4a APPENDIX, No. IV. 



trade to Venice in wool and woollen fluffs from England at 

 that time, viz. " That the Venetian merchants in London 

 ** fent to Venice, and thence to Turkie by Haleppo, and 

 ** Tripoli in Syria, and thence into Perfia, great abundance 

 *' of fine kerfies, of broad cloths of all forts and colours, 

 •* as fcarlets, violets, and other of the Jine/? cloths of all the 

 " nvorld. Alfo that the Venetians brought out of Eng- 

 ** land, not only fuch cloths ready made, but furthermore, 

 " great plenty of fitie luooll to mingle with their woolls, of 

 *' which they could not otherwife make fine cloths ; afErm- 

 ** ing, that there went out of England that waies above 

 <f two hundred thoufand kerfies, and as many broad cloths, 

 " befides Jine ivooll and other merchandize j befide alfo 

 " great abundance of the like cloths, the which were car- 

 " ried into Spaine, Barbaric, and divers other countries *." 

 The following pafTages from a poem, whofe verfification 

 appears to us not a little uncouth on account of the language 

 in which it is written, being now obfelete, that feems to have 

 been compofed during the indolent reign of Henry VI. con- 

 cur with the foregoing and every other account preferved 

 concerning thefe ancient times, in reprefenting Englifli wool 

 S_s indifputably the beft in the known v,'orid at that time. 



" For the woolle of England 



*' Siifteineth the common Flcemings I underlland ; 



*' Then if England would her woolle reftraine 



" From Flanders, this followeth in certaine, 



" Flanders of nede [a) muft with us have peace, 



*' Or els [b) fhce is dellroyed without lees (f). 



** Alfo if Flanders thus deftroj'cd bee, 



** Some merchandy of Spaine will never ythee {d) ; 



*^' For dellroyed It is, and as in cheefe, 



*' The woolle of Spaine it cometh not to preefe (f), 



But 



• Hack, vol. I. p. 392. 



(^} Need. (/;) Elfe. {c) Releafe, recovery. {d) Find vent. 



(c) Does not (land lh£. tcfc, or proof. 



