OF CHINA. 15 



afterwards caused a sheep and a pig to be killed and cooked to treat (the 

 ladies). This probably was the ancient custom at the presentation of 

 the cocoons. 



Afterwards, on a good day, the wife rinsed some of them thrice in a 

 vessel, beginning to unwind them, and then distributed them to the aus- 

 picious and honourable ladies of her three palaces to (complete) the un- 

 winding. They then dyed the thread red and green, azure and yellow, 

 to make the variously coloured figures on robes. When the robes were 

 finished, the ruler wore them in sacrificing to the former kings and 

 dukes ; — all displayed the greatest reverence. 



26. In the following chapter Tsi thing containing a s u mm a ry ac- 

 countof sacrifices, it is said 66 : " the Son of Heaven him- 

 self guided the plough in the Southern suburb, to provide the grain for 

 the sacrincial vessels ; and the queen looked after her silkworms in the 

 Northern suburb, to provide the cap and robes of silk. The princes of 

 the States guided the plough in their eastern suburb, also to provide the 

 grain for the sacrificial vessels, and their wives looked after their silk- 

 worms in the northern suburb, to provide the cap and robes of silk." 



27. Although silkworms and silk are not unfrequently mentioned in 

 the Book of Poetry, no allusion appears anywhere to a Tutelary spirit of 

 silkworms. 



Silk was a great luxury and its cultivation cannot have been exten- 

 sively used. It is severally spoken of as the material of embroideries. 



In Tchih-li, great officers wore lamb-skins and sheep-skins with five 

 braidings of white silk 67 , while young princes are said to have been ang- 

 ling with lines made of silk thread 68 . 



A Marchioness of Wei (S. Shansi) about 750 b.c. wears a green r 

 upper robe in silk with a yellow lining 69 . Great officers of the same state 

 have pennows on staffs with ox-tails and white silk cords or ribbons 70 . 



Silk was used also for girdles 71 , and occasionally for string of bows 72 ; 

 reins are praised when they are glossy like silk 73 . Officers wore silk 

 robes for sacrificial ceremonies 74 . 



In all these cases the written symbol to denote silk is the special one 

 for it, (7853) se and no misapprehension is possible. But there are other 

 terms which also appear in the Book of Poe try. 



A dress of thin undyedsilk ^^ kao is spoken of once in an ode 

 where the poet speaks of his lady-love : she in the thin silk and 

 *he light blue coiffure 75 . 



Princes of state in sacrificing wore an inner robe made of white silk, 



1/ 



