CHAP. II. MKIICIIANT ADVENTURE!;. 103 



t'<>r Inlanders no less than 40,000 pieces of cloth. 1 Cloth- 

 ma king now luM-amr one of the staple manufactures of 

 Kngland. and instead of allowing the foreigners to ex- 

 port the raw wool, work it up abroad by foreign artisans, 

 and return it for sale in the English markets, the English 

 merchants themselves employed the English artisans, 

 aided by the numerous Protestant refugees who had 

 fled into England from French Flanders and the Low 

 Countries, to work up the raw material, when they 

 became large exporters instead of importers of the 

 manufactured articles. Into this trade of cloth manu- 

 facture Hugh Myddelton entered with great energy ; 

 and he prosecuted it with so much success, that in a 

 speech delivered by him in the House of Commons on 

 the proposed cloth patent, he stated that he and his 

 partner then maintained several hundred families by 

 that trade. 2 



Besides engaging in this new born branch of manu- 

 facture, it is not improbable that Myddelton's enterprising 

 spirit, encouraged by his intimacy with Raleigh and 

 other sea captains, including his own brother William, 

 who had made profitable captures on the Spanish main, 

 led him to embark in the maritime adventures which 

 were so common at that period, though they would 

 now be regarded as little better than piracy. 3 Drake 

 sacked the Spanish towns, burnt their ships, and carried 

 off their gold, while England was yet at peace with 

 Spain. Drake's vessels were the property of private 

 persons, who sent them forth upon adventures on the high 

 seas; and the results were so astounding, that it was no 

 wonder the example should be followed, more especially 

 after Spain had declared war against England. The 



1 Tutorial History of England,' i light, even at that time; for Camden 

 vol. ii., p. 784. says, " Nothing troubled Drake more 



2 'House of Commons' Journals,' than that some of the chief men ;it 



vol. i., p. 491. (20th May, 1614.) 

 The proceedings of Drake seem to 



bri'ii regard rd by some in this 



court refused to accept the gold which 

 he offered them, as being gotten by 

 piracy." 



