236 History of tJie English Landed Interest. 



set it in motion were not altogetlier disinterested. To insure 

 tlie purchaser a proper qiiid 'pro quo on liis bargain, tlie assize 

 of weights and measures was enacted. That of bread and beer 

 was directed against adulteration, whilst the laws against fore- 

 stalling and regrating protected the market dues from spoha- 

 tion through the premature purchase of corn on the way, and 

 the artificial enhancement of prices by its re-sale at a profit 

 in the market for which it was originally intended. These 

 various laws introduced the aletaster and other less well-known 

 officials belonging to the Court Leet. 



So much then for legislation affecting our inland trade of 

 farm produce ; but little remains to discuss when we turn to 

 foreign commerce. We imported and we exported even in 

 mediteval times, but never without a royal licence. In 1539 

 Edward III. granted liberty to the Flemings whereby they 

 could trade in England and export corn. In 1376 permission 

 was given to import 400 quarters from Ireland to Westmor- 

 land. In 1382 corn exportation was entirely prohibited, save 

 to the king's territories ; but in 139-1 it might be exported any- 

 where except to hostile countries, on payment of the customs. 

 Excepting, however, the goods of the staple, discussed earlier 

 in this chapter, our export trade was still in its infancy. Even 

 the merchants of the staple up to the middle of the thirteenth 

 century were foreigners. The Flemish and northern French 

 manufactured cloths from English wools supplied to them by 

 a London Hanse, which was only second in importance to the 

 Teutonic institution of the same name. The fashion of a 

 feudal age seems to have cast its picturesque mantle over 

 this association which had been called into being for the prosaic 

 and somewhat sordid purpose of trade protection. 



Its headquarters, the Steel Yard, resembled in part a mo- 

 nastery and in part a castle. The celibacy of its inmates, the 

 refectory with its high table for the superiors' meals, and the 

 other tables in the body of the hall for those of the apprentices, 

 resembled the former, while the armour of its master, the stout 

 wall which encircled dwelling, warehouse, wharf and garden, and 

 the precise closing of all means of ingress at curfew, resembled 

 the latter. The stones of this combined factory and residence, 



