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
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
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