Anno 27mo Edvardi III. Anno Dom. 1353. Stat. II. c. 17.

"A MERCHANT Stranger fhall not be impeached for another's Debt, but upon a good Caufe. Merchants of Enemies Coun "tries fhall fell their Goods in convenient Time, and depart.

"ITEM, That no Merchant Stranger be impeached for another's Trefpafs, or for "another's Debt, whereof he is not Debtor,

Pledge, nor Mainpernor. Provided always, "that if our liege People, Merchants, or "others, be indamaged by any Lords of ftrange Lands, or their Subjects, and the "faid Lords (duly required) fail of Right to our faid Subjects, we fhall have the Law of Marque, and of taking them again, as hath "been used in Times paffed, without Fraud 66 or Deceit. And in cafe that Debate do rife "(which God defend) betwixt Us and any "Lords of strange Lands, We will not that "the People and Merchants of the faid Lands "be fuddenly fubdued in our faid Realm and

Lands, because of fuch Debate; but that "they be warned, and Proclamation thereof

published, that they fhall void the faid “Realm and Lands with their Goods freely, "within forty Days after the Warning and "Proclamation fo made: And that in the

" mean

mean Time, they be not impeached, nor "let of their Paffage, or of making their Pro"fit of the fame Merchandizes, if they will "fell them. And in cafe that for default of "Wind, or of Ship, or for Sickness, or for "other evident Cause, they cannot avoid our "faid Realm and Lands within fo fhort a "Time, then they fhall have other forty Days, or more, if need be, within which they may pass conveniently, with felling their "Merchandize as aforefaid."

LASTLY, The prodigious Increase of na tional Commerce, in Confequence of these Proceedings, is an Argument, above all others, in favour of their Utility. For a late Writer hath obferved, "That in the twenty eighth "Year of Edward III. that is, in the Year 1354.

[remarkable for being the Year after the "above Law was enacted] we have a Record "in the Exchequer, fhewing the Exports "and Imports, by which it appears, that the "Ballance of our Trade produced 255,214/ "135. 8d. which, confidering the Difference "of Money then and now, is about 737,0211. "16s. 11 d. as we reckon it at present [I be"lieve it could be made appear to be a "much greater Sum] And yet there is no "Notice taken in this Account, either of Tin r or Lead, or of other staple Commodities, " which

The Preceptor, Vol. II. Trade and Commerce, Chap. ii. Page 414.

" which we certainly exported: And yet, all Things confidered, this must

appear a moft amazing Proof of the early Profits of our "Commerce." The Remarks of this Author are very juft: But he seems to be at a Lofs, how to account for fuch a prodigious Balance in our Favour in these early Times: Yet I am perfuaded, if he had confidered the Affair in the Light in which it now appears, he would have found no Difficulty in accounting for it.

UPON the whole therefore, notwithstanding fome Mistakes in Commerce, which indeed are not to be wondred at, confidering these early Times, and the Contefts for the Crown of France, which the English Nation impoliticly fupported, this great Prince mightily encreafed the Trade of England; by which Means he was enabled to bear the Expences of a long confuming War, and to leave his Kingdom much richer than he found it. He laid the Foundation for great Things: But the unhappy Biafs of the English was always working against Foreigners.

THEREFORE towards the End of his long Reign, when the Hiftorians defcribe him, as having deviated very much from his wonted' good Conduct, the Mayor and Citizens of London renewed their Solicitations at this Juncture, and fet forth most amply the Grievances fuppofed to be occafioned by the Admiffion of Foreigners.,

D

Foreigners. These are fummed up in their own Words, as follows, *"And whereas, at "the laft Parliament, holden at Westminster, "it was anfwered to them [the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City of London] that they should declare their Grievances Specially, and that they should have good Remedy: Of which Grievances, amongst divers others, thefe be, That any Stranger might dwell in the faid City, and cc keep an House, and be a Broker, and fell

and buy all Manner of Merchandises by Re"tail; and one Stranger to fell unto another, "to fell again, to the great enhancing of the "Prices of Merchandizes, and a Caufe to make "them remain there more than forty Days: "Whereas, in Times paft, no Merchants "Strangers might do any fuch Thing, con

e

trary to the Franchises of the faid City, be-. "fore thefe Times had and ufed; by which "Grievances, the Merchants of the faid City: are greatly impoverished, and the Navy im

paired, and the Secrets of the Land, by the "faid Strangers, difcovered to our Enemies, "by Spies, and other Strangers, into these "Houfes received. May it therefore please

your Majefty and Council, in this prefent "Parliament, to ordain, That the faid Mer"chants Strangers may be reftrained in the "Points aforefaid; and that the faid Mayor, "Aldermen, and Commonalty of your faid

"City

* Seymour's Survey of London, Vol. II, Page 314.

"City may enjoy the faid Franchises, any "Law or Cuftom, heretofore made unto the contrary thereof, in any wise notwithstanding."

BUT the King was not fo much altered from himself, as not to fee through thefe Pretences; and therefore gave the Petitioners little more than kind Words in redress of their Grievances. For he ftill perfevered in his former Sentiments, that he was as good a Judge of what was for the general Advantage of the Kingdom, the Increase of the Navy, and the Preservation of the State, as they were, and had it as much at Heart: And all that he did for them, was to make some inconfiderable Conceffions, conditionally, or rather indeterminately expreffed, while he denied the main Part of their Suit. This Affair happened in the fiftieth Year of his Reign, and the last but one of his Life.

BUT fo foon as the old King was dead, the Mayor and Citizens of London addreffed his Grandfon and Succeffor, Richard II. and met with better Succefs. For in the very firft Year of his Reign, he deprived the Foreigners of the Liberty of buying and felling of, or to any other Foreigner, within the Precincts of the City of London: This was confirmed by an Act of Parliament, made in the fame Year, as Seymour relates; but is not to be found in the Statute D 2 Book.