6o4 ^^> E^« 139 1* 



parts of the kingdom : and the magiflrates of London, with 2,000 marks 

 borrowed from the orphans' chefl: *, together with £:^^o contributed by 

 the twenty-four aldermen, purchafed a ftock of corn, wherewith the 

 poor of London and the adjacent country were fupplied on eafy terms. 

 [Knygbton, col. 2737. — Walfingham, p. 346.] 



In the year ending 21" June 1391, during which the quantity of 

 wool exported is faid to have been much lefs than ufual, the cuftoms on 

 it amounted to /^ 160,000, over and above tunnage, poundage, aulnage, 

 pellage, &c. [Cotton's Abridgement , p. 472.] 



November — It was enacfted, that all merchants, denizens, or aliens, 

 might buy wool from any perfon whatever till the 24"" of June next, 

 they bringing to Calais one ounce of gold in bullion for every fack of 

 wool f . After the 24'" of June the flaple, now held at the towns ap- 

 pointed by parliament in the year 1353, fhould be held in fuch towns 

 upon the coaft as the lords of the council fhould diredt. [Cotton s Abridge- 

 ment, />. 341.] 



The ad of the preceding year, for (hipping tin at Dartmouth only, 

 was now repealed. Tin might now be {hipped at any port ; but it was 

 to be carried only to Calais, as long as wool fhould be carried thither. 

 [Stat. 15 Ric. II, c. 8.] 



From thefe reflriflions Calais appears to have been flill a flaple, at 

 which all wool and tin were to be landed ; flaples and reflraints in Eng- 

 land, and a fecond ftaple and other relliraints at the fame time on the 

 continent ! The condition of the merchants, who were obliged to deal 

 in flaple goods, was truely pitiable in thofe days of perpetual changes. 



It was reprefented in parliament, that the cloths manufactured at Gild- 

 ford and the adjacent parts of Surrey, Sullex, and Hampfhire, called Gild- 

 ford cloths, which ufed to have great reputation as well-made goods, 

 were now much depretiated in confequence of fullers and others buy- 

 ing them unfulled, and injuring the lubflance by overftretching them 

 in length and breadth. It was therefor now enafted, that no Gildford 

 cloths fhould be fold, till they were completely finifhed and fealed. [Stat. 

 15 Ric. 11, c. 10.] 



The people of Amfterdam had for fome time pafl traded to Schonen 

 for herrings :{:, and they had obtained from the king of Denmark a grant 

 of a piece of land for tranfading their bulinefs. This year the earl of 



* This is belicve-.l to be llie carlitft notice, given !f. Scliouk [Difcr/. Je harengis, J 34] fay5, that 



ly any bijlortan, of the orphan's fund in the city of the HoUaiidtrs had not ytt begun to filh on the 



London. But it may be pnfumed to be nnicli Btitilh coaft. We know that the Flemings adua!- 



more anticnt, as we find an tllablilhniint fur the ly fiihcd on tlie coafts of England and Scotland 



orphans of Sandwich in the year 1390. \_Rot. pat. above ico years before, and that the Hollanders 



1 8 Edvj. I, m. ^5.] obtained a licence in the year 1 295 to lifii on the 



-}■ In the year 1397 the parliament ordered the coaft of England ; and they were probably among 



nunce of gohl to be carried to the Tower of Lon- the Belgians who frequented the filliery in the 



don ; and ii 1399 Cidais wis again appointed to Firth of Forth in the twelfth century. See above, 



be the place for it. \_Cottvnt Ahrllgcment pp. 362, pp. 325, 427, 45J. 4 

 ?93-] 



