Englands Glory BY THE Benefit of Wool Manufactured therein from the Farmer to the Merchant and the Evil Consequences of its Exportation Unmanufactured Briefly Hinted With Submission to better Judgments THere is no King nor Prince in the World known by experience or upon Record that hath such means to support their Splendour and Greatness as his Majesty of great Britain nor has any Country or Nation such variety of staple Commodities within it self and in such abundance as hath the Kingdom of England which are said by some to be a Hundred Native Commodities which produceth a Thousand sorts of Manufactures So that if those advantages were duly improved England might be a general Mart for the whole World and then by consequence be the glory thereof That those advantages are not improved is too too obvious to all that look into it by the sore complaints that are frequently made of the great proverty and decay thereof and indeed which is worst of all by that general desperation of spirit which will not put forth a hand to help support or prevent the total desolation of our Country upon a prepossest opinion that all endeavours will be rendred fruitless and abortive The consideration whereof hath greatly prompted me who must confess my self the meanest of Thousands more concerned to use the utmost of my little skill and unwearied diligence though but as the Womans mite to the right management of so great an undertaking that the threatned ruine of all may be prevented and of possible some good part of what is lost may be recovered And whereas many have taken in hand to set forth these things some treating of one thing and other of another which if all was collected and harmonized it might very much conduce to the promoting of this weighty affair of so publick a value I shall confine my self to those things only whereof I have had not only credible information but a considerable though a sad experimental knowledge and in a more particular and especial manner that of Wool and of its Manufacture and Consequences which amongst many is the Richest Treasure in his Majesties Dominions the flower strength and sinews of this Nation a Land uniting the People into Societies for their own Utility it is the Milk and Honey to the Grazier and Country Farmer the Gold and Spices of the East and West Indies to the Merchant and Citizens the continued supply of Bread to the Poor and in a word the Exchequer of wealth and staple of protection to the whole both abroad and at home and therefore of full merit to be had in perpetual remembrance defence and encouragement for the most advantageous improvement thereof The Wools of England before it was manufactured within it self have ever been of great account and esteem abroad sufficiently testified unto by the great amity which it begat and for many Hundred Years inviolably maintained between the King of England and Dukes of Burgundy only for the great benefit that from that Commodity did accrew to that People insomuch that the English Wools they receiv'd at 6 d. per Pound they returned again through their industrious manufacture thereof in Cloth at 10 s. per Yard to the great inriching of that State both in the advancement of the Revenues of their Soveraign and in a full employment thereby continued among the People whereby the Merchants of this Nation were occasioned as a People unwilling to be wholly dispriviledged of so great a benefit to transport themselves with their Families in great numbers into Flanders from whence they held a constant Commerce with most parts of the World this continued without intermission between England and Burgundy until King Edward the 3d. made his mighty Conquests over France Scotland and as a suitable improvement of so great a mercy did wisely project and also accomplish the manufacture of Wools within the Bowels of this Kingdom to the great inriching of his own People and also to the Peopling of his new Conquered Dominions the memory of whose wisdome and care for his People is worthy to be had in remembrance by English Men unto the Worlds end The said King having thus setled the manufacture of Wools within the Kingdom of England confined it by a penal Statute which at first reached not only to Goods Chattels and Land but also to Members and Life it self but in a short time repealed the two latter thereof continuing the other in its full force to remain to future Generations which exceeding great advantage to the prosperity of the English Trade hath now continued these Three Hundred Years by the vigilancy of the Kingdoms Monarchs and the protection of its Laws in the continued careful execution thereof upon offenders with more than a little diligence to provide against the thirsting desires of Foreiners to wrest this Native priviledge of so great a moment out of English hands which by the providence of God through the great care of our Ancestors has been for many Ages enjoyed by the Nation as it is indeed its proper right But so it is that for some years past the diligence of Foreiners to enrich themselves upon us has so much exceeded our care to preserve our selves that it 's now come to if not beyond a question Who have the greatest benefit of the manufacture of English Wools they who have no right unto it or they to whom of right it doth belong That this is indeed so will appear by considering that not only Holland Flanders and Zealand have long sucked the sweetness of the sinews of our Trade but France is likewise learning to be too hard for us as is manifest by the great quantities of Wools that of late years have been transported from England and Ireland thither how injurious it must be to us is also unquestionable if we consider the consequence thereof which was without question much in the Eye of our Ancestors as appeares by what is above hinted in Edward the 3ds time and in several Kings Reigns since Every Pack of Wool sent to France doth prevent us not only of the benefit of the manufacture thereof but of two Packs more besides it self viz. Thus it being combing and combed Wool for the most part exported thither the French having no Wools of their own but such as are very course are not able to make Cloth or fine Stuff without the conjunction of ours therewithall there being none to my best information fit for that purpose in all the World but ours only all other being likewise course but Spanish and that much too fine especially for Worsted Stuffs and not in any wise fit for combing so that without English or Irish Wools there can be no fine Worsted Stuffs nor a middle sort of Cloth made in the whole World neither will any Wools be well mixed together but English and Spanish only for Cloth because the Spanish is with the English of one nature being formerly English Sheep though now much finer from the
alteration of the Climate and the nature of the Land whereon it is fed as by good experience appeareth here in England both neer and at a farther distance Wherefore the exportation of English Wools into France must of necessity be greatly prejudicial to this Nation not only in the quantity sent over but also in the advantage which is thereby given them to manufacture a double portion of their own Wool which formerly was little worth into such commodities as spoyls us of the a vantage of our proper Trade not only thither but also into other parts viz. in these three respects First The combed of the English Wool makes Wooffe for the Warpes of the French Wool and so takes up it may be as much as the quantity above specified to every Pack of English Wool without which they can only with their Wool make Rugs and at the best Cloth for Sea-men and the like 2dly Their combings or pinnions viz. the short Wool that 's combed out of the Worsted serves for their Linnen warp to make some of their Druggets because their Linnen being fine spun and coloured is not discernable to all Persons to be that we call Linsie Woolsie 3dly The finest short English Wool is mixed with the lowest of Spanish Wool called short Wool for some of their best Druggets that is woove for Worsted Chanies and also for a middle sort of Broad-cloth about 10 s. or 12 s. per Yard This is the cause I judg that short Spanish Wool is so scarce here in England Now if we consider these things together the dammage of the exporting of this one Pack from England to France at about 10 l. or 12 l. Sterling preventing the manufacturing of two Packs more in England which would be worth one 100 l. Englands loss in the whole by the exportation of a Pack of Wool is little less than 90 l. in its first exportation moreover considering the Custom paid when exported if manufactured in England with the Frait and Custom where it is imported the product of all these charges augmenting the 100 l. when sold there laid out in another commodity beyond Sea the Custom whereof being paid there with Frait and Custom when imported in England it 's much if it do not more than double the first principal Now if it be so that the exportation of one Pack of English wool exported at 10 l. or 12 l. be neer 200 l. dammage to the King and Kingdom in general is the consequence what will be the loss in the exporting of 10. or 15 Thousand Packs into France in two Years time is easily accounted by such as are concerned in the affaires And although this evil is almost incredible to many yet it is too manifest to such as have made something their business to look into it and not only so but these further inconveniences must by this means arise upon us First The spoyling of our Trade with France in all our Woollen manufactures as doth already appear by the Impost put upon the same there from 20. to 40. per Cent. since so great quantitie of our VVools is exported thither whereunto woful experience may be a sufficient witness And secondly In time it will capacitate the French as well as the Dutch if not much better to under-sell our English Merchants in Forrein Parts nay possibly in our own Country to this I shall only mention the words of a Merchant in Flanders by Letter to another here treating on this matter thus We English have our throats cut with our own Weapons wondering at the stupidity of the English here that they should so long omit to possess the King's Majesty with this deplorable and dangerous case in respect to the present and future inconveniences thereof by reason whereof as in time the French will not only prevent our English woollen manufactures to be sold in France as before minded and also in other Forrein Parts but also bring theirs into England and sell them for four times the value here to the great inriching of themselves and to the impoverishing of the English only by new fantastick sopperies for which the English pay not less than some hundred thousands in a year to get themselves into the French mode So much indeed have we been deceived in this matter to our shame as well as to our apparent loss that whereas in time of the late War with the Dutch and French those French Druggets were thereby much prevented many English striped broad-cloths rent through into three parts about 10 s. per Yard price being put into the form of French Druggets were sold in each part at 8 s. per Yard and so in the whole came to 1 l. 4 s. per Yard So likewise it is certainly true that many of those Druggets made here in England goe for French and in order thereunto directed to French Men in some of our Southern parts have from thence been conveighed unto London and there sold for French Goods to have coloured the business with the Custom-house Officers to save the Custom of French Druggets And this continued long before the cheat could be discovered but being once found out by the Clothier who could not to his own private advantage conceal such an apparent injury to his Country it was soon prevented whereby we may come to see with clearness the advantage that that People makes upon our English fansies by over-selling us in the same kind of commodities that they make out of our English Wools joyned as before minded with their own having also an advantage thereunto by the cheapness of the manufactures thereof beyond what we can do the French being very populous and living harder than we can in England as is evident by their Linnens that Paying Fraight and Custom with profit to the Merchant yet can be afforded cheaper than can be made in England But so it is that the advantage we give them besides in the mixture of our Wools with theirs is such that whereas their Wool of it self is not worth above 4 l. per Pack being mixed with ours becomes so fit for Worsted Stuffes as that it comes to be worth no less than 12 l. per Pack So that all those things considered it becomes obvious to every Eye that doth not wilfully close it self that the exportation of Wool from England and Ireland is of a dangerous and destructive nature to the very being of the Trade of this Kingdom Whatever objections have been made with respect to the Graziers present advantage thereunto whose loss may possibly be supposed by prohibiting exportation to be about 20 s. in every Pack of Wool that 's so exported In answer whereunto I have this to say That though it may be granted it will be so for a time in this one particular commodity yet such will thereby be the spoyl of the general Trade of the Nation that what is gotten in one will be lost in every other commodity as Corn Beefs and Muttons on each of which
substantial Cloath and that for want only of dressing and dying many Millions were lost to the King and Kingdom What then hath been the loss of so many thousand Packs of Wool exported without any improvement especially that to France the consequence of which is more prejudicial as hath been demonstrated than can be imagined accounting but one hundred pounds dammage by one Pack of Wool of which there are no less than ten thousand yearly if not much more exported by which there is dammage a Million of pounds sterling yearly to this Kingdome besides the suffering of the Poor for want of Imployment out of which his Majesties dammage cannot be less then 100000. pound yearly The lessening of Shipping and discouragement of Mariners the Walls of this Kingdome hereby deserve also to be considered Next then to his Majestyes loss is that of the Merchant and Cloathier after which must follow detriment to all other persons depending on Trade there being such a Connexion of Trades one to another and the whole of Trade being enlarged by the abounding of Laborious People Those supply the Farmers and Graziers with money for you to supply the Gentry They again scatter it amongst the Tradesmen as may be witnessed by the building of the City of London how Provision and all Consumptive goods are advanced by it by which circulation all degrees are either imployed enriched or both and hence naturally comes Content Harmony and Pleasure one in another the Poor being by Imployment delivered from fear of want the Gentry Merchant and Tradesmen by the establishment of Trade therein This Rationally is the strength of any People Poverty and Idleness brings their shame and Ruine which would unavoidably follow want of Trade And so much the more where the greatest Trade hath been if it fails the greater Poverty is and will be And to instance as here in London the Trade in Provision is the more so by Consequence it must be dear and so best for all so of the other hand if the City should be forced to keep so many thousands when all their work is done as is now in the Building it would be a great burden so the case is in England in this particular where great Trade have been formerly kept and drawn several Families thither and have raised Commodities there but when it sails it is a miserable state and condition those places are in To return in short there is such Connextion and dependency one upon another in England that if one fail all the rest more or less either more near or remotely are concerned as in the natural body when any member fails the whole suffers thereby and as all Trades and degrees of men may suffer by one mistake in Trades and in none more probably I will say then this of Wool as Merchants Artificers Farmers Sea-men Fisher-men being the people which by their study and labour do principaly if not only bring in or give occasion to the bringing in of wealth to the Nation and other kind of people viz. Nobility Gentry Lawyers Physicians Schollars of all sorts Shop-keepers are they that receive from these and distribute it again and all are consequently concerned in this rich Treasure of Wool because this being a Manufacture at home sets more hands at work than half the Nation May I not with modesty and within Compass say three parts of Laborious and Industrious people considering that most of the shipping is imployed in this affair and also so many Trades that depend immediatly upon this of Cloathing that most of other Trades are but for Provision either in Food or Conveniencies for Cloathing and so from his Majesty to the meanest all are more or less concerned The King mostly not only in that his People are by that most imployed and provided for nor in that such a Staple Trade the like whereunto the world hath not with good Advantage thereby is maintained but because so great a Revenue comes directly into him upon the Trade occasioned thereby Thus as the King gains or suffers most so the persons that have the greatest Estates or Trades and so all proportionably to the Beggar And also considering that an accustomary thing begets such an habit that is hard to reduce as in our rough and undrest Cloath to Holland so it will be with all our Manufactures in France nay I am informed that the French hath not only imposed a great Tax upon our Woollen Manufactures from twenty to forty per cent but have also as is affirmed beside that their imposition absolutely prohibited our Cloaths coming there I am the more large in the demonstration of this affair not only because this hath cost me many years labour and study to consult all sorts of concerned persons besides mine own experience about it nor because it is so hard to convince people of the meanst capacity but some of the wiser sort how to cure this dismal malady which some despairing of have rather thoughts of setting up some other Manufacture in Lieu of endeavours to prevent the exportation of Wool and Manufacturing of that at home looking thereon as a thing not to be overcome as that of Linnens in some capable parts of England and a better improvement in the product of sorrein plantations which may also be set upon together herewith as an addition so as several sorts of persons may be set better on work not capable of this employment and yet no prejudice to this of Cloathing for all other Countryes have the advantage of England or are equal to us in other Manufactures proper to their Countreys but not in this of Cloathing and it will be found that all Trades in England wholly distinct from this of Cloathing bring not the tythe of advantage that this doth Since men cannot rationally believe the effects to be greater than the cause the most of other Manufactures either is in being or brought to use by the Manufactures of Wool even from the Farmer to the Merchant all are concerned in this of Wool as may hereafter more appear It now remains that we sum up Englands loss by the exportation of our Wool to Forrein Parts not only in the advantage we might have by the Manufactureing thereof here in England as formerly noted but also in the importing af Dutch Cloath and more in French Manufactures because England improves not their own Wools and of the humour of English people in putting such a value upon French fancies when themselves are in a better capacity if improved to produce the like or better and save the following sums 1. One Million of pounds Sterling yearly in the Exportation of our Wool 2. Five hundred thousand pounds in rough Cloath which is but half what Sir Walter Rawleigh observes in his time 3. One hundred thousand pound yearly in Importing French Manufactures superfluous 4. Many thousand pounds in Importing Dutch Cloath 5. And lastly the evil consequences thereof in loseing our Shipping which would be encouraged thereby are
the strength or Walls of our Kingdome as more particularly doth appear hereafter Having now discovered the dammage it is to England in the Transportation of Wool from the King to the meanest I shall endeavour also to discover the methods how it is done and before I shall prescribe Remedy for it is not enough to know distempers especially such that are so Consumptive it is requisite to know the cause of those distempers or else the supposed Remedies will in time come to be a disease as it is too much in this case at this day in England where the causes are mistaken the Remedies are consequently misapplyed whereby a disease in supposition becomes one in effect the methods or ways of this evil are First in Rumny Marsh in Kent where the greatest part of rough Wooll is exported from England put aboard French Shallops by night ten or twenty men well armed to guard it some other parts there are as in Sussex Hampshire and Essex the same methods may be used but not so conveniently The same for coombed Wool from Canterbury they will carry it ten or fifteen miles at night towards the Sea with the like guard as before but for other parts it must be done partly by the Remisness of the Officers of his Majesties Customs and easie Composition for the forfeitures of the Bonds as more shall appear anon And then for coombed Wool in other parts some is shipped off from London for Bales of Drapery nay some at Lime and also at Exon where there is ten thousand pounds Sterling weekly laid out in the woollen Manufactury which is most for Workmens wages I know no place clear and then another reason why persons are not detected is because all the wools that have been taken in those parts where most hath been exported have been suffered to go off at the same places after Judgments past and by the Officers to the same persons at a low rate being under rated to those very men that intended to ship it at first so that the evil is never like to be avoyded that way only that which is taken happily may be a little the dearer to keep the Trade going for I have enquired and cannot understand but of two parcels of wool that have been seased on in Kent that have been used in England but all sent away and so his Majesties providence is cheated who keeps Servants at great wages to prevent such abuses And then another cheat is under a pretense of wool from Hampton to the Islands of Jersey and Gernsey sometimes from other parts which is against the Law for there is no wool to be exported to those Islands but only from Hampton and that by Law should be by weight but now it goes by gross by the pack when it should be weighed but I believe not one pack in ten is weighed for three packs is put into one Then from Ireland which is the greatest mischief of all to England and much increased since the Act was in force against Cattel the Irish wool can be sold as cheap in France Holland and Flanders as it is in those places where wool is used in England which is a great augmentation to us of prejudice for Foreiners to have our wool so cheap as we in England having other conveniencies to underwork us as formerly hinted The wayes there must be by the carelessness of the Officers in not taking solvant security and exactness in the weight of wool and true examination of the returns of their Certificates and partly by easie compositions if not before bonds are forfeited and happily much combed Wool there packt up as before as bailes of Cloath or barrels of Beef and shiped as Irish Cloath and in all points so cunningly carryed as they are seldome discovered and never sealed as the Statutes in that case made and provided do strictly require Here see what W. S. saith Now to shew you more particularly these abuses how the Laws are crossed and daily obstructed to such as endeavour to serve their Country by such as ought to encourage the prosecutors sure there will be very many practises of evil consequents discovered for first in the Custom-House where bonds are taken to the intent that these prohibited Commodities pass not by means of Mariners out of the Nation but only from Port to Port for accommodation of such parts as want such Commodities they are very Remiss and careless in taking of the Sea-mens discharge of their Obligatory Conditions where also it is usual with the Sea-men to bring fradulent Certificates and so to cheat the Kings Providence who keeps Servants at great wages purposely to prevent such abuses or if there be a regular return of there Bonds yet there is commonly a fraudulency in giving them for the Masters of ships will so continue their designe as he who is Master at giving the Bonds and is legally bound shall immediatly pass his Interest to another man who taking charge of the Vessel and Voyage is notwithstanding not engaged in the Poart Bond and therefore neither is he accomptable for breach of their condition again when the Port bonds are justly taken and as justly returned yet to prevent the true and real detection of the offender and to dishearten the legal prosecutor some friends of the offender will clap an information against him purposely to hinder and divert others and soon after will let the Prosecution fall at his pleasure nay it hath been said and peradventure not unjustly that such preventing informations have been amidated to the over-throw of the regal information but when all is granted and a full and formal hearing and decree passed to the just condemnation of the offender Yet when judgments and inquieries are granted and do without errours of the Clarks which is not always impower the Sheriffs and their Bayliffs to see Execution thereof made it is familiar with those Officers to return a non est inventus â—or a mortus est viz. Not to be found or dead even then when the Offenders and the Officers have been known to be drinking together at that very time when the Writ should have been executed After all this one step farther will shew how charrety it self abuseth Justice for let all the former proceedings be granted and be candid and clear and that the Law be indeed justly and legally executed the offender in custody and nothing remaining but that he honestly discharge hiasself with money seeing Bail will not be admitted nevertheless upon a lamentable Petition and urging a great charge of Children to the Bench the Offender is usually admitted to compound for Ten in the Hundred or less when by his offence he hath gained a Hundred for Ten or more and peradventure hath undone a hundred Famelies or more in so doing Yet all this while the honest Prosecutor the only man that appears for the good of his Country who ought by the Law to have the full benefit and advantage of the Law gratis it
being enough that he spend his time for the promotion of the publick Weal after it hath cost him seral great sums of money large expense of time to bring the Offender to Tryal and Conviction is dismissed with little or no satisfaction unless he be rewarded with the brand of an informing Knave Surely they who made these Lawes for the benefit of themselves and their own Country did intend a more current and just passage towards them than thus to be obstructed and baffeled Such abuses as these made Theodosius say as it is Recorded that a wise man did himself injustice by hazarding his Wisdome and Estate for the benefit of his Nation and therefore some have not spared to urge that Customs and Impost and Toles and Taxes might be taken away from honest laborious hazardous Trades and Adventurers and be put upon litigious Suits at Law and such as make benefit of their corrupt breath that is to say upon such Lawyers as abuse their Clyents and such malicious Clyents as abuse the name of a just innocent Defendent Nor is the Loss in these by their Transportation all the injury but when honest men well affected to the good of their Country do detect these Caterpillers of the Common-wealth who make so vast gain as hath been denoted upon the materials so carefully prohibited when they do endeavour by due course of Law to make stoppage thereof and to have the offenders punished so many are the evasions such combinations and interest in the Officers who ought to punish the Offenders such favour have they in Courts of Justice and deceptions in the Return of Writs and in general such affronts and discouragements as the dearest Lover of his Country or most intrusted in Trade dares not attempt to prevent that mischief which his eyes behold to fall upon his Nation or which his own person feels to pick his pocket Thus far Mr. W. Smith To prevent all these inconveniences it cannot be done without some alteration of some Laws which is an Act of State and I do presume his Majesty doth already and the Parliament will also consider of it as to accept of any helps that may be contributed to them In short I am of opinion that if four things were done there would be in a few moneths such an alteration which if I should now insert would be Incredible yet I shall hint it 1. To revive some former Act made in Parliament for a certain season as in the 4th of Hen 7. and revived thrice afterwards which was done upon the same complaint as now is which if in force with some alteration would be one stop A second is for all persons to be accomptable for their wool because there is time after it is bought to be wayed up and setched away out of those Countreys where the danger is for to get acquaintance for those persons and to give security as it is from Port to Port then being the same danger near the Sea Thirdly for Ireland to have it confin'd to convenient Ports both in Ireland and England And when all is done there must be some persons of known Integrity and not mercenary men that must have the care and inspection over all Fourthly In those Countreys where no Cloathing is it would be requisite for a Store-house for small parcels of Wool and a Bond given that none be sold to Foriners which is of so eminent advantage as is by some said to the Dutch to be profit to the publick Millions of pounds Sterling per annum and to instance one case Sir Walter Rawleigh accounts by this in his remains page the 173 and 174. that in one year and half was drawn to the Hollanders Hamburgers and Embdenors at the least two Millions of pounds Sterling from England for Corn in a time of scarcity in England And if a Bond is so advantageous for such Commodities that are liable to he much impared in long lying it 's doubtless abundantly more advantagous in such a stable Commodity as wool is and if practised would be of such a use to England that I think would enrich England more than I will now stand to account I may add a fifth which is that there may be a short and quick Tryal of Offenders and that in such place as the Offender may have least oppertunity for Evasions We will conclude the whole with a short survey of some particular Immunities which Cloathing hath conferred upon England with which the glory of it extends to the very utmost inhabited parts of the world and without which the Ark of Gods mercy and the glory of this Land is like to depart First the reducing of Cloathing to England in Manufacture as well as in Materials which must a thousand times repeat Englands gratitude to the memory of that ever renowned King Edward the Third hath produced such opulent and magnificent societies of Merchants as the whole world cannot again demonstrate that is to say first the Merchant Adventurers Company whose Governours President Consults and the like chief Officers are not of less esteem where they please no seat themselves then are the Residentiaries of the greatest Princes and so much the more Cordial is their welcome as each mans profit leads his affection beyond his Reverence to publick Embassies because Proximity to a mans personal interest sits nearer in his thoughts then when he is involved in the publick concernment This Company hath by their Policy and Order supplanted those societies of the Hance Towns as they are called who vending an inconsiderable number of Cloaths and at low rates did never the lesss account England obliged to them for their Markets and Shipping Whereas at this day the Merchant Adventurer do utter ten times as many Cloaths Annually in the same Markets at far better prices And in answer to the shipping which England had in those times from those Countreys at dear entertainment this Trade of Cloathing and this particular Company of Merchants have furnished the Navy Royal from time to time and upon all occasions with such strengths as they have not feared if they have not awed the greatest Naval Forces sayling upon the Ocean he that may have the favour to peruse their Records shall find what oppertune Service they did for their Country in the year Eighty-Eight and since upon all military occasions wherein this Nation hath been embroyled with any other Next the East-Land Company hath planted the Trade of Cloathing all about the Baltick Seas which at this day imployes many Warlike Ships and gives at great increase of Marriners to the no small growth of Englands strenth at Sea The Muscovia Company have discovered the passage by the North Cape and the great Trade of Greenland what wealth occurs to England by the Turky and East-India Company is not easie to be numbered their shipping also being as strong and rich as any that swim upon the Seas How one of them hath by the trade of Cloathing only engrossed all manner
dishoner they add a curse and it was a chief care in Jacobs practise for a Blessing that he turned it not into a Curse how much more is this of consideration when the blessing comes by gift and not by design or procurement And further great may be the thought of heart when the sins of false Lucre and Covetuousness which is Idolatry are in full pursuance of such as have the full plenty to make weight and measure yet make it the Art of their practises as well as the practise of their Art to Cozen both the wise and weak It can be no great wonder nor without abundance of presidents if God for sins of such wilfulness remove his blessings with which this Nation is peculiarly enriched and dignified and give them to a people which will render him a better more just and more profitable account of his Talent and it s no news that though England be by the Almighty chiefly ordained to produce the Materials yet the Manufactures be given to a people which will render him a better Account all this and much more is expected if the Native people continue to abuse the Native Commodity as of necessity they must when they know not how to use it The wisdome of our Ancestors hath been liberally manifested in this particular First That the Manufactors be constantly made Apprentices for seaven years at least the contrary is one great reason that by ignorance so many abuses are that are unremidable Another reason why Apprentices are generally confined to seaven years servitude is to the end that professors in each Art multiply not beyond the support of their Trade which were not to increase good Subjects but Vagabonds which doubtless was not the intention of King Edward the 3d. ever to be remembered by an English man when in his design in bringing Cloathing to England a chief part was to multiplie his people as by his Native and Alleageant Subjects such as by and by you will understand he might securely possess the Conquests wherewith God had blessed him which were beyond any Christian Prince's in his time It is utterly against reason that a Nation can be poor whose people are numerous if their Industry be compelled and incouraged and their Idleness be punished and reformed It is the opinion of some that it 's not the barrenness of a Countrey which can forbid this Maxim The Scots are an abounding and numerous people and they have a soyle which to a Traveller eye seems to produce nothing towards a so vast maintenance of the body of that people yet are they in all parts of the world a warlike and honoured Nation helpful to all Princes in their Wars and ready upon occasion to return to the Assistance of their Brethren be their case good or bad The Dutch are a numerous Nation daily multiplying in a Country which hath in comparison nothing of its own growth to support them either in Food or Cloathing yet they want nothing neither in necessaries or wealth because they are industrious What Crick of the Seas do they leave unvisited and in shipping are so stored as most parts of the world do love or fear them Now a great increase at least of good people as above hinted in King Edward rests upon the regulation of Trade for it s not the number of workmen but number of good workmen which increaseth Families and it's Families which increaseth and spreadeth good people the other for want of knowledg and skill being fixed no where because their labours will not maintain themselves muchless Families For who will use a workman who hath neither skill nor credit when he can imploy one that hath both Of principle importance therefore is the Regulation of Apprentiships both to the best increase of people and to the honest creditable and wealthy Manufactures of Wool and especially of Cloathing being the Antient'st Manufacture for want of which not only the former denoted faults are daily found in their works but good work-men are undersold and ruined as formerly hinted by bad and the whole Nation involved in great dishonour as after you will hear Now Justice which all men cry up and few practise is a vertue both divine and humane Divine Justice is either from God to man wherein his Providence is his Justice by which he governeth the world or it is from man towards God and then its piety whereby he returns to God prayse and glory for his numberless blessings in Republicks Cityes and Towns its Equity the fruit whereof is Peace Plenty in domestick relations between Man Wife it 's Vnity and Concord from Servants to Masters good Will and Diligence from Masters to Servants its Humanity and Gentleness and from a man to his own body health and happiness There is none of all these Relations but is necessary and important to the Reformations in the abuses defaults deceptions and grievances committed upon Cloathing which in this discourse have in some measure been discovered and by which both God and man are justly provoked The Justice we are to use to relieve the complaints before exhibited is either distributive or Commutative Justice distributive is to give each man his deserts whether it be honour or punishment And Commutative Justice is in bargaining bartering exchanging or in any transactions between man and man to use all means to keep Promises Covenants and Contracts and for a man to be have himself as he would have others do to him to receive the Innocent into protection to repress and punish offenders without which common intercourse and humane society must necessarily be dissolved and for preservation whereof I have read that in Antient times the Fathers have not spared their own Sons The Aegyptian Kings to whom Antiquity gives the priviledg of makeing Laws the Graecians and Romans deified Justice and would not violate it towards their Enemies so just also were the Lacedemonians and so free from distrusting each other as even for the publick safety they used neither Locks nor Barrs insomuch that one asking Archidamus who those Governours were which so justly happily and gloriously governed the Common-wealth of Lacedemon he answered that they were first the Laws afterwards the Magistrates executing those Lawes for Law is the rule of Justice and Justice the end of the Law which indeed is the Life of all The ready way to rectifie abuses about Cloathing were to compare them with the rules of the Law provided for them for which there is Law and new Laws where they are wanting nevertheless holds not in all points For instance the Law empowers the Merchants and Drapers to be their own Searchers and to punish the Cloathiers Purse as they find his works to be faulty and so they do to the no small grief of the Cloathier but the Retayling-Buyer is not hereby at all relieved the Draper selling to him these faults for which he was before paid by the Cloathier the Merchants do the same by causing their Cloathiers to
Persons that formerly when there was a Trade could lay out Ten Shillings in Corn have now but Five Shillings which being multiplyed by Hundreds of Thousands in the Nation it will be no difficult point to see which way the Grazier and Farmer come to be undone and so are forced to give up their Lands into their Landlords hands For it is not so much the super-abounding Crops that lessens the price of Corn but the want of Money For I have known as much Corn grow Yearly formerly as is now when Trade was good to be 20. or 30. per Cent. dearer than now LONDON Printed by T. M. in the Year 1669. SInce the foregoing papers were printed I met with an Objection against what was asserted page the 4th viz. The French having that advantage of our English Wool to help work up theirs being worser and likewise that according to my best Information there was none fit for such purposes in all the world viz. for fine Worsteds or a middle sort of Cloath but English and Irish which is all one The Objection were that there was Wools in most parts of the world therefore why not proper for those purposes Answer that there is Wools was never gainsaid but that there is such Wool for fineness and substance in all the world except Spanish I cannot as yet ever receive as before I hinted any satisfactory accompt For the better satisfaction of the Reader I shall give some account of the natures of Wools in England but first of Spanish Wools They are the finest in all the world for Cloath but not so fit for Worsted being too fine and short and those Wools also are one in nature with our English being at first from Sheep that were English Transported thither and though that be much finer by reason of the Climate yet is it still one in nature next to it is Lempster Wool almost as fine as Spanish then next part of Shropshire and Stafford-shire part of Glocester-shire Wilts Dorset Hampshire part of Sussex and part of Kent Summerset Devon and Cornwall most part for Cloath some small parts for Worsteds Amongst all these Counties there is 9. d. per pound difference in the prises of one place viz. Lempster from some other parts but then again part of Sussex and Surrey Middlesex Hertfordshire and some other Counties 2. d. 3. d. per pound cheaper then the lowest of the abovementioned Counties but then for Barkeshire Buckingham Warwick Oxford Leicester Nottingham Northampton and Lincoln part of Kent called Rumney Marsh most part of the last mentioned Counties and part of Irish Wools is so proper for Worsted Stuffs that all the world cannot be compared with it And hence it is that the cares of our Ancestors have been such ever since King Edward the 3 d. in most Kings Reignes there have been some Lawes made or altered and in some Kings Reigns altered three or four times to make it effectual and for a memorial to future Generations are the Wool-packs in the Lords House in Westminster for Seats to put them in mind of what is the foundation of the Riches of the Kingdome that it is by the various streams of the Manufactures thereof as formerly in the Front briefly hinted from the farmer to the Merchant I shall now endeavour to give some particular account how all are conserved And before I do this give me leave to insert the Observation of a worthy Author Sir Walter Rawleigh that I have met withal since the former Papers were Written who saith That then which was in King James's Reign about fourscore thousand undrest undyed Cloaths yearly were Transported whereby it was evident that the Kingdome hath been yearly deprived of about 400000. l. which in fifty five years is near 20 Millions that would have been gained by the labour of poor Workmen in that time with the Merchants gains for bringing in dying Stuffs and returns of Cloaths drest and dyed with other benefits to the Realm besides exceeding inlargeing of Traffick and increase of Ships and Mariners There would have been gained in that time about three Millions by increase of Customs upon Commodities returned for Cloaths drest and dyed and for dying Stuffs which would have been more plentifully brought in and used for the same There hath been also Transported in that time yearly by Bayes Northern and Devonshire Kerzyes white about 50000. Cloaths counting three Kersyes to a Cloath whereby hath been lost about five Millions by those sorts of Cloaths in that time which would have come to poor Work-men for their labour with Customs for dying Stuffs and the peoples prosit for bringing them in with returns of other Commodities and Fraights for shipping Bayes are Transported white into Amsterdam and being there dyed and drest are shipped into Spain Portugal and other Kingdomes where they are sold in the name of Flemish Bayes setting their own Town Seals upon them so that we lose the very name of our home-bred Commodities and other Countrys get the Reputation and Credit thereof Lamentable it is that this Land should be deprived of so many above-mentioned Millions as that our Native Commodities of Cloath ordained of God for the natural Subjects being so Royal and rich in it self should be driven to so small advantage of Reputation Profit to your Majesty and People and so much improved and intercepted by Strangers considering that God hath enabled and given your Majesty power to advance dressing and dying and Transporting all your Cloaths within a year or two I speak it knowingly to shew how it may be done laudibly lawfully and approved to be Honourable feaseable and profitable He observes also the increase of his Majesties Customs by bringing in and spending of dying Stuffs as also strength in shipping setting so many thousands of poor on work also noting that in the Low-Countrys where these Cloaths are drest and dyed they stretch them to such unreasonable length contrary to our Law that they prevent and forestale our Markets and cross the just prohibition of our State and Realm by their Agents and Factors lying in divers places with our own Cloaths to the great decay of this Kingdome in general discredit to our Cloaths in particular Again he adds that if the accounts were truly known it would be found that they make not clear prosit only by Cloath Transported rough undrest and undyed sixty thousand pounds a year but it is most apparent your Majesty in your Customs your Merchants in their Sales and Prizes your Subjects in their Labours for lack of dressing and dying your Ships and Mariners in not bringing in of dying Stuffs spending of Alum if not Copperas are hindered yearly near a Million of pounds So that Trade is driven to that great hinderance of your Majesty and People by permitting your Native Commodities to pass rough undrest and undyed Thus Sir Walter Rawleigh Now if it was thus with England so long agoe when the Wool was spun and made here into