Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-04-11

ments warrants US in presumtng that he and his
associate have produced a book that will be OF
great and permanent value to the classical STU
dent and the general reader. The defects Ut the
Dictionary, 10 its original condition. are by no
means over.rated in the Evening Post. That
Journal observes
Lempriere's work is the common book of re-
ference for English readers on both sides Of the
Atlantic, but ITS accuracy has lately been ques-
toned, particularly in the geog, aphical articles
which required the most extensive and laborious
research The errors in this part Of Lempriere's
work have been found 80 numerous and gross by
the American editors, that they have written over
nearly the whole Of it. In doing this, they have
availed themselves of the light thrown upon the
situation Of ancient places by later travellers
the historical and NEUROLOGICAL part, and these
again FROM each other, arranging the articles un-
der these three great divisions, in the two latter
Of which they have also made various additions
and alterations. The part written over, we should
think, constitutes about one third of the whole
work, and SO much increases its convenience and
authority that we could wish the editors had fol-
lowed their original plan of compiling an entire
~ new work, or at least OF comparing every one
Of the articles of Lempriere, who appears 10 have
made up his dictionary in too much haste, with
the original authorities. A revision OF the parts
most liable to error has, however, been made,
and as we should Judge. with great diligence and
care"
DIR. Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopsdia: A Trea-
tise on the Silk Manufacture. Carey & Lea,
Philada. work comes out very oppor'une-
ly, and will be read with interest under the ex-
listing attention to the fabrication Of silk, which
has been for sometime awakened in every part of
the country. The volume treats of every thing
relating to the fabric, embracing many historical
observations and interesting facts in natural his
| tory, with practical directions of the minutest
kind, for the guidance Of those engaged in the
production or the manufacture Of silk These
details, with the accompanying engravings Of ma
chinery, must prove PAL lcuarly valuable to those
who wish to attain an accurate knowledge Of
very important art, OH the history of which alone
the general reader will find much to interest
him in The first part of the volume The time Of
the earliest use of silk is uncertain; but it was
first produced IN the Fast, and China is consid
cred the native country of the silk worm. This
singular people assert, that the art of convert
ing TO their own advantage the labors of the silk
worm, was known and practsed among them
| 9. 700 years before the commencement OF the
Christian era. The Chinese. it is now admitted,
were the Sores of the Greeks and Romans. and
the name of the fabric is probably derived from
the word Sc in their language. The first intro
duction of the luxurious texture into Europe was
by Alexander the Great. The first fabrication
Of the article was Introduced into Europe in the
reign of Justiniau by two Persian monks, who,
in the character Of missionaries. had penetrated
into China. They concealed the eggs ut the
silk worm in hollow cane, and thus dexterous-
To- Ind iian fhaE
ed them in the year $50 to Constantionple.
The insects produced from these eggs are the
progeniturs Of all the generations Of worms which
have since been raised in Europe and the west
ern part of Asia. Six hundred years after, the
culture of silk was introduced into Sicily by RO-
ger l., who invading the Greek territories, car
ried off number Of silk weavers and compelled
them to settle in his kingdom. italy and Spain
soon learnt the process; blu, it was not until the
reign of the gay and magniicen, Francis, that
the silk manufacture took root in France. In
England, after attempt in the reign of Elizabeth,
it was finally established by the eAiles from
Antwerp when the artisans and merchants Of
that city sought refuge in London, after the sack
ing of their native town by the Duke OF Parma
in 1885.
Before the discoveries Of chemistry had dis
PEELED the idle fancies OF the vulgar, manv vir-
tues were a., ribed to silk which it Is now known
were founded OF ignorance and superst'ion.-
Some Of these quaint credences, however. such
a. string Of silk around the neck preventing
the muse from bleeding, still remain, and others
are here accounted for, like the following:
"A silk covering Of the texture Of a common
handkerchief is said to possess the peculiar pro-
per,y ut resisting the noxinus influence and of
neutrailzing the effects of malaria. IL, as is
supposed, the poisonous matter is received into
the system through the lungs, it NAV not be diff
cult to account for he ton of this very simple
preventive: it is well known that such Is the ma
lure of malaria poison, that it Is easily decom-
posed by even feeble chemi, al agents. Now. it
is probable that the heated air proceeding from
the lungs may form an atmosphere within the
veil of silk. Of power sufficient to ecompose the
miasma in its passage to the mouth; although it
may be equally true that thu texture Of the silk
coverinsmay ac' mrchanicallvas uon-conductor,
and prove an impeachment to the transmission of
the deieterious substance
The ,inrahilitv nf silk Ia nnp of lie qualities