The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-07-26 00:00:00

THE MECHANICS' INSTITUTION,

. , .
The exhibition at this institution is about to be brought to
a close. Every exertion has been made to render it attractive
and amusing to the crowds of visitors that are daily to be
found congregating in the rooms.
"
On Friday and Saturday.
MMr:J• Rar.sell gave some of his Sketches on Character. '
of merry faces as were exhibited,
On both sell the theatre was crowded to excess; we
never saw syr.li a number
while listening to the amusing anecdotes narrated by the
lecturer. It really was quite a curious sight to witness so
many rows of persons all with visages on the broad grin ;
the building shook with the loud laughter continually gave great
in-
dulged in. Mr. Russell's songs delight. The
'admirable song of the " Widdy Malone" was enthusiastically
encored. We understand that the air is Mr. Russell's corn-
-position, and in which he has proved that a beantiful melody
maybe Combined with a highly humorous subject. The
audience, one and all. were' delighted with the sketches, and
that they were too short. Mr.
the only matter of regret Was,
John Davies very ably accompaniedon the piano-forte.
' 'Thu TArnsrllT "OM•
Araongst'the many articles that have attracted our atten-
tioulin
passing through the room w s, -e were especially
attracted 4- the tapestry, and the very beautiful carpets
skuungst them. We observed some splendid carpets of
Whytock's manufacture-, deposited by Mr. Urquhart, which
show what an advance has been made in this department of

the manufacture of our country. These carpets, in our
opinion, far, excel those of famed Turkey, both for colour,
texture, pile, and substance. ,

Tne origin _
buried in obscurity. There is no qinstion that tie! 1
were• well acquainted with it, and, in all probability,
knowledge to the Hebrews. We find it
Exodus,- " Every .wise-hearted ..man amopg them th
wrought the work of the Tabernacle, made ten curtains o
fine twined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet, vitl
cherubim of cunning work." It is further mentioned, tha
gold and silver were beaten into thin plates, and cut inti
wires, and worked into the " fine linen and cunning work.'
The idolatrous Jewish women are stated to have been ,em.
ployed in working hangings for the grove.. Plautus, Lucre-
tins, Pliny, and other ancient authors,' mention in theii
works, that, Babylon was celebrated for, the Pictures wover
together in various splendid eoloUrs. DreSses of tin

.apestry is almost, inileei

nocients also were decorated with designs; for we find
Eneas giving a robe_ to, cloanthos, on which the story
of Ganymede was represented: In the 'time_ of &Amnon,
and indeed at various periods, nlenticified. in the 'sacred
writings, •we find the women eMplOYed in' constructing
tapestry. Ovid tells us of Arachne, the daughter of
Limon, the dyer of Colophon, who was extremely 'expert
with her needle. She is spoken of as challenging 'Minerva
to -a contest ; the goddess, however, being a better sewer,
reaped the victory, whereupon Arachne hanged herself, and
was changed into a spider. The subjects °flier work are
said to have been, the loves of Jupiter with Europa, Leda,
Antiope, Astoria, Dana;, and. Alcmena. Homer and Ovid
tell us of Venelope, the wife of Ulysses, being greatly skilled
in the art of embroidery. -To putnff her suitors during her
husband's absence at the Trojan.war, she wove and unwove
a piece oftapestry day by day, promising to decide upon one
of them when it was finished. The Normans were well ac-
quainted with the art of embroidery, for we find mention
made in their time of several fine specimens. There is some
beautiful tapestry still kept in the Cathedral of Bayeux, which
is supposed to have originated with them. In a Saxon poem,
entitled " Beowulf," we find mention made of ." the web on
the walls." Many of the Saxon writers notice the tapes-
tries in the houses of their wealthy countrymen. During
tire time of Henry the Eighth it was greatly in vogue in this
country. In many of our, cathedrals and churches are spe-
cimens of tapestry, of a very beautiful description. In
Chester Cathedral there is a fine specimen, said to have
been worked by the nuns of St. Werburgh : this must be at
least 800 years old. If our time and spee would permit,
we might, no doubt, bring forward many interesting porticu....
lars of this art. In the room we have alluded to, some very
beautiful specimens,
.executed by Miss Lucas, of Bold-
street, will be greatly admired.