Besides, the French Empire was the richest country in the world, and could almost do without foreign commerce, at least until England had given way; and that would soon come to pass; for the pressure of events would soon compel London merchants to throw their sugar and indigo into the Thames.[235] In reality, he placed commerce far behind agriculture, which he considered to be the basis of a nation's wealth and a nation's health.
But he also took a keen interest in manufactures.

The silk industry at Lyons found in him a generous patron.

He ordered that the best scientific training should there be given, so as to improve the processes of manufacture; and, as silk of nearly all kinds could be produced in France and Italy, Lyons was comparatively prosperous.
When, however, it suffered from the general rise of prices and from the impaired buying power of the community, he adopted heroic remedies.

He ordered that all ships leaving France should carry silk fabrics equal in value to one-fourth of the whole freight; but whether these stuffs went to adorn women or mermaids seems an open question.
Or again, on the advice of Chaptal, the Emperor made large purchases of surplus stocks of Lyons silk, Rouen cottons, and Ste.

Antoine furniture, so as to prevent an imminent collapse of credit and a recrudescence of Jacobinism in those industrial centres; for as he said: "I fear a rising brought about by want of bread: I had rather fight an army of 200,000 men than that."[236] In the main, this policy of giving _panem et circenses_ was successful in France; at least, it kept her quiet.