644 A- ^' 1429. 



balances and weights made conform to the ftandard of the exchequer 

 and fealed, for weighing wool and other merchandize. None but 

 makers of cloth were permitted to buy woollen yarn. {Atls 8 Hen. VI, 



c. 5] 



The parliament, obferving, that many merchants for their own pro- 

 fit carried to Flanders, Holland, Brabant, and other places, the wool 

 and other ftaple goods of England, which ought all to have been carried 

 to Calais, whereby the payment of the duties was evaded, and the king's 

 mint at Calais was almofl: at a ftand, flridly prohibited ail perfons from 

 carrying any fuch goods from England, Wales, or Ireland, to any other 

 place than Calais, on penalty of forfeiture of double value and imprifon- 

 ment for two years. The merchants of Genoa, Venice, Tufcany, Lom- 

 bardy, Florence, and Catalonia, were, neverthelefs ftill allowed to fhip 

 wool, &c. for their own countries ; and the burgefles of Berwick were 

 alfo ftill allowed to retain their former privileges. \_c. i 7.] 



For the profit and wealth of the kingdom it was ordained, that the 

 prices of wool, wool-fells, axid tin, fhould be raifed ; — .that they fliould 



be fold only for gold and filver ; that three quarters of the price fliould 



be carried to the mint at Calais to be coined ; — that the merchants 

 ihould account faithfully to thofe concerned with them ; — and that the 

 fellers fliould give fealed difcharges to the buyers, and make no coUuf- 

 ive agreements for giving them credit, [c. 18.] 



The parliament, obferving that the people of Flanders, Holland, Ze- 

 land, and Brabant, in order to avoid carrying wool and other Englifli 

 merchandize of the ftaple to Calais, frequently packed them in tuns, 

 pipes, &c. and flowed them in their vefteils under wood, wheat rye, &c. 

 (whence the exportation of corn appears to have been pretty common) 

 all fuch fmuggling was now prohibited under the penalty of confifca- 

 tion of veflel and cargo, permiflion being ftill granted, as formerly, to 

 carry fuch goods into the Mediterranean*, [c. 19-] 



The merchants of Calais having lately made a pradice of preventing 

 ftrangers from buying the ftaple goods from the importers, that they 

 might get them into their own hands, whereby they made great profits, 

 to the prejudice of both parties, the parliament, in their zeal for the 

 welfare of trade, prohibited them from buying any ftaple goods beyond 

 the fea, on pain of forfeiture. [<r. 20.] 



The exemption, enjoyed by the men of Newcaftle and Berwick, from 

 the obligation of carrying their ftaple goods to Calais, being found pre- 



was now proliibitcd by parliament, it appears to » ' Outre ks eft roitcs do Marrock.' Tiimigli 



have been ftill uW ; for we find the clergy in tlie nulre is written in this ad Inftead of /./7>-, the word 



fallowing year adding their authority to that of nfed in otiiers which liave a fimilar claiife, tliire 



the parliament by a canon enjoining the fupprcf- feems no reafon to believe tliat any place really 



fion of it under the terrible penalty of cxcommuni- beyond (or to ihc/outhward of) the Straits couM 



cation. ItVilLins'' Concilia, p. ^\6.'] be intended. 



