of the Sacred Writings. ^^ 



improbable that it might be vastly superior to any prepared in 

 early times. 



The same account of the cloth wrapped about a mummy, 

 which was carefully examined by Dr Halley, is given in the 

 Philosophical Transactions of 1764. The upper filleting was 

 scarcely equal in fineness to the linens then sold in the shops 

 for 2s. 4d. the yard ; the inner filleting was coarser. 



While the cotton cloths encircling the mummies were very 

 coarse, those worn by the priests and princes, and favourites of 

 the great, were very fine. These were of the brightest and 

 most dazzling lustre, and well deserved all the praises which 

 they have received from the Jews, as well as from the Greeks 

 and Romans. 



We think, therefore, that Hasselquist, Beloe, and others, 

 have been deceived about the coarseness of the cotton cloths of 

 Egypt ; and the induction behoved to be more complete than 

 any which they possessed, before they could be justified in 

 drawing so sweeping a conclusion, as they have done, in regard 

 to the coarseness of the Egyptian manufacture of cotton. 



Though the cotton plant might grow in Palestine and Syria, 

 the inhabitants had little skill in manufacturing its product. 

 This deficiency might help to increase the admiration which 

 they felt when they beheld what we have thought fit to trans- 

 late fine linen of Egypt. The courtezan described in the Pro- 

 verbs, vii. 16. was fully aware of the partiality of her country- 

 men for this manufacture, when she uttered these words : " \ 

 have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved 

 works, with fine linen of Egypt.'"* 



Pausanias, in his Eliacs, observes, that the cotton plant, in his 

 time, grew in Elis, but nowhere else in Greece. Of course, 

 the Greeks knew little about what has been called fine linen, 

 and still kis about the art of weaving it. When, therefore, they 

 saw that of Egypt, their surprise was awakened, and, on all 

 occasions, they bestowed upon it the most splendid encomiums. 



These were taken for literal truths by the Romans, as in a 

 great measure they deserved to be, and by all those nations 

 that have risen out of the ruins of their empire. 



Our belief in these accounts ought not, as I have already said, 

 to be shaken by the coarse cloths which we see to be wrapt 

 about the mummies, for these were intended to be coarse ; and 



