204 A. D. 1 593* 



Smithfield for any wares, nor flails or booths for merchandize ; but the 

 open place of Smithfield fhould this year be only for the fale of horfes 

 and cattle, and of ftall-wares, as butter, cheefe, and fuch like, in grofs, 

 and not by retail, and for two days only. And for the vent of woollen 

 cloths and linen cloth, to be fold in grofs, and not by retail, the fame 

 fhould be all brought within the clofe yard of St. Bartholomew's *, 

 where Ihops are there continued, and have gates to fhut the fame place 

 in the night-time ; and this to continue but three days. The fale of 

 leather to be kept in the outfide of the ring of Smithfield, as hath been 

 accuftomed, without ereding any fliops or booths for the fame. [Fce- 

 .dera, P'. xvi, p. 213] At this time it is faid that the account of the 

 numbers dying vi^eekly in London began to be kept, though it was not 

 till the year 1663 that the weekly bills of mortality were regularly kept, 

 thofe at this time being only taken occafionally, on account of the 

 plague. 



Some Englifh fhips now made a voyage to Cape Breton, at the en- 

 trance of the bay of St. Laurence, for morfe and whale fifhing (fays 

 Hakluyt), which is the firll mention found of the later fifhery by the 

 Englifh ; and although they found no whales there, they however found 

 on an ifland 800 whale-fins, where a Bifcay fhip had been lofl three 

 years before ; and this too is the firfl mention of whale-fins or whale- 

 bone by the Englifh. 



By the trade to Archangel, the Englifh were now well acquainted 

 with the northern feas, where they carried on a great fifliing, or hunt- 

 ing rather, for morfes (as the Ruffians called them f ), beyond the North 

 cape at Cherry ifland, fo named from Alderman Cheny, but called by 

 the Dutch Bear ifle. But it feems thofe amphibious creatures became 

 afterwards fo fliy, that the moment they faw any man they ran into the 

 fea ; whereupon the Englifli fell into the whale filliery, though not quite 

 fo early as this time. 



It was enabled, that when wheat did not exceed the price of 20/ per 

 quarter, peas and beans 13/4., barley and malt 12/" per quarter, they 

 might be exported in Englifh fhips, paying cuftom, 2/ for wheat, and 

 1/4 for the other grain per quarter. [35 E/iz. c. 7.] 



1594. — The parliament of Scotland now paiTed an a6l, that in refpedl 

 of the great dearth and Icarcity of flefli meat, the time of Lent fhould 

 be aicertained, viz. from the i ft of March to the ift of May inclufive ; 

 during which no flefh meat fliould be fold nor eaten but by fii,k per- 

 fons ; neither throughout the reft of the year fhould flelh meat be eaten 

 on Wednei'days, Fridays, and Saturdays. Moreover, neither lambs nor 

 calves under a year old fliould be flain before Whitfunday yearly. This 



* Tliat clofe yard of St. Banliolomew's is now f The Englidi call them fea-h.irfes, c.nd the 

 called Cloth-fair. Dutch and French, fea cows. 



