638 A. D. 1689. 



had in their treaties with France generally ftipulated, that in cafe of 

 any rupture between the two nations in Europe, the fubjeds of both 

 crowns in America fhouid remain in a ftate of neutraUty, yet, at the 

 grand revolution in England, the French broke through that agreement, 

 by entering in an hoftile manner into the Englifh pale at St. Chrifto- 

 phers, even before war was declared there between thofe two nations : 

 and, although the Englifh of that ille had fent for fuccour from Barba- 

 dos, ;after taking ihelter in their fortreffes) yet they were neceffitated 

 to furrender their part of it to the French in July 1689, and to retire 

 to the neighbouring ifle of Nevis, to the great lofs of many merchants 

 in London and Briftol. 



Soon after which the French drove the Dutch out of their own ifland 

 of Euftatia in that neighbourhood. 



It was about this time that the firfl convention was made at London 

 between England and Spain, for fupplying the Spanifh Well-Indies with 

 negro Haves from the ifland of Jamaica. 



About this time (according to a pamphlet, faid to be written by Mr. 

 William Wood, a great undertaker in metals, entitled, the State of the 

 copper and brafs manufadure in Great Britain, humbly offered to the 

 confideration of parliament, 410, 1721) ' the railing and refining of cop- 

 ' per-ore was revived in England, and chiefly in the county of Corn- 

 ' wall, after having been lofl: or difufed ever fince the time of the Sax- 

 ' ons, who, as well as the Danes, formerly made copper in England, as 

 * appears by the old mines wrought by them in feveral counties : but 

 ' by reafon of great quantities of thofe metals being imported from fo- 

 ' reign parts, (on which high duties fhouid have been laid) that valu- 

 ' able branch of our produdl was dropped for many ages.' Yet General 

 Malynes, in his Lex mercatoria, (1622) obferves, that copper mines were 

 then adually worked in many Englifh counties : ib that Mr. Wood 

 mufl, in this refpect, be under an hiflorical miflake. Under the year 

 1399 we have likewife noted that feveral projeds for mining were fet on 

 foot in the reign of Richard II. Mr, Wood obferves, ' that formerly 

 ' we had all our copper and brafs from Sweden and Germany, though 

 ' now (1721) we are in a great meafure fupplied from our own mines. 

 ' It was later (he fays) that the art was gained to England of convert- 

 ' ing copper into brafs.' 



On the breaking out of King William's war agalnft France, a com- 

 pany of fword-cutlers was erecT:ed by patent, for making hollow fword- 

 blades, in the county of Cumberland, and the adjacent counties, for the 

 nfe of the army. But though they were enabled to purchafe lands, to ered! 

 mills, and to receive and employ great numbers of German artificers, 

 yet it did not fucceed as was expeded. The firfl: patentees, therefor, 

 fold or afl^igned their patent to a company of merchants in London, 

 who thereupon purchafed under that patent to the value of L20,ooc per 



