are much disquieted in our cogitations, considering the greevances and oppressions, which (as wee have beene informed by pitifull complaints) are at this present, more then in times past, without any reasonable cause inflicted upon our subjects, which doe usually resort unto your kingdome for traffiques sake. For of late one William the sonne of Laurence of Wainfleete, and one Simon the sonne of Alan of the same towne, and Guido the sonne of Mathew, and their associates our marchants, in complayning wise declared unto us: that having sent certaine of their factors and servants, with three shippes into your dominions, there to exercise traffique, and the sayd ships being laden in the haven of your towne of Tonnesbergh, with Herrings and other commodities, to a great value and also the said mariners, men, and servants of the foresayd shippes, being licenced by vertue of the safe conduct which you had granted them, freely to returne from your kingdome unto the parts of England with their ships and goods aforesayd, but afterward not being able to depart out of your haven by reason of contrary windes: certaine of your bayliffes upon occasion of the slaughter of a knight being himselfe also of late your bayliffe of Vikia, committed by malefactors and Pirates upon the sea, whilest the sayd shippes remained in the haven aforesayd, did at your commandement (as they say) arrest, and for a long season also deteined under that arrest, the foresaid ships, with all the men and goods that were in them: namely untill such time, as the men and mariners aforesaide (beeing driven perforce, and constrained thereunto) should lay in sufficient securitie for the payment of fortie pounds sterling, upon a certain day appointed, unto your use, for every of the foresaide ships: and also untill they had moreover delivered three pledges, for the bringing of the saide ships and men backe againe into the foresaid haven, before the feast of the nativitie of S. John the Baptist next ensuing, then and there to stand unto your favour and curtesie, as touching the said persons, and those ships of theirs: which dealing, the parties themselves take very grievously, yea, and all others that heare thereof thinke it to be a strange and unwonted course. And because it is most undoubtedly contrary to all reason, equitie, justice, and lawe, that the faults or demerits of offenders should in any sort be punished in such persons,

or in their goods, as neither have bene accessory nor partakers in the crime, nor have had any society with the saide offenders: we doe heartily intreat and request your Highnes, that weighing and pondering the matter in the balance of justice, you would of your love and friendship, command the foresaid pledges to be set at libertie, and the said securitie utterly to bee released and acquited. And know you this for a certaintie, that if the foresaide malefactors, who (as it is reported) slewe your Knight aforesaide, shall any where within Our realme and dominions be found, we wil cause justice and judgement to bee executed upon them, according to the Lawe and custome of our sayde Realme. For we cannot in these times conveniently and well indure, that the ships aforesaide, or any other ships of our kingdome (which ought alwayes to be in a readinesse for our service) should without speciall licence, depart out of our saide kingdome, unto forreine dominions. Nowe, what you shall think good at this our request to performe in the premisses, may it please you by the bearer of these presents to Geven at Windsore the 16.

returne an answere unto us.

of April.

Another Letter of Edward the second, to Haquinus King of Norway, in the behalfe of certaine English Marchants.

To the mightie Prince Lord Haquinus, by the grace of God the famous King of Norway, his most deare friend Edward by the same grace of God king of England, Lorde of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine, greeting and sincere love. Wee received the complaint of our welbeloved Merchants Thomas de Swyn of Waynfleet, and Simon the sonne of Alanus of the same towne: the contents whereof are, that whereas of late, the saide parties sent certaine of their servants to traffike in your kingdome, your Treasurer upon the feast of S. Michael last past, without any just or reasonable occasion, caused the goods and merchandise of the foresaide Thomas and Simon, to the value of fortie pound, which their said servants had under their custodie at the towne of Northberne, to be arrested, and as yet also injuriously deteineth the same under the same arrest, to the great damage and impoverishing of the sayd Thomas and Simon. And forasmuch as our desire is to succour these our marchants

so far foorth as we can, Justice requiring no lesse in this behalfe, we doe right earnestly request you, that having hearde the complaint and supplication of the foresayde Thomas and Simon, or of their Atturneyes, you woulde of your love and friendship, vouchsafe them speedie administration of Justice, about the restitution of their goods and marchandise aforesaide: least that for want of the exhibiting of Justice about the foresaid arrest, we be constrained to provide some other remedie for our marchants aforesaid. Our request is, that you would by the bearer of these presents, returne an answere unto us, what you are determined to doe, at this our instant motion. Given as above.

A third letter of King Edward the second, to Haquinus King of Norway in the behalfe of certaine English Marchants.

To the mightie Prince king Haquinus, by the grace of God the famous king of Norway, his most deare friend Edward by the same grace of God, king of England, lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine, greeting and sincere love. We sent of late unto your royall majestie our special letters, for the behalfe of our late marchants of Lenne, and of the coast adjoyning (whome your baily and officers of the citie of Bergen lately apprehended, committing them to close prison, many of whome, as we understand, are, for want of due nourishment, and by reason of the extremitie & loathsomnesse of the prison, quite perished) that you would cause them and their goods to bee released. Howbeit, you reteining as yet our marchants in durance as before, in your letters, which we have diligently heard, and throughly understood, have, amongst other matters, returned this answere unto us: that certaine marchants of your kingdome doe make sundrie complaints of injuries, violences and arrests, whereby they have lately (as themselves avouch) contrary to justice bene aggrieved and oppressed in our dominions : adding moreover in your sayde letters, that certaine sonnes of iniquitie of the towne of Lenne, comming, as they saide, to fish for herrings, cruelly murthered a certaine Knight, who was in times past your bayliffe of Vikia, together with ten others of your subjects, being imployed about the affaires of your kingdome. In consideration whereof our minde is exceedingly and above

measure grieved and troubled, especially sithence it was never any part of our intent, that any injuries, violences, or arrests should unjustly be inflicted upon any marchants, or any others of your realme by any of our kingdomes: neither can we as yet have any intelligence, that any such hard measure hath bene offered unto any of your marchants, by any one or moe of our subjects: giving you for a certaintie to understand, that if upon lawfull inquisition we shalbe advertised of any such grievances, which have bene offered unto your subjects within our realme, we will cause speedie justice to be administred, and sufficient recompence, and due satisfaction to be made in regarde thereof. And moreover, if the saide malefactors, which, as it is aforesaid, slewe the forenamed Knight, and others of his companie, either be appertaining unto our kingdome and dominion, or may at any time be found within our saide kingdome or dominion, we will command justice and judgement to be executed upon them, according to the lawes and customes of our realme. And forasmuch as our desire is, that mutuall concord and amitie should be mainteined and cherished between your and our subjects on both parts: so that our and your marchants may, in both our Realmes and dominions, freely and without impediment exercise their traffique, as in the times of our progenitors it hath bene accustomed: Whereas also we evidently gathered out of the contents of your letter, that you are in like sort readie and willing to put all things in practise, which are by you and your subjects (for the taking away of discords, contentions, and molestations howsoever occasioned, and sprung up betweene your and our subjects) lovingly to be performed: we also doe promise for our selves, and our subjects, so much as in us and them lieth, for his sake who is knowen to be the author of peace, and for the benefite & tranquilitie of both our Realmes (as justice and reason shall move us) to doe the like. Desiring and earnestly requesting at your hands, that of your love and friendship, having regard of us, and consideration of justice, you would commaund that our foresaide marchants, who as yet remaine alive, and who also at the time of the saide felonie committed, were shut up in close prison, be delivered out of the saide thraldome, causing their goods which have bene taken from them, to bee, according

unto justice, restored to them again. And that the deliverie of our foresaide marchants and goods, may be the more easily yeelded unto, may it please you with diligent observation to consider, that Gefferey Drew, and certaine other of our marchants of Lenne, upon occasion of the greivances offered unto your marchants within our Realme, (as the report goeth) at the suite of Tidman Lippe, paide unto the same your marchants an hundreth pound sterling : even as in a certain Indenture made betweene Ingelram Lende of Thorenden, and some other of your marchants on the one part, and betweene the foresaide Geffrey, and certaine of our marchants on the other part, wee sawe conteined. Moreover, if any of your subjects be minded to exhibite, and effectually to prosecute their complaints in our Court, concerning any of our subjects, or of any injury done unto them, we will cause the petitions of those your subjects to be admitted, and also full and speedie justice to be administred, upon any such like complaints of theirs. Insomuch, that those your subjects shal thinke themselves right well and sufficiently contented therewithall. And in the meane space we will cause diligent inquisition of the truth to be made, of all excesses and grievances howsoever offered unto your subjects within our dominions. May it please you therfore, by the bearer of these presents, to returne an answere unto us, what you are determined to doe in the premisses. Given at Westminster, the third day of April.

An agreement made by the Ambassadors of England and Prussia, confirmed by king Richard the second. RICHARD by the grace of God, king of England, and France, and lorde of Ireland, To all, unto whom these present letters shall come, greeting. We have seene and considered the composition, ordination, concord, and treatie, betweene our welbeloved clearke, master Nicholas Stocket, licentiat in both lawes, Walter Sibel, and Thomas Graa, citizens of our cities of London & York, our messengers and ambassadors on the one part: and the honourable and religious personages, Conradus de Walrode, great commander, Sifridus Walpode de Bassenheim, chiefe hospitalary commander in Elburg, and Ulricus Hachenberg Treasurer, the messengers and ambassadors of the right reverend and religious lord, lord Conradus