A. D. 1361. 565 



and immunities which had been granted to them by the emperors of 

 Germany and kings of Sweden, and gave them liberty to trade in his 

 dominions on as favourable terms as his own fubjeds, together with the 

 right of coining money, which thej' had hitherto pradifed without hav- 

 ing any right *. \_Pontani H'tjl. rer. Dan. pp. 376, 470, y^iS- — Olaus Mag- 

 nus, L. ii, c. 22. — Rc/p- Daniee, p. 80.] 



1362, Odlober — Notwithftanding the ad of the year 1360, the op- 

 preffive abufe of purveyance ftill continued. It was now enaded, that 

 there fhould be no purveyors but for the king and queen ; that the 

 odious name of purveyor fhould be laid afide, and that of buyer fubfti- 

 tuted for it f ; that ready money fhould be paid for all things taken for 

 the royal houfehold, and that the prices of them fliould be appraifed, 

 Except thofe of things for the ufe of the horfes, for which the buyers 

 were to agree with the fellers ; that commiflioners fhould be appointed 

 to infped the condud of the purveyors ; and that no chator (or pur- 

 veyor) for any fubjed fhould take any thing without the confent of the 

 owner. \^Stat. i, 36 Edw. Ill, cc. 1-6.] As the purveyors, or buyers, 

 made very lucrative jobs of their office ij:, it is probable that thefe laws 

 were no better obferved than the preceding ones on the fame fubjed : 

 and, indeed, the frequent repetitions of laws for the fame things fhows 

 plainly, that they were in genera] very inefficient. 



The flatute of the fhaple having vefled the mayors and conftables of 

 the ftaples with jurifdidion in matters of felony, affaults, and trefpaffcs, 

 in their towns, it was thought proper, that they fhould only take cog- 

 nizance of debts and contrads between perfons who were known to be 

 merchants, and that criminal matters fhould be tried at common law, 

 as formerly ; only that alien merchants might flill, if they chofe it, 

 bring all caufes, whether civil or criminal, wherein they were any way 

 concerned, before the mayor of the flaple. It was alfo ordained, that 

 the king and other lords fliould enjoy all the privileges they had pof- 

 fefled before the ftatute of the flaples was enaded, except in pleas of 

 debt, which were referved to the jurifdidion of the mayor of the flaple, 

 whoever might be the parties. [Stat, i, 2^ Edw. Ill, c. 7.] 



The liberty granted to all merchants to export wool was this year con- 

 firmed. \_Stat. r, 2,'^ Edw. Ill, c. 11.] 



The prelates, lords, and commons, reprefented to the king, that many 

 people fufFered exceedingly from the laws being unknown, becaufe they 



• If they were an independent community, up- + We know, that the purveyors of wine in the 



on what principle could it be alleged, that they year 1369 were accufed of detaining cargoes of 



had not a right to coin money ? wine, on pretence that they were taken for the 



f New names do not change the nature of king, to the great difappointment of intending 



things. How long the name of purveyor remain- purchafers, and damage of the owners, that they 



ed profcribed, is perhaps unknown : but we fee it m ght make their own profit of them. \Scc AHsy 



revived, and holding its place (I fuppofe, very in- 43 Edw. HI, c, 3. J 

 nocently ) in the modern Ufts of the royal houfehold. 



