3 2o BALLYMOAT. 



Let me obfervenpon this, that fuch accounts 

 are never accurate, and they ihould be taken 

 rather for framing general, than particular ideas. 

 At firft fight, it might be thought, that proving 

 too much in the little or no profit of fuch an 

 undertaking, is proving nothing, as the trade 

 could never be carried on - y but this would not 

 be a juffc conclufion. The linen bufinefs is not 

 conducted thus; the drapers, who are bleachers, 

 purchafe the linen, not weave it on their ac- 

 count j and here lies probably much of their 

 profit, they take advantage of the variation of 

 times, to ufe a commercial term, and often get 

 the linen under its fair value j they have the 

 opportunity of taking advantage of all tempo- 

 rary necefftties among the weavers ; but at all 

 events, they know to a farthing the value they 

 can give, and they do not buy a piece more than 

 fuits them. But if the weaving; was done on 

 their account, they would be obliged to make 

 the linen, however dead the market, or elfe 

 have their men idle. A nother obfervation which 

 goes generally to all undertakings of this fort is, 

 that the uniting in one perfon feveral branches 

 of a manufacture, will rarely be found advan- 

 tageous. If every ftep is a diftind trade, alone 

 occupying both capital and attention, the fabric 

 is the more like to thrive. That Mr. Fitzmau- 

 rice, with great activity and a good undertiand- 

 mg, can make himfelf a matter of the bufinefs, 

 nothing but contraction can doubt j but I quef- 

 tion whether the mod fagacious draper in Ire- 

 land would make coniiderably, if he wove the 



cloth 



