Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

escape in a series of very ominous guggles from underneath the clothes. The poor fellow was outside in an instant crying, "Anither warning, Meg! rin, rin, the house is fa'ing." But Meg "kenn'd what was what fu' brawly," and made for the bed in time to save only the last dregs of her intended potation.

out mercy, churches were being destroyed, and vast crowds of unhappy people were trying to escape to England, in which only a limited number were successfulthe famous French refugees who brought to our shores a knowledge of divers industrial arts which have incalculably enriched the country.

Most of the actors in the sad story The Rev. James Fontaine, as he deshave passed away, and now rest beneath ignates himself in a work recently pubthe same green sod which covers the re-lished from an original autobiography, mains of John Brown. With the last gen- got away with considerable difficulty, in eration, too, has died out much of the he- company with a young lady who was to reditary superstition. For a railway now be his wife, and two or three friends. runs through the coal-field. Strangers The party, after hanging about the French come and settle in the district. An in-coast in a boat, near the isle of Oleron, creasing Irish element appears in the were humanely taken on board an Engpopulation, and thus the old manners and lish merchant-vessel which, after beating customs are rapidly becoming mere tra- against contrary winds for eleven days, ditions in the place. Even grandsons and great-grandsons of the old women who kept the country-side in fear," affect to hold lightly the powers and doings of their progenitors, though there are still a few who, while seemingly half-ashamed to claim supernatural power for their "grannies," gravely assert that the latter had means of finding things out, and, though bed-ridden, of getting their wishes fulfilled, which to say the least were very inexplicable.

[ocr errors]

ARCH. GEIKIE.

From Chambers' Journal. STORY OF A FRENCH REFUGEE.

THE persecution of the Huguenots in France in the reign of Louis XIV., both before and after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685), is matter of history, and a very sorrowful matter it is; for it may be said to have led to that series of national disasters, which is yet apparently far from being concluded. Among the sufferers from the persecution was a young man, James Fontaine, the descendant of a family of rank, whose father, in consideration of altered fortunes, dropped the aristocratic De la, and assumed the plain surname of Fontaine. For two or three generations, the Fontaines had been Protestant pastors in the south-west of France, and James was destined to follow the same calling, though, what was a little awkward, he limped in his gait, from having been let accidentally fall by his nurse when an infant. Born in 1658, he was still a youth, and had just begun as a preacher, when, the persecution being at its height, dragoons were plundering and killing with

reached Appledore, a small town near the mouth of the Taw, in Devonshire. Having paid passage-money for the party, the youthful preacher had only twenty gold pistoles left, besides six silver spoons, a silver watch, and a diamond ring worth ten or twelve pistoles.

At Barnstaple, to which they made their way, the forlorn refugees were treated with much kindness, of which they stood greatly in need, for, owing to a shortness of provisions on board ship, they were almost famished, and ravenously ate the bread that was set before them. Now begin Fontaine's adventures, from which he seems to have been of an eager, speculative character — changeful, versatile, and equally ready for preaching, teaching, manufacturing, or keeping a shop. Not, perhaps, that there was anything singular in these aptitudes, for the French generally, under pressure of misfortune have an amazing faculty in turning their hand to whatever falls in the way. The first thing that surprised our hero was the comparative cheapness of biscuits. On getting two large ones for a penny, he instantly conceived the notion of buying grain, and exporting it on speculation to France, where it was at the time very dear. The chief difficulty lay in the want of capital; but, at all events, there were the twenty pistoles, the six silver spoons, and the silver watch; and his intended wife possessed a gold neck-chain, a pearl necklace, an emerald, and a diamond worth five pistoles; all which wealth he was prepared to risk on the enterprise. Hav

Memoirs of a Huguenot Family; translated from the Original Autobiography of Rev. James Fontaine. New York: Putnam and Sons. 1872.

himself and the young lady, and stated that, on communicating with her, he would abide by her decision. The same evening, he went to the house where she lodged, and executed the commission with which he was charged. The answer was such as might have been expected. There was a mutual overflow of tears. A steady resolution was formed to abide by each other. Poverty and its possible consequences, with affection, was preferred to worldly wealth and all its allurements. The trial had its uses. To the distress of Downe and his sister, M. Fontaine married the young lady, and with stout hearts the two began the world on noth

ing been taken into the house of "a charitable gentleman, a Mr. Downe, at Barnstaple," he induced him to charter a vessel, and risk some money. The speculation was entered on. It proved so successful as to encourage a second shipment; but this was disappointing. A third venture was tried; in this case the orders being to bring a return cargo of salt. The captain employed, when quitting France, took on board a large number of wealthy refugees. These he plundered of all their valuables, ran the vessel ashore on the coast of Spain, where it went to wreck, and the salt returned to the sea whence it came. Worse than all, the unfortunate passengers were barbar-ing. ously drowned. The captain having To the lodging to which the happy pair espied a lady who was buoyed up by adjourned, numerous presents poured in means of a thick-quilted petticoat, plunged from friendly refugees in the neighbourher under the water with a boat-hook, hood; but living on gifts of this kind and held her down till life was extinct. could not last. Teaching was first reWith their ill-gotten wealth, the captain and crew went to Cadiz, purchased a vessel, and took to privateering. The result as regards Fontaine can be imagined. Watch, silver spoons, gold chain, and so on, had all to be disposed of," and something still remained unpaid."

sorted to, and afterwards the keeping of a small shop in Bridgewater was tried with no great success. Some friends suggested an application to the managers of a charitable fund which had been raised in London for the benefit of French refugees exiled by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The account of the effort to benefit by this fund is somewhat painful. Fontaine found that succour was hopeless for any one who did not attach himself to the Church of England, and to this, in a resolute way which reminds us of the Scotch Covenanters, he had an insuperable objection. A few Presbyterians who heard of his distress kindly gave some seasonable aid; after which he removed to Taunton, where he set up in the triple capacity of preacher, teacher, and shopkeeper. He had longings to speculate as an export merchant, but was restrained by sorrowful recollections of former misadventures. In the struggle which ensued, his young wife behaved admirably. She stood behind the counter, and helped materially to carry on the concern.

Now poorer than ever, the young French refugee was exposed to a new temptation. Mr. Downe had a sister, possessing certain "charms of mind and disposition," but "short, thin, sallow, and marked with the small-pox;" such disadvantages, however, being, as some might think, outweighed by a dowry of three thousand pounds. Carrying with her this handsome fortune, she formed the wish to become Madame Fontaine, and persuaded her brother to open the matrimonial negotiations. He was not unwilling to do so, for it would afford him an opportunity of doing a little in the matrimonial line on his own account; in a word, he had fallen in love with the young French lady, Fontaine's fiancée, and to take her out of the way would tend greatly to arrange matters agreeably. It was a very nicely conceived plot, While so doing his best in the battle and required delicate management. With of life at Taunton, a fresh industrial openthe best French he could muster, Downe ing occurred. He was waited on by two one day proceeded to business. After a Frenchmen with sanguine notions about little hesitation and clearing his throat, the woollen manufacture; they wanted he told his guest that his sister wished to him to lay out money on worsted, yarn, marry him, and if he would agree to it, and dyes, while they would furnish the he would remove the difficulty by taking requisite mechanism to make the affair the young lady who had been brought profitable. The project was irresistible. from France. The proposition was tempt- Fontaine risked twenty pounds, which he ing, but did not in the least discompose borrowed "from a Mrs. White, a widow, M. Fontaine. He produced a written who dealt in tobacco at Bridgewater." promise of mutual attachment between Out of this trading speculation he came

out better than there were reasons for an- industry ought to have commanded their ticipating. The manufacture proved prof-admiration, and they hatefully conspired itable, and the borrowed money was re- to ruin him. In the present day, one paid. But the partners disagreed, and Fontaine was glad to get rid of them, and carry on business on his own ac

count.

reads of their proceedings with amazement. They lodged a complaint with the mayor and aldermen, accusing him of being a monopolist in trade, an underseller. Woollen manufacturers, tin-plate workers, dealers in brandy, raisins, stockings, and chamois leather for breeches, denounced him as interfering unduly with their profits. A summons to appear before the civic dignitaries was of course granted. The description of the trial is about the best thing in the book, but it is too long for our pages. Fontaine defended himself by a few simple explanations. He was bred a scholar and a gentleman. Religious persecution had driven him

From this period, all was sunshine. On Sundays he preached, at certain times through the week he taught French, while, as a principal reliance, he carried on a system of manufacture; besides which, Madame, a pattern wife, was busy as a bee, keeping the shop, with two boys to help her. M. Fontaine did not think it the least derogatory to be an administrator of ghostly counsel and at the same time work with all his might. St. Paul was his model, and he cared nothing for professional etiquette. We cannot re-away from his native country. He folfrain from quoting the account he gives of the industrial arrangements of the establishment.

lowed a line of honest industry in order to support himself and family, and trusted he was doing nothing wrong in dealing in a variety of articles for the public accommodation. This sort of argument would have had no effect on the court, but for the good sense of the Recorder, who represented that unless his accusers were prepared to raise a fund and settle an

66

"I manufactured stuffs in the upper part of the house, which my wife sold at a profit in the lower part. I went to Bristol and Exeter once a quarter, to lay in a fresh stock of groceries, and pay off the old debt. I procured direct from Holland linens of various qualities, gal-annuity on the poor Frenchman, he must loons, thread, needles, and tin and copper be allowed to earn his bread for the sake ware, manufactured there by French ref- of himself and family. All were abashed ugees. These articles cost me much less at the decision. Go," said he to Fonthan if I had bought them in England. taine; "we return you thanks for your I was supplied with beaver hats from Ex- industry. God bless you and your la eter, where they were made by French-bour." The triumph over narrow considmen, who furnished them to no one in erations was complete. Taunton but myself. I sold French brandy, pure and unadulterated, whereas the Englishmen generally played tricks with theirs. I drew custom by selling Malaga and Alicant raisins at the price retail that I paid for them by wholesale. I sold needles on the same terms. Every one knew the value of these articles, and the sale of them did not amount to any great sum. One would say to another: You can buy beautiful raisins from the Frenchman at such a price;' and then they would come to see for themselves, buy some raisins, and probably ten or twelve shillings worth of other articles, upon which we made a profit, so we found our account in selling cheap raisins."

Dismissed from the bar there was still on the part of the magistrates a malicious disposition to molest the refugee, for which the political condition of the country offered an opportunity. The Prince of Orange had just landed. The Revolution was complete, and there was on all hands a search for Jacobites and Jesuits. It was easy getting up a cry that M. Fontaine was a Jesuit in disguise. He pretended to preach the gospel, and to gain friends by selling articles at cost-price. He was a downright Jesuit, and ought to be hanged. Ominous murmurs of this kind gave the Frenchman some uneasiness. He had a profound respect for the English, but on landing in Devonshire at the close of Monmouth's rebellion, he observed with dismay that there was a great deal of hanging and quartering, and that ghastly heads were stuck about at the entrance to towns in most unpleasant profusion.

The success of the French refugee in this miscellaneous trade was galling to the native shopkeepers of Taunton. Far from resembling Englishmen in their generous treatment of foreigners driven by misfortune on our shores, they onceived Things might not come to pass, but in a hatred of the poor Frenchman, whose | the fervour of the moment no one could

safely say there would be no excesses. | hairs sticking out in all directions. In As a beginning, soldiers were quartered the present day, a smooth surface is given on Fontaine to an extent beyond endur- to tissues by a process of singeing over ance, and the poor man could see noth- fiery hot rollers. Fontaine did not know ing but a determination to bring him to anything of this process, but he conjecruin. Taunton was a place in which he tured that singeing would effect the recould no longer do any good as a retail quired smoothness. "I recollected," he dealer, and so far he was resolved to wind says, "that when I was at school, I had up his affairs. Being occupied during often gone to warm myself in a hatter's the day teaching French and Latin, he shop, and I used to watch the process of was obliged to steal many hours of the burning off the long hairs from the hats night to find time to make an exact with a blazing wisp of straw, so I thought inventory of all he possessed. To dis- that a similar plan might be adopted for charge his debts, he sold off his stuffs to remedying the defect in my calimanco." wholesale merchants, and the residue of He thus fell upon the very process which his effects was disposed of to a purchaser has now attained so much perfection. for four hundred pounds, which he re- How Fontaine laughed with joy when by tained as a little leaven, to begin business means of a burning wisp of straw, folin some new line when opportunity lowed by a proper degree of pressure, the offered. calimanco came out beautiful, about as good as that of Norwich! He sold lots of it at Exeter at half-a-crown a yard, realizing a hundred per cent. of profit after all expenses were paid. We do not know that there is anything finer than this as an instance of ingenuity and perseverance in the history of British manufactures.

He

For several months his only employment was keeping a school, by which, however, he did not make quite enough to maintain his family, now consisting of several children. Thoughtful and ingenious, he pondered on the probability of success as a manufacturer of a new kind of worsted stuff, called calimanco, for which Norwich had become celebrated. Soon Fontaine had fifteen looms at In a spirit of enterprise, he determined to work on his calimanco, and to all appearmake an attempt to imitate the article, ance he was on the road to fortune. even though ignorant of the requsite me- got discouraged, however, by attempts to chanical knowledge. How distressing to withdraw his workmen, and to rival his have to record that the authorities of an manufacture. In fact, he was too suscepEnglish country town should have had tible on this score, for the world is wide the despicable meanness to oppress a man enough for everybody, and he ought to with so noble a spirit of self-reliance and have held on in his course. With charindustry! Meanly tyrannized over, Fon-acteristic unsettledness, he became weary taine was not to be baffled. "I engaged," of the business, and contemplated emisays he, "a weaver for my experimental attempt, who was out of employment, and was apparently very docile. I made all the machinery, I put it up with my own hands, and spent a couple of hours every day trying to instruct him. This went on for three months, altering the threads and machinery for new trials about once a fortnight, and still not an inch of the desired fabric was produced: and I was paying the weaver his full wages all the time."

gration to Ireland. We let him tell what ensued in his own words. "Seeing that I had now made one thousand pounds in the course of three years, I thought I would leave the place, and try whether I could not find a French church in want of a minister. I knew that there were many French Protestant refugees in Ireland, so I went to Dublin to make inquiries. I was there recommended to go to Cork, and I accordingly proceeded thither, and found there were several French The attempt to manufacture calimanco families settled there who were yery dewas like to be abortive, when by good sirous to have a minister." As a result luck a young man with some skill in the of this expedition, Fontaine removed in art was lighted upon, and employed. Af- 1694 with his family to Cork, where he ter no little trouble with the imperfect set up as a French Protestant preacher; mechanism, this young craftsman suc- but the emoluments being nil, he continceeded in making several yards of stuff in the day. There yet remained a serious drawback. The stuff produced was like calimanco in substance, but not in finish; it was rough on the surface, with great

ued to dabble in yarns, dye-stuffs, and manufacturing industry. Preaching, indeed, was his favourite pursuit, for no man had a more earnest desire to be useful in expounding the gospel message. His

W. C.

manufacture was taken up only as a means glory of England, the kindly home of op of livelihood. There is some historical pressed nationalities. interest in his proceedings, for they afford a glimpse of the social changes arising from the introduction of French refugees into these islands.

From The Spectator.

But

At Cork, M. Fontaine was at the height of his ambition. He was an admired THE LATE EMPEROR'S SUPERSTITION. preacher, and he gained from his small EVERYONE knew, by general rumour at manufactory ample support for his family. least, that the late Emperor of the This state of things was too good to last. French, with all his longheadedness and Dissensions broke out in the congrega- power of slow, tenacious reflection, was a tion, and considering himself ill-treated, superstitious man, who profoundly bethe hitherto too confiding pastor resigned lieved that his uncle watched over his his office. Some mercantile adventures destinies and protected his career. were now tried, but they only brought the publication this week of his will, loss and vexation. As a finishing calam- made in 1865, is much the most authentic ity, the British parliament, in its then evidence accessible to us of the depth of mistaken policy, passed an act forbidding this superstition. In it he declares posithe export of woollen manufactures from tively, "One must think that from the Ireland, by which the luckless Fontaine height of Heaven those whom you have was adroitly ruined. What hand could he turn to now? Fishing, and exporting the produce to Spain, occurred to him as a grand idea. With this project in view, Fontaine removed with his family and the wreck of his worldly possessions to Bear Haven, where he rented the farms for his fishery.

In this new enterprise, with all his diligence, he was unsuccessful, and, to add to his misfortunes, he was pillaged and cheated by neighbours in a thousand indirect ways. As a climax, his house was attacked by privateers, against whom he for a time carried on a war for bare existence. On one occasion he did the state some service by his courageous defence, for which he had the good fortune to be rewarded with a pension of five shillings a day. There is something melancholy in what follows.

loved look down upon you and protect you. It is the soul of my mighty uncle that has always inspired and sustained me.” And again, “ As to my son, let him keep as a talisman the seal which I wore attached to my watch, and which I got from my mother; let him preserve with care all that I have inherited from the Emperor my uncle, and let him be assured that my heart and my soul remain with him." In a will so short, which would not occupy forty lines of this journal, and in which only the wishes to which the Emperor attached the most significance are enumerated at all, the solemn mention of this belief in the angelic guardianship exercised on his behalf by his uncle, and the injunction to his son to keep as a talisman the seal which he himself had had from his mother, prove that these impressions were not in the EmpeBroken down in health, though not so ror's view transient fancies to which now in spirit, and relying on his pension, Fon- and then he was able to attach a certain taine removed to Dublin, rented a house | half-playful importance, but that they in Stephen's Green, and there for several were deeply cherished superstitions,— years carried on a school for teaching superstitions of which he was so far from French, Latin, and Greek. In 1721, he being ashamed, that he wished to give lost his wife, and the shock so greatly them all the emphasis of deliberate regisdistressed him that he gave up his school. tration in an imperial testament, At this point, his personal narrative tament certain to be made public, and, had draws to a close, and all that follows is he died on the throne, to be made public an account of his sons, several of whom at a moment full of gravity for the career emigrated to Virginia, and founded fami- of his son. Nor can it well be that the lies which rose to distinction in the col- Emperor wished to pose before the peoony. We cannot speak of the work em-ple of France as entertaining a superstibracing an account of the family as artis- tion of this kind, if he did not really entic in construction; but it is valuable as tertain it. It is certainly not one of the shewing us the struggles of one of those kind of beliefs which it would be the honest and ingenious foreigners who, proper imperial rôle to counterfeit; it driven by short-sighted persecution from suggests too completely the conscious their own country, contributed to the subordination of the Emperor to his un

-a tes

« VorigeDoorgaan »