A. D, 1335- 51^ 



fitting out a great navy to tranfport men at arms and armour to Scot- 

 land, ordered his fteward of Galcoigne, and the magiftrates of Bayonne 

 and Bourdeaux, to equip all the proper vefTels in all the ports of the pro- 

 vince with good men, arms, and provifions, to oppofe the malice of his 

 and his vaflal's enemies. He alfo wrote repeatedly from Perth to the 

 parliament aflembled at London, to the magiftrates of that city, and to 

 John Pultney and Reginald of the Conduit, opulent citizens who had 

 borne the office of mayor, that he underftood, feveral fleets of warlike 

 fhips, filled with men at at;ms, were coming to invade his kingdom, and 

 he defired them to fit out all the velTels capable of carrying forty tuns 

 (* dolia') or more of wine, with able men and arms, without delay. 

 [Fa^dera, V. iv, pp. 651, 652, 6^6, 658, 659, 665.] 



Many of the Englifli veflels, and particularly thofe belonging to Yar- 

 mouth, Briftol, Lynne, Kingfton upon Hull, and Ravenfere, were now 

 diftinguifhed as Ihips of war (' naves guerrinae'). But whether they 

 were of a different conftrudion from others, or only the largeft and 

 ftrongefi: of the mercantile veflels, we are not informed. Wc know, 

 however, that they were not the property of the nation at large, as they 

 are called the warlike ftiips of Yarmouth, of Brifl;ol, &c. \_Ayloffe''s Ca- 

 lendars of charters^ pp. 139, 140, 142, 154, 155, 156.] 



The king, obferving that counterfeits of the Englifli money were 

 made abroad, enabled that no man of religion or other perfon what- 

 ever fliould carry any Englifli money out of the country, or any filver 

 plate, or any veflels of gold or filver, without the king's licence ; and 

 that no perfon fliould import counterfeits of Englifli money. But all 

 perfons might carry bullion and 'wrought filver, and filver money of 

 any kind, except counterfeits, to the exchanges, and there be accom- 

 modated with convenient exchange. It was declared unlawful to melt 

 fterlings or pennies, halfpennies, or farthings, for making any vefl^el of 

 filver. The currency of black money was totally prohibited. The king 

 and his council were empowered to eftablifli exchanges at proper places. 

 Pilgrims were ordered to take pafl^age only at Dover. All perfons go- 

 ing from, or arriving in, the kingdom, were to be fearched to prevent 

 them from fmuggling money ; and the inn-keepers were to be fworn 

 to fearch their guefl:s. [2 Stat. 9 Edw. III.] 



September 21' — In confequence of this ad the king eflabliflied ex- 

 changes at Dover, London, Yarmouth, Bofton, and Kingflon upon 

 Hull *, to which he ordered all florenes and other money to be car- 

 ried ; and he fl;ridly commanded, that none fliould be carried out of 

 the kingdom or clandefl;inely exported. He appointed all the exchanges 



* From this very (liott lift we fliould fuppofe, had a pretty good (liare of trade. — From Fadera, . 



that there were no money tranfattions worth notice V. iv, p. 697, and many other records, it is cer- 



on the fouth or weft coafts : and yet Southampton tain, that there was alfo an exchange at Cantev-- 



was cue ef the chief ports of England, aad Briilol bury. 



