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Show 8 U B J E 52 POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL the Inhabitants of a poorer Country feel them« {elves enaaled, there is no Doubt to be made, but that they will become alfo proportionably willing to purchafe fome of the more commodious or more fumptuous Furniture, and elegant Ma~ nufaétures, of thofe Perfons, who are actual ly their belt Cultomers, as well as richer Neigh- bours. Indeed, to fay the Truth, thefe Thing s are no other than the uleful Conlequences, and almoft necelTary Effects of natural Caufes: And furely that Man muf't have been a very great Stranger to what paffes in the World, who cannot difcern thefe daily Retations of Commercial Indufiry. BUT there is one Circumftance more, relative to this Subject, which being not f0 obvious to common Obfervers, feems therefore to requir e a particular Explanation. The Circuml‘tance is this, ~--That the very fame Country may be relatively both richer and poorer than another at the very fame Time, if confidered in different Points of View ; and confequently, that all the oppofite and feemingly contradictory Affertions concerning both the Cheapneis and Dearnefs C T 8. 5‘3 they can be fabricated in either of thofe Countries. But neverthelefs, both Scotland and [reland are richer than England in refpeét to one particular Point; for both thefe Countries have got the Start of England with refpeét to the Linen Mannfatlnre, by more than Half'a Century; and in Confequence thereof, their Capitals are larger, their Machinery is better, and their Co'rrefpon- dences are beCome more extenfive; f0 that in fliort, almof't every Thing relative to the Linen Manufacture in thofe Countries is c0ndué‘ted with more Adroitnefs. and managed to greater Advantage than in England. Hence therefore It is eafily to be accounted for, how it comes to pafs that the Scott}; and Irz'f/z ‘can fell their Linens, and more efpecially their fine Linens, confiderably cheaper than the Engli/lt Linen Manufaéturer is able to do. Nay, by Way of firengthening the general Argument, I would obferve further, that tho' the Modes of Living are more expenfive, tho' the daily Wages, and Rents of Houfes and Lands, and the Prices of Provifions, are at leafl: doubled, if not trebled, of 'l‘rade and Manufactures; and therefore it in the manufaéturing Parts of Scotland and Ireland, to what they were about 60 or 70 Years agor~yet the prefent Linens are both better and cheaper than the former, in a very confiderable, Degree; fo that THE Scotland and Ireland of the Year 1763, if compared with THE Scotland or Ireland of 1700, are as firong an Infiance, and fells thofe Manufaftures much cheaper than D 3 of Manufactures, may be found to correfpond with Truth and Matters of Fact. Thus, for EXample, England is undoubtedly richer either than Stotlana or Ireland, in regard to molt Branches they as ;._N|\lllllI\|\‘i\ ._‘"" W |