A. D. 1629. 363 



In the catalogue of the grants of offices by King Charles during this 

 year, we have one called, ' an office for the regifter of fales and pawns 

 ' made to retailing brokers.' [Fcedera, V. xix, p. 132.] Which re- 

 tailing brokers feem to have:- been much the fame we now call pawn- 

 brokers. This was probably one of that king's lucrative monopoly 

 grants. 



London at this time abounded in wealth and grandeur, compared to 

 its condition in former ages. The gay appearance of goldtmiths (hops 

 fhining with plate on the fouth fide of the flreet called Cheapfide, thence 

 named Goldfmiths-row, was then thought very grand, extending from 

 Bucklerfbury to the Old change, (four fliops only excepted of other 

 trades) which fmall exception made the privy council think it worth 

 while to direcl the judges to confider what laws there might be in force 

 to oblige the goldfmiths to plant themfelves in Cheapfide and Lombard 

 ftreet, for the ufe of their trade. 



1630. — In the year 1630, Guftavus Adolphus king of Sweden, having 

 entered into Germany with an army, occafioned much damage to the com- 

 merce of the Hanfe towns, by the devaftations committed by his troops. 

 In that king's manitefto he accufes the Imperialifts of forbidding his mer- 

 -chants all freedom of commerce, feizing on their merchandize, and confif- 

 catingtheir fhips, under the pretence of eftablilhing a general commerce 

 at Lubeck for the Hanfe towns ; which, in effect, was driving the Swedes 

 from the whole commerce of the Baltic, and ereding a naval force at 

 the expenfe of his merchants, in order freely to ravage and pirate in 

 that fea ; havhig newly created an unheard of dignity of a general of 

 the feas for that purpofe, and pofiefled themfelves of the ports and for- 

 tified places of Mecklenburg and Pomerania, fortifying the port of the 

 free Hanfeatic city of Straelfund, for a receptacle and retreat to their 

 pirates. \ColleBion of treaties, V. ii, pp. 292, 304.] Had the houfe of Auf- 

 tria fucceeded in their defign of rendering themfelves abfoltite in the 

 empire, there v/ould foon have been an end of all freedom of commerce 

 in the ports of Germany ; and this gave a fine handle to Guftavus to 

 take the city of Straelfund under his protedion, whereby the Swedes 

 have ever fince held a port fo very commodious for introducing their 

 armies into Germany ; though Staelfund is far from being bettered, 

 fince from a free city it is become fubjed to Sweden. For the aid of 

 the king of Sv.-eden, and the i'upport of the liberty of comm.erce, King 

 Charles, underhand, encouraged James marquis of Hamilton to fign a 

 treaty this year with Guftavus, for raifing and conveying 6000 Scottifti 

 troops to Germany ; though King CViarles would not ap}:iear in it for 

 fear of offending the emperor, who gave him hopes of reftoring the 

 palatinate to the king of Bohemia, his brother-in-law. 



King Charles confirmed his father's proclamation againft the export- 

 ation of wool, woolfells, woollen-yarn, Cornifli hair, fullers-earth, and 

 wood-aflies, and alfo hides, either raw or tanned, upon pain of coiififca- 



Z z 2 



