ii6 A. D. 1554. 



obferve and contimie in equitable and reafonable fort the antient ami- 

 ty and intercourfe which had been betwixt her dominions and the free 

 cities of the Hanfe league, commanded her treafurers and barons of the 

 exchequer, her cuftomers, comptrollers, fearchers, &c. in London and 

 other ports, freely to permit the faid merchants of the Steelyard to im- 

 port and export all merchandize not prohibited, without requiring any 

 greater fubfidy or cuftom than in the time of her father or brother. 

 She alfo granted them a licence to export woollen cloths made in Eng- 

 land of the value of L6 Sterling or under, unrowed, unbarbed, and 

 imfiiorn, without any penalty or forfeiture on account of certain fla- 

 tutes of the 27th and 33d years of King Henry VIII, prohibiting the 

 faid exportation ; the merchants of the Steelyard reprefenting to the 

 queen that the price of cloths was now fo enhanced that they could, 

 fend over none at all, without incurring the penalties of thofe ads. [Fee- ■ 

 dera, V. xv, p. 364.] 



Notwithftanding all which, Wheeler [fTreatife of commo-ce, p. 100] af- - 

 firms, that Queen Mary afterward revoked the faid privileges again, for 

 that the Hanfes had broken promifes with her, in continuing an. 

 unlawful trade in the Low Countries, v^hereby fhe loft in eleven months 

 in her cufloms more than L9360, befides great damage to her fubieds 

 in their trade. And by Queen Elizabeth's, anfwers to the Hanfeatics, . 

 it feems probable that Wheeler's is a true account. 



The famous Thomas (afterwards Sir Thomas) Grefham, the moft 

 eminent merchant of thofe times, had been much employed by King 

 Edward VI, as well as by Qiieen Mary, in tranfading their bills of ex-- 

 change at Antwerp, and in purchafing ammunition, artillery, &c. for 

 their ufe ; for which fervices his daily allowance was twenty {liillings 

 Sterling. \Fcedera, V. xv, p. 371.] Sir Thomas's prudent condud in 

 difcharging the debts due by Edward VI to the people of Antwerp, and 

 his wife management of the exchange between London and Antwerp, 

 whereby he laved that prince a confiderable fum of money, was greatly^ 

 praifed. 



A Icatute [1,2 ThU. ct Mar. c. 7] was made, prohibiting linen-drap- 

 ers, w()()'le!,-v!rapers, haberdafhers, grocers, and mercers, not free of any 

 ciy, br.rgh, or c.:iporation town, and living in the open country out of 

 the laid cities and towns, from vending their wares by retail in cities 

 and towns, excepting in open fairs, and by wholef^le. The plaufible 

 pretence for this reftridion in the preamble of the ftatute is much the 

 fame as in oiher monopolizing ones, viz. for enabling thofe cities and 

 t(.wns-corporate to employ their people, to pay their fee-farms and taxes, 

 and 10 prevent 'heir utter decay, &.c. 



The following iumptuary law was made for rcftraining the extrava- 

 gance and vanity of the lower claffes of people and fervants in Eng- 

 land, and alfo for encouraging our ov/.n raanufadures, viz. ' Whoever 



