258 



ket, recommended, as they will be by the glofs of novelty, and the 

 ftamp of vanity ; while the imitations of our native artifans, will lag 

 behind ; and always be a fafhion in arrear, with the demands of luxury. 



The late rife in price and fcarcity of filk, from the capture of the 

 Mediterranean convoy, the fubjugation of Piedmont and Lo?nbardy, by 

 the French, and expulfion of the EngliJ}} from Leghorn, may teach us 

 the precarious nature of all manufaftures, that depend on this primum, 

 and fliow, how frail and fallacious we ought to account that portion 

 of- public wealth, and profperity, which arifes from an employment of 

 capital in the filk manufafture. 



The Dublin Society, with great perfeverance, and well-meaning, but 

 I think, grofsly miftaken zeal, exerted itfelf, to encourage and protect: 

 the filk manufafture of this country ; and promote the fale of its fa- 

 bricks. It opened a warehoufe, for the purpofe of receiving and vend- 

 ing fabricks of filk, by wholefale and retail. It propofed a premium 

 of three per cent, on all wrought filk, bought by wholefale, at their 

 warehoufe, to be fold again by retail. Thefe efforts have produced 

 little effeft ; Toung obferves, that when he wrote, which was about 

 eight years ago, the wholefale demand cofl: the fociety but fix hun- 

 dred pounds yearly, on account of the premium, of three per cent. 

 on goods, making the amount, in value, of fuch goods fom.ething lefs 

 than twenty thoufand pounds. During the lafl: eight years, the filk 

 manufactures have ftill farther declined, and are, now, in a truly feeble 

 and languifliing {late in Ireland. 



Toung has forae fenfible obfervations, though given in his ufual pert 

 manner, on the exertions of the Dublin Society, in favour of the filk 

 manufactures. He fays truly, with refpecl to their premium of three 

 per cent, on fabricks bought, to be retailed, and its fmall amount; 

 " that it only tends to afcertain the infignificance of the whole Irijh 

 " filk manufadure, and that, if the mercers have not a demand for filks, 



this 



f 



Young's Tour in Inland, 



