I 



187 



CFje P^erJjants of tlje ^h^h, 



OK THE 



Wiool Craie iit €nglanir m tlje ©Iben Cime. 



By the Ret. "W. H. Jones, M.A. 



^HERE were in England, in olden times, five principal, or, 

 % as they were called, staple articles of merchandise, — wool, 

 wool-fels (or undressed skins), leather, lead, and tin. Three of 

 these, it will be observed, were the produce of our flocks and 

 herds. Of these, moreover, the tcool-staple, as to us the most 

 interesting, so, in every respect was the most important. Our com- 

 merce was for many years, we might almost say centuries, confined 

 to the exportation of wool, and on this staple commodity more than 

 on any other, in its raw or manufactured state, the national wealth 

 of England has been founded. Our quaint and witty Prebendary 

 of Sarura, in his own peculiar way, thus expresses his sense of the 

 value of our trade in wool : — " Well might the French ambassador 

 return ' France, France, France,' reiterated to every petty title of 

 the King of Spain. And our English 'wool, wool, wool,' may 

 counterpoise the numerous but inconsiderable commodities of other 

 countries. I confess a lock thereof is most contemptible, ' Non 

 flocci te facio ' passing for an expression of the highest neglect, 

 but a quantity thereof quickly amounteth to a good valuation," 



The history of the wool-trade must alwaj's have an especial 

 interest in Wiltshire. For, to use Aubrey's words, " if our nation 

 in times past was the most famous for the greatest quantity of 

 wool in y' world, this County had the most sheep of any other." 

 Its large extent of open plain furnished pasture to the numberless 

 flocks that browsed upon its surface, and wool became its especial 

 article of produce and a source of wealth to many of it's older 

 inhabitanti. 



