686 A. D. 1696. 



all the vafl: expenfe thereof abfolutely thrown away. This great prince, 

 however, did wonders for reforming and improving his country and 

 people. He travelled for this end into moll countries of Chriftendom, 

 in order to learn their mercantile and maritime arts. In Holland and 

 England he difcovered fo great a genius in his judicious inquiries, ob- 

 fervations, and remarks, on fhip-building, naval affairs, manufactures, 

 &c. as furprifed every body, and of which Ruffia at this day experiences 

 the good effeds. King William gave him a refpedful reception in the 

 year 1697, and cultivated his friendfhip and alliance, in hopes of form- 

 ing an ufeful balance of power againfl France. 



This year King William fent out two fliips of war and fome land 

 forces, who retook the forts in Hudfon's bay, which the French had held 

 for three years. Yet once more thofe forts, in Qiieen Anne's war, were 

 regained by the French, all but Fort Albany, and fo it remained till 

 the peace of Utrecht. 



The running of Englifli and Irifli wool into France, whereby the 

 woollen mamifaclure of that kingdom has been fo greatly increafed, 

 has employed the pens of many ever fince the refloration of King 

 Charles II ; and many plaufible propofals have been made, both within 

 doors and without, for an effectual cure, though hitherto unfuccefsfully. 

 Among the more modern ones, Samuel Webber, in his fhort account 

 of the flate of our woollen manufactures, (printed in 1739) afcribes the 

 great rife of the French woollen manufadures about this time to the 

 duty of 4/" in the pound impofed by the parliament of Ireland on all 

 their woollen goods exported to foreign parts, becaufe fuch exportation 

 interfered with England's exportations of the like woollen goods ; and 

 that this was agreed to by Ireland, in return for no lels than L9, 000, 000 

 ilerling, expended by England in the reduction of Ireland at the revo- 

 lution : and to prevent their glutting England with their wool *, they 

 were limited to eight f weftern ports for its importation. Such hard- 

 ihips, according to that author, conflrained the Irifh to run their comb- 

 ed wool into France, which the French mixed up with their own coarfer 

 wool, whereby they were enabled, at a cheaper rate, to fupply many 

 foreign markets with woollen goods formerly fupplied by England. 

 The computations of moil of thole who write on this fubjed, are, we 

 apprehend, too extravagant, and particularly thofe of this author, to ob- 

 tain univerfal credit ; for he ventures to afHrm, ' that of 800,000 packs 

 of wool, annually produced in Britain and Ireland, France gets rrum us 

 yearly, one way or other, 500,000 packs, whereby that nation gains an- 

 nually above L8,ooo,ooo ilerling ; that not one third of our wool is 

 manufactured at home ; for, befide what goes to France, there is not a 

 little run into Holland, Sweden, and elfewhere ; that whenever we 



* He alfo fays tvoollen goods ; but wool only was permitted to be impoited from Ireland. ^, 

 f He fayij only five, yi. 



