DUM SPIRO SPERO.  
An Humble Representation OF THE STATE OF OUR WOOLLEN MANUFACTURES.  
LONDON: Printed in the Year 1700.   

1. IT's evident to most Thinking People, That the utmost Endeavours are still used by the French King, to obtain that in a Peace, which he could not procure by a WAR, By Supplanting us in our Woollen Manufactures.  
And if some Extraordinary Care be not taken, he is in a likelier way to succeed, having the chiefest of our Allies as hearty on his side, in carrying on this Design, as they were on ours, in carrying on the War.  
The Advantages obtained by a French Interest in the beginning of the Reign of King Charles the Second, in invading the Right of the Ancient and long-establisht Company of Merchant-Adventurers of England, and putting the French Merchant upon an Equal Foot in Trade with the English, by taking off Aliens-Duties, the Ancient Revenue of the Crown; being corroborated by a Law made in the beginning of the Reign of His Present Majesty King William, which in the Heat of Friendship, gave away our Merchandise to gratify our Neighbours, hath prevailed to an alteration of the Guardianship and Care of our Woollen Manufactures for Flanders, Germany, Holland, and the East-Country, in point of Inspection, Merchandise and Navigation; to which Parts Two Thirds of our Woollen Manufactures are Exported.  
The Good Genius of this Present Time, the beginning of the New Century, tending to a Consideration of this Notable Commodity of ours, the which there is not the like in any Foreign Parts, as is expressed in the Statute of Edward the Sixth of Blessed Memory— I will endeavour (to the best of my Judgement) to represent the true State of our Woollen Manufactures, as they now stand, and the Discouragements they labour under, by which the good or bad effect of this alteration to the Public, may somewhat appear— And instead of Improvement under this Foreign Guardianship, I find the case of our Woollen Manufactures to be much alike to the Man in the Parable, that went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among Thiefs, that robbed him of his raiment, wounded him, and left him half dead, etc.  
II. It is manifest, That as these Merchant-Aliens increase in England, the Woollen Manufactures increased in a like proportion in Foreign Parts, and the French became considerable Merchants with our Woollen Manufactures, in Spain, Turkey and other parts.  
Good Proof was made before a Committee of Parliament, by the Inspection of two Frenchmens Books, That the Exportation of our Wool was carried on by these men— Printed Tickets were given out in Holland to give notice of the Sale of considerable quantities of English Wool, and reported by some, that the Dutch Men-of-War that came out to fight the French, were assisting in carrying over Fullers-Earth, and returned home not empty-handed of; a little resemblance, if so, to the Woman in the Fable, that was afflicted with a Dimness in her Sight, and agreed with a famous Oculist that anointed her Eyes with a certain Material that took away her sight wholly, for a time, and then robbed her of a good piece of Householdstuff— This Practice comes up to the Letter of my Simile— To ascertain the loss to our Poor in this particular, I will here set down a Calculation made by the Honourable Sir Matthew Hale, of the distinct value of the Wool, and the Workmanship:  
In a Course Medley Cloth, containing 32 Yards long; to the making this Cloth 90 pound of Wool, 54 of ab, 34 of warp, 2 of mixture, at one Shilling per pound. l. s. d. 4 10  1. Parting and Picking— 00 03 00 2. Colouring— 00 16 00 3. Breaking and Spinning the Abbess,— 01 07 09 4. Breaking and Spinning the Warp 00 18 06 5. Cards and Oil— 01 00 00 6. Weaving, Spooling and Warping 01 01 03 7. Milling and Burling— 00 12 00 8. Shearing and Dressing— 00 18 00 9 Drawing— 00 01 06 10. Carriage and Factorage— 00 07 00  11 15 00 Out of which deducting the Materials of Wool, Cards and Oil,— 05 10 00 There remains for Expense of Workmanship 06 05 00  
In our Finest Manufactures a Calculation is thus made, viz.  
One Pack of our finest Combed Wool, containing twelve Score, I compute to be worth at this time— l. s. d. 30 00 00 The Spinning of this into the Finest Worsted, cost 5 s. per Pound— 60 00 00 Four Ounces thus spun, will make a pair of Hose worth 5 s. the Knitting— 240 00 00 This Pack so knit, will make 80 dozen of Hose, which pay Custom, 7½ per dozen 02 10 00  302 10 00  
The Medium in our Woollen-Manufactures I take to be one Third Wool, two Thirds Workmanship.  
III. Since this alteration of the Merchandise of our Woollen Manufactures, greater quantities have been Exported White, and not fully manufactured, which has sunk the employment of many Occupations, and hindered the consumption of many of our Native Materials which are used in Dying, etc.  
iv The Reputation of our English Manufactures (which in former time was famous at all Foreign Markets) has been wounded by these Foreign Interlopers— When extraordinary care has been taken in France of late years to improve their own. The Price has been always beat down, and extraordinary Measure required, which has forced the Maker upon slight making, and extraordinary straining. Cloth of an ordinary quality has been marked by these Foreign Buyers with Marks of our best Makers of Cloth, and sent over as Cloth made by them, and the most fallacious ways used to ruin the Reputation of our Goods, and supplant the English Merchants. Seals, Tillets, Coats of Arms, Numbers, all counterfeited by a foreign Interloper, as was proved in Westminster-Hall by Mr. Banks— and hereby an Odium has been brought upon English Goods, when no consumer of Cloth, either at home or abroad, when he finds himself abused and cheated, but does resent the fact.  
The Hudsons-Bay Company (as is credibly told) sold a parcel of Strained Cloth to the Indians, with whom they Traffic for the Skins of Wild Beasts, and the next time they came, the Indians told them they had sold them thieving-Cloth, and stole it from them again, and would never permit the like abuse; we read of Christians in the Primitive times in the Skins of wild beasts; lo! wild Beasts here in the Skins of Christians, cheating of Indians. A Burgher-woman at Hamburg bought some of this Strained Cloth to make her Children Garments, which shrunk so abominably, that her Children appeared in a New Fashion, and she brought them for a Sight to the Shop where she bought the Cloth, the Man that sold it, perceiving the matter, broke out into the highest admiration, and blest himself at the miraculous growth of the Children, and hereby took off the edge of the Woman's Passion.  
A Welsh Woman bought of a Clothier in Hereford Fair as much Broadcloth as would make her a Waistcoat, and it was applied to that use, and all well; but afterwards meeting with some wet, the Waistcoat shrunk so much, that she was forced upon an Ingraffment, and which added to her Misfortune, she could not procure any thing near to the Colour. The next Fair, with her Waistcoat on, she met her Chapman, and treated him in Welch very roughly, which being not understood by the Clothier, she began to salute him with Stones; and the Abuse appearing so visible by the different Colour of the Cloth, all her Neighbours flocked in to her Assistance, and the Clothier was forced upon a Resumption; and he often told me he was glad he came off so well. Were all the shrinking Contracts that has been made with the Government since the Revolution, in a just Proportion made good, it would enable His Majesty to pay back part of our Taxes, according to the Example of Queen Elizabeth, who hereby won the Hearts of her Subjects, that all the Freeholders (in whom is the chiefest Strength of this Kingdom) were turned into a Standing-Army, and put up Beacons upon the highest Hills, that one County might give notice to each other, if any Invasion happened: And hereby she humbled the proud Spaniard, who was then putting up for Universal Monarch, and furnished the distressed States with her friendly Assistance, part of which Money is said to be owing us at this time, or a Free Right of Traffic at Dort, for English Merchants, in lieu thereof.  
A Merchant in Amsterdam advanced Ten thousand Pounds to pay our Army in Flanders, by way of Exchange, for England, at Twenty five Shillings six Pence Flemish, for a Pound Sterling in England; which gained him Twenty seven Pounds two Shillings ten Pence per Cent. according to the allowed Par of Exchange, of Thirty five Shillings Flemish for a Pound Sterling in England, and invested this Ten thousand Pounds in England, in Tallies, at Forty five per Cent. which made in Tallies Twenty two thousand two hundrrd twenty two Pounds four Shillings and five Pence. These Tallies being engrafted into the Bank, produce now the Annual Revenue (at Ten per Cent. which the Bank affords) of Two thousand two hundred twenty two Pounds four Shillings five Pence per Annum, for Seven thousand two hundred eighty five Pounds sixteen Shillings eight Pence, at first advanced.  
The King, by his Officer at Exon, delivered One thousand Pounds in milled Money, which paid for Serges bought for a Dutch Merchant there, and took Bills for the like Value, payable One Month after Date, to his Officers of Excise in London, by a Dutch Merchant, who with his Money bought Exchequer-Notes at Eight per Cent. profit, and paid his Bills; which made our English Treasure shrink, as did the Welsh Woman's Waistcoat.  
And as this Extraordinary Effluction of our Treasure tends to a Consumption in England, it will certainly make a Pleurisy in Holland; both dangerous Distempers. It was never known in Holland (before our late Wars) that Merchants bred their Sons above their own Employment, who are now become the Sparks of Christendom; Hats and Coats so daubed with Gold Lace, that they pass for Dutch Counts, Harpalus a Como Eques ab aure rupe, tho' in their Behaviour a little beneath a truebred Gentleman: Astonished at nothing more in England, than our Leaden-Hall Market, having been chief conversant in their Minority with Herring-Barrels. Had the Merchant-Adventurers been preserved in their T●●de, this Inconveniency could have never come upon us, 〈◊〉 in all likelihood the Exchange had never been brought so low: I am sure there is no Precedent for it; but if so, what had been lost in the Shire had been got in the Hundred.  
V During such time that our Woollen-Manufactures were exported by English Merchants, a good Correspondence was held between Merchants and Clothiers; most Cloth bought in Custom; and if any Complaint came from the Pack-house abroad, the Clothier was sure to hear of it from the Merchant; Marks wove into the Cloth, which continued from Father to Son; some Cloth-Marks a good Legacy; and a constant Course of Trade carried on. Sir Matthew Hale well observes, That nothing doth oppress our Poor so much as Stops in Trade; which is now in the Power of these Foreign Buyers to transact as they please. Since a Foreign Factory has been settled in London, the Management of the Cloth Trade has fallen into the Hands of Factors; most Foreign Buyers of Cloth being disabled to buy of the Clothiers in the City of London: And these Buyers of Cloth serving Shopkeepers abroad with small Parcels, as they send their Patterns, a Quantity of Cloth is always left at Market, at the Maker's Charge, and the Clothier a Stranger to whom his Cloth is sold; no Certainty in the Marks of Cloth, which formerly denoted the true sorts; the same Man's Cloth in one Factor's hand a Stark-Mark, and in another some other Figure in Silk; Quantities of Cloth sent into Packers Houses from the Public Market, in the present Course of Trade, and returned into the Market again; which occasions a great Expense to the Clothier. These Factors, to procure a clandestine Profit to themselves, have given great Encouragement to Wool-Broggers, who are now become very numerous, and a great Oppression to the Clothing-Trade; and hereby our Woollen Manufactures are loaded with an unnecessary Charge. These Factors, to promote their own Interest, have brought on a long Credit in the Sale of Cloth, which hath been freely given by them to French Merchants and others; and hereby many Foreigners have wound themselves into the Trading Stock of this Kingdom, and then took Sanctuary in some Privileged Places in this Kingdom, or withdrawn themselves into Foreign Parts; by which means the Trading Stock of this Kingdom is almost destroyed, and looks like a Contrivance of State.  
Above Two hundred thousand Pounds of the Clothing Stock have been lost by Foreigners in few Years. Twenty thousand Pounds was stopped in Trade by one Interloper that served Dutch Merchants the last Year; Twenty thousand Pounds more is stopped this Year by a French Merchant. Should an English Man in France cheat the King of France's Subjects of Twenty thousand Pounds, it would soon be taken notice of by the Government, and such Abuses redressed. This Credit is extremely prejudicial in several other Respects to the Clothing Trade.  
VI The next Inconveniency that our Woollen Manufactures labours under, is the high Duties upon Oil, Soap, and Dye-stuff, which said Commodities are observed to be much dearer in England, since the Imposition of those Duties, the free Importation being hereby hindered, and doth make a considerable Odds in the Value of our Manufactures and those made in France and Holland. Logwood pays Five Pounds per Tonn Custom, and draws back, upon Exportation, Four Pounds. Copperas and Alum, Commodities peculiar to England, are delivered cheaper to the French and Dutch than to our own Manufacturers; which Commodities would bear a Duty upon Exportation. Alum sold at Fourteen Pounds per Tonn, for Exportation, at Fifteen Pounds Ten Shillings per Tonn to several Dyers London, and at Twenty Pounds per Tonn to the Clothiers, and to have but one Seller of Alum, which is the present Case, savours very much of Monopoly. Rape-Oil is at this time advanced to double the usual Price, by the Engrossing of Rape-Seed, when to every Six Pound of We I one Pound of Oil is required to the working. Madder, the Growth of Holland, is rendered to us at three times the usual Price: Which looks as a Conspiracy to supplant our Clothing Trade.  
VII. The Scarcity of Money, occasioned by our vast Exportation to the East-Indies, doth very much discourage our Clothing-Trade. Above Five hundred thousand Pounds in Treasure have been exported in less than twelve months' time, as appears by their Entries; and as large a Sum supposed to be taken in at Cales; Silver worth Five Shillings eight Pence per Ounce. This being brought home chief in Muslins and Calico's, it hinders the Consumption of the Flaxen Linens of Flanders, Germany, and Holland; which hath lessened the Consumption of above Twenty thousand  per Annum in those Parts, and the Wear of considerable of our Norwich Stuffs at home, and forced the Linen Looms in those Parts upon Woollen, to our further Prejudice.  
The Spanish Netherlands finding that the Consumption of their Linens were so much lessened in England, were thereby induced, in their own Defence, to prohibit our Woollen Manufactures; and hereby the whole Trade of Christendom is rendered uneasy.  
The Case of Thousands of Manufacturers in England, by this Foreign Management, is exactly the same with this Man that went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among Thiefs that robbed him of his Raiment, wounded him, and left him half dead, (I wish I had no Occasion to add farther, quite starved,) and by chance there came down a certain Priest that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side: (Doubtless of the Romish Persuasion, who possibly, as some Men do now, might very much exclaim in his Thoughts against the villainous Practices of those Robbers who had thus barbarously abused this poor Man; but was so far from lending a hand to his Assistance, that the Text tells us, he went on the other side.) And likewise a Levite, when he was at the Place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side: (One, in great probability, that might come from Geneva, who seemingly took a little more Consideration of the Matter, he came and looked on him, and then passed by on the other side, and to satisfy himself, in not relieving of him, after he had, as it were, made a Judgement of his Circumstances, in all likelihood he might attribute his Misfortunes to his own Idleness or Intemperance that brought him to this helpless Condition, and wish that better Care was taken in England to provide Work-Houses and Houses of Correction for such idle People, after the Example of Holland, etc.) But a certain Samaritane, as he journied, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had Compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his Wounds, pouring in Oil and Wine, and set him on his own Beast, etc. True Friend this!  
The Circumstances of our Woollen Manufactures, and the Man that fell among Thiefs, being so much alike, it makes a little Resemblance between this Priest and Levite, and our Commissioners of Trade; but I correct myself, for it no way appears that these Men were under any other Obligation to his Relief, than common Kindness and good Neighbourhood.  
Our Woollen Manufactures are perfectly unfortunate in the Age we live in; the Aulnage, which was designed by our Ancestors to secure her Reputation, is now turned into the greatest Oppression; a formal Court kept up by Commissioners, Officers sent out to lay a formal Arrest upon Goods, if the Nib of the Seal be not well stamped, and Judgement given amongst themselves: Of a little Resemblance to Aesop's Court, where the Wolf sat Judge, and summoned the Lamb to appear. I hope this will fall under Consideration with the rest of the Grants, being carried on in England according to an Irish Understanding.  
Trade being at a low ebb in England, and a great Scarcity of Money, during the Reign of Richard II. Henry IV. Henry V and Henry VI as appears by strict Laws made in those Reigns to force Merchant-Aliens to employ their Money which they received for their Foreign Commodities upon the native Commodities of this Realm. In the 3d. and 4th. Year of Henry IU. the Woollen Manufactures of this Kingdom came under the Consideration of this good Samaritane, and effectual Means were used for its Encouragement and Preservation, which soon increased our Treasure. 
Anno Tertio Edw. IU. Cap. 1  A Law was first made to encourage our English Navigation, and in that Law a Clause was added to prevent any Deceit which should be wound up in Wool, upon a Forfeiture of 6 d. a Fleece, in which any Deceit should be found. In the next place, a Law was made to prevent the Importation of wrought Silks: And then another Law was made 
Cap. 3  to prevent the Importation of Woollen , Woollen Caps, Silk, in any wise embroidered, and many other Commodities expressed in the said Law, 
Cap. 4  which were prejudicial to the Artificers of sundry manual Occupations. To encourage the Wear of our Woollen Manufactures, a sumptuary Law was 
Cap. 5  next made: And the next Year a Law was made for the true making of our Woollen Manufactures, expressing in the Preamble the Inconveniencies which had ensued to the Realm by the deceitful making of Cloth; and good Care was taken in this Law, 
Anno Quarto Edw. IU. Cap. 1  that Work-People should do their Part faithfully; that the Master should deliver just Weight, and pay them for their Labour in Money, and not Commodities.  
A Law was next made, 
Cap. 4  That no Person, during Three Years, should buy or take any Promise of Bargain for any Wool than not shorn, of the Growth of Berks, &c amounting to twenty eight Counties, before the same be shorn, and until Bartholomew's Day following, but they which shall make Cloth or Yarn of them, upon pain of Forfeiture of double the Value thereof.  
And the Duke of Burgundy having at this time prohibited our Woollen Manufactures in Flanders, 
Cap. 5  a Law was made to prohibit all Merchandise of the Growth and Workmanship of the said Duke's Dominions, until he revoke his Proclamation, prohibiting our Manufactures.  
The Charter of the Merchant-Adventurers of England was confirmed by this King; and at this time he called in question the Charter of the Merchants of the Stillyard, who had obtained Privileges in England, for some extraordinary Services done, in assisting Henry III. in his Wars abroad, and they were permitted to Trade under these Terms, viz. To pay Aliens Duties, and to colour no Strangers Goods. Upon this just Foundation Trade was carried on until the End of the Reign of Henry VII. strengthened only with this farther Addition in the last-recited Reign, 
Anno Primo Hen. VII. Cap. 5  That no Person that was not a natural born Subject of England, should be excused the Payment of Aliens Duties, if naturalised by Act of Parliament.  
During this time, the Affairs of England were in a flourishing Condition, a plentiful Employment to the Poor; which was one great Occasion of the Reconciliation of the Houses of York and Lancaster. During such time that there is full Employment for the Poor, the Designs of Great Persons are no way to be executed; which is a Matter of Moment to be considered at this time: And the Stop of the Exportation of our Wool will thoroughly effect the Matter. The good Effect of this Settlement of Trade fully appeared at the Death of this King, who left in the Treasury One million eight hundred thousand Pounds, which made above Three Millions of our Money.  
In the last Year of this King's Reign there was a Change of Affairs, and the Merchants of the Stillyard obtained footing again, as appears by two Laws then made in their Favour. The two last Laws, except one that passed in this Reign. Calais was at this time the grand Mart of English Goods, 
Anno Decimo Nono Hen. VII. Cap. 22  and there was a Law made in favour of the English Merchants, prohibiting the Men of Calais to be Factors for Merchant-Strangers living in England: Which Law was at this time repealed, and all Laws made in Derogation of the Merchants of the Stillyard were repealed. In the beginning of the Reign of Henry VIII. 
Cap. 23  they got leave to Custom one Man's Goods in the Name of another, and indeed were favoured this whole Reign; Aliens Duties were taken off by the King's Proclamation, which produced the like Effect that we feel at this time. 
Anno 32. Hen. VIII. Cap. 15  They got the whole Trade into their hands, and it was with great difficulty recovered in the Year 1552, the Fifth and Sixth Years of Edw. VI in whose Journals it thus appears, That the Merchants of the Stillyard shipped off Forty thousand , and our English Merchants not Four thousand, and all was exported and imported in Foreign Bottoms. The English Merchants being at this low ebb, put in their Complaint to the King and Council against these Merchants of the Stillyard or Tutonicorum: And they gave in their Answer to the said Complaint upon the 18th. Day of January; and upon the 25th. their Answer was delivered to some Learned Council to peruse it. Upon the 18th. Day of February the Merchant-Adventurers put in their Replication to the said Answer; and upon the 23d. a Decree was made by the Board, That upon Knowledge and Information of their Charters, they had found, first, That they were no sufficient Corporation; secondly, That their Names, Numbers, and Nations were unknown; thirdly, When Edw. IU. did restore them to their Privileges, it was upon the Condition they should cover no Foreigners Goods, which they had done: For these Considerations, Sentence was given, That they had forfeited their Liberties, and were to be no more than Strangers. Upon the 28th. Day came Ambassadors from Hamburgh, Lubeck, and the Regent of Flanders, to speak upon the Behalf of these Merchants of the Stillyard; and upon the 2d. of March the Answer was committed to the Lord Chancellor, the two Secretaries, Sir Robert Bows, and Sir John Baker, Judge Montague Griffith; Solicitors, Gosnald, Goodrick, and Brooks. It remained under Consideration until the 1st. Day of May, and then the Merchants of the Stillyard received their full Answer, confirming the former Judgement of the Council. This gave Encouragement to a great many English Merchants to come into this Company; and in October 3. following, they shipped off Forty thousand . At this time our Woollen Manufactures came again under the Consideration of the good Samaritane, being miserably debased by these Merchants of the Stillyard, as appears by the Preamble of the Statute, 
Anno 5. & 6. Edw. VI cap. 6  and several discreet and sage Knights and Burghesses undertook the Matter, by consulting divers honest Clothiers, Woollen-drapers', &c. a Law was made with great Caution to suppress Wool-broggers, who were got to a great height. And upon this Foundation Trade was carried on the whole Reign of Queen Elizabeth, and never wholly thrown open until the Year 1663. What is here asserted is Matter of Fact, and I appeal to the nicest Historian, whether the Affairs of England were not in a much more flourishing Condition, from Edward iv to the End of Henry VII. and from Edward VI to the End of Queen Elizabeth, than it hath been during such time that Trade was laid open to Merchant-Aliens. Never was greater Marks of Kindness shown by any Prince than ours, by repeated Recommendations of the Care of Trade; nay, at last in Words at length, by a Bill to encourage the fair Merchant, our Manufactures, and discourage clandestine Trading: And the Hardships which have been undergone by our Poor, through the Neglect thereof, had never been born but from the entire Satisfaction and Confidence in His Majesty's Favour. England is said to be a mighty Animal that will never die, unless it destroy itself. No Age can produce more unnatural Instances than ours, nor was ever the true Interest of England, in point of Trade, more in danger of being supplanted by her own Sons. And thus I leave our Woollen Manufactures, Queen Elizabeth's Mines, and the Indies of England, to Consideration under the unfortunate Circumstances of poor Belisarus, 
Date obolum Belisario, quem invidia, non culpa caecavit.  and with the like Inscription as he had wrote upon his Breast, Dum Spiro Spero.