714 A. D. 1)701. 



they may not drain their country of its gold and filver, they aHo take 

 in dry fifh of their own catching, fugar of their own colonies, and 

 other goods of their own producft, which they fell on the coafts of 

 Portugal, Spain, and Italy, for pieces of eight, which they carry to 

 the Levant, to make up a ilock fufficient for purchafing their home- 

 ward cargoes. Upon this plan, it would be more advantageous for 

 France to permit her ports on the Ocean to carry on this trade dired- 

 ly to the Levant, without being obliged, ever fince the year 1669, to 

 unload at Marfeille on their return, on the pretence of preventing 

 their bringing in the plague, which has obliged them to relinquilh that 

 trade entirely. And by the edid of 1685, 20 per cent was laid on all 

 Levant merchandize imported, for preventing the weifern ports from 

 being fupplied therewith, as they before had been, from England and 

 Holland. Thus Marfeille alone thrives in this commerce, though by 

 its being a free port, by its nearer fituation to the Levant, and by a 

 fettled correfpondence there, it would always have advantages enough 

 over the ports of the Ocean, without the diftafteful and impolitically 

 exclufive trade.' 



To this the deputy from Marfeille replied, ift, ' the towns on the 

 Ocean can neither in themfelves, nor in their neighbourhood, find 

 confumption for divers grofs merchandize which the Marfeille fliips 

 are obliged to take in for making up their lading. 2dly, the duty of 

 20 per cent was laid for preventing the Engiifti and Dutch Levant 

 goods from being run into France by the ports of Dunkirk and Rouen. 

 3dly, Marfeille has within itfelf and tlie neighbouring provinces all 

 kinds of manufactures and aObrtments proper for the Levant trade, 

 &c. To this the deputies from the ports on the Ocean replied, by de- 

 nying mofl of the allegations of Marfeille.' And fo the difpute end- 

 ed for that time. We have too much ground to lament the great in- 

 creafe of France's Levant commerce, and the decreafe of our Turkey 

 company's commerce fince that council's memorial. 



This new board ftrther reprefented to the king's council, (after de- 

 claring, that it was in no derogation from nobility, (' noblefle') * to be 

 a wholefale merchant, though not a retailer ; and that gentlemen who 

 are merchants Ihould for the future in all afl^emblies precede other 

 merchants) ' that the appellation of merchant being too general and 

 ' extenfive f , it is neceflary to fettle a diflindion ; and that thofe who 

 ' trade by wholefale by fea or land be named negociants, and that re- 

 ' tailers only be called merchants ; and no retailer to take the name of 



* Nnhleffe in France includes not on'y tliofe whom we call noblemen, but alfo the gentry, y}. 



\ Marchand, unlefs the fenfe be now narrowed by this new diftinftion, comprehends all deak'e, 

 from the highell to the lowell, e.g. marchand negociant, a merchant; manhand drap'ifr, a woollrn^ 

 draper ; marchand d''oeufs, a higgler of eggs, yf. 



