950 1 % Hifiory of the French Eaft-India Commerce^ &c. Book L 
poffeffed themfelves of the Ifland of Madagafcar , which Contempt *, while the reft of the States of Europe , feeing 
was then confidered as a very great Thing, and mighty that France, with all her Power, could make nothing of 
Hopes were conceived therefrom. But this, inftead offa- thefe repeated Attempts, took it for granted that the fa- 
cilitating their Commerce to the Indies, proved the Ruin dia Trade was defigned by Nature for the maritime Pow- 
of it under this Eftablifhment •, for, it being found by ers, and fo never troubled their Heads about it. Thus 
Experience, that the Profits arifing from the Poffeffion Things remained quietly in this Situation for the major 
and Commerce of this Ifland, were of very little Confe- Part of the laft Century, and while France gave Law to 
quence, it was too haftily concluded, that the Whole of her Neighbours by Land, fhe made as inconfiderable \ 
this Trade would prove as infignificant ; and fo, notwith- Figure by Sea as any of the little States in Italy. But the 
Handing all the fair Promifes made at the Beginning, this Scene was foon changed when Lewis XIY. came to manage 
Company, like the reft, funk, and was totally loft. his own Affairs, and had taken into his Service fuch Mi« 
2. The great Cardinal Richelieu, however refolved to nifters as were equally capable of undertaking great De- 
revive this Commerce, and undertook it with great Spirit, figns, and of forefeeing and overcoming all the Difficulties 
and confequendy with all the Appearance imaginable of that could poffibly be met with in the Execution of 
Succefs. The Royal Privileges granted to this new Com- them. 
pany were dated the Twenty-fourth of June 1642, and 3. The famous M, Colbert , fo much diftinguifhed by 
contained all that could be thought neceffary for promot- Lewis XIY. and whofe Activity and Prudence procured 
ing the Intereft of a Society, under the peculiar Protec- him moft of thofe Succeffes which diftinguifhed the for- 
tion of fo great a Minifter ; yet, it fell out unluckily, mer Part. of his Reign, and rendered him the moft pow- 
that he did not long furvive this new Grant, which with- erful Monarch in Europe. This aCtive and intelligent Mi- 
out doubt, was a great Prejudice to the Company’s Af- nifter, I fay, was the Perfon who conceived the Defign of 
fairs : However ,Lewis XIV. or rather the Regency, aCting reviving the French Eafi-India Company, notwithftand- 
in his Minority, confirmed thofe Privileges by an EdiCt 
dated the Twentieth of September , 1643, and the Com- 
pany entered into Poffeffion of all the Advantages derived 
therefrom immediately. 
All thefe it quietly enjoyed for twenty Years 5 during 
which Space, this third Company Pent every Year a Veffel, 
but the far greater Part of them were either call away in 
their Paffage, or loft the beft Part of their Crews by the 
Scurvy ; fo that tho* the Name of an Eafi-India Company 
was {till kept up in France ; yet, in faCt, they were pof- 
feffed of no fuch Trade, but contented themfelves with a 
Number of fruitlefs and fatiguing Attempts to fettle a 
flourifhing Colony at Madagascar ; a Defign, which, after 
all, they could never bring to bear. The Time of their 
Privilege being expired, the Duke de la Meilleray thought 
fit to attempt an Indian Trade upon his own Bottom, 
which, however ended in lending a Ship or two to Ma- 
dagafcar , where he got into the Poffeffion of the French 
Settlements, and found them not worth keeping, though 
it is faid that he made this Attempt at a pretty eafy Rate, 
becaufe being Mafter of the Ordnance, he made fo free with 
the King’s Stores, as to fend large Quantities of them to 
Madagascar , and placed the Tame to his own Account. 
On his Death however, his Son, who was ftiled the Duke 
de Mazarin , fold his Intereft in this Ifland for about one 
thoufand Pounds of our Money, which proved a great 
deal more than it was worth. 
Thus we have fpent our Time hitherto in contemplat- 
ing the Progrefs of the French India Companies for about 
threefcore Years, within which Space they did nothing ; 
though fome private Men from St. Malo s fent Ships thi- 
ther, and found their Trade turn to fome Account. This 
very plainly fhews, how little the French Government 
agrees with Commerce, and how difficult her ableft Mi- 
nifters find it to eftablifti Trade by Dint of Power : And 
yet it mu ft be allowed, that Cardinal Richelieu took all 
the Pains in this RefpeCt that it was in the Power of Man 
to do ; for he fent for Perfons who were beft verfed in this 
Trade from Holland , drew abundance of rich Merchants 
from various Parts of Europe into France , drew the Plan 
for the Eftablifhment of the new Company himfelf, and 
engaged fome of the principal Perfons for Quality and 
Fortune in France to embark in it. 
What he conceived would moft promote it, proved the 
Ruin of the whole Defign ; for there being always fome 
great Nobleman or other at the Head of this Bufinefs, fuch 
as endeavoured to obtain Employment in the Company’s 
Service, were forced to become his Creatures ; by which 
happy Contrivance there were hardly any employed who 
had either Merit or Capacity •, fo that the Merchants and 
fuch as were the beft Judges of the Means of carrying on 
fuch a Commerce with Succefs, treated the Eafi-India 
Company as a mere Phantom, and never concerned them- 
felves at all therewith : As, on the other Hand, the En- 
glijh and Butch Eafi-India Companies were under no Ap- 
prehenfions about it, but being folely guided by Experience, 
treated the Affair of a French Eafi-India Company with 
mg all the Misfortunes that Scheme had met with, and 
which had, over and over, difappointed the Skill and 
Care of all his Predeceffors. But before he made his Inten- 
tions known to the Publick, he took Care to make him- 
felf perfectly well inftruCted in the Affair he was to 
undertake, which he did, by drawing to his Acquaintance 
fuch Merchants and Seamen as were held to underftand 
this Subject beft. It was from them he learned that there 
were three principal Difficulties in the Way of that Struc- 
ture, which he laboured to raife, and which, as they had 
never hitherto been overcome, fo it appeared extremely 
doubtful whether, confidering the Nature of the French 
Government, and the Temper of the French Nation, it 
was poffible they fhould be got over. 
The firft was, the finding a fufficient Fund for the ef- 
fectually fixing and eftablifhing fuch a Company, as to 
which nothing hitherto had ever been done worth menti- 
oning, or that could afford any probable Hopes of Succefs : 
The French Merchants, being extremely fond of new 
Projects, were ready enough in promifingSubfcriptions, but 
very flow in performing what they promifed, and in com- 
plying with the Terms of their Contra&s, even after they 
had fubfcribed. The fecond Fault was faid to be a peremp- 
tory Exclufion of Foreigners, notwithftanding it was fo 
evident, that the neceffary Funds for the carrying on fo 
extenfive a Trade, were not eafily, at leaft, to be found in 
France. The third and greateft Difficulty of all was, the 
affording fuch a Degree of Liberty and Independence to 
this Company as might fatisfy both Strangers and Natives 
as to the Security of their Properties, and put the entire 
Management of their Affairs into the Hands of fuch only 
as were chofen and entrufted by themfelves. 
All thefe Things M. Colbert weighed in his own Mind, 
and when he thought he had fufficiently ripened his Pro- 
ject, he reduced it into Writing, but knowing at the fame 
Time, the great Confequence of having the moft folid 
Sentiments helped by a proper Method, and adorned with 
the Graces of Writing, he communicated his Plan to Mr. 
Charpentier , of the French Academy, efteemed one of the 
beft Pens in France . This Gentleman having new dreffed 
our Statefmens Thoughts, by digefting them into their 
proper Order, and cloathed them with the plaineft and fig- 
nificant Language ; the Scheme came Abroad with all the 
Advantages that could be defired, and was attended with 
all the Succefs that could be expedited. As this Paper was 
efteemed a Mafter-piece in its Kind, had amazing Effetfts, 
and contains Abundance of curious Circumftances, it may 
not be amifs to give the Reader an ExtraCt of its Con- 
tents. 
It was in the firft Place obferved therein, that as former 
Schemes of the like kind had failed for want of proper 
Funds, there was no Danger, that any Thing of this Na- 
ture fhould happen here, fince, befides the conftant Pro- 
tection and Support which the Government determined 
to give thereto, the King himfelf and the greateft, and the 
wealthieft Perfons in the Nation were refolved to furnifh 
fuch large Sums at the Beginning, as might put it on a 
Levels 
