Witnes
Thomas our Chancelour at Northanton.
* * * * *
A generall safe conduct graunted to all forreine Marchants by king Iohn in
the [Marginal note: 1199] first yeere of his reigne, as appeareth in the
Records of the Tower, Anno 1. Regis Ioannis.
Ioannes Dei gratij &c. Maiori & Communitati Londinensi salutam. Sciatis
voluntatem esse nostram, quod omnes Mercatores de quicunque fuerunt terra
saluum habeant conductum ire & redire cum mercibus suis in Angliam.
[Sidenote: Solita mercatorum consuetudines.] Volumus etiam quod eandem
habeant pacem in Anglia, quam Mercatores de Anglia habent in terris illis
vnde fuerunt egressi. Et ideo vobis pracipimus, quod hoc faciatis
denunciari in Balliua vestra, & firmiter teneri; permittentes eos ire &
redire sine impedimento per debitas & rectas & solitas consuetudines in
Balliua vestra. Teste Galfredo filio Petri comite Essexia apud Kinefard 5.
die Aprilis.
In eadem forma scribitur vicecomiti Sudsex, Maiori & commumtati Ciuitatis
Winton, Balliuo de Southampton, Balliuo de Lenne, Balliuo Kent, Vicecomiti
Norffolcia & Suffolcia, Vicecomiti dorset & Sommerset, Baronibus de quinque
portubus, Vicecomiti de Southampton sire, Vicecomiti de Herttford & Essex,
Vicecomiti Cornubia & Deuon.
The same in English.
Iohn by the grace of God &c. to the Maior and communaltie of London,
greeting. You are to vnderstand, that it is our pleasure, that all
Marchants of what nation soeuer shall haue safe conduct to passe and
repasse with their Marchandize into England. It is our will also, that they
be vouchsafed the same fauour in England, which is granted vnto the English
Marchants in those places from whence they come. [Sidenote: The ancient
customes of Marchaunts.] And therefore we giue you in charge, that you
cause this to be published, and proclaimed in your bailiwicke, & firmely to
be obserued, permitting them to goe & come, without impediment, according
to the due, right and ancient customes vsed in your said Bailiwucke.
Witnesse Geofry Fitz-Peter Earle of Essex at Kinefard the 5. day of April.
The same forme of writing was sent to the sherife of Sudsex, to the Maior
and communaltie of the Citie of Winchester, to the Baily of Southampton,
the Baily of Lenne, the Baily of Kent, the sherife of Norfolke and
Suffolke, the sherife of Dorset and Sommerset, the Barons of the
Cinque-ports, the sherife of Souththampton shire the sherife of Hertford
and Essex the sherife of Cornewal and Deuon.
* * * * *
Litera regis Henrici tertij ad Haquinum Regem Norwegia de pacis foedere &
intercursu mercandisandi Anno 1 Henrici 3. [Marginal note: 1216.]
Henricus Dei gratia &c. Haquino eadem gratia Regi Norwegia salutem.
Immensas nobilitati vestra referimus gratiarum actiones de his qua per
literas vestris prudentem virum. Abbatem de Lisa nobis significastis
volentes & desiderantes foedus pacis & dilectionis libenter nobiscum inire
& nobiscum confoederari. Bene autem placet & placebit nobis quod terra
nostra comunes sint, & Mercatores & homines qui sunt de potestate vestra
libere & sine impedimento terram nostrum adire possint, & homines &
Mercatores nostri similiter terri vestram.
