532 A. D. 1344. 



We may here obferve Yarmouth on a footing with London in navai 

 pre-eminence, furely the effed of a vigorous and proiperous fifliery ; and 

 that Ravenfrod, formerly more opulent than Hull, and Dunwich which 

 appears to have antiently had more trade than any of the neighbouring 

 ports, were now outftripped by others in the progrefs of naval and com- 

 mercial profperity *. 



The late law for fixing the prices of wool was repealed, the buyers, 

 whether natives or foreigners, being allowed to make fuch bargains as 

 they and the fellers could agree : and fo fenfible were the legiflators of 

 the impropriety of the reftridive ordinance, that they decreed, that no 

 perfon fliould be troubled for having infringed it. The fea was alfo de- 

 clared free for the pafTage of all merchants of every defcription with their 

 merchandize. [Stat. 18 Edw. III. c. 3.] 



Odober 12^''-— The foreign cloth-weavers, who had fettled in London 

 upon the faith of the king's protcdion, were maltreated and threatened 

 by a mob of people, who were fo foolifli as to think, that what was earn- 

 ed by thofe induftrious and valuable ftrangers was taken from them- 

 felves. The king therefor ordered the mayor and fiiirrefs of London 

 to proclaim that no one ihould do any injury to the foreigners, and to 

 imprifon all who fhould ad contrary to the proclamation. \Fa^dcra, V. 

 V, p. 430,] If the mob had proceeded now as far in their outrages 

 againft the foreign weavers as they often did againft the Jews in former 

 times, England might have continued fome centuries longer dependent 

 upon the Netherlands for the fale of wool, and the purchafe of fine 

 cloth. 



The Ciftercian monks had the privilege of being exempted from all 

 public burthens ; and, in the ufe, or abufe, of that exemption, thofe of 

 them, who were fettled in Lincoln-fhire, had become merchants. Hav- 

 ing thus all the advantages that fmugglers feek to have without any of 

 their rifk, and alio the benefit of correfpondence with the houfes of their 

 order throughout the Chriftian world, no other perfons could enter into 

 competition with them : and they were therefor prohibited from being 

 merchants. [Rot. pat. prim. 18 Edw. Ill, 711, 57 — Bromtofi, col. 1256.] 



Though the people of France had contributed very liberally for fup- 

 porting their fovereign againft King Edward's invafion, yet the preflure 



thant, farmed tlie exchange of nil England for * Such councils wore fometinics called after- 



850 maikja-ycar. But in the ij"h of Henry III wards. Or.c in particular in the year 1347 wae 



the farm was lowered to 700 n.aiks. [_MaJcx's comjiofed of members from only 32 places, if all 



Hi/}, c. 23, ^ I, notti m, n, ;•.] the orders be preferved, Newcaftle, Scarburgh, Pe. 



The ciiargc for exchange was afterwards aug- vcnfty, Exeter, Dartmouth, Plymouth, Exmouth, 



meuted, as appears by a petition of the commons Falmouth, Sidmoutli, Barnilaple, Weymoutli, (and 



in the year 1363, that no more than one penny Ravcnfere, if differtnL from Ravenfrod, for one 



might be taken for the change of a noble. The of thcfc names feems redundant) being omitted, 



petition was rcfufed. \_Cotton's Abridgement of re- [Fadna, F. v, p. 548.] But it feems more pro- 



ctrdsyp. 97.] » table tliat the orders arc loft. 



