says, that the emperors Titus and Vespasian wore silk dresses[35], when they celebrated at Rome their triumph over the Jews. [35] De Bello Jud. vii. 5. 4. SAINT JOHN. Silk (Σηρικὸν) occurs but once in the New Testament, Rev. xviii. 12. It is here mentioned in a curious enumeration of all the most valuable articles of foreign traffic. SILIUS ITALICUS. Seres lanigeris repetebant vellera lucis. _Punica._ vi. 4. Seres took fleeces from the woolly groves. Munera rubri Præterea Ponti, depexaque vellera ramis, Femineus labor. _Ib._ xiv. 664. The produce of the Erythræan seas, And fleeces comb’d by women from the trees[36]. Videre Eoi (monstrum admirabile!) Seres Lanigeros cinere Ausonio canescere lucos. _Ib._ xvii. 595, 596. The Seres’ woolly groves, O wondrous sight! In the far East, were with Italian ashes white. [36] See latter part of Chapter viii. Part First. In the last passage Silius is describing the effects of the recent eruption of Mount Vesuvius, A. D. 79. That its ashes should reach the country of the Seres, whether it was in Persia or China, would indeed have been “Monstrum admirabile!” STATIUS. Seric (i. e. _silken_) palls. _Sylvæ_, iii. 4. 89. PLUTARCH dissuades the virtuous and prudent wife from wearing silk[37]. He mentions, that webs of silk and fine linen were at the same time thin and compact or close[38]. [37] Conjugailia Præcepta, tom. vi. p. 550. ed. Reiske. [38] De Pythiæ Orac. c. iv. p. 557. Reiske. JUVENAL speaks of women, Quarum Delicias et panniculus bombycinus urit. _Sat._ vi. 259. Whose beauty e’en a silken veil o’erheats. MARTIAL. Nec vaga tam tenui discursat aranea tela, Tam leve nec bombyx pendulus urget opus. _L._ viii. 33. The spider traces not so thin a line, Nor does the pendent silk-worm spin so fine. Fœmineum lucet sic per bombycina corpus, Calculus in nitida sic numeratur aqua. _L._ viii. 68. Thus through her silk a lady’s body looks, Thus count we pebbles in the sparkling brooks. De Pallatinis dominæ quod Serica prelis. _L._ xi. 9. Here Martial alludes to the employment of presses (_prela_) for preserving the garments of silk and other precious materials, belonging to the Empress, in the same way, in which we now use presses to keep table-linen. He says to a lady (L. ix. 38.), Nec dentes aliter, quam Serica, nocte reponas. Your teeth at night, like silks, you lay aside. In another passage (L. xi. 27.) he speaks of silken goods (_Serica_) as procurable in the Vicus Tuscus at Rome: and lastly in L. xiv. _Ep._ 24, he mentions ribbons or fillets of silk as used for adorning the hair. Tenuia ne madidi violent bombycina crines, Figat acus tortas, sustineatque comas.