A. D. 1619. 293 



The Englifli filver coins being much melted down and exported at 

 this time, King James ifTued a proclamation, prohibiting the exchange 

 of filver coins into gold ones, for any manner of profit, or above the 

 ates for which the fame coins are current in the realm. And ' where- 

 as the drawing of monies into the goldl'miths hands, by turning filver 

 into gold upon profit of exchange, doth make it (the filver) the more 

 ready to be irigrofled into the merchants hands for tranfportation to 

 mints abroad, and that fuch profit to be taken upon change of monies 

 is prohibited by law, — the king flridly commands that no goldfmith 

 nor any other perfon fhall melt down, or make into any kind of vef- 

 fel or plate, or other manufacture, any of his coins current in thefe 

 realms ; but fliall only make the fame out of old plate, foreign bul- 

 lion, or foreign coin, or of filver burnt out of lace, and the like. 

 ' And, the better to prevent the unneceflary and excefllve vent of 

 gold and filver foliate (i. e. leaf) within this realm, none fuch fliall 

 from henceforth be wrought or ufed in any building, ceiling, wain- 

 fcot, bedfl;eads, chairs, fi;oo]s, clothes, or any other ornament whatfo- 

 ever ; except it be armour or weapons, or in arms or enfigns of ho- 

 nour at funerals, or monuments of the dead.' [^Fcedera, V. xvii, />. 133.] 

 In this year there were two proclamations againfl: eating flefli in lent, 

 or on other fafi:-days. * None to prefume to difobey this order with- 

 ' out a licence from the bifliop of the diocefe ; which licences (fays the 

 ' king) fliould be fparingly granted.' His reafons are, ' the benefit of 

 ' this abfi:inence, for the increafe of flefli-meat all the refi: of the year, 

 ' and that the contrary pradice is againfl; law.' \Foedera^ V.w\\, pp. 131, 



I34-] 



And alio a proclamation ' for the builders of new houfes in London 



' to make their u'alls of brick, as in a former proclamation *.' \F(xdera, 



/^ xvii,/>. 143.] 



A pacification between the two rival Eaft-India companies of Eng- 

 land and Holland, after many controverfies, was effedled by the king's 

 interpofition, as follows. 



After fundry fruitlefs conferences at London and at the Hague, in 

 the years 161 3 and 161 5, for accommodating their differences, the 

 king and the flates, defiring to cement more and more the bands of 

 friendfliip between the two nations, were earneft to refume the affair in 

 a third congrefs, to be held by commiflioners from the king and the 



* From the preamble it appears, that fimilar thofe of greater height to have the length of two 



proclamations had been ilTued in the 2d, 5th, 6th, bricks up to the top of the firll llory ; that the 



5th, and i6th years of his reign as king of Eng- heads of the windows of Ihops Ihould be arched with 



landibefides this one, fur regulating new buildings ; ftones or bricks cut in the form of wedges. Uni- 



and direfting that they fliould be fufficiently airy formity of building, and regularity in the ftreets, 



and fubltantial ; no other materials than brick or are likewife recommended. Regulations fome- 



ftone to be employed in the walls, which in houfes what fimilar have lately been renewed, and in the 



not exceeding two floties were to have the length prefent age of flight building, cannot be too ftricl- 



of one brick and a half in their thicknefs, and in ly enf-^rced. M. ' 



