A. D. 1497- 17 



again lay on the duty of one florin on Englitli cloth, or any other new 

 impofition, then it Pnall be free for the king of England cither to keep 

 or to break this and all fornier treaties or intercourfes of commerce with 

 the Netherlands. 



Ill) As to the duty of one mark per fack of wool, which the Nether- 

 landers are obliged to pay at the ftaple of Calais, that point iliall be due- 

 ly confidered at the eniuing diet or congreis, to be held at Bruges, be- 

 tween the two contradling parties. [Foedera^ V. xii, p. 654.] 



1498 In the year 1498, LouisXIIking of France, ratified and con- 

 firmed the treaty made by his father Charles VIII with Henry VII king 

 of England, wherein it had been ilipulatcd, that fhipmaflers, or owners of 

 fliips, fliould give fecurity to double the value of fliip and cargo, not to 

 commit piracy, nor to niolefl the fubjedls of the other party ; and fun- 

 dry other fhipulations were now made for preventing pirates from fell- 

 ing their fpoils in the ports of either party, 8tc. All which ftipulations 

 between England and other nations plainly ihow, that in thofe times 

 there mufl have been much robbing and violence on the leas, even 

 whilfl peace exifted between nations in general. \F(xdera, V. xii,/>. 690.] 



This year the city of Riga, as a free and independent ilate, entered 

 into a treaty with Henry VII, whereby, I) The mutual intercourfe of 

 commerce was renewed. • . ; vd ' -i'-ioo/ 



II) The Englifh, trading to Riga and its territory, were to pay no cuf- 

 tom, duty, or toll whatever. 



III) But Riga traders, with their fliips and merchandize brought from 

 Riga, coming to England, were to pay the fame duties, &c. as the mer- 

 chants of the Teutonic Hanfe towns do ; and for merchandize from 

 other parts the fame duties as other merchants-ftrangers pay. 



IV) Laftly, Riga hereby remits all former claims of money due to 

 her from England, or for which England was any way engaged to the 

 mafter-general and knights of the crols of Pruflia ; particularly the fum 

 of 10,637 g°^'^ nobles, [2/2^ Sterling eacli] the written obligation for 

 which is hereby promiled to be delivered up into the hands of the maf- 

 ter of the fociety of Englifli merchants refiding at Antwerp or Bruges *. 

 \Foedera, V.x\\,p. 701.] 



1499. — ^^ feems to have been about the middle, or perhaps nearer to the 

 beginning of this century, that the Scots began to have a confiderable 

 fifhery for exportation to foreign markets, which their Parliaments con- 

 tinued for fome time to encourage by well-judged laws, although their 

 corporation-towns were ftill defirous to confine it to themfelves. The 

 forty-ninth ad: of the fourth parliament of king James IV, now takes 

 notice of the vaft riches ftill loft to Scotland for want of a fufficient 

 number of convenient fliips and bufles to be employed in the fiflicry. 



* Tliougli tin's treaty may fcem fcarcely wortli nodes in the prcfenl Rate of affiir^, it may convey 

 fome infumiatlon to ftatcfmen or merchants. i 'I'l.f;! 



Vol. II. ^ C 



