220 THE INSECT WOULD. 



mulberry tree in Tuscany. In 1440, each Tuscan peasant was 

 forced to plant at least five mulberry trees on the land he cul- 

 tivated. In 1474, the commerce in silk fabrics with all parts of 

 the world had become extremely prosperous at Florence. In 1314, 

 the Venetian manufactures began to assume much importance. 

 Three thousand workers in silk were then established in Venice. 



Without dwelling longer on the propagation of the silk 

 trade in Italy, let us pass on to its establishment in France. 

 It was in 1340 that some French gentlemen, who had stayed some 

 time in Naples, planted in Avignon the first mulberry trees.* 

 According to Olivier de Serres, it was not introduced till much 

 later into Dauphine. It was not introduced into Alan, near Monte- 

 limart, till 1495, by the Seigneur Gruyape de Saint- Aubain.f 

 Louis XI. made great efforts to develop the silk trade in France 

 by inviting over Italian workmen, and they began under his 

 reign to fabricate silks in Touraine and Lyons. Francis I. greatly 

 developed the trade of Lyons. In 1554, under Henry II., the 

 masters and men employed in the manufacture of gold, silver, and 

 silk in Lyons were twelve thousand in number. Under Henry II. 

 were planted the mulberry trees of Bourdeziere, Tours, Chenon- 

 ceaux, Toulouse, and Moulins. These plantations, however, were 

 of very small extent. They were not the result of a general and 

 truly popular effort ; moreover, civil war came very soon, and 

 turned men's minds away from the isolated attempts of some few 

 private individuals. Sericiculture, in fact, did not assume any great 

 importance in France till the reign of Henry IV. 



This king saw with grief considerable sums of money leaving 

 France each year for the purchase of raw silk or of silk stuffs. 

 Two men marvellously furthered his project of encouraging the 

 silk trade. One of these men was Barth&Lemy Laffemas, called 

 BeausemUant. For a long time, he had been writing memoir 

 upon memoir, to demonstrate the advantages to be derived from 

 the plantation of the mulberry tree in France ; and he tells us 

 that silkworms were then raised with success at Nantes, at 

 Poissy, and even at Paris. The second supporter whom 

 Henry IV. found in the propagation of sericiculture was a 



* De Gasparin, " Essai sur 1' introduction des vers a soie en Europe," p. 70. 

 f " Theatre d'agriculture d'Olivier de Serres," torn. ii. p. 158. In 8vo. 



