A. D. 1363. 567 



each having under him fix armed men and four archers en the king's 

 pay. He appointed a mayor for the ftaple and another for the town. 

 Tiie impoft, called maletorth, payable to the king, was fixed at 20/", 

 and that payable to the merchant wardens at 3/4, for every facie of 

 wool. [Kriygblofi, col. 2626.] Thus were the flatute of the ftaple, and 

 all the vafl: multitude of regulations relating to it, rendered nugatory, 

 before they were fairly efl:abli{hed, and before the people concerned were 

 habituated to the arrangements proper for conducting their bufinefs with 

 propriety and advantage. 



June 7'^ — It appears that Englifh cattle were a profitable article in 

 Flanders, as Andrew Deftrer of Bruges giternar (player on the guitar) 

 to the queen, obtained permiflion to carry over twenty-five oxen or 

 cows, without paying any duty. [Fardera, V. vi, p. 418.} 



Odober — Some very extraordinary laws were now enaded. The par- 

 liament, after fetting forth that many merchants, by undue arts and 

 combinations, and by means of their fraternities and gilds, had en- 

 grofi^ed all kinds of goods, which they kept up, till they could fell them 

 at enormous prices, ordained that every merchant or fhopkeeper fhould 

 make his eledion before Candlemas of one particular kind of goods, 

 and ihould be allowed till the 24'" of June to difpofe of his other goods 

 on hand, after which time he fliould deal in the one kind chofen by 

 him, and no other. Artificers were in like manner tied down to one 

 occupation, with an exception in favour of female brewers, bakers, 

 weavers, fpinfters, and other women employed upon works in wool, 

 linen, or filk, in embroidery, &c. * [Stat. 37 Edw. Ill, cc. 5, 6.} 



Goldfmiths were ordered to make their work of fl:andard quality, and 

 to ftamp it with their own marks in addition to the eflayer's flamp. 

 Thofe who made filver work, were prohibited from gilding. [Stat. 27 

 Edw. Ill, c. 7.] 



Luxury being come to a great height, the parliament took the trouble 

 to prefcribe a fcale of viduals and clothing for the various members of 

 the community, regulated by the rank, fortune, or profeflion, of each 



* If this aft had been in the language of the In the piogrefs of improvement artificers have 



country, we fliould have feen breiujhr, bakjler, found it expedient to fubdivide their employments, 



-weljler, the termination _/<•/• fignifying a woman and reftriift thcmfelvtf, each to a particular branch, 



(not a man) who brews, bakes, weaves, &c. as I not for the purpofe of preventing combinations, 



have obferved in another work. When men be- but for a facility in carrying every particular 



gan to invade thofe departments of indullry by branch to the greater perfedlion by attending to 



which women ufed to earn an honeft livelihood, one only. Thus does trade, in procefs of time, 



they retained the feminine appellations (as men- regulate itfelf, far better than the interference of 



midwives and men-milliners do now) for fome any legiflature can ever do. He was a wile man, 



time: but afterwards mafculine words drove the who, being afced by the prime miniller ot Fiance,, 



feminine ones out of the language, as the men had what the merchants wilhed him to do for the be- 



driven the women out of the employments. Spin- nefit of commerce, anfwered him with this (hort 



fter Hill retains its genuine termination ; and the and pithy fentence, ' Laijffx, nous fain,' leave ua 



language of the law feems to prefume, that every to ourfelves. 

 unmarried woman is indufliioufly employed in 

 fpinning. * 



