A. D. 1668. 



535 



Italy with woollen goods, made of Englifli wool run to them, in return 

 for Italian filk, which France manufadured, and fold to England to pay 

 for that wool. And whilft they laid fuch high duties on our woollen 

 cloths as amounted to a prohibition, we were in a manner totally fup- 

 plied with their linens, befide their wines, brandies, paper, &c. {.Bfi- 

 tijjj merchant, V. iii, p. 315, ed. 1713.] 



This year the king, by the perfuafion of Lord Afhley, the chancellor 

 of the exchequer, inilltuted a council of commerce, confifting of a pre- 

 iident, vice-prefident, and nine other counfellors *, who, inflead of the 

 former method of referring all commercial matters to a fluduating 

 committee of the privy council, which was liable to many objections, 

 were to apply themfelves diligently to the advancement of the nation's 

 commerce, colonies, manufadures, and fliipping. But as this king was 

 never long conftant in any very laudable regulation, he, a few years af- 

 ter, laid afide fo very beneficial an inftitution, too expenfive alfo for him 

 to fpare from his pleafures, whereby commercial concerns fell into the 

 former way of a reference to a committee of the privy council. 



At length France was induced to conclude a peace with Spain at Aix- 

 la-Chapelle, though on the following very difadvantageous terms for the 

 later ; Spain now ceding to France the towns and forts of Charleroy^ 

 Binch, Aeth, Doway, Fort Scarp, Tournay, Lille, Audenard, Armen- 

 tiers, Courtray, Bergues, and Furnes, together with their bailywicks,, 

 chatellanies, territories, and dependencies. Thus France got a firm 

 footing in the very heart of the Spanilh Netherlands, whereby the ba- 

 lance of power between thofe two great nations was fhamefully fuffered 

 by King Charles to be quite deftroyed ; who, had he had any great re- 

 gard for England's commercial interefls, or for the equilibrium of Eu- 

 rope in general, might have undoubtedly prevented it. Yet Louis XIV" 

 fcarcely kept to this peace for fo long as two years time, without mak- 

 ing farther encroachments on the declining monarchy of Spain. At 

 this time, however, Louis found himfelf obliged to reftore to Spain the 

 county of Burgundy, commonly called Franche Compte, the invafion 

 of which and of the Netherlands had obliged Spain to make peace with,, 

 and renounce all pretenfions on, Portugal. 



The king granted a new charter to the famous Cinque-ports, fituated: 

 on the coafts of Kent and Suffex, whereby he confirmed their antient 

 privileges, with feme new regulations, more fuitable to modern times,, 

 relating to taxes and the eledion of their officers, &c. now of no ule to- 

 our purpoie. Since our vaft increafe of the royal navy thefe Cinque- 

 ports are no more of any great importance, though, as we have more 

 than once fhewn, they were greatly ufeful to our Norman race of kings, 

 in their expeditions to the continent, and alio in cale of threatened: 



* The prefident had^ falary of L800, the vice-pr...dent L600, and the counfellors L500 each.. 



