- 159 -

has influenced the King of France to publish an edict

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, which strictly forbids the import of all Swiss cotton goods, muslins and coarse cloths, raw or manufactured. That brings everything suddenly to a standstill. The manufacturers and merchants will not take on any cloth, not one Schneller of yarn. That will certainly cause me great difficulties, until matters take another turn. Meanwhile I do not think that the cotton trade will cease completely, even though the goods have gone down by a half.

Next week I will go to Herisau, if God wills it, to see how matters stand. I thank God that I am not, as formerly, up to my ears in debt. I should be completely done for. Nonetheless, if there were nothing to be earned, my provisions would soon be consumed. But the Highest will take care of us. It would be a sin

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to murmur against this fateful event." [Voellmy, v 2 pp 248-249]

4th Aug. "Yesterday I came away from Herisau and today I have written a letter to Glarus. For six weeks I have had neither money nor yarn, nor received any news. I am very anxious. Rumour is general, the damage and confusion is great. There is general loss, impossible to relate or describe. Mine is a trifle compared to others. And yet I have lost some louis d'ors. [...]" [Voellmy, v 2 p 249]

13th Sept. Bräker goes for a walk in the mountains, intending to read a travel book, but never opens it because he is admiring Nature and indulging in memories of his childhood in Dreyschlatt. The Kohlwald, where he herded goats, was burned down but has regrown and the charcoal-burners are back. [Chronik, p 279]

27th-28th Sept. Bräker goes to Herisau, on the way back he has two "female travelling companions" but he resists temptation, God enabled him "to see the filth that went with the sweets". [Chronik, p 280]


9th Oct. "Another year - another day - a change in the weather - a change of mood - a change in health - nothing but change in this world - sunshine always follows rain - and rain upon sunshine today that is true to the letter." Bräker has toothache and headache again. He has himself cupped. Pastor Martin Imhof preaches his inaugural sermon at Wattwil and meets with general approval. [Chronik, p 280]
Imhof was to play a very important part in Bräker's life. He was already allied to political and literary circles in Zürich, often receiving visitors from there, and wrote for the monthly magazine the "Schweizer-Musaeum". [Voellmy, v 1 p 9]

8th Nov. "Yesterday I heard the company discussing - disputing - about our new pastor - [...] - His speech edifies me - for me it is just of the right kind - in tone and gesture - I feel sensations of harmony - enough for me - further than that he will be a man and not an angel - he who seeks an angel in a human being is a fool". [Voellmy, v 3 p 42]


1786 aged 50

Bräker did not keep a diary for this year [Chronik, p 283], so I will add here the last few chapters of the main part of the autobiography (those preceding the "supplement" of 1788), although the exact date of their composition is uncertain. It is certain, however, that chapter 80 was written before the death of his son Jakob (in January 1787) and chapter 81 afterwards.

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The French king had been persuaded by his minister De Vergennes to pass an edict forbidding the import of Swiss textiles into France, a measure designed to support French trade with the East Indies. It remained in force till the French Revolution but many found ways to circumvent it, the effect on Switzerland was not serious in the long term. [Chronik, p 278] Nikolai, says (p 50) that the effect of the edict was to lower prices of cloth by 50%, some Swiss manufacturers complained to the French king that their ruin would bring down many French businesses with them, and threatened a retaliatory boycott of French goods.


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Bräker probably thought that such setbacks were, ultimately, the will of God.



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