234 MOTH. 



that there was a company of Silk-Women in Eng- 

 land so early as the year 1455; but these were 

 probably employed in needle-works of silk and 

 thread; and we find that various sorts of small 

 haberdashery of Silk were manufactured here in 

 1482; but Italy supplied England and all other 

 parts with the broad manufacture till the year 

 148Q. In Spain indeed the culture and manu- 

 facture of silk seem to have been introduced at an 

 early period by the Moors, particularly in Murcia, 

 Cordova, and Granada. The silk-manufacturers 

 of this last town were very flourishing when it was 

 taken by Ferdinand, &c. at the close of the fifteenth 

 century. In 1521, the French, being supplied 

 with workmen from Milan, commenced a silk 

 manufacture; but it was long after this time before 

 they could obtain raw silk from the worms, and 

 even in the year 1 547 silk was scarce and dear in 

 France, and King Henry the second is said to 

 have been the first in that country who wore a 

 pair of silk knit stockings; though the invention 

 originally came from Spain, whence silk stockings 

 were brought over to Henry the eighth, and Ed- 

 ward the sixth. After the civil wars in France, 

 the plantation of Mulberry-trees was greatly en- 

 couraged by King Henry the fourth and his suc- 

 cessors, and the produce of silk in France is at 

 this day very considerable. The great advantage 

 which the new manufacture afforded, made our 

 James the first very earnest for its introduction 

 into England; and accordingly it was recom- 

 mended several times from the throne, and in the 



