THE POTTER'S ART. 



the other proprietors, and the works became, and have ever since 

 continued to be, the exclusive property of the Government. 



5. It may be easily imagined that the celebrity of the German 

 porcelain, and more especially that of Dresden, excited the most 

 lively desire, and the most unceasing endeavours, to discover in 

 France the precious mineral which alone formed the base of the 

 genuine article. It was necessary, however, first to ascertain 

 what the actual material was, which still remained to a great 

 extent a secret ; and next to discover where, if at all, it could be 

 obtained in France. 



In 1753, just before the removal of the Royal Manufactory 

 from Vincennes to Sdvres, Paul Hannong, a citizen of Strasburg, 

 who was proprietor of earthenware and porcelain works at 

 Hagenau, being in possession of the full knowledge of the 

 materials and processes of the German porcelain manufacture, 

 proposed to M. Boileau, director of the manufactory at Yincennes, 

 to sell to that establishment the secret of the manufacture, for 

 which he demanded 4000Z. in cash, and a life annuity of 480?. 

 This proposal being declined, a royal decree in 1754 prohibited 

 him from carrying on his works in France, and he accordingly 

 established them at Frankenthal. 



Paul Hannong died and was succeeded by his brother Pierre 

 Antoine, with whom the French Government re-opened the nego- 

 tiations which had been broken off by reason of the exorbitant 

 demands of Paul. A greater facility now appearing to be mani- 

 fested, the ministers of Louis XY. spared no exertion to secure to 

 France the possession of an art so highly esteemed, and to rescue 

 the country from the necessity of obtaining only by importation 

 articles so highly prized. M. Boileau, the director of the royal 

 works at Sevres, was sent to Frankenthal with full powers, and 

 the result of his negotiation was a contract signed on the 29th 

 July, 1761, by which Pierre Antoine Hannong engaged to make 

 known all the processes and the materials for manufacturing the 

 true porcelain. Eventually, however, the execution of this con- 

 tract to the advantage of the French government was rendered 

 impossible by the fact, not foreseen, that the raw materials, kaolin 

 and felspar, indispensable for the fabrication of the porcelain, not 

 having been discovered in France, could only be obtained from 

 countries where their exportation was prohibited. Under these 

 circumstances the contract with Hannong was dissolved, the 

 Government, however, granting him as compensation a sum of 

 160Z. and a life annuity of 48Z. 



6. The time, however, had now arrived when chance was destined 

 to do for the porcelain manufacture in France what it had done 

 elsewhere, by leading to the discovery of kaolin. 



164 



