9© A. D. 1543- 



relating to bankrupts, [34 Henry FIIL] viz. ' The lord chancellor, 

 ' treafurer, &c. fliall take order with bankrupts bodies, lands, and goods, 

 ' for the payment of their debts *.' 



In this year, according to Lewis Guicciardin's Hiftory of the Nether- 

 lands, the renowned city of Antwerp had its third and laft great en- 

 largement, by extending the walls fo as to inclofe what is called the new 

 town, towards the north. The new walls were built of fine hewn Hone, 

 and beautifully adorned. That illuftrious mercantile city then contain- 

 ed about 1 00,000 inhabitants, according to Guicciardin, who had dili- 

 gently computed the fame. 



We may infer from a ftatute [34, 35 Hen. VHI, c. 6.] concernmg 

 pins, that fuch as are now ufed by the ladies are but of recent mven- 

 tion.' The ad fays, that no perfon (hall put to fale any pinnes but only 

 fuch as Ihall be double-headed, and have the heads foldered faft to the 

 {hank of the pinne, well fmoothed, the fliank well fliaven, the point ^vell 

 and round filed, cauted, and fharpened. Now, the labour of making 

 pins after this manner, as it muft have rendered them much more ex- 

 penfive, Ihov/s the novelty of the invention, which probably was but 

 lately brought from France. And the inconveniency of the make of 

 thofe pins naturally fet our people upon improving fo tedious and clum- 

 fy a manufadure ; for, in about three years time, they fell into the pre- 

 fent ingenious and expeditious manner of making them, as appears by 

 an acl [37 Hen. VIII, c. 13.] for repealing the above ftatute. Before 

 the invention of thefe brafs pins, there were many pretty and ingenious 

 contrivances for the conveniency of the drefs and ornament of both 

 fexes, fuch as ribbons, loopholes, laces with points and tags, clafps, hooks 

 and eyes, and flcewers made of brafs, filver, and gold. From the laft it 

 is very probable that pins naturally proceeded, being no other than 

 fmalle*- and more convenient and delicate fkewers. 



Herrera acquaints us that the Spaniards from Mexico now failed for 

 difcovery on the weft fide of North America as far as the latitude of 44 

 degrees north, even to the firther end of California ; but as they found 

 there neither gold nor filver, and only very cold weather, they returned 



home to Mexico. 



1544. Upon King Henry's return from his fuccefsfal fiege of Boulogne, 



whereby he had ground to apprehend repriials from France, he fet about 

 fortifying his fea-coafts. He began with guarding the entrance into 

 the river Thames, by eredling the fort of Tilbury, and a battery oppo- 

 fite to it at Gravefend. Dover was his next care, where he built its fa- 



■•* A fujfeqaeni; fiatute [ij' ETi^. c. 7.] ex- letters and iiegoiiatiom, pp. 138, 139, I46, &c.] 



jOaini who wtvc to be acconiittd bankrupts, and Such dliputch was little or nothing inferior to that 



puts the mitiiods of proceeding concerning them of the poll in our own days_ before the eftabh'fh- 



iiearly on the fame footin;T as at prtfent. ment of mail coaches ; but it w-as only a tempo- 



At this time letters wvTtten in London were re- rary eftablilhment for the conveyance of the Eiig- 



ccived in Edinburgh on the fourth day. ISadUr's hih government letters. M. 



