166 THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 



the neglect of it by the English, invited Mr Lea to 

 settle in his country, and assured him of his counte- 

 nance and support. He accordingly accepted the 

 invitation, and, accompanied by a number of journey- 

 men weavers, passed over to Rouen in Normandy, 

 where he established a manufactory of silk stockings. 

 The troubles in France which followed the assassina- 

 tion of Henry IV. forced him to abandon his enter- 

 prise, and, rinding his way to Paris, in hopes of some 

 encouragement, in which he was disappointed, he 

 died in abject destitution. 



Henry I V. considered the introduction of the silk 

 trade of such consequence, that he stimulated the 

 Parisians, and others of his subjects, to cultivate it by 

 every means ; and even the rank of nobility was 

 given, as a reward, to those who might be able to 

 maintain successfully for twelve years a manufacture 

 of silk, from the produce of worms bred in France. 

 This had the effect of producing much emulation, 

 and the trade assumed a very flourishing condition. 

 He caused many mulberry trees to be planted in the 

 vicinity of Paris, and even bred Silk Worms at the 

 Tuilleries, Fountainbleau, and the Castle of Madrid. 

 The king had previously made the same efforts to 

 propagate the insect, and planted the mulberry at 

 Provence, Lyonnois, Languedoc, Vivarais, Gascony, 

 Saintonage, and Dauphine ; and subsequently tried 

 almost every other part of his kingdom. But expe- 

 rience taught him, that the Silk Worm could not be 

 successfully propagated north of the river Loire. 



