43
tures, iron fabrics, which have been carried to a great magnitude (g). A coarse
manufacture, for household purposes, commenced, as we have seen, during the
twelfth century (h). It did not add much to the improvement of the rude state
of domestic fabrics, during six centuries of warfare, and revolution, that
encouragements were proposed, by an uninformed legislature, to an idle people,
who were destitute both of means, and of skill. The Union, in 1707, at once, put
an end to commercial rivalry, by admitting the Scottish people to a participation
with the English, in their mercantile projects, and colonial commerce. But,
this communication was long of little benefit to those, who were not pre-
pared to receive its influences. The year 1750 has been assigned, as the
true epoch of manufacturing advance from deplorable feebleness to real im-
provement. Yet, is it apparent, from the documents, which have just been
laid before the judicious eye, that it was only from the year 1760, that the
manufactories of Scotland have advanced, in a constant state of melioration, till
they have obtained a great elevation of vigorous prosperity.
§ XXI. Of its Foreign Trade.] From such topics, it is easy to diverge to
considerations, with regard to foreign trade. It is vain for authors, who pro-
fessedly write of commerce to talk of the great traffic which Scotland enjoyed
of old (i). Large and little, are only comparative; and whoever compares
the details of her present foreign trade with the list of her imports and exports
as they appear in her chartularies, consisting merely of a few articles of rude
produce, will not form magnificent notions of her ancient trade. Even under
(g) But of the rise, progress, and perfection of the manufactures of Scotland, the clearest judgment
may be formed from the subjoined statement:—
The value of the British manufactures which were exported by sea from			
North-Britain, in 1755, was,     ------	£284,700	18	1
According to a 5 years average, ending with 17GO,            ...	375,057	7	0
The same, with 1770,      .......	451,170	14	10
The same, with 1780,      -                          .....	549,315	9	11
The same, with 1790,      	769,296	6	11
The same, with 1800,      -	1,402,650	0	3
The value, in 1801,         	2,449,171	4	6
(h) Caledonia, i., 787.
(i) Anderson's Hist. Deduction, throughout; Campbell's Political Survey : "It is not much doubted,
" saith Bishop Nicolson, but that those parts of Great Britain have all along maintained their com-
" merce in the same methods with those that are more southern, even down from Malcolm II." Scots
Hist. Lib., 290. So little capable was the learned bishop of perceiving truth from falsehood, during
his researches, as to the ancient history of North-Britain.
G2