Q.6o 



of carrying it on, with which, the country, in queftion, may be fur- 

 nifhed. 



Few manufaftures poflefs greater intrinfic recommendations than thofc 

 of hardware. Many of the produftions of art, from metallic fubftan- 

 ces, particularly from iron, are commodities of the firft neceffity j in- 

 ftruments, and utenfils, highly neceflary, for the fubfiflence and comfort 

 of man, the decencies, and elegancies of life ; the proteftion of the 

 country, the exercife of every art, manufafture, and form of indudry. 

 The produftions of thefe manufaftures (land wholly clear of the do- 

 minion of caprice and fafliion, and are lefs liable, than any others, to 

 fall into difufe. The demand for them mufl be co-extenfive with the 

 civilization of man ; co-exillent with the duration of fociety. They are 

 objefts of export to the mod favage tribes, on the remotefl fliores. - 



It may be added, in praife of mod of the manufactures of hard- 

 ware, that they do or might operate, on a domeftic primum, (I fpeak 

 with refpeft to Ireland) fince this country abounds in mines of alraoft 

 every kind of metal. It is rich, in thofe, which are mod ufeful, lead, 

 copper, and iron. 



Thefe are, perhaps, the mod favourable of all manufaftures, to the 

 encouragement of indudry, the progrefs of labour and ikill. There are 

 none, perhaps, that admit fuch minute aud fubtle divifions, and fubdi- 

 vifions ot labour ; of courfe, there are none, in which the workmen can 

 be expefted to attain to fuch perfeftion, both for dexterity, cele- 

 rity, and neatnefs of execution in the particular things, about which 

 they are occupied. There are no manufaftures, that carry to fo great 

 an extent the adventitious value, refulting from the labour and ikill 

 employed by the workman, on the crude material ; confequently, there 

 are none that oiFcr higher rewards, to the exertions of indudry. The 

 values of the raw or crude materials of hardware are, as nothing, com- 

 pared with that of the finidied fabricks. The workman, from a mafs 

 of iron, but a few pence in value, will produce a fword hilt, fciflars, 

 knives, or razors, that may be worth as many pounds. How incon- 

 fiderable is the firft coft of the materials employed in a watch worth 



fifty 



