546 A. D. 1352. 



After the engagement the Venetians and Catalans abandoned their im- 

 perial ally, who found himfelf obliged to grant an increafe of com- 

 mercial privileges to his Genoefe valTals, who were rather his maflers, 

 and to exclude all rival traders from his port. [Nic. Gregor. L. xvii, cc. 

 i_y. — Stella^ ap. Miiratori Script. V. xvii, coll. 1 08 8- 1092.] 



July 25'" — Alfonfo king of Portugal had given a general protedion to 

 Englifhmen in his dominions ; and King Edward in return gave a gen- 

 eral protedtion to the merchants of that kingdom for trading in Eng- 

 land, and at the fame time gave particular letters of protedion to the 

 commanders of feven vefTels, four of them belonging to Lifbon, and 

 the others apparently to Oporto. \Foedera^ V. v, pp. 740, 741, and fee 



P- 756-] 



September 4'" — The city of Pifa has not for fome time furnifhed any 

 materials for commercial hiftory. It appears, however, that the Pifans 

 had fome trade with the weftern parts of Europe, moft probably Fland- 

 ers, the knowlege of which is owing to a depredation committed upon 

 a {hip belonging to them in the port of Sandwich. When they fent to 

 demand redrefs and to propofe a friendly intercourfe, the king anfwer- 

 ed, that their merchants trading to England fhould enjoy his protedhon, 

 and be treated like his own fubjeds. \Fcedera, V. v,p. 743.] 



After Arteville the famous brewer of Ghent, the mofl zealous par- 

 tizan of King Edward in Flanders, was flain in a tumult, the king's in- 

 tereft in that country declined, and many of his ildherents were banifh- 

 ed. Thefe he invited (25'" September, 1351) to fettle in England or 

 his other donlinions, and to carry on their merchandize or other bufi- 

 nefs under his protedtion. This year he gave another very ample grant 

 hf liberties, more particularly to the manufadlurers of cloth fettling in 

 England, who were, no doubt, others of his Flemifh friends, alfo driven 

 out of their country for their attachment to him. {Tcedera^ V. \,p. 727. 

 — Rot. pat. prim. 26 Edzv. Ill, in. 21.] 



The flaple was fcarcely ever allowed to remain long enough in one 

 place to give time to the merchants to form their arrangements agree- 

 able to the lateft eftablifhment of it. This year * it was removed from 

 Flanders, and fixed at Weftminfler and other places in England (Au- 

 gufl 2''), which was a great hardfhip upon the foreign merchants, but a 

 great advantage to the king, who thereupon had j(^i,i02 more than his 

 predeceffors f. [R. de Avejbiiry, p. 1 94. — Knygbton, col. 2606.] 



1353, September — The king and parliament, confidering the great 

 damage which had arifen from the ftaple being held out of the king- 

 dom, now determined that the flaple for wool, hides, wool-fells, and 



* Stow [^Survey 0/ Lin/fon, p. ^^l, ed. ifilS] f Kiiygluon mentions no other place than Weft- 

 fays, tliat in tlie year 1 351 the king fixed the minder, and the i'um dated by him fecnis to have 

 ftaple of wool to be only at Canterbury, for the been an increafe arifmg from the bufincfs done a: 

 lionojr of S'. Thomas. Querc, if a niidakc ? that ftaple. 3 



