S T A 



blilhed, by the faid itatute, for determininfr all mercantile 

 affairs, and for puni(hing and amercing offtiide s. The 

 principal matters under the cognizance of thefe courts were 

 fuch as pertained to the five (laple commodities of England, 

 viz. wool and wool-fels or flieep-flcins, leather, lead, and 

 tin. From the year 1375, the Itaple of Weftminft.r feems 

 to have been removed to the place calL-d StapIe-lnn, in 

 Holborn ; when Calais, which hid been for many years a 

 principal ffaplc-port for dilpcrling, in more early times, 

 the Englidi wool, lead, and tin, and, in later times, the 

 Englifli' woollen manufaftuies, under the conduft of the 

 Merchant-Adventurers, into the inland countries of the 

 NetherlandF, France, and Germany , was loft to this country. 

 In 15S8, the flaple for wool, &c. was eftablifhcd at Bruges ; 

 and queen Elizabeth, in the third year of her reign, granted 

 a new charter of confirmation to the corporation of the 

 mayor and conftables of the ftaple of Englai-d, of all fuch 

 privileges as they did, might, or ought to have enjoyed be- 

 fore the lofs of Calais. However, king James 1., in i6o4.> 

 granted a new charter to the Merchant-y!?c/T'cn/«rfrj, (which 

 fee,) and in 1617, confirmed all theirformer powers and privi- 

 leges for trading to the Netherlands and to Germany, with 

 the woollen manufafturesof England, exclufively of all who 

 were not free of their company ; in confequence of which, 

 the merchants of the ftaple, who had before been declining, 

 by the manufafture and exportation of our woollen cloth, 

 were brought to ruin. And when at length it was judged 

 expedient to enaft a total prohibition of the exportation of 

 our wool, it is no wonder that the ftaplers' company (hould 

 become extinft. At this day they exift only in name ; 

 though they maintain the form of a corporation by annually 

 elefting the officers of their company, according to the di- 

 reftion of their ancient charters. Tliis nominal corporation 

 is kept up by thofe who deal in wool (Itill called wool- 

 ftaplers), and who, in their corporate capacity, poffefs a 

 fmall fum in the public funds, the mtereft of which lerves 

 to defray the expence of their meetings and elections. But 

 they never had a hall, or office of their own, withi:i the city 

 of London, like other trading companies, although the Inn 

 of Chancery in Holborn is fo denominated from their ware- 

 houfes, which were formerly fituated there ; as was alfo an 

 office and warehoufe of theirs, which, fince the ereftion of 

 the new bridge at Weftminfler, has lolt its place, as well as 

 name of wool-ftaple, at the upper part of Cannon-Row. 

 Anderfon's Hift. Com. vol. i. See Customs. 



Staple, Statute. See Statute, and the preceding article. 



Staple Articles of Food, in Agriculture, are all thofe 

 which are of a firm and folid nature, texture, and quality, 

 and which afford due fupport in the feeding and foddering 

 of all forts of domeftic animals of the live-ftock kind ; in 

 contradiftinftion to thofe which are of a watery acd lets 

 firm ftrufture and confiftence, that fupply nourifhment and 

 fupport to fuch animals in an inferior and lefs perfedl man- 

 ner ; as corn, hay, tares, and fome other fimilar forts of 

 food, in comparifon with thofe of the more futculent root 

 and grats kinds. 



Staple of Land, a term fignifying the particular nature 

 and quality of it, in regard to the texture, confidence, and 

 compofition of its parts as a foil. In this way, there are 

 heavy or ftrong ftapled lands, thofe of a medium or mid- 

 dling Itaple, and light or thin ftapled lands, according as 

 the particles of the mouldy or powdery materials, of which 

 they are couftituted, may have more or lefs tenacity, ad- 

 hefive firmnefs, and fofidity among themfelves, and more or 

 lefs thicknefs. By this means, the differences in the ftaples 

 of lands, as foils, become of very material importance to 

 the farmer, as they fhew and teach him not only the nature 

 of the crops that may be grown upon them to the mol^ 



S T A 



profit and advantage, and with the leaft danger, or greateft 

 chance of fuccefs, but the manner in which they may be 

 the motl beneficially and effeftually cultivated for the raifing 

 and producing of them. Belides, the differences in the 

 ftaples of lands, as foils, are the chief or principal means 

 by which the common farmer is able and capable of judg- 

 ing of, and deciding in refpeft to, the quahties of land as 

 farms, as well as of their nature and values in the view of 

 purchafing them. See Soil. 



Staple, Iron, in Rural Economy, a fmall piece af iron, 

 in which the outward part is moftly either of the curved or 

 fquare form, having two long fharp ends, points, or prongs; 

 which are driven into wood or any other fimilar material. 

 Staples of this fort are very ufeful for many different pifr- 

 pofes about farms, as faftening gates, fecuring doors, and 

 many others of the fame nature. 



Staples, or Keel-Staples, in Ship- Building, are generally 

 made of copper, from fix to twelve inches long, and about 

 one and a quarter inch broad, with a jagged hook at each 

 end, which are driven into the fides of the main and falfe 

 keels to faften them. 



STAPLE-Rope, a term for ropes made of hemp not in- 

 ferior to clean Peterfburgh. 



STAPLETON, Thomas, in biography, was born of 

 a good family at Henfield, in Suflex, in 1535. He was 

 educated partly at Canterbury and partly at Winchefter, 

 and was then entered of New college, Oxford, of which 

 he became a perpetual fellow. In the reign of queen Mary 

 he obtained a prebend of Chicheffer, but on the acceflron 

 of Elizabeth, his fleady attachment to the Roman Catholic 

 religion caufed him and his family to remove to Louvain. 

 Here he ftudied theology, and afterwards yifited Paris and 

 Rome. Returning to Louvain, he employed hinifelf in 

 writing books till 1572, when he was invited to Douayi 

 where Piiilip II. had founded an univerfity. After taking 

 the degree of doftor in theology, he was prefented to a 

 canonry in that town, and was made royal profeffor of the 

 holy fcriptures. A diftafte to the world induced him to 

 enter among the Jefuits, who fent him to Louvain. This 

 Ctiiation did not at all accord with his talle, and he returned 

 to the canonry of Douay, whence, in 1590, he was called to 

 occupy a royal profellorfhip at Louvain : he was afterwards 

 nominated to the deanery of Hilverbeck, near Bois-le-Duc, a 

 preferment of confiderable value, the profits of which placed 

 him in good circumftances. He had now acquired a high 

 reputation by his writings, which procured him an invita- 

 tion to Rome from pope Clement VIII. ; but he felt hira- 

 felf too old for fuch a change, and being befet with in- 

 firmities, he was led to decline the honour intended hiui. 

 He died in 1598, at the age of fixtythree. He was a very 

 voluminous writer, and his works, when collefted, formed 

 four volumes folio, which were printed at Paris in 1620. 

 They all relate to the principles and controverfies of the 

 Romifh religion, and the eulogies of its afiertors. One of 

 the molt known was entitled " Propugnaculum Fidei primi- 

 tivas Anglorum," which was tranllated into Englifh under 

 the title of Stapleton's " Fortrefs of Faith." He gave 

 an Englifti vcrfion of Bede's Church Hiftory. 



STAPLING of Wool, in Rural Economy, the art or 

 procefs of iorting and adjufting its different properties and 

 qualities in the fame fleece, or in the whole quantity, fo as 

 that thofe of the fame kind, and which are proper for the 

 fame ufe and intention in the manufactures, may be put 

 together in the molt ufeful and appropriate manner. 



The Highland Society of Scotland has lately offered a 

 premium for an effay on the belt mode of executing the 

 bufinefs, and the advantages that may be derived from it to 

 that country. See Wool. 



STAPODIA, 



