A. D. 1544. 91 



TOOfis (though too fruitlefs) pier, running out into the fea, at the ex- 

 penfe of no lefs a fum than L65,oQp (if tranfcribers have not added a 

 cypher too much), fince frequently repaired at a great expenfe. Portf- 

 mouth was his next care, and afterwards fundry other places. Moreover, 

 the tower of London having till then been the only magazine of the 

 kingdom for artillery and military flores, he now prudently diftributed 

 much of them in thofe newly-fortified places on the coafl, which hap- 

 pened extremely opportune ; for this fame year, a large French fleet 

 of 1 50 great fliips and 60 fmaller ones, befide 25 galleys from the Me- 

 diterranean (being all hired merchant fhips), made an attempt upon 

 Portfmouth, whither King Henry went in perfon to its relief. Lord 

 Herbert and other hiftorians relate, that the Englifli fleet of 100 fail 

 (which alfo were hired merchant fliips) fought that of France, though 

 much more numerous, for two hours, and made them fly to their own 

 coafls ; but none of them are accurate enough to give us any account 

 of the order or form, &c. of that fea-fight, nor indeed of many others 

 of the like kind. This Mr. Rapin terms the greatell effort that France 

 had ever made at fea. 



We again find the French pirates or freebooters in the Wefl:-Indies, 

 according to Herrera, who tells us, that four of their fliips, with a ten- 

 der, entered the port of Santa Marta, where, landing 400 men, tlie Spa- 

 nifli inhabitants abandoned the plaCe, which the French plundered and 

 burnt. From thence they failed to Carthagena, where they practifed 

 the like rapine, that place not having been as yet well fortified. After- 

 vvard they attempted the Havanna, in the ifland of Cuba ; and being 

 there repulfed, returned home by the gulf of Florida. 



V/e have in two former inflances noted the great influence which 

 corporation cities and towns had in parliament, in monopolizing the 

 manufactures of their rerpe(ftive counties, exclutive of the villages and 

 open country, via. in the cafe of ropemaking at Bridport in Dorietfiiire. 

 and that of the woollen raanufaclure at Worcefler city, and the other 

 corporations of that county. The cafe now before us is that of a pecu- 

 liar manufifture in the city of York, viz. coverlets for beds. The ad: 

 eftablifliing this monopoly, as ufnal, fets forth, that the city of York 

 had been formerly fupported by fundry handicrafts, and principally by 

 making coverlets and coverings for beds, whereby great numbers of in- 

 habitants and poor people in that city and fuburbs, and in other places 

 of the county, have been conftantly employed. But that of late years, 

 inndvy evll-difpofed perfons, ?i-^\)\-ex\t\cQS, not expert in that occupation, 

 have withdiawn themfelvcs out of that city into the county ; and divers 

 other perfons inhabiting the villages and towns of that county, and nigh 

 to the faid city, have intermeddled with the faid craft, and do daily 

 make coverlets, neither of good fluff nor proper fize ; and do hawk and 

 fell them abroad in the county to villages and mens houfes, &c. to the 

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