Chap. II, The Hiflory of the French Eaft-India Commerce , 8 cc. 949 
SECTION XXXV. 
The Hiflory of the French Eaft-India Commerce from its firfl Original \ together with a 
clear and concife Account of the fever al Alterations it has undergone ; and a full and 
plain Defcription of its prefent Circumflances at home and abroad ; interfperfed with 
fame curious Remarks on the Nature of the French Government when the Powers 
thereof come to operate upon Trade . 
Collected entirly from the Trench Writers. 
1, The fruitlefs "Endeavours of Francis I. Henry III. and Henry IV. to engage their Subjects in long Voyages , 
and the firfl Appearatice of an Indian Trade in that Country. 2. The Pams taken in this RefpeCl by the 
great Cardinal Richelieu, and his noble Plan on that SubjeB abortive. 3 . The firfl effectual Eft a - 
blijhment of this Commerce owing to the JVifdom and publick Spirit of M. Colbert, who interefted the 
Crown in this A fair. 4. The Protection of the King , the Patronage of that able Minifter , and the moft 
zealous Endeavours of the Merchants in France fail in promoting the Inter efts of this Company. 5. After 
the Deceafe of M. Colbert it declines continually , and lofes all Countenance from the Court , which brings 
it into a very low State. 6 . Tranfition fro?n the Affairs of the Company in France, to the Management 
of their Commerce in the Indies. 7. A fuccinCt Hiflory of the Acquifltion , fortifying , and erecting a 
Town at Pondichery, with the Reafons which induced the Company to make it their capital Refldence. 8. Re- 
markable Revolutions that have happened to this Place , and to the Affairs of the Company in the Indies, 
g. A Defcription of the Fortrefs and Town of Pondechery at it now flands , a Calculation of the Number 
of Inhabitants , and the Importance of this Place fet in a new Light. 10. The Condition of the French 
Eaft-India Company at the Demife of Louis XIV. impartially reprefented. 1 1 . A View of the Regent 
Duke of Orleans's Scheme for a Coalition of the French trading Companies for the Improvement of Com- 
merce , and the Support of publick Credit. j2. A fhort hijlorical Account of the China, Senegal, and 
Weft-India Companies that were united to the Company of the Indies by the Regent's Edict. 13. A per - 
feci Reprefentation of the Nature , Power , Privileges , and Eflablijhment of the prefent French Eaft-India 
Company fince the Execution of that ■ Scheme . 14. A brief Account of the Company's Trade frotn 1720 to 
1741, with an impartial Account of its prefent State at home as well as in the Indies, and the true Va- 
lue of its Actions. 13. Remarks and Observations on the Falls related in the foregoing Sections , ex- 
plaining the Nature and Confequences of maritime Powers. 
1. “If "ir T E opened the former Sebtion, with obferving, 
%/%/ that Zeal for Freedom, a due Portion of 
Y Y publick Spirit, and great Induftry, were 
capable of conferring the Bieffings of an exten five Trade, 
even upon Nations labouring under the greateft natural 
Impediments : But it will be the Bufinefs of this Section, 
to Ihew, that where Freedom and publick Spirit are want- 
ing, Power cannot fupply their Place ; and even Induftry 
kleif, .though it may procure Credit to fuch a People, will 
never be able to purchafe Wealth. Commerce loves to 
find its own Channels, and will not fubmit to any Re- 
ftraint. Hope will nourifh it in the moft barren Soil, pro- 
vided that Hope be cherifhed by a mild and prudent Go- 
vernment ; for Trade is found to be of the fame Nature 
with certain Plants, which, though they become fair and 
large by Cultivation, yet can never be forced. 
There have been few Governments,' at leaft, where the 
Monarchs affebled arbitrary Power, which could boaft of 
being fo happy in Minifters as France neither has this 
Country wanted fome great Princes who have both under- 
ftood their Subjebts Interefts, and laboured to promote 
them : And yet, with refpebl to the Commerce of which 
we are treating, both have laboured in vain. The firfl; 
Monarch of this Country, who ftrove to excite his Sub- 
jebls to extend their Commerce, by making long and di- 
ftant Voyages, was Francis I. who, by his Declarations in 
the Year 1537, and 1543, exhorted the French Nation to 
emulate their, Neighbours, and to labour to obtain a Share 
in thofe important Difcoveries, by which they were fo 
much exalted both in Reputation and Riches. Henry III. 
renewed thefe Exhortations by an Edict, dated December 
15, 1578, but without any Effebt. 
It was under the Reign of his Succefior, Henry IV. one 
of the wifeft, greateft, and which is ftill a higher Charac- 
ter, one of the beft Princes that ever fat upon the French 
Throne, that this Nation firft attempted to fhare in the 
Commerce of the Indies. One Gerard le Roy , a Native 
of the Low-Countries , and who had made feveral Voyages 
Numb. LXV. 
to the Eajl-Indies on board the Dutch Ships, came into 
France , and offered his Service as a Pilot to fame Mer- 
chants, who were defirous of affociating themfelves for 
carrying on that Trade *, of which the King having No- 
tice, gave them all the Encouragement they could defire % 
and by an Arret, bearing Date June 1, 1604, erebled the 
firft Eaft-India Company that had been feen in France , 
and granted them exclufive Privileges for the Term of 
fifteen Years, which however proved of no Ule, either 
through the Divifions and Difputes which arofe amongft 
the Merchants that compofed this new Company, or 
from their finding it impofiible to raife a Fund fufficient 
for carrying fo great an Undertaking into Execution. 
But notwithftanding this Company failed, yet Gerard 
le Roy ftill continued in France , and ftill laboured to fet 
on foot an Eaft-India Company, which at length hower 
ver, he effebled, under the Reign of Lewis XIII. who 
granted the Merchants that were engaged in this Projebt, 
his Letters patent, dated March 2, 1611, by which they 
had all the Privileges that they could defire confirmed to 
them for twelve Years. But, notwithftanding this, they 
fuffered four, whole Years to relapfe without fitting out fo 
much as a fingle Ship ; and thereupon two Merchants at 
Rouen petitioned the King, that thefe Privileges might be 
transferred to them, offering to fit out a certain Number 
of Veffels that very Year. But the Company before 
Trebled interpofed, and declared that this Delay of theirs 
arofe from unavoidable Difficulties, and not from any De- 
fign of dropping or abandoning their Projebl ; upon 
which the King very wifely directed that thefe Merchants 
ffiould be affbeiated with the old Company, in order to 
encreafe their Capital, and carry on their Trade the 
better. 
In purfuance of this Refolution, they had new Letters 
Patents granted, dated July 2, 1615, which were regif- 
tered in Parliament the Second of September following 1 
and, in confequence of the ample Privileges that they had 
thus obtained* they began to fit out Ships, and actually 
11 I pol- 
