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76 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF SILK
EIGHTH CENTURY.
BEDE, CL.j A. D. 701.
Joseph autem mercatus est sindonem, et deponens eum involvit sindone. (Marc.
XV. 46.)—Et ex simplici sepultura domini ambitio divitum condemnatur, qui ne in
tumulis quidem possunt carere divitiis. Possumus autem juxta inteiligentiam spir-
italem hoc sentire, quod corpus domini non aiu-o, non gemmis et serico, sed linteamine
puro obvolvendum sit, quanquam et lioc significet, quod ille m sindone mun-
da involvat Jesum, qui puia eum mente susceperit. Hinc ecclesiaj mos obtinuit,
ut sacrificium altaris non in serico, neque in panno tincto, sed in lino terreno cel-
ebrctur, sicut corpus est domini in sindone mimda sepultimi, juxta quod in gestis
pontificalibus a beato Papa, Silvestro legimus esse statutum.
torn. V. p. 207. Col. Agrip. 1688.
—
Expos, in Marcum,
But Joseph bought a linen cloth, and, taking him down, wrapped him in the
linen cloth. (Mark xv. 46.)—The simple burial of our Lord condemns the am-
bition of rich men, who cannot be without wealth even in their tombs. That his
body is to be wrapped not in gold, not in silk and precious stones, but in pure
linen, may be understood by us spiritually. It also intimates, that he incloses
Jesus in a clean linen cloth, who receives him with a pure mind. Hence the
custom of the church has obtained, to celebrate the sacrifice of the altar, not in
silk, nor in dyed cloth, but in earthy flax, as the body of our Lord was buried in
a clean linen cloth ; for so we read in the pontifical acts, that it was decreed by
the blessed Pope Silvester.
The latter portion of this extract, wherein we are informed
of the origin of the practice, universally adopted, of covering
the Eucharist with a white linen cloth, must be a later addi-
tion. Pope Silvester lived, as the reader will perceive, long
after the time of Bede.
Bede, in his History of the Abbots of Wearmouth, states
that the first abbot and founder of the monastery, Biscop, surnamed
Benedict, went a fifth time to Rome for ornaments and
books to enrich it, and on this occasion (A. D. 685.) brought
two scarfs, or palls, of incomparable workmanship, composed
entirely of silk, with which he afterwards purchased the land
of three families situated at the mouth of the Wear*. This
shows the high value of silken articles at that period.
* Bedffi Hist. Eccles. &c. cura Jo. Smith. Cantab. 1722. p. 297. Mr. Sharon
Turner, speaking of Bede, says, " His own remains were inclosed in silk. Mag.
Bib. xvi. p. 88. It often adorned the altars of the church ; and wc read of a pres-
ent to a West-Saxon bishop of a casula, not entirely of silk, but mixed with goat's