The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous ... - Cd3wd.com

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348 ANCIENT HISTORY OF
published in the seventeenth and at the beginning of the
eighteenth century, will not only afford amusement, but will
show the wonderful commercial revolution which has since
been effected by machinery. In the year 1678, a pamphlet
was issued under the title— " The Ancient Trades Decayed
and Repaired again," in which the author thus bewails the in-
terference of cotton with woollen fabrics.
" This trade (the woollen) is very much hindered by our own
people, who do wear many foreign commodities instead of our
own ; as may be instanced in many particulars ; viz. instead of
green sey, that was wont to be used for children's frocks, is now
used painted and Indian-stained and striped calico ;
and instead
of a perpetuana or shalloon to Une men's coats with, is used
sometimes a glazed cahco, which in the whole is not above 12c?.
cheaper, and abundantly worse. And sometimes is used a
Bangale that is brought from India, both for hnings to coats,
and for petticoats too ; yet our English ware is better and
cheaper than this, only it is thinner for the summer. To rem-
edy this, it would be necessary to lay a very high impost upon
all such commodities as these are, and that no calicoes or
other sort of linen be suffered to be glazed."—pp. 16, 17.
The writer, with equal wisdom, recommends the prohibition
of stage coaches^ on account of their injuring the proprietors of
the inns on the road, by conveying the passengers too quickly,
and at too little expense to themselves. A pamphlet entitled
" The Naked Truth, in an Essay upon Trade," published in
1696, informs us that
"The commodities that we chiefly receive from the East
Indies are calicoes, muslins, Indian wrought silks, pepper, salt-
petre, indigo, &c. The advantage of the Company is chiefly
in their muslins and Indian silks, (a great value in these com-
modities being comprehended in a small bulk,) and these becoming
the general wear in England."— p. 4. "Fashion is
truly termed a witch ; the dearer and scarcer any commodity,
the more the mode ; 30^. a yard for muslins, and only
shadow of a commodity when procured."— p. 11.
the
So sagacious and far-sighted an author as Daniel de Foe
(Author of Robinson Crusoe) did not escape the general notion,