PartIII。
Ineednotexplainthatsilk^61isoriginallyspunfromthebowelsofacaterpillar，andthatitcomposesthegoldentomb，fromwhenceawormemergesintheformofabutterfly。TillthereignofJustinian，thesilk—wormwhofeedontheleavesofthewhitemulberry—treewereconfinedtoChina；thoseofthepine，theoak，andtheash，werecommonintheforestsbothofAsiaandEurope；butastheireducationismoredifficult，andtheirproducemoreuncertain，theyweregenerallyneglected，exceptinthelittleislandofCeos，nearthecoastofAttica。Athingauzewasprocuredfromtheirwebs，andthisCeanmanufacture，theinventionofawoman，forfemaleuse，waslongadmiredbothintheEastandatRome。WhateversuspicionsmayberaisedbythegarmentsoftheMedesandAssyrians，Virgilisthemostancientwriter，whoexpresslymentionsthesoftwoolwhichwascombedfromthetreesoftheSeresorChinese；^62andthisnaturalerror，lessmarvellousthanthetruth，wasslowlycorrectedbytheknowledgeofavaluableinsect，thefirstartificeroftheluxuryofnations。Thatrareandelegantluxurywascensured，inthereignofTiberius，bythegravestoftheRomans；andPliny，inaffectedthoughforciblelanguage，hascondemnedthethirstofgain，whichexploresthelastconfinesoftheearth，fortheperniciouspurposeofexposingtothepubliceyenakeddraperiesandtransparentmatrons。^63Adresswhichshowedtheturnofthelimbs，andcoloroftheskin，mightgratifyvanity，orprovokedesire；thesilkswhichhadbeencloselywoveninChinaweresometimesunravelledbythePhoenicianwomen，andthepreciousmaterialsweremultipliedbyaloosertexture，andtheintermixtureoflinenthreads。^64TwohundredyearsaftertheageofPliny，theuseofpure，orevenofmixedsilks，wasconfinedtothefemalesex，tilltheopulentcitizensofRomeandtheprovinceswereinsensiblyfamiliarizedwiththeexampleofElagabalus，thefirstwho，bythiseffeminatehabit，hadsulliedthedignityofanemperorandaman。Aureliancomplained，thatapoundofsilkwassoldatRomefortwelveouncesofgold；butthesupplyincreasedwiththedemand，andthepricediminishedwiththesupply。IfaccidentormonopolysometimesraisedthevalueevenabovethestandardofAurelian，themanufacturersofTyreandBerytusweresometimescompelled，bytheoperationofthesamecauses，tocontentthemselveswithaninthpartofthatextravagantrate。^65Alawwasthoughtnecessarytodiscriminatethedressofcomediansfromthatofsenators；andofthesilkexportedfromitsnativecountrythefargreaterpartwasconsumedbythesubjectsofJustinian。Theywerestillmoreintimatelyacquaintedwithashell—fishoftheMediterranean，surnamedthesilk—wormofthesea:thefinewoolorhairbywhichthemother—of—pearlaffixesitselftotherockisnowmanufacturedforcuriosityratherthanuse；andarobeobtainedfromthesamesingularmaterialswasthegiftoftheRomanemperortothesatrapsofArmenia。^66
[Footnote61:InthehistoryofinsectsfarmorewonderfulthanOvid\'sMetamorphosesthesilk—wormholdsaconspicuousplace。
ThebombyxoftheIsleofCeos，asdescribedbyPliny，Hist。
Natur。xi。26，27，withthenotesofthetwolearnedJesuits，HardouinandBrotier，maybeillustratedbyasimilarspeciesinChina，MemoiressurlesChinois，tom。ii。p。575—598；butoursilk—worm，aswellasthewhitemulberry—tree，wereunknowntoTheophrastusandPliny。]