534 



A. D. 1346. 



July 24''' — The king's high-way between the hofpital of S'. Giles and 

 the bar of the old temple* at London, and alfo the adjacent road called 

 Pourtepolf, being very much broken up and dangerous, tolls J, perhaps 

 the earlieft known by any remaining records, were impofed by royal 

 authority upon all cattle, merchandize, or other goods, pafling upon 

 thofe roads, and alfo the Charing road §, for two years, at rates upon the 

 feveral articles, amounting to about one penny in the pound on their 

 value, to be paid by all perfons, except lords, ladies, and perfons belong- 

 ing to religious eftabliftiments or to the church. \^Foedera,V. v, p. 520.] 



September 6"" — King Edward having defeated his adverfary Philip at 

 CrefTy (Augufl 26'^') with a prodigious llaughter, and befieged Calais by 

 land and by fea, fent precepts to the Cinque ports and the ports on the 

 eaft fide of England, defiring the merchants to carry over flour, bread, 

 corn, wine, ale, flefli, fifli, bows, bow-ftrings, arrows, and other flores, 

 for which they (hould be paid in ready money ; and he afTured them, 

 that nothing fliould be taken from them without a reafonable and fatif- 

 fadory price. This order was frequently repeated. [Fcedera, V. v, pp. 



525. 575-] . . . , ^. ^ 



As the commercial progrefs of the maritime towns is belt ilkiltrated 



by comparing ftatements of their Ihipping at different times, I here lay 



before the reader the following 



Account of the vejfels furnijhed by the ports of Evglandfor the fleet employed 



by King Edward III in thefiege of Calais. 



The king's 25 Ihips carried 419 mariners. 



The South fleet. The North fleet. 



* The olJ temple was in Holburn without the towns were very eommon : but I ,im uncertai 



b»rs. [_Sloiu's Survey, pp. 752, 824.] 



•f Now Gray's-inn lane. [5/ow, p. 823.3 A 



fmall lane leading into Gray 's-inu lane has now got 



the name of Portpool lane. 



X ' Confuetudincs,' culloms. Duties for paving 



whether they were levied upon tlie inhaljitanls, or 

 upon thofe who ufeJ the ru:-.Js, as this order, and 

 Tcafiin, diretl. The exemption of thofe who were 

 bell able to pay was not, however, very judic^oiis. 

 § 6uppofed to be HOW S'. Martin's lane. 



