HISTORY OF DYEING.
5. THE perception of colour seems to he accompanied with immediate pleasure; and though the effect is pro bably heightened by association, it is so instantaneously produced, that we are only conscious of the pleasing emotion, and seldom think of searching beyond it for the source of our delight. Long before we are capable of analyzing our feelings, the eye is caught with the bril liancy of colour, and the splendour of illumination. Even the lower animals are not altogether insensible to the beauties of rich and variegated tints; and man in his rudest state, has always regarded colour as a principal constituent of ornament. Nor is it only in the judgment of the infant or the savage that colours rank high among the elements of beauty ; in the most refined periods of human society, they retain an undiminished attraction, or rather acquire a more powerful influence by the culti vation of taste. " Among the several kinds of beauty," says Mr Addison, "the eye takes most delight in colours. We no where meet with a more glorious or pleasing show in nature, than what appears in the heavens at the rising and setting of the sun, which is wholly made up of those different stains of light, that show themselves in clouds of a different situation. For this reason we find the poets, who are always addressing themselves to the imagination, borrowing more of their epithets from co lours, than from any other topic."—Spect. No. 412.
6. To this delight which we derive from the percep tion of colour, must be referred the origin of dyeing. The savage would naturally wish to recal the pleasure which he experienced from viewing the varied and deli cate tints of the vegetable world, by transferring their colouring principles to objects less fleeting in their na ture, and more frequently present to his sight. His first efforts would be rude and imperfect; and might consist in rubbing his body with the expressed juices of fruits and flowers, or in communicating a fugaceous tinge to his simple articles of dress. His fondness for brilliancy and variety, would prompt him to make trial of different substances ; and though many of his experiments, as they were guided by no fixed principle, might fail, some of them would succeed, and thus gradually lead to the discovery of useful dyes. Perseverance would supply the place of knowledge, and accident would sometimes disclose what ingenuity might never have found out. These remarks may even he applied to dyeing, after the art had attained a more advanced state, and when it might have been expected that science would have lent greater assistance to a subject so susceptible of being improved by inductive investigation. It has often been regretted, however, and not without reason, that almost every important discovery in the arts has been the off spring of accident, and that science has done little more than suggest some hints for improving what chance may have offered to human observation.
7. The origin of dyeing must, therefore, be referred to a period far beyond the records of authentic history. The art appears to hat e been cultivated by the Egyptians from the earliest times; but it is extremely probable that it passed to that people from the llindoos and other inha bitants of India, who seem to have practised dyeing at a still more remote period. Indeed, almost all the arts and sciences have originated in that quarter of the globe; and though, on account of the political and religious in stitutions of the East, they never attained there any great degree of perfection, they gratin illy spread among other nations less fettered by prejudice, and more disposed to adopt whatever might be regarded as improvement. It ,s r. 1113I kcd by Rennel, " that a passion for Indian ulaeturt s and products has actuated the people of ec v a-•e, Ill Lower Asia, as well as in the civilized Emope : the delicate and unrivalled, as well as t u cuarser an I more useful fabrics of cotton of that t, panic ulatly suiting the inhabitants along the M lire rranean and Euxinc seas. To this trade, the Per sian an I At -bran gulfs opened an easy passage; the latter pal ticulail Iv. as the land carriage between the Red Sea And the Nile, and between the Red Sea and the Medite• i ancul, t .ole up only a few day s. 1 t is highly probable, ontioues he, and tradition in India warrants the belief of it, t at there was, from time immemorial, an inter course between Egypt and I lindostam, at least thc mari time part of it ; similarity of customs in many instances, as r elated of the ancient Egyptians by I I crotlotus, (and which can hardly be referred to physical causes,) existing in I he two countries." 8. The natural fertility of India, and the great varie ty of materials which it affords for cultivating the art of dyling, were extremely favourable to its improvement. But religious prejudices, and the unalterable division in to casts, snout imposed restraints upon hidust•y; the arts became stationary ; and it would seem that the knowledge of dyeing cotton was as far advanced when Alexander the Great invaded the country, as it is at present. Even at this day, the Indian processes are so complicated, tedi ous, and imperfi ct, that they would be impracticable in any °tiler country, on account of the price of labour. European industry nas far surpassed them in correctness of design, variety of shade, and facility of execution; and if we are inferi rr to them with respect to the liveli ness of two or three colours, it is solely to be ascribed to the superior quality of some of their dyes, or perhaps to the length and multiplicity of their operations.—See Berthollet.