402 A. D. 1638. 



The Datcli from Batavia worfted the Portuguefe at Ceylon, in this 

 year, both at fea and on land, and took pofTeflion of their forts on that 

 ifland, upon which the king of the ifland concluded a treaty with the 

 Dutch, and granted them many privileges, and a reimburfement of the 

 charges of their expeditions againft the Portuguefe, to be paid in cin- 

 namon, pepper, cardamoms, indigo, wax, &c. with great prefents fent 

 to Batavia. 



In purfu'ince of two acts of parliament, of the the 39th and 43d of 

 (^leen Elizabeth, for the true making of cloth, direding all kinds of 

 vvoollen cloth, brought for fale to London, to be firlt carried to Black- 

 well-hall, the common cloth-market for the city, to be there fearched 

 and fealed ; and of King James's proclamation, in his 1 ith year, direft- 

 ing, that all forts of vendible cloths, bays, fehs, fays, fluffs, as well old 

 as new draperies, made in England and Wales, fliould be brought to 

 Blackwell-hall for the like purpofe. King Charles publifhed a procla- 

 mation to the fame eflfed ; as alfo to prevent thofe who, to elude the 

 laws, make contrads for thofe woollen goods in the country, and bring 

 them afterward to London, to inns, v.-arehoufes, &c. to be there fold ; 

 whereby, fays the king, much deceit and damage redoundeth to our 

 fubjefts, and difcredit to our cloths in foreign parts ; and alfo the poor 

 children of Chrift hofpital in London are defrauded of the duties of 

 hallage there, appointed for their relief. [Fadera, V. xx, p. 2 2T.] 



King Charles commanded, by his proclamation, all merchants and 

 maflers of fhips, €^c. not to fet forth any {hip or {hips with paffengers or 

 provifions for New-England, without his or his privy-council's fpecial 

 licence, ' for divers weighty and important caufes well known to us.' 

 \Fccdcra, V. xx, p. 2 23.] This v,as for retraining the puritans from going 

 to New England, who at this time flocked thither in great numbers, to 

 enjoy that liberty in a wildernefs which every man has an undoubted 

 right to (demeaning himfelf in a peaceable manner) in his native land. 

 Meft cruel therefor was the proceedings of this king in regard to thofe 

 people ; on the one hand to perfecute them at home, and on the other 

 to prevent their withdrawing from fuch perfecution. 



The king in the fixth year of his reign had prohibited raw filk from 

 being dyed before the gum be fiir boiled off; but ' being now better in- 

 ' formed by merchants, mercers, filk-men, and filk-weavers, that there 

 ' was a fort called hard filk, dyed upon the gum (neceffirily ufed in 

 ' making tufted taffaties, figured fatins, fine flight ribands, and ferret 

 ' ribands, both black and coloured ; and although it be dyed upon the 

 ' gum, yet it will not be increafed in weight above the limitations fol- 

 ' lowing, viz. the pound weight of raw or thrown filk not to exceed fix- 

 ' teen ounces when dyed into any coloured hard filk, with half an ounce 

 "* a-t tXLofl for remedy ; and being dyed into Spanifli black hard filk not 



