32^ 



is, that every particular town affefts fome particular commerce, or ftaplc, 

 valuing itfelf thereupon, and carrying it to the greatefl: height. Flujhing 

 carries on the trade to the Weft Indies— Middleburg, that in French wines — 

 Rotterdam, the Englifli and Scotch trade, and that in French wines— H«. 

 crlem excelled in the linen trade, mixed fluffs, flower roots, and garden 

 feeds — Delft was formerly famous for a kind of porcelain — Other towns 

 were celebrated for fliip-building— Some for the herring, fome for the 

 Greenland fifliery— The trade with the Eail Indies was carried on by Am- 

 Jlerdam — Something analogous obtains in Britain — Sheffield and Birming- 

 ham excel in the manufaftures of hardware — Mancbejler in that of cotton — 

 Norwich, Wolverhampton, Frome, and Witney, in different fabricks of wool 

 —When manufafturers, that produce one and the fame fabrick, are collefted 

 together, in the fame town, or diftrift, the talk of infpeftion, and regula- 

 tion, becomes, as I have faid, more eafy. It is, alfo, more eafy to com- 

 municate inftruftions, in the art, to the young people. If any new inven- 

 tion, or improvement, in the manufafture, fliould be devifed, and found 

 ufeful, on experience ; it is more eafy to convey a knowledge of it to the 

 artifans, and to render them expert in the ufe of it. The workmen, too, 

 living, and labouring, in the prefence of each other, exhibit examples of 

 induffry, and excite a fpirit of emulation ; and the divifion of labour, is 

 promoted, by this congregation of workmen. 



As many of the proceffes, in bleaching, in this country, are regulated, 

 by the legiflature; and certain modes are prohibited under penalties, 

 which, to facilitate the operation of whitening linen, or, to fave the charge 

 of workmanfliip, and materials, would injure the foundnefs, and damage 

 the texture of the cloth ; fo the French government, exerting itfelf, to bring 

 the woollen cloth of France, to fuperior perfc(Elion ; particularly, in regard 

 to colour, employed itfelf, to regulate the art of dying ; for this purpofe, 

 certain operations, and the employment of certain drugs, and materials, 

 were interdicted,* the effeft of which was to give a fraudulent, and im- 



pofing 



* Sec IntroduiAion to Bancroft, oo permanent colours. 



