234 
MOTH. 
that there was a company of Silk-Women in Eng- 
land so early as the year 1455; but these were 
probably employed in needle-works of silk and 
thread; and we find that various sorts of small 
haberdashery of Silk were manufactured here in 
1482; but Italy supplied England and all other 
parts with the broad manufacture till the year 
1489 . In Spain indeed the culture and manu- 
facture of silk seem to have been introduced at an 
early period by the Moors, particularly in Murcia, 
Cordova, and Granada. The silk-manufacturers 
of this last town were very flourishing when it was 
taken by Ferdinand, &c. at the close of the fifteenth 
century. In 1521, the French, being supplied 
with workmen from Milan, commenced a silk 
manufacture; but it was long after this time before 
they could obtain raw silk from the worms, and 
even in the year 1547 silk was scarce and dear in 
France, and King Henry the second is said to 
have been the first in that country who wore a 
pair of silk knit stockings; though the invention 
originally came from Spain, whence silk stockings 
were brought over to Henry the eighth, and Ed- 
ward the sixth. After the civil wars in France, 
the plantation of Mulberry-trees was greatly en- 
couraged by King Henry the fourth and his suc- 
cessors, and the produce of silk in France is at 
this day very considerable. The great advantage 
which the new manufacture alforded, made our 
James the first very earnest for its introduction 
into England ; and accordingly it was recom- 
mended several times from the throne, and in tlie 
