30 



SHEEP. Class L 



received fome improvements* j but the grand rife 

 of all its profperity is to be dated from the reign of 

 queen Elizabeth, v.'hen the tyranny of the duke of 

 Jha in the Netherlands drove numbers of artifi- 

 cers for refuge into this country, who were the 

 founders of that immenfe manufadure we carry 

 on at prefcnt. We have ftrong inducements to be 

 more particular on the modern ftate of our wool- 

 len manufadlures -, but we defiil, from a fear of 

 digrcfling too far-, our enquiries muft be limited to 

 points that have a more immediate reference 

 to the ftudy of Zoology. 



No country is better fupplied with materials, and 

 thofe adapted to every fpecies of the clothing bufi- 

 nefs, than Great -Britain', and though the fheep of 

 thefe iflands afford fleeces of different degrees of 

 goodnefs, yet there are not any but what may be 

 ufed in fome branch of it. Hereford/hire, Devon- 

 Jkire, and Cotefwold downs are noted for producing 

 fheep with remarkably fine fleeces ; the Lincolnjhire 

 and Waywickjhire kind, which are very large, ex- 

 ceed any for the quantity and goodnefs of their 

 wool. The former county yields the largefl Iheep in 

 thefe iflands, where it is no uncommon thing to 

 give fifty guineas for a ram, and a guinea for the 

 admifTion of a ewe to one of the valuable males ; 



* In that of Richard, two-yard cloths were firft made. In 

 that of Henry the VIII. an Italian taught us the ufe of the 

 diilaff. Keriies were alfo firfl made in England about that 

 time. 



or 



