237 



The prohibitory laws* of William the Third, were meant to give 

 a death wound, to the woollen manufafture of Ireland ; and nearly 

 accompliflied the cruel and miftaken purpofe. The keeneft mifery over- 

 whelmed the land ; numbers of its mofl: ufeful inhabitants were 

 at one ftroke, deprived of the means of fubfiftence ; and left, to perifli 

 by famine; or refcue themfelves from that fad deftiny, by voluntary 

 exile. It is obferved, that the hiftory of no fruitful country, enjoy- 

 ing peace, and not vifited by peftilence and famine, during eighty years, 

 can produce fo many inftances of wretchednefs, as appeared in Ireland, 

 during a period of that length, which fucceeded the profcription of her 

 woollen trade. During this whole time, England, with a full poffef- 

 fion of the monopoly, combined all the exertions of fuperior capital, 

 and fuperior fkill. The deliberate and continued injuries of Britain at 

 length roufed the fullering nation ; and the commercial reftraints of 

 Ire/and were removed ; but the cordial, as far as refpefted the woollen 

 manufafture, nearly came too late, the patient, exhaufted under a fe- 

 ries of cruelties, merely ftruggled for a fickly and precarious exiftence. 



Yet, though fuch pains were taken, with a jealous and murderous 

 fevcrity, and that during mofl part of the prefent century, to eradicate 

 the woollen manufafture of this country ; it had taken fuch deep root,, 

 that fome ftocks and fuckers are every where to be found ; and ferve 

 at once, to {how its pad flouriftiing ftate, and give hopes of its reno- 

 vation. Branches of the woollen manufafture, fome, more rude, fome 

 more perfeft — woollen yarn, frizes — flannels — rugs — blankets — ferges — 

 hofe — felts — carpets are fabricated, in various degrees, in mofl parts of 

 the ifland ; fome of them to a large amount, and the people are ge- 

 nerally initiated in the rudiments of thofe arts, that operate on wool. 

 There are parts of Ire/and, in which this manufafture mufl be confi- 



dered 



* An afl lo and ii William 3d, Sef. c. 10 — 3d Geo. 1, C.-21 — 4 Geo. i c. 11. 



6 Geo. c. 21. 5 Geo. 2. c. 21. making it penal to export any wool or woollen 



drapery from Ireland, to any place except England ; or to put the fame in any veflel, 

 with an intent to export them ; and enforcing thefe reftriilions, by a variety of penal- 

 ties and regulations. 



