INDIGO. '27^ 



dye was owing to a dog, which, having 

 caught one of the purple fishes among the 

 rocks, in eating it, stained his mouth and 

 beard with the precious liquor; the hue thus 

 acquired, struck the fancy of a Tyrian nymph 

 so strongly, that she refused her lover Her- 

 cule sany favours till he had brought her a 

 mantle of the same colour. 



The dye of Tyre became celebrated in all 

 nations ; and this city appears to have kept 

 the art within its own walls for many ages. 

 It was esteemed as precious as pure gold, 

 and seldom used but by kings and princes, 

 or in the vestures of the priests. Private 

 persons were forbidden by the laws of most 

 countries to wear the least scrap of it. 



The hangings of the Tabernacle were made 

 of blue, and purple, and scarlet ; the holy 

 garments of Aaron were also ornamented 

 with these colours. 



" King Solomon made himself a chariot of 

 the wood of Lebanon, he made the pillars 

 thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, 

 the covering of purple." 



Ezekiel mentions the purple dye among 

 the rich merchandize of Tyre. " Syria was 

 thy merchant by reason of the multitude of 

 the wares of thy making : they occupied in 



