SS^' ^' ^' '353- 



fhould be done to foreigners. In cafe they could not agree upon the 

 decifion, they were to refer the caufe to the chancellor and the king's 

 council, by whom it fhould be determined without delay. Two Ger- 

 mans, two Lombards, and two Englilhmen, were to be eleded to do 

 immediate juftice in all complaints of the quality or weight of wool be- 

 ing contrary to bargain. The foreign merchants having complained of 

 oppreffions and delay at the ports, contrary to the charter of Edward I, 

 (fee above, p. 469J the fhirrefs, mayors, and bailifs, were threatened 

 with imprifonnaent and fine, if they aded contrary to that charter. All 

 the privileges of the ftaples were confirmed, though they might inter- 

 fere with the franchifes and privileges claimed by cities, burghs, the 

 Cinque ports, or other corporations, or individuals, faving to the pre- 

 lates, dukes, earls, barons, and other lords, their fairs, markets, hun- 

 dreds, wapentakes, &c. In the former year the mayors of the ftaple 

 had levied Sd upon every fack of wool for themfelves : but the wool 

 brought to London being nearly equal to what was carried to all the 

 other ports in the kingdom, and the quantities carried to the other 

 ftaples being exceedingly unequal, it was now ordained that the mayors 

 of all the ftaples ftiould have regular fixed falaries *, as the mayor of the 

 ftaple ufed to have v/hen it was held upon the continent, and that only 

 4^ fhould be charged upon every fack as a general fund for the payment 

 of all the falaries f. [Stat. 2, 27 Edw. III.} 



The lords and commons reprefented to the king, that the feizure of 

 cloths, on account of their varying from the ftatute lengths and breadths J, 

 was fuch a hardfliip upon the foreign importers, that many of them 

 had given up the trade ; wherefor they prayed, that the goods feized 

 might be reftored for a reafonable recompenfe. The king granted their 

 xequeft, and enaded, that uniform lengths in cloth fhould no longer be 

 required, but that his aulneger fliould mark the meafure upon every 

 cloth, and the feller fhould make a due allowance for defedive meafure. 

 The aulneger was intitled to receive a halfpenny for every cloth, and a 

 farthing for every half cloth, from the feller ; and he was not to mea- 



* The falaries were as follows. 



Weftininltei- - the mayor £''00 o o each coiiftable ^^13 6 8 



Lincoln - - - -'■ 26134 - - 6134 



York, Kingfton upon Hull (which, how- 

 ever, is not a llaple in the beginning 

 of the llatutc), Norwich, Wincheftcr, 



each - - - 20 00 - - 500 



Newcaftlc, Chicheftcr, Exeter, each 1000 - - - 368 



•f- I have been nuich fuller in my account of Many parts of it are curious and interclling to the 

 the JIatule of thf Jlaple than my prcileceflor Mr. ftudents of manners, jurifprudence, and antiquities, 

 Anderfon, who, contrary to his ufual culloni, has and might fupply abundant matter for ample com- 

 crulhtd it into a few lines. But, as it exhibits a ments, which rtiall, however, be left to the refltc- 

 compkte view, nowhere elfe to be found, of the tion of the reader. 



fylUm by which the principal branches of the % See above, p. 501. Tlie ftatute breadth of 



commerce of the kingdom were condudcd, it is the cloth of raye in this adl is only fix quarters, 

 furely well worthy of a more particular attention. There is apparently aa error in one of the ads. 



