An untoward trade is a dreadful sink for money; and an imprudent tradesman is still more dreadful.

We often see instances where a fortune would last a man much longer if he lived upon his capital, than if he sent it into trade.
Crotchet soon became insolvent." John Lombe, who had been a mechanic in Crotchet's silk mill, lost his situation accordingly.

But he seems to have been possessed by an intense desire to ascertain the Italian method of silk-throwing.

He could not learn it in England.

There was no other method but going to Italy, getting into a silk mill, and learning the secret of the Italian art.