7o8 A. D. 1699. 



half; more efpecially fince the late increafed demand from our own 

 American plantations *. 



1700. — The king of France at this time ereded a new council of 

 commerce, confiftingof his principal minifters of ftate and finances, and 

 of twelve of the principal merchants of his kingdom, viz. two of Paris, 

 and ten from the cities of Rouen, Bourdeaux, Lyons, Marfeille, Rochelle, 

 Nantes, St. Malo, Lifle, Bayonne, and Dunkirk ; to meet at leaft once 

 in every week, for treating of all commercial matters, as well by land 

 as by fea, at home and beyond fea: to receive propofals, fchemes, peti- 

 tions, &c. and to determine commercial controverlies : alfo to encourage 

 works, manufadures, &c. The twelve merchants to be annually eleded 

 by the magiftrates of the cities. 



From the very firft ere6lion of this famous new council, or board of 

 commerce, we have good ground to date the great and almoft furprif- 

 ing increafe of the comnieixe, woollen manufacture, mercantile fhip- 

 ping, and foreign colonies, of France. 



The wear of Indian wrought filks, ftuffs, and calicoes, was become fo 

 univerAtl in England at this time, and the complaints thereof fo loud, 

 that it was now thought high time to remedy fo great an evil. The 

 preamble to the ftatute obferves, that the continuance of the trade to 

 the Eaft-Indies, in the fame manner and proportions as it hath been for 

 two years lafl; pad, muft inevitably be to the great detriment of the 

 kingdom, by exhaufting the treafure thereof, melting down the coin, 

 and taking away the labour of the people, whereby very many of the 

 manufacturers of this nation are become exceflively burdenfome and 

 chargeable to their refpedlive pariflies, and others are thereby compelled 

 to feek for employment in foreign parts. This grievance was greatly 

 heightened by the double importations by two Eaft-India companies, 

 which raifed a great clamour in Spitalfields, Norwich, Canterbury, Co- 

 ventry, &c. whereby alfo a double quantity of filver was exported ta 

 India. 



A flatute was therefor pafTed for more effectually employing the poor, 

 by encouraging the manufactures of this kingdom, enacting, that from 

 michaelmas 1701 all wrought fdks. Bengals, and fluffs, mixed with 

 filk or herba, of the manufacture of Perfia, China, or Eaft-India ; and 

 alfo all calicoes, printed, painted, dyed, or flained, there, fhould be lock- 

 ed up in warehoufes appointed by the commifhoners of the cuftoms, till 

 re-exported ; fo as none of the faid goods fhould be worn or ufed, in 

 cither apparel or furniture, in England, on forfeiture thereof, and alfo 



* From a paper in the phtlnji.ph'ual IranfaBions, concerning the affairs of Scotland, written in tlie 



\_V, xxi, ^. 230] it appears that a vefftl which was year 1698, the Scots and the Venetians feem to- 



thought ' a large ihip,' V as built at Invernefs for have been then on friendly teinis. In the thir» 



the fcrvice of Venice. The wiiter dees not fay, teenth century a French ncLleman had a fliip- 



when Ihe was built ; but the paper is dated 1699 ; built at Invernefs, which for her bulk waseilecmed 



iiiid from Fletcher of Saltoun's fecond difcourfe wonderful. [M. Piirisjf. 771, «/. 164c.] M.. 



