410 A. D. 164O0 



King Charles being engaged in preparing for a religious war with the 

 Scots, and not as yet ftooping to call an Englifh parliament for a fupply, 

 fell on very extraordinary methods for raifing money : amongfl others, 

 he this year bought all the pepper belonging to the Eall-India company 

 upon credit, which he fold out again for ready money. I11 a Hated ac- 

 count of money difburfed out of the tonnage and poundage duty for 

 the navy, to the 9th of June 1642, we find the following payment, viz. 

 ' to the Eaft-India company, in part of a debt owing to them by his 



* majefty for pepper, bought by my Lord Cottington, Lg4i3 : 14 : 7.' 

 In King Charleses fpecial commillion for making provilion for his 



army going againfl: Scotland, we find that bows and arrows were flill in 

 ufe ; and that Hone fhot or cannon bullets of flone (as well as of iron) 

 were ufed for their fire-artillery. [Fadera, V. xx, p. 417.] 



King Charles being in this fame year informed, that a tin mine was 

 lately difcovered hi Barbary, and being on that account apprehenfive of 

 the decreafe of his revenue from the tin mines of Cornwall and Devon- 

 fhire, ' by proclamation, prohibited the importation of foreign tin, as 



* alfo carrying the tin of Barbary to any other place whatever in Eng- 



* lifh fliipping. Alio for promoting the confumption of Englifli tin and 

 ' pewter in his realms, he direds, that all the meafures for wine, ale, 

 ' beer, &c. ufed in taverns, vidualing-houies, fliops, &c. fliall be of 

 ' tin or pewter, and fiiall be (lamped or fealed.' \Ycedera, V. xx, p. 



423-] 



We now meet with the firft. mention of a conful-general for England 



at Alicant, in Spain : the preamble of whole commiffion runs as fol- 

 lows. 



* Whereas we are given to imderftand, how convenient and neceflary 

 ' it is for the good of our loving fubjefts trading to Alicant in the king- 



* dom of Valencia, to have fom.e perfon of judgement and experience,. 

 ' able to govern and dired them in their juft and lawful occafions, to be 

 ' placed and appointed as conful there. Know ye,' &c. 



This conful's allowances were to be, the antient allowance of two 

 ducats on every Britifh fliip trading to that port, and alio one fourth 

 per cent for all merchandize of iliips trading thither. \Fcedera, V. xx, 

 p. 430.] 



King Charles's inability to oppofe the Scottifn army, now preparing 

 to march to the borders of England, obliged him at length to call an 

 Englifh parliament, fo much againfl: his liking, after twelve years in- 

 termifiion. He began with demanding of the houfe of commons a 

 fufficient fupply for this war : and he alleged, that all the neighbouring 

 priiices were preparing great fleets of fiiips ; and that the Algerines had 

 alfo prepared no fewer than fixty fail of fliips, that they had taken div- 

 ers Englifh fliips, and particularly one on the Spanifh coaft, called the 

 Rebecca of London, worth at leaft L26o,ooo. But the commons thought 



4- 



