. THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 173 



then granted, for fourteen years, to Sir Thomas Lambe 

 and his brother, for an exclusive property of the 

 famous silk mill erected by them at Derby, from 

 models they had clandestinely obtained in Italy, for 

 preparing thrown, or, as it is more commonly called, 

 arganzine silk. At the expiration of the patent, 

 Parliament refused the prayer of a petition of Sir 

 Thomas Lambe for its renewal, but granted him a 

 sum of 1 4,000 sterling, in consideration of the 

 services he had rendered the country, in erecting a 

 machine which was supposed would very soon have 

 1 the eifect to enable us to dispense wholly with the 

 i supplies of thrown silk we had previously been in the 

 |i habit of importing from Italy. But, instead of being 

 any real advantage, it is most certainly true, that the 

 establishment of throwing mills in England has 

 proved one of the most formidable obstacles to the 

 extension of the silk manufacture. These mills were 

 originally constructed in consequence of the heavy 

 duties laid upon thrown, or organzine, silk ; and the 

 circumstance of their having been erected, and a 

 large amount of capital invested in them, has been 

 urged, and, till lately, with success, as a reason for 

 eontinuing these high duties. 



From this period the manufacture advanced 

 gradually, though slowly, until about 1785, or 1790, 

 when the general substitution of cottons for silk, in 

 articles of dress and furniture, gave it a check from 

 which it did not recover for some years. So rapid 

 was the change of fashion, that, in Spitalfields alone. 



