DREIVÜLKSWIRTHSCHAFTL. DENKSCHRIFTEN A.D. ZEIT HEINRICHS VIII. 33 



The bredyng of so many merchaunts in London, rison ovvt of pore 

 mens sonnes, hath ben a mervelous distruction to the holl reame , wher 

 first worshipfull men bovvnd ther yong children to be merchaunts in 

 London, unto^) so many weie bownd prentisses, that ther masters wold 

 never giff theym no wages, after they cam owt of ther termes, and than 

 havyng no frends to gifF theym nor lend theym a stokke of redy money 

 to occupie their occupacion, that is ther instrument to occupie byeng and 

 sellyng of merchaundise . nor havyng no handy crafte , wherby to gete 

 ther levyng with no instruments on hande, must nedes lose all ther tyme 

 of prentishod and their yougth, than to seke theym some other lyvyng 

 to be a servytour by some other meane , or elles to seke to bye mer- 

 chaundises for respite to gete a stokke to begyn with by such meanes. 

 So wer all yong merchaunts comyng owt of ther prentishod and cowd 

 have no wages of ther masters compellid to borow clothes of clothe 

 makers for respite, and caried the same clothes to the marts beyende see 

 to seil , and ther must nedes seil theym and the money to bestow it on 

 wares to bryng some to seil to make money to pay ther creditors at ther 

 dayes. So abowt a fifty yers agoo such yong merchaunts begane to en- 

 crease in nomber^), that bought so many clothes of clothmakers for respit 

 and sold theym in Flaunders at the martes of goode chepe to make retorn 

 to pay ther creditours , that in short tyme they distroyed the price of 

 wollen clothes, causyng all the old merchaunts to fall from byeng and 

 sellyng clothes. The old merchaunts by encreasyng so many yong mer- 

 chaunts by ther defawt never wold ordeyn non other remedy to help the 

 yong men from such nede to distroy the sale of clothe to take fevi^er 

 prentises and to giff theym wages or by some other meane to make order, 

 that non shuld be bownden prentis to be merchaunts by such worshipful 

 mens sonnes, as wer able to giff theym substaunce to bye and seil with- 

 owt nede of suche borowyng for dayes. But all ther masters the olde 



1) für until. 



2) Ganz ähnlich Cardinal Pole in Starkey's Dialogue p. 84 : Merchantys, carying 

 out thyngys necessary for our owne pepul are overmany; and yet they wych schold 

 bryng necessarys are to few. 



Histor.-pMlolog. Classe. XXIII. 7. E 



