1772 Essays 171 
use all their wool as manure for the improvement of 
their lands. 
“ And whereas the art and mystery of making hats 
hath arrived at great perfection in Prussia, and the 
making of hats by our remoter subjects ought to be 
as much as possible restrained; and forasmuch as 
the islanders before mentioned, being in possession of 
wool, beaver, and other furs, have presumptuously 
conceived they had a right to make some advantage 
thereof, by manufacturing the same into hats, to the 
prejudice of our domestic manufacture; we do there- 
fore hereby strictly command and ordain, that no 
hats or felts whatsoever, dyed or undyed, finished or 
unfinished, shall be loaded or put into or upon any 
vessel, cart, carriage, or horse, to be transported or 
conveyed out of one county in the said island into 
another county, or to any other place whatsoever, 
by any person or persons whatsoever; on pain of 
forfeiting the same, with a penalty of five hundred 
pounds sterling for every offence. Nor shall any 
hat-maker, in any of the said counties, employ more 
than two apprentices, on penalty of five pounds 
sterling per month; we intending hereby that such 
hat-makers, being so restrained, both in the produc- 
tion and sale of their commodity, may find no advan- 
tage in continuing their business. But, lest the said 
islanders should suffer inconveniency by the want 
of hats, we are further graciously pleased to per- 
mit them to send their beaver furs to Prussia; and 
we also permit hats made thereof to be exported 
from Prussia to Britain; the people thus favored to 
pay all costs and charges of manufacturing, interest, 
os