162 THE HISTORY OF SILK 



bonnet, or girdle, scabbard, hose, shoes, or spur- 

 leather, shall be imprisoned during three months, 

 and forfeit ten pounds." Magistrates of corporation* 

 and esquires were exempt from ,the penalties of thia 

 statute. 



During the reign of James I. of Scotland, silk was 

 a very rare article in his kingdom, for we are told 

 that that monarch had not a pair of silk stockings in 

 bis possession when he was to receive the English 

 ambassador, and had to apply to a subject, who, it 

 appears, was better provided, for the loan of a pair. 

 This was the Earl of Mar, to whom the king said, 

 in an impressive manner, " You would not, sure, 

 that your king should appear as a scrub before 

 strangers." 



Antwerp, which was long the great mart for silk, 

 and the produce of almost all nations, was taken by 

 the Duke of Parma in 1585, and given up to be 

 plundered by his army for three days. This disas 

 trous event proved the destruction of the commerce 

 of the Netherlands. The splendid manufactures of 

 Brabant and Flanders were annihilated, and the 

 artizans dispersed and took refuge in foreign states ; 

 nearly a third of them found their way to Britain, 

 and laid the foundation of those manufactories which 

 are now an honour to the land. It was long, however, 

 before the goods of our own country were much 

 noticed, the preference being given to those of foreign 

 manufacture. So completely were our own fabrics 

 neglected in the year 1668, that it led almost to 



