286 , A. D. 1617. 



1 61 7. — King James, in tlie year 1604, and again in 1617, gave new 

 charters to the company of merchant-adventurers, confirming all their 

 former powers and privileges in trading to the Netherlands and Ger- 

 many, with the woollen manufaftures of England, exclufive of all who 

 were not free of that company. Both thefe charters flill referved to the 

 mayor, conftables, and fellowfliip of the merchants of the ftaple of Eng- 

 land, full liberty to trade into the faid limits. ' Yet (according to 

 ' Malynes their profefled enemy) the merchant-adventurers company 

 ' increafed their arbitrary proceedings more and more, and enlarged 



* the fums to be paid for the freedom thereof, &c. So that the merch- 

 ' ants of the Ihiple gradually loft their privileges, and all others were 

 ' compelled to conform to the rules and meafures of the merchaiit-ad- 



* venturers compa'iy, whofe menibers were at this time about 4030 

 ' perfons,' i. e. in facl, almoft all who traded in the woollen manufadure 

 to Germany and the Netherlands. 



King James being on his progrefs to Scotland, iffued out a proclama- 

 tion which, in our days, would be thought not a little arbitrary, ftrid- 

 ly coannanding all noblemen, knights, and gentlemen, who have 

 manfion-houfes in the country, to depart within twenty days after the 

 date thereof, with their wives and families, out of the city and fuburbs 

 of London, and to return to their feveral habitations in the country, 

 there to continue and abide until the end of the fummer vacation, to 

 perform the duties and charge of their places and fervice ; and likewife 

 by houfekeeping, to be a comfort unto their neighbours, in order to re- 

 new and revive the laudable cuftom of hofpitality in their refpeclive 

 countries. Excepting however, fuch as have necelfary occafion to at- 

 tend in London for term bufinefs, or other urgent occafions, to be fig- 

 nified to and approved by the privy council. 



We may here obferve, that Henry IV of France, after the peace of 

 Vervins, iffued a fimilar proclamation (which poflibly King James 

 thought a good precedent, having likewife, on fundry other occafions, 

 teftified a fondnefs for imitating that able prince in matters of ftate po- 

 licy, perhaps without ducly confiderlng the difference of the conftitu- 

 tion, temper, &c. of the two kingdoms) commanding his nobility and 

 gentry to retire to their eftates, improve their lands, and keep the peace 

 of their refpeclive countries. 



The Dutch now fortified the ifland of Goree near Cape Verde on the 

 African coaft. The Englilh, in the year 1663, '^ook it from the Dutch, 

 but refiiored it in 1664. In the year 1677 the French took ^it from 

 the Dutch, and held it till the year 1758, when it was retaken by Great 

 Britain. It is a fmall barren ifle, laid to be deilitute of wood and good 

 water. But having a good harbour, it was convenient to the French, ^ 

 who had fadories on the adjacent coaft, where they traded for gold^ 



