ade might be admitted upon such
conditions as should be agreed on. And if any person whatsoever should
complain that he was ill used in the value or goodness of what he
bought, the matter should be examined, the person injured be fully
satisfied, by the whole corporation without delay, and the dishonest
seller be struck out of the society, unless it appeared evidently that
the failure proceeded only from mistake.

The mortal danger is, that if these dealers could prevail by the
goodness and cheapness of their cloths and stuffs to give a turn to the
principal people of Ireland in favour of their goods, they would relapse
into the knavish practice peculiar to this Kingdom, which is apt to run
through all trades even so low as a common ale-seller, who as soon as he
gets a vogue for his liquor, and outsells his neighbour, thinks his
credit will put off the worst he can buy; till his customers will come
no more. Thus I have known at London in a general mourning, the drapers
dye black all their old damaged goods, and sell them at double rates,
and then complain and petition the Court, that they are ready to starve
by the continuance of the mourning.

Therefore I say, those principal weavers who would enter in such a
compact as I have mentioned, must give sufficient security against all
such practices; for if once the women can persuade their husbands that
foreign goods besides the finery will be as cheap, and do more service,
our last state will be worse than the first.

I do not here pretend to digest perfectly the method by which these
principal shopkeepers shall proceed in such a proposal; but my meaning
is clear enough, and cannot reasonably be objected against.

We have seen what a destructive loss the Kingdom received by the
detestable fraud of the merchants, or Northern weavers, or both,
notwithstanding all the care of the Governers at that Board; the whole
trade with Spain for our linen, when we had an offer of commerce with
the Spaniards, to the value as I am told of three hundred thousand
pounds a year. But while we deal like pedlars, we shall practise like
pedlars; and sacrifice all honesty to the present urging advantage.

What I have said may serve as an answer to the desire made me by the
Corporation of Weavers, that I would offer my notions to the public. As
to anything further, let them apply themselves to the Parliament in
their next Session. Let them prevail in the House of Commons to grant
one very rea