THE PEDIGREE OF THE FANCY. 35 



women, and children — a new and ghastly barri- 

 cade. What was done in Paris was repeated in 

 the provinces, till over 100,000 Protestants are 

 supposed to have perished by the sword. The 

 numbers butchered are computed, the numbers 

 that sought safety in flight are uncounted. 

 Thousands sought refuge in London alone. 

 Those who had been engaged in the fabrica- 

 tions of silks resorted to Spitalfields. It is freely 

 admitted that the refugee-artisans were amongst 

 the bravest, the most loyal, and the most indus- 

 trious in the kingdom they quitted, and con- 

 tributed much by their knowledge and skill to 

 improve the manufacture in England. In the 

 middle of the last century we find the numerous 

 community resident in Spitalfields had brought 

 the silk manufacture of England to so great 

 perfection as to equal the finest productions of 

 any foreign nation, thereby showing the daily 

 occupation of these people called forth efforts of 

 no mean order in carrying out their handicraft. 

 In 1773 an Act was passed giving them a book 

 of prices for their work on a very liberal scale, 

 which enabled them to live in a comfortable con- 

 dition. They maintained the book of prices for 

 fifty years, during which time they were very 

 prosperous. 



