A. D. 1660. 



Spain had long before fet us a juft and laudable example, fince followed 

 by the other principal European nations who have planted in America. 

 "We may here alfo note, that, till this a6l took place, the Dutch in a man- 

 ner engrofled the whole trade to Sweden ; whereas hereby our Englifla 

 fhips have fmce got a fliare of the trade thither. 



Such immenfe benefits obtained by this adl may well be our juftifi- 

 Cation for enlarging fo much on it : lince the hifiory of our commerce 

 niuft have been left very imperfect, without duely illuftrating what 

 has been one great means of increafing our commerce and naval 

 power. De Witt in his Intereft of Holland, [part i, c. 22] treating of 

 the expediency of Holland's eafing their own, and charging foreign, ma- 

 nufadures with duties, obferves, ' that in this fame year, 1660, the 

 ' Englifli fettled their rates of cuftoms and convoy-money fo well, to fli- 

 ' vour their own people as much as poflible, and to burden all foreign 

 ' mailers of fhips and merchants, (he meant by this navigation-aft) that 

 ' it is to be feared the Englifh merchants may in time bereave the 

 ' Dutch of much of their trade ;' than which, there cannot be a ftronger 

 approbation or commendation of our navigation laws. 



We have feen, under the years 1645 and 1656, that wards, liveries, 

 and tenures in capite and by night's fervice, were abolifhed by the long- 

 parliament, and alfo by the rump. And the people of England having 

 enjoyed the benefits thereof for fifteen years, it could not but be very 

 acceptable to them to have it confirmed after the refloration. The 

 preamble to the ads fhews, what opinion this parliament had of thofe 

 old flavifh dependencies of the people on the crown and on the great 

 lords, viz. 



' Whereas it hath been found, by former experience, that the court of 

 wards and liveries, and of tenures by knight's- fervice, either of the 

 king or others, or by knights-fervice in capite, or foccage in capite of 

 the king ; and the confequents upon the fame have been much more 

 burdenibme, grievous, and prejudicial, to the kingdom than they have 

 been beneficial to the king. And whereas, fmce the intermiflion of 

 the iaid court, anno 1645, many perfons have, by will and otherwife, 

 made difpofal of their lands held by knight's-fervice, whereupon di- 

 verfe queftions might poffibly arife, unlels fome feafonable remedy be 

 taken to prevent the fame: be it therefor enaded, that the court of 

 wards and liveries, and all wardfliips and liveries, premier-feizens, 

 and alfo voyages-royal, and oufler-le-mains, values and forfeitures of 

 marriages, by realbn of any tenure of the king's majefty, or of any 

 other knight's fervice, fines for alienations, feizures, and pardons 

 for alienations, efcuage, tenures by homage ; and alfo aide pur 

 filemarier, and purfaire fitz chevalier, be taken away and dif- 

 charged. And that all tenures before mentioned be utterly abo- 

 ' lifhed, and all tenures of any honours, manors, lands, or any efi;ate 

 ' of inlieritance at the common law, held either of the king or 



