A. D. 1654. ' 4^7 



hackney coaches within the cities of London and Weftminfter, and fix 

 miles round the late lines of communication, to 300, and the hackney- 

 coach horfes to 600 ; the government and regulation of them with re- 

 fpe6t to their ftands, rates, &c. to be in the court of aldermen of Lon- 

 don. Every fuch coach to pay 20/" yearly, for defraying the expenfe of 

 regulating them. 



The fame year Cromwell and his parliament, confidering how incon- 

 gruous it was, that vaflalage and fervile fuperiorities fhould remain in 

 one part of the republic, whilfl freedom, wealth, and commerce were 

 fo much boafted of in the other part of it, enadted the total abolition 

 thereof in Scotland. Had this been confirmed after the refloration, and 

 a law made for obliging landlords to grant, and for enabling tenants to 

 take, by certain encouragements, long leafes of their farms, that coun- 

 try would long before now have worn a more favourable afpect. But, 

 at the refloration of King Charles II, fome evil-minded perfons about 

 the king poflelfed him with a notion that the fuperiorities, &c. were far 

 from being a grievance to the crown, which might, by means of a few 

 penfions, fuccefsfuily make ufe of the vaffal clans for keeping the reft 

 of Scotland in fubjedion : in which they were not greatly miftaken. 



Cromwell now concluded a treaty of peace and alliance with King 

 John IV of Portugal, wherein were fundry advantageous articles with 

 refped to England's freely trading to Brafil, &c. much more than fince, 

 viz. the manner and times of unloading their cargoes, and of difpofing 

 thereof, as well as of purchafing and loading their homeward-bound 

 cargoes, as alfo for their freedom from troubles and lofFes upon account 

 of the inquifition there ; the freedom alfo for the Englifh to trade to 

 the Portuguefe colonies in India : and the fecurity of the goods of the 

 Englifh dying in Portugal : which, being in part confirmed by fubfe- 

 quent treaties, we need not now enlarge upon. [General colkdion of 

 treaties, V. iii, p. 97.] 



Cromwell alfo this year concluded a treaty of peace and commerce 

 with Denmark : whereby England was to be favoured as much in the 

 cuftoms, tolls, &c. as the Dutch, or any other nation, the Swedes only ' 

 excepted, who at this time paid no toll in palling the Sound. Neither 

 were the Englifh fhips failing up the Elbe to Hamburgh to pay any toll 

 or cuflom, nor to be fearched or flopped at Gluckftadt, nor at any other 

 fort or place on the Elbe belonging to Denmark. \General colleStion of 

 treaties, V. iii, p. 136, ed. 1732.] 



Although England long before this time had been in pofleflion of the 

 greateft woollen manufadure of any nation whatever, and adually made 

 the very fineft cloth as well as fluffs, &c. yet fuch was the induftry and 

 application of the Dutch, that they had flill the credit of dying and 

 drelTing our tine cloths better than our people could as yet do. Our tine 

 white cloths were therefor for the mofl part flill fent over to Holland 



Vol. II. 3 M 



