THE EARLY HISTORY OF SFLK. 155 



It is true that, in tliose remote times, before the 

 invention of printing, discoveries found their way 

 from one country to another by slow and uncertain 

 degrees ; so much so, that even men of the greatest 

 learning and information were long of becoming 

 acquainted with established facts. It may appear 

 strange that the learned Isidorus, bishop of Hiopolis, 

 in Spain, was unacquainted with the history of the 

 Silkworm, altliough he wrote a century after its 

 introduction into Europe ; for we find him copying 

 the account of that animal from Pliny. 



Silk was exceedingly scanty in Europe till the 

 reign of Augustus Ca;sar, and continued long after 

 to be a costly and rare commodity. 



We are informed that, in the reign of Tiberius, 

 Eastern silk was forbidden to be worn by anyone but 

 women of rank ; and a law was passed, prohibiting 

 the use of it by males. A cheaper material was 

 invented for people of inferior rank, made of a mix- 

 ture of silk, with some other more common substance. 

 This species of cloth was called suh-scricmn, and 

 became a favourite costume with both sexes. As 

 Rome improved in wealth, and luxury followed in 

 its train, the demand for silk became so excessive, 

 that it reached a very high price ; so much so, that 

 Marc Antony sent ambassadors to China to open a 

 more du-ect commercial treaty with that coimtry, 

 to supply the. demand, and reduce the price of the 

 article. This embassy tm'ned out like most others 



