l79*'' THAVELLIVG MEMORANDUMS. $(>) 



^e often fays, I believe fincerely, " Give me"" a ducal 

 " fortune, I will not, I cannot, alter my mode of liv- 

 " ing in any one article, — fo I have no motive of dif*. 



*' content, or defire for more than I poffefs." His 



Opinions are fenfible and liberal, untainted by any fort 

 of prejudice, and improved by ftudies of literature. — 

 He prognofticates great changes in France.' — With ge- 

 nerous fervour, he often faid nearly thefe words, which 

 I fhall not forget — " The lights of human reafon 

 " derived from God himfelf, are now generally pro- 

 " pagated in this <:ountry, and we defpiie the luperfti- 

 *' tion of Papal power — .fo that in ten years time, w^ 

 " may have Catholics — but we fhall not have one 

 ♦* difinterefled Papi/l in France." 



Oclober 9th. I have palled a very pleafant day in 

 viewing fome of the mod remarkable manufi«3:ories of 

 this great place, in company with my two friends at 

 the inn, and Monfieur Faye as our guide — The opera- 

 tions of the velvet manufadories are very nice and 

 perfed: — Though I cannot fet down any particular or 

 fatisfaftory defcription, I remark fome llriking cir- 

 cumffances — The manufactories here are diftinguiflied 

 for beauty and elegance — With fmall profpeft of ufe or 

 ornament to myfelf, I was tempted to make fome coft- 

 ly purchafes — What is called the L'.hinefe manufaclory 

 of velvet is very remarkable — They have a curious and 

 •iingular art of dying little fpots of various colours up- 

 on the filk threads, in fuch a manner, that when thofe 

 threads are properly adjufled by the artiif , and wrought 

 in the loom, they produce the intended figure of each 

 pattern for every piece of velvet, and there is no 

 known mode of executing the fineft patterns fo per- 

 fedjy as this — The art is flridlly preferved as a fecret 

 among the operative artifls, who teach it only to their 

 own children or defcendants — At this manufaclory, a com- 

 mon journey-man will earn at the rate of Hxlivres, or five 

 fhillingb llerlirig per day — If fuch wages were conilant 

 through the vear, it would be very extraordinary— but 



