MUREX ROCK SHELL. 97 



mous price is not to be wondered at, as only a 

 single drop of the colouring fluid is afforded by 

 each animal. 



This beautiful and precious colour was held in 

 the highest estimation by the ancients, and in 

 some countries it was consecrated to sacred pur- 

 poses. Moses, under divine instruction, used 

 purple stuffs for the furniture of the tabernacle, 

 and for the dress of the high priests. 



The Babylonians arrayed their idols in robes of 

 splendid purple ; and such indeed was the prac- 

 tice of the Pagans in general, many of whom su- 

 perstitiously believed that this dye had a peculiar 

 virtue, and was capable of appeasing the wrath of 

 their pretended gods. 



Purple robes were also characteristic of regal 

 dignity, and by an imperial decree in Rome, they 

 were entirely restricted to the use of the emperor, 

 the penalty of death being inflicted on any who 

 dared to appear in habiliments of this hue. The 

 language of the day shews how exclusively this 

 colour is appropriated to the emperors, for "to 

 assume the purple," signified the being elevated 

 to the Imperial Throne. 



Several different accounts are given of the dis- 

 covery of this dye ; but they all seem to have ori- 

 ginated in the simple fact, that a dog having bro- 

 ken one of the shells, stained his mouth with the 

 colour, which excited the attention of his owner, 

 and led to an examination of the cause, and thus 

 to the discovery of the colour. 



