ASSOCIATION OF FAIR MANAGERS. 175 



those of Beaucaire and Guibray. These two became, and continued to be, 

 very famous. That of Beaucaire was established by the Count of 

 Toulouse, a very powerful nobleman, and the grant was afterwards 

 couhrmed by Charles VIII, and annually drew together more than 200,000 

 people from all quarters of Europe and the more civilized portions of 

 Asia and Africa. Besides its varied display of rich merchandise, articles 

 of manufacture, works of art, etc., one of tlie striking features was 

 the mirth and jollity that ran through all the hours like a leaping, 

 flashing broolc that pours along through sunny meadows and' leafy wood- 

 lands; pageants, shows, spectacles, merryandrews, jugglers, dancers, 

 chanters, ropewalkers, clowns, all were there, responsive to the demands 

 for amusement. The sales during the week often amounted to from 

 four to five millions of dollars. The fair of Guibray was but little inferior 

 to that of Beaucaire in any particular. In Holland the fairs of Amster- 

 dam and Rotterdam are equal in many respects to those of France; 

 the fun is more uproarious than at Beaucaire, and one can not but 

 gaze in astonishment upon the spectable of the usually phlegmatic, 

 laborious, economical, money-loving Hollanders turning themselves loose. 

 The amusements are much the same as that at Beaucaire, but charac- 

 terized by more noise and action; and to and from these people pour 

 in streams— the middle-aged, the old, the grave, the gay, burgomaster and 

 artisan, mistress and maid, are for the time upon one social level, quite 

 gone back to boyhood and girlhood, laughing, hallooing, pushing and 

 pulling, gorging themselves with a kind of cake peculiar to the fair, 

 and drinks of varying potency. 



In our own country, the fair sprang into existence with but little 

 patronage from wealth or power, save in one notable instance, to which 

 I wish to refer. The far-seeing, indefatigable and wholly patriotic 

 Jefferson, fully persuaded tluit the future greatness of his country would 

 arise primarily and principally from her agriculture, devoted much of his 

 time, his great talents, learning, energies and means to the development 

 of this interest. Thus, while minister to France, he set an example 

 worthy of imitation to the present time; eschewing, as much as possible, 

 levees, functions, and idle pageants, he devoted himself to a thorough 

 investigation of the methods of agriculture and manufacture, not only in 

 France, but of the countries lying adjacent. He "took up his dwelling 

 among the farmers and learned what they knew of seed, of soil, of culti- 

 vation and preparation for market. The result of his investigation he 

 communicated to his fellow countrymen, sending them seed, encouraging 

 experimentation, and causing such to be made upon his own farm at 

 Monticello, and patronizing all of the means of disseminating knowledge 

 of agriculture, horticulture, stockbreeding, etc., including the fair, the 

 most potent of all agents. 



In medieval times the fair accomplished several great and notable 

 tilings: It liroMghl togdhor in social coniinunion widely srl)aiated jicoph'. 



