[* Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 274, 309.]

[** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 295]

[*** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 295.]

[**** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 296. He paid
two hundred marks, a great sum in those days.]

[***** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 296.]

[****** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 296.]

[******* Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p 298.]

[******** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 302.]

[********* Madox, Hist. of the Exch. chap. xii.]

[********** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 311.]

[*********** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 311.]

[************ Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 79,
312.]

[************* Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 312.]

As the king assumed the entire power over trade, he was to be paid for a
permission to exercise commerce or industry of any kind.[**] Hugh Oisel
paid four hundred marks for liberty to trade in England:[***] Nigel de
Havene gave fifty marks for the partnership in merchandise which he
had with Gervase de Hanton:[****] the men of Worcester paid one hundred
shillings, that they might have the liberty of selling and buying
dyed cloth, as formerly;[*****] several other towns paid for a like
liberty.[******] The commerce indeed of the kingdom was so much under
the control of the king, that he erected guilds, corporations, and
monopolies wherever he pleased; and levied sums for these exclusive
privileges.[*******]

There were no profits so small as to be below the king's attention.
Henry, son of Arthur, gave ten dogs, to have a recognition against
the countess of Copland for one knight's fee.[********] Roger, son of
Nicholas, gave twenty lampreys and twenty shads for an inquest to find
whether Gilbert, son of Alured, gave to Roger two hundred muttons to
obtain his confirmation for certain lands, or whether Roger took
them from him by violence;[*********] Geoffrey Fitz-Pierre, the chief
justiciary, gave two good Norway hawks, that Walter le Madine might
have leave to export a hundred weight of cheese out ot the king's
dominions.[**********]

It is really amusing to remark the strange business in which the king
sometimes interfered, and never without a present; the wife of Hugh
de Nevile gave the king two hundred hens, that she might lie with her
husband one night;[***********] and she brought with her two sureties,
who answered each for a hundred hens.

[** Madox, Hist. of the Exch. p. 323.]