Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 2.djvu/133

 A. D. 1496. Anno duodecimo He n ri ci VII. C. 6. 95 Cures, that keep ftiH any other Bufhcl or Gallon unbroken and not damned, of Brafs, than is ordained to be ^ _ nude by thia preient Aa. ,,,„.„.. ,, and Mwfurtl, lG Cjr. I. c. 19. 22 Car. 1. f. 8. 22 £? 23 Car. 2. c. 12. and 1 Ann. flat. I. c. 15. /rS. 1. C A P. VI. Merchants Adventurers. TO the difcrect Commons in this prcfent Parliament afTcmbled, fhewcth unto yourdifcrcet Wifdoms A Petition of the Merchant Adventurers inhabiting and dwelliruj in divers Parts of this Realm of England out of certain Mer- thc City of London, That where they have their free Paffage, Refort, Courfe, and Recourle with their ? ,0,, /j2! Goods, Wares, and Mcrchandifcs into divers Coafts and Parts beyond the Sea, as well into Spain, Portu- '™" cf "he city gal, Britaign, Ireland, Normandy, France, Seville, Venice, Danfke, Eajlland, Frijcland, and other divers f London. ami many Places, Regions, and Countreys, being in League and Amity with the King our Sovereign Lord, there to buy and fell, and make their Exchanges with their faid Goods, Wares, and Mcrchandifcs, ac- cording to the Law and Cultom ufed in every of the faid Regions and Places, and there every Perfon freely to ufe thcmfclvcs to his moll Advantage, without Ex.;r£tion, Fine, Impofition, or Contribution to be had or taken of them, or of any of them, to, for, or by any Englijl) Perfon or Perfons ; (2) and in femblable Every Englifh- wiu they before this Time have had, ufed, and of right owen to have and ufe their free Paffage, Refort, ™ an ^ h3 " n J ve and Rccourfe into the Coafts of Flanders, Holland, Zealand, Brabant, and other Places thereto nigh ad- « r uin foreign" joining, under the Obeyfance of the Archduke of Burgoin, in which Places the universal Marts be com- Mara, without monly kept and holden four Times in the Year, (•») to which Marts all Englijhmcn, and divers other Na- Exa£tion to be tions, in Time paft have ufed to refort, there to fell and utter the Commodities of their Countries, and taken, by any freely to buy again fuch Things as feemed them moft neccflary and expedient for their Profit, and the ^"J=' lfh Fratcr * Weal of the Country and Parts that they become from; till now of late, that by the Fellowlhip of the a Fellowfbip of Mercers and other Merchants and Adventurers dwelling and being free within the City of London, by Con- London made an federacy made among themfelves, of their incharitable and inordinate Covetife, for their lingular Profit Order, that none and Lucre, contrary to even? Englijhman's Liberty, and to the Liberty of the faid Mart there (which is, ftoutf buy orfcli that every Perfon, of what Nation that he be of, fhould have their free Liberty there to buy, fell, and make !^f AdrCwhT" the Commutations with the Wares, Goods, and Merchandifes at their Pleafure) have, contrary to all fcnU Law, Reafon, Charity, Right, and Confcicnce, among themfelves, to the Prejudice of all Englijhmen, made an Ordinance and Conftitution, that is to fay, That no Engliflmian reforting to the faid Marts, fhall neither buy ne fell any Goods, Wares, or Merchandifes there, except he firft compound and make Fine with the faid Fellowlhip, Merchants of London, and their faid Confederates, at their Pleafure, upon Pain of Forfeiture to the faid Fellowlhip of Merchants of London, and to their Confederates, of fuch Merchan- difes, Goods, or Wares, fo by him bought or fold there; (4) which Fine, Impofition, and Exaction at The. finr'Cofour. the Beginning, when it was firft taken, was demanded by Colour of a Fraternity of Saint Thomas of Can- of taking the terbury, at which Time the faid Fine was but the Value of half an old Noble Sterling, and fo by Colour Flne • of fuch feigned Holinefs, it hath been fuft'ered to be taken for a few Years paffed ; and after it was increafed to an C. s. Flemijh; and now it is fo, that the faid Fellowlhip and Merchants of London take of every Englijhman or young Merchant being there, at his firft coming, xx.li. Sterling for a Fine, to fuft'er him to buy and fell his own proper Goods, Wares, and Merchandifes that he hath there ; by Occafion Th ~ whereof, all Merchants not being of the faid Fellowfliip and Confederacy, withdraw themfelves from the f the Order faid Marts, whereby the Woollen Cloth of this Realm, which is one of the great Commodities of the made by the fame, by making whereof the King's true Subjects be put in Occupation, and the poor People have moft Merchants of univcrfally their Living, and alfo other divers Commodities of divers and feveral Parts of this fame Realm, Lontion - is not fold ne uttered as it hath been in Times paft; but for lack of Utterance of the fame in divers Parts where fuch Cloths be made, they be conveyed to London, where they be fold far under the Price that they be worth, and that they coft to the Makers of the fame, and at fome Times they be lent to long Days, and the Money thereof at divers Times' never paid; (6) and over that, the Commodities and Merchan- difes of thofe Parts, which the faid Fellowlhip, Merchants of London, and other their Confederates bring into this Land, is fold to your faid Complainants, and other the King's true Subjects, at fo dear and high' exceeding Price, that the Buyer of the fame cannot live thereupon ; by Reafon whereof, all the Cities, Towns, and Boroughs of this Realm in Effect, be fallen into great Poverty, Ruin, and Decay, and as. now in Manner they be without Hope of Comfort or Relief, and the King's Cuftoms and Subfidies, and the Navy of the Land greatly decreafed and minifhed, and daily they be like more and more to decay, if due Reformation be not had in this Behalf:' (7) Be it therefore enafled by the King our Sovereign Lord, by the Advice and Affent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this prefent Parlia- ment affembled, and by Authority of the fame, That every Englijhman, being the King's true liege Man, Merchant: msy - from henceforth, have free Paffage, Refort, Courfe, and Recourle into the faid Coafts of Flanders, Holland, refort into fo- Zealand, Brabant, and other Places thereto nigh adjoining, under the Obeyfance of the faid Archduke, to re .'S" c^'nes the Marts there hereafter to be holden, with his or their Merchandifes, Goods, and Wares,there to buy and riorifcCtSErac- fell, and make their Exchanges freely at his or their Pleafure, without Exaction, Fine, Impofition, Extortion, temity of ton-" or Contribution to be had, levied, taken, or perceived of them, or any of them, to, for, or by any Englijli doners. . Perfon or Perfons, to his or their own Ufe, or to the Ufe of the faid Fraternity or Fellowlhip,, or of any. other like, except only x.. Mark Sterling;. (S) and that no Perfon EngKJB, as is. afore rehearfed, hereafter ^Engiiftman take to his own Ufe, Or to the Ufe of the faid Fraternity or Fellowlhip there, of any other Englijl Perfon, '^anvV-cac"°" of what Eftate, Degree, or Condition that he be of, fo alvvay that he be the King our Sovereign Lord's true 'j^ & c, forhi, , liege Man, any Fine, Exaction, Impofition, or Contribution, for his Liberty or Freedom to buy and fell any Liberty to tuy„ Goods, ant foil,..