REASONS AGAINST A limited Exportation of WOOL, HUMBLY OFFERED To the Consideration of the Honourable House of COMMONS.  
ALthough the Exportation of Wool, hath in former times been allowed, when our English Manufacture was not brought to that height and perfection that now it is; yet it follows not that there should be no restraint to it in succeeding times, when a considerable part of the Nation have solely applied themselves to the Managery of that Affair, the consequence of that very Allowance was much destructive to the Kingdom; so that the Experience of latter Times, convinced the supreme Authority of the Nation, of the necessity of making those severe Laws which are now in force against it, and though a greater Number of Statutes might be produced against the Exportation of Wool, than for it, yet the Question is not what was fit to be done in those Times, but what is necessary now, as the present State of the Kingdom stands.  
If it be alleged, That there is a superfluity of Wool, which cannot be Vended, for want of a quicker Vent of Cloth, and therefore necessary to be Exported: Exportation of Wool is the grand Cause, it having been made appear, That by the means of one Pack of English and Irish Wool, Transported beyond the Seas, our Neighbour Nations have Improved a double Proportion of their own, which would otherwise have been little useful; and it would be wished, That the Act for Burying in Woollen, might be strictly put in Execution, the more to promote the Consumption.  
If it be concluded, That it is impossible to hinder Exportation, and that no Laws can be made to restrain it, therefore better to admit it: It is Felony to Steal other Mens Goods, some yet will Steal: It would be a strange Inference therefore, to make no Laws against Stealing, but let all Steal that will.  
If a Liberty be granted for Exportation of Wool, and a considerable Duty imposed upon it, whereby it may amount to a greater Rate to foreigners, than to His Majesties own Subjects; this will put them upon their old Artifice of Clandestinely Transporting it, to save the Charge of the Duty.  
And whereas it is affirmed, That a limited Exportation of Wool would increase His Majesties Customs, and raise the Price of Lands, &c. It's Humbly conceived, the effect of it would be directly the contrary; for First, The Customs upon the Manufactures Exported, and the Materials used in the Making thereof Imported, do amount to more, than in Reason will be thought fit to be Imposed upon Wool: Besides the Customs of those vast quantities of other Goods which are brought in by reason of our Exported Manufactures, would in great part be lost to His Majesty; for though it be allowed, that the Exported Wool would bring in some such Goods, yet a Pack of Wool Unwrought at Ten Pounds cannot bring in so much as the same Pack Manufactured, which will be at triple the value; and if the Kingdom lose Twenty Pound by every Pack of Wool Exported,( as is beyond all contradiction demonstrable) it's conceived no Man can have reason to say that His Majesty will be a gainer thereby. 2. As to Raising the Rents of Land, If the Grower should make some advantage for a short time, It is but like the Feeding of a Man plentifully for a Day, and Starving of him afterwards: For if an Exportation be allowed for some Months, it will be the same thing, as if there were no Prohibition at all: For those foreigners, who shall have liberty to Buy and Export at certain times, will not want Agents amongst the Manufacturers themselves, to engross the Wool for them against the times of Allowance: And so the whole Trade of the Kingdom will be immediately lost: And those Multitude of Families which depend thereupon, must be constrained to follow the Wool, where it is to be Manufactured: The consequence whereof will be the Impoverishing, and Un-peopling of the Kingdom.  
In Edward the seconds time, before the Woollen Manufacture came into this Kingdom, Rents of Arable Lands in the best parts of Glocestershire were but at 6 d. per Acre per annum, Pasture Lands at 18 d. Meadow at 4 s. as may be seen in the Exchequer Rolls, 9. Edw. II. No. 63. Which Arable Lands, have since been at 8 s. per Acre per annum, the Pasture 20 s. the Meadow 40 s. principally occasioned by the Prohibition of the Exportation of Wool, and the increase in this Nation of the Wollen Manufacture.  
Edward the Third, was the first that brought into this Kingdom the Woollen Manufacture, and by a Statute in in the Eleventh Year of his Reign, it was made Felony to Transport Wool, and confirmed since by divers Statutes: Now if a limited Exportation should be granted, it's probable, the Lands may return to the same Price as in Edward the Seconds time.  
It is said, That there was no Complaint of the want of Wool, until 1647: To which it is Answered, That the Reason of that may partly be imputed to the Exportation of our Wool, which gave opportunity for the Manufacturing of it, in such Places where our Cloth was formerly Vended; and partly to the Calamity of our Civil Wars at home in those Years, which hindered almost the total use of the Manufacture: But now there being a sufficient number of Manufacturers in the Kingdom, and Multitudes of Poor, who are ready to Starve for want of employment; It is Humbly conceived to be the present Interest of the Kingdom, to endeavour to the utmost the keeping of our Wool, and the Manufacturing of it to ourselves, and prevent the use of it in other parts of the World; especially considering, how strange and deplorable a thing it would be, if at this instant time, when the French King, and other Neighbouring Princes and States, are endeavouring by all imaginable Artifice and vast expense, to erect and increase the Woollen Manufacture in their Dominions( which without the use of our Wool, they can never perfectly accomplish) We ourselves should contrive a way for the perfecting of their design, by delivering that inestimable Jewel into their hands.  
Another Reason of the present abatement of the Price of Wool, is the French Kings extreme Impositions upon our Manufacture twice doubled since His Majesties happy Restauration, that several sorts of Cloth pay from 25 to 50 per Cent, whereby is prevented the Exportation to His Dominions, in value above Four Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling per annum, as also his Incursions upon Germany, and the Netherlands, whether heretofore was shipped off from the Port of London 90000 Cloths per annum, and for these Five Years last past, not above 20000 per annum.  
There was not more Art and Skill used by our Ancestors to bring home the Work at first to the Wool, and Prohibiting the Exportation thereof, and setting the Manufacturing in England, than is now to Export the Materials Unmanufactured.  
So it is, that for some Years past, the diligence of foreigners to enrich themselves upon us, hath so much exceeded our Care to preserve ourselves, that it is now come to, if not beyond a Question, Who have the greatest benefit of the Manufacture of English Wool, they who have no right unto it, or they to whom the right doth belong.