ThepetitionwasreferredtoaCommittee。Afterconsideration，theyrecommendedtheHouseofCommonstograntafurthertermofyearstoSirThomasLombe。TheadvisersoftheKing，however，thoughtitbetterthatthepatentshouldnotberenewed，butthatthetradeinsilkshouldbethrownfreetoall。AccordinglytheChancelloroftheExchequeracquaintedtheHouse14thMarch，1731that“HisMajestyhavingbeeninformedofthecaseofSirThomasLombe，withrespecttohisengineformakingorganzinesilk，hadcommandedhimtoacquaintthisHouse，thatHisMajestyrecommendedtotheirconsiderationthemakingsuchprovisionforarecompensetoSirThomasLombeastheyshallthinkproper。“
Theresultwas，thatthesumof14，000L。wasvotedandpaidtoSirThomasLombeas“arewardforhiseminentservicesdonetothenation，indiscoveringwiththegreatesthazardanddifficultythecapitalItalianengines，andintroducingandbringingthesametofullperfectioninthiskingdom，athisowngreatexpense。“[7]Thetradewasaccordinglythrownopen。SilkmillswereerectedatStockportandelsewhere；HuttonsaysthatdiversadditionalmillswereerectedinDerby；andalargeandthrivingtradewasestablished。In1850，thenumberemployedinthesilkmanufactureexceededamillionpersons。Theoldmillhasrecentlybecomedisused。Althoughsupportedbystrongwoodensupports，itshowedsignsoffalling；anditwasreplacedbyalargermill，moresuitabletomodernrequirements。
FootnotesforChapterIV。
“Thiswasequallythecasewithtwoothertrades；——thoseofglass-makeranddruggist，whichbroughtnocontaminationuponnobilityinVenice。Inacountrywherewealthwasconcentratedinthehandsofthepowerful，itwasnodoubthighlyjudiciousthustoencourageitsemploymentforobjectsofpublicadvantage。
Afeeling，moreorlesspowerful，hasalwaysexistedinthemindsofthehigh-born，againsttheemploymentoftheirtimeandwealthtopurposesofcommerceormanufactures。Alltrades，saveonlythatofwar，seemtohavebeenheldbythemasinsomesortdegrading，andbutlittlecomportingwiththedignityofaristocraticblood。“CabinetCyclopedia——SilkManufacture，p。20。
ABriefStateoftheInlandorHomeTrade。Pamphlet。1730。
ABriefStateoftheCaserelatingtotheMachineerectedatDerbyformakingItalianOrganzineSilk，whichwasdiscoveredandbroughtintoEnglandwiththeutmostdifficultyandhazard，andattheSoleExpenseofSirThomasLombe。HouseofCommonsPaper，28thJanuary，1731。
Self-Help，p。205。
]ThepetitionsetsforththemeritsofthemachineatDerbyformakingItalianorganzinesilk——“amanufacturemadeoutoffinerawsilk，byreducingittoahardtwistedfineandeventhread。Thissilkmakesthewarp，andisabsolutelynecessarytomixwithandcovertheTurkeyandothercoarsersilksthrownhere，whichareusedforShute，——sothat，withoutaconstantsupplyofthisfineItalianorganzinesilk，verylittleofthesaidTurkeyorothersilkscouldbeused，norcouldthesilkweavingtradebecarriedoninEngland。ThisItalianorganzineorthrownsilkhasinalltimespastbeenboughtwithourmoney，readymadeorworkedinItaly，forwantoftheartofmakingithere。Whereasnow，bymakingitourselvesoutoffineItalianrawsilk，thenationsavesnearone-thirdpart；andbywhatwemakeoutoffineChinarawsilk，aboveone-halfofthepricewepayforitreadyworkedinItaly。ThemachineatDerbycontains97，746wheels，movements，andindividualpartswhichworkdayandnight，allwhichreceivetheirmotionfromonelargewater-wheel，aregovernedbyoneregulator，anditemploysabout300personstoattendandsupplyitwithwork。“InBeesCyclopaediaart。’SilkManufacture’thereisafulldescriptionofthePiedmontthrowingmachineintroducedtoEnglandbyJohnLombe，withagoodplateofit。
SirThomasLombediedin1738。Hehadtwodaughters。Thefirst，Hannah，wasmarriedtoSirRobertClifton，ofClifton，co。
Notts；thesecond，MaryTurner，wasmarriedtoJames，7thEarlofLauderdale。Inhiswill，he“recommendshiswife，attheconclusionoftheDarbyconcern，“todistributeamonghis“principalservantsormanagersfiveorsixhundredpounds。“
“Justiceexacts，thatthosebywhomwearemostbenefitedShouldbemostadmired。“——Dr。Johnson。
“Thebeginningofcivilizationisthediscoveryofsomeusefularts，bywhichmenacquireproperty，comforts，orluxuries。Thenecessityordesireofpreservingthemleadstolawsandsocialinstitutions……Inreality，theoriginaswellastheprogressandimprovementofcivilsocietyisfoundedonmechanicalandchemicalinventions。“——SirHumphryDavy。
Atthemiddleoflastcentury，Scotlandwasaverypoorcountry。
Itconsistedmostlyofmountainandmoorland；andthelittlearablelanditcontainedwasbadlycultivated。Agriculturewasalmostalostart。“Exceptinafewinstances，“saysawriterinthe’Farmers’Magazine’of1803，“Scotlandwaslittlebetterthanabarrenwaste。“Cattlecouldwithdifficultybekeptalive；andthepeopleinsomepartsofthecountrywereoftenonthebrinkofstarvation。Thepeoplewerehopeless，miserable，andwithoutspirit，liketheIrishintheirveryworsttimes。AfterthewreckoftheDarienexpedition，thereseemedtobeneitherskill，enterprise，normoneyleftinthecountry。Whatresourcesitcontainedwerealtogetherundeveloped。Therewaslittlecommunicationbetweenoneplaceandanother，andsuchroadsasexistedwereforthegreaterpartoftheyearsimplyimpassable。
Therewerevariousopinionsastothecausesofthisfrightfulstateofthings。SomethoughtitwastheUnionbetweenEnglandandScotland；andAndrewFletcherofSaltoun，“ThePatriot，“ashewascalled，urgeditsRepeal。Inoneofhispublications，heendeavouredtoshowthataboutone-sixthofthepopulationofScotlandwasinastateofbeggary——twohundredthousandvagabondsbeggingfromdoortodoor，orrobbingandplunderingpeopleaspoorasthemselves。[1]FletcherwasaccordinglyasgreatarepealerasDanielO’Connellinaftertimes。Buthecouldnotgetthepeopletocombine。Therewereotherswhoheldadifferentopinion。Theythoughtthatsomethingmightbedonebythepeoplethemselvestoextricatethecountryfromitsmiserablecondition。
Itstillpossessedsomeimportantelementsofprosperity。TheinhabitantsofScotland，thoughpoor，werestrongandabletowork。Theland，thoughcoldandsterile，wascapableofcultivation。
Accordingly，aboutthemiddleoflastcentury，someimportantstepsweretakentoimprovethegeneralconditionofthings。A
fewpublic-spiritedlandownersledtheway，andformedthemselvesintoasocietyforcarryingoutimprovementsinagriculture。
Theygrantedlongleasesoffarmsasastimulustothemostskilledandindustrious，andfoundittotheirinteresttogivethefarmeramorepermanentinterestinhisimprovementsthanhehadbeforeenjoyed。Thusstimulatedandencouraged，farmingmaderapidprogress，especiallyintheLothians；andtheexamplespreadintootherdistricts。Bankswereestablishedforthestorageofcapital。Roadswereimproved，andcommunicationsincreasedbetweenonepartofthecountryandanother。Hencetradeandcommercearose，byreasonofthefacilitiesaffordedfortheinterchangeoftraffic。Thepeople，beingfairlyeducatedbytheparishschools，wereabletotakeadvantageoftheseimprovements。Slothandidlenessgraduallydisappeared，beforetheenergy，activity，andindustrywhichwerecalledintolifebytheimprovedcommunications。
Atthesametime，activeandpowerfulmindswereoccupiedinextendingthedomainofknowledge。BlackandRobison，ofGlasgow，weretheprecursorsofJamesWatt，whoseinventionofthecondensingsteam-enginewasyettoproducearevolutioninindustrialoperations，thelikeofwhichhadneverbeforebeenknown。WatthadhituponhisgreatideawhileexperimentingwithanoldNewcomenmodelwhichbelongedtotheUniversityofGlasgow。HewasinvitedbyMr。RoebuckofKinneiltomakeaworkingsteam-engineforthepurposeofpumpingwaterfromthecoal-pitsatBoroughstoness；buthisprogresswasstoppedbywantofcapital，aswellasbywantofexperience。ItwasnotuntilthebraveandgenerousMatthewBoultonofBirminghamtookupthemachine，andbackedWattwithhiscapitalandhisspirit，thatWatt’senterprisehadtheremotestchanceofsuccess。Evenafterabouttwelveyears’effort，thecondensingsteam-enginewasonlybeginning，thoughhalf-heartedly，tobetakenupandemployedbycollieryproprietorsandcottonmanufacturers。Indevelopingitspowers，andextendingitsuses，thegreatmeritsofWilliamMurdockcanneverbeforgotten。Wattstandsfirstinitshistory，astheinventor；Boultonsecond，asitspromoterandsupporter；andMurdockthird，asitsdeveloperandimprover。
WilliamMurdockwasbornonthe21stofAugust，1754，atBellowMill，intheparishofAuchinleck，Ayrshire。Hisfather，John，wasamillerandmillwright，aswellasafarmer。Hismother’smaidennamewasBruce，andsheusedtoboastofbeingdescendedfromRobertBruce，thedelivererofScotland。TheMurdocks，orMurdochs——forthenamewasspeltineitherway——werenumerousintheneighbourhood，andtheywerenearlyallrelatedtoeachother。TheyaresupposedtohaveoriginallycomeintothedistrictfromFlanders，betweenwhichcountryandScotlandaconsiderableintercourseexistedinthemiddleages。SomeoftheMurdockstookaleadingpartintheconstructionoftheabbeysandcathedralsoftheNorth；[2]otherswereknownasmechanics；
butthegreaternumberwerefarmers。
OneofthebestknownmembersofthefamilywasJohnMurdock，thepoetBurns’firstteacher。BurnswenttohisschoolatAllowayMill，whenhewassixyearsold。Therehelearnttoreadandwrite。WhenMurdockafterwardssetupaschoolatAyr，Burns，whowasthenfifteen，wenttoboardwithhim。Inalettertoacorrespondent，Murdocksaid:“In1773，RobertBurnscametoboardandlodgewithme，forthepurposeofrevisinghisEnglishgrammar，thathemightbebetterqualifiedtoinstructhisbrothersandsistersathome。Hewasnowwithmedayandnight，inschool，atallmeals，andinallmywalks。“Thepupilevensharedtheteacher’sbedatnight。Murdocklenttheboybooks，andhelpedthecultivationofhismindinmanyways。BurnssoonrevisedhisEnglishgrammar，andlearntFrench，aswellasalittleLatin。Sometimeafter，MurdockremovedtoLondon，andhadthehonourofteachingTalleyrandEnglishduringhisresidenceasanemigrantinthiscountry。Hecontinuedtohavethegreatestrespectforhisformerpupil，whosepoetrycommemoratedthebeautiesofhisnativedistrict。