A. D. 14S2. 701 



that country, referved the trade of it for his own fubjecls : and he grant- 

 ed all they required of him *. 



December — The parliament of Scotland ordered, that no corrupted 

 or mixed wine fhould be imported or fold in the kingdom ; and they 

 prohibited all mixture of wine or beer, imder pain of death. \_^cis 

 jfac. Illy c. 89 f . j This aft merits notice chiefly as containing, perhaps, 

 the earliefl: extant notice of beer in Scotland. 



1483, April a^'"^ — The only matter worth notice, any waj'' connected 

 with commerce, which occurs in the very fliort reign of Edward V, is 

 a renewal for one year to Robert Alcock, merchant of Kingflon upon 

 Hull, of the permiflion to trade to Iceland with a Hiip, which he is now 

 allowed to have as large as 250 tuns 4. \Foedera, V. xii, p. 180.] 



1484, January — In the only parliament of King Richard III grievous 

 complaints were made of the many frauds introduced in the clothing 

 trade. What they were, will appear from the following regulations and 

 prohibitions. — Whole cloths were now to meafure only 24 yards in length 

 by the fold, and to be two yards broad. Half cloths to be of the fame 

 breadth, and run from 12 to 16 yards. The 15uyer to allow for any 

 meafure above 24 yards in whole cloths, or 12 in half cloths §, Cloths 

 c-sWtdiJlreits, 1 2 yards long and i yard broad. Kerfeys, 1 8 yards long, 

 i-j-'j- yard broad. One inch was to be given in addition to every yard : 

 the cloths were to meafure the required breadth within the lifts, and to 

 have the fame breadth and goodnefs throughout the whole piece. Cloths 

 not made according to law were to be cut afunder, and the owner of 

 them was to be fined. Seals of lead, ftamped on one fide with the arms 

 of England, and on the other with the arms of the town or name of 

 the county wherein the cloth was made, fhould be affixed to every cloth 

 by aulnegers of fufficient fkill and reputation. No cloths fhould be of- 

 fered to fale, or be exported, without being fully watered ; and no cloth 

 fliould be drawn in length or breadth after being fully watered ||. No 

 flocks or other deceitful material fhould be put in cloth ; neither fhould 

 chalk be put upon white cloths or kerfeys. No cloth fhould be fheared 

 or cancelled before being fully watered. Tenters for flretching cloths 

 fhould not be fet up within houfes, but in open places. The pradice of 

 exporting picked wool to the Meditei'ranean and leaving the locks and . 



* This tranfaction, of which I fee no traces in others, pafFcd in December 1482, are publiflied 



any acccfliblc Eiiglidi record, is tranfcrlbed from by Miiiray, but do not appear in the edition of 



the Poitugiiefe hilhm'an Garcias de Reltnde by 1566. 



Hakluyt. \_Vuiagcs, V. ii, part il, f. 2.] Accord- j; It is probable that AJcock had got annual re- - 



ing to Doflor Campbell, [Po/. Survey, V. ii, p. newals ever fmce 1478. 



626] fome fay, that Tiiitam and Fabian actually § Surely it would have been much better to fay, 



accomplilhed the voyage, and were great gainers that the cloth (hould be fold at fo much a-yard. 

 by it. But, though he is generally very copious || The complainers alleged, that it was common 



ju quotations, he has not given us the name of any to draw a cloth of 24 yards out to 30, and from 



one narrator of that voyage. 7 quarters to 8 in the breadth. 



f As numbered by Murray. This a£l and two 4 



