14 TRAVELS THROUGH 



provinces were greater than from the dif- 

 tant ones, on account of their vicinity, and 

 cafe of tranfports on the rivers to their army 

 in Germany. The Frenchmen I converfed 

 with on this point owned much more than 

 they otherwife would ; becaufe they had no 

 occafion to lay the fault on the King: his 

 miftrefs bore the whole blame; but La Pom- 

 padour was the object of execration j for- 

 getting, that nothing could be laid to the 

 fault of one without bearing ten times hea- 

 vier on the other. Upon the conclufion of 

 of the peace, a general joy fpread through 

 the manufacturers of this country, and ef- 

 pecially Metz, yet were not their miferies 

 healed -, fo many matter-manufacturers were 

 dead, removed, or gone into other ways of 

 maintaining themfelves, that no vigour was 

 to be feen in the new undertakings for a 

 long time. The few that had flood all the 

 fhocks of the war, and had kept together 

 a few workmen, were able to encreafe them 

 gradually; but for want of capital could da 

 this but flowly. This arofe not only from 

 their own want of money, but that of all 

 their cuftomers ; for, tho' the treaty of Paris 

 ended the war, it did not end the accumu- 

 lation 



