BOMBICIDiE — SILK- WORM JNIOTIIS. 239 



cloth stockings.' And from that time to her death the 

 Queen never wore cloth hose, but only silk stockings."^ 



James I., while King of Scotland, is said to have once 

 written to the Earl of Mar, one of his friends, to borrow a 

 pair of silk stockings, in order to appear with becoming 

 dignity before the English Ambassador; concluding his 

 letter with these words : " For ye would not, sure, that 

 your King should appear like a scrub before strangers." 

 This shows the great rarity of silk articles at that period 

 in Scotland. 



In 1629, the manufacture of silk was become so consider- 

 able in London, that the silk trowsters of the city and parts 

 adjacent were incorporated; and in 1661, this company em- 

 ployed above forty thousand persons. The revocation of 

 the Edict of Nantes, in 1685, contributed in a great degree 

 to promote the manufacture of this article ; and the inven- 

 tion of the silk-throwing machine at Derby, in 1719, added 

 so much to the reputation of English manufactures, that 

 even in Italy, according to Keysler, the English silks bore 

 a higher price than the Italian. ^ 



Rev. Stephen Olin tells us that the Mohammedans of 

 Arabia will not allow strangers to look into their cocoon- 

 eries, on account of their superstitious fear of the evil eye, 

 of the influence of which the Silk-worms are thought to be 

 peculiarly susceptible." 



The silk of the nests of the social caterpillar of the 

 Bomhyx Madrona, was an object of commerce in Mexico in 

 the time of Montecusuma ; and the ancient Mexicans pasted 

 together the interior layers, which may be written upon 

 without preparation, to form a white, glossy pasteboard. 

 Handkerchiefs are still manufactured of it in the Intendency 

 of Oaxaca.* 



A complete nest of these Silk-worms, called in Brazil 

 sustillo, was sent by the Academy of Sciences and Natural 

 History to the King of Spain. The naturahst, Don Antonio 

 Pineda, sent also a piece of this natural silk paper, measuring 

 a yard and a half, of an elliptical shape, which, however, is 

 peculiar to them all.^ 



1 Stow's CAronic/e, .edit. 1631, p. 887. 



2 Keysler, Trav., i. 289. 



3 Olin, Travels. 



* PoUt. Essay on N. Spain, iii. 59. 



5 Skinner's Fres. State of Peru, p. 346, note. Southey's Hist, of 

 Brazil, iii. fi44. Calancba's Augustine Hist, of Peru, i. 66. 



