THE Company of Weavers would have answered your Letter sooner, had not the ex­traordinary Business that attends all Companys, but especially this, at that season of the Year, prevented them.

Therefore, in Answer to your, you may be pleased to understand, That the Company of Weavers do wish the Royal Lustring Company, all the good Success imaginable, in the making of Alamodes and Lustring, so far as the making thereof doth not interfere with, or abridge their Members of their Antient Rights and Priviledges, which this Company al­ways had, and now have a tender Respest unto, and are, as much as in them lies, obliged to maintain and defend them in.

As it is not obvious that the many Advantages you daily boast of to have procured to this Nation, are true, so on the other hand, some pretend they can prove your chiefest Advantage is by selling of ordinary Goods at a great price; which, if so, is too apparently a Prejudice to the Publick, as well as a Disgrace to the Manufacture, and that all the People employed by you they would employ (if not obstructed) with greater Advantage to the Nation, and to the perticular Persons they would so employ.

And altho the Company heretofore apprehended that the best way of carrying on that Ma­nufacture, was by a joynt Stock; and therefore, such of them as then acted, might give their own Consents thereto, and wish you good Success therein: Yet they never intended, by any Consent of theirs, to abridge any of their Members from making the same on their own Acoounts (and especially such as could prove (as many pretend to do) an anticedent Right (and that they had attained to the full Knowledge in the Art both of making and Lustring the same, many Years before the passing of your Patent) which is evident from the Clause the Company caused to be Incerted in your Charter: And you well know, that they declared, at the passing thereof, they could not give away the Rights of their Members.

'Tis presumed you well remember you formerly acquainted the Company, That you had Ar­rested some of their Members, for making Alamodes and Lustrings contrary (as you pre­tended) to your Patent, upon which 'twas expected that a fair Tryal would have ensued, touching the Validity thereof, and thereby have put a Period to the Differences between your selves and their Members; but your declining the same, have given their Members good Grounds to conclude your Patent was not obtained on such true and valid Reasons as were able to abide the Decision of a Court of Judicature, and there, for support thereof, you were in­duced (with the like Allegations you formerly used) to apply yourselves in that private man­ner to the last Parliament, for an Act to debar their Members, from selling that, which you know neither your Patent nor Charter can hinder them from making.

The Company are as willing as you that all Differences and Misunderstandings should be laid aside, and that the Manufacture may be encouraged and increased, but do not think it proper to lay their Hands to the Plow by being interested in your Companys Stock at any Va­lue: But as to their perticular Members, they may act therein as they think fit.

The Company cannot let this Oppertunity slip, without puting you in mind how contrary you act against your Charter, not only by preventing our Members from making Alamodes [Page]and Lustrings, but also, by your hitherto employing chiefly such as are not Members of their Company. And since by your late Advertisement in the Gazett you would seem to reform in the latter; yet they could heartily wish (for your own Credits) you had performed what there­by you declared you would do, and not have given (as they too much fear you have done) not only such cause of Complaint, in this perticular, as is daily made against you, but also much Suspition that you never intended any more thereby, other than to give an Umbrage to some unreasonable Application for your own Advantages, tho to the prejudice of the Publick.

If therefore you would sincerely manifest yourselves to be for the real Benefit and Advantage of the Nation, and desire that all Differences between the Members of the Company and your­selves may amicably be Composed; 'tis the Opinion of this Company, you can make no better Demonstration thereof than by pursuing the true Intention of your Charter, in permiting the Members of this Company quietly to make and dispose of this Manufacture without any in­terruption; and by taking such effectual Care that you employ none, for the time to come, but such only as are Members of this Company. By which you will obtain the good Will of the whole Nation, and among them, perticularly of Gentlemen, you most humble Servants.