neceffary in this behalf, for the refiftance and fubduing of his faid enemies, rebels, and traitors, to the most comfort, weel, and furety of all his true and faithful liege men and fubjects.

"And over this, our faid fovereign lord willeth and commandeth all his faid fubjects, to be ready in their most defenfible array, to do

his highnefs fervice of war, when they by open proclamation, or otherwife fhall be commanded fo to do, for refittance of the king's faid rebels, traitors, and enemies. And this under peril, &c.

"Witnefs myfelf at Westminster, the 23d day of June in the fecond year of our reign."

MISCEL

Mifs RHODES'S LETTER.

QUALLY influenced by

"E your request, and the re

:

collection of my own promife, I again renew the task on which the fociety has bestowed fuch an high degree of attention, and approbation and although in the profecution of my scheme, I have experienced difappointments whieh effectually exclude me from the pize my ambition led to, I cannot think myfelf totally unfortunate, fince thofe very difappointments may fupply the most useful hints to others, and, however paradoxical it may appear, are fo many new proofs of the practicability of my plan.

"I congratulate myfelf on your having feen my manufactory laft fummer, as you can witnefs the number of filk worms I fed. I had calculated that thirty thousand would produce me about five pounds of filk, and at the time you faw them, I had many more than that number. They were extremely healthy, and fupplied plentifully with food by the generous exertions of my friends, who, with unex ampled kindness, fent me fresh leaves daily, although some of them

2

refided at the diftance of fifteen, and twenty miles from me.

"About the beginning of July, the worms had attained their full growth, and arrived at that state of beautiful tranfparency which predicts their difpofition to fpin: but at this crifis, a chilling north east wind fet in, and we felt a degree of cold little thort of fome of the fevere winter months. Such an uncommon feafon had never been remembered here, and its baneful effects were vifibly difplayed on my little family. All thofe that were ready to fpin became of fuch an icy coldness, that it was fcarcely poffible to bear them on the hand": they made fome feeble efforts to eject the thread from their mouths, but in vain, for they fhrunk into their chryfalis ftate, without being able to form even the web, which inclofes the cone. This was equally new and alarming to me, and I watched them with the most anxious attention. The principle of life was vifible in them as in the chryfalis's which had fpun. That this change was the effect of cold, I had no doubt; but I wifhed to difcover how that effect was produced, and this I could only do by opening fome of them. On examination

found

found that the glutinous matter which forms the filk, was become fo highly congealed by the cold, that it refembled a ftrong tendon, both in appearance, and tenacity; whereas I had ever found it to be perfectly fluid in thofe worms which were employed in spinning.

"My ditrefs encreafed hourly, for thoufands went off thus every day, It was fufficiently obvious that the making of fires would remedy the evil; but they were unfortunately fituated over a range of warehoufs, which rendered that, not only dangerous, but impoffible. To remove fuch numbers into the houfe was equally impracticable; but alas they were foon fuffici ntly reduced for me to adopt that plan, and in one of the coldest days I almost ever felt, with the affiffance of feveral of my friends, I removed them to their former apartment. Here I kept large and conitant fires, and the worms as they arrived at maturity, purfued their induftrious Occupations with alacrity.

From this you will perceive fir, that cold, though it impedes their growth, does not effentially injure the worms, until they arrive at the ftate for fpinning; and that then, a certain degree of heat is requifite to render the filk fufficiently fluid, for them to eject it with eafe. If I could have made fires at firit, I am perfuaded that the dreadful havoc would have been prevented; and those who rear them for profit, may readily conftruct places, where an artificial heat may counteract the effects of an uncommon feafon, and prevent fuch a calamity.

Although the whole fummer was with us, unusually cold, I lost none until the time I have mentioned but those which I preferved, by a removal into the house, were

comparatively few indeed! not more than five or fix thousand.

I well know that the generality of the world, form their opinions of the expediency of fuch an attempt as this by its eventual fuecefs: but furely my failure may be compared to that of the poor farmer, who beholds with delight, a

plenteous crop bending for the fickle, which by a fed reverse, a fucceffion of defcending torrents destroys; and who nevertheless renews his toil of culture, with bet ter hopes from the fucceeding year. True it is that in one intance we differ materially, for he has no fe curity against another bad feafon, whilt an artificial arrangement can to me, diftribue a fufficient degree of warmth. The effort I made this year, if fuccefsful, would have been final: I must now perfevere two or three years longer, for I have refoived not to relinquish my defign until I have obtained the quantity of filk neceflary for a drefs. This was originally my fole motive, but I have the pleasure of thinking, that I have abundant ly established the fellowing facts.

"First, That the management of the filk worm, is by no means difficult, the principle objection having been obviated, by the difcovery, that they may be fupported fo long a time, on an indigenous plant, which may be procured in all fitua tions.

"Second, That our climate fupplies a fufficient degree of warmth to bring the filk to the highest perfection, unless in very extraordinary feafons, which may be guarded against by the construction of fire. places.

"Third, And that the profits which arife from the manufacturing of filk, are immenfely advantage ous, one fourth part of the price

of

of filk being adjudged enough to defray the whole expences. I know of few circumlances which would gratify me fo much, as the having been the means of promoting the eftablishment of a filk manufactory on a large fcale.

but

"There was a patent granted by George the First, for the encourage ment of one; and two thoufand mulberry-trees, were actually planted at Chelfea for that purpofe: how it mifcarried I have not learnt; many of the trees muit certain ly remain, therefore that would be the fpot beft calculated for the trial, For this circumftance, I am in debted to a very ingenious Effy on the Silk Worm, published by ifenry Barham, efq. in the year 1719, which abounds with the mott ufeful information I have yet met with on the fubject; and in which, my opinion of the prodigious profits, and certain fuccefs, that would attend the establishment of the fiik manufactory in England, is moit amply and inconteftibly fupported."

"I

Mr. SWAIN'S LETTER.

HAVE just now perufed the fourth volume of the Tranfactions of your patriotic fociety, and it is with inexpreffible fatisfaction, I obferve the rapid progrefs towards perfection which the arts and manufactures of this country are daily making under their aufpicious patronage. What I am particularly pleafed with in the voJume I have juft read, is, the attention fill continued to, and the encreafing proofs of the practicability of the railing of filk in this ifland. The elegant letters of mifs Henrietta Rhodes, inferted therein, have induced me to fend you the following remarks, together with the fpecimen of filk, inclosed in the fame cover; thefe however, are by

3

no means intended as candidates for a diftinction fimilar to that where with the letters of that ingenious young lady have been most deferv edly honoured by the fociety, (as I am confcious they have no pre, tenfions of this kind) or in the light of rivalfhip; but merely to corto. borate the teftimony there adduced, that the production of merchant able filk from worms fed in this ifland, is not only practicable, but that there would be almost a certainty of a manufactory of that kind fucceeding, were there a futticiency of proper food cafily procurable for the worms which produce it. That food I am confident will never be found in the leaves of any other tree, or plant, than thofe of the mulberry. For al though filk worms will feed on the leaves of lettuces, and will fome. times fpin their web, and go through their feveral metamorphofis without any other food, when they have been accustomed to that from their first exclution from the eggs; yet they will neve.ive fo well, be come fo large, or fpia a web either fo good in quantity, or fo abundant in quality, as when they have been fed during their whole existence in the larva ftate, on their natural food mulberry-leaves. And fuppofing the leaves of lettuces to be an equally proper food for them, yet the great extent of land necef fary for the growth of lettuces fuf ficient for the confumption of any confiderable number of worms, must furely render ineffectual every attempt to raife filk upon that plan.

"In the fociety's fecond volume we have an account of a very_am ple reward beftowed on a Mrs. Williams, of Gravefend, for her communications on the fubject of filk worms, chiefly tending to fhew that a fubstitute for mulberry-leave

had