THE HISTORY OF SILK CULTURE. 5 



enable foreigners to prepare silk for themselves. And thus it 

 happened that, while at a very early period the manufacture 

 spread so widely in China itself that silken garments were worn 

 even by the peasantry, the very material remained to all but the 

 nations immediately around, an unknown article. But at some 

 early age, one knows not when nor how, India also learnt the 

 secret, and hence after a while a considerable trade in the manu- 

 factured article was carried on amongst the Asiatic nations 

 generally. 



There is a pretty little legend as to the introduction of silk 

 culture into Japan, which, though entirely mythical, is worth 

 relating. There was a certain king of India who, following the 

 fashion of the times, had many wives and a very large family ; 

 his favourite wife, however, was, much to his disappointment, for 

 a long time childless. At last a child was born to them, but 

 when the father heard that it was a daughter, instead of the son he 

 had so passionately longed for, his exasperation was unbounded, 

 and he expressed himself in no very guarded terms on the subject. 

 His words were by some busybody reported to the mother of the 

 unfortunate infant, and she was so deeply affected by them, that 

 she soon afterwards died, leaving her husband a prey to the 

 bitterest remorse. So inconsolable, indeed was he, that a few 

 weeks after, he followed his wife to the grave, leaving the baby, 

 Youan Thsan (i.e., silkworm) by name, to the tender mercies of 

 its very numerous step-mothers. Now step-mothers are not unfre- 

 quently very undesirable persons to be entrusted with the well- 

 being of a helpless orphan, and the present assemblage of ladies 

 was no exception to the rule. They argued, rightly or wrongly, 

 that this " latest arrival >: would considerably interfere with the 

 ambitious projects they had been forming for their own progeny, 

 and that therefore it would really be an excellent thing if the 

 little maiden could be comfortably and quietly disposed of. 

 Having once made up their minds to this course, they did not 

 take long to carry out their intention, but, in the attempt, they 

 met with unexpected difficulties, for the young lady proved a 

 good deal more self-assertive than they had calculated for. That 

 their own hands might not be stained with its blood, they had 

 the child conveyed to a desert infested with lions, and there 

 abandoned. Presently a young lion approached, and assumed a 

 threatening attitude. But the royal infant, putting on great 

 dignity and boldness of manner, accosted the enemy with the 

 question, "Who are you?" The reply came in majestic tones, 

 " My father is the king of beasts." " But my father," responded 

 the child haughtily, " was the king of men ! " Thus rebuffed, the 



