82 A. D. 1785. 



reckoned. The French merchants having ftill the liberty of fending 

 their veflels to the Ifle of France and eftabUfhing commercial lioufes in 

 it, that ifland, from being a thinly-fettled agricultural colony, immedi- 

 ately became a populous commercial entrepot, the center of a vigorous 

 and extenfive commerce. 



The tide of fafhion, which in this country had run fo long and fo 

 flrongly in favour of French goods, efpecially thofe depending upon 

 fancy, had now fet as flrongly in the contrary diredlion ; and Englifli 

 manufadures of almoft all kinds were in fuch requeft in France, that 

 the fhop-keepers ufed to write over their doors, * Warehoufe for Eng- 

 ' lifli goods.' The king of France, in a decree ilTued on the 10'" of 

 July, very liberally declared, that nothing could be more agreeable to 

 his own principles than a general liberty of trade, which fhould permit 

 the free circulation of the produce and manufadlures of all nations, 

 making them all, as it were, but one nation in point of trade. But, 

 unlefs fuch a liberal fyftem could be univerfally and reciprocally eftab- 

 liflied, he mufl confult the intereft of his kingdom by prohibiting the 

 importation of white calicoes, fluffs of cotton and linen mixed, handker- 

 chefs, dimities, and nankeens, except thofe imported by the India com^ 

 pany or veflels licenced by a late decree. Foreign printed calicoes, 

 whether imported from India or Europe, were ordered to be exported : 

 and all muflins, gauzes, and lawns, of foreign manufacture were ftridtly 

 forbidden to be fold in the kingdom. But he allowed his fubjeds till 

 the lo'** of Augufl; 1786 to difpofe of the goods already in their pofl'ef- 

 lion, and alfo fix weeks to receive goods already ordered from foreign 

 countries. And he excepted from the prohibition blue linens, checks, 

 &c. fit for the Guinea trade. 



July 17'" — In a few days this decree was followed by a fecond one, 

 the preamble of which ftates, that the indufl:ry of the country was dif- 

 couraged by the demand for foreign goods, ' and chiefly Englifli ones, 

 ' which from fafliion and fancy have obtained a preference,' which was 

 the more intolerable, as French goods were rigoroufly prohibited in Eng- 

 land. Therefor the king flridly prohibited the importation of Englifli 

 fadlery, hofiery, woollen cloths, hardware, and all other Englifli goods, 

 except thofe allowed by a decree of the year 1601, whereof a lift was 

 annexed. All poliflied fteel wares (except tools and inftruments for the 

 fervice of the arts and fciences) and glafs and chryftal of foreign manu- 

 facture, were alfo ftridly prohibited. Thofe who carried on no trade 

 were permitted, upon obtaining a fpecial licence, to import fmall quant- 

 ities of foreign goods for their own ufe only : but, that the enjoyers of 

 luxuries might be obliged to contribute to the general utility, they were 

 to pay a duty of above thirty per cent on the value, to be applied for 

 the encouragement of the national raanufadure, and upon no account 

 to be remitted to any perfon of whatever rank or quality. 



