A. D. 1530:. ;* 



The law is but too evident a confirmation of what we have elfewhere 

 remarked, that the preambles to many ads of parliament, and alfo very 

 often the reafons afhsned for particular ckiufes, are by no means to be 

 relied on, in point of jull and true reafoning. 



In this fame year, the city of London obtained a decree of the ftar- 

 chamber, wherein it is reprefented, ' I) That the realm is over-run with 

 foreign manufa(ftures. II) That foreigners export bacon, cheefe, pow- 

 dered beef, mutton, &c. whereby great portions of corn, victual, &c. 

 grown and bred within the realm, are confumed.' Thefe are fuch 

 grievous accufations as would generally be deemed bleftings in our days. 

 Thus,* fays a reverend and learned modern writer (Dr. Tucker), to 

 whom we are indebted for this decree, ' did the monopolizing focieties, 

 in thofe inflmt days of commerce, impofe on the legiflature, not then 

 judges of commerce. And by fuch means, foreigners being greatly 

 difcouraged, withdrew from us, and with them many of our own ma- 

 nufactures ; infomuch that our woollen manufactures very much de- 

 clined, and foreign cloth was fold cheaper than our own, by means of 

 thofe monopolizing laws ; the nation grew thinner of people, and pro- 

 vifions not lelling fo well, the gentlemen turned much land into flieep- 

 walks, for fupplying the Netherlands with wool.' 

 In an ad of parliament of this fame year [c. 13.] intitled, ' Spiritual 

 perfons abridged from having plurahties of livings, :«nd from taking 

 of ferms, &c.' there is the following claufe : ' And be it enaded, that 

 if any perfon, having one benefice with cure of foul, being of the 

 yearly value of eight pounds or above, accept and take any (uher, with 

 cure of foul, — that then, and immediately after fuch poflcflion had 

 thereof, the firft benefice (liall be judged in the law to be void. And 

 it fliall be lawful to every patron, having the advowfon thereof, to 

 prefent another ; and the prefentee to have the benefit of the fame, 

 in fuch manner and form as though the incumbent had died or re- 

 figned.' 



In this year, Dionyfias Harris, of London, merchant, was appointed 

 by King Henry VIII to be conful of the Englifh merchants at Gandia 

 during life. He was the firfi: Englifliman who was appointed conful in 

 thofe remote parts, where the Englifh commerce being but fmall as yet, 

 our own merchants might not be well enough acquainted with the cuf- 

 toms, language, &c. for that ofllice. The year following, the king ap- 

 pointed a foreigner to be conful at Scio, or Chios, and parts adjacent m 

 the Archipelago, daring the king's pleafare only ; whereas till now, all 

 foreign confuls had been conftituted fuch during life. [FaJera, V. xiv, 

 /)/. 389, 424.] 



It was about this time, according to Paulo Paruta's hiftory of Venice, 

 [L. \\\,part I.] tha^ the Turkifh fultan, Solymanll, is faid to have been 



