33^ A. D. 1625. 



titles. The patentees were thereby bound to deliver out 2ifin tale of' 

 farthings for every 20/" of filver, and to pay back 20/ in filver for every 

 21/ by tale in copper farthings, whenever demanded. [Foedera, V. xviii, 

 pp. 108, 143.] 



King Charles, like his father, was generally much indebted to the 

 merchants, goldfmiths, &c. of London, who advanced money from time 

 to time to the crown, by way of anticipation on the public revenues. 

 The king acknowleges his debt of L27,ooo of this fort to the famous 

 merchant Sir William Courten ; the half of which fum had been lent 

 to King James, the other half to himfelf. For which loan intereft was 

 allowed at the rate of L8 per cent. [Fcedera, V. xviii, p. 1 56.] 



King Charles granted an exclufive patent for fourteen years to a gold- 

 fmith of London, for the fole making and praftice of certain compound 

 fluffs and waters, extraded out of certain minerals, &c. of this realm, 

 called by the name of cement, or drefling for fhips, to prevent them 

 from burning in fights at fea ; and alfo to preferve them from the fea- 

 worm or bernacle : for which grant this projedor was to pay forty (hil- 

 lings per annum into the exchequer. This feemed to be but a trifling 

 matter ; yet, as we fhall fee a great number of fuch from time to time 

 authorized by this king, it feems to have been from the beginning, his 

 intention thereby to accumulate a new revenue, without depending on 

 parliamentary grants. 



King Charles made a grant of one of his pinnaces to his high admiral' 

 the duke of Buckingham, in confideration of his undertaking to adven- 

 ture for a difcovery of the north-wefl: paflage to China, &c. An a6lion 

 (fiiys this grant) of great importance to trade and navigation, and in' 

 fundry refpeds of fingular benefit to all our realms and dominions. 

 \F(Xdera, V. xviii, p. 166.] 



The king appointed his lord high admiral, the duke of Buckingham, 

 to command in chief, both by fea and land, on an intended expedition 

 againft Spain. His inftrudions were, to annoy that crown by all ways 

 poflible, either by plundering the towns, or by taking the plate fleet, 

 or other fliipping, &c. He was alfo to detach fome of his fhips to the 

 port ot Sallee, in Barbary, to treat for redeeming the Englilh captives 

 there, and for fecuring trade from the piracies ; as alfo for procuring 

 provifions for his fleet, which had 10,000 land forces on board. \Yoedera, 

 l^. win, p. 171.] But, mifling the plate fleet, Sir John Burroughs land- 

 ed in the bay of Cadiz, burnt a few villages in that neighbourhood, 

 and then returned home, without having done any effeftual fervice with 

 fo great an armament. 



A league offenfive and defenfive was concluded at the Hague, on the 

 2d of Augufl, between King Charles and the fl:ates of the United Nether- 

 lands, again fl: Spain. The fl:ates-general were to join twenty of their 

 fhips of war to the Enghfli fleet, which is faid to have confifled of eighty- 



