A. D. 1382. ' 593 



ants, of every nation in amity with the king and kingdom, to come in- 

 to England, to refide as long as they pleafed in franchifed places or 

 others, to manage their bufinefs under the king's protedion, and to re- 

 turn to their own countries at their pleafure, [Stat. 2, 5 Ric. II, c. i.] 

 It appears from the ftatutes, that this liberty required to be re-enaded 

 in the year 1387. 



The parliament alfo permitted all merchants, natives or foreigners, to 

 carry wool, hides, and wool-fells, to any country, except France, if they 

 chofe to pay the Calais fubfidies and duties before-hand, for which they 

 offered a difcount of 6/8 from the duty on each fack of wool, 6/8 on 

 every 240 wool-fells, and in proportion on hides, to continue till Michael- 

 mas 1383. \Stat. 2, 5 Rk. H, c. 2.] This was, I believe, the firft at- 

 tempt to anticipate the revenue. 



At the requeft of the merchants, who found themfelves much injured 

 by the French cruifers, the parliament impofed a fubfidy of 2/ per tun 

 on all wines imported, and fix pennies per pound on the value of woollen 

 cloth and other merchandize imported or exported, except wool, hides, 

 and wool-fells, over and above all other cuftoms and fubfidies, which 

 were to confi;itute a fund for the exprefs purpofe of guarding the fea. 

 {Stat. 2, 5 Ric. 11, c. 3.] * 



May 4'" — I know not whether we may venture to confider all the articles, 

 which the pope's colledor was allowed to fliip at Brifliol without paying 

 duty, as fpecimens of Englifli manufadures. They confifi:ed of 6 pieces 

 of green tapefi:ry powdered with rofes, a prefent for the fovereign pon- 

 tiff; I great curtain of green ferge ; 2 blue bancals f of tapefi:ry work ; 

 5 pairs of fheets (' lintheaminum'), 2 blankets, and 6 blue curtains, for 

 beds ; i large coverlet for a bed ; and 6 culhions for a chamber ; 5 red 

 bed-curtains ; 2 long and 2 fliort pieces of red fluff for ornaments to a 

 chamber, with a blue bancal ; 2 large pieces of red ferge, worked with 

 the arms of the pope, the king, and the church :|:, for adorning a hall ; 

 2 large bancals and i fmall piece of red ferge for a hall ; i piece of red 

 andjblack tapefi;ry ; i palat, 5 mantles of Irilh cloth, one of them lined 

 with green cloth ; i mantle of mixt-coloured cloth likeways lined with 

 green ; i garment of ruflet lined with Irilh cloth ; i green woollen cloth 

 for counting upon ; 3 covered beds § with tefi:ers ; i blue fi;i-iped cloth 

 for a valet ; 5 elns (' alas') of blue cloth, and 16 of mixt cloth of two 

 kinds ; 6 elns of blanket ; i mantle of mixt colour lined with vair 



* Walfingham \_p. 281] after a very brief ac- the additional uncertainty produced by fucli an in- 



count of the jtls of this parliniiicnt, cries out, terferencc (which would now be called unconftiti - 



' What is the ufe of ftatutes of parliament, when tional) of royal authority. 



' they have not the fnialletl effeft ? The king with -j- Bancalt is tranflated bench ox feat by the glof- 



' his privy council ufed to change or abolirti all faritls. But it mull here be fome kind o: fluff, 



• that was done in parliament by the community perhaps a covering or cufhion for a bench. 



• of the whole kingdom, and even the nobles them- J The women of England were famous fr m 



• felves.' The rapid changes of the laws by the very remote ages for their fuperior flcill in era- 

 legiflators was fufficiently dillrefiing to the people, broidery. See above, pp. 290, 348. 



■aad efpec'.ally to thufe engaged in trade, v.ithout § ' Cuoperta Ictta,' apparently for cooperti .cHi. 



Vol. I. 4 F 



