Wealth and comfort and even show were never more
prominent than to-day. Neither the political mis-
fortunes of 1870, the uncertainty of the European
situation, nor the instability of the Third Republic,
has attenuated this taste for fine things, display and
the comforts and pleasures brought by money. It
is not going too far, perhaps, to say that elegance
has become an essential part of the modem world
and the life of all nations. But it is going to much
too great a length and is wholly unjust to accuse
the Second Empire as having been the instrument

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for the bringing about of this state of things. Every
thoughtful person knows that the nearer people get
to the quintessence of civilization and to the refine-
ments thereof, the more are prized the arts, style
in fashion, fine clothes, rich jewels. The sovereigns
felt that it was the duty of such a Court as was that
of the Tuileries, in a country where commerce and
industry are so eager in their demands for encour-
agement, to give an impulse to trade and to create
as far as we could a market for the more expensive
products. And I think that I may say that they
were eminently successful in this effort. Many large
fortunes were made at Lyons and elsewhere be-
cause of the support of the elite of the population,
the fashions of the hour calling for beautiful ma-
terials, for silks and rich fabrics of all kinds.
