maletote

noun

1. (historical)An arbitrary tax; in particular, a levy imposed by the English monarch on a certain good beyond ordinary customs duties.

   “Immediately hereupon, even this very yeere, was this complained of in Parliament, and a Petition exibited by the Lords and Cõmons, that it might be enacted, that this Maletolt or Imposition, because it was taken without assent of Parliament, might be taken away, and that a Law might be made, that no such charge might be laid, but by assent of Parliament: […]”

   “The occurrence of a Maltolte in history is of necessity limited to a somewhat brief period.”

   “The king certainly acted illegally in some way or other, for the Parliament of 1339 declared that he was levying a maletote which it had never sanctioned.”

   “[…] Scots soon learned that the maltolte on wool exports and later the new custom on alien merchants were to apply exactly in their country as in England; […]”

   “A heavy (‘New’) custom or maletolt (5 marks per last of leather, 3 marks per sack of wool or 300 wool fells) was levied and the goods were then consigned to a staple at Dordrecht.”