Illustrations of the History of Great Britain

arts and manufactures. That they also suddenly acquired considerable wealth, which enabled them to become yet more prosperous, is certain, from the testimonies of Gildas and Bede. These ancient authors state, that the Saxons found in Britain twenty-eight noble cities, and innumerable castles, with their walls, towers, and gates. Productive veins of copper, iron, lead, and even silver, had been opened. A great supply of shellfish, yielding a beautiful scarlet dye; and muscles with pearls, mostly white, but some of other colours, abounded on their shores. The marine animals, whales, seals, and dolphins frequented the coasts; salmons and other fish, their rivers; and eels and waterfowl, their lakes and marshes. Vines in some places, and useful forests in all, increased their general resources of natural wealth. The invasions of the Danes, destructive as they were, had certainly the ultimate effect of improving the Saxon navy, and leading them to distant voyages of intercourse and commerce. But of the general Danish character in England, with the exception of Canute the Great, there are few amiable features recorded. The chief quality appears to have been a disposition to festivity, though it was often rather uncivilized excess; whilst the pride of the Danes was so excessive in England, that it is recorded, if a Saxon met one in a narrow lane, or on a bridge, he was obliged to throw himself prostrate, until the Dane had passed. A slight commemoration of their indolence and haughtiness is even yet preserved in England in the term of Lurdane, used for an idle and insolent fellow, of which the words Lord Dane are commonly sup posed to have been the original.

CHAPTER II.

FROM THE NORMAN INVASION TO THE END OF FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

1. Anglo-Norman Period. The commerce of England, which the former chapter has shown to have been considerable, began rather rapidly to increase in the eleventh and twelfth centuries ; and the cities of York, Bristol, Canterbury, Exeter, &c. grew wealthy and reputable by their attention to trade and navigation. In London, some of the streets were exclusively inhabited by the richest Jews in Europe; and the most eminent traders were denominated Barons; which title, however, was also conferred upon the merchants of the Cinque Ports in Kent and Sussex, which they still retain. These towns were bound, in return for the immunities they enjoyed, to furnish the King with fifty-seven ships, at forty days' notice, and to pay their crews for fifteen days. The most disgraceful part of the English commerce at this time, was the dealing in slaves, which were exported to foreign parts, and particularly to Ireland, notwithstanding the decree issued against it by the Great Council sitting at Westminster in 1102. The general exports, however, were leather, corn, tin, and lead, which is said to have been used for cover

ing most of the cathedral and abbey churches, palaces and public buildings, in France and on the Continent. English horses were likewise exported, and held in great estimation; for King John demanded of a Baron named Amphitill Till, as his ransom, ten horses, each worth 30 marks, which may be calculated at nearly 3007. of modern money. The articles imported to England consisted of gold and precious stones, silk and tapestry, furs, dying materials, some corn, and drugs and spices, which were in general use in the food, the liquors, and the medicines of the time.

"The

Sabæans," says Fitz-Stephen, "import to London their frankincence and other spices; and from the rich country about Babylon, they bring oil of palms." Wines were also an import of this period, from Anjou, Auxerre, and Gascoigne ; and so important did their regulation appear to the English, that a jury was appointed in every city. to examine into their merit and settle their value: by which means, observes the contemporary Roger de Hoveden," the land was filled with drink and drunkards." It must not be forgotten, that wool and cloth are likewise to be included in the list of English exports; for the ancient national manufacture of woollen cloth,-introduced, or at least highly improved in England by colonies of Flemings, seems to have been most flourishing in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. In Ireland, too, à similar manufacture was already established, with the making of serges, says, friezes, &c. which were celebrated on the Continent, in the reign of Henry III.

The Norman ships, as they are represented in that famous monument of art, the Bayeux tapestry,

are long gallies, with a high scroll at the stern, surmounted by a figure; and by a similar crook at the prow, with a bust above it. The rudder appears on one side, and there is a single mast, with a sail attached to an ornamented yard, whilst the ropes of the vessel are fastened to the head and stern, and the anchor is carried at the stern over the side. The vessels of this period are found delineated of several different kinds; some, being long boats, surrounded with a broad iron band, pointed at the prow, to be used in battle for carrying soldiers and cross-bowmen: others, fitted up with castles for slingers and archers, whilst men with heavy flails stood on the prow: others, were small vessels for sailing, and some of the Danish and Norman era were capacious enough to contain provisions for two years, of corn, wine, bacon, bread, cows, calves, &c.

The principal alteration which the Anglo-Norman period made in the Saxon coin, was the disappearance of some of the lesser pieces, the silver penny being the smallest coin of the time. The Anglo-Saxon custom, of giving "live money" to make up particular sums, was still continued; but the want of a sufficient quantity of coins of small value, must have been found an inconvenience, since both Henry III. and Edward I. enacted penalties against those who should cut or break silver pennies into halves and quarters. The mark was still used in the account of large sums, although only an imaginary coin; and in modern weight and value it was nearly 21. The pennies of William I. are supposed to be known by their wanting a star on the reverse, which figure is ascribed to those of William Rufus. Halfpennies

and farthings were coined by Henry I.; but the numerous peculiarities of the ancient national money, are most copiously displayed in the Rev. Roger Ruding's Annals of the Coinage of Britain, Lond. 1818, 8vo, 5 vols. Its comparative value is shown in a very curious work by Dr William Fleetwood, Bishop of Ely, entitled Chronicon Preciosum, Lond. 1745, 8vo, whence some of the following articles have been extracted:-1073. Rates paid to the King's Purveyors for finding provisions for his Court and Army.

Bread for 100 men

One pasture-fed ox

One ram or sheep

Provender for 20 horses

1091. For watching the sick, yearly, with

board

At the death of a sick man, a coat,

For watching by the dead, each night
allowed at Croyland Abbey.

1125. (A time of great dearness in England)
Wheat, per quarter