A. D. 1422. 637" 



happinefs of the people were equally difregarded during this fplendid 

 reign of conquefl and defolation. The Scots, by their ftrenuous exer- 

 tions againfl Edward III, and their opportune afliftance to France againfl 

 Henry V, contributed largely to prevent the fubjedion and ruin of 

 Great Britain. 



October — In the firft year of Henry VI feveral laws refpefting money 

 and the ftaple of Calais were confirmed by parliament. {Acts i Hen. VI.J 



The Genoefe had obtained from the Greek emperor, Michael Palajo- 

 logus, a leafe of a mountain on the coafl: of Afia Minor, containing a 

 mine of alum ; and near it they built a fmall fort, which gave birth to- 

 a town called Nev/ Phocsea, being nearly on the fite of the antient 

 Phocsea, a city of fome note in the early annals of commerce. The 

 Turks, when they became m.afters of the country, permitted the Genoefe 

 to enjoy their trade in alum as before. The French, Germans *, Eng- 

 lifh, Italians, Spaniards, Arabians, Egyptians, and Syrians, were their 

 purchafers ; and the fadory, or colony, continued to profper, till their 

 trade was interrupted by the war with Catalonia, which prevented the 

 Genoefe vefTels from tranfporting the alum to France, Spain, England, 

 and even to their neighbouring ports of Italy |. {Di^cas, c. 25, pp, 

 89-91.] 



1423, 06lober — ^The parliament permitted gold and filver to be car- 

 ried out of the kingdom for military expenfes, and to pay for horfes, 

 oxen, flieep, and other things, bought in Scotland for the fervice of the 

 adjacent parts of England, and for thofe purpofes only. In order to 

 prevent alien merchants from fmuggling money out of the country, 

 every company was obliged to find fecurity that none of the partners 

 (hould export gold or filver. [Acts 2 Hefi. J^% c. 6.] 



Frauds in the fizes of feveral kinds of caiks having become common, 

 the parliament ordained, that no perfon fliould import, or make within 

 the realm if, a tun of wine meafuring lefs than 252 gallons Englifli mea- 



* Tiie Flemings are furely comprehended here this patTage Ducas does not exprefsly fay, where 



under the name of Germans. thofe nations bought the alum ; but the fubfequent 



■\ I am here obliged to differ from Mr, Gibbon, information in p. 91 leaves no doubt, that thty re- 



an author, whofe general accuracy, ftricl: attention ceived it in their own ports from the Genoefe vef- 



to authority, and extent of refearch, are almoft un- fels. In the year 1450 we (hall fee alum to the 



fq^ialed. He fays, \_V. xii,/i. 52] that the Eng- value of ^{^4,000 delivered by the Genoefe to Henry 



liih are mentioned by Ducas among the nations VI king of England. 



that refortcd to New Phocxa ; an early evidence % ' Si eft ordeinez et eftablez, qe null homme 

 of Mediterranean trade.— I was myfelf very much < *»* » apporte en le royalme d'Engleterre, de 

 pleafed to think that the Engiilh were now carried ' qel paiis qe ceo foit, ne face deins melme !e roy- 

 by the fpirit of commercial eiiterprife almoft as far ' alme, tonell de vyn, s'll ne conteigne del mefurc 

 from home, as their anceftors liad been by the ' d'Engleterre J' et xii galons.' — Does the verb 

 frenzy of fuperftition, till I confulted the original _/icf j^ma/ff^ apply to the tun, or to the wine ? Was 

 author, who only fays, that the mariners faiUng wine made in England at this time in fuch quant- 

 from the eaft to the weft thought alum a ufeful and ities as to be an objeft of trade and legiflative re- 

 convenient cargo for their (hips, (as, I fuppofe, it gulation, or was it only mentioned from fuper- 

 has, like common fait, the virtue of preferving the abundant caution ? Doctor Henry [K viii,^. 270^ 

 timbers) and that the French, Germans, Englifli, thinks that this acl indicates, that the wines made 

 &c. purchafcd the alum dug from the mountain, in England were confiderable in quantity, and of .- 

 v/hich is very valuable to fullers and dyers. lu the fame kinds with foreijjn wines. 



