Page:The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous substances 2.djvu/21

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-*