C 405 ) 



CHAP. XII. 

 O F QJJ ADRUPEDS. 



THE moft valuable of all our domeftic animals are our fheep\ 

 Our mountains and hills are almoft covered with them. 

 The largeft, with the fineft wool, are on the hills of Floddon, and 

 by the rivers Til/, and Tweed ; a fpecies without horns, of the 

 middle fize, between thofe of Scotland and Torkflnre. The Flcmijl) 

 manufacturers always preferred our Englijlj wool to the foreign ; 

 and our anceftors provided wife and good laws againft its expor- 

 tation, and coming into their hands. King Edward III. in the 

 fecond year of his reign, procured an act to be patted in his 

 parliament at Weftminjter, that it mould be all made into cioath at 

 home, that manufacturers mould be invited from abroad, proper 

 places affigned them to live and work in, with great privileges 

 and immunities, and good wages and falaries allowed them 

 till they were properly fettled, in a profperous thriving way *.. 



Notwithftanding this wife and good law, foreigners found 

 means to have our wool from our northern borders, probably 

 by the agency of the FlemiJJj merchants then fettled at Berwick 

 upon Tweed. It is recorded to have been excellent combing- 

 wool. In later times, fome good eflatcs are faid to have been 

 got by fending it abroad. 



Lewis XIV. the glory of France, was the firft diftinguifliecP 

 patron and encourager of the woolen trade in that kingdom. 



* Statutes at hrge, 2 K. Edward HI. 



The 



