OF THE IMITATIVE ARTS. 409 



condite method of tracing the mere outline of the human shadow 

 when projected upon a wall, a method which still exists among our. 

 selves under the name of a silhouette, bra hominis tineas cir- 

 tumducla. 



This species of drawing, and, probably, painting, strictly so 

 called, must have been of very early origin indeed. Embroidery 

 and tapestry, in which colours were introduced, we knot? to have 

 been of high antiquity even among the Jews and Babyloneans ; but 

 both these arts presuppose the existence of outlines, or line draw- 

 ings, for the artist necessarily worked from a pattern. The history 

 of Pandion^ king of Athens, and of his daughter Philomela, who 

 informed Progne of her misfortunes by describing them on tapestry, 

 may, perhaps, be fabulous. Be this, however, as it may, we know 

 that this fable is of very remote origin, ard as it is related by Apol. 

 lodorus, was, probably, the production of one of the Cyclic poets, 

 concerning whom the reader will find an account in Note on Book 

 V. v. 339. of the present version. According to this admirable 

 mythologist, Philomela did not indeed paint her history, but era* 

 broidered it in characters on a veil. Yet, at the period when this 

 fable was invented, we can scarcely conceive, that embroidery was 

 confined to the exhibition of characters alone ; it was unquestion. 

 bly employed, and with more freedom, in the art of tracing and de. 

 signing. In the time of Homer, however, we have undoubted 

 proof of the application of tapestry to the dignity of historical 

 subjects. Iris, in the third book of the Iliad, finds Helen occu. 

 pied in representing; on tapestry the evils which the Greeks and 

 Trojans had su tiered on her account in their battles. Such an. 

 undertaking, even supposing it were executed in cammeo, or with 

 a single colour, evinces a considerable perfection of the art she 

 was practising. But the Trojans are stated to have been also ac- 

 quainted with the mode of intermixing different colours in their 

 tapestries. Whtn Andromache learned the death of Hector, she 

 was at work in a retired part of her palace, and representing, in 

 tapestry, flowers of a variety of tinctures. 



AAA, ijy' JOT&V ypav ttuyo; Jo/*ow "in 



IL. K. 439. 



Far in the close recesses of the dome 

 Pensive she ply'd the melancholy loom ; 

 A growing work employed her secret views, 

 Spotted diverse rtith intermingled hues. POPE 



