20;", 



DYEING. 



II: * *V. 



rircum. 



Probably of 

 eastern ori- 

 gin. 



find tlw poets, who are always addressing themselves to 

 the illumination, borrowing more of their epithets from 

 colour*, than from any other topic." Sped. No. 412. 



6. To this delight which we derive from the percep- 

 tion of colour, must be referred the origin of dyeing. 

 The savage would naturally wish to rccal the pleasure 

 which he experienced from viewing the varied and deli- 

 cate tints of the vegetable world, by transferring their 

 colouring principles to objects less fleeting in their na- 

 ture, ana more frequently present to his sight. His first 

 efforts would be nide and imperfect ; and might consist 

 in rubbing his body with the expressed juices of fruits 

 and flowers, or in communicating a fugnceous tinge to 

 his simple articles of dress. His fondness for brilliancy 

 and variety, would prompt him to make trial of different 

 substances; and though many of his experiments, as 

 they were guided by no fixed principle, might fail, some 

 of them would succeed, and thus gradually lead to the 

 discovery of useful dyes. Perseverance would supply 

 the place of knowledge, and accident would sometimes 

 disclose what ingenuity might never have found out 

 These remarks ma}' even be applied to dyeing, after the 

 art had attained a more advanced state, and when it 

 might have been expected that science would have lent 

 greater assistance to a subject so susceptible of being im- 

 proved by inductive investigation. It has often been re- 

 gretted, however, and not without reason, that almost 

 every important discovery in the arts has been the off- 

 spring of accident, and that science has done little more 

 than suggest some hints for improving what chance may 

 have offered to human observation. 



7. The origin of dyeing must, therefore, be referred to 

 a period far beyond the records of authentic history. The 

 art appears to have been cultivated by the Egyptians from 

 the earliest times ; but it is extremely probable that it 

 passed to that people from the Hindoos and other inha- 

 bitants of India, who seem to have practised dyeing at a 

 still more remote period. Indeed, almost all the arts 

 and sciences have originated in that quarter of the globe; 

 and though, on account of the political and religious in- 

 stitutions of the East, they never attained there any 

 great degree of perfection, they gradually spread among 

 other nations less fettered by prejudice, and more dispo- 

 sed to adopt whatever might be regarded as improve- 

 ment It is remarked by Major Rennel, " that a pas- 

 sion for Indian manufactures and products has actuated 

 the people of every age, in Lower Asia, as well as in the 

 civilized parts of Europe : the delicate and unrivalled, as 

 well as the coarser and more useful fabrics of cotton of 

 that country, particularly suiting the inhabitants along 

 the Mediterranean and Euxine seas. To this trade, the 

 Persian and Arabian gulfs opened an easy passage ; the 

 latter particularly, as the land carriage between the Red 

 Sea and the Nile, and between the Red Sea and the Me- 

 diterranean, took up only a few days. It is nighty pro- 

 bable, continues he, and tradition in India warrants the 

 belief of it, that there was, from time immemorial, an 

 intercourse between Egypt and Hindostan, at least the 

 maritime part of it ; similarity of customs in many in- 

 stances, as related of the ancient Egyptians by Herodo- 

 tus, (and which can hardly be referred to physical cau- 

 ses,) existing in the two countries." 



to 'casts, soon imposed restraints upon industry ; the 

 art* became stationary ; and it would seem that the know- 

 ledge of dyeing cotton was as Oar advanced when Alex- 

 ander the Great invaded the country, as it is at prc i 



Even at this day, the Indian processes are so compli- retarded it* 

 catcd, tedious, and imperfect, that they would he im- P? 1 *" i 

 practicable in any other country, on account of the price 

 of labour. European industry has far surpassed them 

 in correctness of design, variety of shade, and facility 

 of execution ; and if we are inferior to them with re- 

 spect to the liveliness of two or three colours, it is sole- 

 ly to be ascribed to the superior quality of some of their 

 dyes, or perhaps to the length and multiplicity of their 

 operations. See lierthollet. 



Q. The Egyptians do not seem to have made any im- Improve- 

 portant additions to the knowledge of dyeing, which ment f t 

 they borrowed from their eastern neighbours ; and in- V 

 deed little could be expected from the genius or industry 

 of a people who were strictly prohibited by the principles 

 of their religion, from changing even their most indif- 

 ferent customs. It appears, however, according to 1'li- 

 ny, that they were acquainted with a mode of dyeing, 

 very much resembling calico-printing. He mentions that 

 the Egyptians began by painting on white cloths, with 

 certain drugs, which in themselves possessed no colour, 

 but had the property of abstracting or absorbing colour- 

 ing matters ; that these cloths were afterwards immersed 

 in a heated dyeing liquor, of a uniform colour, and yet 

 when removed from it soon after, that they were found 

 to be stained with indelible colours, differing from one 

 another according to the nature of the drugs which had 

 been previously applied to different parts of the stuff. 

 See Pliu. lib. xxxv. cap. ii. 



10. From Egypt, the knowledge of dyeing seems to Discovery 

 have been communicated to the inhabitants of Tyre, to of theTy- 

 whom the art became indebted for the discovery of one 

 of the most celebrated dyes known to the ancients. This 

 species of dye, called the Tyrian purple, which was sub- 

 sequently either lost or neglected, soon became an ob- 

 ject of the most refined luxury, and contributed greatly 

 to the opulence of that enterprizing and industrious peo- 

 ple. The circumstances which led to the discovery of it 

 are very imperfectly known : but fiction has supplied the 

 want of historical facts, and described its origin with suf- 

 ficient minuteness of detail. According to one account, 

 the merit of its discovery is due to a dog belonging to a 

 certain Hercules. We are informed, that when this dog 

 was accompanying his master along the sea-shore, who 

 was then following the nymph Tyros, the animal seized 

 one of the purpura lying on the sand, and breaking the 

 shell wit!) his teeth, his mouth soon became coloured 

 with the purple juice. The nymph having observed the 

 effect, immediately expressed a strong desire to obtain 

 a dress dyed of the same beautiful colour; and her lo- 

 ver, no less anxious to gratify her wishes, at last suc- 

 ceeded in discovering a method of applying it to cloth. 

 The name of the nymph by whom the colour was first 

 worn being Tyros, the dye itself was called the Tyrian 

 purple. See Cassiodorms, lib. 1. ; Julius Pollux, lib. 1. 4. 

 11. Others ascribe the discovery to the Phoenician 

 Hercules, and affirm, that he afterwards communicated 

 it to the King of Phoenicia, who immediately after bc- 



8. The natural fertility of India, and the great varie- gan to wear purple, and was so jealous of its beauty, 



ty of materials which it affords for cultivating the art of that he forbade the use of it to his subjects, reserving it 



dyeing, were extremely favourable to its improvement, exclusively for the robes of royalty. It is probable, 



But religious prejudices, and the unalterable division in- however, that this colour was first discovered at Tyre, 



