| CHAPTER I. |
| SPINNING, DYEING, AND WEAVING. |
| Whether Silk is mentioned in the Old Testament—Earliest Clothing—Coats of
Skin, Tunic, Simla—Progress of Invention—Chinese chronology relative to the
Culture of Silk—Exaggerated statements—Opinions of Mailla, Le Sage, M.
Lavoisnè, Rev. J. Robinson, Dr. A. Clarke, Rev. W. Hales, D.D., Mairan,
Bailly, Guignes, and Sir William Jones—Noah supposed to be the first emperor
of China—Extracts from Chinese publications—Silk Manufactures of the
Island of Cos—Described by Aristotle—Testimony of Varro—Spinning and
Weaving in Egypt—Great ingenuity of Bezaleel and Aholiab in the production
of Figured Textures for the Jewish Tabernacle—Skill of the Sidonian women
in the Manufacture of Ornamental Textures—Testimony of Homer—Great
antiquity of the Distaff and Spindle—The prophet Ezekiel’s account of the
Broidered Stuffs, etc. of the Egyptians—Beautiful eulogy on an industrious
woman—Helen the Spartan, her superior skill in the art of Embroidery—Golden
Distaff presented her by the Egyptian queen Alcandra—Spinning a domestic
occupation in Miletus—Theocritus’s complimentary verses to Theuginis on her
industry and virtue—Taste of the Roman and Grecian ladies in the decoration
of their Spinning Implements—Ovid’s testimony to the skill of Arachne in
Spinning and Weaving—Method of Spinning with the Distaff—Described by
Homer and Catullus—Use of Silk in Arabia 500 years after the flood—Forster’s
testimony |
1 |
| CHAPTER II. |
| HISTORY OF THE SILK MANUFACTURE CONTINUED TO THE 4TH CENTURY. |
| SPINNING, DYEING, AND WEAVING.—HIGH DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE ATTAINED
IN THESE ARTS. |
| Testimony of the Latin poets of the Augustan
age—Tibullus—Propertius—Virgil—Horace—Ovid—Dyonisius
Perigetes—Strabo. Mention of silk by authors in
the first century—Seneca the Philosopher—Seneca the Tragedian—Lucan—Pliny—Josephus—Saint
John—Silius Italicus—Statius—Plutarch—Juvenal—Martial—Pausanias—Galen—Clemens
Alexandrinus—Caution to Christian
converts against the use of silk in dress. Mention of silk by authors in the
second century—Tertullian—Apuleius—Ulpian—Julius Pollux—Justin. Mention
of silk by authors in the third century—Ælius Lampidius—Vopiscus—Trebellius
Pollio—Cyprian—Solinus—Ammianus—Marcellinus—Use of silk by
the Roman emperors—Extraordinary beauty of the textures—Use of water to
detach silk from the trees—Invectives of these authors against extravagance in
dress—The Seres described as a happy people—Their mode of traffic, etc.—(Macpherson’s
opinion of the Chinese.)—City of Dioscurias, its vast commerce
in former times.—(Colonel Syke’s account of the Kolissura silk-worm—Dr.
Roxburgh’s description of the Tusseh silk-worm.) |
22 |
| CHAPTER III. |
| HISTORY OF THE SILK MANUFACTURE FROM THE THIRD TO THE SIXTH
CENTURY. |
| SPINNING, DYEING, AND WEAVING.—HIGH DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE ATTAINED
IN THESE ARTS. |
| Fourth Century—Curious account of silk found in the Edict of Diocletian—Extravagance
of the Consul Furius Placidus—Transparent silk shifts—Ausonius
describes silk as the produce of trees—Quintus Aur Symmachus, and Claudian’s
testimony of silk and golden textures—Their extraordinary beauty—Pisander’s
description—Periplus Maris Erythræi—Dido of Sidon. Mention of silk in the
laws of Manu—Rufus Festus Avinus—Silk shawls—Marciannus Capella—Inscription
by M. N. Proculus, silk manufacturer—Extraordinary spiders’ webs—Bombyces
compared to spiders—Wild silk-worms of Tsouen-Kien and Tiao-Kien—M.
Bertin’s account—Further remarks on wild silk-worms. Christian
authors of the fourth century—Arnobius—Gregorius Nazienzenus—Basil—Illustration
of the doctrine of the
resurrection—Ambrose—Georgius Pisida—Macarius—Jerome—Chrysostom—Heliodorus—Salmasius—Extraordinary
beauty of the silk and golden textures described by these authors—Their invectives
against Christians wearing silk. Mention of silk by Christian authors in
the fifth century—Prudentius—Palladius—Theodosian Code—Appollinaris Sidonius—Alcimus
Avitus. Sixth century—Boethius. (Manufactures of Tyre
and Sidon—Purple—Its great durability—Incredible value of purple stuffs
found in the treasury of the King of Persia.)
|
41 |
| CHAPTER IV. |
| HISTORY OF THE SILK MANUFACTURE CONTINUED FROM THE INTRODUCTION
OF SILK-WORMS INTO EUROPE, A. D. 530, TO THE FOURTEENTH
CENTURY. |
| A. D. 530.—Introduction of silk-worms into Europe—Mode by which it was
effected—The Serinda of Procopius the same with the modern Khotan—The
silk-worm never bred in Sir-hind—Silk shawls of Tyre and Berytus—Tyrannical
conduct of Justinian—Ruin of the silk manufactures—Oppressive conduct
of Peter Barsames—Menander Protector—Surprise of Maniak the Sogdian ambassador—Conduct
of Chosroes, king of Persia—Union of the Chinese and Persians
against the Turks—The Turks in self-defence seek an alliance with the
Romans—Mortification of the Turkish ambassador—Reception of the Byzantine
ambassador by Disabul, king of the Sogdiani—Display of silk textures—Paul
the Silentiary’s account of silk—Isidorus Hispalensis. Mention of silk by
authors in the seventh century—Dorotheus, Archimandrite of Palestine—Introduction
of silk-worms into Chubdan, or Khotan—Theophylactus Simocatta—Silk
manufactures of Turfan—Silk known in England in this century—First
worn by Ethelbert, king of Kent—Use of by the French kings—Aldhelmus’s
beautiful description of the silk-worm—Simile between weaving and virtue.
Silk in the eighth century—Bede. In the tenth century—Use of silk by
the English, Welsh, and Scotch kings. Twelfth century—Theodoras Prodromus—Figured
shawls of the Seres—Ingulphus describes vestments of silk interwoven
with eagles and flowers of gold—Great value of silk about this time—Silk
manufactures of Sicily—Its introduction into Spain. Fourteenth century—Nicholas
Tegrini—Extension of the Silk manufacture through Europe, illustrated
by etymology—Extraordinary beauty of silk and golden textures used in
the decoration of churches in the middle ages—Silk rarely mentioned in the
ninth, eleventh, or thirteenth centuries |
66 |
| CHAPTER V. |
| SILK AND GOLDEN TEXTURES OF THE ANCIENTS. |
| HIGH DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE ATTAINED IN THIS MANUFACTURE. |
| Manufacture of golden textures in the time of Moses—Homer—Golden tunics of
the Lydians—Their use by the Indians and Arabians—Extraordinary display
of scarlet robes, purple, striped with silver, golden textures, &c., by Darius,
king of Persia—Purple and scarlet cloths interwoven with gold—Tunics and
shawls variegated with gold—Purple garments with borders of gold—Golden
chlamys—Attalus, king of Pergamus, not the inventor of gold thread—Bostick—Golden
robe worn by Agrippina—Caligula and Heliogabalus—Sheets interwoven
with gold used at the obsequies of Nero—Babylonian shawls intermixed
with gold—Silk shawls interwoven with gold—Figured cloths of gold and Tyrean
purple—Use of gold in the manufacture of shawls by the Greeks—4,000,000
sesterces (about $150,000) paid by the Emperor Nero for a Babylonish
coverlet—Portrait of Constantius II.—Magnificence of Babylonian carpets,
mantles, &c.—Median sindones |
84 |
| CHAPTER VI. |
| SILVER TEXTURES, ETC., OF THE ANCIENTS. |
| EXTREME BEAUTY OF THESE MANUFACTURES. |
| Magnificent dress worn by Herod Agrippa, mentioned in Acts xii. 21—Josephus’s
account of this dress, and dreadful death of Herod—Discovery of ancient Piece-goods—Beautiful
manuscript of Theodolphus, Bishop of Orleans, who lived in
the ninth century—Extraordinary beauty of Indian, Chinese, Egyptian, and
other manufactured goods preserved in this manuscript—Egyptian arts—Wise
regulations of the Egyptians in relation to the arts—Late discoveries in Egypt
by the Prussian hierologist, Dr. Lepsius—Cloth of glass |
93 |
| CHAPTER VII. |
| DESCRIPTION OF THE SILK-WORM, ETC. |
| Preliminary observations—The silk-worm—Various changes of the silk-worm—Its
superiority above other worms—Beautiful verses on the May-fly, illustrative
of the shortness of human life—Transformations of the silk-worm—Its
small desire of locomotion—First sickness of the worm—Manner of casting its
Exuviæ—Sometimes cannot be fully accomplished—Consequent death of the
insect—Second, third, and fourth sickness of the worm—Its disgust for food—Material
of which silk is formed—Mode of its secretion—Manner of unwinding
the filaments—Floss-silk—Cocoon—Its imperviousness to moisture—Effect of
the filaments breaking during the formation of the cocoon—Mr. Robinet’s curious
calculation on the movements made by a silk-worm in the formation of a
cocoon—Cowper’s beautiful lines on the silk-worm—Periods in which its various
progressions are effected in different climates—Effects of sudden transitions
from heat to cold—The worm’s appetite sharpened by increased temperature—Shortens
its existence—Various experiments in artificial heating—Modes of artificial
heating—Singular estimate of Count Dandolo—Astonishing increase of
the worm—Its brief existence in the moth state—Formation of silk—The silken
filament formed in the worm before its expulsion—Erroneous opinions entertained
by writers on this subject—The silk-worm’s Will |
98 |
| CHAPTER VIII. |
| GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILK-WORMS,
ETC. |
| Great antiquity of the silk-manufacture in China—Time and mode of pruning the
Mulberry-tree—Not allowed to exceed a certain height—Mode of planting—Situation
of rearing-rooms, and their construction—Effect of noise on the silk-worm—Precautions
observed in preserving cleanliness—Isan-mon, mother of
the worms—Manner of feeding—Space allotted to the worms—Destruction of
the Chrysalides—Great skill of the Chinese in weaving—American writers on the
Mulberry-tree—Silk-worms sometimes reared on trees—(M. Marteloy’s experiments
in 1764, in rearing silk-worms on trees in France)—Produce inferior
to that of worms reared in houses—Mode of delaying the hatching of the eggs—Method
of hatching—Necessity for preventing damp—Number of meals—Mode
of stimulating the appetite of the worms—Effect of this upon the quantity
of silk produced—Darkness injurious to the silk-worm—Its effect on the Mulberry-leaves—Mode
of preparing the cocoons for the reeling process—Wild
silk-worms of India—Mode of hatching, &c.—(Observations on the cultivation
of silk by Dr. Stebbins—Dr. Bowring’s admirable illustration of the mutual dependence
of the arts upon each other.) |
119 |
| CHAPTER IX. |
| THE SPIDER. |
| ATTEMPTS TO PROCURE SILKEN FILAMENTS FROM SPIDERS. |
| Structures of spiders—Spiders not properly insects, and why—Apparatus for spinning—Extraordinary
number of spinnerules—Great number of filaments composing
one thread—Réaumur and Leeuwenhoeck’s laughable estimates—Attachment
of the thread against a wall or stick—Shooting of the lines of spiders—1.
Opinions of Redi, Swammerdam, and Kirby—2. Lister, Kirby, and White—3.
La Pluche and Bingley—4. D’Isjonval, Murray, and Bowman—5.—Experiments
of Mr. Blackwall—His account of the ascent of gossamer—6. Experiments
by Rennie—Thread supposed to go off double—Subsequent experiments—Nests,
Webs, and Nets of Spiders—Elastic satin nest of a spider—Evelyn’s
account of hunting spiders—Labyrinthic spider’s nest—Erroneous account
of the House Spider—Geometric Spiders—Attempts to procure silken filaments
from Spiders’ bags—Experiments of M. Bon—Silken material—Manner of its
preparations—M. Bon’s enthusiasm—His spider establishment—Spider-silk not
poisonous—Its usefulness in healing wounds—Investigation of M. Bon’s establishment
by M. Réaumur—His objections—Swift’s satire against speculators
and projectors—Ewbank’s interesting observations on the ingenuity of
spiders—Mason-spiders—Ingenious
door with a hinge—Nest from the West Indies with
spring hinge—Raft-building Spider—Diving Water-Spider—Rev. Mr. Kirby’s
beautiful description of it—Observations of M. Clerck—Cleanliness of Spiders—Structure
of their claws—Fanciful account of them patting their webs—Proceedings
of a spider in a steamboat—Addison—His suggestions on the compilation
of a “History of Insects” |
138 |
| CHAPTER X. |
| FIBRES OR SILKEN MATERIAL OF THE PINNA. |
| The Pinna—Description of—Delicacy of its threads—Réaumur’s observations—Mode
of forming the filament or thread—Power of continually producing new
threads—Experiments to ascertain this fact—The Pinna and its Cancer
Friend—Nature of their alliance—Beautiful phenomenon—Aristotle and Pliny’s
account—The Greek poet Oppianus’s lines on the Pinna, and its Cancer friend—Manner
of procuring the Pinna—Poli’s description—Specimens of the Pinna
in the British Museum—Pearls found in the Pinna—Pliny and Athenæus’s account—Manner
of preparing the fibres of the Pinna for weaving—Scarceness
of this material—No proof that the ancients were acquainted with the art
of knitting—Tertullian the first ancient writer who makes mention of the
manufacture of cloth from the fibres of the Pinna—Procopius mentions a
chlamys made of the fibres of the Pinna, and a silken tunic adorned with sprigs
or feathers of gold—Boots of red leather worn only by Emperors—Golden fleece
of the Pinna—St. Basil’s account—Fibres of the Pinna not manufactured into
cloth at Tarentum in ancient times, but in India—Diving for the Pinna at Colchi—Arrian’s
account |
174 |
| CHAPTER XI. |
| FIBRES, OR SILKEN MATERIAL OF THE PINE-APPLE. |
| Fibres of the Pine-Apple—Facility of dyeing—Manner of preparing the fibres for
weaving—Easy cultivation of the plant—Thrives where no other plant will
live—Mr. Frederick Burt Zincke’s patent process of manufacturing cloth from
the fibres of this plant—Its comparative want of strength—Silken material procured
from the Papyfera—Spun and woven into cloth—Cloth of this description
manufactured generally by the Otaheiteans, and other inhabitants of the South
Sea Islands—Great strength (supposed) of ropes made from the fibres of the
aloe—Exaggerated statements |
185 |
| CHAPTER XII. |
| MALLOWS. |
| CULTIVATION AND USE OF THE MALLOW AMONG THE ANCIENTS.—TESTIMONY
OF LATIN, GREEK, AND ATTIC WRITERS. |
| The earliest mention of Mallows is to be found in Job xxx. 4.—Varieties of the
Mallow—Cultivation and use of the Mallow—Testimony of ancient authors—Papias
and Isidore’s mention of Mallow cloth—Mallow cloth common in the
days of Charlemagne—Mallow shawls—Mallow cloths mentioned in the Periplus
as exported from India to Barygaza (Baroch)—Calidāsa the Indian dramatist,
who lived in the first century B. C.—His testimony—Wallich’s (the Indian
botanist) account—Mantles of woven bark, mentioned in the Sacontăla
of Calidāsa—Valcălas, or Mantles of woven bark, mentioned in the Ramayana,
a noted poem of ancient India—Sheets made from trees—Ctesias’ testimony—Strabo’s
account—Testimony of Statius Cæcilius and Plautus, who lived 169
B. C. and 184 B. C.—Plautus’s laughable enumeration of the analogy of trades—Beauty
of garments of Amorgos mentioned by Eupolis—Clearchus’s testimony—Plato
mentions linen shifts—Amorgine garments first manufactured at
Athens in the time of Aristophanes |
191 |
| CHAPTER XIII. |
| SPARTUM OR SPANISH BROOM. |
| CLOTH MANUFACTURED FROM BROOM BARK, NETTLE, AND BULBOUS PLANT.—TESTIMONY
OF GREEK AND LATIN AUTHORS. |
| Authority for Spanish Broom—Stipa Tenacissima—Cloth made from
Broom-bark—Albania—Italy—France—Mode
of preparing the fibre for weaving—Pliny’s
account of Spartum—Bulbous plant—Its fibrous coats—Pliny’s translation
of Theophrastus—Socks and garments—Size of the bulb—Its genus or
species not sufficiently defined—Remarks of various modern writers on this plant—Interesting
communications of Dr. Daniel Stebbins, of Northampton, Mass.
to Hon. H. L. Ellsworth |
202 |
