A. D. 1638. 403 



' to exceed nineteen ounces when dyed, without any addition for re- 



' medy. He now direded this later fcheme to take place ; and that no 



' hard filk be ufed or mixed in making any other manufactures of filk 



' than the above. Alfo that none fiiould import any ftufts or other 



' manufadures made or mixed with hard filk, other than tufted taffeties 



' and figured fatins ; nor any fluffs whatfoever made or mixed with filk, 



' of lefs breadth than a full half yard nail and half nnil within the lifts, 



* on forfeiture thereof.' {Ycedera, V. xx, p, 224.] 



The king having lately incorporated the m.akers (in London) of hats 

 and caps of beaver wool ■■, and the wearing of beaver hats having of late 

 come much into ufe among people of rank and quality, he therefor 

 prohibited the importation of any hats or caps of beaver, or of any 

 other fort whatever : and ordered that none Ihould make any hats for 

 the future but freemen of that corporation. Alfo that no hair, wool, 

 or other ftuff", be by the faid hat-makers mixed with their beaver wool 

 in hat making : nor fliould any hats called demy-caftors be henceforth 

 made to be fold here ; but, as they are demanded in foreign parts, they 

 might be exported beyond lea, \Fixdera, V. xx, p. 230.] 



King Charles repealed all the reftraints be had lately laid on malfters. ' 

 or malt-makers, in the year 1636. \Jadera, V. xx, p. 234.] 



The wine- merchants and vintners of England having agreed to pay 

 40/" per ton to King Charles for all the wines they fliould import, the 

 king in return prohibited the wine-coopers, who had already crept into 

 the wine-trade, from importing wines. By this record it appears that 

 licences for retailing wines v.'ere then under the management of the 

 vintners company, for his majefty's benefit. The king alfo direded 

 that the cuftom of retailing wines in bottles and other undue meafure.-; 

 be laid afide ; and that all wines be retailed bv iufi: meafures alone. 

 [Fardera, V. xx, p. 241.] 



Bigotry in religon, ever deftrudive of the freedom of commerce, 

 and an unaccountable bias to the old laws made before commerce be- 

 came confiderable in England, had fo bhnded King Charles and his 

 niiniftry, that many proclamations and orders were now made, which 

 were very hurtful to the due freedom of commerce ; of which weaknefs 

 we have already feen fundry inftances i and we have another in a tedi- 

 ous proclamation, ' for reforming abufes in the manuhidure and 

 ' breadths of filks and ftufts of foreign materials, fuch as velvets, pluflies, 

 ' tifiues, gold and filver ftufts, damafks, taftaties, garters, ribands, and 

 ' laces ; and impowering the weavers company ot London to admit a 

 ' competent number of fuch perfons, as well ftrangers as natives, into 



* the freedom of their company, as had exercifed the trade of weaving 

 ' at leaft one whole year before the date of the new charter, (which he 



* had in this fame year granted to that company) who fliould be con- 



* forniable to the laws of the realm, and the conftitutions of the church 



q E 2 



