114 ' Mlllorycf the Art of Dyeings 



told alfo by Tacitus that the German women mamifa<5lure<! 

 linen drelics, and dyed them of a beautifid purple red colour, 

 i^onie, however, aflert that thefe dyes were communicated to 

 the cloth merely' by dipping it in the blood of men or ot ani- 

 mals. But this opinion is^evidently erroneous ; as it is im- 

 poliible that clotli could acquire a good colour by being dipped 

 in bicK)d ; and becaufe it is highly probable that the Ger- 

 mans would learn from their neighbours the Gauls, with 

 whom they had fo much intercourfc, their art of dyeing, 

 which is fo highly celebrated by Pliny. 



This writer gives us a very obfcure dcfcription of an inge- 

 nious mode of dyeing, which has a near refcmblance to our 

 cotton and flannel printing, pra6lifed by the Egyptians. 'I'hey 

 applied to the white cloth certain tiuiir^ures more or iefs ca- 

 pable of imbibing the dyes [color em jorhentihus viedicamcnt'is) ^ 

 and which were not vifible. The cloth was then put into a 

 boiler containing the dye or colouring compofition {cortina 

 pigmenti fervent is), and after it was taken out it appeared as 

 if painted with various colours. Thefe colours never faded; 

 and the cloth, by the boiling, was rendered more durable*. 



Somethmg of the fame kind is related by Herodotus, who 

 informs us, that certain people, who lived near the Cafpian 

 fea, by means of the leaves of trees, which they bruifed and 

 fteepcd in water, could form on cloth the figures of animals, 

 flowers, (Kc. which were as lading as the cloth itfelff. 



The art of dyeing was alfo in great elieem among the Per- 

 Cans at an early period. Nay, the Perfian dyers, notwith- 

 i'tanding their being Mahometans, have choi'cn Chrift as 

 their patron 5 for they have a tradition among them which 

 fays that he was "of that profeflion |. On this account they 

 call a dye-houfe iit prcfcnt Chrift's work-fliup §. Among^ j 



'•' Pliny, XXXV. 11. ^ ^ 



t The fame thing is ftill praftifed by the favages in T!hili with the 

 juice of certain plants, which contain alfo faponaccous mr.tter. — See Gcgw?/,, 

 ' Vol. ii. b. i, c. 2. 



+ Sike, Not, ad E^vang, Infantile Salnjatoris^ p. 55, rtlares this tradition 

 in the following manner : — Chrift being put apprentice to a dyer, his 

 maftcr dcfired him to dye fome. pieces oi clotli of different colours ; Chiift 

 put thtm all into a boiler, an i when the dyer took them out he was ter- 

 ribly frig!\tened on fiftding that each had its proper dolour. 



§j Angcii de i;i KrolTc Le ic-m Pe'i'ani, \mder ihc head I'inSorla ars. 



r ^ the 



