A family of ci-devant nobles of my acquaintance, once possessing a revenue of one hundred and fifty thousand livres—­subsist now on fifteen hundred livres—­per year; and this sum must support six individuals—­the father and mother, with four children!  It does so, indeed, by an arrangement of only one poor meal in the day; a dinner four times, and a supper three times, in the week.  They endure their distress with tolerable cheerfulness, though in the same street, where they occupy the garrets of a house, resides, in an elegant hotel, a man who was once their groom, but who is now a tribune, and has within these last twelve years, as a conventional deputy, amassed, in his mission to Brabant and Flanders, twelve millions of livres.  He has kindly let my friend understand that his youngest daughter might be received as a chambermaid to his wife, being informed that she has a good education.  All the four daughters are good musicians, good drawers, and very able with their needles.  By their talents they supported their parents and themselves during their emigration in Germany; but here these are of but little use or advantage.  Those upstarts who want instruction or works of this sort apply to the first, most renowned, and fashionable masters or mistresses; while others, and those the greatest number, cannot afford even to pay the inferior ones and the most cheap.  This family is one of the many that regret having returned from their emigration.  But, you may ask, why do they not go back again to Germany?  First, it would expose them to suspicion, and, perhaps, to ruin, were they to demand passes; and if this danger or difficulty were removed, they have no money for such a long journey.

But this sort of penury and wretchedness is also common with the families of the former wealthy merchants and tradesmen.  Paper money, a maximum, and requisitions, have reduced those that did not share in the crimes and pillage of the Revolution, as much as the proscribed nobility.  And, contradictory as it may seem, the number of persons employed in commercial speculations has more than tripled since we experienced a general stagnation of trade, the consequence of war, of want of capital, protection, encouragement, and confidence; but one of the magazines of 1789 contained more goods and merchandize than twenty modern magazines put together.  The expenses of these new merchants are, however, much greater than sixteen years ago, the profit less, and the credit still less than the profit.  Hence numerous bankruptcies, frauds, swindling, forgeries, and other evils of immorality, extravagance, and misery.  The fair and honest dealers suffer most from the intrusion of these infamous speculators, who expecting, like other vile men wallowing in wealth under their eyes, to make rapid fortunes, and to escape detection as well as punishment—­commit crimes to soothe disappointment.  Nothing is done but for ready money, and even bankers’ bills, or bills accepted by bankers, are not taken in payment before the signatures are avowed by the parties concerned.  You can easily conceive what confusion, what expenses, and what; loss of time these precautions must occasion; but the numerous forgeries and fabrications have made them absolutely necessary.