146 THE EARLY HISTORY OF SILK. 



This seems beyond a doubt; for the historians Zonaras 

 and Theophanes say, that before the introduction of 

 Silk Worms into Constantinople, in the middle of the 

 sixth century, nobody in that city was aM-are that 

 silk was the produce of caterpillars. 



In the enumeration of the articles mentioned in 

 the embellishment of Solomon's Temple, we are 

 expressly told of fine linen, but no mention whatever 

 is made of silk, which could not fail to have been 

 noticed had it been then in use ; nor did it seem to 

 be known even after the rebuilding of the Temple, aa 

 it is not recorded amongst its decorations. It how- 

 ever is mentioned as an article of trade in Jerome's 

 translation of the Bible, where it is said to have been 

 sent from Syria to Tyre, 588 years before the time of 

 Christ. It must then have been a rare article, as the 

 building of the Temple was completed only sixty-four 

 years before that period. 



Alexanderthe Great who, along with his ambitious 

 desires, united much zeal in extending useful arts 

 throughout his dominions, most probably imbibed 

 from his great instructor Aristotle, who prompted 

 him to explore the great field of nature took care to 

 bring with him, after his victories, from Persia, great 

 quantities of manufactured silks. 



The description of the Silk Worm given by 

 Aristotle, is the most distinct of all handed down 

 to us by the ancient writers : he details minutely the 

 different transformations, but makes no mention of 

 the country of which the insect was a native. 



Much discrepancy prevails among the ancients at 





