notes more rain. And in such a season, if 
it rise suddenly fast and high, fair weather 
cannot he expected to last more than a day 
or two. 12. The greatest lieights of the 
mercury are found upon easterly and north- 
easterly winds ; and it may often rain or 
snow, the wind being in these points, while 
the barometer is in a rising state, the ef- 
fects of the wind counteracting. But the 
mercury sinks for wind as well as rain, in 
all other points of the compass. 
WEAVING, the art of making threads 
into cloth. This art is of very ancient ori- 
gin. The fabulous story of Penelope’s 
web ; and, still more, the frequent allusions 
to this art in the sacred writings, tend to 
show, that the constructing of cloth from 
threads, hair, &c. is a very ancient inven- 
tion. It has, however, like other useful 
arts, undergone an infinite variety of im- 
provements, both as to the materials of 
which cloth is made, the apparatus neces- 
sary in its construction, and the particular 
modes of operation by the artist. Weav- 
ing, when reduced to its original principle, 
is nothing more than the insertion of the 
weft into the web, by forming sheds ; but 
this principle has been so extensively ap- 
plied in almost every country, and the 
knowledge of its various branches has been 
derived from such a variety of sources, that 
no one person could ever be practically 
employed in all its branches ; and though 
every part bears a strong analogy to the 
rest, yet a minute knowledge of each of 
these parts, can only be acquired by expe- 
rience and reflection. We will, however, 
endeavour to give the reader as comprehen- 
sive an idea of the history and progress of 
this ancient and invaluable art as the na- 
ture of the thing, and the limits to which 
we are necessarily confined, will permit. 
The history of this art is very little 
known, and its peat antiquity necessarily 
involves the earlier aeras of it in the most 
perfect obscurity. Enough, however, is 
known, to prove that none of the species 
of it originated in Britain. The silk manu- 
facture was first practised in China, and the 
cotton in India. Both the woollen and 
linen were borrowed from the continent of 
Europe, and all improvements in them, in 
this country, were first introduced by fo- 
reign artificers who settled amongst us. Tq 
the present day, our superiority in point of 
quality is only universally acknowledged in 
the cotton manufacture whilst in those of 
silk, woollen, and linen, it is still disputed 
bv other countries. But it should be un- 
derstood, that we are here speaking ipore 
particularly of the art in its more advanced 
and improved state. For, when it is consi- 
dered, that as the wants of mankind are 
nearly the same in all countries, it is not 
improbable that the same arts, however va- 
ried in their operations, may have been in- 
vented in different countries. It is not, 
however, certain, that the art of making 
cloth is one which the Britons invented. It 
is more probable, that the Gauls learned it 
from the Greeks, and communicated the 
knowledge of it to the people of Britain. 
And it is certain, that the inhabitants of the 
southern parts of Britain were well ac- 
quainted with the arts of dressing, spinning, 
and weaving, both flax and wool, when they 
were invaded by the Romans. 
The art of making linen, which was pro- 
bably the first species of cloth invented, 
was communicated by the Egyptians, the 
inhabitants of Palestine, and other eastern 
nations, to the Europeans. By slow de- 
grees it found its way into Italy ; and it af- 
terwards prevailed in Spain, Gaul, Ger- 
many, and Britain. The Belgse manufac- 
tured linen on the continent; and when 
they afterwards settled in this island, it is 
probable they continued the practice, and 
taught it to the people among whom they 
resided. 
Whatever knowledge the Britons might 
possess of the clothing arts, prior to the in- 
vasion, it is very certain, that these arts 
were much improved amongst them after 
that event. It appears, from the Notitia 
Imperii, that there was an imperial manu- 
factory of woollen and linen cloth, for the 
use of the Roman army then in Britain, 
establjshed at Venta Belgarum, now called 
Winchester. 
In Bishop Aldhelm’s book, concerning 
“ Virginity,” written about A. D. 680, it is 
remarked, “ that chastity alone forms not a 
perfect character ; but requires to be ac- 
companied and beautified by other virtues.” 
This observation is illustrated by the fol- 
lowing simile, borrowed from the art of fi- 
gure-weaving ; “ It is not a web of one uni- 
form colour and texture, without any va- 
riety of figures, that pleaseth the eye, and 
appears beautiful ; but one that is woven 
by .shuttles, filled with threads of purple, 
and many other colours, flying from side to 
side, and forming a variety of figures and 
images, in different compartments, with ad- 
mirable art.” Perhaps the most curious spe- 
cimen of this ancient figure-weaving and 
embroidery, now to be found, is that pre- 
