FRANCE. 221 



province of Beaujolois ; the Marquis thinks 

 that half the inhabitants are fo employed. 

 Upon my afking him concerning the pro- 

 grefs of the Lyons manufacture of late years, 

 he replied, their whole province feels the 

 fluctuations of the commerce of that city ; 

 for, when their tradegoes badly, many of the 

 poor of Beaujolois are out of employment, 

 and ftarving. This they experienced in a 

 very fatal manner during the latter part of 

 the war, when the demand for the goods 

 cf Lyons was fo low, that many of the 

 mafter-manufacturers broke with their warc- 

 houfes full, and no market for them. Vaft 

 numbers of people were out of employment, 

 and in the greateft diftrefs, without a capa- 

 bility any where of relieving them. Thefe 

 diftrefTes increafed fo rapidly, that, had the 

 war lafled but a few years longer, the ma- 

 nufacturers of Lyons would have been re- 

 duced to three or four confiderable houfes 

 that had the fupply of Paris in their hands. 

 Upon my exprefling my furprife, that a ma- 

 nufacture, which worked fo largely for the 

 houfe-confumption, mould be fo diftrefTed 

 for want of exportation, he replied, their 

 dillrcfs did not arife only from that, but 



much 



