the balance, by our trade with France, for several years paft; and although our gain amounts to no great fum, we ought to be fatisfied, fince we are no lofers, with the only confolation we are capable of receiving. Laftly, The worst confequence is behind. If we raise the duty on wine to a confiderable height, we lose the only hold we have of keeping among us the few gentlemen of any tolerable eftates. I am confident, there is hardly a gentleman of eight hundred pounds a-year and upwards, in this kingdom, who would balance half an hour to confider whether he fhould live here or in England, if a family could be as cheaply maintained in the one as the other. As to eatables, they are as cheap in many fine counties of England, as in fome very indifferent ones here; or, if there be any difference, that vein of thrift, and prudence in œconomy, which paffes there without reproach, (and chiefly in London itself) would amply make up the difference. But the article of French wine is hardly tolerable, in any degree of plenty, to a middling fortune: And this it is, which, by growing habitual, wholly turns the fcale with thofe few landed men difengaged from employments, who content themfelves to live hofpitably with plenty of good wine in their own country, rather than in penury and obfcurity in another, with had, or with none at all. t Having therefore, as far as in me lies, abolished this additional duty upon wine; for I am not not under the leaft concern about paying the intereft of the national debt, but leave it, as in loyalty bound, wholly to the wisdom of the Honourable House of Commons; I come now to confider, by what methods we may be able to put off and delay our utter undoing as long as it is poffible. I never have difcourfed any reasonable man upon this fubject, who did not allow that there was no remedy left us, but to leffen the importation of all unneceffary commodities, as much as it was poffible; and likewife, either to per fuade our abfentees to spend their money at home, which is impoffible, or tax them at five fhillings in the pound during their abfence, with fuch allowances, upon neceffary occafions, as it fhall be thought convenient; or, by permitting us a free trade, which is denied to no other nation upon earth. The three last methods are treated by Mr Prior, in his most useful treatise, added to his lift of absentees. It is to gratify the vanity and pride, and luxu❤ ry 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 muflin, holland, cambrick, and callico. What the price of lace amounts to, is not easy to be collected collected from the custom-house book, being a kind of goods that take up little room, and is eafily run; but, confidering the prodigious price of a woman's head-drefs, at ten, twelve, twenty pounds a-yard, muft be very great. The tea,. rated at feven fhillings per pound, comes to near twelve thousand pounds; but, confidering it as the common luxury of every chambermaid, fempftrefs, and tradefman's wife, both in town and country, however they come by it, muft needs coft the kingdom double that fum. Coffee is fomewhat above 7000l. I have feen no account of chocolate, and fome other Indian or Ame-. rican goods. The drapery imported is about 24,000l. The whole amounts (with one or two other particulars) to 150,000l. The lavishing of all which money is juft as prudent and neceffary, as to fee a man in an embroidered coat begging. out of Newgate in an old fhoe. 1. I allow that the thrown and raw filk is lefs pernicious; becaufe we have fome fhare in the manufacture but we are not now in circum-ftances to trifle. It cofts us above 40,000l. ayear: And if the ladies, till better times, will not be content to go in their own country shifts, I wish they may go in rags. Let them vie with: each other in the fineness of their native linen ; Their beauty and gentlenefs 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 about by a law. But a thorough, hearty, unanimous vote, in both Houfes of Parliament, might perhaps anfwer 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, dependents, and friends, to follow their example. A LETTER то тН Е ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN, concerning the WEAVERS. MY LORD, TH THE Corporation of Weavers in the woollen manufacture, who have fo often attended your Grace, and called upon me with their fchemes and proposals, were with me on Thurfday laft; when he who fpoke for the reft, and in the name of his absent brethren, faid it was the opinion of the whole body, That if fomewhat 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 starving. To which I answered, That it was hard for any man of common fpirit, to turn his thoughts to fuch fpeculations, without discovering a refentment which people are too delicate to bear. For I will not deny to your Grace, that I cannot 1 reflect |