=Source.=--Rymer, _Fœdera_. Vol. xix., p. 129.
It is a greate parte of our royal care, like as it was of our royal
Father of blessed memory deceased, to maintain and increase the trade
of our marchants, and the strength of our Navy, as principal veins
and sinews for the wealth and strength of our kingdom;
Whereas therefore the Society and Company of our Eastland Marchaunts
trading the Baltic Seas, have by the space of Fifty years at the
least, had a settled and constant possession of Trade in those
parts, and have had both the sole carrying thither of our English
commodities, and also the sole bringing in of all the Commodities of
those Countries, as namely, hemp, yarn, cable yarn, flax, potashes,
soapashes, polonia wool, cordage, eastland linen cloth, pitch, tar,
and wood, whereby our Kingdom hath been much enriched, our ships
and mariners set on work, and the honour and fame of our nation and
kingdom spread and enlarged in those parts.
And whereas for their further encouragement the said Company have
had and enjoyed, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of England
in the time of the late Queen Elizabeth, privileges, as well for the
sole carrying out to those countries of all our English commodities,
as also for the sole bringing in of the abovenamed commodities of
the said countries, with general prohibitions and restraints of
others not licensed and authorized, by the said Letters Patents to
traffick or trade contrary to the tenor of the same Letters Patents:
We minding the upholding and continuance of the said trade, and
not to suffer that the said Society shall sustain any violation or
diminution of their liberties and privileges, Have thought good to
ratify and publish unto all persons, as well subjects as strangers,
the said privileges and restraints, to the end that none of them
presume to attempt any thing against the same;
And We do hereby straitly charge and command all our customers,
comptrollers, and all other our officers at the ports, and also the
farmers of our customes, and their Deputies and Wayters, that they
suffer not any broadcloath, dozens, kersies, bayes, skins, or such
like English commodities to be shipped for exportation to those
parts, nor any hemp, flax dressed or undressed, yarn, cable yarn,
cordage, potashes, sopeashes, polonia wool, eastland linen cloth,
pitch, tarr or wood, or any other commodities whatsoever of those
foreign parts and regions, wherein the said Company have used to
trade, to be landed, except only such as shall be brought in by such
as are free of the said Company; provided always that the importation
of corn and grain be left free and without restraint, any thing
herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.
Furthermore, Whereas there hath been in auncient time divers good and
politic laws made against the shipping of merchandises in stranger's
bottoms, either inward or outward, as namely the statutes of 5 Ric.
II., 4 Hen. VII., 32 Hen. VIII., which laws of later years have
been much neglected to the great prejudice of the navigation of our
kingdom: We do straitly charge and command, that the said laws be
from henceforth duly put in execution, and that none of the said
Company, nor any other be permitted to export or import any of the
abovementioned commodities, in other than English bottoms, upon the
pains in the said Statutes contained, and upon pain of our high
indignation and displeasure, towards all our officers and ministers
which shall be found slack and remiss in procuring and assisting the
due execution of the said laws.