atid Extension of the Merino Breed of Sheep. 373 



whole 1200, 4800 sacks of 364 lbs. or 7280 of our packs of 240 lbs. Now as the 

 escu, or crown, was worth about four shillings and one penny of our money, and 

 the whole amount was 250,000 crowns, or jT'^o^ooo. the value per sack was 

 jTio. 85. id. and per pack £6. ijs. ^d.; that is, of our present money, the sums 

 of £"51,041. 13^. id. £ to. 123. %d. and £'j. os. 2d. respectively. 



This wool was surely of low price, and the quantity inconsiderable; but, on the 

 other hand, the same auth;)r informs us, that the woollen cloths of different sorts 

 annually sent from England to Antwerp could not be fewer than 200,000 entire 

 pieces, worth, at least, 25 crowns, or five pounds two shillings and. one penny 

 each.* These cloths were probably of very various kinds; of which the broad- 

 cloths, from before this period till the beginning of the following century, were 

 chiefly exported undressed and undyed. The comparative value of some of them 

 must, however, have been very considerable, as we are told by Guicciardini that 

 they were sent from Antwerp to Germany as a thing rare and of high price: 

 " Comme chose rare, et de hault pris."t 



In the year 1601, the 44th of Queen Elizabeth, according to John Wheeler, 

 Secretary to the Society of Merchant Adventurers, there were annually shipped out 

 of this country by that company only, exclusively of wool and wool-fels, 60,000 

 white cloths, worth ^^600,000. sterling; and 40,000 coloured cloths of all sons, 

 baize, and kersies, worth ,(^400,000. X 



At this period the aggregate commerce of England, in exported wool and cloths, 

 had reached its greatest extent ; and in this state it continued twelve or fourteen 

 years, till Sir William Cockayne, Alderman of London, had the address to per- 

 suade our government to prohibit the exportation to Holland of our cloths undyed 

 and undressed; in consequence of which, the Dutch and Germans, who had before 

 completed those processes, absolutely refused to receive them. J Hence only 

 64,000 cloths are said to have been exported in i6i6 ; and in the year ending 

 Christmas 1622, all the imports into England, custom, &c, included, amounted 

 to ----- - ^.2,619,315 o o 



and all the exports, including customs, taxes, merchants' profit,l 



J II I 1 r 2,Q20,4q6 12 10 



and ail other charges, to - - - /_____ ^ 



Giving a balance against us of - jT. 298,878 7 2 j| 



• Guicciardini, page 195. f Idem, page 186. J Smith, I. 84. 



§ Smith, I. 102. I) Anderson, 1622. 



