144 A. D. 1566. 



* 5) Provided alio, that every of the queen's fubje(!!ls inhabiting the 



* city of York, and the towns of Newcaftle upon Tyne, Hull, and 

 ' Bofton, who have for the fpace of ten years continually traded the 

 ' courle of merchandize, and who before the 25th of December 1567 

 ' fliall contribute, join, and put in ftock with the faid company, fuch 

 ' fum and fums of money as any of the faid company who hath tho- 



* roughly continued and contributed to the faid new trade from the 

 ' year 1552 hath done, and before the faid 25th of December 1567 

 ' fliall do, for the furniture of one ordinary, fall, and entire portion or 

 ' fhare, and in all things behave himfelf as others of the fociety are 

 ' bound to do, (hall from the faid 25th of December 1567 be account- 

 ' ed free, and as one of the faid fociety and company in all refpeds.' 



This laft claufe, in favour of thole northern ports, was occafioned by 

 their having been early contributors to the firft attempt for a north-eaft 

 palTiige. 



We need only farther to remark on this ftatute, that it was the firft 

 which eftablilhed an exclufive mercantile corporation. 



By a llatute for regulating the drapers company in the town of 

 Sbrewfbury, we learn that the trade in Welfh woollen cloth and lining, 

 commonly called Welfh cottons, frifes, and plains, had for a long time 

 been confiderable in that town ; the drapers company there employing 

 above 600 perfons as fheermen or fi-ifers. [8 Eliz. c. 7.] 



1567 The commotions were now beginning in the Netherlands ; 



and the court of Spain raflily determining to proceed to extremities with 

 a people who highly prized their liberty, great and terrible were the 

 confequences : for (as Sir William Temple obferves), upon the firft re- 

 port of the duke of Alva coming into the Netherlands with 10, ceo ve- 

 teran foldiers, the trading people oi the towns and country withdrew 

 from the provinces in fuch vafl numbers, that the duchefs of Parma, 

 the governefs, wrote to Philip II, that in a few days above 100,000 men 

 had left the country, with their money and goods, and that more were 

 following every day ; fo great an antipathy (fays that author) there ever 

 appears between merchants and foldiers. The governefs, forefeeing the 

 ills that were coming, delired leave to refign, and was fucceeded by the 

 duke of Alva, whofe fevere and cruel proceedings, on account of the 

 late infurrecftions, and in lupport of the inquiiition, produced the convul- 

 fions, which coft Europe fo much blood, and Spain a great part of the Low 

 Country provinces. For after the feizvn'e of the Counts Egmont and 

 Home, fuch numibers of Netherlanders were perfecuted by Alva, that 

 Germany, the Eaft Country, Cleves, Embdcn, France, and England, 

 were filled with thofe induftrious people, although the prifons in the 

 Netherlands v/ere likewife crowded with fuch as the cruel governor 

 could detain, many of whom however efcaped out of prilon. Hence, 

 fays Meteranus, after Alva had hanged, beheaded, and burnt fo many. 



