1 



84 A. D. 1317^ 



each voyage from veflels bringing any other kinds of merchandize, and 

 alfo a duty upon the goods imported. [Fadera, V. iii, pp. 19, 67, 83, 

 143, 144, 150, 151, 152, 163, 469, 650.] Thus did the crafty Dutch- 

 man dexteroufly difcharge a debt due by individuals in his own domi- 

 nions, or by himfelf, by a tax, which was in reahty paid by the con- 

 fumers in England. 



It is vexatious to obferve, that almoft the only materials to be found 

 in the public records of the middle ages, which in any way concern 

 commerce and navigation, confift of a fhameful and difgufling fuccef- 

 •fion of piracies and murders committed by the feafaring people of al- 

 mofi: every maritime country of Europe. From the detail of fuch un- 

 pleafant matters I gladly excufe myfelf, except thofe which happen to 

 contain any thing illuflrative of the progrefs or fiate of commerce ; and 

 therefor I have pafled over moft of the perpetual contefts of the GJ&fcons 

 with their French and Spanifh neighbours, many of the fquabbles with 

 Holland, and many of the innumerable accufations of rapine between 

 the Englifli and the Flemings, who, though they had many quarrels, 

 well knew that neither could fubfifi: without the other. I have alfo 

 omitted feveral of the commiflions for adjufting compenfations with 

 thofe, and fome other, nations, as moft of them contain nothing inter- 

 efting. Neither is it worth while to record all the hoftilities of the fea- 

 men of the Cinque ports, who were this year at war with the Flemings, 

 and feem to have aded generally as a confederacy of independent ftates. 



December 17"' — The merchants of the Teutonic gildhall in London 

 obtained a new charter from the king, whereby he confirmed to them 

 their former liberties, and alfo, in confideration of a fum paid to him, 

 granted that they and their property fliould have the now-ufual exemp- 

 tion from arreft tor the debts and crimes of other foreigners beyond 

 the circle of their own community; and he engaged, that neither he 

 nor his heirs fhould impofe any new undue cuftoms upon their goods, 

 and that their goods fliould be exempted for ever from paying pontage, 

 pavage, and murage *, throughout the whole kingdom, provided they- 

 did not pafs the goods of others, not belonging to their gild, as their 

 own f . \Fcedera., V. ix, p. 75.] 



The king licenced the prior of Birkhead to build houfes or inns 

 (' hofpitiis') near a branch of the fea at Liverpool. \_Rot. pat. prim. 

 1 1 Ldw. II, m. 14.] This was apparently an acceHion of growth to a 



flwrrefs of the eaftern maritime (liircs to prevent paftiire of hogs, wlilcli it is not prob;ible that foi>- 



ihat abufc. [tairlera, V. iii, />. 1 63.] It fccnis cign merchants (liould have any concern with.) 



v.-ry probublc, that thole filh were caught by tlic Murage, a duty for upholding the walls of towns. 

 Diitcli fillitrmcn upon the cuall of England. f I'hcy had alrcu^ly (7"' Jnne 1311) obtained 



* Ponlage, a dnty for ni.iking or repairing fmni Edward II, for a fine of ^ico, a renovation 



bridges. Pavage, a duty for paving the llreet*). of his fathci's charier, without the additional im- 



(The printer has made it panagium, a rent for the munities now granted. [^FaJera, /'. iii, p. 268."] 



