couragement or despayre, from those lesse apprehensive and docible, in this noble and gainefull Trade of Silke, there is no such absolute necessity layd upon them to be supersticiously and precisely curious in observing the Booke Rules, and written Precepts, that upon the omission or unpunctuall observation of any of those Precepts in hatching, lodging, feeding, and tending of the Silke-wormes, wee should imagine such minute deviations might occasion an improsperity or generall failing for wee will admit something may be wanting either in materialls, accommodation, or precisenesse of knowledge; yet may the worke (a higher and irresistible cause not interrupting it) prosper and succeede, notwithstanding such defect, to the great contentment and gaine of them which keepe them.

Let us imagine it to be granted that the indigency of the person improving the incommodiousnesse of the place, or want of House-roome, which the Bookes exactly tye us to, be in many things preterregular (though such a supposition may fall upon any other part of the World more justly then Virginia, where all materialls and conveniency answer our exactest wishes) yet will dayly examples confirme us, that in Languedoc, Provence, and other parts of France, and as many in Spaine and Italy, amongst the common sort of that exaction tyred people, that one poore low-rooft Cottage, and one Roome in it is all the house extent they have to take their sleepe in, dresse their miserable dyet, and serve themselves of for use and retirement; yet does this industrious Creature (such are the blessings with which God rewards the sweat of Industry) thrive as happily (and sometimes answer labour with a greater felicity) as those which the curiosity of Richer persons fit with all commodiousnesse of Chamber feeding, and attending, which is at speaking encouragement that no man should despaire, but reposing a cheerefull confidence in the blessing of the Almighty, with this Resolution, that what ever meanes, what ever curiosity, art, or precept, may contribute towards the preparing and facilitation of a worke, yet the end, the event must depend on his eternall goodnesse to crowne it, and all our labours projected with never so great a Talent of humane wisdome and experience, must conclude with this never failing truth: That except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it: Except the Lord keepe the City, the Watchman watches but in vaine. Wee must therefore lift up our hearts and eyes with thankefullnesse unto the Hills, unto the Monntaine of Israel, and Rock of David, from whence those streames of blessings must acknowledge their sole, their originall Fountaine,

nor

which may serve as an admonition, that neither the whole, any part of the worke should be begunne without applying our devotions to him: Let it therefore be the Morning Omen to the worke, and the Evening auspice, Lord prosper the worke of our hands, prosper good Lord our handy workes. After the Reposall of this confidence in God; let him apply himselfe with his greatest industry and ability, with this comfort and assurance, that he cannot but make a considerable returne: Though wee should be much injurious to Art (the noble right hand and Midwife to Nature) if wee should deny a more promising probability of a riper and fuller gaine the more curious and observant he is in following all the approved experiments, Rules, directions, and precepts thereunto belonging.

But the chiefest aime and intention of those Rules are to illustrate the perfection of this Art, and to informe your knowledge, and better your future experience and preventionall care, if any misadventure arrive, or miscarriage in the Silke-wormes, or if they prosper not equally this yeare with the last; for by inspection upon them you may understand the cause and reason of such misadventure, and with it the remedy; and this also takes away all dispaire or disincouragement for men, commonly men till they are convinced in the naturall cause of a disaster or failing attribute, all such mischances to Nature, or else impute the non-thriving to their owne misfortune by a ridiculous opinion that they are not ordained to be fortunate in this or that Mystery, so freequently does Fortune incurre the blame of humane neglect or ignorance.

Besides wee are to imprint in our knowledge, that no Rules can have so much of generality and exactnesse, which will not admit of deviations arising from some particular and variable eircumstances. Wee must not therefore conforme the nature of the Climate to our Rules, but our Rules to it, in which wee must resume to your deliberation how, and in what one Climate differs from another, how the constitution of this yeare varies from the next, or the precedent, the immediocrities of heate, cold, drought, and moisture, serenity, or mists, &c. The manner of their lodgings, the quality of the winde to be admitted or excluded: To temper a season inclining to a preternaturall coolenesse with an artificiall heate, to refresh and infrigidate the Aire in times of immoderate heate, by admitting the cooling Aire and Windes proceeding from a cooler Quarter, and this to be observed with a more particular care; when they spinne their Silke, that Creature then being very obnoxious to be stifled with too much heate.

There

There must be likewise a providentiall regard in a moist season, that the Mulberry leaves be carefully dryed after their gathering, before they be administred for food to the Silkeworme: But if the season pertake more of drought it will be wisedome to let the leaves lye and shade a little after their gathering, that they may have them coole and refreshing, and in seasons of temperature and continued droughts, it may be very requisite to water the Roots of the Mulberry-tree, which will be a refreshing to the leaves, and this is usually practised in Spaine; especially if the Mulberry-tree be seated in a hot or dry ground, which otherwise must not be so prescribed without particular caution.

Nor is it below our consideration to weigh the condition of the place in which the Mulberry is planted, if in a sower foule or wet soile to collect what inconvenience that food may bring unto your worme, and therefore if your necessity will admit it to avoyd such wholly, if not to use them with such qualifications as may make them least offensive.

After having regard to the nature of the ground your Tree receives its juce from, the quality of the season, in which you gather them; it falls next to your consideration to compare the kinde and nature of the Tree, together with the kinde and natuae of their seed, worme, and silke, and directing your selfe by an exact observation of particular circumstances, so to make exceptions, and to order every thing with judgement and discretion thereafter, that your Bookes and experience may by that meanes walke hand in hand together.

But time and observations will affoord you many experiments, out of which perhaps some more rules of Art may be framed, in divers particulars, more consenting to the Country and Climate of Virginia. Which finding, after good triall thereupon made, it will become the reputation of a good Patriot in generall, and a good Master of a family in particular, to digest them into such a regular order and method, that the publication thereof may be a common benefit to all, and a private memoriall to particulars.

For since in Persia and China it does not fall under likelihood, that they can oblige themselves to observe all particulars in its strictest limitation, where such an infinite quantity of silke passeth through the hands of the people, it is very agreeable to reason that in a Climate of the same nature and parallell, namely Virginia, there may be rules found out of far lesse brevity, and more pertinency, then have yet been considered or published. And yet where all these Rules are curiously observed, they

make

make not onely in Spaine and Italy, but in the colder parts of France a far greater gaine (the quantity of adventure and time considered) by this chargeably feeding of Silk-wormes, then by any other commodity whatsoever.

But to avoid that inconvenience of fetching leaves a far off, or attending the growth of your owne Mulberries, or that necessity which makes the poorer sort of our owne miserable people to lodge them in that Roome which is their Kitchin, their Chamber, their all. With what ease and conveniency may there be a house set up in the middle of a Grove of Mulberries, naturally growing, where the Silkewormes, in a dry Cabinet of Boords, after the maner of Sicily, may be kept (described more largely in the Bookes which treat of this Silkeworme, then can bee expected in this paper) set up with stones in it, in case the Countrey and season require it, eyther to correct the ill sents, or (if so be they are seated in cold, moyst, or shady places, of which your owne sense and experience will quickly acquaint you) to give the ayre a temper and qualification, which if not prevented, may destroy your worke by killing the Silkeworme.

And this Lodge built for them, the season of the yeere will invite your selfe and family (I mean such part of your family as you assigne to this worke) to lodge there also, the time being at the most but six weekes, and for the first moneth, one third of your family will be sufficient to feed them, but the last 14. dayes; the other 2. thirds will be requisit that the wormes may bee more often and plentifully fed the well feeding at that time contributing much to their strength and perfection, and consequently to the improving your expected silke, both in quantity and quality.

That all may be invited and courted to this undertaking, in this glorious Countrey, Nature hath left us destitute of no materialls. To erect these slight silken lodgings, will be no more expences, then your labour; nor is that any greater, then to cut out some posts and studdes, fit them, and set them up, then to cleave and saw out small quarters, rafters, plankes, pales, and boards, to make and set up the sides of the house, in stead of more substantiall walls, and to cover the roofe in stead of Tile. For the effecting of all which with the lesser trouble, that Countrey affords abundance of Woods, which will runne out, slit, and cleave into long lengths and breadths, which by the directnesse of the Ground will rive in a manner, as if they had beene sawne for the worke. All which must be so close layd, joyned, and nayled together, the one still lapt over the other, that no Winde or Raine may penetrate therein to offend that laborious Creature, and this may easily be prevented,

if such chinkes and open places as you shall discover bee stopped up with Lome, Clay, and Lime, of which materialls in those Countreyes you will finde no want. And to this purpose the Indian Mats, and the like things may be made good use of in this way, which will be sure to keepe out Winde and perhaps Raine But to these things your owne inventions, pro re nata, will abundantly furnish you with matter of preventing casualties: Nor will it bee unseasonable to repeat the extraordinary convenience of Saw-mills, which in this case will be in a high degree serviceable to you, and of this the whole Colony will be beneficially sensible in boards, Plankes, housing, Silkworm-lodgings, Timber, shipping, and all particular kinde of

uses.

And this once erected, with what speed may such a house be clapped up together, with a few nailes one lopping over another, either long like a Bowling-Alley, that the functions of the Family may be distinct, and no offensive heat or sent disturbe the Worme in his curious operations.

Or being in doubt of surprisall, some Families going into the Woods together may equally joyne together, and those woodden houses (still observing that the Roomes where the wormes are may be set end and end together, that so the Kitchins and their lodgings may be still the two extreames) may be cast into the forme of a Fort which pallisadoed, and your house sentinelled by halfe a dozen of good Dogges, wilbe a sufficient defence against all the Natives of the Countrey.

And this may be in case they worke not in common, which if by compact they agree upon, the Lodging for the wormes. may be cast in the middle of such a circle, the Timber houses round about shading them from over much heat, wind or moisture, and the necessary fires there made, will throughly cleere the ayre of all vapours and mists which may disorder this innocent Spinner. The Silke Harvest ready, and the encrease brought to a just estimation: The Cohabitors may according to the agreement made betwixt them, returne with their Dividends, and this removall into the Woods will have the same nature of content which the Citizens take in a time of vacation and City wearinesse (Citizens being never so weary as when they have no worke) to visite the delights of the Country, though with different ends; since these in their Voyages of pleasure expend, the other both save and encrease their stock and treasure. These Boards (the worke ended) being taken downe are serviceable for seaven yeares together, and easily erected or renewed.