A. D. 175 1. 289 



The flourifhing and much-improved condition of the kingdom of 

 Ireland in this year is fo fully exprefled in the earl of Orrery's Letters 

 on the life and writings of Dean Swift, publifhed in this year, that we 

 fhall tranfcribe it, from letter xvi, p. 127. ' The prefent flate of Ireland 

 ' is in general as flourifhing as poflible. Agriculture is caltivated, arts 

 ' and fciences are encouraged ; and in the fpace of eighteen years no 

 * kingdom can be more improved. Ireland, in relation to England, 

 ' may be compared to a younger fifler lately come of age, after having 

 ' fuffered all the miferies of an injured minor, fuch as lawfuits, en- 

 ' croachments upon her property, violation of her rights, deftruftion of 

 ' her tenants, and every evil that can be named. At length, time, and 

 ' her own noble fpirit of induftry, have entirely relieved her ; and, 

 ' fome little heartburnings excepted, fhe enjoys the quiet poflefTion of a 

 ' very ample fortune, fubjed:, by way of acknowlegement, to certain 

 ' quit-rents payable to the elder branch of her houfe : and let me add, 

 ' by experience, that, take her all in all, (he cannot have a greater for- 

 ' tune than flie deferves.' 



The great and progrefTive improvement of the linen manufadure in 

 Scotland is well worth recording. Between the year 1727, (when an 

 ad of parliament pafTed for that end, whereby 21 truflees were ap- 

 pointed, under the great feal, for fuperintending the fame), and this 

 year 1751, the following quantities of linen were flamped for fale. 



Yards of linen. Value. 



In five years, 1728 — 1732 - 17,441,161 - L662,938 



five years, 1733—1737 - 23,734,136 - 897,254 



five years, 1738 — 1742 - 23,366,863 - 949, 22[ 



five years, 1743 — 1747 - 28,227,086 - 1,155,281 



And four years, 1748 — 1751 - 30,172,300 - 1,344,814 



N. E. The Britifh linen company, ereded in the year 1746, has been 

 greatly inftrumental in the advancement of that manufadurc in Scot- 

 land, by advancing ready money to the poorer manufacturers for their 

 goods : whereby they are enabled to go on with much more fpirit. The 

 board of truftees likewiie beflow annual premiums for the bcft manu- 

 fadures ; whereby a fpirit of induftry increaics, more than ever, all 

 over Scotland *. 



1752. — The African or Guinea trade having been laid more open in a 

 regulated company, by a fiatute of the 23d of King George II, before 

 recited, it became neceflary to make a compeniation to the old royal 



• Amfttrdain, which ufcd to he the general indigo, now (liipped for Amftordam at Bourdcaux 



waichoult for all the merchandize of Europe, and Nantes, were only in the proportion of one to 



was now in a Rreat meafure deprived of that ad- three of the fame floods lhii)ped for Hamburgli ; 



vantage : and the commerce of Hamburgh, by a whereas Amilerdam ufed formerly to take off 



direcfl intcrcourfe with I'Vance, Spain, Portugal, thrice as much as Hamburgh from thofc ports, 



and Italy, was rifnig fail upon the decline of the [Lcllrf fur la j.ttoiific dt commerct, ^. 25 1. yimjl. 



Dutch trade. As a proof of this change, it is I771-J M- 

 obferved, that the quantities of fugar, colfec, aud 4 



Vol. III. O o 



