is impoffible, or tax them at five fhillings in the pound during their absence, with fuch allowances, upon neceffary occafions, as it shall be thought convenient; or, by permitting us a free trade, which is denied to no other nation upon earth. The three laft methods are treated by Mr. Prior, in his most useful treatife, added to his lift of absentees.

It is to gratify the vanity and pride, and luxury of the women, and of the young fops who admire them, that we owe this infupportable grievance of bringing in the inftruments of our ruin. There is annually brought over to this kingdom near ninety thousand pounds worth of filk, whereof the greater part is manufactured: Thirty thousand pounds more is expended in muslin, holland, cambric, and callico. What the price of lace amounts to, is not eafy to be collected from the customhouse book, being a kind of goods that takes up little room, and is easily run; but, confidering the prodigious price of a woman's head-drefs, at ten, twelve, twenty pounds a yard, must be very great. The tea, rated at feven fhillings per pound, comes to near twelve thoufand pounds; but, confidering it as the common luxury

of every chambermaid, fempftrefs, and tradéfman's wife, both in town and country, however they come by it, muft needs coft the kingdom double that fum. Coffee is somewhat above 7,000 ĺ. I have feen no account of chocolate, and fome other Indian or American goods. The drapery imported is about 24,000 l. The whole amounts (with one or two other particulars) to 150,000 l. The lavishing of all which money is just as prudent and neceffary, as to fee a man in an embroidered coat begging out of Newgaté in an old fhoe.

I allow that the thrown and raw filk is lefs pernicious; because we have fome fhare in the manufacture; but we are not now in circumstances to trifle. It cofts us above 40,000 l. a year: And if the ladies, till better times, will not be content to go in their own country fhifts, I wish they may go in rags. Let them vie with each other in the fineness of their native linen : Their beauty and gentleness will as well appear, as if they were covered over with diamonds and brocade.

I believe no man is fo weak, as to hope or expect that fuch a reformation can be brought about by a law. But a thorough, hearty,

H

hearty, unanimous vote, in both Houses of Parliament, might perhaps answer as well: Every fenator, noble or plebeian, giving his honour, that neither himself, nor any of his family, would, in their drefs or furniture of their houses, make ufe of any thing except what was of the growth and manufacture of this kingdom; and that they would use the utmost of their power, influence and credit, to prevail on their tenants, dependants, and friends, to follow their example.

e

X 4

A LET

A

LETTER

TO THE

ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN, concerning the WEAVERS.

MY LORD,

THE Corporation of Weavers in the

woollen manufacture, who have fo often attended your Grace, and called upon me with their schemes and propofals, were with me on Thursday laft; when he who spoke for the reft, and in the name of his abfent brethren, faid, It was the opinion of the whole body, that if somewhat were written at this time by an able hand, to perfuade the people of this kingdom to wear their own woollen manufactures, it might be of good ufe to the nation in general, and preferve many hundreds of their trade from ftarving. To which I anfwered, That it was hard for any man of common spirit to turn his thoughts to fuch fpeculations, without discovering a refentment which people are too delicate to bear.

For

For I will not deny to your Grace, that I cannot reflect on the fingular condition of this country, different from all others upon the face of the earth, without some emotion, and without often examining, as I pafs the ftreets, whether those animals which come in my way, with two legs and human faces, clad and erect, be of the fame fpecies with what I have seen very like them in England, as to the outward fhape, but differing in their notions, natures, and intellectuals, more than any two kinds of brutes in a foreft; which any man of common prudence would immediately discover, by perfuading them to define what they mean by law, liberty, property, courage, reafon, loyalty, or religion.

One thing, my Lord, I am very confident of; that if God Almighty, for our fins, would moft juftly fend us a peftilence, whoever fhould dare to discover his grief in public for fuch a vifitation, would certainly be cenfured for difaffection to the government. For I folemnly profefs, that I do not know one calamity we have undergone these many years, whereof any man, whofe opinions were not in fashion, dared to lament, without being openly charged with that imputation. And this