indigo. 283 



that monarch, that the Greeks applied them- 

 selves to the forming of other colours, and 

 which in all probability they learned in their 

 excursions into India, where yellow is consi- 

 dered the oldest colour known in dyeing. 



It required three hundred of the purple 

 fishes to dye one pound of wool, and as they 

 cast up this valuable stain if suffered to die, 

 we cannot be surprised at the high price the 

 Tyrian colour bore. Thus was derived that 

 glorious purple, so full of state and majesty, 

 that the Roman lictors, with their rods, hal- 

 berds, and axes, made way for. These little 

 fish were drawn from the bottom of the sea 

 by their tongues, to make distinction between 

 a knight and a counsellor of state, to give 

 splendour to the victorious generals in their 

 triumphs, and to add reverence to the priest 

 when offering sacrifice. 



" The Gauls," says Pliny, " were the first 

 who invented the means of counterfeiting 

 the purple and scarlet of Tyre, and all other 

 colours, by the means of vegetable juice." 

 The modern French, are celebrated for many 

 colours in dyeing, in which they excel all 

 Europe. 



The English being now, like the Phoeni- 

 cians of old, a commercial people, with few 



