A. D. 1302. 469 



five veflels, with the full number of men belonging to the fifty-feven. 

 [Fiedera, V. ii, p. gii.] 



Auguft 13"" — The king gave the vvine-mcrchants of his duchy of 

 Aquitaine a charter, licencing them to import wines, and other merch- 

 andize, into all his dominions, and to fell them in wholefale in the 

 cities, burghs, and market towns, either to natives or foreigners. He 

 exempted them from the antient prife of two tuns of wine out of every 

 Ihip, and promifed, that no part of their wine, or other goods, fliould 

 be taken for his ufe, without being paid for at the fair price paid by 

 others. He alfo ordained, that, as the feller was obliged to make up 

 any deficiency of the fiandard gauge of the wine, fo the buyer fhould 

 pay for the furplus quantity when it exceeded the meafure, and that 

 the buyer and feller fliould each pay a halfpenny for the gauge. The 

 wine-merchants, in confideration of thefe privileges, which, the king 

 declared, fhould be perpetual *, confented to pay an additional duty of 

 two fliilhngs upon every tun of wine : and this duty, together with 

 feme new regulations in their charter, refpeding their trade, the re- 

 covery of their debts, &c. were very foon after extended to all foreign 

 merchants, and will therefor be found in the charter of merchants, to 

 be prefently recited. [F^dera, V. ix, p. 868.] 



1303, February i" — It was vmdoubtedly from a defire of participat- 

 ing in the privileges granted to the inerchants of Aquitaine, that all the 

 foreign merchants trading with England, offered to pay additional duties, 

 in confideraticni of obtaining a charter, wherein their privileges fhould 

 be duely defined. The king accordingly now gave a general charter to 

 all foreign merchants, whereof the following is the fubflance. 



The king being defirous, that the merchants of Germany, France, 

 Spain, Portugal, Navarre, Lombardy, Tufcany, Provence, Catalonia, 

 Aquitaine, Tholoufe, Quercy, Flanders, Brabant, and all other foreign 

 countries, reforting to his dominions, may enjoy tranquillity and ample 

 fecurity, eftablifhes the follov/ing regulations, to be obferved by himfelf 

 and his heirs for ever. 



All foreign merchants may come fafely into England and our other 

 dominions with all kinds of merchandize, free from any demands for 

 murage, pontage, or pavage f. — They may fell, by wholefale only, to 

 our fubjeds, and alfo to foreigners, in all the cities, burghs, and market 

 towns, of our dominions ; and they may alfo retail fpices and the wares 

 called mercery, as formerly. — After paying the due cuftoms, they may 

 export to any country not at war with us, whatever they bring into our 

 dominions, or purchafe in them, except wine, which muft not be carried 

 out of our dominions without our fpecial licence — They may refide, 

 and keep their goods, in any of our cities, burghs, and towns, as they 



* The charter was confirmed by Henry IV and Henry V. [Fadcra, V ix,/>. 868.] 



•f Explanations of thefe terms will be found under the year 13 1 7. 4 



