6i4 ^' ^' ^4^3' 



This year treaties, containing ftipulations for mutual freedom of trade, 

 were entered into with Caftile, Portugal, and Flanders. [Fadera, V. viii, 

 PP- V^' 3^7' 329.] All of them were frequently renewed j and the 

 renovation is a lufficient proof of their inefficiency. 



1404, January — The parliament made it felony to multiply gold or 

 filver, or to pracRiife the art of multiplication. [Stat. 5 Hen. IV, c. 4.] 



The parliament, in their anxiety to keep money within the country, 

 obliged all foreign merchants to give fecurity that they fhould lay out 

 their money on Englifh merchanoize, and moreover compelled them to 

 fell their goods within three months after their arrival, and to Englifli- 

 men only, but upon no account to other foreigners. The magiflrates 

 of the fea-ports were alfo direded to affign lodgings to foreigners *. 



To prevent deceptions in putting off gilt or plated locks, rings, beads, 

 candlefticks, harnefs for girdles, chalices, iword-pomels, powder-boxes, 

 and covers of cups, for folid metal, all fuch workmanfhip upon copper 

 or latten was prohibited, except ornaments for the church, of which 

 fome part Ihould be left uncovered to fhow the copper or latten f . [c.. 



May i^'"* King Henry borrowed 1,000 marks from ten merchants 



of Genoa, and for payment he allowed them to retain the duties on 

 goods to be imported, and on wool, hides, wool-fells, cloth, and other 

 goods, to be exported, by them in London, Southampton, and Sandwich, 

 for four months ; and he engaged to pay them the balance, if any, at 

 the end of four months by the hands of his treafurer. Five merchants 

 of Florence lent him 500 marks on the fame terms. And in the fol- 

 lowing year fums to the fame amount were lent by the fame parties, and 

 on the fame terms. [Fcedera, V. viii, pp, 358, 359, 383.] 



June 6'' — The king empowered the EngHfh merchants trading to 

 Pruffia, Schonen, and other places within the limits of the Hanfe, to 

 meet, as often as they ihould think proper, for the purpofe of eleding 

 governors ; to whom he delegated the fame authority over the Englifh 

 merchants, and for obtaining juftice in difputes between them and the 

 natives of the places of their relidence, confiftent with the privileges and 

 authority granted to them by the grand mafter of Pruflia or other po- 

 tentates, which had been conferred on a fmgle governor of the merch- 

 ants in the year 1351. [Foedera, V. viii,/>. 360.] 



December 4'' — The commercial reader will undoubtedly be pleafed 

 to fee how nearly the tenor of bills of exchange, and the.circumflances 

 attending the non-payment of them, about four centuries ago refcmbled 

 thofe of the prefent day. Antonio Quarti, a merchant of Luca refid- 



* The rcftraints of this law, being fotind de- goods imported by foiiigiurs ; a prohibition ap* 

 (Irudtive to tht trade, were partly repealed in the parently umicciflTiiry. 



enfuing year, with a faving of the privileges of f 'Jhls att dclcrves ridticc merely as an evidence 

 London, and a prohibition of exporting foreign of the perfcdiion to which gilding and platinjj were 



ihca brought in Enghuid. 



