Add MS 41614

TRACTS ON THE EXCHANGE, etc., by Sir Francis Knollys, Treasurer of the Royal Household, temp. Eliz. I. The contents, which occur also in the same order in a MS. at Penshurst (Hist. MSS. Comm., MSS. of Lord De L'Isle and Dudley, i, p. 303), are as follows:-

(1) Three tracts grouped together by Knollys with a note at the end (f. 19) 'And to the end that no man shall neede to doubte of the trewe aucthor of this booke of Exchange, with the dyscourse of the mynte, and of the opynion for Syzing of the weyghtes last before mentioned, Therefore I Fraunces Knollys Knyghte Treasorer of hir Maties, houshould do acknowledge my selffe to be the aucthor of this whole booke aforesayde'. The three tracts are (a) 'A Conference of Waightes Boolion and valewes of the silver monies of England & of the sylver monyes of the lowe Countries, wth a comparyson of the Exchange'; an expansion of the memorandum prepared for the Royal Commission on the Exchange, Feb. 1564/5 (Knollys being one of the Commissioners), which was printed by R. H. Tawney and E. Power, Tudor Economic Documents, iii, pp. 346-359, from Harley MS. 660, ff. 107-118; the new matter is indicated by the words 'Newly added' in the margin. ff. 2-12;-(b) 'A treatise concerninge the mintage of the monyes, necessarily depending upon the booke of exchange'; a tract on the Royal Mint, n.d. ff. 13-17b;-(c) 'An abstracte of the dyfferent reasons of the twoe Juryes concerning the Syzing of the Troy weyghte, & of the avoyredepois wate wrytten the .28. of Marche 1585.'; a tract on the assay of the Troy and avoirdupois weights. ff. 18-19.

(2) Three tracts relating to problems arising from the dispute between the Merchant Adventurers and the Hanse, probably drawn up for submission to the Privy Council, viz.:-(a) 'The controversie betwene her Matye, and the steedes or stillyard men, written the .8th'. of Aprill 1578'-arguments in favour of a compromise in the dispute between Queen Elizabeth I and the Steelyard conc. the respective privileges of the Merchant Adventurers in Germany and of the Hanse in England (cf. S.P. Dom., 1547-1580, p. 587 and Lipson, Economic History, ii, p. 204). ff. 20, 20 b;-(b) 'Towchinge the Vente of Englyshe clothes, written the .9th. of october 1587.', and (c) 'Towching the multitude of Marchantes for Venting of Englyshe clothes'; two tracts in favour of the sale of English cloth in a single continental mart and by a single Company, rather than by a number of companies in several cities (ibid., ii, pp. 205 sqq., and R. Ehrenberg, Hamburg und England im Zeitalter der Königin Elisabeth, pp. 131-185). ff. 211-22b. Vellum; ff. i + 22. Folio. Circ. 1587. Contemporary binding of brown calf, stamped on either cover with the words 'Of the Exchange' within an ornamental frame, and above with a shield of arms (a bend of five fusils conjoined and in the sinister chief a crescent). On f. 1 is a note 'John Achesone with my hand Amen' (members of a family of this name were connected with the Scottish mint for a century, and a John Achesoun was General of the Edinburgh Mint, 1609-1638, and King's Goldsmith (S.P. Dom., 1603-1610, p. 7). Hist. MSS. Comm., 6th Report, App., p. 313, no. 135; Leconfield salecat., lot 48.

Sir Francis Knollys, KG: Treasurer of the Royal Household: Tracts on the Exchanges, the Royal Mint, the Merchant Adventurers, etc.: 1564-1587.: Copies.

Bindings ENGLISH: Brown leather, with arms (bend of five fusils conjoined and in the sinister chief a crescent): temp. Eliz.I.

includes:

• f. 1 John Acheson, General of the Edinburgh Mint 1609-1638: Signature (?): n.d.
• ff. 2-19 Coinage: Sir F. Knollys, tracts on the Exchange, Royal Mint, etc.: 1565-1585.: Copies.
• ff. 13-17b Mint: Tract on, by Sir F. Knollys: [1585?].: Copy.
• ff. 20-22b Trade and Commerce: Tracts rel. to dispute between the Merchant Adventurers and the Hanseatic League: 1578-1587.: Copies.
• ff. 20-22b Merchant Adventurers: Tracts rel. to dispute with the Hanseatic League, by Sir F. Knollys: 1578-1587.: Copies.
• ff. 20-22b Hanseatic League: Tracts rel. to dispute with the Merchant Adventurers, by Sir F. Knollys: 1578-1587.: Copies.