A. D. 1378. 587 



Mercer, whom they took together with his prizes and fifteen Spanifli 

 veilels, his conlbrts, all richly loaded *. [Waffnigham, p. 211.] 



October — The adl of 1376 having abolifhed the liberties formerly 

 granted in England to foreign merchants, except ihofe of the Hanfe, it 

 now appeared, that the franchifes, claimed by the cities and burghs, 

 were deftruftive of trade and hurtful to the community. The parlia- 

 ment therefor, perceiving the advantages derived irom the refort of 

 merchant ftrangers, revived the ads of the years 1335 and 135 1, and 

 gave the foreign merchants liberty to remain in the kingdom as long as 

 they had occafion, inflead of being reftridled to forty days, with per- 

 miffion to buy and to fell, either in wholefa'.e or retail, corn, flefh, fifh, 

 and other provifions, and alfo fpiceries, fruits, iurs, filk, gold und filver 

 wire or thread, coverchefs, and other fmall wares, from or to any per- 

 fon whatever, native or foreigner. But wines were to be fold in the 

 cafks wherein they were imported, and not to be retailed by any but the 

 freemen of cities and burghs. Cloth of gold or filver, ftuffs of filk, 

 fendal f , napery, linen, canvafs, and other large articles J, might be fold 

 by foreign importers to any perfon, native or foreigner, in any city, 

 town, fair or market, London not excepted, but in quantities not lefs 

 than a piece, only the freemen of cities and burghs being allowed to 

 fell thofe articles by retail as well as by wholefale. All charters and 

 franchifes, containing any thing contrary to this ad, were annulled, as 

 prejudicial and oppreffive. The prelates and lords, however, flill retain- 

 ed their oppreffive prerogative of purveying viduals and other necef- 

 faries, as they were wont to do in old times § : and the ordinances for 

 the ftaple at Calais were maintained in full force. Strangers were per- 

 mitted to buy and fell wool, wool-fells, mercery, cloth, iron, and other 

 merchandize, at fairs and markets in the country as formerly. All ma- 

 giflrates and others in authority were defired to protect the foreign 

 merchants in the enjoyment of the privileges now conferred upon them. 

 — The laws againfl foreftalling wines, viduals, mercery, and other merch- 

 andize, were alfo renewed. [Stat, i, 2 Ric. II, cc. 1,2.] 



The parliament in the very next ad made an encroachment upon the 

 privileges of the ftaple at Calais, by granting permiffion to the merch- 

 ants of Genoa, Venice, Catalonia, Aragon, and other countries lituated 

 to the weftward, and in amity with the king, who brought carraks, fliips, 

 gallies, or other veflels, to Southampton or other ports of England, load- 



* By this enterprife Philpot got much envy and imported, the quantity of them was very fmall iii- 



illwill among the uobles and military men, but deed. 



much applaufe among his fellow-citizens, who chofe § That oppreffive and unjnft prero'^ati<'e was 



him for their mayor at the next eleciion. taken away from all perlons, except the king and 



f A thin filken Huff. \_Du C:mge Glojf. vo. Cat- queen, in the year 1362, and even for them it was 



dahim.'] modified fo as to be pretty tolerable, if the law 



X It is well worthy of notice, that woollen liad been adhered to ; but fmiilar acts in fucceed. 



cloths arc not mentioned, which, confidering their ing reigns fhow that it was not adhered to, and 



former importance in the lift of imports, may be the legiflators of 1377 appearnot to have known 



regarded as a good proof, that, if any were now any tiling of it. 



4 E 2 



