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full worthy was he in his lords warre :
and thereto had hee ridden no man farre,
As well in Christendome as in Heathennesse,
and ever had honour for his worthinesse.

At Alisandre hee was, when it was wonne :
full oft time hee had the bourd begon
aboven all nations in Pruce,

In Lettowe had hee riden, and in Ruce,
no Christen man so oft of his degree:
In Granade at the siege had he bee
At Algezer and ridden in Belmarye:
At Leyes was hee, and also at Satalye,
When they were wonne: and in the great see
at many a Noble armie had hee bee.
At mortall battailes had he bin fifteene,
And foughten for our faith at Tramissen,
in listes thries, and aye slayne his foe:
This ilke worthie Knight had bin also,
sometime with the lord of Palathye
ayenst another Heathen in Turkie.

Written in the lustie moneth of May
in our Palace, where many a million
of lovers true have habitation,

The yeere of grace joyfull and jocond,
a thousand, foure hundred and second.

The original, proceedings and successe of the Northren domestical and forren trades and traffiques of this Isle of Britain from the time of Nero the Emperour, who deceased in the yeere of our Lord 70. under the Romans, Britons, Saxons, and Danes, till the conquest: and from the conquest, untill this present time, gathered out of the most authenticall histories and records of this nation.

A testimonie out of the fourteenth Booke of the Annales of Cornelius Tacitus, prooving London to have bene a famous Mart Towne in the reigne of Nero the Emperour, which died in the yeere of Christ 70. BUT Suetonius with wonderfull constancie passed through the middest of his enemies, unto London, which though it were not honoured with the name and title of a Romane Colonie, yet was it most famous for multitude of Marchants and concourse of people.

A testimonie out of Venerable Beda (which died in the yeere of our Lord 734.) prooving London to have bene a Citie of great traffike and Marchandize not long after the beginning of the Saxons reigne.

In the yeere of the incarnation of Christ 604. Augustine Archbishop of Britaine consecrated two Bishops, to wit Mellitus and Justus. He appoynted Mellitus to preach to the East Saxons, which are divided from Kent by the river of Thames, and border upon the Easterne sea, whose chiefe and Metropolitane Citie is London, seated upon the banke of the aforesayd river, which is also a Marte Towne of many nations, which repayre thither by sea and by land.

The league betweene Carolus Magnus and Offa King of Mercia concerning safe trade of the English Marchants in all the Emperours Dominion. This Offa died in the yeere of our Lord 795.

IN the meane season Offa by often legacies solicited Charles le maigne the king of France, to be his friend: albeit he could not easily finde king Charles any whit enclined to further and promote his craftie attempts. Their mindes were so alienated before, that, bearing hauty stomacks on both parts, even the mutuall traffique of their Marchants was prohibited. The Epistle of Albinus is a sufficient testimony of this matter: part whereof I will here put downe.

I know not (quoth he) what will become of us. For there is of late, by the instigation of the devill, some discord and variance sprung up betweene king Charles and king Offa: insomuch that sailing to and fro is forbidden unto the Marchants of both their dominions. Some say that we are to be sent, for the obtaining of a peace, into those partes. And againe, after a fewe lines. Nowe (quoth he) out of Charles his owne words, I will make report of the league concluded betweene him and Offa.

Charles by the grace of God king of the Franks and Lombards and Senatour of the Romanes, unto the reverend and his most deare brother Offa king of the Mercians sendeth greeting. First we doe render unto almightie God most humble thankes for the salvation of soules, and the sinceritie of the Catholique faith, which

we, to your great commendation, have found signified in your letters. As touching those pilgrimes, who for the love of God and their owne soules health, are desirous to resort unto the Churches of the holy Apostles, let them goe in peace without all disturbance. But if any be found amongst them not honouring religion, but following their owne gaine, they are to pay their ordinarie customes at places convenient. It is our pleasure also and commandement, that your marchants shall have lawfull patronage and protection in our dominions. Who, if in any place they chance to be afflicted with any injust oppression, let them make their supplication unto us, or unto our Judges, and we will see justice executed to the full.

An ancient testimonie translated out of the olde Saxon lawes, containing among other things the advancement of Marchants for their thrise crossing the wide seas, set downe by the learned Gentleman Master William Lambert pagina 500. of his perambulation of Kent. It was sometime in English lawes, that the people and the lawes were in reputation: and then were the wisest of the people worship-worthy, every one after his degree : Earle, and Churle, Thein, and under-Thein. And if a churle thrived so, that hee had fully five hides of his owne land, a Church and a Kitchin, a Belhouse, and a gate, a seate, and a several office in the Kings hall, then was he thenceforth the Theins right worthy. And if a Thein so thrived, that he served the king, and on his message rid in his houshold, if he then had a Thein that followed him, the which to the kings journey five hides had, and in the kings seate his Lord served, and thrise with his errand had gone to the king, he might afterward with his foreoth his lords part play at any great neede. And if a Thein did thrive so, that he became an Earle; then was he afterward an Earles right worthie. And if a Marchant so thrived, that he passed thrise over the wide seas, of his owne craft, he was thencefoorth a Theins right worthie. And if a scholar so prospered thorow learning that he degree had, and served Christ, he was then afterward of dignitie and peace so much worthie, as thereunto belonged: unlesse he forfaited so, that he the use of his degree use ne

A testimonie of certaine priviledges obtained for the English and Danish Marchants of Conradus the Emperour and John the Bishop of Rome by Canutus the King of England in his journey to Rome, extracted out of a letter of his written unto the Cleargie of England.

You are to understand, that at the feast of Easter, there was a great company of Nobles with Pope John and Conradus the Emperour assembled at Rome, namely all the Princes of the nations from mount Garganus unto the West Ocean sea. Who all of them honourably interteined me, and welcomed mee with rich and magnificent gifts but especially the Emperour bestowed divers costly presents and rewards upon mee, both in vessels of golde and silver, and also in cloakes and garments of great value. Wherefore I conferred with the Emperour himselfe and the Pope, and with the other Princes who were there present, concerning the necessities of all my subjects both Englishmen and Danes; that a more favourable law & secure peace in their way to Rome might bee graunted unto them, and that they might not bee hindered by so many stops & impediments in their journey, and wearied by reason of injust exactions. And the Emperour condescended unto my request, and King Rodulphus also, who hath greatest authoritie over the foresaid stops and streights, and all the other princes confirmed by their Edicts, that my subjects, as well Marchants, as others who travailed for devotions sake, should without all hinderance and restraint of the foresaid stops and customers, goe unto Rome in peace, and returne from thence in safetie.

The flourishing state of Marchandise in the Citie of London in the dayes of Willielmus Malmesburiensis, which died in the yeere 1142. in the reigne of K. Stephen.

NOT farre from Rochester, about the distance of five and twenty miles, standeth the Noble Citie of London, abounding with the riches of the inhabitants, and being frequented with the traffique of Marchants resorting thither out of all nations, and especially out of Germanie. Whereupon it commeth to passe, that when any generall dearth of victuals falleth out in England, by reason of

the scarcitie of corne, things necessary may there be provided and bought with lesse gaine unto the sellers, and with lesse hinderance and losse unto the buyers, then in any other place of the Realme. Outlandish wares are conveighed into the same Citie by the famous river of Thames : which river springing out of a fountaine 80. miles beyond the Citie, is called by one and the selfe same name. 70. miles beneath it.

The aforesaid William of Malmesburie writeth of traffike in his time to Bristowe in his fourth booke de gestis pontificum Anglorum, after this maner.

In the same valley stands the famous Towne of Bristow, with an Haven belonging thereunto, which is a commodious and safe receptacle for all ships directing their course for the same, from Ireland, Norway, and other outlandish and foren countreys: namely that a region so fortunate and blessed with the riches that nature hath vouchsafed thereupon should not bee destitute of the wealth and commodities of other lands.

The league betweene Henry the second and Fredericke Barbarossa Emperour of Germanie, wherein is mention of friendly traffike betweene the Marchants of the Empire and England, confirmed in the yeere of our Lord 1157. recorded in the first Booke and seventeenth Chapter of Radevicus Canonicus Frisingensis, being an appendix to Otto Frisingensis.

THERE were present also the same time, the messengers of Henry King of England presenting divers rich and precious gifts, and that with great learning & eloquence of speech. Amongst the which we saw a pavilion, most large in quantity, & most excellent in quality. For if you desire to know the quantitie therof, it could not be erected without engines and a kinde of instruments, and maine force if the qualitie, I thinke there was never any furniture of the same kinde, that surpassed the same either in stuffe or workemanship. The said king directed his letters also, full of sugred speeches, the tenour whereof was this that followeth.

To his entirely beloved friend Frederick by the grace of God Emperour of the Romans most invincible, Henry king of England, duke of Normandie and Aquitaine, Earle of Anjou wisheth health and concord of

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