280 Readings in European History That we will assist by money from our royal treasury all those who wish to reestablish old manufactures or to under- take new ones ; That we are giving orders to all our ambassadors or resi- dents at the courts of the princes, our allies, to make, in our name, all proper efforts to cause justice to be rendered in all cases involving our merchants, and to assure for them entire commercial freedom ; That we will comfortably lodge at our court each and every merchant who has business there during all the time that he shall be obliged to remain there, having given orders to the grand marshal of our palace to indicate a proper place for that purpose, which shall be called the House of Commerce ; . . . That all the merchants and traders by sea who purchase vessels, or who build new ones, for traffic or commerce shall receive from us subsidies for each ton of merchandise which they export or import on the said voyages. We desire, in this present letter, not only to inform you concerning all these things, but to require you, as soon as you have received it, to cause to be assembled all the mer- chants and traders of your town of Marseilles, and explain to them very particularly our intentions in all matters men- tioned above, in order that, being informed of the favorable treatment which we desire to give them, they may be the more desirous of applying themselves to commerce. Let them understand that for everything that concerns the wel- fare and advantage of the same they are to address them- selves to Sieur Colbert. ... IV. The Ascendency of France in 167 i Sir William Temple, an able English diplomat and man of letters, gives a striking picture of the flourishing con- dition of France during the first half of Louis XIV's reign. The crown of France, considered in the extent of country, in the number of people, in the riches of commodities, in
