liijiory cj the Art of Dyeing, 205 



The Tyrians gave the firft ground of their purple dye by 

 the unprepared liquor of the /)wr/>//ri/, and then improved or 

 heightened it by the liquor of the buccmum. In this manner 

 they prepared their double dyed purple *, purpura d'lbapha^ 

 which was fo called either becaufe it was immerfed in two 

 different liquors^ or becaufe it was firil dyed in the wool and 

 then in the yarn. 



The Greeks, according to the account of a certain Demo* 

 critus, poured the liquor as it came from the fire into a veflel, 

 immerfed the wool in it, and fuffered it to remain in that (late 

 a day and a night. Between this method and that of the 

 Ilomans there feems to be no eliential difference. The latter, 

 according to Pliny, fuffered the wool to remain in the liquor 

 five hours, after which they dried it; they then immerfed it 

 in the liquor again, and continued in this manner till it had 

 imbibed all the dye. The liquor of the buccinum alone gave 

 a falfe dye; it was therefore neceffary to fix it by the liquor 

 o^ the purpura in order to render it durable. 



To fifty pounds of wool two hundred of the liquor of the 

 hucci7iu7n, and a hundred and ten of that of the purpura-^, 

 were employed. By thefe means the wool acquired 4 colour 

 like that of the amethyil:, and thence it had its name. 



The colour called conchyl'mm J was dyed almofl in the 

 fame manner, only that none of the liquor of the buccinum 

 was employed ; that half as much of the liquor of the purpura 

 was ufed as in the former cafe : and that, belides this, it was 

 mixed with one half urine and water. This colour, there- 

 fore, was brighter and cheaper than the other §. 



Thefe are all the different njethods of dyeing purple among 

 the antients. But befides thefe the antients were acquainted 

 alfo with the method of dyeing with kermes [cujculium^ graines 



* Flinv, lib, ix. c. 17. 



f In Pliny's time, 100 pounds of the liquor of the pelagium or of the 

 purpura could be purchaft-d for 50 denarii, about i /. 10s. The liquor 

 of the buccinum was double that price— See Pliny, lib. ix. c.40. 



I ThiQ colour was alfo called hyiiiyiihnSy (<rruieus\ the |evvs cave it tlie 

 nunc o{ tbechelct, from which loyicbvlhim is laid to be derived.- The flicll- 

 Mh which furnifhed the dye was called chil%on. See Broun,'}, iz- 



§ Latter writer^ confider, but improperly, fhcfe t\yo colours to be the 

 faille. 



d*ecarJaie) 



