534 ON THE PRICE OF TEXTILE FABRICS. 



being then at the height of his arrogance and power, inflicted 

 on France an industrial injury, only second to that done by 

 Philip the Third of Spain when he drove the Moriscoes into 

 exile, and with them expelled the hope of industrial progress 

 from the country. My reader may find, among the notes which 

 I have collected at the end of the sixth volume, some informa- 

 tion of the liberal assistance which was given to the exiles 

 by the High Church Colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. 



As I have stated above, the origin of the linen is sometimes 

 indicated at Cambridge, Eton and London. By this time I 

 conclude that Holland had become a generic name, that it was 

 as much manufactured at home for the English market as it 

 was imported, though it is said that for a long time English- 

 made goods were sent to Holland, especially to the neighbour- 

 hood of Amsterdam, to be bleached. In course of time the 

 craft of the whitster was recognised in England. 



Now the only unquestionably English linen which is desig- 

 nated in these accounts is Lancashire, or, as it is more frequently 

 named, Preston. Between 1583 and 1624 I have found it 

 sixteen times, and half of them are specified as Preston. It is 

 not a high-priced cloth, for it ranges from I2s. to 2os. the dozen, 

 and is at an average of i$s. In the earlier accounts its purpose 

 is said to be for cleaning plate. 



Scotch cloth, used it seems generally for shirting, is found in 

 the early part of the period and at its conclusion. It is of very 

 variable price and quality, being at 36^. a dozen in 1596, 

 at I4s. in 1655. An average of ten entries gives zos. io}<^. 

 In the year 1596 it is described as fine Scottish, in 1655 as 

 purchased for the foot-boy's handkerchief. In the early years 

 it is bought by Lord Pembroke, in later times by Master, the 

 last purchase being made by S. John's College for surplices, 

 the record informing as that a surplice took nearly 7f ells. 



The most frequent foreign linen is Roan, which is I suppose 

 Rouen stuff*. It is generally a cheap article, from 143. to zos. 

 the dozen, but the last entry gives a price of 30^. An 

 average of twenty entries gives a price of i6s. A,d. Roan 



