Minerva, or, The art of weaving containing the antiquity, utility and excellency of weaving : written in verse and divided into three parts / by R.C.

The First CANTO.

The Writer briefly doth relate Mans making, Bliss, fall, wretched state: What his first Cloathing was, and then Who Weaving first devis'd, and When; So far as he can learn relates: Which done, the Prayses Celebrates Of Worthy Women, who thereby And otherwise deservedly Have purchas'd fame; which being done This Canto to an end doth Run.

WHen God the World did make and every Creature That therein is, of every Form and Nature; Man, the perfection, Crown, Epitome Of all he did Create, reserved he As his last and best work; that so he might As in a lesser Frame present our sight With whatsoever he before had wrought; And this into so smal a Form he brought, That Man in him the whole doth Comprehend, Which were it not that I much time should spend Beside my purpose, I partly could show

Nay Man in's first estate was more then so; For he not onely Microcosmos was, But God in him did his own Image place; Which our Divines say was his innocence, (Till he by sinning raz'd it out from thence;) And well might be, for God no sin doth know, Nor Man did, till he fell, as Scriptures show: And had our Grand-sire Adam nere known sin The Art of Weaving need not to have been: For he before he did Commit offence, As I have said, was Cloath'd with innocence; But when through Satans wiles, he folly wrought, Sin brought forth shame, and shame a Covering sought And (wanting fitter,) they Figg leaves did take, Of which by shames constraint they Aprons make. Thus as the Proverb sayes, Man's quickly run Out of Gods blessing into the warm Sun: For he that even now all knowledge knew, And to whom all perfection did accrew, In whom all Sapience and all Science rested, Is now through disobedience so devested Of all his former knowledge, that he had Not understanding left him how to clad His naked body: O most haples fate! O alteration great! O wretched state! O great unhappy loss! How could it be When he thought what he late was, and now see A change so strange, and that so sodainly, But that he should forthwith despair and dye? Doubtles th' event had so been; had not he Who his ne'er failes at need, most graciously Upheld him by his Mercy, and likewise

Promis'd God should descend, that Man might rise: Nay more, when he in pitty did behold Mans naked body subject to the cold Of Winters blastes, and heat of Summers Sun, Also how ignorant he was become: God made them Coats of Skins, in which aray They thought themselves (poor wretches) very gay. See here how he that late was Lord of all That had a being on this Earthy Ball, Is of a suddain now become so poor That he must thrust his servant out of dore, And force his goods his great need to supply, Or he himself must cold and naked lye; The best Mans servant must be stript offs skin, That Man the Master might be wrap'd therein. This their first Cloathing was: but time that brings All things about, and from whose being springs Every invention, in time brought to pass The Art of Weaving: but when that time was It much uncertain is: report doth go Minerva did Invent it; but all know Who are but meanly read in History, That this report of her no truth can be: For Authors of best Credit do relate Minerva's life was of no elder date Then in or somewhat after Moses dayes: And let me tell you what this Moses sayes Concerning Weaving, for 'tis onely he That must herein our chiefest witness be: He being the first Historian that ere writ, And whose writing none can except 'gainst it: For he gives us to understand that when

The Tabernacle was erected, then The Curtains of fine twined Linnen were, And Blew, Purple, and Scarlet Silk was there; All which must needs be Weavers work, or how It could Imbroydred be I do not know; Also blew Riband to ty the Curtains were Appoynted, as the Text makes it appear. And to Minerva this could not belong, For shee was then not born or very yong Nay, if you backward look youl Weaving see, Above three hundred years elder to bee: For Abrahams Servant to Rebekah gave Rayments, which Rayments I would gladly crave Of any Man that can informe me whether It were not rather Weavers work, then leather? And that Esaus goodly Rayment Certainly Was Cloath, or Silk, (not Leather,) none deny: But here's as sure a proof, as can be had, Against which no exceptions can be made, That before this, when Lot was prisoner led, And presently by Abraham rescued, He tould the King He would not one thred take Of all the spoyl: And what can any make This thred to be, but Silk, Cloath, or apparrel That had been plundred in the former quarrel? More backward yet, when Noah did plant the Vine, And became drunk by drinking of the Wine, And so (not being himself,) uncover'd lay When his two modest Sons did make no stay To take a Garment, and going backward do Cover his nakedness; and who can show That this Garment was Leather? Rather I

Suppose it Cloath, and Weavings Antiquity A Thousand years more ancient then Noahs Floud, As probably it may be understood. Ile one degree therefore more run retrograde To enquire of what old Jabal's Tents were made? If any say of boughs; doubtles those they Had used before this time many a day; If others say of Leather, that I suppose (If Weaving were not) they wanted to make Cloathes. But why might not those Tents of Cloath be wrought, And Weaving ere that time into use brought? For the Worlds glass I ghess had then run out At least five hundred years, or thereabout: And might not the Weaver be as well then As the Smith, the Mason, and Musitian; And doubtles many other Trades, whose use That profit brings not which ours doth produce? And if (as sayth Josephus) Astronomie Invented was by Seth, unto which he Could not atain, but first he skill'd must bee In Arithmetick, and in Geometrie: So others might as their Genius inclin'd Imploy their Studies other Arts to find; And none could be more fit, nor was more needed Then Weaving, if they their own welfare heeded. But I must leave it doubtfull, because none Can certainly affirm when it begun. Now Ile return again, and as I go As far as my reading doth reach will show, Who, and what they were that are said to be The first Inventers of our Misterie. Here I must take my Rise, and to you show

What Lanquet or Cooper would have us know Out of their Chronicle, for they do say Weaving invented was by Naamah, Sister to Tubal-cain, and so might be, For shee noting her Brethrens industry, That each of them a several Art devised, Might shee not (also) thereby be surprised With emulation of their far spred fame? And perhaps hoping so to have her Name Enrolled among theirs, bent all her powers To bring to pass this worthy Art of ours? And that Her Brother Jabals Tents might be Of Cloath shee wrought, none knowes the contrarie But this may be a truth: for if we look Judiciously into the Sacred Book Among the Daughters born to Men before The universal floud the World run ore, You shall not read of any one but shee And Lamech's Wives, that nam'd are expresly; And for some special reason, (doubtless) shee Was mention'd above others, although we Know not the cause, nor I think ever hath Reavealed been, more then what that Text saith. But leaving her, as very probably To be th' Inventor of our Mistery: I doe intend here also to declare What others besides her recorded are To be the first Devisers of it, that What thereof written is, I may relate. Poliodorus in his History De Inventione Rerum doth specifie Three worthy Women, and of these three one

Minerva is; and he sayes shee alone Devised first to make Wool into Cloath, Which very likely is to be a troath: For I remember that I formerly Have read of Bacchus, who most Valiantly Did lead an Army into India, where He won much fame, as Histories declare: And that Minerva as Couragiously Being his Sister bore him Company; And many Countreys and great Citties he Conquer'd, being alwayes Crown'd with Victory, Until he siedge did to one Citty lay From before which he soon was driven away By Lightning and Thunder, that did proceed From off those Walls, as we do plainly read: And what can any Man judge this to be But Thundring Cannon shott? For certainly It then in use among them was, though we But late (yet much to soon) are come to be Accquainted with it, not being yet three hundred years, But they as many thousands, as appeares; For so long tis since Bacchus and Minerva did Conquer East-India, as of them we read. So Printing hath in Chyna and those parts Been no Man knows how long: and other Arts As Weaving, and such as did them concern, And there Minerva might her knowledge learn; Although 'tis very likely that they there (The Countrey being hot) all Silk did wear: But shee to Greece returning, where the Sun Being not so vehement, first begun To exercise her Silk in Wool; and so

It may be true, what Poliodore doth shew: And this is a good reason to produce To us that Silk-weaving was first in use; And those Garments of which we in Scripture read, Tis very like did all from Silk proceed. But let me mention Bacchus once agen, Who returning Victor back to Greece, did then From India bring Vines with him home, and so They Wine in Europe here first came to know: And for this great and good Commodity, They with a God-head did him dignify, Whose memory continueth to these times, We idely stiling Bacchus God of Wines; Who hath more followers then the greatest Sect Of all these many that us so infect. Minerva no less Honour (by our Trade, And other Arts shee taught) gain'd being made The Goddess of Arts and Armes: so I Shee being our Matron would shew her deitie: And this their Weaving and their Vines I ghess, They had from Noah, who did those parts possess After the floud, who there the Vine did plant, And being Drunk therewith did Covering want: And I suppose that Garment which was brought, Some kind of work was, by a Weaver wrought; And Weaving be (as I did lately say) Invented by, or before Naamah. But I have long digrest; now Ile proceed To shew more what from Poliodore I read. Linnen Cloath sayeth he, th' invention was Of one Arachne, being a Liddian Lass, But what shee was, or when liv'd, he doth not Name,

But Ovid sayes shee of mean Parents came. He further writes, that one Pamphila who The Daughter was of Platis, did first show, The way of Weaving Silk, whose dwelling Place As he relates, in th' Ile of Ceos was: But in what Age shee liv'd he doth not show: Neither do I in my smal reading know: But that must be long since, otherwise shee Could not th' Inventor of Silk-weaving be: Further he goeth on, and doth relate That Cloath of Gold and rich Roabs of estate Th' Invention was of Attulus: Nay he In one place sayes the Babilonians be Th' Inventors of our Art; and in another Th' Egyptians: but how this can hang together Let others Censure, for some ingeniously Think, he hath herein dealt as faithfully As when our Eighth King Henry did imploy Him, to compile one entire History, Containing the Occurrences of our Nation, Since People in it first had Habitation, Unto those times, that the deeds of our Ile, He into one sole Vollumne might compile: And to that purpose our Chiefest Histories, Ancient Reccords, Books of Antiquities, Were to his Lodging, or his Study sent, (As I have said,) onely for that intent; But he either envying our Iles fame should surpass, The Italians praise, where he a Native was, Or, for he was not able that to do, Which by the King he was appointed to, Or, through his negligence, they all were fired,

Without a rescue and suddainly expired. Which work hath since by learned Cambden been Effected, as to his lasting praise is seen: For his Brittama doth Proclame his worth, And Englands Fame and Monuments set forth. But for the other if the Abridgement be Translated from his large Book faithfully, He hath dealt as careless with our Mistery; For three things do compleat a History: That's Persons, Time, and Place; two of which he Hath oft ommitted here, but chiefly Time, Which next to Persons is, herein the prime: For if we knew the time when they did live, We might a more exact conjecture give Of their devising of it: but how ere, We read Women th' Inventors of it were; And be it true, 'tis no disparagement, That worthy Women did it first Invent. For they in other things have famous been, As may in History be plainly seen. To instance in a few, Semiramis Who liv'd in Abrahams time, renowned is, Whose manly courage, and stout heart was such, That Babels Empire, she enlarged much: And India her high praise can testifie, Had shee not falne to sensuality. So likewise Tomaris, a Sythian Queen, By her brave vallour, no less fame did win, Who in the Field, durst th' Persian Monarch meet, Warlike Cyrus, though his Armies were great, Him shee orecame, and in a Tub of bloud, Did cast his Head, saying: if it be good

There drink thy fill, in bloud thou didst delight, And much bloud spilt: now bloud shall thee requite: So th' Amasoman Queen, Penthasitia, Stout Achilles could not her dismay; Though he ('tis said,) was seven Cubites high, His height nor strength, could not her terrifie; Neither did on his manly power stand, But durst encounter with him, hand for hand; Although, he Hector, and brave Troylus slew, Yet shee had hopes that shee might him subdue; And though shee fail'd, What Man could more adventer Then in the Lists, with such a Champion enter? So in Phylosophy, Hippacia, was Learned so well, shee many did surpass; For to her lasting praise 'tis write that shee, In th' open Schooles, oft read Phylosophy. So Sapho was an excellent Poet known As by those that have writ of her is shown: So an English Woman at Rome frequently, In mans apparrel read Divinity; Whose Learning, and whose Zeal was thought so great That shee thereby attain'd the Papall seat; And by the name of John the Eight, (tis true) Was Pope of Rome until she fell in two. So Mercia, a Noble Lady who A King of Britains Wife was, long ago; Here devis'd Laws, which long after her name, Were Mercian Lawes call'd to her greater fame: To omit others, Queen Elizabeth, Even from her Crowning to her latest breath, No Man could her excell, in each degree; As tis known, to her famous memory.

So our Silk-weaving here in London was Wrought first by Women (may report take place;) Who did not only work it, but also Kept Shops themselves, and sold it, many know: And to the World the same to signifie, They Linnen Cloath about their Shops poasts ty: Which in their memory is used still By many that such sorts of Ware do sell. And to maintain this Weavings Credit I Did take this task in hand, and that thereby, I might take off reproach that lyes on it Was the Chief cause these lines by me were writ; Whose true worth to uphold, and blaze his praise, I will endeavour to my last of dayes. Thus a few worthy Women I have shown But many, many more are likewise known. Many several wayes as excellent As Men, and full as able to invent Rare workes, would they their studies bend thereto; As I for instance in a few here show. Then Weavers think it no disgrace to you, That Women found your Trade out. Be it true. Thus to my skill, who our Art did devise, I truely to you do Anatomize. Now something in its praise I mean to show, That the true worth of Weaving all may know, And also stop their months who villifie Our usefull Science undeservedly.