14* A. D. 1565. 



forts of battery works, cafl-work, and wire. And in the year 1568 flie 

 incorporated Sir Nicholas Bacon, lord-keeper of the great feal, Thomas 

 duke of Norfolk, and others, jointly with the faid Humphreys and 

 Shute, by the name and defignation of the governors, afliftants, and fo- 

 ciety of the mineral and battery works *. 



Before this undertaking, it feems that all Englifh iron wire was made 

 and drawn by man's ftrength alone, in the forefl: of Dean and elfewhere, 

 until thofe foreigners introduced the method of drawing by a mill : 

 wherefor, till then, they neither could make any great quantity of 

 wire, nor fo good in quality. The greateft part therefor of the iron 

 wire ufed in England, and alfo of ready-made wool cards, and fucli 

 things, were till now imported from foreign parts. 



1566. — We have feen that King Henry VIII ereded a marine corpo- 

 ration, which has been of fmgular utility to the navigation of England, 

 intitled, the mafter, wardens, and alliftants of the trinity-houfe at Dept- 

 ford-ftrond. They were now impowered, at their own cofts, from time 

 to time, to ered beacons, marks, and figns for the fea, in fuch places of 

 the fea-fhores and uplands near the fea-coafls for fea marks, as to them 

 fhould feem requifite, and to continue and renew them at their cofts. 

 [8 Eliz. c. 13] 



It appears that the gold ducat or florin of Florence was now equal to 

 five {hillings SterUng. \Fadera, V. xv, p. 654.] " 



The Englifli Ruflia company having in the preceding year fent feve- 

 ral of their fadors with Engliili cloth. Sec. from Ruflia into Perfia, they 

 found that the Venetians from Aleppo ufually bartered their woollen 

 cloths and kerfies for raw filks, fpices, drugs, &c. and that much Vene- 

 tian cloth was worn in Perfia. In this year they obtained from the fo- 

 phi an immunity from tolls or cufloms on their merchandize, and full 

 proteflion for their perfons and goods. The company was moreover 

 this year dignified by the fandion of an ad of parliament f ; the rea- 

 Ibns alfigned for which were, \) ' That fundry fubjeds of the realm» 



* perceiving that divers Ruflian wares and merchandize are now im- 

 ' ported by the faid fellowfliip (after all their great charge and travel), 



* fome of which be within this realm of good eftimation, minding, for 

 ' their peculiar gain, utterly to decay the trade of the faid fellowfliip l, 



* have, contrary to the tenor of the faid letters-patents, in great difor- 



* der, traded into the dominions of Ruflia, &c. to the great detriment 



* of this commonwealth. 



* II) And for that the name by which the faid fellowfliip is incor- 

 ' porated by the letters-patents of Queen Mary is long, and confifteth of 



* This charter of incorporation was made a book, is given at large by Hakluyt. [P'oyages, 



pretence for a copper bubble in the famous year F. i, p. 369, eii 1598.] 



1720. \ Here the marginal note fays, ' this is meant 



f The aft, though not printed in the ftatute • by Aldennau Bond the elder,!' 



