The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-06-09
[For the Literary Echo.
The Art Of Weaving---NO. 2.

considerable advances in many parts of
the East, and particularly in China,
India and Persia. The first loom of
which we have any account, was invent
ed by Arkite Ghiden Ghelen, when lad
of about seventy years of age; and after
great trouble, it has been found among
Egyptian antiquities But it was
clumsy thing, like most inventions of
man when emerging from the savage
state. The art now spread rapidly, ex-
tending into Palestine in the earliest
ages of the Jewish dispensation. About
that time we find fax cultivated for
Rahab, the harlot Of Jericho, concealed
the spies under the stalks of fax which
she had laid to dry on the house'to top.
Job says, (in the seventh chapter,)
"My days are swifter than weaver's
shuttle )" going to prove the art well
and generally understood. We also
find, in the complaint Of Hezekiah, in
the thirty-eighth chapter of Isaiah,
twelfth verse, where he says 81 have
cut off, like weaver, my life )" refer
ring, doubtless, to the act of weaver
cutting away the thrums, by which the
piece is fastened to the yarn roller in the
loom, when the work Is completed.
Throughout Exodus, we find various al
lusions to fabrics of blue, purple, fine
linen, &C., &c. 1t speaks Of lace, also.
"And thou shalt put it on blue lace,
that it may be upon the mitre." Mo-
ses makes mention of the preparation of
gold into threads, to be interviewer with
the most precious cloths. (See Exod.
80: 81 Mr.. Gilroy saw, in Rome, in
1881, sample of Bezaleel and Aho-
labs manufacture, and on asking the
Snowman if it was an identical sample of
their make, was referred to his Holiness
certificate affixed to it and told, if here
tics wished for any further proof they
could "go to the devil and inquire"
Doubtless he considered them of equal
authority in the matter. Homer asserts
that the delicate gold net made by Vul-
can, the meshes of which were so fine
that the gods themselves could not see
them, was forged by the Demnian deity
Oh his anvil. But this asscr ton Of Ho-
mer's was visionary one or else his
godship understood the art of black.
smithing better than most of its profess
ors in the nineteenth century.
In Isaiah's denunciations of divine
vengence against the land of the Pharo-
ah's he particularly threatens the flax,
net, and lace manufacturers: "More-
over, they that work in fine flax and they
that weave networks shall be confound-
ed" (Chap. 10: 81 The thin up
per dresses worn by the Egyptian ladies
of noble descent, which were so delicate
as to be called aooren air, appear to have
been lace of very fine mesh. Such a
dress was by the Hebrews called " sheb-
etz," and this word is the term by which
Solomon describes the vestures worn by
Pharoah's daughter. "The kings
daughter is all glorious within !; her
clothing is of wrought gold she shall
be brought unto the king in raiment of
needle work, the virgins, her compan-
ions, that follow her, shall be brought
unto thee" Among the modern Egypt
ians, but slight remains or traces of the
ancient state of the art of weaving are
now to be found
l shall conclude this number with
Lucan's account of the excellence to
which they had attained in the prepar-
alton of articles of female dress. He
thus describes the costume of Cleopatra,
when she received Julius CGsar:-
" Amidst the braidings of her flowing hair,
The spoils of Orient rocks and shells appear;
Like midnight stars, ten thousand diamonds
deck
The comely rising of her graceful neck;
OF wondrous work thin transparent lawn
r Ger each soft breast in decency was drawn.
, Where still by turns the parting threads
withdrew
F., And all the painting bosom rose to view.
Her robe, her every part, her air, confess
The power of female skill exhausted in her
. dress.