CHAPTER VI.

THE REGENERATION OF THE UMBRELLA.


Our task is now nearly completed: we have described the history of
the Parasol, and its near relation the Umbrella, as far as our space
permits us to treat of this interesting subject.

All that remains for us to do is to give an account of the principal
improvements effected in the Umbrella during later years.

It is certain that France was some way ahead of us with regard to
the use of Umbrellas, for they were comparatively common there before
they were at all known _l'autre côté 'de la Manche_. This was
but natural, considering that they were, as we have seen, used in
Italy, and consequently the folk of southern France would not be
likely to be far behind their neighbours in availing themselves of
the protection from the sun, whether or no they had sufficient genius
to shelter themselves from the rain by the aid of an Umbrella.

In France Parasols and Umbrellas used to be amongst the articles
made by the corporate body of Boursiers. M. Natalis Rondot quotes
from the _Journal du Citoyen_, of 1754, the price of Parasols.
It ranged from 7s. 3_d_. to 17s. 6_d_., according to the
construction, and to whether they were made to fold up or not. In
Diderot and D'Alembert's Encyclopédic, is figured an Umbrella, which
is described as follows, in the excellent introduction to the
"Abridgements of Specifications relating to Umbrellas," lately
published by the Commissioners of Patents:--