THE EARLY HISTORY OF SILK. 151 



inferred ; but it could not be the common Silk 

 Worm (Phalaena wion') which he meant, as he men- 

 tions two characters irreconcilable with it, namely, 

 that of having horns, and being of a large size. 



Stimulated by offers of a great reward, these monks 

 retraced their steps to China, where they contrived 

 j to possess themselves of a quantity of the eggs of 

 * the Silk Worm Moth, which they concealed in a 

 hollow cane, and brought safely to Constantinople, in 

 the year 552. These eggs were hatched in due 

 season, by the aid of manure, and the larvae fed on 

 imulberry leaves. The caterpillars duly commenced 

 the operation of spinning their cocoons, and, under 

 the superintendence of the monks, successfully bred, 

 and multiplied to a great extent. Afterwards, these 

 monks instructed the Romans in the whole mystery 

 of this propagation, and the methods employed by 

 the Chinese in manufacturing fabrics from the exqui- 

 sitely fine filaments spun by the little caterpillars.* 



From the caneful of eggs, thus surreptitiously 



acquired, have sprung all the Silk Worms which are 



now to be found in almost every country of 



Western Asia and the south of Europe. These are 



. daily multiplying, and up to the present time, an 



j immensely increased demand for silk has been felt 



all over the civilized globe. And an immoral act, 



which was prompted by the avarice of one man, 



has proved a blessing to countless thousands; by 



* P&OCOPICS, de Betto Gothico, lib. iv. c. 17. 



