating the trade of Ireland 

 there was one chapter (the third) which very much abridged the free- 

 dom of trade granted to that country in the firft year of Edward's reign. 

 Merchants were permitted to carry corn and other victuals and mer- 

 chandize from Ireland, if not embargoed by the viceroy, only to Eng- 

 land and Wales, on paying the cuftoms and giving fecurity that they 

 fhould not be carried to the king's enemies of Scotland f or any other 

 of his enemies. 



1290 — In the year 1275 the parliament pafled an ad (not publiflied 

 in the Statutes at large^ prohibiting the Jews from taking intereft for 

 money or receiving ftolen goods, on pain of death. In 1287 a Jew was 

 compelled by a tolerated perfccution to give up a mortgage ; and in the 

 fame year all the Jews of both fexes were feized on the fecond day of 

 May, and kept in prifon till they paid twelve thoufand pounds to the 

 king. In the year 1 290 all the Jewj were ordered to leave England be- 

 fore the firft of November, and never to return, on pain of death. They 

 were allowed to carry their moveable property with them, except their 

 bonds for money owing to them by Chriftians, which were in the cuf- 

 tody of the king:}:, who alfo feized all their houfes and tenements, Tri- 



• The robbery is dated in 1285 by Kuyghton : yourlger infant fon, Edward, the enernies of Scot- 



but the other two authors are confiderably earlier land, herein excepted, could not be the nation at 



than him. If he were right, the laws for guarding large, nor the regents. They muil have been Rc- 



againft robbery might be fuppofcd to have been bert Brus, the Stewart, and others connefted with 



enafted in confequence of that outrageous infult them, who, together with the earls of Gloucefter 



upon the juilice and autiiority of the government. and Ulfter, had entered into a confederacy in Sep- 



f As a harmony, vi'hich for duration isperhapsun- tcmber 1286, and had even taken up arms, appar- 



paralleled in the hiftory of neighbouring kingdoms, cntly with a defign to fet afide the young queen 



had fubfifted between England and Scotland, and Ed- and difappoint Edward in the favourite objeft of 



ward was now particularly alliduous in cultivating his ambition. [^Dii^dak's Baronage, J'. \, p. 2l6. 



the friendfliip of the regents of Scotland, in order — Symfon's Hift. of ihe houfe of Sluart, p. 79.] 

 to fecute their infant queen, Margaret, with the \ The king exaftcd payment of the debts due 



kingdom for her marriage portion, for his ftill to the Jews as his own property. But fome others. 



Vol. I. 2 L 



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