The History of Great Britain (Volume 1); V. 11-12 1485-1547. From the First Invasion of It by the Romans Under Julius Caesar. Written on a New Plan - Tapa blanda

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1814. Excerpt: ... THE HISTORY or GREAT BRITAIN. BOOK III. CHAP. VI. The Hiftory of Commerce, Coin and Shipping, in Great Britain, from the landing of William Duke of Normandy, A.D. 1066., to the death of King John, A.D. 1216. NO apology is neceffary for introducing the Hiftory hiftory of Commerce into the hiftory of of com- Britain, which hath derived fo many advantages from that fource. But it is much to be re- gretted, that genuine authentic materials, for executing this part of my plan in this period, to the entire fatisfaction of the reader, are very dif- ficult, if not impoffible, to be collected. All our our ancient hiftorians being monks, they paid little attention to the affairs of trade, and dropped only a few incidental hints on this important fubject. Let us attend to the information which thefe hints convey. Commerce It hath been al ready obferved,--that the foreign fiderabiTlt trade of Britain was almoft annihilated by the the con- departure of the Romans,--that it continued in que' a very languid flate in the times of the heptarchy,-- that it gradually revived after the eftablifhment of the Englifh monarchy, -- and that towards the end of the laf t period it was not inconfiderableI. This laft circumftance is confirmed by the teftimony of a contemporary hiftorian, William of Poictou, who was chaplain to the Duke of Normandy, and attended him in his expedition into England. "The Englifh "merchants add to the opulence of their coun"try, rich in its own fertility, ftill greater ** riches, and more valuable treafures, by im** portation. Thefe imported treafures, which "were confiderable both for their quantity and "quality, were either to have been hoarded up ** to gratify their avarice, or to have been diffi"pated to fatisfy their luxurious inclinations. "But William feized them, and beftow...