A. D. 141 8. 6^^ 



jeds of Aragon, [Fadera^ V. ix,p. 622] who, as we (hall fee afterwards 

 (A. D. 1438), knew how to make the beft ufe of the privilege. 



1419, July 14''' — The truce or treaty with Flanders for the fecurity 

 of trade was renewed. King Henry having made a demand of /?i 0,000 

 as a compenfation for merchandize taken from fome merchants of Eng- 

 land and Ireland in the port of Sluys, and alfo feveral privileges re- 

 fpeding the conveyance of money through Flanders to the flaple at 

 Calais, the Flemifli ambailadors declared, that thofe matters were not 

 within their commiflion ; and it was agreed, that they fliould be adjuft- 

 ed in a fubfequent meeting to be held at Calais. IFcede/a, V. ix, pp. 769, 



779-] . ^. 



Odober 1 2'^ — King Henry accordingly appointed commiflioners to 

 meet thofe of the duke of Burgundy. But the Flemings were prevent- 

 ed from attending by the troubles confequent upon the murder of their 

 duke, till January 1420, when the treaty was renewed till the 1" of the 

 enfuing November, and a commiflion was appointed to liquidate the 

 claims for damages on both fides. [Faedera, V. ix,pp. 804, 843.] 



This year Schahrok, the fon of the great Timour, fent ambaffadors 

 to the emperor of Cathay, or China. Some merchants went in their 

 train ; but no commercial tranfadions are noted in a pretty circumftan- 

 tial account of the embaffy, from which we learn, however, that the 

 arts were then in as high a degree of perfedlon in that great empire as 

 they are at this prefent day. [T'/jevenoi, Voyages curienx, pariie 4.] 



1420, December — The parliament gave a new proof of their anxiety 

 to flock the kingdom with gold by an ad obliging every merchant 

 flranger buying wool in England, to be carried to the weflern countries* 

 without previoufly going to the fl:aple, to deliver to the mafl:er of the 

 mint in the Tower one ounc6 of gold bullion for every lack ; and the 

 fame was alio to be delivered for every three pieces of tin. \_ASls 8 Hen. 



V,C.2.-] 



The Portuguefe began this year to cultivate the ifland of Madeira. 

 The firll fettlers did not think of planting vines, but gave their atten- 

 tion chiefly to fugar canes, brought from Sicily, which fucceeded very 

 well, the prince's tifth part amounting in fome years to 60,000 arobas, 

 or about 15,000 hundredweights f. [Furcbas, B. ii, c. i, § 2.] 



We have the following pidure of the commerce of Venice about this 

 time in a fpeech addrefled by the duke Tommas Mocenigo to the fena- 



tors The annual value of goods exported was ten millions of ducats, 



and the profits, outward and homeward, were about four millions. The 

 ihipping confifl;cd of 3,000 veflels of from ten to two hundred amforas 

 burthen carrying 17,000 feamen, 300 fliips carrying 8,000 feamen, 



* In the fecoiid year of Richani II the paili,-- the difcovcry and fettlement of every idand occu- 



rr.cnt cxp'.aintd which countries they comprehend- pied in th.i': sj^c oi ll;e weft fide of Afiica. The 



cd under the term Wcftcrn. See above p. 587. Portuguefe and Spanilli accouius arc apparently 



■}■ 1 do not pretend to give a clear account of irreconcilable. 



Vol, I. 4 L 



