A. D. 131 1. 477 



city, who died in the year 1317. And Peccioli, in bis Chronicle of Pifa, 

 fays, that Alexander de Spina, a monk of Pifa, (who died in the year 

 1 31 3) feeing that fome perfon (probably Salvino) who had invented 

 fpedacles of glafs, refufed to communicate the art of making them to 

 others, difcovered the fecret by his own ingenuity and apphcation, and 

 liberally imparted the knowlege to others. \_Muratori Antiq. V. ii, col. 

 396.] Spedacles being certainly known about this time in two princi- 

 pal commercial cities of Italy, it may be prefumed that the ufe of them 

 became general throughout Europe in the early part of the fourteenth 

 century. The fubfequent improvements upon the formation of the 

 glafles, whereby they are adapted to the long-fighted and the Ihort- 

 fighted, as well as thofe whofe fight is weakened by age, render fpec- 

 tacles one of the moil beneficial and important difcoverles that have 

 ever been made to a very great proportion of mankind, among whom 

 are comprehended many of the moft valuable individuals. 



1313, February 15''' King Edward wrote to the earl of Flanders, 



complaining that his fubjeds fi;ill traded with the Scots, and lupplied 

 them with provifions, armour, and other neceflaries. On the 1'' of May 

 he again wrote him, that he underftood, thirteen Flemifli fhips had re- 

 cently failed from the Swyn for Scotland with arms and provifions. 

 Whether it was on account of his demands for the abolition of the trade 

 with Scotland not being complied with by the earl, whofe anfwers I do 

 not find, or for any other caufe of difpleafure, the king ifllied orders 

 (June ip"") to arreft all the Flemiflri veflels in England. \Tcsdera, V. iii, 

 //». 386, 403,419.] 



That the people of England, or at leafi; thofe of Lynne, reforted to 

 the fouth coafl: of Norway about this time for the purpofe of catching 

 herrings, we learn from the too-common complaints of piratical depred- 

 ations and other enormities, which difgrace the naval hift:ory of every 

 nation of Europe in the middle ages. About the fame time eleven, 

 Norwegians of diftinftion, who had been invited to dine onboard an 

 EngHfli vefTel from Berwick, were murdered by the crew, in confe- 

 quence of which, according to the general law then eftablifhed, fome 

 other Englifli vefiTels were ieized, whereupon King Edward wrote a let- 

 ter to Hacon king of Norway, reprefenting that it was contrary to rea- 

 fon, equity, juftice, and law, that thofe, who were not guilty, nor of the 

 fociety of the guilty, faould fuffer for the crimes of others * : and he 

 requefi:ed the refioration of the veffels, which, as they ought to be at ail 

 times ready for his fervice, he could not quietly fuflfer to be out of the 

 kingdom — In the fame year the treafurer of the king of Norway took 

 for his matter's ufe cloth, fifh, and other merchandize, to the value cf ' 



* However contrary it nvght be to reafon, dom. We fliall pvefently fee a flight relaxation of. 

 equity, or juftice, it certainly was agreeable to the the cruelty of this barbarous law granted as a very 

 Jaw or cuftom then eftablifhed in his own king- particular favour. 



