398 A. D. 1637. 



* prohibit all others from keeping any hackney coach to let to liire ei - 



* ther in London or elievvhere ; alfo to prefcribe rules and orders con- 

 ' cerning the dayly prices of the faid licenced hackney coachmen to be 



* by them taken for our own particular fervice and in their employ- 



* ment for our fubjeds, provided fuch orders be firft allowed by us un- 

 der our royal hand.' [Foedera, V. xx, p. 195.] By allowing each of thefe 

 fifty coachmen twelve horfes, it is plain there might be, and moll: pro- 

 bably were, many more than fifty coaches kept by them, poflibly even, 

 as far as three hundred in number. 



The king, by proclamation, ordered the pigs and bars of iron made in 

 England to be marked by his furveyors of the iron-works, to prevent 

 the fale of bad iron ; and that iron was not to be exported without the 

 king's licence under pain of forfeiture, &c. Thofe furveyors were alfo 

 empowered to enter any woods that were felled, cut, or coarded, to be 

 converted into coal for making of iron, Mdiereby it might appear of 

 what condition thofe woods were that fliould be employed that way, 

 and that they be not cut down contrary to law. [Foedera, V. xx, p. 161.] 

 A very proper regulation if rightly executed. 



A propofal being made to the king for the better working of lead 

 mines in Wales, fo as to extradt more filver therefrom than hitherto the 

 miners there have had Ikill to do, in order to coin money therefrom : 

 the king therefor ereded a mint at the caflle of Aberiftwith in Cardi- 

 ganfhire, and appointed the propofer, Thomas Bufhell, to be warden 

 thereof; who on his part covenanted with the king to coin five differ- 

 ent filver coins there, viz. half-crowns, ftiillings, fixpences, twopences, 

 and pence, at the rate of fixty-two {hillings in the pound troy, which 

 fliould contain eleven ounces and two penny-weight of fine filver, and 

 eighteen penny-weight allay, which is the old right ftandard of the mo- 

 nies of filver in England. But two {hillings out of every pound weight 

 of coined filver were to be retained at the mint, viz. fourteenpence for 

 the charges, and tenpence for the king ; fo that there fliould only be 

 delivered out to the owner three pounds by tale. The money to have 

 the feathers ftamped on both fides of it, to {hew that it was coined in 

 Wales. [Foedera, V. xx, p. 163.] 



King Charles again directed fhip-money to be levied for the fervice 

 of the year 1638. The number ot {hips, tonnage, and men, the fame 

 as in the preceding year. [Fcedera, V. xx, p. 169.] 



On account of hoftility committed by a {hip of Rotterdam on fome 

 Englifh fhips in the year 1630, the king now granted the fufFcrers let- 

 ters of repriful again{l: all Dutch fliips, they bemg bound to render an 

 account of their prizes to the admiralty. [Foedera, V. xx, p. i " i .] 



After all the exclufive powers, &.c. which King Charles had granted 

 to his foap company in We{lminfier, he found himfdt now obliged to 

 recall them aU. But, in their ftead, he ereded another new exclufive 



