174 THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 



with the encouragement, in England, which his 

 important discovery merited. That enlightened 

 monarch, Henry IV. of France, hearing of the 

 machine, and of the neglect of it by the English, 

 invited Mr Lea to settle in his country, and assured 

 him of his countenace and support. He accordingly 

 accepted the invitation, and, accompanied by a 

 number of journeymen weavers, passed over to 

 Rouen in Normandy, where he established a manu- 

 factory of silk stockings. The troubles in France 

 which followed the assassination of Henry IV. forced 

 him to abandon his enterprise, and, finding his way 

 to Paris, in hopes of some encouragement, in which 

 he was disappointed, he died in abject destitution. 

 Henry IV. 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 manu- 

 facture of silk, from the produce of wonns bred in 

 France. This had the effect of producing much 

 emulation, and the trade assumed a very flourish- 

 ing condition. He caused many mulberry-trees to 

 be planted in the vicinity of Paris, and even bred 

 Silkworms 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, 



