| First, bought of Simon Eyre, 200 cloths "westrons" for | 305l. |
| Further, of John Brokley, 40 yards of murrey in grain | 18l. |
| Further, of Henry Kempe, 5 cloths "Northamptons" | 40l. |
| Further, of Philip Malpas, 60 cloths "westrons" | 90l. |
| Further, of John Bale, 60 pieces of Suffolk "streyts" for | 38l. |
| Further, of William Dyllowe, 10 cloths "Northamptons" | 60l. |
| Further, of John Andreu, 8 cloths "Ludlowes" | 16l. |
| Further, of Thomas Grey, 1101 quarters of pewter for | 15l. |
| Further, of William ——, 40 cloths "westrons" | 60l. |
| Further, of John at Wode, 20 cloths "westrons" for | 32l. |
| Further, of John Style, 80 Suffolk "streyts" for | 46l. |
| Sum of the purchases aforesaid[241] | 745l. |
[240] The scrivan (i.e., writer) had charge of the merchandise on board.
[241] This survey was made pursuant to Stat. 18 Henry VI. The result of the transaction would have delighted the "mercantile" theorist.
34. An Offence against Stat. 18 Henry VI. for the Hosting of Aliens [Exch. K.R. Accounts, 128, 31, m. 28], 1440.
I, Stephen Stychemerssh, citizen of the city of London, certify your reverences, the venerable and discreet barons of the Exchequer of the most excellent prince, our lord the King, and all whose interest it is, that on the fifth day of the month of April in the 18th year of the reign of King Henry the Sixth, there were assigned to me, the aforesaid Stephen, by Robert Large, then mayor of the city aforesaid, Surlio Spyngell, Baptista Spyngell, Teras Spyngell, John Bryan, Raphael and Jeronimus, their clerks, merchant strangers, to be under me, the aforesaid Stephen, as their host, to survey all and singular merchandise brought and hereafter to be brought by the aforesaid Surlio, Baptista, Teras, John, Raphael and Jeronimus into the city aforesaid and the suburbs of the same; and upon the assignment aforesaid so made by the aforesaid late mayor, I, the aforesaid Stephen Stychemerssh, went to the aforesaid Surlio, Baptista, Teras, John, Raphael and Jeronimus on the eighth day of April in the said 18th year in the parish of St. Peter in the ward of Bread Street, requiring them to be under my survey and governance according to the form of a Statute [published in the Parliament] holden at Westminster in the said 18th year; which Surlio Spyngell, Baptista Spyngell, Teras Spyngell, John Bryan, Raphael and Jeronimus, though often required by me and after the corporal pain of imprisonment had been inflicted by the aforesaid late mayor and other warnings put upon them, have altogether neglected and contemned and still neglect and contemn to obey or observe the aforesaid statute or ordinance, alleging for themselves certain letters patent[242] of the lord the king under his great seal to them and other merchants of Genoa of a licence granted to them by the said lord the King not to be under any such host, so that touching their merchandise brought from the said fifth day of the month of April or touching the sales of the same merchandise nothing at present has been done by me, nor could I have any knowledge thereof, contrary to the form of the statute or ordinance aforesaid.[243]
[242] Patent Roll, 18 Henry VI., p. 3, m. 22 (1440).
[243] This document illustrates the difficulty of the legislature in its attempts at national regulation. A mediæval statute was not a dead letter, but competed perforce with local liberty and royal prerogative. The crown at once collected fines for breaches of a statute and fees for exemption from its operation.
35. Imprisonment of an Alien Craftsman [Early Chancery Proceedings, 11, 455], c. 1440.
To the right reverend father in God, the bishop of Bath and Wells, Chancellor of England.
Meekly beseecheth your good and gracious lordship your continual orator, Henry Wakyngknyght, goldsmith, tenderly to consider that whereas he, by the Mayor's commandment of London, caused by the subtle suggestion of the Wardens of the Craft of Goldsmiths of London, now late is imprisoned within the Counter in Bread Street, no cause laid against him but only that he is a stranger born, occupying his craft in London, so utterly intending to keep him still in prison for ever to his utter destruction and undoing—howbeit your said orator occupieth not his said craft openly in shops but privily, in no derogation of any franchise or custom of the goldsmiths of London—without your gracious lordship to him be shewed in this behalf. Wherefore please it your said gracious lordship, the premises considered, and also the holy time of Easter now coming, to grant unto your said orator a corpus cum causa directed to the Mayor and Sheriffs of London, commanding them by the same to bring up the body of the said Henry with the cause of his arrest before your lordship into the King's Chancery at a certain day by your lordship to be limited, there to answer in the premises as reason and conscience shall require, for the love of God and in way of charity.