’During my father’s former residence in France, at the time when he was engaged in directing the works of the Rhone and Saone at Lyons, as he mentions in his Memoirs, he wrote a treatise on the construction of mills.  He wished that D’Alembert should read it, to verify the mathematical calculations, and for this purpose he had put it into the hands of Morellet.  D’Alembert approved of the essay; and my father became advantageously known to Morellet as a man of science, and as one who had gratuitously and honourably conducted a useful work in France.  His predominating taste thus continued, as in former times, its influence, was still a connecting link between him and old and new friends.  On this and many other occasions he proved the truth of what has been asserted, that no effort is ever lost:  his exertions at Lyons in 1772, after an interval of thirty years, now becoming of unexpected advantage to him and to his family at Paris. . . .

’In Paris there is an institution resembling our London Society of Arts, La Societe d’Encouragement pour VIndustrie Nationale:  of this my father was made a member, and he presented to it the model of a lock of his invention.  In getting this executed, he became acquainted with some of the working mechanics in Paris, and had an opportunity of observing how differently work of this kind is carried on there and in Birmingham.  Instead of the assemblage of artificers in manufactories, such as we see in Birmingham, each artisan in Paris, working out his own purposes in his own domicile, must in his time “play many parts,” and among these many to which he is incompetent, either from want of skill or want of practice:  so that, in fact, even supposing French artisans to be of equal ability and industry with English competitors, they are at least a century behind, by thus being precluded from all the miraculous advantages of the division of labour. . . .  ’My father had left England with a strong desire to see Buonaparte, and had procured a letter from the Lord Chamberlain (Lord Essex), and had applied to Lord Whitworth, our Ambassador at Paris, who was to present him.  But soon after our arrival at Paris, he learned that Buonaparte was preparing the way for becoming Emperor, contrary to the wishes and judgment of the most enlightened part of the French nation. . . .

’My father could no longer consider Buonaparte as a great man, abiding by his principles, and content with the true glory of being the first citizen of a free people; but as one meditating usurpation, and on the point of overturning, for the selfish love of dominion, the liberty of France.  With this impression, my father declared that he would not go to the court of a usurper.  He never went to his levees, nor would he be presented to him.

’My father had not the presumption to imagine that in a cursory view, during a slight tour, and a residence of four or five months at Paris, he could become thoroughly acquainted with France.  Besides, his living chiefly with the select society which I have described precluded the possibility of seeing much of what were called les nouveaux riches.