for their addrefs and dexterity in working embroidery, and ftuffs of different colours . At that time, they alfo knew the fecret of putting gold into the tiffue of ftuffs and in embroideries. The fcripture observes, that they used much gold in the habits of the high priest, and in the vails defigned for the tabernacle. How did they then prepare that metal for the making of ftuffs ? was it, as at prefent, drawn into wire, beaten, wound, and wrapt round other threads? or was it merely gold hammered into very thin leaves, afterwards cut with a chifel into little plates, or long and fmall fhreds, which they put into the texture of their stuffs? Mofes fays, "And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the "blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine "linen." The fenfe of thefe expreffions does not appear to me fufficiently determinate, abfolutely to decide in favour of the first of these methods which I have fhewn. I even think, that the passage in question gives us no idea of gold wire drawn as at prefent with a drawing-iron. The most natural interpretation, is to fay, that they twifted the plates of gold about fome of the different ftuffs of which the ephod and the vails of the tabernacle must have been composed. They made, by this means, a fort of gold thread refembling ours, except that the bafis of this thread was of pure gold cut into fhreds, whereas ours is only filver gilt drawn by the drawing-iron. e We might perhaps raife a difficulty, and fay, that the ftuffs in question were made only of pure plates of gold interwoven: there is mention made of fuch habits in Pliny We also know, that they fometimes adorned the images of the gods in dreffes of this fort. But the text of Moses is abfolutely repugnant to this notion: he fays exprefsly, that the gold was reduced into very thin plates, that it might be b Iliad. 1. 6. v. 289. &c. • Exod. c. 28. v. 8. c. 39. v. 3. a Ibid c. 39. V. 3. L. 33. fect. 19. p. 616. f Arift. de cura rei famil, 1.2. t. 2. p. 511.; Alian. var. hift. 1. 1. c. 2ɔ. ; Cicero, de nat. deor. 1. 3. n. 34.; Valer. Max. 1. 1. c. 1. fect. 3. externa.; Pauf. 1. 5. c. 11. wound wound and twisted to put it into the tiffue of the other threads of divers colours. This detail removes all the difficulty. We can The art of putting gold into the tiffue of ftuffs, must have been known in many countries in the ages we are now exaventions et in mining. Homer fpeaks of the girdle of Calypfo, and of that of Circe &. We might likewife believe, that this poet mentions filver ftuffs ". But all interpreters agree to understand the expreffions which Homer ufes in this paffage, of white habits. The ancients did not ufe to put filver into their stuffs. We find in reality, fince Mofes and Homer, an uninterrupted tradition in antiquity about gold stuffs, whereas we find nothing like it as to filver ones. not bring one fingle paffage, that is clear and precife, of any ancient author, where mention is made of filver wire. Pliny, who has expressly spoken of gold wire, would he have forgot or neglected to remark that they did the fame work in filver? His fubject, his ends, his method, all required that he fhould speak of it, if that art had been known in his time. The fame author, in a particular chapter, treats at large of the use they made of filver for divers ornaments 1. Yet in all the enumeration he gives of the many uses to which they put this metal, there is not one word of filver wire. I fhall finish what I have at prefent to say on the habits of the ancients, by an obfervation I think very important. We perceive a very fenfible difference between the ftuffs the ancients used, and those we ufe at prefent. All the dreffes anciently might be washed and bleached daily The greatest part of ours would be fpoiled by fuch an operation. I only just mentioned this. The fear of falling into details, which, in the end, might become tiresome, hinders me from farther inquiring into them. Ody. 1. 5. v. 232. 1. 10. v. 543. &c. b Ibid. 1. 5. v. 230. 1. 10. v. 23. & 24. See Vopifc. in Aurelian. p. 224. &c. and the notes of Saumaife, p. 394. Q.37. See Iliad, 1. 22. v, 154. & 155.; Odyf. 1, 6. v. 91. & 92.; Herod. 1, 2. ARTICLE ARTICLE III. Of the difcovery and employment of precious stones. Tis faid in fcripture, that the ephod and the breast-plate of judgment of the high priest, were ornamented with many precious stones; the affortment appeared various and complete enough. These ftones were mounted in gold, and disposed with order and fymmetry. Mofes farther fays, that he had engraved on them the names of the twelve tribes". All thefe facts are fufficiently important to merit a particular regard. We do not find any mention made in ancient history of the ufe of precious ftones, before Mofes. Yet I do not think, that one ought to look upon him as the inventor and author of that ornament. That knowledge muit have preceded the time of this legiflator; and it appears to me very probable, that, in this particular, he only conformed to a custom already received. This conjecture is supported by the teftimony of the book of Job, a work, I believe, prior to Mofes. Many fpecies of precious stones are spoken of there. Job could not have entered into this detail, if jewels had not been well known in his time. I also think we have a glimpse of proofs of the antiquity of this knowledge, in the defcription Mofes gives of the terreftrial paradife. He fays, that one of the branches of the rivers which ran from that place of delights, watered the land of Hevilah: it is there, adds he, that we find precious ftones. Mofes, I think, would not have indicated this circumftance in fo fimple a manner, if the fact had not been well known before the time in which he writ. It is very probable, in reality, that the first men should have known very early coloured precious ftones. We may eafily imagine in what manner they fhould have come to Exod. chap. 28. See our differtation. 4 Gen. c. 2. V. 12. this difcovery. The fame caufes which originally discovered metals, I mean, the throwing up of the earth, and the ravage of great waters, might have given the knowledge of precious ftones. We find thefe rich productions in the mines where metals are formed, in rivers, and even at the furface of the earth, where torrents often leave them. Although the colour of rough precious ftones is neither very lively nor brilliant, yet they are fufficiently fo, to be remarked, and for the fight of them to excite our attention; yet they might have neglected them at firft, and to the time they found the art of polishing them. It is to this operation, that fine ftones owe that brilliancy and livelinefs which has made them always fo much fought after. Chance, it is certain, must have had a great fhare in this difcovery. Among the number of rough ftones which happened to be feen by the first men, they must have found some naturally broke. The luftre and liveliness with which they had feen thefe breaks fhine, muft have given the first notion of polifhing. They tried to imitate the operation of nature, in taking from the ftones, that bed, that dark fhell, with which they are commonly covered. We can only form conjectures of the way they could have attained this. They must first have overcome the obftacle which they must have met with in the extreme hardness of most of those stones. Yet chance must have affifted the firft men on this occafion. Almost all true ftones must be polished with their own powder. Some perfon must have thought of rubbing two oriental ftones against each other, and has fucceeded, by this means, to give them a fort of polish. The cutting of the diamond owed its origin to a stroke of chance. Theophraft. de lapid. p. 395.; Plin. I. 37. fect. 15. & 32. &c.; Solin. c. 15. p. 26. D.; Ifidor. orig. 1. 16. c. 7.; Alonzo Barba, t. 2. p. 8. &. 334. Theophraft. de lapid. p. 396. ; Strabo, 1. 2. p. 156.; Plin. 1. 37. ject. 17. & 23. p. 778.; Solin. c. 15. p. 26. D.; Ifidor. origin. 1. 16. c. 8.; Anc. relat. des Indes, p. 123.; Colonne, hift. nat. t. 2. p. 361. Plin. 1. 37. fect. 76.; Ifidor. 1. 16. c. 8.; Alonozo Barba, t. 2. p. 71. Hellot. de la fonte des mines, p. 22. 24. 25. 43. 55.; Hift. gen. des voyag. t. 8. P. 549.; Rec. des voyag. au Nord, t. 10. p. 65.; La Condamine, voyag, a l'équateur, p. 81. & 82.; Colonne hift. nat. t. 2. p. 368.; Voyage de D. Ant. 'Ulloa, t. 1. p. 393.; Acad. des feien. ann. 1718. m. p. 85. : : Lewis de Berquen, a native of Bruges, is faid to have been the first who put this in practice; it is not yet three hundred years fince". He was a young man, who had just left school, and being born of a noble family, was in no respect brought up as a lapidary. He had found out, that two diamonds cut each other, if they were rubbed a little strongly against each other: this was fufficient to raise, in an induftrious perfon, and one capable of meditation, very extenfive ideas. He took two diamonds, fixed them on cement, he grated them against each other, and carefully collected the powder which came from them. Afterwards, by the affiftance of certain iron wheels which he invented, he came, by means of this powder, to polish diamonds perfectly, and to cut them in what manner he thought proper x. I think, we may very well apply this example to the origin of the art of polishing precious ftones. Yet I doubt, that in the first times, or even in the ages we are now engaged in, whether they knew the methods we use at prefent to give to stones that beautiful polish, and those agreeable forms which cause their principal merit. The proceedings of the first lapidaries could only be very imperfect. I think we ought not to judge very favourably of their knowledge, nor even of that which, in general, antiquity might have in this part of the arts. But how imperfect foever the ancient methods may have. been, it is certain, that, at the time of Mofes, the art of polishing precious ftones was known. They alfo knew how to fet them; a work very delicate. But what appears to me moft worthy of notice, is, that they then knew the art of ingraving them The ephod of Aaron was adorned with two onyxes fet in gold. They had ingraved the names of the twelve tribes, that is to fay, he had fix names ingraved on each stone. The breaft-plate of judgment shone " In 1476. Merveill. des Indes Orient. par de Berquen, p. 13. * Ibid. y Exod. c. 28. v. 9. &c. The Hebrew text implies, of a work of an ingraver of fine ftones, and ingraving of feals. VOL. II. P with |