the Dressing and Dying it here â—o much loss came to this Kingdom thereby what must the loss be when it 's 〈◊〉 Manufactured here at all but the Materials Exported raw without any manner of gain to any Artificier at home For if we first consider his Majestie 's loss and next that of the Merchants and Clothiers after which must follow the Detriment to all other Persons depending on Tâ—ade there being such a connexion of Trades one to another that the dâ—mage of one harmes the rest and the profit of one advances others while the whole is enlarged by the abounding of working and laborious People who supply the Farmer and Grazier with money with which he payes his Rent to the Nobility and Gentry and they again disperse it amongest Tradesmen by which circulation all de-degrees of Men are either employed or enriched or both and hence naturally comes content harmony and pleasure that one condition of Men take in the other the poor by being employed are delivered from the fear of want the Merchants and Artificers encouraged by certain markets and ready Sale the Nobility and Gentry secured in their Rents by thriving and able Tenants And thus it is plain that emâ—loyment rationally is the strength of any People but Idleness brings Poverty Shame and Ruine which unavoidably followes the want of Trade But to return in short there is such Connextion and Dependancy one upon another in England that if one faile all the rest more or Less either near or more remotely are concerned All Trades and Degrees of men as Merchants Artificers Farmers Seamen Fisher-men being the People which by their study and labour do principaly if not only bring in or give accasion to the bringing in of Wâ—lth to the Nation and the Nobility Gentry Lawyers Physitions 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 Wooll 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 Clothing that most of other 〈◊〉 are but for Provision either in Food or Conveniencies for 〈◊〉 and so from his Majesty to the meanest all are more or 〈◊〉 concerned The King mostly not only in that his People are by thâ—â— most imployed and proviâ—ed for nor in that such a Staple Trade the liâ—e whereunto the Wooll hath not maintained with so good Advantage but because so greâ—t a Revenue comes directly into him upâ—â— the Trade occasioned thereby Thus as the King gains or suffers 〈◊〉 so the Persons that have the greatest Estates or Trades and so 〈◊〉 proportionable to the Beggar And also concerning that an accustoâ—â—ry thing begets such an habit that is hard to reduce as in our rough and undâ—est Cloth to Holland so it will be with all our Manufactures in France 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 â—oâ— because it is so hard to convince people of the meâ—nâ—st capacity but some of the wiser sort how to cure this dismal malady which some dispairing of have rather thoughts of setting up sâ—mâ— other Manufacture in Lieu of endeavours to prevent the exportation of Wooll 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 in provement in the product of Forreign Plantation which may also be set upon together herewith as an Addition so as several sorts of Persons may be set better on worke not capable of this employment and yet no prejudice to this of Clothing For all other Countries have the Advantage of England or aâ—e equal to us in other Manufactures proper to their Countries but not in this of 〈◊〉 hiâ—g and it will be found that all Trades in England wholly distinct from this of Clothing brings not the tythe of the Advantage that this doth Having given an Account in General of the 〈◊〉 to England bâ— the Woollen Manufacture I did intend to have decended to Particulars how all Persons are Concerned But my time will not permit now Leaving that for another season Notwithstanding what I have before said I find by Discourse with several Gentlemen of great Honour and Worth that there are some Mistakes yet remaining in their minds who Impute the Cause of the low Price of Wooll the fall of Rents and value of Lands because Wooll is no more freely exported to rectifie which mistake I have been labouring many years because the consequences of such mistaken Notions is dangerous to this Kingdom but if there was nothing more in it at this conjuncture this were sufficient to oppose it that it contributes to the Greatness of the French King into whose Dominions our Wooll is imported and who hath given so great an encouragement thereunto that to the Town of Caellis alone there hath been at least within two years brought in 40 Thousand Packs of Wooll from the Coast of Kent and Sussex besides what is imported in other places of France from Ireland and the western Parts of England for Rumneyâ—marsh-Men who so much complain are not content only with the Exportation of their own Grouth but buy Wooll 10 or 20 Miles up in the Country and bring it down to the Sea side and Ship it off besides much Wooll is carried from London to make a Trade of Exporting of it un-manufactured Kent is the place out of which more Wooll is exported than out of all other parts of the Kingdom besides so the Woollen-manufacture in that Countrey which before Wooll was so much exported was considerable is now almost lost tho' some seems to be well pleased that they have by that Means rid themselves of their Poor in that County I would desire such to consider what they would do with their Sheep Bullocks and Corn if all other Countryes that now are employed in the woollen-manufacture which is brought to London and there sold to maintaine Trade was as Barren of the Poor as Kent is tho' with it they have lost the benefit of so great and good Trade Give me leave to compare the Profit with the Loss and suppose Kent was wholy Independant and that it did produce Six Thousand Packs of Wooll yearly and put the Rate of Ten Pounds upon a Pack which in the whole amounts to Threescore Thousand Pounds and so exported And then to consider what it would be worth â—f made into Stockings and worsted Stuffs that wooll being most of it fit for it And supposing that a Pack and half of rough wooll made one Pack of Kembed wooll and as such worth Twenty Pound which
Custom was put upon all wooll that was exported by Strangers and that at least by this Means they may come to pay double the Price of what our Clothiers do and not only so but by this Means also His Majesty may receive an advantage by the Customs that is Imposed upon it 5ly That our Fore-Fathers did never Prohibit the Transportation of Wooll unles upon some great Occasion and for a certain Season till of late Years for making good of which a Summary of several Statutes are brought from the Time of Edward the 3d. downwards to our Times 6th That the decay of our Clothing doth not lie in the Exportation of our wooll but on the contrary viz. because our wooll is not more freely Exported than it is that in as much as the decay and fell of our Manufacture comes properly from the Prohibition of our wooll the stopping or hindring of it is but the applying to our distemper a wrong Remedy To all which Objections I make the Reply following which I desire may be Impartially considered and if therein there be any thing of Reason Truth or Argument I question not but that Persons of Honour and Reputation will not oppose their own Judgment especially when their Intrest is truly and so nearly therein concerned A REPLY To a Paper INTITULED REASONS For a Limited EXPORTATION OF WOOLL I Must need say that I had not thought of appearing in Publick any more and could not easily have been moved thereunto had not my Zeal to the Commerce of the Nation which is at present solely maintained by the Woollen Manufacture of it Raised my fears so far as to believe a great Prejudice is coming upon Us and so far as to doubt also that we may be hastning of it by those very means we would endeavour to prevent it And therefore I cannot but like the dumb Child speak when he saw a Knife at his Fathers Throat I mean when I consider the extremity we are like to be in from the French Kings Vigilancy and the great Endeavours that he hath of late used to acquire the making of the Woollen Manufacture in his own Kingdome and what Artifice and vast Expence he doth use to effect his said design both in France and by his Agents here in England And to encourage the Manufacture thereof in his own Kingdom he hath even very lately issued forth his Edict for the erecting Hospitals in many Towns in France both for the setting all sorts of Persons at work that are able in the Woollen Manufacture and for the Maintenance of all Indigent Persons and not to suffer a Begger there And if the French King how fair soever he pretends a Friendship to us by Defining by all wayes and means to Undermine our Commerce and by it to prejudice us in our Trade and Strength by Sea I may I hope be pardoned if I am more that indifferently concerned or more than ordinary warm to think that we our selves should endeavour to perfect His Design by delivering up our Wooll the Foundation of so Rich a Manufacture into His hands for that which is moved is moved principally if not solely for the French Kings advantage and that which is desired if granted tends to our own Inevitable ruine Nor can we hereafter thinke of so Vain and Idle a Thing as to recover our Woollen Manufacture once lost or to preserve the Kings Customs or the Strength and Shipping of this Great Kingdom without it Upon all which considerations I cannot but humbly entreat the Nobility and Gentry and more especially such as have the Honour to serve their Country in Parliament seriously to reflect upon the wisdom of that Great Prince King Edward the 3d. and upon the Method which he in his Reign used now so long since to gain the Woollen Manufacture out of Flanders into this Countrey and withal Impartially compare that with the present designe of the French King viz. to Improve His Intrest hear to gain the Trade from us And then to Consider whether we have not Reason to do the utmost we may to Prevent his Design or whether we have Reason to do all that we can nay more than he himself doth ask or expect from us by a Law to promote and Incourage his Design We must be very short-sighted if we understand not that after he hath supplyed his own Country he will not only endeavour but will soon be able to supply Flanders Portugal Spain and the Streights to gain an Advantage to his own Subjects for if we may break the Laws of Commerce and lay what Impositions he pleaseth upon our Cloth and all other our Native Commodities even while we are at Peace with him why may he not also lay an Imposition upon all our Ships that pass the Streights or that shall dare to Trade or bring the same Commodities that he doth in any Port of Italy or Turkey where the Subjects of his Greatnes comes And when our Commerce is lost and our Manufacture gon and our Ships imposed upon that shall pass the Seas what shall be left to defend our selves in case we will not also receive his Codex or whatsoever he shall for the greatness of his name thinke fit to require of us All which things whether they be convenient not only to be wished but to be Contributed to by a Law I humbly leave to my Opponents themselves to judg For when the Trade that not only brings such a Revenue to his Majesty but is the Riches and Strength of this Kingdom shall be lost as is now attempted what Way or Means may we as Rational Persons think on to prevent any of those Mischefs before mentioned This General being permised I shall now enter upon the Discourse it self the main Aim or Scope of my Antagonist divides it selfe into two Parts the one to prove that there ought to be a Limited Transportation of Wooll the othe that by a Limited Transportation of Wooll the Price of it may be Raised and by the Raising of this the Rents of Lands may and will be encreased and his Majesties Customes greatly Advanced and if these things were Really Practicable I should not only be so Just to my Self and to my Opponents but so Just to the Nation as not to put Pen to Paper to trouble the Reader and much less to expose my self to a Stage of Contention as I am now like to do but for as much as the quite contrary will if I mistake not apear I shall therefore Examine and Weigh those Reasons and Grounds which my Opponent hath brought for those Assertions Whereas my Opponent doth endavour to Alarm the Nation that for want of the vending our superfluous Wooll abroad that the Farmer and Landlord are so much damnified that the one cannot pay his Rent nor the other sustain his Taxes and that this is the chiefest if not the sole Reason of sinking our Rents and throwing up Farmers and the Misery of the whole Country This Consiquence is
ENGLANDS INTREST IN SECURING THE Woollen-Manufacture OF THIS REALM Against the Artiffices and designs of FRANCE asserted and made Evident to all true Lovers of their Country To which is added a REPLY to some Objections Formerâ—â— made to the same Subject LONDON Printed by Joseph Streater for the Author Anno. Dom. MDCLXXXIX TO THE READER IF I should value the Discouragements I have met withal not only by appearing Publickly in this Matter but also in my endeavouring to prevent the Mischiefs that accrues to this Nation by the Exportation of Wooll I must have been both silent and un-active but having conceived it to be the greatest Concern not only to the Merchant and Clothier but also to the whol Kingdom in general I have exposed my self because the greatest Strength of the Nation which consists in the Multitude of People the greatest Riches the greatest Power upon the Sea in Shipping and the greatest Revenues of the Crown in most of its Branches do all principally depend upon the Woollen-Manufacture as more at large appeareth in the following Discourse And considering that these great Advantages are not only endeavoured to be gained from us by Forreigners but more especially by a Powerful Neighbour viz. the French King while some at home are not only Reasoning but appearing in Print for it to such I will adventure to say and doubt not to make appear that they are Enemies to Englands Prosperity what ever Pretence they may make to the contrary I am much convinced that by this Means and by the Cunning Artifices and secret Contrivances of French Agents that not only the Clothing Trade but the very Intrest of the Nation in General is at Stake and in Hazard to be utterly lost This I have for some Years fore-seen and publickly declared tho' little regarded that it will appear in time that what I then mentioned was upon very Good Grounds and from my fore-sight of that Ruine in our Trade which will certainly come upon us if not Timely and Industriously prevented And tho' I have Wrote of this Subject 20 Years ago and re-printed the same in 71 and abstracted that Discourse and added a few Lines as an Advertizement to the Merchants and Clothiers and published that Discourse in the Year 72 to all which was Objections made and printed in the Year 77 to which I also then made a Reply as I thought sufficient And it did answer my End therein viz. in preventing the French Agents in their Designe But finding in my Attendance on a late Committee of the Honourable House of Commons appointed to consider a Bill depending before them for the Explanation and better Execution of two Acts of Parliament made in King Charles the 2ds Reign Prohibiting the Exportation of Wooll that Answer was urged by some against me supposing no Reply was made to it I have for that and other Reasons now re-printed an Abstract both of my first Discourse my Opponents Answer and my Reply thereunto wherein I have endeavoured to remove that Gross Mistake as if the hindring the Exportation of Wooll was the Cause of the low Price thereof the Cause of the fall of Rents and value of Lands the contrary whereof I do Assert and shall plainly Demonstrate the true Cause thereof Evincing that the hindring the Exportation of Wooll will Cause the recovery of our Trade the raising the Price of Wooll and consequently of Lands which is the Principal Drift and Designe of the Following Discourse That tho the Subject I am upon is mearly matter of Fact and therefore less subject to Controversy yet that it may be free from all Objections I have added the Testimony of two Witnesses one a Gentleman of Kent viz. Thomas Manley Esq against whome there is little room to cavel the other is Mr. Andrew Marvel who tho' Dead yet his Name still Lives 〈◊〉 Member of the last Long Parliament and very well known to many of this who endeavoured to oppose that unfortunate Act for so I must in all humility call it that prohibited Irish Cattle He Wrote that discourse under the notion of a Letter from a Younger Brother in Ireland to an Elder in England because he was unwilling to be known to be the Author being loath to disoblidg his Friends in Yorkshier who were for Passing that Act. Since the following Papers was printed I am informed that by â—eans of the stop at present to Irish Wooll the Clothiers in the West want Wooll which makes good what I supposed Page the â—â—th therefore it may be considered how necesary it is to have a â—tock of Wooll before hand to keep the Poor at Work when there â—ay be a scarcity of Wooll upon other occasions An Abstract of a Discourse formerly Printed Entituled Englands Intrest by our Woollen-Manufacture wherein is demonstrated that the whole Nation is concerned in the Improvement thereof and the evil Consequences of the Transportation of our Wooll Vn-Manufactured FEw Princes have such means to support their splendour and Greatness as His Majesty of Great Britain nor have many Countries such a variety of staple Commodities within themselves and in such abundance as thâ—se Kingdoms So that if these Advantages were duly improved this Kingdom might be a general Mâ—rt for these parts of the World. But That those Adventages are not improved is obvious to all that look into it by the soâ—â— complaints that are frequently made of the great Poverty and decay thereof and indeed which is worst of all by that general dâ—speration of Spirit which will not put orth a hand to help support or prevent the total desolation foâ—r Country upâ—n a prepossest opinion that all enâ—eavâ—uâ—s will be rendred â—ruitless and abortive The consideration whereoâ— hath greatly prompted me who must confess my self the meanest of Thousâ—nâ—s to use the utmost of my little skill to try what might be done towards the management of some Methods that may prevent the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if possible that some good part of what is lost may be recovered I shall confine my self to those things only whereof I have had not only credible information but a considerable though a sad experimental knowledg and in a more particular and especial manner that of the Manufacture of Wooll in England which amongst â—any is the richest Treasure in his Majesties Dominions the Flower Strength and Sinew of this Nation and therefore of full Merrit to be had in parpetual remembrance defence and encouragement for the most advantagious improvement thereof The Dukes of Burgundy who had as â— am informed the greatest if not the whole Manufacturing of our Wooll well understood and long enjoyed before King Edward the Third the benefits accruing to that People by English Wooll which they received at six Pence per pound by their industrous Manufacturing thereof returned again to us in Cloath at ten shillings per yard to the enriching of that People and advancing the Revenue of their Soveraign which being perceived by the vigilent and industrous Prince King
Edward the Third upon a visitation made by himselfe to the Duke of Bungundy during his residence there he imployed such able Agents amongst the Flemish Clothiers representing to them the Danger they were in by the bordering Warrs with France and the peaceable Condition of England and Freedom of the People that are Subjects there which are great Motives propounds an Invitation for them to come over hither wherein he â—romises them the same Priviledges and Immunities with his own Subjects by which promises he prevailed with a great number of them to come into England soon after him where He most Royally performed those promises and also replanted many of his own Subjects who had been long setled in Flaâ—ders And as a suitable improvement of so great a mercy did wisely project and also accomplish the Manufacture of Wooll within the bowels of this Kingdom to the great enriching of his own People and also to the peopleing of his new-Conquered Dominions the Memory of whose Wisdom 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 Wooll within the Kingdom of England confined it by a penal Statute which at first reached not only to Goods Chattels and Lands but also to Members and Lâ—fe 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 greate advantage to the propriety of the English Trade hath now coutinued three Hundred Years by the vigilency of the government and the Protection of its Laws in the careful execution thereof upon offenders with more than a little diligence to provide against the thâ—â—sting desires oâ— Forreigners to wrest this Nations priviledg out of English hands which by the Providence of God through the care of our Ancestors has been for many Ages enjoyed by the Nation as it is indeed its proper right But so it is for some years past the diligence of Forreigners to enrich themselves upon us hath so far exceeded our care to preserve our selves that it s come to if not beyond a question who hath the greatest benefit of the Manufacture of English Wooll they who have no right unto it or they to whome of right it doth belong That this is so will appear by considering that not only Holland and Flanders have long suckt the sweetness of our Trade but France is likewise learning to be too hard for us as is manifest by the great quantity of Wooll that of late years have been imported there how injurious it must be to us is also unquestionable if we consider the necessary consequences thereof For every Pack of Wooll sent to France doth prevent us not only of the benefit of the Manufacturing thereof but of much more by reason of the advantage that they make of their own course Wooll and fine spun Linnen in their Drugets and Stuffs Besides our Damage in putting that value on the French Fancies by giving them double the worth for the same Manufacture which we our selvs make of our English Wooll so much have we been deceived in this Matter that whereas in the time of the late War with the Dutch and French that French Druggets and other Stuffs not coming so freely from France some English broad Cloaths striped at 10s per Yard were rent in three parts viz. Breadths and put in the form of French Druggets and each part sold at 8s per yard which makes that one yard comes to 24s which as English â—loth was sold for 10s and the like Fancy many have for Dutch Black Cloth if it have the Name of Dutch tho' our own Make this is real Matter of Fact. Now if we consider what damage we sustain by exporting one paâ—k of Wooll unmanufactured by which we may judge of the rest that a pack of Wooll worth ten pound if it be Manufactured here and so exported would be improved to be worâ—h one Hundred Pounds That it is so doth most evidently appear by worsted-hose that one pound of Kembed Wooll worth twenty pence will make two pair of Hose worth five Shillings the pair or three pair worth three Shillings four pence which reckoned either way sâ—ten shillings for one pound of Wooll though some is less some more there being twelvescore pound of Wooll in a pack is so many ten shillings makes a Hundred and Twenty Pound For when it shall be observed as I have now demonstrated that a Pack of Kembed Wooll worth 20l. does when Manufactured at home yeild 120 l. here in the English Market out of which deduct 20 l. for the Wooll there remains 100 l. Starling gains by the Labour of Spining and Knitting besides the Dying Leging Packing and fitting it for the Sea when the additional advance thereon by home and forreign Customs Freight Land-Carriage and other incident expence together with the Profit on sâ—le in Foreign Parts shall be considered it is reasonable to conclude that this single Pack so Manufactured and Exported by the English Merchant will Purchase Forreign Commodities to neare the value of 20â— l. by that time the Customes of Importation are answered for the same And indeed the thing is naturally so obvious and the loss to England in 〈◊〉 Years so apparent that tâ— may justly â—lence the greatest opposâ—r and convince any thinking Person tho himsâ—lâ— never so indifferent or unconcerned in point of intrest And if it be so that the single Exportation of one Pack oâ— English Wooll unwrought be so great a â—amage to the Nation it is an amazing thing oâ—â—alculate what the loss has been and does daily prove to the King â—nâ— Kâ—â—gdom while so many Thousand Packs have been and still are Yearly Transported the mischeife haâ— not perhaps been 〈◊〉 to every one but is very easily discovered by such who give themselves the leastle sure to consider To return it 's aver'd that the Exportâ—tion of English and Irish Wooll is of a Dangerous anâ— Destructive Consequeâ—â—â— to the very Being of our Trade and to the riches and strength of this Kingdom and to his Mâ—jestiâ—s Customs notwithstanding the Objections produced against it with respect of the Graziers Advantage thereby supposing 40 s. upon a Pack of Wooll was advanced for a year or two by Exportation yet other things would be lessoned by it it being not to be denyed at the same time that the poore and laborious People can be employed as to have money to buy them Bread Beet much less Mutton the want of which must of necessity full the price of all manner of Vâ—ctuals and if we name only Mutton which is relative to our subject 2 s. in the â—arkass which comes to 10 l. for 〈◊〉 Sheep they producing a Pacâ—oâ— Wooll at that rate â—s the value of the saâ—d Pack modestly computed But then for Beef and Corn 〈◊〉 that â—e lâ—sned proportionable it must be oâ— course greater damage to the Farmer
and Gâ—azier it being reckoned three times the value of Wooll throughout the Nation one with another And supposing there should bâ— grown yearly in Enâ—land Two Hundred Thousand packs of Wooll one year wâ—th another And supposing that once in â—our years the sheep were aâ—l kill'd Viz. 25 yearly of â—00 which 2â— Sheep valued so low as 10 l. which is the value of the Wooll yearly shorn from the 100 Sheep It may therefore prevaile upon us to beleive that Beef and all sorts of Corn must be of a far greater value than Mutton and consequently of Wooll because the greatest number of People by far are the poor and laborious People which consume Beef Bread and Bear and few of such do often buy Mutton or at least any quantity proportionable to other provision and therefore whatever some others think that a Country can be inriched without the poor laborious People I am of another opinion For it 's matter of Fact that in England it self in those part where the inhabitance are thin and the Countres not full of People that the Land in those pâ—â—ts wiâ— not yeild much above half the value as Land of the same goodness will yeild near Townes well Inhabited or Countries where Trade is good and if thus in England it 's much less in Ireland which I think is a good Demonstration Tâ—ese things considered on the other hand it will manifestly appear that the Exportation of Wooll unmanufactured will not only be destructive to the Merchants and Clothiers Trade and the exposing the poor to distress â—o want of employment but consequently the Farmer and Gâ—asieâ— will not be able to pay his Rent For if it be so that whilst we have some little Tâ—aâ—e left there are such general complaints what may be expected if our Foreign Trade should be wholly taken away which is now in more danger by the French than it hath been this three Hundred Years past and we seem to sleep and take no notice of it And then we â—aâ— considâ—r what price Wooll will bear when we some of us bâ— our remissâ—esâ— and oâ—her wâ—â—fulneâ—â— have lost our Trade by the circumventâ—ng practises of Forreiners and we our selves helping forward for fear they should not be able to do it alone and all this for a meere fancied and supposed profit for there was not more Art and Sâ—ill used by our Aâ—cestors to bring home the workers at first to the Wooll and Prohibiting â—he Exportation thereof and setling the Manufacturing of it in England than is now us'd to Export the materials unmanufactured to Forreign Artificers and if by the means of that which is Exported already Wooll is now made so cheap as it is a greater Exportation would make it yet cheaper supposing ten thousand Paâ—ks shipped into France which by thâ—ir sort of working it and mixing it with Lining and their own course Wooll and thinnâ—â—s of their work goes as far there and makes as many yards in the whole as twenty thousand Packs if Manufactured here into more firm and substantial Cloth and Stuffs which Ten Thousand Packs if they were not Exported into France it would unavoydably follow that France would have of us the quantity of Twenty Thousand Packs in our Manufacture Bâ— all which it 's obvious that in time to come the Wooll in England will be much more cheaper than now it is because by the aforesaid meanes more Wooll will be Exported and less will of course be used in England and that little which will be Manufactured here can beare little or no price Forreigners making that themselves which we should furnish them with which if it be true as it 's generally asserted that Wooll is as cheap in France as in some parts of England at this time it 's but rational to conclude it will be much cheapter hereafter when our Wooll dos encrease on our hands and our Manufacture decrease both in quantity and value For the better clearing of this point give me leave to insert one instance or two as matter of Fact That when Wooll was wholly Manufactured in England and very little if any at all Exported raw the price thereof for several yeares togeather continued betwixt 12 d. and 18 d. per l. weight and I verily beleive as much if not more Wooll was grown in England at that time Viz. betwixt 20 and 30 yeares agoe then is now at this time the reason is plain from the great quantity of our Woollen Manufacture vended beyond Sea which was so considerable that it kept up the price of Wooll at home On the other hand in Ed. 3's time when all the Wooll was Exported Un manufactured it was sold for 6 d. per pound as is before asserted by which it's manifest that the advancement of the price of Wooll consist in the consumption and vent of our Manufacture freely beyond the Seas and not in the Exportation of our wooll un manufactured As the Price of Wooll to be Set at a constâ—nt Rate without varying it is very Improbable if not Imposible for that which Rules the Market's in this Affair is the Sale of the Woollen Manufacture beyond the Seas For Example Suppose the Pack of Stockings before mentioned stands the Merchant at home at first buying 120 l. besides other growing Charges now if this Pack be sole abroad by the Merchants for 100 l. only the Merchant at his next buying cannot pay 120 l. but the maker must withal abâ—te proportonable first in the Wooll he shall next buy and then in the Wages his Work folks in proportion being reâ—uced in their payments So on the other hand if this Pack of Stockings valued at 120 l. here be Sold for 200 l. Clear of all Chaâ—ges this advance puts the Merchants upon a Speedy buying by which the Price is Advanced by the Merchants and consequently the price of Wooll and Workmens Wages Now to answer an Objection that we do not so much depend upon the Export as upon the were and Consumption within the Kingdome the mistake is so visible that all which gives themselves the least trouble to look into Trade knows that not above the 5th part of the Woollen-Manufacture made in England is wore here at home and that at least 4 parts of 5 of what is made here is Exported and further quantities wiill be demanded when the Exportation of Wooll unwrought is effectually prevented Before I conclude give me leave to add here what Sr. Walter Rawleigh in his time presented to King James the first viz. that by meanes only of the Exportation of Cloth 〈◊〉 and undressed was lost to the Kingdom above Foure Hundred Thousand 〈◊〉 yearly to the workmanship which the Dressers and Dâ—ers and other Artificers would have gained thereby besides the damage to the King in discourageing the Importation of Dying Stuffs which pay a considerable Customs besides the hindring Navigation Now if it was thus with England when the Wooll was â—â—de up into Cloth and that only for want of
greater than ever is not at all Raised Comparatively from the Export but from the Import which is 10. if not 20. times greater than the Export the Vallue of all which Import must proportionally fall as the quantity of our Manufactury shall faile to be carried out and as our raw and unwrought Wooll alone shall instead of it be Exported and Consequently to pretend that by such a Law as is desired his Majesties Customes would be advanced is either greatly to betray Ignorance or greatly to betray the Revenues of the Customes it self The next thing alledged by my Opponent is that the cause of the decay of our Clothing doth not lie in the Exportation of our Wooll but on the contrary Viz. because our Wooll is noe more freely Exported than it is and that we may be sure not to mistake his Sense herein he further adds that inasmuch as the decay and fall of our Manufacture comes properly from the Prohibition of our Wooll the stopping or hindring of it is but the applying to our Disease a wrong Remedy Which Argument had it been brought by a Stranger we should immediately have turned it into Merriment as supposing that he thought us such Children that any thing would easily Deceive us but being brought by a Gentleman and an English-Man I confess I could not possibly think what might be the meaning of it unless it were that my Opponent was resolved to cross the Proverb for a while and by a piece of Wit to make it appear that it is not always True that Intrest cannot Lye for that nothing can be more contrary to Truth than what is here alledged or more against the Intrest of the Nation and of an English-Man than what is here Asserted if that be the very Intrest of my Opponent is most Clear. For if it be True which my Opponent faith that the decay of our Clothing-Trade is not from our Exportation of Wooll but rather the Contrary because no more of our Wooll is not Carried out Raw and Un-Manufactured it must follow then by how much the more our Wooll is thus Exported by so much the more our Manufacture will not only be Preserved but Encouraged and the Reason for this must needs be that if we are once rid of our Wooll and have got a good Price for it we need not trouble our heads so far as to Imagin that they who Buy it will do any thing with it but only will lay it up to look upon it For if we shall Seriously Believe that they will have so much Wit as to make Use of it and to make Use of it as becomes Rational Persons in order to the Increase of their own Clothing by it we cannot be so sottish as to think that they do intend after this to Buy our Manufacture any more but do on the contrary design to prevent and shut out the Importation of it as a thing not Expedient for them And if this and no other be really the intent of Buying up of our Wooll by our Neighbours then must it not necessarily follow that by how much the more Wooll they have by so much the more Manufacture they will make for the Furnishing themselves and Furnishing their Neighbours and then by so much the less Place or Possibility there will be that we should be able to Furnish them and then also by so much the greater stop must of necessity be put to the Vending our own Cloths And is it not plain that by how much the less we Vend of our Manufacture by reason of the Increase of it abroad in other Places by so much the more our Manufacture must decay Not only in point of Price but in point of its Necessity and Use And is it not then as manifest that by how much our Manufacture Decayes our Trade must Decay and our Welth must Decay and the Strength of our Shipping must Decay and we our selves must be the more made a Scorn a Prey and a Laughing-stock by it to our Neighbours And if all this be not for the Intrest of the Nation but the contrary wholly is it not plain that my Opponent seeing he is an English-Man and seeing it is for the Intrest of the Nation that he Writes doth cross the Proverb and give us a Demonstration by his thus Arguing that Intrest may now and then Lye though not alwayes But in the next place to try whether my Opponent be in earnest or not let me humbly Beg of him to tell me truly why those naughty Men that Usuerped the Gouernment in the Year 1647. did upon such Penalties strictly Prohibit the Exportation of our Wooll if he faith it was because they were not only Rebels but Men of no Reason and Understood not the Intrest of the Nation Will he not by this brand many of the Parliament also that now sits who though they did not Confirm the Rebels Law did think fit at least to mak a new Law to the same purpose even soon after his Majesties most happy Restoration Granting then that the Laws now in force of the 12 and 14 of his Majesties Reign were not made by other than by the Wisest and most Loyal Persons of this Nation the said Persons must consequently have some grounds or other for making of the said Laws and if we may guess at their grounds by their own words in the preambles of the said Lawes they appear mainly to be these three following Viz. 1. For the setting on Work the Inhabitants of this Realm 2. For the Improving the native Commodities of this Country to its beast fullest and utmost use 3. And that the advantage accruing hereby might Redound to the Subjects of this Kingdom and not to the Subjects of forreign Realms as hitherto and as it would and must otherwise do WHerefore either these Three grounds when the said Lawes were made were either good and sufficient Motives for the Prohibiting our Wooll and for the laying so great a Penalty upon such as should Export it or they were not if my Opponant shall say they were not good and sufficient Grounds then he must say that the Wisdom of these Honourable and Loyal Persons who at that time served in Parliament were indeed not much better than that of the Usurpers of the Government in the Year 1647. But if the said grounds were Good Valid and Sufficient and such as did both Regard and Comprehend the True and Sincere Intrest of the Nation then my Opponent must confess that the said Laws ought to Stand or he must shew wherein the Case is altred now from what it was then with reference to the said Motives or Grounds that the said Parliament then went upon in making the said Laws For 1. If my Opponent can make it appear by Letters that he hath lately received that the Hollanders have laid down their Woollen-Manufacture and that they in France are alltogether grown Sick and Weary of it and that the French King hath wholly forbidden it and
our Markets low for our Manufacture and consequently that of Wooll also which when our Trade shall be revived and brought into the right Channel will be Incouraged by a full Employment we might finde a want of Wooll before the next shearing notwithstanding our great complaint of a Surplus of Wooll as it hath frequently accurd in Corn very lately and more formerly as in Sr. Walter Rawly's Remains 2. If the proper and only way for removing all evil effects be to remove their respective causes and that this is and must be acknowledged by all rational Persons then considering what we have said before and not only said but proved and made it appear Viz. that the cause of the said Surplus of Wooll with the Cheapness of it at present among us is partly from the Irish Act that Prohibiteth the bringing in of live Cattle and puts the Kingdom upon the Breeding of Wooll whether they will or no and partly by the Decay of our Manufacture through the supply that we our selves do make to our Neighbours of our own Wooll for the Promoting of their Manufacture to the Ruine of our Selves The proper Remedy then for the removeing the Cheapness of our Wooll on the one hand and Employing our Poor and Recovering of our Trade on the other hand must necessarily be the Restraining the Export of it from Ireland and from hence And here I must take the Boldness to say that where a Nation is not Rich in Mines of Gold and Silver it is not capable of being Enriched any other way than by its Manufacture And consequently if it be from our Manufactures alone that the Riches of this Nation comes and if it be from our Manufacture chiefly that our Shipping is Imployed and our Marriners bread if it be from our Trading alone and from the Riches which our Trading brings in that his Majesties Customs are Raised and that our Fleet have been hitherto Built and Maintained and the Dominion of the Seas hath been Preserved than it is and must be from our Manufacture only that our Bullion hath been brought in and that the Rents of our Nobility and Gentry doth Depend and are Sustained And therefore it must be granted me that there is no higher Intrest in the Nation than that which preserves his Majesties Customes and that which Sustains the Nobillity and Gentries Rents and that which Supports our Navy and Shipping Then in regard our Manufacture alone doth all this our Manufâ—â—ture alone and the Encouragement of it must necessarily be the greater Intrest of the Nation it self And I must crave leave to say that whoever placeth it in any thing elce as the circumstances of this Nation stands at present must either mistake the Intrest of this Nation or can be no Friend to England Wherefore it must needs be plain to every person that not only the breeding of Wooll but the disposing of it and the disposing of it to most Advantage is mow become the Intrest of the Nobility Gentry Yeomandry and of all others whatsoever that have a concern for the good of England and Ireland and it ought to be Indulged to none besides our Selves whose whole proper and intire Intrest it is to be Sole Manufacturers or Workers of it This Satisfaction also I had to encourage me to reprint my Sentiments and Observations viz. that by one Gentleman a true lover of his Country's Good whome I take liberty to name for his Honour which is Thomas Manly Esq of Kent who in 1677. published a Discourse shewing how far Exportation of Wooll is Distructive to this Kingdom whose own words do best shew his well grounded Judgment and faithful regard to Englands welfare I Transcribe them as they stand as an answer to the slender Reasons meanly alleadged in favour of Transportation of Wooll which are as followeth Viz. 1. Our store of Wooll say they is so great that we have sufficient both for our selves and Neighbours 2. It s free and unrestrained Exportation will occasion a greater encrease in its price which will sustain our drooping Rents and draw considerable sums of Mony from abroad for so desirable a Commodity 3. That tho we use all care imaginable to prevent its Exportation yet our Neighbours by means of our own People draw great quantities from us 4. 'T is to small purpose to keep our wooll at home for that Ireland supplies our Neighbours therewith to a great degree 5. This Prohibition of wooll is a new practice unknown to us till within these twenty years and yet before that time both wooll and Drapery yielded the best Rates for above 60 years last past To the First I Answer 1. That I conceive our Yearly encrease of Wooll is now no greater than when the Rates were double nay treble to what they now are and if so the fall and meanness of the price proceeds purely from the loss of Forreign Markets for our Drapery and from our own forsaking the wear of it and not from the quantity above what we had 30 or 40 years ago 2. 'T is very manifest how the Rates of Wooll these last 15 or 16 years have graduly faln from bad to worse and how as by degrees we have encreased in the wearing of Silk Camlets and frowsie French Drugets and as our Neighbours especially the French have enlarg'd their Woollen-Manufacture by means of our Wooll which they mix with theirs just so have the Rates of this Commodity with us sunk almost beyond belief 3. That seeing we have a multitude of People who for want of employment want bread and that the price of Wooll here is so low as to tempt us to let out that commodity which the wisdom of this Trading Age hath hitherto secured under Publick Prohibition as being the prime fund of our Trade and Navigation and which is so necessary to our active Neighbours that no Laws how Penal soever have yet totally debar'd them from it what do we else by such a design but declare that henceforth being not able to manage that Manufacture we abandon all thoughts of an advantagious commerce necessitate our people to live on us or dye at our doors and surrender to our Neighbours that Manufacture for which we were so notorious is not this at once to cast the Childrens bread to strangers and to remain for ever without hopes to maintain after such a dereliction any Manufacture which our Neighbours may have a mind to snatch from us 4. If our Neighbours could have Wooll as good to all intents and purposes and as plentiful and cheap from other Countries it might peradventure be advisable how far we ought to keep ours at home but the case being otherwaies and they our Rivals being not able to carry on that Manufacture effectually without it it seems a great mistake and dangerous to spare it on any terms To the second Reason That it will occasion the Rates of Wooll to rise and thereby sustain our drooping Rents c. I Answer 1. The were and