164 HISTORY OF THE SILK-WORM. 



as a very principal one of commerce, before it was cultivated 

 and manufactured in other countries. 



The eggs of the Silk- worm are said to have been first brought 

 from India to Europe, about the year 550, by two monks, who 

 having concealed them in hollow canes, introduced them at 

 Constantinople, from whence they reached Italy. That country 

 became then the grand European emporium for silk, both raw 

 and manufactured. In the reign of Henry VI., there was a 

 company of silk-women in England, but these are supposed to 

 have been only needle-workers in silken thread : our supply of 

 the broad manufacture not coming from Italy till 1489. About 

 1520, the French, with Milanese workmen, manufactured but 

 did not cultivate; and in 1547 silk, in France, was still 

 scarce and dear. Its cultivation was introduced into that 

 kingdom by Henri Quatre, contrary to the opinion of Sully. 

 Our James the First was no less earnest for its culture in 

 England, and in 1608 vainly urged it from the throne. 

 Twenty years later, the silk manufactories of Britain had become 

 very considerable; these were further improved by French work- 

 men driven hither by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes ; 

 still more so, by the invention of the silk-throwing machine at 

 Derby in 1719; and by 1730, we are told that even in Italy 

 the English silks bore a higher price than the Italian. At 

 the present time, although we import of silk goods very largely, 

 we also export of the same even to countries which come in 

 competition with our own. Our exports of these commodities 



