544 A. D.i 35 1- 



more than twenty /hillings *. [Folkes ofi coins, p. 1 1. — F^dera, V. y,p. joS, 

 — Murim. contin. p. 1 03.] 



February — The parliament enaded, what is called the Statute of cloths, 

 Avhereby it was ordained, that the aulneger, (called elfewhere ulnator) 

 or infpedor of cloths, ihould be fworn to do his duty, and fhould be 

 punifhed if he negleded it. — The a6l of the year 1335, for abolifhing 

 the reflraints of corporation charters and giving perfed freedom to all 

 traders, natives or foreigners, in every part of the kingdom, was re- 

 newed f ; and they were declared free to fell, either in wholefale or re- 

 tail, in London or any other city, burgh, or town of England, ' not- 

 ' withftanding any franchifes, grants, or cuftom ufed, or any other 

 ' things done to the contrary, fithence xh^itfiich nfages and franchifes be 

 * to the common prejudice of the king and his peopled The mayors and other 

 public officers were ordered to abftain from interfering in the fale of 

 provifions. — Foreflallers were made liable to forfeiture of the value of 

 the goods or provifions foreftalled, or to imprifonment for two years. — 

 All wears, kidells, mills, or other erections, by which the navigation 

 of rivers was obftruded, were ordered to be removed:}:. \Stat. 4, 25 

 Fdii). IIL'\ The parliament aboliflied a kind of weight called auncell, 

 and ordained wool and other wares to be weighed by the beam. They 

 alfo ordered, that all meafures of capacity fhould be agreeable to the 

 king's flandard ; that the quarter of corn fhould contain eight bufhels ; 

 and that all corn fhould be fold by flriked meafure, excepting that paid 

 in rent, which fhould be according to the former ufage. \Stat. 5, 25 

 EdiJD. Ill, cc. 9, 10.] 



The people were allowed to make exchanges of money for mutual 

 accommodation : but no one was permitted to take any profit upon 

 fuch exchanges, that emolument being referved to the king's exchange. 

 [Stat. 5, 25 Edw. Ill, c. 12.] 



Augufl: i" — The quarrel with Spain, or rather with the feamen of 

 the north coall of Spain §, was terminated by a truce, which was to lafl 

 twenty years. It was agreed that neither party fhould do any injury to 

 the other, or give any afliflance to their enemies. The mariners and 

 merchants of both countries were to have full liberty of failing with 

 their veffels, great or fmall, loaded with merchandize of any kind 

 whatfoever, or going by land, to the ports or cities of each country, 



* The diminutions of the money by Ed- pear, wliat ftrength this could liavc, tliat tlie 



w: rd III are mentioned here, only on account of other had not. 



their connexion with the ftatute of labourers and \ The owners, by bribes, or by favour, got 



their confequence. All the alterations of tlie mo- them all permitted to remain. \JValfmgbam, p. 



iiey will be found in one clear view in the ap- 170.] 



pendix. § One copy of the treaty was in the polTeflion 



f That is to fay, the parliament cnafted, that of the maritime towns of Caililc and Difcay, and 



it (hould be ' holdcn, kept, and maintained.' As another remained with the king of England and 



the former a6t was not made for a limited time, France. [Fffr/ira, F. v, /i. 719.J 



and confcquently could not expire, it docs not ap- » 



