ARCADIA. 377 



îng it, of dreffing it, of fpinning it, nnd of twilling 

 feveral threads together, for the purpofe of miking 

 cordage. We made them obferve how thofe cords, 

 by their ftrength and pliancy, ^are adapted to aft 

 as the nerves of every fpecies of machinery. We 

 taught them the art of diftending the threads of 

 flax on looms, to weave into cloth by means of the 

 (buttle ; and how thcfe gentle and ufcful labours 

 might employ the young people, innocently and 

 agreeably, during the long nights of Winter. 



We inftrufled them in the ufe of the auger, of 

 the gimlet, of the plane, and of the faw, invented 

 by the ingenious Dedalus ; as thefe tools fui ni (h 

 Man with additional hands, and falhion to his ufe 

 a multitude of trees, the timber of which would 

 have gone to wafte in the forefls. We taughtth m 

 to extrad from their knotty trunk powerful fcrcws, 

 and ponderous prcfles, fit for fqueezng out the 

 juice of an infinite number of fruits, and for for- 

 cing oils out of the hardeft nuts. They did not 

 gather many grapes from our vines ; but we in- 

 fpired them with an ardent defire of multiplying 

 the flips, not only by the excellence of the truit 

 from the bough, but by letting them tafte the 

 wines of Crete, and of the Ifle ofThafos, which we 

 had preferved in urns. 



After 



