522 A. D. 1338. 



Though the king promifed to make payment for thefe flores in Lon- 

 don on the firft of Auguft next, it is evident, either that the country 

 could not fpare fo large a fupply, or that the people were doubtful of 

 their payment : for in feveral places the king's officers were refifted 

 by force of arms : and the king, fearing the confequence of a general 

 fpirit of difcontent, defired the clergy to foothe the people, and repre- 

 fent to them the inevitable neceflity and the juilice of his proceedings. 

 [Fcedern, V. \,pp. 3-14, 20, 21.] Some of the hiftorians fay, the people 

 were never paid for their wool, which, if true, was little encouragement 

 to them to part with their provifions. And, even if they were punc- 

 tually paid, the negotiation of fecurlties payable in London, which in 

 modern times are generally better than money on the fpot, muft then 

 have been very diftrefsful to the country people in the diftant fhires. 



April 28'" — The merchants of Brabant having bought 2,200 facks of 

 w^ool from King Edward, who was now almofl the only feller of wool in 

 England, he engaged to convoy them fafe from Ipfwich to their own 

 country ; and he accordingly ordered his admiral to appoint a fuffi- 

 cient number of warlike vefTels for that fervice. [Fipdaa, V. v, pp. 32, 



May 7* — Edward, now adverting to the confequence of allowing 

 Englifh rams to be carried to the continent, ordered the bailifs of Bol- 

 ton, and the colledtors of the cuftoms in that port, to fearch all velTels 

 for live rams, and to carry them afhore, becaufe he had heard that fo- 

 reign merchants had fhipped them there on purpofe to improve the 

 breed of fheep in their own country, and hurt the trade in Englifh wool, 

 to the great damage of his kingdom and fubjeds *. [Fcedern, V. v, p. 



May lOth — The king ordered all the tin in Cornwall and Devon-fliire, 

 whether in the hands of his own fubjeds or already fold to foreign mer- 

 chants, to be taken for his account and fhipped at Southampton for the 

 continent, for which he promifed to pay the proprietors within two 

 years. [Ftxdera, V. v,pp, 39, 40.] 



May 1 6"'' — In order to raife money by all pofTible means, he appoint- 

 ed commiflioners, who granted freedom to the llaves, called fiativcs, at- 

 tached to his manors, with the rank of free men to themfelves and their 

 pofterity for ever, for fums of money paid by them for account of the 

 king. [Fa'dera, V, v, p. 44.] This was a happy confequence, among 

 many unhappy ones, of the attempt to conquer France. 



June — He alfo borrowed from the abbays and other religious founda- 

 tions all the money he could get from them, and alfo all their lilver 

 plate, which he promifed to retin-n to them, or the price of it, valuing it, 

 however, for the moll part only at its weight of metal. But this pro- 



* It was not long before this firll law agalnft the ward lilnifL-lf, as well as thofc agaiiiR the cxporta- 

 cxpurtalioii of Englilh rams was infringed by iid- lion of wool and the importation of woolliu cloth. 



