A. D. 1404. 615 



jtng at Bruges, the center of the commerce of the weftern parts of 

 Europe, had fold two bills of exchange for 1,000 fcutes each to John 

 Colombo, a merchant of Barcelona alfo refiding at Bruges, to be paid 

 by Francifco de Prato a merchant of Florence, in the ufual manner, at 

 Barcelona. The following is a clofe tranflation of one of the bills *. 

 Francifco de Prato and Company at Barcelona. 



In the name of God, Amen^ the 28"' day of April 1404. 



■Tay by this firfl of exchange at ufance to Piero Gilberto and Piero Olivo one thou- 



f and fcutes at tenfhillings Barcelona money per fcute ; which thoufand fcutes 



are in exchange with "John Colombo at twenty-two grofjes per fcute. Pay on 



our account, and Chriji keep you. 



Antonio ^artifal. of Bruges. 



The other differs only in the dare, 18'^ of May, and being payable 

 to Piero Gilberto and Piero de Scorpo. 



The bills were fent to Barcelona, but were not paid by Prato ; and 

 William Colombo, as agent for Gilberto, Olivo, and Scorpo, purchafed 

 -fcutes in Barcelona to pay the bills, for the expenfe of which he claim- 

 ed reimburfement from Antonio Quarti, and for that purpofe returned 

 the bills protefted to John Colombo at Bruges. But Quarti alleged that 

 William Colombo ought to have got money for the bills at the bank 

 {taula di cambi) of Barcelona, according to the cuflom of the city in 

 fuch cafes, which would have been lefs expenfive, and that therefor he 

 was liable only for the expenfe attending the re-exchange in that form, 

 and not for the expenfes and interefl demanded by John Colombo. 

 Thus the matter relied at this time, when the magiftrates of Bruges 

 %vrote to thofe of Barcelona, requefting information upon the ufage re- 

 fpediing bills of exchange in their city : and to their letter we are in- 

 debted for this curious relique of commercial antiquity. [Capmany^ Mem. 

 hifl, de Barcelona, V. ii. Col. dipl. p. 203 — above, p. 612.] 



1405, July 16'^ — The king had ordered fome pirates of Whitby to 

 make reftitution to two Danifli merchants, whofe veflels they had taken. 

 But they paid no attention to the mandate ; and an officer was now or- 

 dered to bring them before the king, that they might anfwer for their 

 difobedience — The Scottifh traders were alfo haraffed by lawlefs Eng- 

 liili cruifers, fome of whom, belonging to Cley on the coaft of Norfolk, 

 fhowed themfelves as regardlefs of their fovereign's commands, and of 

 :".heir own contrads, as if they had been fubjed to no government, and 

 •might adt as independent of controul upon the land, as they did upon 

 the fea. ^Foedera, V. \ni, pp. 404, 450. — MS. Bib. Cott. Vefp. F vii, n'. 22, 

 89, 116, ;ii7, 118.] 



* For the fatisfaftion of the reader I here add th« oiigiual bill. 

 Francifco de Prato l^ Comp. a Bjrfalona. 

 Al name di Dlo, Amen, a di xxviii Aprile 1404. 



Pagatt per quejla prima di camh. a ufait-Tia a Piero Gi/k'rfo e Piero Olivo fctiti m\lle a fold x Barfclonej't 

 iitrfcuto: i quali fctiti miUe fono per camlii chc con Giovanni Cal-nnilio agroffl xxii d.g.fcuto : iff pag. a 

 tiojlro cento, ip" Chrtjlo vi guardi. 



An/onio ^arli/al tie Bru^gicti. 



