HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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man, however, appeared to promise for a short time a respite from its ex-pected fate. The fostering protection afforded to commerce threw in someassistance to the finances of the state, and the gallantry of the generals whocommanded its armies, particularly that of the renowned Belisarius, raised fora moment the credit and consequence of their former discipline and prowess.The reform, however, was unstable, and could not be permanent, because ithad unfortunately taken place in a quarter which could not fail of proving inthe end injurious to the state. Had the efforts of commerce been prudentlydirected in their proper channel, had they ministered only to the real wants ofthe people, instead of fostering their luxuries, the government would haverapidly acquired additional strength, instead of finding its subjects and sup-,porters enervated, and incapable of contributing to its strength.

Silk had, for a long time, been in some measure an article of Roman dress.Though its use had been repeatedly censured by the graver part of the citizens,,yet there were some persons, as will be invariably the case in all countrieswhatever, who were hardy enough to bid defiance both to ridicule and satire.The Roman ladies became infected with the vanitv, which though slowlv, vetprogressively encreased in influence, and in power. The more opulent of theRoman people, and even the inhabitants of the distant provinces, becamealmost magically affected by the example of Ileliogabalus, the emperor, who, onaccount of his elevated rank, and his public appearance in a silken robe,appeared to countenance and protect a similar extravagance among his subjects.In the time of Justinian, this commercial intercourse with China, the onlycountry from whence that article could be procured in any quantity, had risento a very considerable height. Nevertheless, from its immense value, consi-dering its bulk and weight, the traffic was carried on entirely by means ofcaravans, notwithstanding the land journey was unavoidably pursued throughthe most dreary and dangerous deserts for a space of nearly eight months.The art of navigation, and the assistance capable of being rendered it by theknowlege of astronomy, was as yet but very imperfectly understood, and thewonderful properties of the loadstone remained totally hidden from the mind ofEuropeans. The Chinese, who were far greater adepts than any of thosepeople who were considered as the most enlightened and scientific in the uni-verse, sought neither to encrease their stock of knowlege, nor to promulgewhat they possessed ; so that all intercourse with the east was absolutely pre-9 eluded,.