Certificate for a servant maid.

this is of home it might con sarn that m m'k- lived in my house one hear and half and a onest gest good servant

Paisley 20 Jan 1812

Joseph Howell

To the Editors of the Weavers' Magazine.

As a great deal has been said about the extravagance of weavers, when "times were good," I have hereby sent you a correct statement of the prices which I have been paid for weaving an Imitation Pressure Shawl, 2200 Warp, for the last three years, and by this statement your readers will have a pretty correct view of the average earnings of the whole Weavers in Paisley in the above period.

Average Price Paid for Weaving Imitation Shawls, 2200 Warp, from July 10th 1816, to July 10th 1817, at 1s. 6d. per Ell, Wrought in three years, 1410 Ells, at 1s. 6d. per Ell, £.105 0 Paid to Draw-boy 3s. per week, for

three years,

To Beaming 14 Webs, at 8d. each,

£ 23 8 O
09
1 11

6

3 12 0

29 0 10

£.75 19 2

in three years, or £25. 6s. 5d. each year. Now, I have neither taken into account the expence of erecting the harness, nor the weekly expence which is necessary to uphold it, besides a number of other items, such as dressing, grease, candles, &c. &c. But, from the statement I have given, you will be enabled to judge with what justice we are accused of improvidence. By inserting this in your valuable Publication, you will much oblige your obedient Servant, Paisley, August 26th 1819.

Original Poetry.

TO LAURA.

Dear Laura! when you were a flirting young Miss,

And I was your dutiful swain,

Your smiles would exalt to the summit of bliss,

Your frowns would o'erwhelm me with pain.

W. D.

You were dear to me then, love, but now you're my wife,
It is strange the fond tie should be nearer;
Yet when I am paying your debts, on my life
You seem to get dearer and dearer.

Ye mariners, suffer my chidings,
Till, hastening the blue billows o'er,
Ye bring from my darling the tidings,
He's safe on Columbia's shore!

I could dare for his sake all the dangers,
The dangers of crossing the main;
And go to the far land of strangers,
To clasp my dear laddie again!

Newmilns, Aug. 1819.

J. W.

Ilk mind is fill'd wi' some pursuit,
Some greater and some lesser;
This lifts the man aboon the brute,
And shews him to be wiser.
His exercise the raw recruit,

His bags the griping miser,

His lass the young enamoured sprout,
His muse the poetiser,

Fills ilka day.

When planning future schemes of life,
Let this be well attendit-

Tho' 'tis a warfare, and a strife,
Lang purses muckle mend it;
And tho' in wit and sense ye're rife,
Ye mayna get them vendit,
And love, tho' wi' a bonnie wife,
"Tween wark and want's soon endit,

We see ilk day.

Gear is a friend, when friendship fails,
And love grows dull and weary;
The cares and wounds o' life it heals,
And maks us blythe and cheery.
See how the gearless hang their tails,
And look baith blate and bleary,
Whan maist obliged to eat their nails,
They curse their lots sae dreary,

Baith night and day.

Young poets trust to gain the prize
Of genius, and of merit,

The phantom still is in their eyes,

But few, ah! few maun share it.

Poor souls! they sink, while thousands rise,
That wit did ne'er inherit,

That wit and genius did despise,

Except to gather gear wi't,
Frae day to day.

Self-love's the door of our repose,

When enters pain or pleasure;
As open'd wide, or steeked close,

We've scrimp or heapit measure;
He weel deserves of us wha shows
The way to guide this treasure;
I'll try to teach baith friends and foes,
When I have skill and leisure,

Some future day.

MELCHIOR burnsonCRUTCHES.

Newmilns, July 1819.

STATE OF TRADE.

AUGUST 28th 1819.

Silk Plaids, Shawls, and Trimmings. These goods are still upon the decline, and the manufacturers in general are reducing the number of their weavers

Silk Scarfs are likewise dull.

Imitation Cotton Shawls are more in demand, and a considerable number of weavers have been engaged for them. Prices are looking up. Imitation Gown Pieces still continue dull.

Zebra Dresses and Shawls are more in request, particularly those that are richly covered. A great number of weavers have been engaged, but, owing to the abundance of hands, prices have not advanced

any.

Common Harness Robes are still dull.

Full Harness Robes and Sprigs are likewise quite flat.

Common Harness Shawls, with rove spotting, with and without corners, have been agreed for by a number of weavers.

Some of the shawls are in the market, and, as they are both a novel and very beautiful manufacture, it is hoped that the demand will encrease.

Damask Shawls, with silk grounds, still continue dull. Cotton

grounds are in the same depressed state.

Secded Stripes, Robes, and Shawls still continue very flat.
Lappets in the same state.

Lawns still do better than any other article in the plain line.
Pullicates, Ginghams, and Tweels still remain very dull.

Silk (or Transparent) Gauze, both plain and figured, continues in a languid state, which has added considerably to the number of the unemployed. It is necessary to mention that even the webs that are given out cannot be engaged for, except by those who have materials wherewith to work them. A partial relief has been afforded by employing some hundreds of the weavers in cultivating the moss and repairing the roads, at the low rate of One Shilling per day.-Hours of attendance from 10 o'clock A. M. to 6 o'clock P. M.

EDINBURGH, AUGUST 24th 1819.

Silk Plaids, Shawls, and Trimmings. The demand for these Goods is still more and more limited, and the Manufacturers, in consequence, are daily discharging their hands. None of our Manufactures, in the weaving line, are exempted from this calamity. Distress is therefore advancing rapidly among us. nor have we any prospect when trade may take a more favourable turn.