90 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. V. 



couragement given by Henry IV. to the plantation 

 of the mulberry, recommended the same measures 

 most earnestly more than once from the throne, un- 

 happily however without effect. It is recorded of 

 him, that while King of Scotland, being anxious to 

 impress the ambassador sent from the English court 

 with due reverence, he wrote to his friend the Earl 

 of Mar to borrow a pair of silk stockings, an article 

 of extreme rarity in those days ; concluding his 

 epistle with the following appeal to the feelings of 

 his subject — "For ye would not, sure, that your 

 king should appear like a scrub before strangers." 

 It is said also of Elizabeth, that being presented 

 by her silk-woman, Mrs. Montague, with a pair of 

 silk stockings, she was so much pleased with the 

 gift as never to wear any of a different material 

 during the rest of her life. The magnificent and 

 expensive prince Henry VIII. was not able to in- 

 dulge his vanity, on gala days, as successfully as his 

 daughter, except when by great chance he could 

 procure a pair of silk stockings from Spain. Sir 

 Thomas Gresham presented Edward VI. with a pair 

 of long Spanish silk stockings, and from their rarity 

 this offering was deemed worthy of much notice. 



The broad silk manufacture was introduced into 

 England in the year 1620, and in nine years after 

 it was become so considerable, that the silk throw- 

 sters were incorporated by charter. In 1661, forty 

 thousand persons were employed by this company. 

 The revocation of the edict of Nantes contributed 

 to promote the manufacture of silk in England most 

 largely ; and the invention of the silk-throwing ma- 

 chine at Derby, in 1719, added so much to the rep- 

 utation of English manufactures, that, according to 

 Keyster, the English silks were higher in the mar- 

 ket than even the Italian. 



It appears from the statements which have been 

 made, that there exist several kinds of this valuable 

 worm : the one which is reared in Europe has been 



