The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation Volume I Part 13

Yron, Wooll, Wadmolle, Gotefell, Kidfell also: For Poynt-makers full needefull bene they tweyn Saffron, Quickesiluer, which owne Spaine Marchandy, Is into Flanders shipped full craftily, Vnto Bruges as to her staple fayre: The Hauen of Scluse hir Hauen for her repayre Which is cleped Swyn tho shippes giding: Where many vessels and fayre are abiding.

But these marchandes with their shippes great, And such chaffare as they bye and get By the weyes must nede take on hand By the coasts to pa.s.se of our England, Betwixt Douer and Caleis, this is no doubt.

Who can well els such matter bring about?

[Sidenote: Flemish cloth made of English Wooll.]

And when these sayd Marchants discharged bee Of Marchandie in Flanders nere the see, Then they bee charged againe with Marchandy, That to Flanders bougeth full richly.

Fine cloth of Ypre that named is better than ours, Cloth of Curtrike, [3] fine cloth of all colours, Much Fustian, and also Linen cloth.

But Flemings, if yee bee not wroth, The great substance of your cloth at the full Yee wot ye make it of our English woll.

[Footnote 3: Courtrai.]

[Sidenote: The necessarie coniunction of Spaine and Flanders.]

Then may it not sinke in mannis brayne, But that it must this Marchandy of Spaine Both out and in by our costes pa.s.se: Hee that sayd nay in witte was like an a.s.se.

Wee should haue peace with the grounds tweyne Thus if this see were kept, I dare well sayne.

For Spaine and Flanders is as eche other brother, And neither may well liue without other: They may not liuen to maintaine their degrees, Without our English commodities: Wolle and Tynne: for the woolle of England Susteineth the Commons Flemings I vnderstand.

Then if England would her wolle restraine From Flanders, this followeth in certaine, Flanders of nede must with vs haue peace, Or els shee is destroyed without lees.

Also if Flanders thus destroyed bee: Some Marchandy of Spaine will neuer ythee: For destroyed it is, and as in cheeffe The wolle of Spaine it commeth not to preeffe, But if it be costed and menged well Amongst the English wolle the greter delle.

For Spanish wooll in Flaunders draped is, And euer hath bee, that men haue minde of this: And yet Wooll is one of the chiefe Marchandy That longeth to Spaine: who so will espie, It is of little value, trust vnto mee, With English wooll but if it menged bee.

Thus if the sea be kept, than herken hether, If these two lands comen not together: So that the Fleete of Flanders pa.s.se nought That in the narrowe see it be not brought Into the Roch.e.l.le to fetch the famose wine, Ner into Bytonuse Bay for salt so fine, What is then Spaine? What is Flanders also?

As who sayd, nought, the thrift is agoe For the little land of Flanders is But a staple to other lands ywis: And all that groweth in Flanders graine and seede May not a Moneth finde hem meate and brede.

What hath then Flanders, bee Flemings lieffe or loth, But a little Mader and Flemish Cloth: By Drapering of our wooll in substance Liuen her commons, this is her gouernance, Without which they may not liue at ease.

Thus must hem sterue, or with vs must haue peace.

Of the commodities of Portugal.

The second Chapter,

The Marchandy also of Portugal By diuers lands turne into sale.

Portugalers with vs haue troth in hand: Whose Marchandy commeth much into England.

They ben our friends, with their commodities, And wee English pa.s.sen into their countrees.

Her land hath wine, Osey, Waxe, and Graine, Figges, Reysins, Hony and Cordoweyne: Dates, and Salt, Hides, and such Marchandy: And if they would to Flanders pa.s.se for by, They should not bee suffred ones ner twyes, For supporting of our cruell enemies, That is to say Flemings with her gyle: For changeable they are in little while. [Note well.]

Then I conclude by reasons many moe, If we suffred neither friend nor foe, What so enemies, and so supporting Pa.s.se for by vs in time of werring, Seth our friends will not ben in cause Of our hindring, if reson lede this clause: Then nede from Flanders peace bee to vs sought, And other lands should seeke peace, dout nought: For Flanders is Staple, as men tell mee, To all nations of Christianitie.

The commodities of pety Britaine,[Footnote: Brittany] with her Rouers on the sea.

The third Chapter

[Sidenote: The Britons great Rouers and Theeues.]

Furthermore to write I am faine Somewhat speaking of the little Britayne.

Commoditie thereof there, is and was, Salt, and wine, crest cloth and canuas.

And the land of Flaunders sickerly Is the staple of their Marchandy.

Wich Marchandie may not pa.s.se away But by the coast of England, this is no nay.

And of this Britaine, who so trueth louis, Are the greatest rouers and the greatest theeuis, That haue bene in the sea many one yeere: That our Merchants haue bought full dere.

For they haue tooke notable goods of ours, On this side see, these false pelours Called, of Saincte Malo, and ellis where: Which to their Duke none obeysance will bere: With such colours wee haue bee hindred sore.

And fayned peace is called no werre herefore.

Thus they haue bene in diuers coasts many Of our England, more then rehea.r.s.e can I: In Norfolke coastes, and other places about, And robbed and brent and slame by many a rowte: And they haue also ransomed Towne by Towne: That into the regnes of bost haue run her sowne: Wich hath bin ruth vnto this Realme and shame: They that the sea should keepe are much to blame.

For Britayne is of easie reputation; And Saincte Malo turneth hem to reprobation.

A storie of Edward the third his ordinance for Britayne.

[Sidenote: Historia ostendens quam ordinationem Rex Edwardus tertius fecit contra de praedicatores marinos Brittaniae minoris ad debellandum eos & subiugandum Britannos minores.]

Here bring I in a stone to mee lent, That a good Squire in time of Parliament Tooke vnto mee well written in a scrowe: That I haue commond both with high and lowe, Of which all men accorden into one, That it was done not many yeeres agone But when n.o.ble King Edward the third Reigned in grace, right thus it betyd.

For hee had a maner gelosie To his Marchants and loued them hartily.

He feld the weyes to rule well the see, Whereby Marchants might haue prosperitee.

That for Harflew [4] Houndflew [5] did he maken; And great werre that time were vndertaken, betwixt the King and the Duke of Britayne: At last to fall to peace both were they fayne: Vpon the wich made with conuencion Our Marchants made hem readie bowne Toward Britayne to loade their Marchandie, Wening hem friends they went foorth boldly: But soone anon our Marchants were ytake, And wee spedde neuer the better for truce sake.

They lost her good, her nauy and spending: But their complaint came vnto the king.

Then wext he wroth, and to the Duke he sent, And complained that such harme was hent; By conuention and peace made so refused: Wich Duke sent againe, and him excused, Rehearsing that the mount of Saincte Michael, And Sainct Malo would neuer a dell Be subiect vnto his gouernance, Nor be vnder his obeysance: And so they did withouten him that deede.

But when the king anon had taken heede: Hee in his herte set a iudgement, Without calling of any Parliament, Or greate tarry to take long aduise To fortifie anon he did deuise Of English Townes three, that is to say, Dertmouth, Plymouth, the third it is Fowey: And gaue hem helpe and notable puisance With insistence set them in gouernance Vpon pety Bretayne for to werre.

Those good sea men would no more differre, But bete hem home and made they might not rowte, Tooke prisoners, and made them for to lowte.

And efte the Duke, an ensample wise, Wrote to the king as he first did deuise, Him excusing: But our men wood With great power pa.s.sed ouer the floode And werred foorth into the Dukes londe, And had ny destroyed free and bond.

But than the Duke knewe that the townes three Should haue lost all his natiue Countrie, He vndertooke by suretie true not false, For mount Michael and Saincte Malo als.

And other parties of the litle Brytaine, Which to obey, as sayd was, were not fayne The Duke hymselfe for all did vndertake: With all his herte a full peace did hee make: So that in all the life time of the king, Marchants had peace withouten werring:

[Footnote 4: Harfleur]

[Footnote 5: Honfleur]

[Sidenote: Statutum Regis Edwardi tertij pro Lombardis.]

He made a statute for Lombards in this land, That they should in noe wise take on hande Here to inhabite, here to chardge and dischardge But fortie dayes, no more time had they large.

This good king by witte of such appreiffe Kept his Marchants and the sea from mischiefe.

Of the commodities of Scotland and draping of her wolles in Flanders. The fourth Chapiter

[Sidenote: Anno Domini 1436. Hen 6. 14.]

Moreouer of Scotland the commodities Are Felles, Hides, and of Wooll the Fleese.

And all these must pa.s.se by vs away Into Flanders by England, sooth to say.

And all her woolle was draped for to sell In the Townes of Poperinge and of Bell: Which my Lord of Glocester with ire For her falshed set vpon a fire.

And yet they of Bell and Poperinge Could neuer drape her wool for any thing, But if they had English woll withall.

Our goodly wooll which is so generall Needefull to them in Spaine and Scotland als, And other costes, this sentence is nnot false: Yee worthy Marchants I doe it vpon yow, I haue this learned ye wot well where and howe: Ye wotte the Staple of that Marchandie, Of this Scotland is Flaunders sekerly.

And the Scots bene charged knowen at the eye, Out of Flanders with little Mercerie, And great plentie of Haberdashers Ware, And halfe her shippes with cart wheeles bare, And with Barrowes are laden as in substance: Thus most rude ware are in her cheuesance.

So they may not forbeare this Flemish land.

Therefore if wee would manly take in hand, To keepe this Sea from Flanders and from Spaine, And from Scotland, like as from pety Britaine, Wee should right soone haue peace for all her bosts, For they must needes pa.s.se by our English costs.

Of the commodities of Pruce, and High Dutch men, and Easterlings. The fifth Chapitle.

Nowe goe foorth to the commodities, That commeth from Pruce in two maner degrees.

For two maner people haue such vse, That is to say, High Duch men of Pruse, And Esterlings, which might not be forborne, Out of Flanders, but it were verely lorne.

For they bring in the substance of the Beere, That they drinken feele too good chepe, not dere.

Yee haue heard that two Flemings togider Will vndertake or they goe any whither, Or they rise once to drinke a Ferkin full, Of good Beerekin: so sore they hall and pull.

Vnder the board they p.i.s.sen as they sit: This commeth of couenant of a worthie wit.