scribed in the second row of squares, and the instruction for this would be "pass nineteen, take three; pass eight, take two." The third shoot comprises other parts of the flower, and the workman would be told, "pass ten, take three; pass five, take five; pass seven, take two; pass seven, take four;" and proceeding thus with as many cross shoots as there are of transverse lines on the paper, which in this case comprises only thirty-five, the whole design would be included.

When this is done, the next operation is to attach the threads thus interlaced to the card-punching machine. This piece of mechanism is in every way similar in its principle, and nearly identical in its arrangements, with the Jacquard machine; being, like it, provided with lifting-cords, and wires, and needles, all connected in the manner already described in this chapter, so that by pulling the lifting-cords, the needles will be protruded. In front of these needles, and answering to the revolving bar, a perforated plate, about two inches thick, is fixed: each of the perforations in this is provided with a movable steel punch or cutter of a cylindrical form, so that the protrusion of any of the needles will drive forward their corresponding punches, and deposit them in another similarly perforated iron plate, about one inch in thickness, temporarily applied for that purpose against the face of the plate first described.

One end of each warp thread in the pattern is then to be connected in succession with the individual lifting-cords of the machine; and it is evident that if the different threads which form the shoot, and which for this purpose are made to hang out on each side beyond the selvage of the warp, are taken separately and in succession by each end and drawn upwards, all the warp threads wherewith each cross thread is engaged, will be separated from the rest, and may be collected together in the hand; by then pulling them, the particular lifting cords to which they are attached will be drawn, their corresponding needles will be protruded, and the cylindrical cutters by that means driven out of the perforations in the fixed plate into the corresponding cavities of the movable plate.

The blank card-slip, which is to be perforated, is next applied to the face of the movable plate, and against the points of the punches; and both being then removed together, and placed upon a third perforated plate in a press, the punches are driven through the card-slip in the requisite spots. The punches being replaced in the machine, a second shoot of the thread pattern drawn up, and its interlaced

warp thread pulled as before, the punches connected with the answering lifting-cords and needles are in like manner protruded into the movable plate, and forced through another blank card; and, by proceeding in this manner, the whole series of card-slips will be unerringly prepared. Having been previously numbered, there is no difficulty in attaching them together in their proper order of succession, holes for this purpose being made by the same action of the press which stamps the perforations for the pattern, punches for this purpose being permanently inserted in proper cavities of the movable iron plate.

A modification of the Jacquard machine has been introduced to use by Mr. Samuel Dean, of Bethnal Green, also an operative weaver. In this the card-slips are altogether dispensed with, by adopting the use of two revolving bars placed on opposite sides of the machine. Each of these bars. has eight faces, and the loom is actuated by two treadles. The variations of pattern are provided for in the working of this machine, by temporarily stopping such holes in the revolving bars as will influence the raising of those threads of the warp upon which the production of the pattern depends. It is quite obvious, however, that this modification can only be applied to the production of very simple patterns, it being capable of employing no more than sixteen casts of the shuttle for their completion. This altered arrangement is, therefore, of very limited utility, and bears no comparison with the truly valuable invention of Jacquard.

In one branch, and that an essential one, of the interesting art of figure weaving, the manufacturers of Lyons enjoy a superior reputation to us; their designs are more pleasing, more varied, and display a more correct taste than ours can boast. For this superiority there is a very sufficient reason furnished, by the establishment existing in that city of "the School of Arts," which offers valuable means for the study of drawing in all its various branches, and where pattern designers are ably instructed in all the best rules of the art which they cultivate.

The English have been considered inferior to their continental neighbors in the faculty of invention, at least in this particular branch of the fine arts. Without entering into the investigation of this question, which might, perhaps, in any case, be decided more under the influence of national partiality than according to the fact, it must be owned that the French have adopted systematic means for calling forth and improving the talent of tasteful invention; while with

us this is left entirely to individual and unassisted efforts. It is, besides, probable that the favor wherewith French patterns are received by the leaders of fashion in this country, tends still further to repress the efforts of English artists, as far as originality is concerned; since it is found more profitable to imitate or to copy patterns, thus recommended to the general adoption, than to venture upon producing others, which would be without this adventitious value.

CHAP. V.

MECHANICAL, OR POWER-WEAVING.

Great Advantages of Machinery in abridging Labor.-First Proposal for a Power-Loom.-Dr. Cartwright's Invention.-Causes of its little Success. -Parliamentary Reward.-Austin's Power-Loom.-Mode of its Action. -Reasons for preferring Hand-weaving for Silken Fabrics.-Hand-PowerLooms.-Mr. Sadler's Invention.-Double and Quadruple Looms.-Proportion wherein they are said to abridge Labor.

THE means of substituting mechanical power for the labor of the hands in weaving must be classed among the splendid offerings made by genius at the shrine of utility.

The facility thus given to the production of goods has always excited the apprehensions, and frequently has prompted the hostility, of persons previously employed in their manufacture. Even among other and better informed classes there have not been wanting systematic opponents to the introduction of machinery, who, taking up the broad line of argument maintained by Montesquieu, have asserted that the saving of labor is hurtful to the true interests of communities. That the first introductions of mechanical facilities to labor have been, and must always be, accompanied by hardship to the artisans previously employed in any branch so invaded, is a position which, although frequently much exaggerated, is yet incontrovertibly true; but however much the fact may be deplored, and however strenuously the benevolent man should set himself to devise and to practise means for alleviating the unavoidable evil, there still would be but little wisdom, and, taking a more extended view, but little real philanthropy, in setting bounds to the progress of improvements which are calculated to bring the enjoyments and conveniences of life within the reach of a larger number of indi viduals. The injury to the deprived artisan is probably but temporary, while the benefit to society is lasting and progressive. The very individuals who suffer from this kind of

interference with their own particular line of pursuit, are interested in fostering improvements in regard to every other article of human production. The class of consumers must always be more numerous than that of producers; and it would be difficult in the present day to maintain the proposition, that the lasting interests of the many are to be sacrificed for the temporary advantage of a number comparatively insignificant.

It can scarcely be considered as properly belonging to a treatise on the silk manufacture, to enter historically and at length into the question of the first invention of power-looms; or, to speak more correctly, into a description of the means proposed for their achievement, since the practicability of such an adaptation was imagined, and projects for its accomplishment were published, many years before these were submitted to the test of practice.

As early as the close of the seventeenth century, the drawing and description of a loom for mechanical weaving was presented to the Royal Society of London. Although there is every reason for believing that this circumstance was wholly unknown to the ingenious author of the actual loom first employed in this very interesting object, there does not appear to exist any material difference between this machine and the earlier description. The conception and accomplishment of this important invention, by a gentleman totally unconnected with the pursuit of manufactures, unacquainted even at the time with the commonest processes used in weaving, whose pursuits in life were of a nature wholly foreign to the mechanical arts, and whose attention was drawn to the subject by circumstances purely accidental, is a fact so curious and interesting, that the insertion of the following letter, which the inventor, the Rev. Edmund Cartwright, D.D., afterwards wrote upon the subject to the respectable secretary to the Chamber of Commerce in Glasgow, needs no apology :

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Happening to be at Matlock in the summer of 1784, I fell in company with some gentlemen of Manchester, when the conversation turned on Arkwright's spinning machinery. One of the company observed, that as soon as Arkwright's patent expired, so many mills would be erected, and so much cotton spun, that hands never could be found to weave it. To this observation I replied, that Arkwright must then set his wits to work to invent a weaving mill. This brought on a conversation on the subject, in which the Manchester gentlemen unanimously agreed that the thing was impracticable; and, in defence of their opinion, they adduced arguments

which I certainly was incompetent to answer or even to comprehend, being totally ignorant of the subject, having never at that time seen a person weave. I controverted, however, the impracticability of the thing, by remarking that there had lately been exhibited in London an automaton figure which played at chess. Now you will not assert, gentlemen,' said I, 'that it is more difficult to construct a machine that shall weave, than one which shall make all the variety of moves which are required in that complicated game.'

"Some little time afterwards a particular circumstance recalling this conversation to my mind, it struck me that, as in plain weaving, according to the conception I then had of the business, there could be only three movements which were to follow each other in succession, there would be little difficulty in producing and repeating them. Full of these ideas, I immediately employed a carpenter and smith to carry them into effect. As soon as the machine was finished, I got a weaver to put in the warp, which was of such materials as sail-cloth is usually made of: to my great delight a piece of cloth, such as it was, was the produce. As I had never before turned my thoughts to any thing mechanical, either in theory or practice, nor had ever seen a loom at work, or knew any thing of its construction, you will readily suppose that my first loom must have been a most rude piece of machinery. The warp was placed perpendicularly; the reed fell with a force of at least half a hundred weight; and the springs which threw the shuttle were strong enough to have thrown a Congreve rocket; in short, it required the strength of two powerful men to work the machine at a slow rate, and only for a short time. Conceiving, in my great simplicity, that had accomplished all that was required, I then secured what I thought a most valuable property by a patent, 4th of April, 1785. This being done, I then condescended to see how other people wove; and you will guess my astonishment when I compared their easy modes of operation with mine. Availing myself, however, of what I then saw, I made a loom, in its general principles nearly as they are now made : but it was not till the year 1787 that I completed my invention, when I took out my last weaving patent, August 1, of that year."

The history of this invention is farther curious, as illustrating some of the many difficulties which so frequently attend upon the introduction of new plans, and which call for the exercise of patience the most unwearied, and of energies the most unquenchable, to preserve inventions of even the

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