(3° 
S#Ri ES eaP: Crass I. 
received fome improvements*; but the grand rife 
of all its profperity is to be dated from the reign of 
queen Elizabeth, when the tyranny of the duke of 
Alva in the Netherlands drove numbers of artifi- 
cers for refuge into this country, who were the 
founders of that immenfe manufacture we carry 
on at prefent. We have ftrong inducements to be 
more particular on the modern ftate of our wool- 
len manufactures; but we defift, from a fear of 
digreffing too far; our enquiries mutt be limited to 
points that have a more immediate reference 
to the ftudy of Zoology. 
No country is better fupplied with materials, and 
thofe adapted to every fpecies of the clothing bufi- 
nefs, than Great-Britain; and though the fheep of 
thefe iflands afford fleeces of different degrees of 
goodnefs, yet there are not any but what may be 
ufed in fome branch of it. Herefordfhire, Devon- 
feire, and Cotefwold downs are noted for producing 
fheep with remarkably fine fleeces; the Lincolufbire 
and Warwick/bire kind, which are very large, ex- 
ceed any for the quantity and goodnefs of their 
wool. The former county yields the largeit fheep in 
thefe iflands, where it is no uncommon thing to 
cive fifty guineas for a ram, and a guinea for the 
admiffion of a ewe to one of the valuable males; 
* In that of Richard, two-yard cloths were firft made. In 
that of Henry the VIII. an Jtalian taught us the ufe of the 
diftaf. Kerfies were alfo firft made in England about that 
time. 
or 
- 
