340 



A. D. 1626. 



The king directed a commifTion to the officers of his mint, for his 

 money to be coined of the fame finenefs as before, viz. filver, of 1 1 oz. 

 2 pv/t. fine ; crown gold of 22 carats fine ; and angel gold to be, as 

 already it is, of 23 carats 3^ grains fine : alfo that a pound weight of 

 filver fhall make in current money L3 : 10 : 6. And that the pound 

 wei'iht of crown gold fhall make in current money L44 by tale, ot luch 

 pieces of gold as are now ufually coined of that finenefs. [Feeder a, V. 

 xviii, p. 741.] This was an unaccountable direcftion, to have two fets 

 of gold coins of different finenefs and* purity, (in which he imitated 

 his father) and alfo to coin his filver money lighter than before j of which 

 we fhall prefently treat more fully. 



King Charles being determined to raife what money he wanted, with- 

 our being beholden for it to a parliauient, granted a commiffion to the 

 lord-treafurer and other great officers of flate, to fell or grant in fee- 

 farm, or for term of lives or years, in pofleffion or in reverfion, all or 

 any of his honours, manors, old cafi:les, forefls, chaces, parks, lands, 

 tenements, w^oods, &c. both in the furvey of the exchequer, and in the 

 duchy of Lancafi:er ; as well fuch as were held by copy as by leafe, cuftody, 

 &c. \Fcedera, V. xviii, />. 771.] The king had run himfelf deeply inarrear, 

 for fitting out his late fleets with land forces, &c. againft Spain : there 

 was alfo a confiderable debt at his father's death ; and he had already 

 mortgaged to the city of London, in its corporate capacity, divers ma- 

 nors, lands, tenements, &c. Thus did this king moft improvidently 

 for himfelf, and his fuccefiors, though perhaps not inaufpicioufly for 

 the liberties of the people, divefl himfelf of a moft royal eftate and 

 revenue in lands : an eftate which had ever been the principal inde- 

 pendent fupport of the yearly expenfe of his predeceffors, and their 

 houfehold in times of peace. 



The king, in two feparate commiilions, appointed an envoy to the 

 piratical flates of Barbary, and to the town of Sallee, to treat of the re- 

 demption of Englifli captives, and alfo of peace and commerce with 

 them ; for which purpofes the envoy carried with him all the Moors 

 who had been made prifoners by the Englifli, as alfo four brafs and two 

 iron cannons, with ammunition, &c. as prefents : a method early prac- 

 tifed by all other chrifliari flates in treating with thole people, to fupply 

 them with weapons for their own deflruction ! {Fcedera, V. xviii, pp. 

 79.3, 807.] 



It being near Chrifimas, King Charles again enjoined the nobility, 

 &c. to withdraw from London, to exercife hofpitality at their feats in 

 the country. 'iFa:dera, V. xviii, p. 798.] 



The French having this year feized on the Englifli merchant fliips in 

 divers ports of France, by way of reprifal for three French fhips lately 

 taken by the Englifli fliips of war, and likewife on account of certain 

 elder pretended claims on England, amounting in all to L25,oco fter- 



