A. D. 1481, 699 



become one of the greateft and moft eflential accommodations, that ever 

 was given to commercial and friendly intercourfe. 



The Portuguefe flill profecuting their difcoveries along the wefl coaft 

 of Africa, which too often degenerated into voyages of piracy and flave- 

 hunting, this year built the fort of S'. George de la Mina in 5" north la- 

 titude : and foon after the king of Portugal aflumed the title of lord of 

 Guinea. \Barros, Dec. i, L. iii, c. i. — Foedern^ V. xii,/>. 380.] 



1482, January — The parliament ordained the following ftandard mea- 

 fures and regulations for fifh cured for fale. — Salmon to be packed in 



butts of 84 gallons, barrels of 42, and half barrels of 21 Herrings in 



barrels of 32 gallons, half barrels, and firkins (quarters) in proportion. 

 — Eels in barrels of 42 gallons, half barrels and firkins in proportion. — 

 Merchantable falmon were to meafure 26 inches at leaft from the bone 

 of the fin to the third joint in the tail, and to be fplit open and freed 

 from the bone as low as the navel. Grils (fmall falmon) were to be 

 packed by themfelves ; and thokes (broken-bellied falmon) were not to 

 be packed with fizeable or found filh. — The herrings in a barrel were 

 required to be all caught at one time, faked at one time, and to be as 

 good, and as well packed, in the middle of the cafk as at the ends. — 

 No gall-beaten, ftarved, or pulled, eels, or red eels, were to be packed 

 with good eels. — The magiftrates of towns were required to appoint fuf- 

 ficient infpedors to examine the quality and meafure of filh. {Ads 22 

 Edw. ly, (T. 2.] 



The ad prohibiting the importation of feveral kinds of filk goods be- 

 ing no longer in force, fuch an inundation of corfes, ribands, laces, call 

 filk, and Coleyn filk, poured into the country, that all the Englifh mak- 

 ers of fuch goods, men as well as women, were thrown idle ; a clear 

 proof that the Englifh goods were fi:ill of inferior quality. The parlia- 

 ment, in confideration of their diftrefs, prohibited the importation of 

 all fuch goods for four years, [c. 3.] 



Machinery was fo far improved in England, that hats, bonnets, and 

 caps, were thickened and fulled by mills. This abridgement of labour 

 gave fuch an alarm to thofe engaged in the old method of thickening 

 them by the a£lion of the hands and feet *, that they petitioned parlia- 

 ment to prohibit the uie of the mills, which, they alleged, deprived 

 them of employment, and broke the fabric of the hats, &c. The par- 

 liament indulged them fo far as to forbid the ufe of the mills for two 

 years, [c. 5.] This is, I believe, the firfl; known inftance of an oppof- 

 ition to the improvement of manufadures by machinery in England, 

 which has regularly ever fince rifen up againfi; the introdudioii of every 

 fucceeding improvement tending to make goods cheaper by abridging 

 labour. Upon the fame principle corn ought not to be ground by water 



* Apparently the fame method, which is de- female maiuifactiirers of tlie Wcftcrn iflands and 

 fcribed by Mattin about a century ago, and by Highlands of Scotland. 

 Pennant in our own days, as Hill prafitifed by the 



4 T 2 



