^fki A. IX 1629. 



He confirmed the ftarchmakcrs company's monopoly, eftablifhed by 

 his father ; and he prohibited the importation of French wines for a 

 limited time, on pretence of a complaint of the merchants and vintners, 

 that the quantity thereof remaining unfold was fo large that they could 

 not carry on their bufmefs without fuch a temporary prohibition. [Fce- 

 dera, V. xix, pp. 92, 94.] This too was probably a monopoUzing job ! 



The king alfo prohibited the fale of any vefTels, whether Englifh or 

 foreign built, to foreigners. [Fcedera, V. xix, p. 95.] 



The coafls of England and Ireland were now much infefted by pirates 

 -of various nations. King Charles therefor connniflioned his lord trea- 

 liirer Wefton and others, ' to fend forthwith to fea fuch fhips as they 

 fliould judge needful for fupprefUng of thofe pirates, who committed 

 all manner of hoililities and Ipoils, to the utter overthrow of all mutual 

 trade between our own fubjeds and all other mtrchant-ftrangers, fub- 

 jeds of our friends and allies.' [Fcedera, V. xix, p. 102.] 



The king's neceffities obliged him to retrench the expenfe of his 

 houiliold, by abolifhing the greateft part of the dayly tables in his 

 palace, being till then, it is faid, eighty in number, for the entertain- 

 ment of his officers and fervants ; and allowing them, in lieu of thofe 

 tables, a certain annual fum by the name of board-wages : whereby both 

 the crown and the houfehold fervants are in the illiie coniiderable gainers. 

 This was probably by Sir Robert Cotton's advice, who, in a fpeech at 

 the council-table, told the king that there was never a back-door of 

 his palace into Weftminfter but what cofl him L2000 yearly. 



This we conceive was the original of the board-wages, which, in all 

 the lifts of the houfehold of our monarchs, we fee to be ever fince al- 

 lowed to the king's menial officers and fervants. Some farther reduc- 

 tions of the fame fort have been fmce made in the king's houfehold ; in 

 lieu of which an addition has been made to their falaries. 



This year the Spanifh admiral had orders, in his way to New Spain, 

 to drive the Englifti and French from the ifland of St. Chriftophers, 

 v/here he feized on fome Englifh fhips; and landing, drove the French 

 from their forts, and obliged them to embark, as he alfo did as many 

 of the Englifh as their own fhips could hold. But when the Spanifli 

 fle-jt was gone, the Englifli left in that ifland let alfiduoufly to improv- 

 ing it : the French alfo returned to their old plantations ; and both na- 

 tions-were well fu^pplied and fupported from their mother countries. 

 The Englifh planters becoming foon too numerous for their moiety of 

 that ifland, emigrants from it fettled in Barbuda, MontlVrrat, Antigua, 

 ,and Barbados ; as the French alfo did in GuacJaloupe, &c. in the fame 

 neighbourhood. 



King Charles confirmed his grant to James Hay earl of Carlifle, and 

 to his heirs for ever, of all the Caribbeeiflands, lituated between the loth 

 and 2Cth degrees of north latitude, and between the 315th and 327th 



