520 A. D. 1338. 



this, if I miftake not, is the earHefl notice to be found of an appoint- 

 ment of PZnglifh warUke vefTels to convoy and protect merchant veflels *. 



January B'*" — The king of Caftile, in anfwer to Edward's requeft that 

 he would prohibit trade with Flanders, infifted that neutral merchants 

 fhould have freedom to carry on their commerce with the belligerent 

 powers without being injured by either party. King Edward, in a very 

 fmooth reply, declared, that he did not wifh him to do any thing un- 

 juft, but only to prevent his fubjeds from aflifting his enemies, and that 

 it was his defire, that his own fubjedts fhould do no harm to thofe of his 

 friends. He added, that in fuch turbulent times it would not be very 

 fafe for the fubjeds of Caftile to have any intercourfe with the Flem- 

 ings ; but that, if any injury fhould be done to them, he would give 

 fpeedy juftice, and even favour, to the complainers. \_F(xdera, V. iv, 

 pp. 839, 840.] 



Edward, eager to conciliate the good will of all the neutral powers, 

 and more efpecially of thofe who had the command of fhipping, re- 

 minded the podefta and other magiftrates of Genoa of the antient 

 friendfhip between his anceftors and theirs (a cuftomary introdudion 

 to a requeft) and begged they would prohibit the equipment of a num- 

 ber of gallies, which, he underftood, were arming in their port for the 

 fervice of his enemies. But the Genoefe, having an invariable eye to 

 their own intereft, and little regarding the refentment of a king fo re- 

 mote from them, preferred the friendfhip of their nearer neighbour, 

 the king of France : and fo far were they from burning the property 

 of their fellow-citizens for his pleafure, as they had done in the year 

 1336, that they permitted twenty gallies to be fitted out at Genoa, and 

 twenty at Monaco, to ferve againft him f . \Foedera, V. iv, p. 842. — 

 Stella, ap. Muratori Script. V. xvii, col. 1071.] 



Neither was King Edward more fortunate in his attempt to get gal- 

 lies built for him at Nice, a fum of money, he had tranfmitted thither 

 for that purpofe, having been feized by the king of Sicily, the lord of 

 the adjacent country of Provence. [Foedera, V. v, pp. 94, 148.] The 

 fovereign, who is ambitious of maritime power, muft have his fliips 

 built in his own dominions, and as many as pofTible of the materials for 

 their conflruftion and equipment alfo produced at home. 



February 24"' — The parliament, which met on the 3"* of February, 

 granted the king twenty thoufand facks of the wool already fhorn, he 

 giving fecurity for the payment of it. He accordingly appointed com- 

 miffioners to take one half of the wool, now ready, from all perfons, 

 without exception. He ordered them to relieve the merchants, whofe 



* Convoys appear to have been ufiial vvitli the f The Gcnocfe failors ami foldicis were the 



commercial llatcs of tlic Mediterranean before this Swifs of ihofe days. They ftrved the kings of 



time, one inftance of which is noticed above, p. France, England, Scotland, and Callile, for their 



504, and a much more antient one in p. 82. money. 



