An estimate of the comparative strength of Britain during the present and four preceding reigns; and of the losses of her trade from every war since the Revolution ... To which is added an essay on population / by the Lord Chief Justice Hale.
- George Chalmers
- Date:
- 1782
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: An estimate of the comparative strength of Britain during the present and four preceding reigns; and of the losses of her trade from every war since the Revolution ... To which is added an essay on population / by the Lord Chief Justice Hale. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![[ >28 ] proved tlie fabrics ’of paper and of filk, efpecially the luteftring and alamodes; which were fo much encouraged by parliament, that the weavers had fo greatly increafed in numbers as well as -in infolence, before the year 1697, that they raifed a tumult ip London againd; the wearers of Eaft India manufadtures’'. The eftablilhment of the Bank of England in 1694, by facilitating public and private circulation, produced all the falutary efFedls that were originally foretold, becaufe it has been conftantly ma- naged with a prudence, integrity, and caution beyond example. By giving encouragement to filheries in 1695, a hardy race mud: have been greatly multiplied: and by encouraging, in 1696, the making of linens, fubliftence was given to the young and the old. The conclulion of every lengthened war deprives many men of fupport, who are therefore obliged to re-enter into the com- petitions of the world. Yet, Dr. Davenant * adured the Marquis of Normanby, in 1699, that we really want people and hands to carry on the woollen and linen manufadtories together.” Ad- mitting the truth of an aflertion, of which indeed there is no rea- fon to doubt, the obfervation is altogether confident with dtdfs and with principles. In lefs than two years from the peace of Ryfwick, the difbanded idlers had been all engaged in the manu- fadlories which we have feen edablifhed, and in the foreign traffic that has been fliewn to have flourifhed fo greatly from that epoch to the demife of William. Now, what does the pofition of Dave- nant prove, more than that uncommon demand never fails to create remarkable fcarcity, till a diffident fupply has been found. And Sir Jofiah Child was therefore induced, a hundred years ago, to lay it down as a maxim ; ^uch as our employment is for people^ fo many'will our people be. Were we now to compare the circum- ftance mentioned by Sir John Dalrymple, of the raifing of three- and-twenty regiments in fix weeks, during the year 1689, with the fad: dated by Dr. Davenant “ of the fcarcity of hands” in 1699, we ought to infer, that an alteration of manners, owing to whatever caufe, had in the mean time taken place j that the idle having become indudrious, the lower orders of men had learned from](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28757671_0142.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
