236 
perhaps than any other, as ftockings were 
found ufeful when laces and embroideries 
were marks of ariftocraty: the number of 
perfons employed will not exceed 6c0, as 
four pairs a week would be great exertions 
_ for thofe weak-bodied people. Their fac- 
tories, however, as they are pleafed to call 
them, are (ufficiently numerous; but the 
number of perfons in each is commonly 
from two to four, and will average at 
three, making 200 factories for 600 per- 
fons! The filk ttockings of Lyonsare harder, 
af amore unevenly texture, and much lefs 
durable, than thofe of Italy. Their watch- 
makers and jewellers may promifcuoufly 
amount to 300. But fo very coarfe and 
ili-manufactured is their jewellery-ware, 
when compared with that of Paris, and 
fill more fo with that of Geneva, that, 
were it not for that vain and barbarous 
tate of appearing brilliant fer little ex- 
penfe, it would be impoffible ever to fell 
fuch favage ornaments m Eurepe. Their 
next principal manufacture is that of hats, 
which however employs but a {mall num- 
ber of men. The hats are not very fine, 
Ror very equally wrought, but have in 
general the advantage of retaining well 
the colour. Their dye houfes are alfo 
pretty numerous, and rarely contain more 
than two fmall vats and a inall boiler. 
‘This is perhaps the only employment in 
Lyons in which the women are not a¢tive- 
ly engaged. There are near twenty dye- 
houfes, with from two to four perfons in 
each. Tueir procefs is extremely labori- 
ous and expen{jve, and wholly deftitute of 
any chemica! knowiedge! Black is the 
anly good or fixed colour they can make; 
but it is made tothe prejudice of the ftuff, 
which is almof always more or Jefs burat. 
Their‘other colours aré heavy, dirty, and 
fugitive, in every refpeét much inferior, 
efpecially in point of brilliancy, to thofe 
commonly made in Spain. Their leather 
ymanufaétures tao are antiquated enough ; 
nor have they yet made any progre(s in 
the manufacture of Morocco or Spanifh 
eather. A confderably produtive trade 
has been that of books, of which great 
numbers have been reprirted in. Lyons, 
under the title of London.* The reftric- 
tien of the prefs in France would be an 
* Spain is literally inundated with thefe 
moft abominable works, ,notwithftanding the 
laudable efforts of the Lnquifition; and many 
hooks in French, Jtalian, and Spanifh axe 
juftly interdiGed by the Inquifitors, faid to be 
printed in London, butreallyin Lyons. The 
dete€tion of tais impofition is fomewhat difi- 
ealt; but the evil became fo great that mea. 
Siridures on Ruins—King/gate Counterfeit. 
- 
[ Nov. 1. 
apology for fuch condué, had not fordid 
potosy 
avarice induced them to abufe this privi- © 
lege, in printing and difleminating in great 
numbers, works of the moft vileand vulgar * 
oBf{cenity, as if printed in London. Nothing: 
of elegance has ever came from the Lyons 
prefs, nor any thing that could be com- 
pared with thofe of Madrid and Valentia. 
Their be& works are editions of the Latin 
claffics, but which evince nothing more 
than an uniform mediocrity. ‘There are 
not now more than a hundred perfons 
employed in all the diferent branches of 
printing, binding, and bookfelling. Of 
the wealth of this city it is more difficult 
to decide; many are miferably poor amidft 
their gold, and it will afford a demonftra- 
tive proof, that there are characters in 
France more avaricious, without either 
generofity or eccentricity, than in Eng- 
land. Tndeed fo general is‘this paffion at 
prefent, that in many cafes it has defeated 
itfelf. It is likewife moit probable that 
the riches of Lyons have not only accumu- 
lated by its manufactures, but much more 
from its being factor, in a great meafure, 
for Nimes, Montpellier, Arlais, and other 
adjoining towns, more favourably fituated 
for manufactures, where provifions were 
cheaper and more plentiful. From faétors 
they became merchants, and fhortly after 
rendered the manufacturers their depen- 
dants. Its being alfo a market and depo- 
fitory for every thing faleable on the bor- 
ders of the Rhone and Soane, contributed 
no little to augment its wealth, without 
adding materially to its manufaétures. . 
Many of thefe articles have now found ano- 
ther mart, and Lyons feels the lofs. Nor is 
it likely that its Lilltputian faftories will 
eyer rife again to diftinétion in Europe.—« 
[Lo be coutinued, with fimilar Sketches of: 
other parts of France and alfo of places it 
Italy and Spain.] . 
= Ae 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, : 
mcedern tafte, none appears te me 
more glaring than that of couaterfeit ruins. 
The value of real ruins depends tolely upon 
two principles; the firft and moft promi- 
nent is that of affoctation, by which every 
fures have been taken, and comparifons made, 
inorder to difcriminate what is really Englith 
from what is French. They have alfo at=' 
tempted to deceive the public, by imitating 
almoft every other kind of Englith manuface 
ture, but with infinitely lefs fuccets, 
relic © 
Full the flies and/ableeacaee toe 
