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Foreign News
December 26, 1760
The New Hampshire Gazette
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A letter from Bordeaux reports economic distress in France: people are impoverished with no money, provisions are excessively dear, and fashion has changed to tight breeches and short waistcoats without pockets, blamed on the fortunes of war.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
A letter from a gentleman at Bourdeaux to his friend in London.
"As to public concerns we must not say much; however, I may venture to describe our situation to you in one respect, and that is in point of dress, from which you may draw what inference you please: and as Englishmen generally do, view it in a political light, and imagine every thing to be a national concern. Know then, that we have discarded pockets from breeches and waistcoats. The fashion now is, to wear the former very tight, and the latter very short. You will ask perhaps, where we put our money? 'Tis no hard question to resolve.--We have none.--People are very poor, and provisions excessive dear. I pay four livres a day at my inn, where I used to be well entertained for three. But 'tis la fortune de la guerre, and who can help it."
"As to public concerns we must not say much; however, I may venture to describe our situation to you in one respect, and that is in point of dress, from which you may draw what inference you please: and as Englishmen generally do, view it in a political light, and imagine every thing to be a national concern. Know then, that we have discarded pockets from breeches and waistcoats. The fashion now is, to wear the former very tight, and the latter very short. You will ask perhaps, where we put our money? 'Tis no hard question to resolve.--We have none.--People are very poor, and provisions excessive dear. I pay four livres a day at my inn, where I used to be well entertained for three. But 'tis la fortune de la guerre, and who can help it."
What sub-type of article is it?
Economic
What keywords are associated?
Bordeaux Economy
French Poverty
High Provisions
War Impact
Fashion Change
Where did it happen?
Bourdeaux
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Bourdeaux
Outcome
people very poor; provisions excessively dear; prices increased (e.g., inn from 3 to 4 livres per day).
Event Details
Letter describes situation in Bordeaux via fashion changes indicating poverty: no pockets in tight breeches and short waistcoats because people have no money; public concerns restricted but economic hardship evident, attributed to fortunes of war.