Epstein, Mordecai: The English Levant Company: its foundation and its history to 1640 (London: George Routledge & Sons Ltd, 1908)

THE LEVANT COMPANY 113

The most troublesome cases in this respect
were those of individual merchants who at-
tempted to smuggle currants into the country.
In the same year as the quarrel with the
Company of Merchant Adventurers,8 one
Browne, a master of a ship brought in currants
on his own account,9 and when the company
fined him he refused to pay. Legal proceed-
ings were therefore taken against him, the
company claiming 20 per cent, of the value
of his currants, in order to make an example
of him.
Cases of this kind were by no means limited
to the early years of the re-oganized company.
They occur constantly, and now and again
even a member of the company attempts to
cheat the company by obtaining an advan-
tage over them. An interesting case came
up in November, 1632 10. The company were
informed by the Consul at Zant that a ship
Peter Pindar as ambassador at Constantinople (see
above, p. 81, note (41)), saying it was necessary for them
to lessen their expenses.
8 Min. March 11, 1617.
9 Later on, it would appear, the company allowed
masters of ships to bring in a small quantity of currants.
See Min. January 20, 1630.
10 Min. November 14, 1632.

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