"But the merchants, sending over English patterns and models to India, and bringing such quantities of Indian lacquered wares (especially within the last two years), great numbers of families are by that means reduced to miserable poverty."

The trade with the Indies thus encountered bitter opposition, and many tracts were published calling attention to the alleged grievances of native workmen from its prosecution. In 1700, Reasons, a tract, tells us: "The charter of the East India Company was confirmed by King Charles II in the thirteenth year of his reign, and the law for permitting bullion to be exported was made soon after. In 1672 or 1673, several artificers were sent over by the Company with great quantity of English patterns to teach the Indians how to manufacture goods to make them vendible in England and the rest of the European markets. After which began the trade in manufactured goods from the Indies."

In 1699, also, a bitter wail went up in a broadside entitled Prince Butler's Tale:

When first the India trade began. And ships beyond the tropics ran In quest of various drugs and spices. And sundry other strange devices. Saltpetre, drugs, spice and such trading Composed the bulk of all their lading: Bengals and silks of India's making Our merchants then refused to take in, Knowing it would their country ruin And might prove to their own undoing. Nor did they carry gold or bullion To fetch home what supplants our woollen; Nor were this nation fond to wear Such Indian toys which cost so dear. Then were we clad in woollen stuffs, With cambric bands and lawn ruffs, Or else in silk which was imported For woollen goods which we exported; Which silk our English weavers bought And into various figures wrought. That scarce a child was to be seen Without Say frock, that was of green. Our hangings, beds, our coats and gowns Made of our wool in clothing towns. This nation then was rich and wealthy And in a state which we call'd healthy. But since the men of Gath arose, And for their chief Goliath chose, 290

And since that mighty giant's reign Whose chiefest aim was private gain. This trade was drove on by such measures As soon exhausted much our treasures; For then our chiefest artists went With patterns, and with money sent, To make and purchase Indian ware, For which this nation pays full dear. Then by great gifts of finest touches To lords and ladies, dukes and duchess. So far prevailed as set the fashion Which, plague-like, soon spread o'er the nation.

Our ladies all were set a gadding.

After these toys they ran a madding;

And nothing then would please their fancies,

Nor Dolls, nor Joans, nor wanton Nancies

Unless it was of Indians' making;

And if 'twas so, 'twas wondrous taking.

This antick humour so prevailed,

Tho' many 'gainst it greatly railed,

"Mongst all degrees of female kind

That nothing else could please their mind.

Tell 'em the following of such fashion

Wou'd beggar and undo the nation

And ruin all our labouring poor

That must or starve, or beg at door.

They'd not at all regard your story.

But in their painted garments glory;

And such as were not Indian proof

They scorn'd, despised, as paltry stuff;

And like gay peacocks proudly strut it,

When in our streets along they foot it.

And happy thrice would England be, If, while they're living, we could see Our noble ladies but beginning To wear our wool of finest spinning, Or in such silks our workmen make, For which our merchants cloth to take; Which soon would bring them in such fashion As they'd be worn throughout this nation, By all degrees, and sex, and ages. From highest peers to lowest pages; Nor would the meanest trull, or besses. Delight to wear these Indian dresses. Which certainly would profit bring To them, their tenants, and their king.

To show how enormous was the trade with the East Indies at the end of the century, we need only examine the records of sales of the cargoes of three ships at the East India House in 1700. In this we omit all mention of sugar, tea, coffee, bezoar stones, ambergris, drugs of all sorts, sweetmeats, gems, musk, aloes, carpets, rugs, and all kinds of woven silk and cotton goods. The other goods, "besides great quantities unsold of toyes and small goods," fetched over £200,000, which at the present day might represent three-quarters of a million sterling:

Among the textiles that were imported from the East Indies, Persia and China at the end of the seventeenth century, and used for curtains, upholstery, cushions, etc., were many varieties of wrought silks, "dyed Bengals," and printed or stained "callicoes," known under the following names:

Allibanies.

Allejaes.

Ammores.

Addecannees.

Agentbannies.

Atlasses.

Addaties.

Brawles.

Bengalis or Nilas.

China silks.

Chawters.

Cherconnees.

Chucklaes.

Checquered silks.

Carpetts.

Callawaypoose.

Canvas bolts.

Cuttannees.

„ Striped.

,, Flowered.

„ Wrought.

Culgees.

Chints, Serunge. Caddy.

„ Surrat.

„ Brampore.

„ Culme.

„ Pattanna.

„ Gulconda.

,, Wrought. Damasks. Derribasts. Damask nankeens. Elatches.

„ Lingua. Ginghams coloured. Gelongs.

printed and painted.

,, striped. Gorgoreas. Gauzes.

Goachon Cherulas. Guiney stripes. Girdles.

Herba Tafieties. „ Lungees. Hockings. Jammawars. Longes Flowered. Mahobutt Bannes. Mocha silks. Muttrasses. Nankeen Tafieties. Nillaes. Niccannees. Paunches. Pelongs. Putkaes. Peniascoes. Phota Lungees. Pallungpores. Peniascoes or Penasses. Pholcarees. Quilts. Romalls silk.

„ cotton.

„ serunge. Rastaes. Shalbasts. Soofeys. Sattins plain. Satin nankeens. Soops. Seersuckers. Sacerguntees. Sooseys. Shaulbasts. Silk Lungees. Tafieties. Taffety nankeens. Velvets.

The above list is copied from a tract protesting against foreign importations that was printed about 1700.