statutes and ordinances, made and published by the marchants of the same
society residing in the kingdoms of Norway and Swedland, to the great
preiudice of the kingdome of England, and the marchants thereof: and as yet
both couertly and expresly do approue the same, vniustly putting them in
daily execution.

Item, wheras in the priuileges and indulgences granted by the renouned
princes somtimes kings of England, the worthy progenitors of our souereign
lord the king that now is, vnto the society aforesaid, it is prouided, that
the said marchants shal not auow any man which is not of their company, nor
shal not colour his goods and marchandize vnder their company; whereas also
in the confirmation of the sayd priuiledges made up by our soueraigne lord
that nowe is, it is manifestly prouided, that the marchants of the Hans
towns, vnder the colour of their priuiledges in England, shall not vpon
paine of the perpetuall frustration and reuocation of the foresayd
priuiledges, receiue any stranger of any other towne in their liberties, by
whom the kings custome may in any sort be withholden or diminished: and yet
the contrary vnto al these prouisoes hath bin euery yere, for these 20.
yeres or thereabout notoriously practised and committed, as well ioyntly by
the generall counsell, and toleration of the foresayd society, as also
seuerally by the aduise and permission of diuers particular cities of the
foresayd Hans company to the great diminution of his maiesties custome, the
estimation whereof the foresayd ambassadors are not able at this present
fully to declare. [Sidenote: How many and which be the Hans townes.] But
that all occasions of the last aboue mentioned diminution may bee preuented
for the time to come, the sayd ambassadors doe demand to haue from the
foresayd societie a declaration in writing, what and what maner of
territories, cities, townes, villages or companies they be, for which the
sayd society challengeth and pretendeth, that they ought to enioy the
priuiledges granted vnto their marchants, as is aboue mentioned.