THE REPLY OF W. C.   

A Full and Clear REPLY To a Paper ENTITLED, REASONS For a Limited EXPORTATION OF WOOL.  
BEfore I come directly to reply to the said Answer, I shall premise a few things; First, though my Antagonist finds his Design Opposed by several Discourses under the Name of W. C. (and chiefly by one called England's Interest) yet he hath done me the Honour to Front his Discourse course with divers Propositions, allowed even by himself;  
I shall therefore answerably endeavour to treat the said Author with all that Civility, that is necessary in this Case, granting to him what is true, rectifying what I conceive to be mistaken; and answering such objections, as are material.  
I must needs say, that I had no thoughts of appearing in Public 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 hastening 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 Father's 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 Kingdom, and what Artifice and vast Expense he doth use to effect his said design, both in France, and by his Agents here in England, even at this very day, notwithstanding his Mind is and cannot but be so much engaged in the present Wars: And if he doth this in the very midst of his distractions, what will he not do, or what may we not expect hereafter from him when he shall be at Peace with all his Neighbours, especially having already gotten such Quantities of our Wool, as he hath.  
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 Beggar there.  
And if the French King, how fair soever he pretends a Friendship to us, be Designing by all ways 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 than indifferently concerned, or more than ordinarily warm, to think that we ourselves should endeavour to perfect His Design by delivering up our Wool, 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 ruin.  
Nor can we hereafter think of so Vain and Idle a Vhing, as to recover our Woollen Manufacture once lost, or to preserve the King's 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 Country, and withal Impartially compare that with the present Practice of the French King before mentioned.  
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 Encourage his Design.  
We must be very unbiased, if we understand not that after he hath supplied his own Country, he will not only endeavour, but will soon be able, to supply Flanders, Portugal, Spain, and the straits, to gain an Advantage to his own Subjects; for if he 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 Greatness comes? And when our Commerce is lost and our Manufacture gone, and our Ships imposed upon that shall pass the Seas, what shall be left to defend ourselves in case we will not also receive his Codex, or whatsoever he shall (for the greatness of his name) think 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 judge. 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 Mischiefs before mentioned.  
This General being premised, I shall now enter upon the Discourse itself: the main Aim or Scope of my Antagonist divides itself into two Parts, the one to prove that there ought to be a Limited Transportation of Wool; the other that by a Limited Exportation of Wool the Price of it may be Raised: and by the Raising of this, the Rents of Lands, may and will be increased, and his Majesty's Customs greatly Advanced; and if these things were Really Practicable, I should not only be so Just to myself, and to my Opponents, but so just to the Nation, as not to put Pen to Paper to trouble my Reader, and much less to expose myself 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) appear, I shall therefore Examine and Weigh those Reasons and Grounds which my Oppnent hath brought for those Assertions.  
Whereas my Opponent doth endeavour to Alarm the Nation, that for want of the vending our superfluous Wool abroad, that the Farmer and the 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 Farms, and the Misery of the whole Country.  
This Consiquence is not allowed, that being assigned for a General Cause, which is but one amongst many, and that a very small one; the true Cause of the abateing the Price of Land, and lessening the Rents, shall be given in the Answer to the next pretence in this Head; (Viz.) That it is much more the Concern of the Nation to preserve the Nobility, Gentry, and those that the Land of this Country belongs unto; rather than regard a few Artifficers, who are employed in the working up of the Wool of this Nation, or to regard the Merchant, who gains by the Exportation of our Manufacture.  
I Humbly crave leave to say, that the said Argument doth wholly depend upon a Supposition, which is no way fit to be Granted, (Viz.) as if the Interests of the Merchant, Mariner, and Artificer, were not only Opposite to, but wholly Inconsistent with the Interest of the Nobility, Gentry, and Farmers, whereas there is nothing more evident than the contrary; so that the whole Argument itself falls for want of a Foundation. For the clearing of which let us consider, that in as much as it is Impossible, that we should defend ourselves, as an Island, otherwise than by the strength of our Shipping, and seeing this is much less possible to be done now, at such a Juncture of Time when our nearest Neighbours do (partly out of Fear, and partly out of Emulation) multiply Shipping upon us, and use all endeavours that are possible to gain the Dominion of the Sea from us, it is hence clear, that we must either say, that the Interest of the Nobility, Gentry, and Farmer, is not the same with the Interest of the Nation, or if it be the same with the Interest of the Nation, it must be their Interest then, to uphold the Trade and Shipping of this Country, and Consequently to uphold the Merchants.  
But for as much as all that understand Trade, do well know that all the Commerce of this Nation, doth for the value and bulk of it, Entirely depend upon the Woollen-Manufacture, Consequently it must be the Interest of the Nobility, Gentry, and Farmer, to uphold the Woollen-Manufacture, as much as 'tis to uphold Trade, or to uphold the Strength of our Shipping by Sea: For what will the Lands of the Nobility and Gentry profit them? or what will become of the Privilidges and Rights of English Men, if through the Loss of our Wollen-Manufacture, we Lose our Trade, and by the Loss of this, we want Shipping to Defend ourselves?  
To this Argument let us also add, that if there be no opposition between the Interest of the Nobility and Gentry, and the Interest of the Farmer, (as no Man doth pretend there is) than there can be no Opposition between the Interest of the Nobility and Gentry, and the Interest of the Artifficer, who Works up the Wool of all he Country.  
For besides the Profit that doth arise to the Nobility and Gentry, by the Houses which are taken, and by the Lands that are Rent by the Clothiers, and by the Workmen under them, it's well known, that the said Clothiers, and Workmen are Serviceable to the Farmer, not only for the buying up of his Wool, but for the buying up all manner of Victuals also; by the which not only one, but all the parts of the Farmer's Rents come to be discharged, one Clothier Employing not only one or two Hundred Persons, but sometimes one or two Thousand; and Consequently, if we shall admit that there are in England not above five Thousand Clothiers, and that each of these (one with another) do maintain but two Hundred and Fifty Workmen, the whole will amount to upward of one Million; wherefore if we allow for each of these People, but four pound Per. An. one with another; the whole will amount to between four and five Millions of Pounds Sterling Per. An. which Yearly Sum the Farmer doth Immediately receive, and Consequently the Nobility and Gentry, from the Poor and Contemptible Artificer, over and above what is further Contributed by them to the Shoemakers, Tailors, and other Trades, that could not live and be Maintained without them, nor the Farmer himself, if all these Trades should Fail.  
And this leads us also, to take notice of another mistake in my Opponent, and such as is no small one, which is, that in as much as it is Matter of Fact, and such as may be clearly demonstrated; that there is at least if not much more than a Million of Persons, employed in the Clothing-Trade, and hath their dependence wholly upon the said Manufacture: It's hence evident, how much my Opponent hath mistaken himself in supposing, that though our Clothing-Trade should be lost, yet all the Persons that are now employed in it, might find work from the Farmers, foreseeing its Matter of Fact, that the Farmer is able to supply himself with as many Labourers, and more than he hath occasion for, without somnch as meddling with that of the Clothing-Trade: It must avoidable follow; that if our Manufacture should be totally lost, as there will be above a Million of People; that must either Starve, or Beg, or be put to the Charge of several Parishes, ot be forced to Steal or Rob, or leave the Kingdom; so it's as evident, that the Farmer after all this, will not only be less able to employ Labourers, than he was before, but less able to pay his Landlord, by Four or Five Million every Year.  
And when such an Abatement as this shall be made of the Farmer's Income: I shall leaveit then to any wise Man to Consider what will become of the Price of Lands, or Value of Rents, and how much this will advantage the Grower or Breeder of Wool? and to make good this Computation, and free it from all Suspicion of Slightness, we shall further offer to Consideration, that whatsoever is the true Value of all the Woollen-Manufacture of England, the Nobility, Genrty, and Commonalty do receive among them, near, if not more than Nine Parts of Ten. For inasmuch as all who are well acquainted with the Clothing-Trade, do know that it is not a Tenth Part of the Profit, nor sometimes the Twentieth that is gained by the Clothier, or first Employer, who frequently looseth of the very Interest of his Money; consequently it must of necessity follow, that Nine of the Ten Parts, if not Nine-teen of Twenty Parts of the whole Value of the said Manufacture must be distributed to the Nation; so that admitting the whole Wollen-Manufacture of this Nation, comprehending Cloth, Stuffs, Bays, Stoking, and all other of the said Manufacture, do amount to Four Millions of Pounds Sterling Per. An. (more or less) there will not come of that Great Sum to the Clothier, or first Employer, much above Two Hundred Thousand Pounds (if so much;) so that Three Millions and Eight Hundred Thousand Pounds Per. An. must of necessity be distributed to the Nation by Virtue, of the said Clothing-Trade; whereof we cannot but suppose the Farmers, and therefore the Noblity and Gentry must receive the greater Part.  
It is well known also, that it is solely by our Trade, that not only this Great City of London itself, but several other Large Cities of this Nation do wholly Depend; and which if our Trade were removed, they would soon be deserted by their respective Inhabitants.  
And then we cannot but offer to Consideration, where the Nobility, Gentry, or Farmers, would find a Market for their Commodities, or find a Price answerable to them.  
All which Particulars I have been the larger in, to remove that Mistake, which is almost as Destructive to the Nation, as the Pestilence itself; which is that mentioned by my Opponent (Viz.) that the Interest of the Merchant, or the Interest of the Cloathier and Artifficer is not Consistent with the Interest of the Nobility and Gentry; the contrary being made sufficiently to appear.  
My Opponents Third Argument is, that Wool was at twelve pound Per Pack in the Year 1647, when Wool was Prohibited, and that in the following Year, it was sold for sixteen pound Per Pack, but that Wool ever since by reason of the said Prohibition, (as is pretended) is fallen of its price, and is now not worth above four or five pound Per Pack.  
In which Argument, there seems to be a Failure in two Respects, one, as if the Wool of the Nation hath never bore any Price since the time of the Prohibition, whereas it may be made appear, that after the Year 1650, Wool bore a very considerable Price, from ten pound Per Pack to twenty four Pound Per Pack, according to the goodness of the said Wool, and continued so for some time, which shows us another mistake in his Arguments, as if the fall of the price of Wool were wholly to be ascribed to the Prohibition of it, whereas indeed there are two other causes that are very evident.  
First. From the discouragement that hath been put upon the Clothier, and upon the Vent of our Woollen-Manufacture, by the French Kings Arbitrary Impositions upon it, to the almost utter Prohibition of it; whereby now there cannot be so much wrought of it as formerly, which had otherwise certainly been, and then no such occasion or pretence as this would have been taken to complain of Superfluous Wool, and therefore as this cannot be denied to be a true cause why more of our Wool comes to be unwrought than formerly, so 'tis clear that those very Men that are now pleaded for by my Opponent, (I mean the Stealers and Transporters of Wool about Canterbury, and the places adjacent, not for necessity, but for filthy greediness of Gain and Lucre) have highly contributed to it, notwithstanding the Laws of the Nation against it, and notwithstanding the Ruin of the Nation that is Daily Jeoperdied by it, in which respect I cannot but Confess, that Rumney-Marsh hath indeed Created an Interest by itself, but it's such an Interest, which neither is, nor hath been Consistent with the Interest of the Nation, nor with the Interest of the Nobility and Gentry in General, so that the said Stealers or Transporters of Wool, have been the main and principal Cause of both these Inconveniences, (viz) both of the Loss of our Manufacture, and the Loering the Price of our Wool.  
The other Cause of the Fall of the Price of Wool, especially of late Years, hath been the Necessitating of Ireland to stock their Pasture Ground with Sheep, instead of great Cattle, and those of the best-Breed of England, by which means, as Wool hath of late Years been more increased, then ever at any time before within his Majesty's Dominions, so the Consequence of this Extraordinary Increase (and not any Fault in the Clothier or Manufacturer) is that which hath not only brought down the Price, but hath occasioned so great a quantity to be sent Abroad into Foreign Parts, as it bears now almost as small a Price beyond Sea as Here; and therefore in this Argument, my Opponent hath Assigned that for a Cause; which is no Cause at all, may clearly Appear, because it's matter of Fact, that Wool bore as good a Price, if not a better (after the said Prohibition as it did before) for many Years, till that breach of Commerce which was put upon us by the French King; which we before mentioned, and until that Unfortunate Act (for so I must Humbly crave leave to call it) was made against the Importing the Irish Cattle, upon supposition that it would Raise the Price of Land here in England, whereas the quite contrary Effect hath been too much Experienced (viz) that it hath Laid such a Foundation for the Impoverishing England, as will not quickly (I fear) be Recovered.  
The next thing Alleged by my Oppoent, is, that a Limited Exportation of Wool, will be more for the Advantage of our Woollen Trade, and less for that beyond the Sea, than the hindering of it hath been.  
Which Ascertion, if my Opponent had Really, Sufficiently, and Effectually made good, he might justly have Merited the Name, for being the greatest Master of Reason in England.  
And indeed seeing a Paradox more strange, and more hard to be Conceived, could not easily be stated, I could not but expect, that some Arguments more Remarkable than ordinary, would Immediately have followed it, but finding (contrary to my Expectations) nothing beyond a bare Affermation, that if Strangers had a Liberty to Buy what Wool soever they please, they would Pay Dearer for it, than now they do, and that our Clothiers would therefore have it the Cheaper, and by this Advantage would be able to undersell the Strangers in their Manufacture: I say finding little or nothing more, to be brought, either by way of Reason, or of Argument, to maintain this Paradox, I was soon convinced that it remained as uncapable to be proved as it was before, and a little to evidence the Improbability of the said Consequence, we shall here offer some few Reasons to the Contrary.  
And First I crave leave to say, that it's no way likely that the Grower in any part of England, should not be willing to get the utmost Price for his Wool that he can, and therefore not likely that any Grower whatsoever, will sell his Wool to the Natives of this Country, for a less Price than he presumes he may have of Strangers: And therefore not at all likely, that our own Manufacturers should Buy it Cheaper than others.  
Secondly. Admiting that it should be made Unlawful, for any Stranger to Buy up Wool, till such a time or season of the Year, to the end that our Clothiers might first Provide themselves of what they need, yet it would no way follow, but Strangers may have their Agents and Factors here, that may Purchase it at the same ease, with the same conveniency, and at the same Rates that our Clothiers are like to do, nor can I perceive any thing propounded by my Opponent, that would be able in the least, either to Prevent it, or Obviate it.  
Thirdly. And this great Omition in my Opponent, I could not but take the more notice of, because if no Expedient can be found out by him (which I doubt there will not) to prevent Strangers, from giving what Commssions they please, to Buy up what Quantities of Wool soever they shall think fit, here in this Country; as I see not how, or by what means, the Exportation of our Wool, should be any way possible to be Limited, so neither do I see how the Clothier here, should be sufficiently; and certainly Furnished, or how the Manufacture itself should be Capable of being any way preserved, and if these Mischiefs, and Inconveniencies cannot but follow, and cannot but be a Necessary Consequences of such a Law, as is propounded by my Opponent; and that nothing to Obviate or prevent these Inconveniencies, hath been either Regarded, or so much as attempted by him: I cannot but take it to be a very great Blot to his Judgement, barely and boldly to Offer at such a thing, which is attended with so much Hazard.  
Fourthly. Because my Opponent seems to to put his chiefest Stress in this, (Viz.) that a large Custom may be put upon all Wool that is 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 Custom, that is Imposed upon it.  
To try the weight or strength of this Expedient, or rather to show the Vanity of it. Let us suppose that 3d. or 4ds. Per Pound, should by a Law, be Imposed upon all Wool, that shall be Shipped out by Strangers; or others, as it will not follow, that the said Custom should be Paid to his Majesty, for one half of the Wool, that shall be so Shipped out: Seeing under the Colour of one Hundred Packs, many Hundred may be Exported. So this will much the less follow, from the very Observation; which my Opponent himself hath made, of the nature, of the Stealers or Transporters of Wool; for if as he Confesseth they will be contended with 12d. a day profit so they may play the Merchants; & if they are content to run the hazard of their Necks, and to be tried as Felons, for so small a matter as this a mounts to, which cannot be above 8, or 10s. upon a pack, how much more then, will they be encouraged to steal the Custom of it when their excuse shall be fairer, and their advantage much greater, and the hazard less a hundred times then now it is? but in the fifth and last place, let us admit for Arguments sake, that if 4l. was imposed upon every Pack of Wool that was Transported, and let us admit, that all this Custom was duly Paid, yet I see not the least Ground for my Opponents Confidence, that we shall for this Cause be able to under-sell the French, in the Woollen-manufacture.  
For beside that the Nature of their Manufacture being but slight; and such as takes up much less Wool than ours doth, and a great part of their warps, being made of their finespun Linen and their own course Wool: I say besides this, the Impositions that have been of late, Arbitralily put upon all our Woollen-manufacture in France; and considering also there is no Custom at all put upon Wool there, when Imported, both these will utterly prevent, our Selling the said Manufacture there, Cheaper than the French can make it, though they shall not only give double, but treble the Price, that we ourselves do give for Wool.  
The next thing Alleged by my Opponent is, that our Forefathers did never Prohibit the Transportation of Wool, unless 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.  
For answer to all which Statute, I shall make use of no other Argument, than what my Opponent himself hath put into my Mouth, which is; that Wool was for many Ages, by the Wisdom of the Government, at least very often Prohibited; and that whensoever the Govenment itself saw, there was a greater Occasion than ordinary for it, they did always Prohibit it; and Consequently, if the Interest of the Nation at present be such, and the circumstances relating to our Neighbours about us, be not only so great, but so Instant and Importune, that these two considered, there will be much more Reason, and much more Necessity, for the Prohibiting of it now, than formerly.  
Then all that my Opponent labours at, in producing Instances of other Kind's, and where the Circumstances are not the same, falls wholly to the Ground; for the clearing of which, let us consider, that the Circumstances peculiar to this present Time are, that we have not only been Possessed for many Ages, of the Manufacturing of our Wool, but have of late so Improved our Trade and Commerce by it, that we have Exported it by Shipping of our own, not only into France, Portugal and Spain, but into Italy, Turkey, and to the remotests Parts of the World.  
By which means, as our Wealth came greatly to Increase, so we ourselves became more Powerful in Shipping than ever, which greatness of our Trade and the Strength of our Shipping being not only Observed, but forthwith Emulated by some of our Neighbours, and seeing it was likewise clearly discerned, that the chiefest means for the Maintenance of it proceeded from our Woollen-Manufacture, as the Hollander therefore first, so the French since, have by many undue Laws and Pressures upon us, contrary to the ancient Treaties of Peace and Commerce, endeavoured to Rob the said Manufacture from us.  
Nor is the state of the Contest now at present between us only, who shall have the Trade, but who is fittest to have the Strength and Dominion of the Sea.  
Wherefore if my Opponent be not only an Islander, but so much an English-Man, and be so true a Subject to the Interest of his Majesty, which I doubt not but he is, as to think there is none so fit as his Majesty to Command the Sea, than my Opponent must of necessity grant, that nothing aught at this time to be done by us, that may hazard the greatness of our Trade and Commerce, and Consequently, that nothing ought to be suffered by us, (so far as we are able in any wise to prevent it) that may either lessen or endanger our Woollen-Manufacture, and Consequently, if nothing can so much hazard it, and hazard the very loss of our Trade, and of the Dominion of the Sea itself through it, as the countenancing and contributing to the Woollen-Manufacture now set up in France, than this is not to be done by us, but is rather, if we will pursue the Interest of the Nation, by all means to be prevented by us.  
And Consequently till my Opponent shall be able to make it appear, that the Dominion of the Sea, if lost, will be no great harm to us, or till he make it appear, that we are able to keep the Dominion of the Sea; even, notwithstanding our Trade and Commerce should be utterly lost, and notwithstanding our Woollen-Manufacture, should be wholly carried away by our Neighbours.  
Or till he make it appear by other Arguments than hitherto he hath done, that the French though they increase their Woollen-Manufacture, will neither be able to Under-sell us abroad, nor be able to prevent our Clothes and Stuffs from going into France, as formerly.  
I say till my Opponent shall be able to make good all these things, I must crave leave to differ from him wholly, and plainly to affirm on the contrary.  
1. That the Transportation of Wool, if allowed by a Law, can no way be Limited. Because if the Transportation of Wool shall be allowed by a Law, no means, (speaking rationally) is able to prevent the Hollanders, Flandrians, and French, to give each of them such Commissions as they please, to Buy up here what quantity of Wool soever, they shall think fit.  
2. In regard that this can no way be prevented, and that my Opponent himself offers not the least grain of an Expedient towards it: I therefore farther affirm, that it cannot appear that our Clothiers or Manufacturers here, shall have the least Privilege above the Stranger; either in point of Provision, or point of Price.  
3. That our Clothier, or Manufacturer here, must of necessity have a far greater disadvantage, with reference to the furnishng himself, than the Stranger abroad, in regard it cannot be thought, he shall be able to raise any such stock of Money as the Stranger can, to prevent the Strangers Forstaling of him; and Consequently (if it be Lawful to talk Reason) there can be no ground to Imagine, that our Manufacture shall not in short time be utterly lost, and this being lost, as our Trade and strength at Sea must be Inevitably lost with it, so not only the Honour, Wealth and Rents, but the very Privileges, Liberty, and Property of the Nation, must be hazarded to such Strangers as shall carry away the Trade and strength from us.  
As to the next Allegation, made by my Opponent, (Viz.) that the Transportation of Wool, will better his Majesties: Customs I see but little in it that may require my Answer to it, inasmuch, as I have spoken already to this, under the Fourth head: Nevertheless I must crave leave to say, that my Opponent here also goeth upon an extraordinary Mistake, it being not at all in dispute between us, whether his Majesty's Customs would be bettered if a Subsidy were paid only for that Wool that is now Exported, instead of having it all stolen: But the dispute between us strictly is, what his Majesty's Customs will hereafter amount to, Comparatively to what they at present now are, in case there should be a Law for the free and Unlimited Exportation of Wool, and that by reason of this Law, and the Consequences that must follow from it, our Woollen-Manufacture shall come to be wholly and entirely lost: For it becomes not a wise Man (and such I must in Civility Judge my Opponent to be) in making such Proposals as tend to the altering of Laws, to look at the present only, but to look more principally at the time to come.  
And therefore it is not in this case at all, to be considered what the advantage will be, that may come to his Majesty's Customs for a few months, or a single Year, but it is to be considered, what the advantage or disadvantage will be to his Majesty's Customs for the time to come; admitting these Inconveniencies, which I have before mentioned to be unavoidable, from the Law which is Propounded by my Opponent.  
Besides my Opponent cannot doubtless be so Ignorant, as not to have Considered, that the greatness of his Majesty's Customs (which is at this Day 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 Value of all which Import must proportionally fall, as the quantity of our Manufacture shall fail to be carried out, and as our raw and unwrought Wool alone shall instead of it be Exported, and Consequently to pretend that by such a Law as is desired, his Majesty's Customs would be advanced, is either greatly to betray Ignorance, or greatly to betray the Revenues of the Customs itself.  
The next thing alleged by my Opponent is, that the cause of the decay of our Clothing doth not lie in the Exportation of our Wool, but on the contrary, (Viz.) because our Wool is no 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 Wool, the stopping or hindering 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 Interest cannot Lie; for that nothing can be more contrary to Truth, than what is here alleged, ot more against the Interest of the Nation, and of an English-Man than what is here Asserted, (if that be the very Interest of my Opponent) is most Clear.  
For if it be True which my Opponent saith, that the decay of our Clothing-Trade, is not from our Exportation of Wool, but rather the Contrary, because no more of our Wool is not Carried out Raw and Un-Manufactured, it must follow then, by how much the more our Wool 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 Wool, and have got a good Price for it, we need not trouble our heads so far as to Imagine, 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 Wool by our Neighbours, then must it not necessarily follow, that by how much the more Wool 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 of our clothes: 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 Decays, our Trade must Decay, and our Wealth must Decay, and the Strength of our Shipping must Decay, and we ourselves must be the more made a Scorn, a Prey, and a Laughingstock by it to our Neighbours: And if all this be not for the Interest 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 Interest of the Nation that he Writes, doth cross the Proverb, and give us a Demonstration by his thus Arguing, that Interest may now and then Lie, though not always?  
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 Usurped the Government in the Year 1647. did upon such Penalties strictly Prohibit the Exportation of our Wools; if he saith, it was because they were not only Rebels, but Men of no Reason, and Understood not the Interest of the Nation: Will he not by this brand many of the Parliament also that now sits? who though they did not Confirm the Rebel's Law, did think fit at least to make a new Law to the same purpose, even soon after his Majesty's most happy Restoration.  
Granting then that the Laws now in force of the 12 and 14 of his Majesty's 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 guests at their grounds by their own words in the preambles of the said Laws, they appear mainly to be these three following, (Viz.)  

1. For the setting on Work the Inhabitants of these Realm.  
2. For the Improving the native Commodities of this Country, to its best, fullest, and utmost Use.  
3. And that the advantage accrueing hereby might Redound to the Subjects of this Kingdom, and not to the Subjects of foreign Realms, as hitherto, and as it would, and must otherwise do.   
WHerefore, either these three grounds, when the said Laws were made, were either good and sufficient Motives for the Prohibiting our Wool, and for the laying so great a Penalty upon such as should Export it, or they were not: If my Opponent shall say, they were not good and sufficient Grounds, than 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 Interest of the Nation; then my Opponent must confess, that the said Laws ought to Stand, or he must show wherein the Case is altered now, from what it was then, with reference to the said Motives or Grounds, that the said Parliament than 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 altogether grown Sick and Weary of it, and that the French King hath wholly forbidden it, and hath released all the Impositions that he hath of late Years put upon it, than I must needs confess the Case is altered, and that the sd. Law's ought Justly to be Repealed; or,  
2. If my Opponent hath received Information from sure and good Hands, that the Hollanders make use of no other Wool than that of their own Growth, though they breed few or no Sheep; and that he hath also received Information from good and sure Hands, that the French make use only of their own Wool in all their Manufacture; or,  
3. If my Opponent can make it appear, that the setting on Work the Inhabitants of this Realm, is not now a thing so convenient or fit, as it was when the said Acts were made; or,  
4. If the Improving the Native Commodities of this Country to its best and utmost Use, be found by Experience to be no good Policy, but to bring many Inconveniences with it; or,  
5. If it be much more adviseable that Foreigners should go away with the Gain of our Manufacture, and with the sweet of our Trade, rather than that his majesty's Subjects should have it, in all these Cases I must confess, it must Inevitably be for the Interest of the Nation to Repeal the said Acts, and lay them aside.   
But on the other hand, if none of all these Five Cases can possibly be put, and that those very Reasons and Grounds do still remain, and are the same now, which they were when the said Acts were made.  
Then my Opponent's motion to Repeal the said Laws, must be against the Interest of the Nation, or Interest doth not always speak True; which was the Paradox intended to be Argued by my Opponent.  
As it is clear then, that by both these Arguments, my Opponent hath wholly mistaken himself in the Cause of our Manufactures decay, to evidence yet farther the manifestness, and palpableness of this mistake, we affirm that it is Matter of Fact, that our Woollen Manufacture did greatly increase after the sd. Prohibition of Wool; and not only increased, but bore a good Price, and that I may not be found like some others, who regard not the Credit of what they affirm (and particularly, like him who hath contracted the Arguments of my Opponent, and hath published them together in one Sheet of Paper) I shall to justify what I say, appeal for the Truth of it, not only to the Customhouse Books, and to the quantity of the Woollen-Manufacture there entered; but to the Gentry themselves: And to the Price that the Land bore (and Victuals) for many Years together after the sd. Prohibition.  
Yea, as our Manufacture did increase for many years together, after the sd. Prohibition of the Exportation of Wool, so it had to this day still increased, had not those accidents happened, that laid so effectual a Foundation for the ruin of it, as it was neither in the Power of the Clothier, nor in the Power of the Grower to prevent: I mean those new and immoderate Taxes, which were laid upon our Manufacture by the French King, on purpose to encourage his own workmen to gain the sd. Manufacture from us; and on purpose to prevent our clothes and Stuffs from being brought into his Country, (the Fruits of Exportation of Wool) although we yearly take of his Commodities, to the value of above a Million of Pounds Sterling, and I mean in the second place, the making of that unfortunate Act against the Importation of Irish Cattle, which hath not only tended to the ruin of the Grower, but to the ruin of the Clothier, and to ruin of the very Trade of England itself; and which if it should continue to stand un-repealed, must necessarily, and inevitably ruin more and more: Both the Gentry, Merchant, and Clothier every day.  
And therefore as a further Proof of what I say I shall give one instance instead of many, and leave the Truth of it to be strictly examined, and judged accordingly; which is, that since the said accidents have befallen us (I mean of the French Kings Arbitrary Impossitions upon us, and that Act against the Importation of Irish cattle) Exeter alone, hath lost of what it did formerly Vend, near, if not above three Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling every Year: And if we shall reckon Proportionably for all other Countries and Cities, we shall then easily see there is a Just Ground for the Decay of our Woollen-Manufacture, and for the fall of the Price of our Wool by it, and for the fall and ruin of our Rents, not as my Opponent Allegeath by reason of the Prohibition of of Transporting our Wool, but truly and really by reason of the Multiplication and Increase of our Wool, to that degree, that the Exportation of it hath almost been Necessary.  
The serious consideration of which true and real cause of the decay of our Manufacture, I shall humbly leave to the Wisdom of the Parliament. And shall likewise leave it to their Wisdom to be considered, whether in this Conjucture of Affairs, and according to the Circumstances which now attend Us, while our Neighbours do not only Emulate us, but are become actual Rivals with us, not only for our Clothing, but for our Trade itself; and for our Strength and Dominion at Sea, we shall, or aught so far to contribute towards the Design, and towards the Certainty and Effectualness of our own Ruin, as either to Repeal our Acts that Prohibit the Exportation of our Wool, or to let that Unfortunate Act stand, which makes the Transporting absolutely necessary, whether we will or no, and by this means make our Neighbours scorn the Commerce and Trade they formrely had with us, and thanked us for it.  
And whereas my Opponent doth lay a great stress upon the false making of our Manufacture, as one cause of the decay of it, I cannot but confess there hath been to much and to great cause for that Complaint, we ought therefore to consider the main reason thereof, (Viz.) that as the said Manufacture for a great part is under no manner of Regulation, yea not so much as it may not be restrained to an Apprenticeship, by which means, persons Unskilful, and Unable also in point of Estate, undertaks it, having got some credit, and when they have got a considerable Estate of other persons into their hands, in a little time Breaks, not only to the great loss of their Creditors, but to the dishonour of our Woollen-Manufacture, and the Nation it self; Instances to many may be given, (the like may be said of Merchandise when Irregular,) but though this Abuse hath not been Redressed, notwithstanding which, the generality of the most Substantial Clothiers, though not tied to it by any Law, hath for their own Repute and Advantage, made such an alteration in the making our said Manufacture, that neither Dutch, nor French, (whose Fancies we are apt to follow) do come near us, either for the Accuratness and Goodness of our Workmanship, or for the Honesty and Integrity, that is used in making both of Cloth, Stuffs and Bays.  
And that I may here Vindicate the Credit of what I Say, and that it may be Clear, I Speak nothing but Truth, I shall Appeal to the most considerable Dealers in all London either as Merchants, Drapers or Mercers, whether there be not many Clothiers, many Stuff and Bay-makers', who though they be under no Check at all at present; do nevertheless so Value their Name, their Word and their Repute, that they dare Adventure all the Commodity they make, to be Forfeited, if it do not prove as Long as Broad, and as truly Made and as well Qualified, yet there are many both Drapers, Mercers, and Merchants, who will trust to the private Mark of divers Clothiers, with less Scruple than they will trust to the stamp of some sorts of Coyn.  
Yea I should much wrong many of the Clothiers of England, if I should not upon this occasion professedly declare, (and whoever denyeth it, will greatly Injure them) that such is the sense which they themselves have had for divers Years, how much it is for their Interest, and for the Name and Honour of the English Nation itself, to keep up an exact goodness in all the Woollen-Manufacture of this Kingdom, that they have for many Years, not only Solicited the Parliament, that they might be Incorporated in each County, and that none might be admitted to take upon them the making of Cloth, and other Woollen-Manufactures, but such only as have served a due number of Years, to learn the profession of it, might be sufficiently Versed and Skilled in it; but they have for many Years desired also, that all and every the sorts of the Woollen-Manufacture, might be brought to such a certainty of Regulation for the Length and Breadth of each Manufacture, and for the true Making of it, that it may not be in the Power of any Unskilful or Deceitful Person to Falsify it, but that by marks of their own, as is used in Colchester Bays, all manner of Cheats and Defects should be openly signified; than which I humbly conceive there is scarce any thing can be instanced that might, or would tend more to the general good and advantage of this Nation, and to the promoting and recovering of our Manufacture again, and Consequently for the Consumption and Advancing the Price of our Wool, which is the thing mainly my Opponent seems to drive at, and in thatwe shall agree.  
But here my Opponent may perhaps say, that after all I cannot deny, but there is a surplus of Wool which cannot be wrought up by the Clothiers, and that I offered not one word, how it should for the future be disposed of: (to which I answer)  
1. That it appeareth not by any thing which mp Opponent hath hitherto said, at least not by any thing that he hath hitherto proved, that the Clothier either cannot or doth not work up the Wool of the proper growth of England to the full of it, but if a far greater quantity of Wool be brought into England from Ireland then ever until of late Years, as the Clothier cannot be Responsible for his not Buying up all the Wool which is sent into England so neither can he or aught he to be Responsible for the Glut proceeding from the Importation of it, or for the cheapness of the said Wool, by reason of the said Glut. Notwithstanding which Glut I may presume to say, (or at least to suppose) that if an account was taken both in Ireland and England before the time of shearing, there will not be found one quarters Gronth, or at the most 6 months' Vn-manufactured, in the greatest Year of plenty of Wool and dulness of Trade; which duly considered, doth require more care for a stock beforehand in England, and not to suffer it to Engrossed and Stored up in France and Holland as now it is: And for aught I know would there be a Peace concluded abroad, that our Trade was Revived, and our Clothiers were Encouraged, we might find a want of Wool before the next shearing; notwithstanding our great complaint of a Surplus of Wool, as it hath frequently accurd in Corn very lately, and more formerly as in St. 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 acknowledgec 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 Wool (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 Wool whether they will or no, and partly by the Decay of our, Manufacture, through the supply that we ourselves do make to our Neighbours of our own Wool, fur the Promoting of their Manufacture, to the Ruin of ourselves.  
The proper Remedy then, for the removeing the Cheapness of our Wool on the one hand, and Employing our Poor, and Recovering of our Trade on the other hand, must necessarily be the stopping the Excesive Growth of it in Ireland, and as Strictly Stopping, and restraining the Export of it from Ireland, and from hence.  
And here Imust take the Boldness to say again, what I have in part said already in my second Argument, (Viz.) 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 Employed, and our Mariners bred, if it be from our Trading alone, and from the Riches which our Trading brings in, that his Majesty's 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 Interest in the Nation, than that which preserves his Majesty's Customs, and that which Sustains the Nobility and Gentries Rents, and that which Supports our Navy and Shipping.  
Then in regard our Manufacture alone doth by all this, our Manufacture alone and the Encouragement of it must necessarily be the greater Interest of the Nation itself: And I must crave leave to say that whoever placeth it in any thing else (as the circumstances of this Nation stands at present) must either mistake the Interest of this Nation, or can be no Friend to England.  
Wherefore if it be granted by the Wisest of Layers, that a Mischief is better than an Inconvenience, some private Men ought to suffer rather than the whole Nation: Which I humbly conceive is a solid and sufficient answer to my Opponent, as to this part of his Objection.  
Supposing also that our Manufacture and the Encourageing of it, is the main and chief, if not the sole and only Interest of the Nation, then as no Interest besides can, or aught in reason to stand in Competition with it, so much less the Irish Act, without the Repealing of which; Nevertheless it is simply Impossible, that either our Manufacture, or that the Trade, or Navigation of the Kingdom should be preserved: For if there be no reason to make a Law that they must Starve in Ireland, there can be no reason to forbid their breeding of Sheep, if we will not let them employ their Lands in the breeding of Cattle.  
Admitting also that the pasture Lands of Ireland are proportionable to the bigness of that Kingdom, far larger than the pasture Lands of England, as they are and must necessarily be, partly through the smallness of their Tillage, (their Corn being not capable to be Exported) and partly through the thinness of their Inhabitants, and it must necessarily follow, that these being converted mostly to the feeding of Sheep, must breed a vast quantity of Wool, and such as must equal, if not Exceed the quantity bred in England, by ourselves.  
Wherefore it must needs be plain to every person, that not only the breeding of Wool, but the disposing of it, an'dt he disposing of it to most Advantage, is now become the Interest of the Nobility, Gentry, Yeomanry, and of all others whatsoever that have a concern in Ireland, which if it were possible to prevent, it ought to be allowed to none besides our Selves, whose whole proper and entire Interest it is, to be Sole Manufacturers, or Workers of it.  
The Breeding, Growing, Disposing and Improving of Wool, being now by ourselves, made the entire Interest of Ireland, who desired it not of us, and would have been very well Content without it, if we cannot desire their Nobility, or Gentry, to burn their Wool, we cannot then deny them, to take all such Lawful and Just Courses, whereby they may Improve their Wool.  
Wherefore seeing these Courses can be but two ways, either to send it where it is most wanted, and where it will yield the best Price, which is to our Neighbours, to Improve and Increase their Manufacture, or else to keep it themselves, and Manfacture it up in that Country.  
And seeing one of these Courses are wholly Inevitable, and that both one and the other do not only tend, but must and will certainly, and effectually bring an utter destruction to the Trade, Commerce, Strength, Shipping and Navigation of this Kingdom, we have small reason to expect our Neighbours the Dutch, or our Neighbours the French should help us, or pity us, when we do wilfully contribute to the Ruin of ourselves, and may (if we will) either prevent it, or easily remedy it.  
And indeed if our All be at stake, by reason of the continuance of that Unfortunate Act; and if this All, I mean the very Interest of the Nation itself, will not move us to alter it, I think it would be very Impertinent, to insist upon lesser Arguments.  
And therefore, though it would be for the Interest of the Nation greatly, to arrest this occasion, I mean the cheapness of Wool, to beat out our Neighbours, in the Foreign Trade of our Manufactures, and by Under-selling them at least Abroad.  
And though this might now more easily be done then ever, seeing our Mawfacture is Improved of late Years in the Goodness of it, and might soon as we said before, be brought to an Absolute Perfection.  
And though it be but Equal and Just, to Forbid the Commodities of those Countries that are near us, who refuse to deal with us for our Commodities, or by Exorbitant and Arbitrary Impositions laid upon them, do in effect Prohibit them; and though the doing of this, is but agreeable to the rules of Justice, and to the Law of Nations, and Law of Commerce.  
Though also it cannot be denied, that it must be greatly consistant with the public good of the Nation, to make sumptuary Laws, and to restrain the excess that is at present among Us; yet I must humbly crave leave to say, that this is but like the taking much pains, to stop the leaks of a Barrel, and let the Liquor run out at the Bung; for these are all petty things to the main Concern of the Nation which must be Ruined, and Ruined, as I humbly Conceive Irrecoverably, if the Irish Act doth stand.  
FINIS.