A. D. 1355. 555 



The Scottifh pearls were ftill an article of exportation. They were 

 efteemed in France, but not equally with thofe brought from India, 

 as appears by the manuibript flatutes of the goldfmiihs of Paris of this 

 year, wherein it is ordained, that no worker in gold or filver fhall fet 

 any Scottifh pearls along with Oriental ones, except in large jewels * for 

 churches (for which probably a fufficient quantity of Oriental pearls 

 could not be obtained, or would be too expenfive). [Da Cange, Gloffl 

 Lat. vo. Perlce.'^ 



This year Sir John de Mandeville returned to England from his pere- 

 grination of thirty-three years through Turkey, Armenia, Egypt, Africa, 

 Syria, Arabia, Perfia, Chaldaea, Ethiopia, Tartary, ylmazotiia, India, 

 China, and many iflands. His travels, or rather defcriptions of coun- 

 tries, written by himfelf, inform us that the Venetian merchants fre- 

 quently went to the ifland of Ormus in the Perfian gulf, and fometimes 

 even penetrated to Cambalu. He diftinguiflies Famagufla in Cyprus as 

 one of the greateft ports in the world, Avherein the merchants of almofl 

 all nations, Chriftians and pagans (Mohamedans), affembled. The fhort- 

 cfl abridgement, that could be made, of his account of the countries of 

 Afia would be tedious, as he has raked together all the fables accumu- 

 lated in the courfe of ages, and, if we except the fmgle notice refpedling 

 the confiderable trade of Cyprus, gives fcarcely any commercial inform- 

 ation worth noticing f . 



1357, Spring — The parliament now permitted Englifh merchants, as 

 zvell as foreigners, to export wool, hides, and wool-fells, to any country 

 in amity with the king, from the 5"' of May to the 29'" of September 

 enfuing, on paying a duty of '^of for every fack of wool, 50/ for 300 

 wool-fells, and /?5 for every lafl of hides. The buyers were prohibited 

 from refufing any other parts of the wool than what ufed formerly to 

 be rejected ; and the fack was again ordained to contain exadly 364 

 pounds of the exchequer ftandard weight. All wool, fells, and hides, 

 wherever bought, were ordered to be carried to a flaple, and there to 

 remain at leafl fifteen days, after which, if they were not fold, they 

 might be exported. Wool was not permitted to be ftoi'ed or fold wj th- 

 in three leagues of a flaple, except by the owners of flieep, who might 

 fell the wool of their own growth, where they thought proper. \Stat. 

 1,31 Edzv. Ill, c. 8.] 



An author, who lived at this time, elllmates the annual exportation 

 of wool at above a hundred thouiand lacks. \_Ave/bury, p, 210;]:.] 



* In the n.iddle ages any thing reputed pre- Ovid's temple of die Sun, and are proliably the 



tious, or made of valuable material^;, or richly models of fimilar biiilJIngs in the fairy talc?, 

 adorned, war, called a jewel. J He fays, the duty of 50/ was granted by the 



f Mandeville copied from all preceding writers pailiament for fix years ; and he dates the giant 



of hiftory and travels ; and he feems particularly in the year 1355. It may be cbfcrved that the 



to be largely indebted to Marco Polo. His pa- wool of the well part of Enghind was valued at 



laces, made of gold and jewels, arc in the (lile cf little more than 5c/ See Ebove p. 530. 



4 A 2 



