228 A. D. 1741- 



mofl of our nobility and gentry, See. who formerly refided within thofc 

 limits, which have fince been built up into narrow flrects, alleys, and 

 courts ; whereby the number of houfes mufl, upon the whole, have been 

 confiderably increafed fince that fatal period ; even though we admit, 

 that, for the fake of ornament, feveral ftreets fince then have been 

 made wider and more uniform than they were before. The late great 

 increafe indeed of merchants and wholefale dealers in our own time in 

 the city, has obliged them to pull down numbers of houfes in different 

 parts of it, to ered large warehoufes with cellars, which farther leflens 

 the number of houfes. 



The immenfe increafe of the linen manufadlure of the kingdom of Ire- 

 land at this time is almofl aftonifliing, were there not fo many undoubt- 

 ed living teftimonies of it ; enough indeed to alarm all the foreign linen 

 countries, and to give folid pleafure to all truely intelligent Britons ; as 

 whatever adds to the wealth and fiirength of the kingdom of Ireland is 

 a real acceflion of fo much of both to the Britifh empire. In a letter 

 from Ireland, we were told, that, at the acceflion of King William III, 

 Ireland did not export to the value of L6000 in linen ; whereas, fays 

 the letter-writer, they now (1741) export annually an hundred times 

 as much in value, or L6oo,ooo. 



This great improvement was foretold long before by Sir William 

 Temple, in his Mifcellanies, [2d edition, 168 1.] ' No women,' fays that 

 great man, ' are apter to fpin linen thread well than the Irifh ; who, 

 ' labouring little in any kind with their hands, have their fingers more 

 ' fupple and foft than other women of the poor condition amongfl us. 

 ' And this may certainly be advanced and improved into a great manu- 

 ' fadture of linen, fo as to bear down the trade both of France and Hol- 

 ' land, and draw much of the money which goes from England to thofe 

 ' parts upon this occafion into the hands of his majefty's fubjeds of 

 ' Ireland, without crofling any interefi; of trade in England : for, be- 

 ' fides what has been faid of flax and fpinning, the foil and climate are 

 ' proper for whitening, both by the frequent brooks, and alfo winds 

 ' in that country.' 



By the Engliih Ruflla compaiiy's charter, of the firfl; and fecond of 

 Philip and Mary, which was confirmed by a flatute of the eighth year of 

 Queen EUzabeth, they have the fole privilege of trading from London 

 to the dominions of Rullia, and likewife to the countries of Armenia, 

 Media, Hyrcania, and Perfia, on the Cafpian fea. An attempt was ac- 

 cordingly made by that company for trading into Perfia by the great 

 river Volga and the Cafpian fea in the year i 558, as related under that 

 year : but that project was foon dropped, as being then thought too ha- 

 zardous ; and it remained in fufpenfe ever fince, till now, when an a6l 

 of parliament was obtained by that company, for ~ opening a trade to 

 mid from Perfia through Ruflia j in which aclaufe was inferted, where- 



