472 A. D. 1303. 



May 20'' — In a treaty of peace with France, liberty was granted to 

 the merchants on both lides to trade freely in all kinds of merchandize, 

 on paying the duties ; and each of the contracting powers agreed to give 

 no relief, not even viduals, to the enemies of the other. [Fcedera, V. ii, 



PP' 927. 935-] 



The abbat of Weftminfler, 48 of his brethren, and 32 other perfons, 



were imprifoned in the Tower, on a charge of robbing the king's treaf- 



ury in Weftminfler abbay of a hundred thoufand pounds. [Foedera, V. ii, 



pp. 930, 938, 940.] The fum is almoft incredibly great How could 



they carry off fuch a load of filver *, or what could they do with fuch a 



mafs of money. 



The Venetian writers fix the year 1303 for the termination of the 

 youthful age of their republic, which, they fay, has ever fince proceed- 

 ed with the gravity and prudence of mature age ; and, being a happy 

 mixture of monarchy, ariftocracy, and democracy, it is likely, with the 

 afiiflance of the gods, to endure to eternity. \CraJfi Notce in Donat. 'Jan- 

 not. p. 466, ed. Eh.] Eternity belongs not to human affairs. 



1304, April — King Edward, having made peace with the king of 

 France, entered fo warmly into his interefts, that he took part with him 

 againft his old friend the earl of Flanders, and at his own expenfe lent 

 him twenty of the befl and largefl fliips to be found in all the ports be- 

 tween London and the Ifle of Wight, Dover excepted, each of them car- 

 rying at leaft forty fencible men, and properly equipped for war. And, 

 further to gratify his new friend, he banifhed all the Flemifh merchants 

 out of England, Wales, and Ireland, and ordered home all his own fub- 

 jeds who were in Flanders, thereby abolifhing the very befl trade, or 

 rather almofl the whole trade, of his fubjeds f — on condition that the 

 king of France would banifh his enemies, the Scots, out of his kingdom. 

 [Fa^dera, V. ii, pp. 943-946.] 



King Edward having written to Eric king of Denmark, requiring 

 fatisfadtion for a fhip loaded with wine and other goods, belonging to 

 Yarmouth, Eric anfwered, that the owner, or his agent, fhould have 

 juflice whenever he would apply, and that any Englifli fubjeds vifiting 

 his dominions, fnould be favourably treated. [Foedera, V. n,p. 949. J 



The town of Pera (formerly called Galata) on the north fide of the 

 harbour of Conftantinoplc, with ibme adjacent grounds, which the Ge- 

 noefe had occupied fince the refloration of the Greek emperors in the 

 year 1259, was now fully ceded to theni by the emperor Andronicus; 

 and it was rendered equal to many cities in the ftrength of its fortifica- 



* The robbery was cummiltcj in die end of I.irid (wlu'cli was moftly caniid to Flanders) was 



May, when the nights are very (hort. nearly equal to the half of the land in value. £Tfi- 



f In ihc year 1297, the nobles, in their ptti- vtlyfi. 304-] 

 tion to the king, ancrtcd that the woyl of Eng- 



