A. D. 1475. % 



■opon the cufloms to fall due *. [Fa^dera, V. xii, pp. 7, 9.] Though mc 

 poflefs ample notices of Lorenzo's munificence in patronizing the arts 

 and literalurc, and of his political negotiations, in all which his fame 

 has even tranfcendcd that of his grandfather, yet very little knowlege of 

 his commercial tranfadions has been tranfmitted by the writers of the 

 age: and v^^e are indebted to our own public records for fome of the 

 mod important of them that are known to us f . 



This year Caffa, the chief fettlement of the Genoefe in the Black fea, 

 was taken by the Turks %. The trade of the Genoefe, already declining, 

 was reduced very low by the lofs of all their eaftern poflelTlons ; and 

 their llate being alfo convulfed by internal difcord, they were obliged 

 to court the proteftion, or fubrnit to the dominion, of their more 



powerful neighbours. \Uberti Folietce Hi/i. Gen. f. 243 b Be Guigues, 



Hyi. des Hitnnei^ V. iii,y>. 378.] 



1476, July I a"' — King Edward flavoured all the merchants of Italy 

 with an exemption from moft of the additional duties, impofcd upon 

 the perfons and the trade of foreigners by the ads of 31 Henry VI and 

 3 Edward IV, reducing the duty pay^able by them on wool from 66/8 

 to 53/4, and that on tin from 2/ to 1/3 §. \Fiymer''s MS. records, Edw. 



lV,Vol.n[,p.SS'^ 



November 6'" — We have feen the citizens of Cologne in friendOiip 



with England, when all the other members of the Hanfe afTociation 

 were hoftile, or at leafl: unfriendly : and they alone enjoyed the privi- 

 leges of the Hanfe in England, though for very iliort terms, fubjed to 

 the trouble and expenfe of frequent renewals ||. In confequence of that 

 difiindion they had either withdrawn themfelves, or been expelled, 

 from the confederacy. But now that all the Hanfe towns were in friend- 

 fhip with England, Cologne was again received into the alTociation ; 

 and, agreeable to the treaty, due notice of the re-admiflion was fent to 

 King Edward by the magiftrates of Lubeck irv the name of the whole 

 Teutonic Hanfe ^. [Fo'dera, V. xii, p. 36.] 



At this time, and perhaps long before, the Hanfe towns were divided 

 into four regions or clafles, according to the following arrangement. 



Lubeck, by general confent, was placed at the head of the whole con- 

 federacy, and inverted with authority to convoke affemblies of the- 



* The grjnt is nearl)' a copy of thofe formerly ticiilarly by Edward IV in Dectm'oer 1482, and 



given to Cain/ian, an agent ot" Cofmo de Medici, by Richard III in January 1485. [Fcedfrdy V. 



abridged in the note in p. 677. xii, ^. 255. J 



f We Ihall afterwards fee a proof of the great || Their privileges were generally for only one 



and ixlenlive credit of the bank known by the year, agreeable to the rule followed by King Ed- 



fam' y name of Medici, at the head of v.hich Lor- ward. {Rot. pat. Etizu. IF, prim. I 1 , m. 13 ; fee. 



enz.o undoubtedly was. 12, w. 11; prim 14, mm. 10, 14, 16.] 



X The inhabitants of Kubefchah, a village f^ Bertius [AVr. Gtrm. Z,. iii,/». 25] dates this re- 



among the mountains of Derbend, who call them- admiffion of Cologne (which he inadvertently fup. 



felves Franks, are fuppofed to be defcendcd from pofcs the original accelfion of that city to the con- 



the Genoefe of Caffa. * federacy) in the year mcccclxxxi, whercio lxxxi 



J This indulgence was repeatedly renewed, pitr- is evidently a mlllake for lxxvi. 



