68o A. D. H^5* 



them by ftrefs of weather to be admitted as a pretence for trading. 

 [Fcedera, V. xi, p. 551.] So anxioufly did the king of Denmark feek to 

 preferve the fifhery, apparently the only obied: of attradion to thofe 

 hyperborean regions, to his own fubjedts. Walter Cony and Henry 

 Bermycham, merchants of Lynne, were two of the ambafTadors appointed 

 to negotiate this treaty, they being, it may be prefumed, well acquainted 

 with fuch commercial matters as might fall under difcuflion. 



1466, April 30"" — A treaty between King Edward and the duke of 

 Bretagne ftipulated for the fubjeds of both princes a mutual liberty of 

 trade in merchandize not prohibited. [Fcedera, V. xi,^. 567.] 



Auguft: 6'" — King Edward, delirous of fortifying himfelf againft the 

 rival houle of Lancafter by the friendlhip of the fovereigns on the con- 

 tinent, entered into treaties of offenfive and defenfive alliance with as 

 many of them as poflible. Some negotiations (whereof, I apprehend, no 

 record remains) had taken place between him and the king of Caftile 

 before October 1464; and now he concluded a perpetual alliance with 

 that prince, wherein it was agreed, that the merchants of either king- 

 dom might freely buy and fell any merchandize whatfoever in the other, 

 and fhould be treated in all refpeds as well as the natives of the country. 

 \Toedera V. xi, pp. 534, 569, 572, 583.] This treaty, though not of 

 itfelf very important in commercial hiflory, merits notice, becaufe the 

 eagernefs for cultivating the friendfhip of Spain, which produced it, 

 probably alfo occafioned an exportation of the fheep of Cotefwold in 

 Gloucefter-fhire to Spain about this time, which, though afferted by 

 annalifts who lived not very long after, has been ridiculed by fome late 

 writers, only becaufe they thought it unlikely. It is enough to fay, 

 that the feveral unqueftionable exportations of Englifh fheep, already 

 related and to be related in this work, fufficiently warrant the belief of 

 the exportation faid to have taken place at this time *. 



Odober — The parliament of Scotland authorized a committee of 



* Harrifon in his Defcriptlon of Britain, prefixed ' into Spaiiie, who having licence but for a few, 



to Holinjhed, [/. IC9 a ed. 1577] complains of the ' fliipped vciie manie.' — Holln/bcd in his Chronicle 



praAice of exporting flicep in his own days. Thefe • [/>. 1317, ed. 1577] relates the exportation thus, 



are his words.—' So much are our wooUes to be ' — Kyng Edwarde concluded an ametie and 



' preferred before thoft of other places, that, if Ja- ' league with Hcnryc king of Caftile and John 



' fon had knowiie tlie value of them that are brcdde ' king of Aragon, at the concluding whereof hee 



• and to he had in Englande, he woulde never ' granted licence for certayne Cottefolde fheepe to 



• have gone to Colchos to loukc for any there. * be tranfportcd into the countrey of Spaync (as 

 'What foolcs then arc our countrymen, in that 'people report) whych have there lo niuhiplyed 

 ' they feeke to bercve themftlves of this commo- ' and increafed, that it hath turned the commoditie 

 ' ditie by pradlizing dayly liowc to transferre the ' of England much to the SpanilI.e prcjfite'. — 

 'fame to other n.!tions, in carying over their Stow [^;m./». 6i;6(i^. 1600] ncaily repeats Holin, 



• rammes and ewes to breede an increafe among fhed's words ; as does alfo Speed, f/". 854, ed. 

 •them.' In the edition of ij86 [/>. zai] he 1632] who adds, tliat clotlis made from the woo! 

 adds, ' — The 11 rft example hereof was given un- of the dcfcendents of the flieep now carried to 

 ' dcr Edward the fourtli, who not underftanding Spain, v.erc (in his own time) a great hinderance 

 ' the boluine of the fute of fundrlc traitorous to the Englifli merchants adventuring to the Le- 

 « merchants, that fought a prefcnt gaine with the vant feas. — 'J'hc other authors, whom 1 have ex- 

 ' perpetuall liinderance of their countric, licenced amined for this fait, are filent upon it. 



' ihcm to caric over, ce/teine numbers of them 



