Page:Textile fabrics; a descriptive catalogue of the collection of church-vestments, dresses, silk stuffs, needle-work and tapestries, forming that section of the Museum (IA textilefabricsde00soutrich).pdf/145

 Greeks as well as Latins, all of whom beheld, in their several liturgies, many illustrations of the system. It was not confined to clerics, but laymen warmly followed it. The artist, whether he had to set forth his work in painting or mosaic; the architects, whether they were entrusted with the raising of a church, or building a royal palace, nay a dwelling-*house, were, each of them, but too glad to avail themselves, under clerical guidance, of such a powerful help for beautiful variety and happy illustration as was afforded them by Christian Symbolism. So systematized at last became this subject that by the eleventh century we find it separated into three branches—beasts, birds, and stones—and works were written upon each. Those upon beasts were, as they still are, known bv the title of "Bestiaria," or books on beasts; "Volucraria," on birds, and "Lapideria," on stones. About the same period, as an offset from symbolism, heraldry sprang up; whether the crusaders were the first to bethink themselves of such a method for personal recognition and distinction; or whether they borrowed the idea from the peoples in the east, and while adopting, much improved upon it, matters not; heraldry grew out of symbolism. Very soon it was made to tell about secular as well as sacred things; and poets, nay political partizans were quick in their learning of its language. The weaver too of silken webs was often bade, while gearing his loom, to be directed by its teaching, as several specimens in this collection will testify. That some of the patterns, made up of beasts and birds, upon silken stuffs from Sicilian, or Italian looms and here before us, were sketched by a partizan pencil and advisedly meant to carry about them an historic, if not political signification, we do not for a moment doubt. Several instances of sacred symbolism here, have been specified, and some explanation of it given.

The "gammadion," or the cross made thus a figure which, as we said before, is to be seen traced upon the earliest heathenish art-works, as well as the latest mediæval ones for Christian use, may be often found wrought on textiles here.

Knowing, as we do, that the first time this symbol shows itself to our eyes, is in the pattern figured on a web of the Pharaonic period, it is to the early history of Egypt we ought to go, if we wish to learn its origin and meaning.

The most astounding event of the world's annals was the going out of Israel from Egypt. The blood of the lamb slain and sacrificed the evening before, and put upon both the door-posts, as well as sprinkled at