302

FRENCH

CHAP. XXVI.

expenditure, introduced by the imperial courtand followed by the fortunate generals, restoredto Paris a considerable portion of the trade whichhad previously existed in it, but which had beenshared with the places before mentioned.

On the return of the ancient family under whom,and under whom alone, a degree of liberty wasenjoyed, and when private property was in se-curity, the manufactures of the several branchesof the precious metals partook in a large degreeof the general prosperity, and of the universalprogress which French industry exhibited.

As early as 1819, within five years of therestoration, according to Chaptal, who had beenminister under the republic and the empire, andwhose evidence may therefore be viewed as thatof an unwilling witness, the number of watchesmade in France had risen from two hundredthousand in the year 1789, to upwards of threehundred thousand 1 . According to the statementof this author, the number of gold and silverwatches is now equal. The metal in the watcheshe values at fifty-seven francs for the gold, andsix francs for the silver, making the whole amountof the two precious metals appropriated to thisbranch to be nine million four hundred and fiftythousand francs. Besides these, there were ma-nufactured five thousand pendulums or cabinet

1 Chaptal de l’lndustrie Franjoise, vol. ii. p. 162.