and Extension of the Merino Breed of Sheep. 371 



It is, however, probable that a part of this deficiency arose from the increase of 

 the manufacture, which, either for foreign or domestic use, more profitably con- 

 sumed the raw materials. This is confirmed by an event which took place that 

 very year; which was the refusal of the governments of Brabant, Holland, and 

 Zealand, to receive our cloths ; in consequence of which, all merchandize from 

 the dominions of the Duke of Burgundy was prohibited in England.* These reci- 

 procal prohibitions, which did not extend to the Flemings, were, as usual, soon 

 revoked. 



The loss of revenue from the diminished export of wool, added to the increased 

 demand for our cloths, induced our Parliament in 1452, the 31st of Henry VI. by 

 way of compensation to the Crown, to raise a subsidy on all cloths exported ; t 

 and in 1463, 4;he 3d of Edward IV. in consequence of various complaints from 

 our manufacturers, Parliament forbad the importation of woollen caps, woollen 

 cloths, and a great variety of other articles. J 



In order to establish this important point, a new act was passed the following 

 year, the preamble of which recites, " that whereas the workmanship of cloths and 

 *' other woollen goods was become to be of such fraud and deceit, as to be had in 

 " small reputation in other countries, to the great shame of this land; and that by 

 " reason thereof great quantities of foreign cloths are imported and sold at high 

 " and excessive prices, &c." { 



In the same year, according to many of our historians, Henry IV. of Castile 

 and Leon was permitted to import into his dominions live sheep from the Cotswold 

 hills in G'oucestershire. These sheep, according to Trussell, were 5 rams and 20 

 ewes. In 1468, the same privilege is said to have been granted to John King of 

 Arragon. {{ To these importations popular opinion in this country attributes the 

 origin of the Merino sheep in Spain. 



In 1480, Edward the IVth, in a proclamation which is preserved in the Foedera, 

 allows his sister Margaret, Duchess Dowager of Burgundy, to export yearly during 

 her life, to any part of Flanders, Holland, and Zealand, 1000 oxen and 2000 

 rams.H 



Ten years afterwards, we engaged to supply Florence, in English vessels, with 

 all the wool wanted by the Italian states, except 600 sacks to Venice. *• 



* Anderson, 1448. t Ibidem, 1452. J Ibidem, 1463. § Ibidem^ 1464. 



H Ibidem, 1464 and 1468. irj Foedera, XII. 137. ** Ibidem, XII. 390, 



3B 2 



