32 



BRITISH WOOL TEADC. 



only to enrich the countries they subdued, Engiaiid 

 may bless the hour w hich saw the legions of the world's 

 mistress planting the Imperial Eagle on her shores. 



Instead of following the progress of the wool trade 

 among foreign nations in later times, the limits of the 

 present work compel me to confine myself to an out- 

 line of the British trade from its origin, at the time of 

 the invasion by the Romans, to the present period. 



(40.) Introduction of Weaving into Britain. — It 

 is evident from ancient history, that the first inhabi- 

 tants of all the countries of Europe were either naked, 

 or nearly so, owing to their ignorance of the clothing 

 art. Such, in particular, was the uncomfortable con- 

 dition of the inhabitants of this island, who are sup- 

 posed to have used the bark of trees, and to have 

 smeared themselves with unctuous matter, after the 

 manner of other savages, to protect themselves from 

 cold. Some writers are of opinion, that the inner 

 bark of trees alone was employed, and that not till 

 woven into a kind of cloth, such as the South Sea 

 islanders at present make. They continued the abo- 

 minable practice of anointing their bodies, long after 

 the people of France, Spain, and Germany, were de- 

 cently clothed, so differently were they situated in re- 

 gard to intercourse with strangers, and opportunities 

 of acquiring the useful arts. It is impossible to disco- 

 ver with certainty when, or by whom, the custom of 

 wearing clothes was introduced into Britain. Some 

 su])pose that the Greeks, and after them the Phoeni- 

 cians, who visited the Scilly islands, and sometimes 

 the continent of Britain, for trading purposes, first 

 awakened in the breasts of our savage ancestors a de- 



