242 A. D. 1604. 



of mean and bafe condition, who do fpend mofl; of their time in that 

 idle vanity, to the evil example and corrupting of others ; and alfo do 

 confume the wages which many of them get by their labour, not caring 

 at what price they buy that drug. By which immoderate taking of to- 

 bacco the health of a great number of our people is impaired, and their 

 bodies weakened and made unfit for labour ; befides, that alfo a great 

 part of the treafure of our land is fpent and exhaufted by this only drug, 

 fo licentioufly abufed by the meaner fort. All which enormous incon- 

 veniencies we do well perceive to proceed principally from the great 

 quantity of tobacco dayly brought ii"ito this our realm, which excefs 

 might in great part be reftrainecl by feme good impofition to be laid 

 on it. Wherefor, v;e command you our treafurer of England to order 

 all cuftomers, comptrollers, fearchers, furveyors, &c. of our ports, that, 

 from the 26th of Odober next, they fiiall demand and take for our ufe, 

 of all merchants, as well Englilh as ftrangers, and of all others who fhali 

 bring in any tobacco, the fum of fix (hillings and eightpence on every 

 pound weight thereof, over and above the cuftom of twopence upon the 

 pound weight ufually paid before, &c. [Foedera, V. xvi, />. 601.] As 

 this king, as well as his fon and fuccelTor, had a mortal hatred to tobac- 

 co, and as it was, moreover, all brought from the Spanifh Weft Indies, 

 it is no w^onder he laid a tax on it equal to a prohibition, had it been 

 legally impofed and ftridly executed. He then little apprehended that 

 in procefs of time the tax on the tobacco of his own colonies would 

 yield a very confiderable (hare of the public revenue. We may add, 

 \vhat is obvious to all, that he had no right to lay on fuch a duty with- 

 out the confent of parliament. 



The king iflued a proclamation for the reformation of the coin, and 

 for coining new money. {Feeder a, V. xvi, p. 605.] 



The new coins were pieces of 20/^ lo/", 5/, 4/, and 2/6, in gold ; and 

 pieces oi ^J, 2/5, 1/, (dd, 2d, id, and an halfpenny, in filver. 



The barbarous cruelties committed by the Spaniards in Chili, as well 

 as in other parts of America, fo incenfed the natives, that they deftroy- 

 ed five of the thirteen Spanifh towns in that country with much flaugh- 

 ter. It is even faid that a confiderable part of Chili ftill preferves its 

 native independence. 



1605 We have already feen the charters of two temporary Englifh 



Levant or Turkey companies expire ; and as fuch limited grants are al- 

 ways diicouraging to the adventurers. King James now gave a perpe- 

 tual charter to a new company, by the defignation of the merchants of 

 England trading to the Levant feas. It is what is called in England a 

 regulated company (there being as yet no joint ftock companies exifl:- 

 ing), every member trading on his own particular bottom, though un- 

 der fuch regulations as fhould be fettled at their own general courts. 

 The charter grants to a number of perfons therein named, and their 



