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really　laid　the　foundation　of　England's　maritime　supremacy。　It　was



round　the　woollen　industry　of　England　that　all　other　branches　of



manufacture　grew　up　as　round　a　common　parent　stem；　and　it　thus



constitutes　the　foundation　of　England's　greatness　in　industry；



commerce；　and　naval　power。



　　　　At　the　same　time　the　other　branches　of　English　manufacture　were



in　no　way　neglected。



　　　　Already　under　the　reign　of　Elizabeth　the　importation　of　metal



and　leather　goods；　and　of　a　great　many　other　manufactured　articles；



had　been　prohibited；　while　the　immigration　of　German　miners　and



metal　workers　was　encouraged。　Formerly　ships　had　been　bought　of　the



Hansards　or　were　ordered　to　be　built　in　the　baltic　ports。　But　she



contrived；　by　restrictions　on　the　one　hand　and　encouragements　on



the　other；　to　promote　shipbuilding　at　home。



　　　　The　timber　required　for　the　purpose　was　brought　to　England　from



the　baltic　ports；　whereby　again　a　great　impetus　was　given　to　the



British　export　trade　to　those　regions。



　　　　The　herring　fishery　had　been　learned　from　the　Dutch；　whale



fishing　from　the　dwellers　on　the　shores　of　the　Bay　of　Biscay；　and



both　these　fisheries　were　now　stimulated　by　means　of　bounties。



James　I　more　particularly　took　a　lively　interest　in　the



encouragement　of　shipbuilding　and　of　fisheries。　Though　we　may　smile



at　his　unceasing　exhortations　to　his　people　to　eat　fish；　yet　we



must　do　him　the　justice　to　say　that　he　very　clearly　perceived　on



what　the　future　greatness　of　England　depended。　The　immigration　into



England；　moreover；　of　the　Protestant　artificers　who　had　been　driven



from　Belgium　and　France　by　Philip　II　and　Louis　XIV　gave　to　England



an　incalculable　increase　of　industrial　skill　and　manufacturing



capital。　To　these　men　England　owes　her　manufactures　of　fine　woollen



cloth；　her　progress　in　the　arts　of　making　hats；　linen；　glass；



paper；　silk；　clocks　and　watches；　as　well　as　a　part　of　her　metal



manufacture；　branches　of　industry　which　she　knew　how　speedily　to



increase　by　means　of　prohibition　and　high　duties。



　　　　The　island　kingdom　borrowed　from　every　country　of　the　Continent



its　skill　in　special　branches　of　industry；　and　planted　them　on



English　soil；　under　the　protection　of　her　customs　system。　Venice



had　to　yield　（amongst　other　trades　in　articles　of　luxury）　the　art



of　glass　manufacture；　while　Persia　had　to　give　up　the　art　of　carpet



weaving　and　dyeing。



　　　　Once　possessed　of　any　one　branch　of　industry；　England　bestowed



upon　it　sedulous　care　and　attention；　for　centuries　treating　it　as



a　young　tree　which　requires　support　and　care。　Whoever　is　not　yet



convinced　that　by　means　of　diligence；　skill；　and　economy；　every



branch　of　industry　must　become　profitable　in　time　　that　in　any



nation　already　advanced　in　agriculture　and　civilisation；　by　means



of　moderate　protection；　its　infant　manufactures；　however　defective



and　dear　their　productions　at　first　may　be；　can　by　practice；



experience；　and　internal　competition　readily　attain　ability　to



equal　in　every　respect　the　older　productions　of　their　foreign



competitors；　whoever　is　ignorant　that　the　success　of　one　particular



branch　of　industry　depends　on　that　of　several　other　branches；　or　to



what　a　high　degree　a　nation　can　develop　its　productive　powers；　if



she　takes　care　that　each　successive　generation　shall　continue　the



work　of　industry　where　former　generations　have　left　it；　let　him



first　study　the　history　of　English　industry　before　he　ventures　to



frame　theoretical　systems；　or　to　give　counsel　to　practical



statesmen　to　whose　hands　is　given　the　power　of　promoting　the　weal



or　the　woe　of　nations。



　　　　Under　George　I　English　statesmen　had　long　ago　clearly　perceived



the　grounds　on　which　the　greatness　of　the　nation　depends。　At　the



opening　of　Parliament　in　1721；　the　King　is　made　to　say　by　the



Ministry；　that　'it　is　evident　that　nothing　so　much　contributes　to



promote　the　public　well…being　as　the　exportation　of　manufactured



goods　and　the　importation　of　foreign　raw　material。（4*）



　　　　This　for　centuries　had　been　the　ruling　maxim　of　English



commercial　policy；　as　formerly　it　had　been　that　of　the　commercial



policy　of　the　Venetian　Republic。　It　is　in　force　at　this　day　（1841）



just　as　it　was　in　the　days　of　Elizabeth。　The　fruits　it　has　borne



lie　revealed　to　the　eyes　of　the　whole　world。　The　theorists　have



since　contended　that　England　has　attained　to　wealth　and　power　not



by　means　of；　but　in　spite　of；　her　commercial　policy。　As　well　might



they　argue　that　trees　have　grown　to　vigour　and　fruitfulness；　not　by



means　of；　but　in　spite　of；　the　props　and　fences　with　which　they　had



been　supported　when　they　were　first　planted。



　　　　Nor　does　English　history　supply　less　conclusive　evidence　of　the



intimate　connection　subsisting　between　a　nation's　general　political



policy　and　political　economy。　Clearly　the　rise　and　growth　of



manufactures　in　England；　with　the　increase　of　population　resulting



from　it；　tended　to　create　an　active　demand　for　salt　fish　and　for



coals；　which　led　to　a　great　increase　of　the　mercantile　marine



devoted　to　fisheries　and　the　coasting　trade。　Both　the　fisheries　and



the　coasting　trade　were　previously　in　the　hands　of　the　Dutch。



Stimulated　by　high　customs　duties　and　by　bounties；　the　English　now



directed　their　own　energies　to　the　fishery　trade；　and　by　the



Navigation　Laws　they　secured　chiefly　to　British　sailors　not　only



the　transport　of　sea…borne　coal；　but　the　whole　of　the　carrying



trade　by　sea。　The　consequent　increase　in　England's　mercantile



marine　led　to　a　proportionate　augmentation　of　her　naval　power；



which　enabled　the　English　to　bid　defiance　to　the　Dutch　fleet。



Shortly　after　the　passing　of　the　Navigation　Laws；　a　naval　war　broke



out　between　England　and　Holland；　whereby　the　trade　of　the　Dutch



with　countries　beyond　the　English　Channel　suffered　almost　total



suspension；　while　their　shipping　in　the　North　Sea　and　the　Baltic



was　almost　annihilated　by　English　privateers。　Hume　estimates　the



number　of　Dutch　vessels　which　thus　fell　into　the　hands　of　English



cruisers　at　1；600；　while　Davenant；　in　his　'Report　on　the　Public



Revenue；'　assures　us　that　in　the　course　of　the　twenty…eight　years



next　following　the　passing　of　the　English　Navigation　Laws；　the



English　shipping　trade　had　increased　to　double　its　previous



extent。（5*）



　　　　Amongst　the　more　important　results　of　the　Navigation　Laws；　the



following　deserve　special　mention；　viz。：



　　　　1。　The　expansion　of　the　English　trade　with　all　the　northern



kingdoms；　with　Germany　and　Belgium　（export　of　manufactures　and



import　of　raw　material）；　from　which；　according　to　Anderson's



account；　up　to　the　year　1603　the　English　had　been　almost　entirely



shut　out　by　the　Dutch。



　　　　2。　An　immense　extension　of　the　contraband　trade　with　Spain　and



Portugal；　and　their　West　Indian　colonies。



　　　　3。　A　great　increase　of　England's　herring　and　whale　fisheries；



which　the　Dutch　had　previously　almost　entirely　monopolised。



　　　　4。　The　conquest　of　the　most　important　English　colony　in　the



West　Indies　　Jamaica　　in　1655；　and　with　that；　the　command　of



the　West　Indian　sugar　trade。



　　　　5。　The　conclusion　of　the　Methuen　Treaty　（1703）　with　Portugal；



of　which　we　have　fully　treated　in　the　chapters　devoted　to　Spain　and



Portugal　in　this　work。　By　the　operation　of　this　treaty　the　Dutch



and　the　Germans　were　entirely　excluded　from　the　important　trade



with　Portugal　and　her　colonies：　Portugal　sank　into　complete



political　dependence　upon　England；　while　England　acquired　the



means；　through　the　gold　and　silver　earned　in　her　trade　with



Portugal；　of　extending　enormously　her　own　commercial　intercourse



with　China　and　the　East　Indies；　and　thereby　subsequently　of　laying



the　foundation　for　her　great　Indian　empire；　and　dispossessing　the



Dutch　from　their　most　important　trading　stations。



　　　　The　two　results　last　enumerated　stand　in　intimate　connection



one　with　the　other。　And　the　skill　is　especially　noteworthy　with



which　England　contrived　to　make　these　two　countries　　Portugal　and



India　　the　instruments　of　her　own　future　greatness。　Spain　and



Portugal　had　in　the　main　little　to　dispose　of　besides　the　precious



metals；　while　the　requirements　of　the　East；　with　the　exception　of



cloths；　consisted　chiefly　of　the　precious　metals。　So　far　everything



suited　most　admirably。　But　the　East　had　principally　only　cotton　and



silk　manufactures　to　offer　in　exchange；　and　that　did　not　fit　in



with　the　principle　of　the　English　Ministry　before　referred　to；



namely；　to　export　manufactured　articles　and　import　raw　mater