"and let to fell and buy in the Manner afore→ "faid, as well in Großs as in Retail, and griev oufly and continually constrained to fell their "faid Cloths and Merchandifes only to the "Merchants and Inhabitants of the faid City, to the fingular Profit and Advantage of them

of London, and alfo to the Damage and Lofs "of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and "the Commons of this Realm, as of the faid "Cloth-makers and Merchants fo grieved, and

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a plain Enfample and Occafion to fuch "Cloth-makers and Merchants fo grieved, to " withdraw themfelves from the faid City from henceforth, if Remedy be not rather provided in this Behalf: It is ordained and "eftablifhed, that as well the Drapers and Cloth-fellers, as other Merchants, with "their fundry Merchandifes, fhall be free to "fell in Grofs their Cloths, Iron, Oil, and "Wax, and other their Merchandises, as well to to all the King's liege People, as to the Ci"tizens of London, notwithstanding any Fran"chife or Liberty granted to the contrary.

IT may be greatly queftioned, whether the City of London ever had any Franchise or Privilege of this Sort. But the Citizens affumed to themfelves fuch a Prerogative, by conftruing the Statutes made against Aliens and Foreigners, as extending alfo to exclude Natives of the Realm, if not free of their City, For they have ever confidered all others, tho

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the King's natural born Subjects, in the Light of Foreigners; and give them this very Appellation in their City-Laws.

BUT if this Act feemed to open a Door for Foreigners to enter in again, effectual Care was taken, by Statutes made in the following Reigns, to fhut it up. One of thefe Acts proceeded fo far as to ordain, "That no Englishman fhall within this Realm fell, or cause to "be fold hereafter, to any Merchant Alien, any Manner of Merchandises, but only for "ready Payment in hand, or else in Merchan"difes for Merchandifes, to be paid and con

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tented in hand, upon Pain of Forfeiture of "the fame." This Law was made, A. D. 1429. and the Eighth of Henry VI. c.24. but being of a Nature too abfurd and extravagant to be put in Practice, was repealed the following Seffions.

IT is a Matter of no fmall Aftonishment, that any Foreigners fhould remain, or come into the Kingdom, after fuch inceffant Pains to drive and keep them out. But, as if Providence had decreed we should be a TRADING Nation, in fpite of all Endeavours to the contrary, they rather encreased than diminished by thefe Oppreffions;-if the Accounts given in the Preamble of the famous Statute of Richard III. are to be credited. This bloody Tyrant had rendered himself extremely odious by his Ufurpation

Ufurpation and Barbarities. But as he well understood the Foible of the English, he fought their Reconciliation by paffing a very populer Act against Foreigners. This Statute was made in the firft Parliament after his Acceffion, principally to gratify the Citizens of London; and fets forth, "That our Sovereign Lord the King, upon Petition made to him, in his "faid Parliament, by the Commons of Eng

land, hath conceived and understood, That " whereas Merchants Strangers, of the Na"tion of Italy, as Venetians, Florentines, Apu

lians, Cicilians, Lucaners, Catelians, and "other of the fame Nation, in great Number "do inhabit and keep Houfes, as well in the

City of London, as in other Cities and Bo"roughs within this his Realm, and do take "Warehouses and Cellars, and therein put "their Wares and Merchandises, which they

bring into this faid Realm; and them, in "the faid Cellars and Warehouses, deceitfully "do pack, mingle, and keep the fame, till "fuch Time the Prices thereof be greatly en

hanced, for their great Lucre; and the fame "Merchandises and Wares they then fell to "all Manner of People, as well within the "Ports where they bring the faid Wares and "Merchandises, as to other divers and many "Places within this Realm, as well by Retail cc as otherwife: And alfo do buy in the faid "Ports and other Places, at their own Liberty, "the Commodities of this Realm, and fell the "fame

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"fame again at their Pleafure, within the "fame, as commonly and freely as any of the

King's liege People doth, and do not em"ploy a great Part of the Money, coming "thereof, upon the Commodities of this "Realm; but make it over the Sea by Ex"change to divers Countries, to the King's great Damage in Lofs of his Cuftoms, and to the great Impoverishing of his faid Subjects, of whom they should buy the Com"modities of this Realm,

"II. AND the fame Merchants of Italy, "and other Merchants Strangers, be Hofts, " and take to them People of other Nations, "and be with them daily; and do buy, fell, "and make privy and fecret Contracts and

Bargains with the fame People, to their ἐσ great Increase and Profit, and to the importune Damage of the King's faid Subjects, "and contrary to divers Statutes in this Cafe "provided and ordained.

"III. ALSO, the faid Merchants of Italy "do buy, in divers Places within this Realm, a great Quantity of Wool, and Woollen Cloth, "and other Merchandises, of the King's Subjects; and Part thereof they fell again to the "faid Subjects, and other within this Realm, "to their great Advantage; and much of the "faid Wools they do deliver to Cloth-makers, thereof to make Cloth at their Pleasure.

" IV. MORE

" IV. MOREOVER, a great Number of Ar "tificers, and other Strangers, not born un"der the King's Obeyfance, do daily refort

and repair to the City of London, and to "other Cities, Boroughs, and Towns of the “faid Realm, and much more than they were "wont to do in Times paft; and inhabit by "themselves, in the faid Realm, with their "Wives, Children, and Houthold, and will

not take upon them any laborious Occupa "tion, as going to Plow and Cart, and other "like Business, but use the making of Cloth, " and other handicraft and eafy Occupations; "and bring and convey, from the Parts be"yond the Sea, great Subftance of Wares and "Merchandifes to Fairs and Markets, and all "other Places of this Realm, at their Plea "fure, and there fell the fame, as well by Re"tail as otherwife, as freely as any of the

King's Subjects used to do, to the great Damage and Impoverishment of the King's "faid Subjects; and will in no wife fuffer nor "take any of the King's faid Subjects to work "with them, but they take only, into their "Service, People born in their own Country;

whereby the King's faid Subjects, for Lack σε of Occupation, fall into Idleness, and be Thieves, Beggars, Vagabonds, and People of "vicious Living, to the great Perturbance both "of the King, and all his Realm. And when "the Merchants, Artificers, and Strangers,

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