23S „ REVIEW. WANSEY ON WOOL. Oft. 26* 



This author admits, as has already been faid, that Britifli 

 wool was originally mucli finer than Spanifli wool. He alfo 

 allows that Spaniih wool is now much finer than Britifh wool. 

 TJie original flieep of Spain, he represents as carrying only a 

 very coarfi; wool, unfit for beinp, wrought into cloth, and inca^ 

 paiile of beinp; thickened. The improvement of the Spanifh 

 wool, he attributes (r.thely lo the permilTion that was given by 

 King Edward \W in the year X465, to King John of Arragon', 

 to tranfport into his dominionf /ivf rams and tnx^er.ty ewes, of 

 the Cotfwold breed. And tiie debafement of Britiili wool, kg 

 fays^ has arifen entirely from the improvement of our paftures, 

 and the introdudlion of turnips ; which, he ajferts (a mode of 

 artjuing very convenient on fome oceafions) tends greatly lo 

 debafe the quality of the wool ; although from the few e-' - 

 perimcrts that I have made on this fubjeft, it would ratli?- 

 feem that thefe tend ti» improve it. 



To a fober thinking perfon, no anfwer is requifite to refut- 

 thefe notions. It may, however, have its ufe, fimply to ol> 

 ferve, what cannot have efcap^d the notice of this gentleman, 

 that it is aot thfj wool oiiArragon that couftitutes Xht fne 

 wool of Spain, but that of Cafille^ which was a feparate king- 

 dom for manv years after the tranfaflion he mentions. But I 

 fhall Drodfxe another, and a luuoh more fatisfaftorv proof, that 

 lie is entirely miflaken in all his conjeHures lefpeiTling the 

 nature of Spaniih wool in antient times, and his fanciful idea 

 of its mode of improvement. I have juft now before me a 

 defcription of Spain, which was written in Arabic, about the 

 year 730, by Abttlcacim Tarif Aheiiiariqucy who was one of 

 the Moorifh oflicers who afTilled in tlie conqneft of Spain, 

 which was tranflated into Spanifh by Miguel de Luna^ Ara- 

 bic interpreter to Philip iJ. of Spain, and printed in Gra- 

 nada, in one volume 410, in the year 1599. "^"'^ author 

 thus mentions the fheep of Spain : '•'• There are, fays he, in 

 this kingdom (Spain) a great many fheep carrying fine wool, 

 which are reared in fitch qiinrtities, that its native inhabitants 

 never are in want of flefli for their fuilenance. They alfo 

 make of the wool of thefe flocks viuch fine clotk^ of all colours, 

 for their veflments*." In another place, fpeaking of the 



* In cafe I be accufed of miflrarilatir.g, the original is here 

 \i\ii:\ci. " Ay en ef*e reyno de Efpana muchos ganados oy4- 



