Domestic Industries and Out-door Labour. 135 



their other country work permits," at rates that defied 

 competition by those who set up a " particular manu- 

 facture." In proof of this latter point, he relates how 

 in view of the large sums of money brought into the 

 kingdom by the plaiding trade, especially through the 

 Aberdeen merchants, who got their wool chiefly from 

 the south of Scotland, and then sold it out in " smalls" 

 to the country people a " substantious merchant in 

 Edinburgh called Mr. Barnes," conceived the idea that 

 having the wool at first hand he could, by employing 

 people expressly to manufacture for him, sell in the 

 market of Holland at a greater profit than the Aberdeen 

 merchants with their roundabout mode of manufacture. 

 But having made " about ten sea packs of plaiding, 

 which might be reckoned worth twenty thousand 

 pounds," he perceived that the Aberdeen men were 

 selling their plaiding in Holland " at as low a rate 

 as his stood himself at home "; whereupon he " fell a 

 wondering " as to the reason of this. Having put the 

 case to Alexander Farquhar, an Aberdeen merchant of 

 his acquaintance, the " substantious " Edinburgh trader 

 was informed " that the people that wrought their plaid- 

 ing had not by farr such entertainment as his servants 

 had, and that they drank oftener clear spring water 

 than ale ; and therefore they had their plaiding much 

 cheaper than his ; whereupon he quickly gave over 

 his manufacture." Baillie Skene adds that notwith- 

 standing the " sober rate" at which the commons lived 

 they were " so set at work upon the account of their 

 advantage in the north parts of Scotland, that in former 

 years the product of their labours hath brought into 

 this kingdom yearly upwards of an hundreth thousand 

 rex dollars for many years together ; without this the 

 nobility and gentry in thir parts could not get their 

 money rents well paid." Surprisingly high prices had 

 been given ; for our present authority speaks of a 

 certain George Pyper, who to prevent decay in the trade 

 and stimulate improvement in the style of knitting 



