362 A. D. 1629. 



parts in the Baltic feas ; and have had the fole carrying thither of our 

 En^lifh commodities, and alfo the fole bringing in of all the commo- 

 dities of thofe countries, namely, hemp-yarn, cable-yarn, flax, pot- 

 afhes, foap-afhes, Polonia wool, cordage, Eaftland linen cloth, pitch, 

 tar, and wood ; whereby our kingdom hath been much enriched, our 

 fhips and mariners fet on work, and the honour and fame of our na- 

 tion fpread and enlarged in thofe parts *. 



' And whereas, for their farther encouragement, the faid company have 

 had and enjoyed, by letters-patents from Queen Elizabeth, the exclu- 

 five privileges above named, with general prohibitions and reftraints 

 of all others not licenced by the faid letters-patents : we minding the 

 upholding of the faid trade, and not to fuffer the faid fociety to fuftain 

 any violation or diminution of their liberties and privileges, have 

 thought good to ratify the fame. 



' And we do hereby flridly charge and command all our cuflomers, 

 comptrollers, &c. that they fuffer not any broad cloth, dozens, ker- 

 feys, bays, fkins, or fuch like Englifh commodities, to be fliipped for 

 exportation to thofe parts, nor any hemp, &c. as before named, or 

 any other commodities whatfoever, of thofe foreign countries wherein 

 the faid company have ufed to trade, to be imported by any but fuch 

 as are free of that company. 



* Provided always, that the importation of corn and grain be left free 

 and without reftraint. We alfo ftridly command, that the ftatutes 

 of the 5th of King Richard II, the 4th of King Henry VIT, and the 

 32 d of King Henry VIII, made againft the (hipping of merchandize 

 in ftrangers bottoms, either inward or outward, be duely put in ex- 

 ecution ; and that neither the faid company, nor any other whatfo- 

 ever, be permitted to export or import any of the above named com- 

 modities in any but Englifh bottoms, under the penalties in the faid 

 ftatutes contained.' [Fcedera, K xix, p. 129.] 

 The great increafe of the commerce of England having of late years 

 very much increafed the inland carriage of goods, whereby the roads 

 were more broken than heretofore. King Charles ilfued his procla- 

 mation, confirming one of his father's, in the 20th year of his reign, 

 for the prefervation of the public roads of England, commanding 

 that no common carrier, or other perfon whatfoever, fhall travel with 

 any waine, cart, or carriage, with more than two wheels, nor with 

 above the weight of twenty hundred ; nor fhall draw any waine, cart, or 

 other carriage, with above five horfes at once. [Fcedera, V. xix, p. 1 30.] 

 How great is the alteration fmce this time, that waggons, permitted to 

 carry above thrice that weight, have come into fuch univerfal ufe. 



* The company was ereftcd in the year 1579. 



