A. D. 1490. 715 



duce of England or of other countries, not even excepting countries 

 which might be at war with Florence, and might there buy and fell, 

 with the Florentines or any other people, all goods not already prohibit- 

 ed, and might carry prohibited goods through the Florentine territories 

 to any other country whatever, whether friendly or hoflile to Florence. 

 — The Florentines agreed, not to admit any wool produced in the Eng- 

 lifli dominions, if imported in any other than vefTels belonging to fub- 

 jeds of England, the Englifli on the other hand engaging to carry every 

 year to Pifa, the appointed ftaple port, as much wool as ufed to be im- 

 ported annually, on an average of former years, to all the dates of Italy, 

 except Venice, unlefs circumftances, of which the king fliould be judge, 

 fhould render it impradicable. — The Englifh merchants fhould have li- 

 berty to hire or acquire houfes for their refidence in Pifa, and fhould 

 there enjoy all the privileges enjoyed by the citizens of Pifa or thofe of 

 Florence : they fhould alfo be exempted from feveral municipal bur- 

 thens, and even from many duties upon merchandize, in all parts of the 

 flate, except Florence, they being only liable to pay the excife and other 

 duties upon wine, corn, and other food, and not even upon thofe when 

 bought for fhip's ftores. — The Englifh in Pifa fhould have a right to 

 form themfelves into a corporate body, with governors and other officers, 

 funds, &c. agreeable to their own regulations : and the magiftrates of 

 Florence engaged to give them either a fuitable edifice, or a piece of 



ground for ereding one, proper for their joint accommodation It was 



agreed, that in all matters concerning the fubjeds of England only, they 

 fhould be independent of the jurifdidion of the city ; in controverfies 

 between them and any others, the podefla of Pifa, in conjundion with 

 the chief magiflrate of the Englifh, fhould determine ; and in criminal 

 cafes, the Englifh fhould be amenable to the juflice of the country. — 

 The Florentines promifed to endeavour to procure for the Englifli a full 

 participation of the benefits of any commercial treaty they might af- 

 terwards engage in. — The king of England engaged to allow no foreign- 

 ers to export wool from any part of his dominions *, except the 

 Venetians, who fhould be allowed in each voyage to England to carry 

 away 600 facks in their gallies, and no more, merely for the ufe of the' 



city and territory of Venice ^If the Englifh fhould at any time fail in 



carrying the agreed quantity of wool to Pifa, the Florentines fhould be 

 at liberty to receive it, either from the Englifli or from others, as be- 

 fore — It was finally ftipulated, that the wool fliould be faithfully clean- 

 ed and packed, as in former times. [Fcedcra, V. xa, p. 389.] Though 

 by this treaty the Florentines were to have all the Englifh wool that 

 went to Italy, except the quantity allotted to Venice, at their own dif- 

 pofal, the advantages allowed by them to the Englifli fliow a fpirit of li- 

 berality, much beyond the ufual tenor of the treaties of the age. 



* Surely it was not iatendcd, that fortigiiers fliould be prevented from buying wool in the ftaple 

 at Calais. 



4X2 



