A. D. 15 1 2. , 43 



vidualler is chofen to bear any office which {liould have the aflizing 

 and corredtion for the felling of victuals, that then two difcreet and ho- 

 nefl perfnns of the fnne city or burgh, not being vicT:uallers, ilin.ll be 

 chofen by the commonalty of the fame city or burgh ; which two per- 

 fons (jointly), with the faid officer, fhall be fworn to fet the affixes or 

 prices of viduals during the faid victualler's office ; and then it Ihall be 

 lawful for the faid victualler in office to fell wines and viduals by whole- 

 fale and retail.' 



' Provided that this aft ffiall not extend to difcharge any mini- 



fler (aforefaid) of the cities of London, York, and Coventry, for any 

 wine or victual to be fold by retail within the faid cities.' 



Now, will any one ferioully believe, that 200 years farther backward, 

 and prior to the reign of king Edward III (who firft gave the great and 

 mofl advantageous turn to the Englifli commerce and manufactures), 

 the cities and towns of England were richer, or indeed near fo rich, as 

 at this time, when the exports of the native product and manufactures 

 of England were greatly increafed, an infallible mark of increahng 

 riches, and that the mod part of the cities and towns of England were 

 fallen into ruin and decay fince the i 2th year of king Edward II ? Cer- 

 tainly quite otherwife. It is rather to be fuppofed that forae other la- 

 tent reafon produced this law ; but whether it was intended for the eafe 

 of the other more wealthy inhabitants of the faid cities and burghs, to 

 bring back the maglftracy to the victuallers, and perhaps alfo for fome 

 other political purpoie, or for what other reafon, we fliall not abfolute- 

 ly determine, any more than why York and Coventry, and not Briftol, 

 Norwich, &c. (though luperior to them) are (with London) the only 

 places excepted out of this act. 



And we have fufficient demonflration of the truth of what we have 

 advanced by another ftatute [c. 7.] ' for reflrainmg the exportation of 

 ' woollen cloths before they be fully manufactured ;' Vi/herein we find, 

 that the cloths calkxl veiTes, rayes, failiug cloths, &c. which in the time 

 of king Edward IV fold for 40/*, were now fold for four inerks (and 

 two years after were ibid at five merks), and that the prices of wool and 

 workmanfhip were confiderably advanced in about fifty years, purely 

 occalioned bv the increafe of commerce and people. 



In this fame year, king Henry VIII built the greateft fliip ever known 

 in England before, at \yoolwich, which is faid to be oldefl; royal dock 

 of any place in England. This is the fnip called the Regent, of 1000 

 tons, already m.entioned to be this year fitting out againft France. 



An expired fiatute [3 Hen. Vlll, c. i.] merits remark. Its title is, 

 * Every perfon that fnall carry over the fea any money, plate, jewels, 

 &c. fhall forfeit the double value.' Plate and jewels are in our age 

 deemed as much a commodity as any other merchandize, and fo are 

 foreign coin and bullion. And in faCt, the only folid reafon for prohi- 

 2 F 2 



