A. D. 1602. 225 



IV) You may ferther declare, that as cufloms are grounded upon ac- 

 knowlegment of regality, for protedion, permiflion for coming in and 

 out, for maintaining deep bays and lights, for repairing ports, banks, 

 &c. fo ufe they to be urged with fome proportion to the ground thereof, 

 ever leaving means to the merchant-adventurer for recompenfe of his 

 venture and travail ; and that tolls otherwife taken are rather efteemed 

 wilful exadions than due and jufl cuftoms : and feeing, both by former 

 treaties, and for fafety in that pafTage (the Sound), tolls mufl be paid, 

 wherein doubtlefs you Ihall find them very ftrid (the beft part of that 

 king's revenue arifing from fuch perquifites), we leave you to confer 

 with the merchants what may be wrought for their reafonable fatif- 

 fadion. 



Firfl;, concerning the hundredth penny, it is againfl: all reafon that 

 it ftiould be otherwife rated than according to the valuation which ap- 

 peareth by certificates from the magiftrate of the place whence the goods 

 came, and not in that place where he fhould be both judge and jury. 



Secondly, it is a moft unjuft thing that the merchant (hould be put 

 to the proportion of entry of every particular in every pack, otherwife 

 than by certificate as aforefaid. 



Thirdly, that in cafe of concealments the mixed goods be not con- 

 fifcated, but only what is concealed, or fome double or triple valud 

 thereof; for it is a great violence that merchants goods fhall be for- 

 feited for mariners faults, and it is contrary to two articles of the treaty 

 of 1490. 



Fourthly, there muft alfo be a moderation of meafure of the lafts and 

 the lafl-geldt. 



Fifthly, for paflage of the company of Mufcovy, there was a particu-. 

 lar contrad made in the year 1583, .at the humble fuit of the mer- 

 chants, whereunto for the time we gave our confent, with fome modi- 

 ficati 



ion 



* 



But it is very unreafonable fervility to look for fuch a power over 

 another monarch, in a lea of fuch dimenfions as is between his coun- 

 tries and Iceland, when it is well known that none of our fliips do ever 

 come within fight of land. We may as well impofe the like toll upon 

 all (hips of his country that fliall pais through any of our channels, or 

 about our kingdoms. Concerning the fifhing at Wardhuys (at the 

 North cape, where the very fummer preceding the Danes had feized 

 and confifcated the fhips of Hull for filhing thereabout without a li- 

 cence from them) and in the feas of Iceland, the law of nations does 

 allow of fifliing in the fca every where, as alfo of ufing the coafts and 

 ports of potentates in amity for traffic, and for avoiding of danger from 



* See above in the year 1583. 



Vol. II. F f 



