THE MOUNTAIN FLAX. 313 



economists, even if these last were the descendants 

 of that family of old Rome who would not permit 

 their wives and daughters to wear linen.* 



It would be unnecessary to make any further 

 allusion to the early importance of the culture of 

 flax in Ireland, but the following passage, from the 

 works of Sir William Temple, bearing the date 

 1750, is not a little singular from the manner in 

 which it treats the subject, as if it were one which 

 had but lately attracted the attention of the English 

 public. " No women," he says, "are apter to spin 

 flax well than the Irish, who, labouring little in any 

 kind with their hands, have their fingers more sup- 

 ple and softer than other women, of the poorer con- 

 dition, with us ; and this may certainly be advanced 

 and improved into a great manufacture of linen, so 

 as to beat down the trade both of France and Hol- 

 land, and draw much of the money which goes from 

 England to those parts upon this occasion, into the 

 hands of his Majesty's subjects of Ireland/' 



That flax, the Arabic kettdn, and the Coptic ma/a, 

 was cultivated in Egypt, is shewn by the mention 

 of this crop in the Scriptural account of the plagues 

 which preceded the departure of the Israelites from 

 that lancLf Plin 7 ("Nat. Hist.," vii. 55), says the 

 Egyptians were the first to make textile fabrics; and 



* " Varron, rapporte" part Pline, dit que c'6tait une cou- 

 tume de pere en fils dans la famille des Serrans, que les femmes 

 n'y portoient point de robe de lin." MONTFAUCON. We must, 

 however, mark his continuation : " Cel& etant remarque comme 

 une chose extraordinaire, il paroit certain que 1'usage du lin 

 etait ancien & Rome pour les femmes," &c. 



t Exodus, ix. 31. 



P 



