A. D. 1320. 489 



granted to the merchants of Amiens the privilege of being exempted, 

 together with their merchandize, from arrefl for any debts due to 

 merchants of England by the king of France, their fovereign. [Fcedera, 

 r.iii,/*. 844.] 



There were perpetual caufes of complaint between the feamen of 

 England and thofe of Flanders. At a convention of deputies from both 

 countries the Flemings reprefented, that fome of their merchants, com- 

 ing home from various countries with wines and other merchandize, 

 had been robbed upon the fea of England near Crauden by fome Englifh 

 malefadtors, who carried their merchandize on fliore in England ; and 

 they prayed the king, as ' lord of the fea,' in virtue of his feigneury and 

 royal power, to puniih the crime committed within the bounds of his 

 dominion. The king and parhament granted, that jaftices fhould be 

 appointed by the king to try the caule, and to determine according to 

 law and reafon : and at the fame time meafures were concerted for re- 

 drefllng all grievances and damages on both fides. [Fcedera, T^. ui, p. 

 852.] Here it may be noted, that the dominion of the fea is afcribed 

 to the king of England by the minifters of a foreign prince, though 

 not, indeed, a prince of the firft, or royal, dignity : and it may be 

 added, that the fame was alfo done before by the deputies of feveral 

 other nations, when they wanted to induce King Edward I to make a 

 common caufe with them in recovering the veflels and cargoes feized 

 by Grimaldi, the Genoefe admiral in the fervice of France *. [See Sel- 

 derHs Mare claufimi, L. ii, c. 27.] But thefe matters lead to a controverfy 

 improper to be touched upon in this work. 



The fifhmongers, who kept fhops upon Fifh wharf, ufed to fell her- 

 rings and other fifh, brought by land and by water, to the inhabitants, 

 and to hawkers who carried them through the ftreets. But the other 

 fifhmongers having entered into a combination to prevent the fale of 

 fifh by retail at that wharf, thofe of the wharf obtained the king's order 

 to the mayor and fhirrefs of London to permit them to continue to fell 

 herrings and other fifh, either in wholefale or retail, to all who chofe to 

 buy. [Rylej, Plac. pari. p. 399.] 



1 32 1, May 3'' — By the articles of a truce, lately concluded between 

 England and Scotland, it was flipulated that the fubjecls of the two 

 kingdoms fhould have no intercoui'fe during the truce ; and that, if any 

 Scottifh vefi^els fhould be driven by ftrefs of weather upon the coafl of 

 England, or wrecked, they fhould be reflored, unlefs the king or any 

 other perfon might have a right to them as wreck. Agreeable to that 

 article. King Edward now ordered the magiftrates of Ravenfrode (or 

 Ravenfere) to inquire, whether the men and merchandize in a veflel, 



* Whether Edward I or Edward II ever af- but we fliall fee Edward III, when preparing for 

 fumed the charafter of fovereign of the fea, dots war witli Fiance in the year 1336, claiming au an- 

 not, 1 believe, appear, from any avithentic voucher : tient hereditary' right to that dominion. 



Vol. I. ' 3 Q. 



