A. D. 1315. 481 



larly, at this time, of the moft commercial nation in the weflern parts 

 of Europe. 



Notwithflanding the friendfliip between England and France, four 

 vefl'els, loaded with wool and other merchandize from London for Ant- 

 werp, were attacked on the coaft of France by two-and-twenty armed 

 veflels from Calais, and one of them, valued at 2,000 marks fterling, 

 was taken and carried into that port. On the complaint of the merch- 

 ants King Edward wrote to the king of France (November 2'^), exprefT- 

 ing his wonder, that redrefs had not been given for that enormity, ef- 

 pecially as the French merchants were treated in his dominions as well 

 as his own fubjeds. ^Ftzdera, V. iii, p. 539.] 



The fame Calais pirates fent their boats to attack a vefTel lying upon 

 the ground at low water near Margate, alfo loaded with wool from Lon- 

 don for Antwerp, and carried her over to Calais, together with John 

 Brand citizen and merchant of London, the owner and commander of 

 her, and three merchants of the Hanse of Germany, the owners of the 

 cargo, who lived in England in the enjoyment of the antient privileges 

 granted by the preceding kings. [Faedera, V. iii, p. 540.] What ren- 

 ders this event particularly worthy of notice, is, that it contains the ear- 

 lieft mention, that I have been able to find in Englifli records, of the 

 name of Hanfe being applied to the community of German merchants, 

 who made fo confpicuous a figure under that appellation for at leafl two 

 centuries after this time. And that the application of that name to 

 them was new at this time, appears from a grant in the patent rolls 

 [fee. 7 Edw. II, m. 1 2] to the merchants of Germany (' mercatores Ale- 

 mannise') of the liberty of coming fecurely into the kingdom and fell- 

 ing their merchandize, which is dated 23"^ April 1314 ; and even fome 

 years afterwards (viz. 7'" December 13 17) we find privileges granted to 

 the merchants of the T'eutonic gild, wherein the apparently-new name of 

 Hanfe is omitted *. [F(xdera, V. ix, p. 76.] 



It is evident, that there mufl have been confiderable woollen manu- 

 fadlures in the northern parts of the French dominions, as the late King 

 Philip was fo delirous of having the Englifh wool carried to S'. Omers 

 and Lifle : and now his fon Louis very earneflly requefled King Ed- 

 ward to appoint a ftaple for the fale of Englifh wool in fome part of 

 France between Calais and the River Seine. Edward, before he would 

 come to any determination, fummoned a number of the moft prudent 

 and experienced Englifh merchants to deliberate with the parliament, 

 to be held at Lincoln in the enfuing January, upon what would be moft 

 proper to do in the matter (December 1 6'*") : and this aflembly of 

 merchants may be called at leaft the firft rudiments of a council of 

 trade. \Fosdera, V. iii, p. 543.] It may here be obferved, that there 



* After this time the name of Hanfe, or Haiinze, occurs prett)' frequently, for example, Ka. pat. 

 prim. 20 Ediu. Ill, m. 17 ; fee. 20 Edw. Ill, m. u ; prim. 26 EJ^ju. Ill, m. 15. 



Vol. I. 3 P 



