But Jacquard had now to run the gauntlet with the ignorant prejudice and selfishness of his fellow-workmen, who regarded the new invention with suspicion, thinking it would prove injurious to their interests. They accordingly banded together to prevent its introduction, spoiled the stuffs in order to procure its rejection, and even burned it in the public squares: Jacquard himself was threatened and insulted, and on one occasion narrowly escaped being thrown into the Rhone, and was with difficulty rescued from the hands of a furious rabble bent on his destruction.

Terrified and discouraged, he almost despaired of being able to overcome their prejudices; but, happily, some sensible manufacturers persisted in adopting a method by which so many advantages were secured; and before long the results were so obvious that all hastened to follow this example. In the course of a year or two there were 18,000 Jacquard looms going, and their numbers went on increasing. At present this machinery is in use at Lyons, not only for silk but for all varieties of woven stuffs. It was soon introduced into various countries of Europe and America, and the Chinese, overcoming their ancient prejudices, have begun to adopt it.* The successful inventor now

*How great were the benefits resulting from Jacquard's improvements, we are made to realize, when told that the machines formerly in use were inconvenient and complicated in their movements, requiring the labour of numerous hands to keep them in motion. Those employed in this wearisome occupation were principally young women and children, who during the whole day were obliged to remain in painful attitudes, by which their limbs often became deformed-indeed, some contracted mortal diseases.

The manufacturers

saw himself loaded with honours. of numerous towns were eager to secure his services for the supervision of the various departments of mechanical trade. The town of Manchester offered him a considerable sum and handsome emoluments to establish himself there; but, refusing all these advantageous and flattering offers, Jacquard preferred to remain in his native city.

There he passed the evening of his days, enjoying, after so many years of toil, struggle, and disappointment, a quiet and honourable repose.

His faithful wife, who had shared his griefs, for a while partook his prosperity, and then sank to the grave. After her loss, Jacquard retired to a small and pretty village a league distant from Lyons, and lived in a small house which had been given him for life. He found occupation and solace during a prolonged old age in cultivating a small garden, and in the humble and devout exercise of his religious duties, and peacefully expired in the month of August, 1834.

The inhabitants of the district testified their respect for his memory in a simple epitaph placed in their church; and his full-length portrait, an admirable likeness, was painted for the corporation of Lyons, and placed in the museum of that city.

RICHARD LENOIR,

THE FRENCH MANUFACTURER.

Born 1762-Died 1840.

AMONG the names which rank high as having greatly contributed to the commercial prosperity of France, is that of Richard Lenoir, which will always be remembered with respect and gratitude in all the workshops of the Faubourg St. Antoine.

There is much, both instructive and entertaining, in the early history of this great manufacturer, as well as in the subsequent events of his career. He was not one of "Fortune's favourites" in the world's esteem, and seemed destined by the meanness of his origin to pass a life of labour and obscurity. Born in a small village of Calvados (a department of France in Lower Normandy), he belonged to a family of humble farmers. Like the generality of the children of the peasantry of that district, Richard was sent to school and taught to read and cipher; but his education went no further, and his earliest years were passed in the fields, doing such rough tasks as rustic lads are made to do. Naturally of an active and inventive turn, the lad soon showed symptoms of a decided taste for trade. When he was only twelve years old, he undertook the care of a number of pigeons, and gained

a small sum of money by the sale of them. The lord of the manor peremptorily put a stop to that species of traffic, but not before Richard had sold all his pigeons, and, with the forty-two francs they fetched, had procured himself a pair of hobnailed shoes, which he joyfully exchanged for the wooden sabots he had hitherto worn in common with his playfellows.

The trade in pigeons was succeeded by one in a handsome breed of dogs, and again he made money. His gains were evident, in the striking difference between his costume and that of the clodhoppers his companions. His next scheme was to go every Wednesday to the weekly market at Villiers le Bocage, the nearest town, where he was intrusted with the keeping of the register of the cattle-market.

At length, when he had attained the age of seventeen, Richard left the home of his boyhood, and directed his steps towards the city of Rouen, with no more than ten francs in his pocket. His first occupation was in the employ of a dealer in printed cottons, named Hermel, who, seeing in him nothing more than a lad deficient in smartness and poorly educated, obliged him to perform various servile offices, and when he remonstrated against such usuage, indignantly dismissed him without a character.

His prospects were now sufficiently dismal, and he was fain to take up with the business of a lemonadeseller, in the hope of earning a sum sufficient to take him to the metropolis. He succeeded in his purpose,

and a year afterwards we find this man, who only ten years later was destined to employ thousands of hands and to put in circulation millions of francs, actually a waiter in a coffee-room at Paris, in the Rue St. Denis. He remained in this situation one year, and having realized a capital of 1,000 francs, resolved to go into trade. Throwing aside his white apron, and hiring a room in the sixth story in the Rue St. Honoré, in the neighbourhood of the Piazza, he purchased several pieces of English dimity-at that time a contraband article, and consequently much valued, and in order to insure a sale, he hawked them about from house to house. Scarcely had six months passed before Richard was in possession of the sum of 6,000 francs.

He thought himself now in a fair way to make his fortune; but, unhappily, he trusted his gains in the hands of an unskilful or faithless agent, and the consequence was, that he speedily lost every farthing, and, still worse, was put in prison for debt.

At length he was set at large, and by the timely assistance of a few friends, who pitied his misfortunes, he obtained a small sum, with which he again entered into business. In the course of two years he had completely re-established his affairs, and realized a small property.

His good fortune encouraged him now to venture on the important step of matrimony; and with honest independence he chose for his wife a young girl of attractive manners and appearance, with unblemished character, but portionless.