A. D. 1347. 537 



fliires, and the magiftrates of the chief ports of England, to make pro- 

 clamation, that merchants and others, wilHng to fettle in Calais with 

 their (lores and merchandize, lliould have houfes at moderate rents *. 

 \F(edei-a, V. v. p. 575.] 



November 6''^ — The parliament of Scotland (if we may depend on 

 the authenticity of the laws publifhed by Skene) confirmed to the in- 

 habitants of the burghs, and to foreign merchants, the rights and pri- 

 vileges formerly enjoyed by them in good and peaceable times. They 

 ordered that the gold and filver coins of England fliould be received at 

 the full nominal value at which they pafTed in England f . And, agree- 

 able to the abfurd policy then generally adopted in Europe, they at- 

 tempted to prevent the exportation of money by charging it with the 

 monftrous and impradicable duty of 33! per cent, [^Stat. Dav. II, cc. 32, 

 ZZ^ ?»Sy 37] which, if it operated at all, could only have the efFedl of 

 raifing the prices of foreign merchandize upon the Scottifh confumer. 



1348, January ts'*" — The merchants and others complained to the 

 parliament of England, that all the tin of Cornwall was bought and ex- 

 ported by Tidman of Limburgh, and no EngUfliman could get any of 

 it : therefor they prayed that it might be freely fold to all merchants. 

 But they received for anfwer, that it was a profit belonging to the prince, 

 and every lord might make his profit of his own. Another petition 

 was alfo prefented, praying for a repeal of the new cufloms upon wool- 

 len manufactures exported, viz. i4(S^upon every cloth, i<i upon every 

 worfied cloth, and loiupon every lit (probably litted, or dyed) cloth, 

 exported by Englifh merchants, which were half as much more upon 

 thofe exported by foreigners. But the parliament thought it reafonable, 

 that thofe goods fhould pay in proportion to what the quantity of wool 

 worked up in them would pay, if exported in a raw flate, and refufed 

 to repeal the duties. The exportation of home-made woollen cloths 

 thus appears to have become already an objeft of fome importance. 

 The commons in parliament alfo reprefented, that the duty impoied in 

 the preceding year, without their confent, for the protedion of (hips, 

 which was to be paid only till Michaelmafs, was ftill continued, and they 

 petitioned that it {hduld ceafe. The duty upon wool was, however, ftill 

 continued. The convoy duty was afterwards fixed by the king, peers, and 

 ^xclztes^ nvith confent of the merchants, at one (hilling per fack ; and the 

 money was ordered to be paid into the hands of fome merchants, who 

 thereupon undertook to maintain a fufficient force upon the fea, and to 

 convoy the merchants fafe to the ftaple. In a fecond ledion, held in 

 Lent, grievous complaints were made, that, though the convoy duty 



* He had no fmall number of houfes to let ; members of the new colony, [^uhyerl Ar.n. Flan- 

 for, of the fonner inhabitants, only one prieil and diiif,f. 151 a.] 



two lawyers were permitted to remain. Thirty- \ At ihis time ^1:2:6 of Englidi money, 



fix merchants from London were the mo!l opulent was only equal to jf i : i : of Scottifli. Sec the 



tables of money in the appendix. 



Vol. I. 3 Y 



