44
James I., after all his endeavours to energize his people, their exports consisted
of " wool, wool-fels, and hides," as we know from a contemporary writer;
and their imports of haberdashery, cartwheels, and wheelbarrows (k); and this
wretched traffic was carried on chiefly with Flanders, where manufactures
flourished and commerce invited customers, while exchange enlivened every
enterprize (l). Ages elapsed before the foreign trade of North-Britain assumed a
more favourable cast, amidst penury, the result of disasters, and idleness, the effect
of woe. The reign of King James VI. was chiefly remarkable for preventing the
export of native commodities. After a century of civil war, the Union, by admitt-
ing the traders into a better system came to their aid (m). They did not soon profit
much from their commercial admission, though every facility was given them ; as
(k) See Hakluyt's Voyages, 1599, 187 : "The Libel of English Policie," ch. iv.: " Of the Commo-
"dities of Scotland; and draping of her Wolles, in Flanders, 1436.''
(1) In 1424 there is an Act of the first Parliament of James I, which is very curious in itself, and
" applies to this subject; as it appears from a MS. in the Register House at Edinburgh : " Alsua the
" commissaris of the borouys, in the name of the haill merchandis of the realme, has tane on hand
" and hecht [undertaken and promised] to mak the first payment of our lorde the kingis finance
m
" [revenue, or income]; that is to say, xx nobillis Inglis, sua that na strangearis by na [manner] haif
" away the merchandice of the lande at uther men's handis na tharis ; [that strangers shall not have
" the merchandize from any other persons, than the merchants of the burrows] ; takando frae our lorde
" the kinge allanerly [only] ii s. of thar lionis [a coin] for a nobill Inglis, to be pait to thame of yeilde
" to be raisyt; [of the income then to be raised]; and for the said first payment of the finance [income]
'• may nocht [not] be maid but [without] chevisance [loan] of Flanderis to help ; and [to] further
" [which] our lorde the king sall sende his commissaris [with those] of [the] burrowis in Flanderis to
" mak this chevisance to quhais expenss the burgess [burgeses] sall pay iiic nobilis ; sua that what
" costages [charges] be mad apone the said chevisance be payit of the haill yielde now to bo ra ysyt:
" And gif the kingis commissaris, and [those of] the burrowis, beande [being] togiddor, can nocht mak
"the chevisance, qwhat chevisance he maide throwe the kingis commissaris, the burgesses are oblist
" [are obliged] to freithe thame [help them] and mak the first payment; and thai sall haif it agane of
" the haill yeilde; " [be reimbursed out of the whole income]. From this curious document wo may
perceive the want of money in Scotland, the defect of capital in the traders, and the ability of Flan-
ders to aid them. We see also that it was the burrows, and not the barons or bishops, who interposed
their credit on that occasion to help the king during his necessities.
(m) In vain did Mr. John Spreul and the merchants offer, in 1705, to prove "That Scotland's
" product and manufactures are able to balance our trade with any, or all parts, we do, or need to
"trade with." An account current betwixt Scotland and England, 1705. The income of the posts
in Scotland at that time only yielded £1,100 ; and the customs £34,000 sterling. The trade and cir-
culation of Glasgow were not then able to employ a bank on the smallest scale ; and the whole com-
merce of Scotland could hardly give employment and profit to a bank with a capital of £30,000 ster-
ling. Caledonia, i., 868.