A. D. 1353. 551 



fure any cloth till it was fold *. The parliament granted the king a 

 duty of ^d on every plain-coloured cloth, 5^onthofe dyed half in grain, 

 6d on fcarlet cloths, and in proportion on half cloths ; and they ordain- 

 ed that the cloths fhould be fealed by the colle(5tor to atteft the payment 

 of the duty before they could be expofed to fale. Thofe, who made 

 cloth for clothing themfelves and their retinue, were exempted from pay- 

 ing the dutyf. [Stat, i, 27 Edw. Ill, c. 4.] 



Englifh merchants were prohibited from engrofling or foreflalling 

 wines in Gafcoigne, or making any previous bargain for them, on pain 

 of death and forfeiture of property of every kind. The fleward of 

 Gafcoigne and the conftable of Bourdeaux were ordered to arreft all 

 tranfgreflbrs and fend them to the Tower of London. Bourdeaux and 

 Bayonne were declared the only lawful markets for wine. Gafcons and 

 other ftrangers were allowed to bring their wines freely to any port of 

 England, the king's butler having, according to antient ufage, a right 

 to take wines for the king, to be paid for within forty days. All wines 

 were to be gauged ; and for thofe found fhort of the ftandard meafure 

 the feller was to make allowance to the buyer. \Stat. i, 27 Edw. Illy 

 cc. 5-8.] 



Odober 1 5"" King Edward gave his protedion to the merchants and 



mariners of Catalonia, coming to England to purchafe wool, hides, 

 wool-fells, and lead, at the ftaples or elfewhere, and to carry them 

 whitherfoever they pleafed, after having them duely troned (weighed) 

 and cocketed, and paying the due cuftoms and fubfidy. [Foederay V. v, 

 p. 762.] 



06lober 20'" — The merchants, mariners, and communities, of Lifbon 

 and Oporto (the king of Portugal is not mentioned) having fent meflen- 

 gers to King Edward, in order to negotiate a firm alliance for the ad- 

 vantage of both {ides, it was agreed upon, and its duration fixed to be 

 fifty years. It was covenanted, that neither party fliould ailifl the ene- 

 mies of the other ; that the veflels of both parties Ihould be free to 

 carry all kinds of goods from any one country to any other country, 

 and to enter into any port of either country. All by-pall damages 

 fhould be funk in oblivion, and any future damages fhould be amicably 

 fettled by the lords or great men without any breach of the treaty. The 

 property of the merchants of Lifbon or Oporto, found in any place or 

 veflel taken by the Englifh, fhould be reftored to them, unlefs they were 



* We thus fee, that it was the cuftom to fell who were beft able to pay it, the great chiefs, who 



cloths at fo much per piece or half piece, and not kept armies of idle ruffians in their hvery. The 



by the yard. In the prefent day, when they are exemption lets us know, that the duty extended 



fold only by the )-ard, the lengths, though vari- to home-made cloths ; and we mull believe, thar 



able, ftill do not differ very much from the antient there were now dyers and finilhers in England 



ilandard. capable of producing fcarlets and other graii. cu-- 



■f- By this exemption the duty on home-made lours. 

 ■cloths would be almoft wholely evaded by thofe. 



