THE STOCKING-WEAVER.

The Stocking Weaver makes a part of the covering of the body worn in cold climates, including the foot the leg, and a part of the
thigh, commonly called stockings : the principal use of which is to defend tboie parts of the body from cold.

Formeriy stockings were made of cloths, or of milled stuffs, sewed together : but, since the invention of knitting and weaving stockings of silk, wool, cotton, thread, &c. the use of cloth stockings has been entirely discontinued. In the year 1561, Queen Elizabeth was presented with a pair of black silk knit stockings, with which she was so much pleased, as to discontinue the use of those made of cloth. Some years, however, previous to this, the French historians inform us, that their Henry the Second was the first person in the kingdom who wore silk stockings, so that we might conclude the custom passed from France to England about the time of the death of that monarch, in 1559.

But it is said by Dr. Howel, in his History of the World, that Henry VIII. commonly wore cloth hose, except by accident he obtained a pair of silk stockings. His son, Edward the Sixth, was presented with a pair of long Spanish silk stockings by Sir Thomas Graham, and the donation was highly esteemed. Whether, therefore, the invention of knit silk stockings came from France or Spain, is a question which it is now impossible to decide.

William Rider was the first person who made them in England; and it is he it is said, learned the art at the house of an Italian merchant, and knit a pair of worsted stockings, which he presented to William, Earl of Pembroke, in the year 1564.

Modern stockings, whether woven or knit, are formed of an indefinite number of little knots, called stitches, loops, or meshes, intermingled in one another.

Woven stockings are manufactured on a machine made of finely-polished iron or steel. It is of a structure too complex to admit of a description in this little work.

The invention of this machine is ascribed to William Lee, M. A. of St. John's College, Cambridge, in the year 1580. But by other
persons, the credit of it is given to a student of Oxford, who was driven to pursuits of industry through mere necessity. This young
man falling in love with an innkeeper's daughter, married her, though she had not a penny, and he, by his marriage lost his fellowship. They soon became miserably poor, and the only means by which they could support themselves, was the knitting of stockings, at which the woman was very expert. Sitting constantly together from morning to night, the young man observed, with great attention, the motion of his wife's fingers in the dextrous management of her needles, and, conceiving that it was possible to contrive a little loom, which might perform the work with more expedition, they soon began to make the experiment, which completely succeeded. Thus the stocking- loom was first invented, by which the inventor not only placed himself above want, but has rendered to his country great and important benefits, stockings being a considerable article of exportation from this to foreign countries.

This is the account given of the invention of the stocking loom by our own historians ; but the French say, that although the English
boast of being the investors of it, that it is in vain to attempt to deprive France of the glory of so useful an addition to our domestic arts.Everybody, they say, knows that this surprizing and useful machine was invented, by a Frenchman, who, finding some difficulty in obtaining an exclusive privilege to establish it at Paris, went over to England, where his machine was admired, and where he was himself munificently recompensed.

The loom has, of course, received several improvements, so that, at length, stockings of all, sorts can be made on it with great art and expedition. By means of some additional, machinery to the stocking- frame, the turned ribbed stockings are made, as well as those done with knitting-needles. These, together with the manner of making the open-work mills, a curious, sort of lace aprons, and hand-kerchiefs, as well as a great variety of figured goods for waistcoats, &c. have sprang from the same machine, and form now a considerable additional branch of the stocking trade.

Knit-stockings are made with needles of polished iron, which interweave the threads, and form the meshes, of which the stockings
consist. This part of the invention, as it is now practised, is given by some to Scotland, and by others to France, though it probably
originated in Spain. In Paris there is no great house without its porter, and these porters employ all their leisure moments in the knitting of stockings. In England, knitting is carried on as a trade in a singular manner. The wool-comber, in many parts of the country, appoints a day, generally once in a fortnight, or three weeks, when he will meet his spinners and his knitters, to deliver out his wool and his worsted to be spun and knit. The poor women and girls of the village meet him on the day appointed with -their work, return what they have spun or knit, and take other work instead. But the money which they obtain, either at spinning or knitting, is rarely more than six-pence or eight-pence a day. The wool-comber afterwards dresses the stockings, by stretching them on a wooden board, the shape of the leg and foot, having previously caused them to be scowered, or dyed, as the colour or colours require, and then he packs them up, either in a dozen or half dozen pairs, for sale, as in the case of woven stockings.

Knit stockings are much more durable than those made in the loom; but the time required for this work, especially if the material be very fine, raises the price too high for common wearers. But such is their superior durability, that coarse knit-stockings are preferred and worn by the common people in most parts of England, particularly by the men. The Scotch are said to make the best knit-stockings of any people in Europe, and they sell at enormously high prices, from thirty shillings to four or five pounds per pair.

A stocking- weaver requires more genius than strength. It is a profitable business to the master ; but journeymen must have considerable application to earn more than a guinea and a half a week. It is, however, clean neat work, and unexposed to the inclemencies of the weather. They are paid so much for each pair of stockings, and the price varies according to the fineness of the thread, cotton, silk, or worsted, of which they are manufactured : if, however, the workmen do not possess a loom of their own, they, allow the master two shillings a week for the use of his. Looms will cost from fifty to a hundred find fifty guineas each.

The hosier purchases stockings, night-caps, socks, gloves, &c. from the manufacturer, and sells them again. Some of them employ
looms, and are, in that respect, stocking- weavers. The business of the hosier consists in being able properly to appreciate the value of the goods in which he deals, an art which is easily acquired, and which ought to be reserved for the female sex, for whom, unfortunately, there are not a sufficient number of occupations appropriated.