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