A. D. 1698. 701- 



It was about this time that the king of France made his greateft ef- 

 forts for fea-dominion, or a fupcrior naval flrength : and it cannot be 

 denied, that he took very wife meafures for that end. He erected aca- 

 demies for mathematical ftudies, aad for making expert engineers, bom- 

 bardiers, fliip-builders, and navigators ; and he divided all his fea-coafts 

 into departments, over which he placed proper intendants, who kept 

 exad lifts of all feafaring people, obliging them by turns to ferve in the 

 royal navy for a limited term of years. By fuch meafures, he appeared 

 quickly on the Ocean with a formidable navy, whereby for a while he 

 bade defiance to both the antient maritime powers. Yet in the end he 

 was effectually convinced, that they had Itill an advantage over him on 

 the watery element, after he had contracted an immenle debt on that 

 fcore : and that, as all monarchies, as well as individuals, have certain 

 limits in point of powder and expenfe, he muft either quit his new pro- 

 jedt of giving law on tlie Ocean, or elfe abandon his grand projeds of 

 eonquefts on the land by his vaft armies. The later he could not think 

 of giving up, and therefor he was forced to drop the former. So that, 

 towards the dole of his reign, his navy w-as permitted to decline very 

 much : yet his fuccellbr has fince attempted both again, with as little 

 or lefs reafon, and even with much lefs fuccefs, all things being duely 

 confidered. 



This year Louis XIV ereded a new exclufive company for 50 years, 

 named the royal company of St. Domingo, not only for the great ifland 

 of Hifpaniola, (the weft' end of which he had feized on and planted, 

 though never as yet yielded to him by Spain in any treaty) but for all 

 the other Weft-India"^ iflands he laid claim to. This grant was confirm- 

 ed in 1 7 16. 



The luftring company now obtained an ad of parliament, the pre- 

 amble of which fets forth, that the company have, with great labour 

 and charge, brought that raanufadure to perfedion : but that, by reafon 

 of the fraudulent importation of foreign alamodes and luftrings, they 

 have not enjoyed the benefit intended them by the royal charter, but 

 have wafted their time and flock in contending with many difficulties 

 and obftrudions. And it now^ appearing that the manufadure cannot 

 be conduded, and fecured to England, by any other means than by 

 eftablilhing an exclufive company for the fame, it was enaded, that the 

 faid company be a perpetual corporation, with the ufual powers, &c. 

 of a body-poHtic, as in their charter, and that they enjoy the fole ufe, 

 exercife, and benefit of making, drelling, and luftrating, plain black 

 alamodes, renforcez, and luftrings, in England and Wales, for fourteen 

 years. [9, 10 Gul. Ill, c 43.] But the falhion changed', new fabrications 

 drove out thofe pretty and glolfy filks ; and the company ran out their " 

 ftock, and were quite broke up before the expiration of their exclufive 

 term, which therefor was not renewed. 



