A. D. 1661, 



497 



flruded by a rail and the unevennefs of the ground thereabouts ; the 

 pafllige and ftreet of St. Martin's-Iane out of the Strand ; the pafTage 

 or Itreet of Field-lane, commonly called Jackanapes-lane, going be- 

 tween Chancery-lane and Lincohi's-inn-fields ; the pafTage and gate- 

 houfe of Cheapfide, into St. Paul's church-yard ; the pafTage againft St. 

 Dunflan's church in the weft (being obftrucled by a wall); the flreet 

 and palTige near the weft end of the Poultry, in London, and the paflage 

 at Temple-bar. All thefe were deemed very incommodious to coaches, 

 carts, and paflengers, and prejudicial to commerce and trading. All 

 which fliew very plainly, how inelegant, as well as inconvenient, a great 

 part of the city of London was at this time ; and alfo how much the 

 liberty of Weftminfter was conftantly increafing in new ftreets and 

 buildings, the confequence of our increafing commerce and wealth. So. 

 much is the great contiguitv of London altered fince then, that Tome 

 part of this defcription is difficult to be traced at this prefent time. 



An ad for regulating the making of ftufFs in Norfolk and Norwich, 

 fays, * the trade of w^eaving ftufFs hath of late times been very much 

 ' increafed, and great variety of new forts have been invented ; fo that 



* the power given by the ftatute [17 Edw. IV, c. i'\ is not fufficient for 



* regulating the fame ; and the wardens by the fame ad appointed, be- 

 ' ing but eight, are too few for governing and ordering the trade ; 

 ' wherefor there fhall be twelve wardens and thirty affiftants for regu- 

 ' fating the manufadure of worfteds and Norwich ftuiTs.' [13, 14 

 Car. JI, c. 5.] From this ad we may infer that thofe light manufadures- 

 were much increafed. 



The filk manufadure of London was now become fo confiderable,. 

 that the preamble to an ad for regulating the trade of filk -throwing. 

 obferves, that the faid company of filk-throwfters fas it is exprefTed 

 in their petition) employ above 40,000 men, women, and children 

 therein. It was therein enaded, that none fhould fet up in that trade 

 without ferving feven years apprenticefhip, and becoming free of the^ 

 company. [13, 14 Car. II, c. 15.] 



After this time we find divers ads of parliament in this and fuc- - 

 ceeding reigns for regulating the filk manufadure at home, and the.- 

 importation of raw and thrown filk from foreign parts, many of which 

 were temporary, others have been repealed or altered, and the reft of 

 little information to the generality of readers, until we come to the year- 

 1722. 



Another ad was pafTed, prohibiting the exportation of \\\e fheep, 

 wool, woollen yarn, fullers earth, fulling clay, and tobacco pipe clay.- 

 [13, 14 Car. li, c. 18.] Additional laws have fmce this time been made 

 for this very important end. But once for all, we fhall take the liberty 

 to remark, that thev have bv no means anfwered the end, though re— 



Vol. IL ' ' 3 R 



