and proued
in the Courts of Records of the kings of England, that heretofore the
warres arising, and continuing betwixt the kinges of England and of
Fraunce, the goods of these Hanse men were so subiect here in England to
arrestes, as now they are, vntill they grew more warie, and had put in
sufficient Sureties, that they woulde not from that time transport any
part of their goods into the prouinces and dominions of the French king.

By these reasons we take it plainely, and fully demonstrated, that her
Maiesties Captaines by Sea, in the present arrest of the Hanse mens
goods, haue committed no iniustice against their pretended
priuiledges, but rather that they haue vtterly lost them for this pranke
of theirs, in causing victualles and martiall furnitures to bee conuayed
to the countries of her manifest and notorious enemies, directly
contrary to the wordes specified in the priuiledges. Although her
Maiestie is not purposed, notwithstanding all present extremities, and
this most vile and most barbarous part of the Hanse marchants, to
proceede in dealing with them, according to that seueritie of law which
iustly she might execute, but is nowe thus farre onely resolued, to
confiscate all the corne and prouisions of warre: and as for the shippes
themselues, and other sortes of marchandise in them, shee is content to
dismisse them for the present.

[Sidenote: The fauour and liberalitie of the Queene of Englande, no
lesse to the Haunse men, then to the English themselues.]

But nowe touching the matter of their priuiledges, for which they keepe
such a stirre, in complayning to the Emperour, the states of the Empire,
and al other princes els, which neuerthelesse are cleerely found to haue
beene broken, and forfeited in the time of _Edward_ the sixt, that most
noble and famous prince. The Queene of Englande can sufficiently proue,
that these Hanse men haue deserued no benefite or fauour at her hands,
euen by the lawes of the Empire it selfe, if her Maiestie thought the
argument necessary to stande vpon. It is a very apparant thing, that her
Maiestie neglecting and not regarding the vniust pretenses and forged
suggestions, wherewith these Hanse men haue charged her among strangers,
hath yeelded to them no lesse a benefit of free negotiation, then to her
owne subiects, without any other restraint but this, that in liewe and
memorie of so singular a fauour, they also on their parts should graunt
the like freedome in their porte