v*** 6 Henry VIII. c. 14.

The king was allowed to make laws for Wales without consent of
parliament.[*] It was forgotten that, with regard both to Wales and
England, the limitation was abolished by the statute which gave to the
royal proclamations the force of laws.

* 34 Henry VIII.

The foreign commerce of England during this age was mostly confined to
the Netherlands. The inhabitants of the Low Countries bought the English
commodities, and distributed them into other parts of Europe. Hence the
mutual dependence of those countries on each other; and the great loss
sustained by both in case of a rupture. During all the variations of
politics, the sovereigns endeavored to avoid coming to this extremity;
and though the king usually bore a greater friendship to Francis, the
nation always leaned towards the emperor.

In 1528, hostilities commenced between England and the Low Countries;
and the inconvenience was soon felt on both sides. While the Flemings
were not allowed to purchase cloth in England, the English merchants
could not buy it from the clothiers, and the clothiers were obliged to
dismiss their workmen, who began to be tumultuous for want of bread. The
cardinal, to appease them, sent for the merchants, and ordered them to
buy cloth as usual: they told him that they could not dispose of it as
usual; and, notwithstanding his menaces, he could get no other answer
from them.[*] An agreement was at last made to continue the commerce
between the states, even during war.

It was not till the end of this reign that any salads, carrots, turnips,
or other edible roots were produced in England. The little of these
vegetables that was used, was formerly imported from Holland and
Flanders.[**] Queen Catharine, when she wanted a salad, was obliged
to despatch a messenger thither on purpose. The use of hops, and the
planting of them, was introduced from Flanders about the beginning of
this reign, or end of the preceding.

* Hall, fol. 174.

** Anderson, vol. i. p. 338.

Foreign artificers, in general, much surpassed the English in dexterity,
industry, and frugality: hence the violent animosity which the latter on
many occasions expressed against any of the former who were settled in
England. They had the assurance to complain, that all their customers
went to foreign tradesmen; and in the year 1517, being moved by the
seditious sermons of one Dr. Bele, and the intrigues of Lincoln, a
broker, they rais