Fhic-PFoolIed Spant/h Sleep. 35 1 



and meliorated the quality of the wool of every kind of fliort- 

 v-oolled llieep on which it was tried, and more particularly 

 foin the ciife of the South Down, Hereford, and Devonfiiire 

 breeds ; His Majefty was pleafed to command that fonie 

 Merino ihecp lliould be procured from a flock, the chara^ier 

 of which for a fine pile of wool was well ellabliihed. 



Application was accordingly made to Lord Auckland, who 

 had lately returned from an embaffy to Spain; and in con- 

 fequence tif his Lordihip's letters, the Marchionefs del 

 Campo di Alange was Induced to prefent to his Majefty five 

 rams and thirty-five ewes from her own flock, known by the 

 name of Negretti, the reputation of which, for purity of 

 blood and finenefs of wool, is as high as any in Spain. Fat 

 this prtfent his MojeRy was pleal'ed to fend to the Mar- 

 chionefs in return eitrht fine Englifli coach horfes. 



Thefe flieep, which were imported in the year 1^92, have 

 formed the bafis of a flock, now kept in the park of His 

 Royal Highncfs the Duke of York at Oatlands, the breed 

 of which has been prcfcrved with the iitnioft care and at- 

 tention. 



The wool of this flock, as well as that of the flieep pro- 

 cured before from Spain, was acknowledged by the manu- 

 facturers who faw it, to be to all appearance of the very firft 

 quality ; yet none of them chofe to offer a price for it at ali 

 equal to what they ihemfelves gave for good Spanifh wool, 

 ieft, as they faid, it fliould not prove in manufailure fa 

 valuable as its appearance promifed : it became neceflary, 

 therefore, that it fliould be manufaftured at the King's ex- 

 penfe, in order that abfolute proof might be given of its 

 aciual fitnefs for the fabric of fuperfine broad cloth ; and 

 this was done year after year in various manners, the cloth 

 aKvays proving excellent : yet the perfons to whom the wool 

 was oHered for fale ftill continued to undervalue it, being 

 prepofiefled with an opinion, that though it might not at firft 

 decrenerate, it certainly fooncr or later would alter its quality 

 much for the worfe. 



In 1796 it was refolved to fell the wool at the price that 

 fliould be offered for it, in order thai the manufa£turers 

 themfelves might make trial of its quality, although a price 



equal 



