6i8 ■ A. D. 1685. 



the throne, had Li 5,000 yearly fettled on fuch as either were perfon* 

 of quality, or were through age, &c. unable to fupport themfelves : 

 which allowance is now reduced, as there are very few proper objeds 

 for it left alive. To the French refugees England owes the improve- 

 ment of fundry manufadures of flight woollen fluffs, of filk, linen, 

 paper, glafs, hats, (the two lafl fince brought to the utmofl perfedion 

 by us.) The filks called alamodes and luftrings were entirely owing to 

 them ; alfo brocades, fatins, black and coloured mantuas, black padua- 

 foys, ducapes, watered tabbies, black velvets ; alfo watches, cutlery-ware, 

 clocks, jacks, locks, furgeons inflruments, hard-ware, toys, &c. 



The two firfl kings of Pruflia caufed colledions to be made for them 

 throughout their dominions ; they alfo fettled flipends on their clergy, 

 built them churches, granted them immunities from taxes and ofHces. 

 Thole princes adually placed their agents on the confines of France to 

 condud the refugees to Brandenburgh, and bear their expenfes all the 

 way. They alio fettled great numbers of them in their new kingdom 

 of PrufTia, which was then but thin of people, where they had lands 

 affigned them, gratis and tax free, as alfo in Brandenburgh : in Berlin, 

 they have fince built many new flreets, and greatly improved the whole- 

 country, by manufadures, arts, agriculture, &c. Thofe kings divided, 

 them into colonies, and appointed them magiflrates of their own. 



The great eledor Frederick William allowed them a yearly penfion- 

 of 40,000 crowns ; he brought in the ufe of poft-houfes, till then un- 

 known in Germany. The l^reets of his towns were paved and hghted 

 by lanthorns ; for till then the courtiers were obHged to go on flilts to 

 Potfdam, when the court relided there, becaufe of the heaps of dirt in, 

 the ftreets. 



' Nothing,' fays the author of Memoirs of the Dutch commerce, 

 ' has increafed the inhabitants as well as manufadures of Holland fo 

 ' much as the French proteftant refugees, who were almoll all of them 

 ' merchants and artifans.' And even this French and popilh bifhop 

 adds, that ' whenever trade is clogged or eonftrained in any country, 

 ' it will retire to other countries where it can have m,ore fafety.' The 

 author of the Hiftory of the edid of Nantes, obferves, ' that the li- 

 ' berality of the ftates-general of the United Netherlands to thofe in- 

 ' nocent refugees was fo great, that it can fcarcely be too amply de- 

 ' itribed. They fettled a flind for an incredible number of penfions 



* to military officers, gentlemen, and minillers, and for fupplies to vir- 



* gins and ladies of quality. Great fums alio were railed for fupport- 



* ing their poor, for whom Uberal colledions were made in all their 



' towns and villages : and the prince and princefs of Orange were 



' bright examples of that charity, both before and after they became 



' monarchs of Britain. The prince of Eafl Friieland alio teftified his 



' zeal for their relief.' 



3 



