384 A. D.i635' 



thofe employed by the king's poflmafter-general, unlefs to fuch places 

 ■whither the king's pofts do not go, excepting common kncvvn carriers^ 

 or mefTengers particularly fent on purpofe, or elfe a letter by a friend. 

 [F^dera, V. xix, p. 649.] 



Thus the increafe of England's foreign commerce increafing her do- 

 meftic commerce and correfpondence, rendered the extenfion of the 

 poft-carriage of letters abfolutely requifite. It is indeed fomewhat 

 ftrange, that trade having even before this time got to a confiderable 

 height, the above ports were not fooner eflablifhed. On the other hand, 

 it is poflible that King Charles's neceffities might put him upon this ex- 

 tenfion of pofl-carriage fooner than otherwife might have happened. 

 Since his time there have been pofts eflablifhed o^n many more bye- 

 roads, and fome very lately in our time ; and thofe to moft of our ma- 

 nufa<ft:uring towns, th^e two univerfrties, and to the king's naval ports^ 

 have been extended to every week-day throughout the year. 



Portpatrick in Wigton-fliire being the nearefl part of Great Britain to 

 Ireland, and the pier of it being deflroyed by tlie fea, a colledion in 

 the churches of Scotland and Ireland had been made for building a new 

 one. As the moft convenient paflage to Ireland is from that port, and 

 all the three kingdoms are thereby interefted in it. King Charles this 

 year granted a brief for a coUedion to be made alfo in all the churches 

 of England for making that harboux a fafe retreat for fhips and boats. 

 [F^dero, V. xix, p. 651.] 



After the eaftern Tartars had for twenty years together harafTed China, 

 with conftant war, they now fubdued and placed their own prince upon, 

 the throne of that populous and opulent empire, whofe poflerity have 

 reigned there to this prefent time. 



This year the bank of Rotterdam was erefted, wherein bills of ex- 

 change are paid in large money, and only i o per cent paid in fchel- 

 lings. 



This year h remarkable for King Charles's moft memorable impofl- 

 tion of fliip-money for the enfuing year 1636 on all the counties, cities, 

 and towns, in England, by virtue of his own fole prerogative. His pre- 

 tence for this moft arbitrary and illegal impofition was, that the Dutch 

 pretended a right to a free and undifturbed fifhery on his coafts ; to 

 which pretenfion they, had been encouraged by the famous treatife in- 

 tided Mare liberinn^ publifhed by Grotius in 161 2, though Grotius had 

 not lb much as once mentioned the Dutch claim to the freedom of the 

 fifhery on our coafts^ being content with aflerting the freedom of fifh- 

 ing on the fea in general ; yet, before King Charles and his minifters 

 would break with the Dutch, and openly vindicate by arms his claim 

 to the fovereignty of the four feas, it was judged neceftary to fet Selden 

 lO write in fupport of the dominion of the fea ; he, being a great law- 

 yer, anrif^uary, and hiftorian, was judged equal to the arduous talk 



