Oft, to admire the niceness of her skill,The nymphs would quit their fountain, shade, or hill:Thither from green Tymolus they repair,And leave the vineyards, their peculiar care;Thither from fair Pactolus’ golden stream,Drawn by her art, the curious Naids came.Nor would the work, when finish’d, please so muchAs while she wrought to view each graceful touch;Whether the shapeless wool in balls she wound,Or with quick motion turn’d the spindle round.Met, vi.
Oft, to admire the niceness of her skill,The nymphs would quit their fountain, shade, or hill:Thither from green Tymolus they repair,And leave the vineyards, their peculiar care;Thither from fair Pactolus’ golden stream,Drawn by her art, the curious Naids came.Nor would the work, when finish’d, please so muchAs while she wrought to view each graceful touch;Whether the shapeless wool in balls she wound,Or with quick motion turn’d the spindle round.Met, vi.
Oft, to admire the niceness of her skill,The nymphs would quit their fountain, shade, or hill:Thither from green Tymolus they repair,And leave the vineyards, their peculiar care;Thither from fair Pactolus’ golden stream,Drawn by her art, the curious Naids came.Nor would the work, when finish’d, please so muchAs while she wrought to view each graceful touch;Whether the shapeless wool in balls she wound,Or with quick motion turn’d the spindle round.Met, vi.
Oft, to admire the niceness of her skill,
The nymphs would quit their fountain, shade, or hill:
Thither from green Tymolus they repair,
And leave the vineyards, their peculiar care;
Thither from fair Pactolus’ golden stream,
Drawn by her art, the curious Naids came.
Nor would the work, when finish’d, please so much
As while she wrought to view each graceful touch;
Whether the shapeless wool in balls she wound,
Or with quick motion turn’d the spindle round.
Met, vi.
The distaff was generally about three feet in length, commonly a stick or reed, with an expansion near the top for holding the ball. It was sometimes, as we have shown, composed of richer materials. The distaff was usually held under the left arm, and the fibres were drawn out from the projecting ball, being, at the same time, spirally twisted by the forefinger and thumb of the right hand. The thread so produced was wound upon the spindle until the quantity was as great as it would carry.
The spindle was made of some light wood, or reed, and wasgenerally from eight to twelve inches in length. At the top of it was a slit, or catch, to which the thread was fixed, so that the weight of the spindle might carry the thread down to the ground as fast as it was finished. Its lower extremity was inserted into a whorl, or wheel, made of stone, metal, or some heavy material which both served to keep it steady and to promote its rotation. The spinner, who, as we have said before, was usually a female, every now and then gave the spindle a fresh gyration by a gentle touch so as to increase the twist of the thread. Whenever the spindle reached the ground a length was spun; the thread was then taken out of the slit, or clasp, and wound upon the spindle; the clasp was then closed again, and the spinning of a new thread commenced. All these circumstances are briefly mentioned by Catullus, in a poem from which we have already quoted:—
The loaded distaff, in the left hand placed,With spongy coils of snow-white wool was graced;From these the right hand lengthening fibres drewWhich into thread ’neath nimble fingers grew.At intervals a gentle touch was givenBy which the twirling whorl was onward driven.Then, when the sinking spindle reach’d the ground,The recent thread around its spire was wound,Until the clasp within its nipping cleftHeld fast the newly-finish’d length of weft.
The loaded distaff, in the left hand placed,With spongy coils of snow-white wool was graced;From these the right hand lengthening fibres drewWhich into thread ’neath nimble fingers grew.At intervals a gentle touch was givenBy which the twirling whorl was onward driven.Then, when the sinking spindle reach’d the ground,The recent thread around its spire was wound,Until the clasp within its nipping cleftHeld fast the newly-finish’d length of weft.
The loaded distaff, in the left hand placed,With spongy coils of snow-white wool was graced;From these the right hand lengthening fibres drewWhich into thread ’neath nimble fingers grew.At intervals a gentle touch was givenBy which the twirling whorl was onward driven.Then, when the sinking spindle reach’d the ground,The recent thread around its spire was wound,Until the clasp within its nipping cleftHeld fast the newly-finish’d length of weft.
The loaded distaff, in the left hand placed,
With spongy coils of snow-white wool was graced;
From these the right hand lengthening fibres drew
Which into thread ’neath nimble fingers grew.
At intervals a gentle touch was given
By which the twirling whorl was onward driven.
Then, when the sinking spindle reach’d the ground,
The recent thread around its spire was wound,
Until the clasp within its nipping cleft
Held fast the newly-finish’d length of weft.
In order to understand this description of Catullus, it is necessary to bear in mind, that as the bobbin of each spindle was loaded with thread, it was taken off from the whorl and placed in a basket until there was a sufficient quantity for the weavers to commence their operations.
Homer incidentally mentions the spool or spindle on which the weft-yarn was wound, in his description of the race at the funeral-games in honor of Patroclus:
Oileus led the race;The next Ulysses, measuring pace with paceBehind him, diligently close he sped,As closely following as the running threadThe spindle follows, and displays the charmsOf the fair spinner’s breast, and moving arms.Iliad, xxiii.
Oileus led the race;The next Ulysses, measuring pace with paceBehind him, diligently close he sped,As closely following as the running threadThe spindle follows, and displays the charmsOf the fair spinner’s breast, and moving arms.Iliad, xxiii.
Oileus led the race;The next Ulysses, measuring pace with paceBehind him, diligently close he sped,As closely following as the running threadThe spindle follows, and displays the charmsOf the fair spinner’s breast, and moving arms.Iliad, xxiii.
Oileus led the race;
The next Ulysses, measuring pace with pace
Behind him, diligently close he sped,
As closely following as the running thread
The spindle follows, and displays the charms
Of the fair spinner’s breast, and moving arms.
Iliad, xxiii.
In India women of all castes prepare the cotton thread for the weaver, spinning it on a piece of wire, or a very thin rod of polished iron with a ball of clay at one end; this they turn round with the left hand, and supply the cotton with the right; the thread is then wound upon a stick or pole, and sold to the merchants or weavers; for the coarser thread the women make use of a wheel very similar to that of the Irish spinster, though upon a smaller construction. (For further information on the manufactures of India, their present state, &c., seePart III.)
The Reverend Mr. C. Forster of Great Britain, has lately published a very curious work on Arabia, being the result of many years’ untiring research in that part of the world; from which we learn the very interesting fact, that the ancient Arabians were skilled in the manufacture ofsilken textures, at as remote a period as within 500 years of the flood!
Mr. Forster has, it appears, succeeded in deciphering many very remarkable inscriptions found on some ancient monuments near Adon on the coast of Hadramant. These records, it is said, restore to the world its earliest written language, and carry us back to the time of Jacob, and within 500 years of the flood.
The inscriptions are in three parts. The longest is of ten lines, engraved on a smooth piece of rock forming one side of the terrace at Hisn Ghorab. Then there are three short lines, found on a small detached rock on the summit of the little hill. There are also two lines found near the inscriptions, lower down the terrace. They all relate to one transaction, an incident in Adite history. The tribe of Ad, according to Mr. Sale, were descended from Ad the son of Aws or Uz, the son of Aram, the son of Shem, the son of Noah. The event recorded is the rout and entire destruction of the sons of Ac, an Arab tribe, by the Aws or tribe of Ad, whom they invaded. In Mr. Forster’s book fac similes are given of the inscription; the Aditie and the Hamyaritie alphabet; and a glossary containing every word in them, its derivation, and its explanation; with notes of copious illustration upon every point which they involve. The first inscription of ten lines is thus translated:
We dwelt, living long luxuriously in the zananas of this spacious mansion; our condition exempt from misfortune and adversity. Rolled in through our channel.The sea, swelling against our castle with angry surge; our fountains flowed with murmuring fall, aboveThe lofty palms; whose keepers planted dry dates in our valley date-grounds; they sowed the arid rice.We hunted the young mountain-goats and the young hares, with gins and snares; beguiling we drew forth the fishes.We walked with slow, proud gait, IN NEEDLE-WORKED, MANY-COLORED SILK VESTMENTS, IN WHOLE SILKS, IN GRASS-GREEN CHEQUERED ROBES[23]!Over us presided kings, far removed from baseness, and stern chastisers of reprobate and wicked men. They noted down for us according to the doctrine of Heber,Good judgments, written in books to be kept; and we proclaimed our belief in miracles, in theresurrection, in thereturn into the nostrils of the breath of life.Made an inroad robbers, and would do us violence; we rode forth, we and our generous youth, with stiff and sharp-pointed spears; rushing onward.Proud champions of our families and wives; fighting valiantly upon coursers with long necks, dun-colored, iron-gray, and bright bay.With our swords still wounding and piercing our adversaries, until charging home, we conquered and crushed this refuse of mankind.
We dwelt, living long luxuriously in the zananas of this spacious mansion; our condition exempt from misfortune and adversity. Rolled in through our channel.
The sea, swelling against our castle with angry surge; our fountains flowed with murmuring fall, above
The lofty palms; whose keepers planted dry dates in our valley date-grounds; they sowed the arid rice.
We hunted the young mountain-goats and the young hares, with gins and snares; beguiling we drew forth the fishes.
We walked with slow, proud gait, IN NEEDLE-WORKED, MANY-COLORED SILK VESTMENTS, IN WHOLE SILKS, IN GRASS-GREEN CHEQUERED ROBES[23]!
Over us presided kings, far removed from baseness, and stern chastisers of reprobate and wicked men. They noted down for us according to the doctrine of Heber,
Good judgments, written in books to be kept; and we proclaimed our belief in miracles, in theresurrection, in thereturn into the nostrils of the breath of life.
Made an inroad robbers, and would do us violence; we rode forth, we and our generous youth, with stiff and sharp-pointed spears; rushing onward.
Proud champions of our families and wives; fighting valiantly upon coursers with long necks, dun-colored, iron-gray, and bright bay.
With our swords still wounding and piercing our adversaries, until charging home, we conquered and crushed this refuse of mankind.
[23]Silk is the only material used for human clothing which Mohammed, the impostor, introduces among the luxuries of Paradise. (See the Koran, chap. 35.)
[23]Silk is the only material used for human clothing which Mohammed, the impostor, introduces among the luxuries of Paradise. (See the Koran, chap. 35.)
[23]Silk is the only material used for human clothing which Mohammed, the impostor, introduces among the luxuries of Paradise. (See the Koran, chap. 35.)
On the subject of these inscriptions, Mr. Forster, in the dedication of his book to the Archbishop of Canterbury, thus remarks: “What Job (who, living in the opposite quarter of Arabia, amid the sands of the great Northern desert, had no lasting material within reach on which to perpetuate his thoughts,) so earnestly desired, stands here realized.” “Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a Book! That (like the kindred creed of the lost tribe of Ad) they weregraven with an iron pen, and lead, in the rock forever. (For mine is a better and brighter revelation than theirs.) For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in the flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.”
That the Arabians should have understood the manufacture of silken textures at as remote a period as that supposed by Mr. Forster, viz., 500 years after the flood, is, to say the least of it, exceedingly questionable, yet it cannot be denied that we are indebted to them for many useful inventions, and among which may be mentioned the art of makingcotton paper[24]. It is no less true that we first received our cotton-wool from countries where the Arabic language was spoken.
To the Arabs also we are indebted for that almost indispensable article of apparel, theshirt, the Arabic name for which iscamees, whence the Italiancamiscia, and the Frenchchemise[25].
In the attempt here made to trace from the dark ages of antiquity the progress of trades and manufactures so widely diffused over the civilised world as those of cotton, linen, silk, wool, &c.,chronological orderis followed as closely as the nature of the inquiry will permit.
[24]SeeAppendix B.[25]For further information on Arabia, see PartsII.andIII.
[24]SeeAppendix B.
[24]SeeAppendix B.
[25]For further information on Arabia, see PartsII.andIII.
[25]For further information on Arabia, see PartsII.andIII.