Foreign commerce attracted considerable attention in
Scotland; and in order to encourage the native merchants to carry it on
Themselves, and by their own vessels, the parliament of Scotland seem, some
time previous to this date, to have passed a navigation act; for in an act
passed this year, the Scotch merchants were permitted for a year ensuing,
to ship their goods in foreign vessels, where Scotch ones were not to be
found, notwithstanding the statute to the contrary. Indeed, during the
civil wars in England, between the houses of York and Lancaster, when the
manufactures and commerce of that country necessarily declined, the
commerce of Scotland began to flourish, and was protected and encouraged by
its monarchs. The herring fishery was encouraged; duties were laid on the
exportation of wool, and a staple for Scotch commerce was fixed in the
Netherlands, In the year 1420 Glasgow began to acquire wealth by the
fisheries; but until the discovery of America and the West Indies, it had
little or no foreign trade. Towards the middle of the fifteenth century,
several acts of parliament were passed to encourage agriculture, the
fisheries, and commerce; the Scotch merchants had now acquired so much
wealth and general respectability, that they were frequently employed,
along with the clergy and nobles, in embassies. Even some of the Scotch
barons were engaged in trade. In 1467 several acts were passed: among the
most important enactments were those which related to the freight of ships,
the mode of stowing it, the mode of fixing the average in case goods were
thrown overboard, and the time of the year when vessels might sail to
foreign countries.
The commerce of Ireland, when its ports were frequented by the Ostmen, has
been already noticed. In the middle of the twelfth century, we are
informed, that foreign merchants brought gold to Ireland, and that wheat
and wine were imported from Bretagne into Wexford; but the exports in
return are not particularized. About this period, some trade seems to have
been carried on between Bristol and Dublin; and on the conquest of Ireland
by Henry II., that monarch gave his city of Dublin to be inhabited by his
men of Bristol. A charter granted by the same monarch, gives to the
burgesses of that city free trade to England, Normandy, Wales, and the
other ports of Ireland. From this time the commerce of Dublin seems to have
flourished. It is certain, that at the middle of the fourteenth century the
Irish stuffs were in such request abroad, that imitations of them were
attempted by the Catalans, and they were worn as articles of luxury by the
ladies of Florence. But of the mode in which they were conveyed to foreign
countries, and the articles which were received in exchange for them, we
have no certain information.
Though France possessed excellent ports in the Mediterranean, particularly
Marseilles, which, as we have seen, in very early times was celebrated for
its commerce, yet she, as well as less favoured ports of Europe, was
principally indebted for her trade to the Lombards and other Italian
merchants, during the middle ages.
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