156 TWO OLD MINING PATENTS. 
Recently, in searching the MSS. in the British Museum for 
matters relating to Cornish mining, I lighted upon one of these 
patents (in the Lansdowne MS.) which has reference to Cornwall, 
an abstract whereof will, I hope, not prove unacceptable to this 
Institution. It is dated 1575, and entitled “Articles for the 
Mining Corporation.” 
It sets out by authorising Thomas Shurland and his company 
and Sebastian Spedel and his company to “‘bryng into this realm at 
divers tymes so many Dutch arts (artificers) and workmen for 
mynes, not exceeding in all the number of 300” as they may re- 
quire ; and with them and English workmen to “serch and dig all 
maner of myndes as they shall find” in the several counties of 
the kingdom, including Cornwall. Authority was also given to them 
to take as many English apprentices as they might desire, with the. 
consent of their parents; and to make “ordenances”>to keep 
their workmen in subjection, so that these “ ordenances” be not 
against the laws of the realm. It was likewise agreed that Shur- 
land and Spedel might have all manner of tools, necessaries, and 
victuals, at fair and reasonable prices, and that they should bring 
into the country what they required, and their workmen, without 
paying custom or subsidy. They were further to have liberty to 
take such wood as they needed for building and like purposes 
from the Queen’s woods free of charge. Wood for “melting and 
burning” they were to buy, paying for the same at a price fixed 
by four honest men, such price not exceeding the ordinary figure. 
Surface damage was provided for by declaring that land which 
belonged to private lords should be “praysed by foure honeste 
men, two appointed by the tenaunte, and two by the myners, not 
being of their company or straungers, and to paye out of hand 
only so much as they shall say, conditionally that none shall be 
valued double price that corn, meadow, or wood ground be worth 
about the same place.” 
In return for these concessions the miners agreed to pay the 
twentieth dish of ore to the Queen, but not before the expiration 
of three years from the commencement of the works, in order to 
give time for their development. To this there was a qualification, 
which curiously illustrates at once the shrewdness and what we 
may call the scientific innocence of the Queen’s advisers and the 
equal innocence of the miners themselves. “But yf,” say the 
