Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 1).djvu/499

 The trade with Venice is next detailed in original and explicit terms, and extends to great length.

"The great Galees of Venice and Florence Be well laden with things of complacence All spicery and of grossers ware: With sweete wines all maner of chaffare, Apes and Japes and marmusets tayled, Nifles and trifles that little have avayled:"

and so forth.

The author then alludes to the frauds committed by the Italian bankers and factors, all which he strongly and with the deep feelings of patriotic prejudice animadverts upon and condemns. He shows the disadvantages English merchants laboured under in point of trade with foreign markets. He claims at least reciprocal advantages, and after showing how valuable the trade is likely to become, he concludes—

"Keep then the sea, shippes should not bring ne fetch, And then the carreys wold not thidre stretch: And so those marts wold full evil thee, If we manly kept about the sea."

In his eighth chapter the author describes the trade of Brabant, Zealand, and Hainault, both by sea and land, and expatiates upon the value of English merchandise, adding that the English are the best customers at all the foreign fairs;

"As all the goods that come in shippes thider, Which Englishmen bye most and bring it hither."

He laments with deep regret the neglect of English shipping for the guard of the sea.

"A prince riding with his swerd ydraw In the other side sitting, soth it is in saw Betokening good rule and punishing