Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-07-28

The ''spouSe" in the Canticles commends the
perfumes of her lover; the virgins mentioned
by Esther used myrrh and sweet scented oils
Judith perfumed her face when she was to
appear before lIoloterneS; and the voluptu-
ous woman described by solomon, perfumed
her bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
Many other passages might be cited, of which
the most familiar in the New Testament is
contained in the fourteenth chapter Of st.
Mark, when the Redeemcr sat at meat in the
house of Simon the lepcr: "There came
woman having an alabaster box of ointment
of spikenard very precious; and she break
the box, and poured it on his head"
Perfumes were prescribed as medicines by
HippocrateS and other ancient physicians.
The AsSyrians and the Persians are known
to have made great use Of them. Tyre was Il
famous mart, as was Babylon, for the supply
Of the interior. lhc GreeAS were familiar
with their use. They Amounted themselves
several times daily, that the delicious fra
GRANGE might never diminish. They carried
them to the bath, and their traffic must have
been very considerable. In the wealthy and
etfeminate city of Capua, the street known as
Septasa, consisted of shops in which pertu-
merry alone was sold.
In Rome these luXurieS were not known
till the end of the republic, and under the
empire when their use became no less gem
erai than in Greece. a description OF the
more costly unguents is given by Plyny.
The preparation Of these required peculiar
skill and therefore formed a particular pro
fesson. The numerous kinds Of perfumes
with which the ancients were acquainted is
almost incredible. In short, whether to re-
gale the nostrils of their deities while sacriiic-
ing or their own while feaSting, or to pre-
serve their nostrils from being offended by
dciunct humanity, or the eXhalation from
crowded masses of people, the consumption
of carly times was enormous.
In the middle ages Italy and France were
famous for their manufacture. Charcmagne
INDUCED IN them, and Philip Augustus grant
eda charter to the master perfumer in \. ID.
1850. When Catherine de Medicis came to
France to marry Henry the Second, she
brought with her a celebrated perfumer
named Rene.
la England a taste for perfumes was preva-
lent in Tire time Of Shakespeare, Of which am
pie evidence is afforded in his works: and in
the days OF Dean Swift the shops OF perium-
ers were the resort of the loungers.
"tirst issued from the performers shops
crowd OF fashionable iops'
Perfumes are sill largely used in the East.
Oils and ointmcnts have, however, been SUI
ptrscdrd lly pertumed waters. 1t is the Gus
tom to sprinkle guests with rose water, and
to perfume them with the incense of the aloes
and other odoriterous woods, as a mark Of
hospitality. Even the great simplicity of
tler lives does not preclude the Bedouin
Arabs from their use, as they perfume their
handkcrchiefs with civet. The traveller
Bruce informs us that when he rose to take
his leave OF an Oriental family, he was
presently wet to the skin with orange flower
water"
Nor have Biblical customs altogether disap-
peared from among us. Incense is still used
by the Roman Catholic church; and at the
coronation Of queen Victoria, IAN oil pure and
holy was pou;ed upon her head by the arch
bishop Of Canterbury.
The perfection Of perfumery is not consido
cred to be genuine eaHde-eologac, simply be-
cause the constituents in its manufacture
assimae in odor and volatility, and thus pro-
duce, rs ii were, Il lie aromatic Impression
In Cologne there are four pertumers named
Barlna, each claiming to have the original
receipt. 1t appears that speculation is there
carried on to 50 high a pitch, that any child
entitled to the surname OF Farina, is bar
gained for at his birth, and is hapiised Jean
Maria, and we blush 10 write it, tins interest
ing event is even, at times, anticipated
U0me Journal.