In the matter touching the information exhibited against the Merchantes of the Hanse, com- monlie called the Merchauntes of the Steelyard, vpon good consideration,' as well of the said infor mation, as also of the answere of the said Merchants of the Steelyard, and of such records, writings charters, treaties, depositions of witnesses and other recordes and proofes, as hath beene exhibited on both parties, it was found apparent to the Kings Maiesties priuie Councel as followeth. First, it is found, that all liberties and priuiledges, pretended to be graunted to the said Merchants of the Hanse, bee void by the lawes of the Realme, for as much as the same Merchants of the Hanse haue no sufficient Corporation to receiue the same. It appeareth also, that such graunt and priuiledges, as the said Merchaunts of the Hanse do claime to haue, doe not extende to anie persons or Townes certaine, and therfore vncertain, what persons or which townes should enioy the said priuiledges: by reason of which vncerlaintie, they haue and do admit to be free with them whom and as many at they list, to the great preiudice and hurt of the Kings maiesties customes, and yeerely hinde- rance of twentie thousand poundes or neere thereabouts, besides the common hurt to the whole realme. It appeareth also, that if the pretended grants were good by the lawes of the realme, as indeed they be not, yet the same were made vpon condition, that they should not auow or colour any for- reigners goods or merchandises, which condition the merchants of the Hanse haue not obserued, as may appear by office found remaining of record in the kings maiesties Exchequer, and by other suf ficient proofes of the same. It appeareth also, that one hundred yeares and more, after the pretended priuiledges granted to them, the foresaid merchants of the Hanse vsed to transport no merchandise out of this realme, but onely into their owne countries, neither to bring in this realme anie wares or merchandise, but onely such as were commodities of their owne countries: where at this present they do not only conueigh the merchandise of this realme into the base countries of Brabant, Flaun- dres and other places neare adioining, and there sell the same to the great dammage and subnersion of the laudable order of the kings maiesties subiects, trading those parties for merchandise, but also do bring into this realme the merchandise and commodities of all foreigne countries, contrarie to the true meaning of the graunts of then priuiledges, declared by the ancient vsage of the same: by meanes whereof the kings maiestie hath not onely lost much in his customes, but also it is contrary to the conditions of a recognisance, made in the time of king Henrie the seuenth.

It appeared also, that like as the priuiledges heretofore graunted to the said merchants of the Steelyard, being at the beginning reasonably vsed, were commodious and much profitable vnto tbem, without any notable, excessiue or enorme preiudice to the royall estate of this realme, so now of late yeares by taking of such and so manie as they list into their society, and by bringing in the

') Aas John Wheeler Treatise of Commerce. London, |1601. 4., in welcher seltenen Schrift es bisher von unseren Geschichtsforschern ubersehen ist.

Abtheilung II.

23

178 1553, October 24.

commodities of all [other countries, as carrying out the commodities of this realme into all other places, their said pretended priuiledges are grovvne so preiudiciall to the king and his crowne, as without the great hurt thereof and of the whole estate of this realme, the same may not be long endured.

Item in the time of king Edward the fourth the said Merchants of the Hanse forfeited their pretended priuiledges by meanes of warre between this realme and them, whereupon a treaty was made and agreed, that the subjects of this realme should haue like liberties in the land of Prusse and other places of the Hanse, as they had and ought to haue vsed there, and that no imposts, newe exactions or other prestes should be set vpon their persons or goods otherwise or by other meaoe, then before ten, twentie, thirtie, fortie, fiftie, yea an hundred yeares agoe and aboue had beene or were set. Which bath beene and is daily much broken, and specially in Danzicke, not only by pro hibiting English men freely to buy and sell there, but also in leuying vpon them certaine exactions and impositions, contrarie to the said treatie. And notwithstanding, that diuerse requests haue been made, as well by the kings maiesties father, as by his maiestie, for the present redresse of such wrongs as haue beene done to the English merchants, contrarie to the said treatie, yet no reformation hath hitherto ensued. In consideration of which the premises and such other matters as hath appeared in the examination of this matter, the Lords of the kings maiesties priuie Counsel!, on his highnesse behalfe decreed, that the priuiledges, liberties and franchises claimed by the foresaid merchants of the Steelyard, shall from henceforth be and remaine seazed and resumed into the kings maiesties liancles, untill the said merchants of the Steeleyard shall declare and proue better and more sufficient matter for their claime in the premises, sauing and reseruing vnto the said merchants of the Steelyard all such and like liberties of coming into this realme and other kings dominions, buying, selling, all and all maner of trafike and trade of merchandise in as large and ample nianer, as any other merchants strangers haue or of right ought to haue within the same. This order aforesaid or anie thing herein contained to the contrarie notwithstanding.

This Decree was firmed by T. Ely, Chauncellour, Winchester, Northumberland, Bedford, West morland, ShKWsburie, E. Clinton, T. Darcie, N. Wutton, and W. Cecill. Westminster, the 24* day of Februarie, in the sixt yeare of the reigne of king Edward the sixt.