A. D. 1627. ■547 



* coined. Goldfmiths, however, may continue, agreeable to the fran- 

 ' chifes, &c. granted to them by charters from us and our predecefTors, 

 ' to buy any gold or filver in plate or other manufacture, as heretofore, fo 

 ' as the fame may be bought or exchanged only to make plate or other 

 ' manufacture ; and they do not give a higher rate for the fame than 

 ' the rate of our mint ; and that, under colour thereof, they do not buy, 



* exchange, or intermeddle with any foreign fpecics of money or other 

 ' bullion, either foreign or of our own produce ; all which ought to be 



* carried to, and coined at, our mint.' {^Fcedera, V. xviii, ^, 896.] 



In the fame year King Charles directed a fpecial commiflion of lords 

 and gentlemen, ' for ^\y^ fhips of war to be fitted out, viz. three of 300 

 ' tons each, and three of 200 tons burden, for the guard of the northern 

 ' fea coafls of England from foreign enemies, whereby trade was much 

 ' interrupted, and the city of London and other parts of the kingdom 

 ' much damaged for want of coals and other commodities, ufually tran- 

 ' fported from Newcaflle upon Tine and Sunderland, both to London 

 ' and parts adjacent, and to mofl other parts of our dommions. And, 

 ' for bearing the expenfe of this armament, the king (befide the for- 

 ' feitures of recufants convidt) hereby appropriates a voluntary offer 

 ' made by the owners of coal-pits and the fellers of coals, to be carried 



* from thofe two towns, either by fea or land, of lixpence on every chal- 



* der of coals.' 



Here we may obferve, ifl, what a poor armament this was for the 

 king to appoint a fpecial commiflion of lords and gentlemen to get it 

 ready ; 2dly, there is no other place therein named but Newcaftle and 

 Sunderland for the coal-trade ; 3dly, that this new town of Sundei-land 

 was by this time grown up to be fom.ewhat, although in Camden's Bri- 

 tannia, written but twenty years before, it was not deemed worthy of a 

 bare mention ; 4thly, that by this time the coal-trade from thofe parts 

 to London and other fouthern parts was become very confiderable ; 

 iaftly, that though the king had many good fhips of his own (for thofe 

 times) yet they were all laid up at Chatham and Portfmouth ; he having 

 no funds for employing them againfl: his foreign enemies, who were 

 probably privateers from the Spanifh Netherlands. 



Notwithflanding the patent of the preceding year for the new wav of 

 making faltpetre from urine, for which an office had been ereded in 

 Southwark ; and notwirhllanding King Charles's declaration that the 

 former way of keeping floors digged up, &c. was lb troublefome to his 

 fubjecls, yet fo unftable was he, that we find him now renewing his for- 

 mer orders and diredions of the year 1625 for keeping the floors of 

 dove-houfes, ftables, &c. free from fand, gravel, &c. for the growth of 

 the mine or material of filtpetrc, as before. And he gives a commif- 

 Jion to the duke of Buckingham, &c. that, by reafon of the extraordi- 

 nary need there then was of faltpetre for gunpowder, they caufe enter, 



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