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THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 fe^^^'^I-?. ^-^ 
 
 THE SHOP OF EENfe THE PEBFUMEB, ON POHT 
 AU CHANGE, PARIS. 
 
THE 
 
 BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 3> 
 
 -J 
 
 EUGENE EIMMEL, 
 
 MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS, AND REPORTER OF THE JURY AT THE GREAT 
 EXHIBITION (PERFUMERY CLASS), 
 
 ABOVE 250 ILLUSTRATIONS BY BOURDELIN, THOMAS, ETC. 
 
 LOIS'DON: 
 
 CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY. 
 
 TO BE HAD ALSO OF THE AtJTHOR, 
 
 96, STRAND, 128, REGENT STREET, 24, CORNHILL, LONDON. 
 17, BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS, PARIS. 
 
 MDCCCLXV. 
 
 \_All Mights of Translation and Reproduction Reserved], 
 
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 8TKHIKN AUSTIN, 
 
 PEXNTEH, IIERTroaD. 
 
PEEFACE. 
 
 LTHOTJGH I am aware that Prefaces are 
 out of fashion, and that it is now custo- 
 mary to plunge at once in m edicts res, I feel 
 bound in this instance to deviate from the 
 general rule, and to explain how I was led to emerge 
 from the depths of my laboratory, and to appear thus 
 before the public in an entirely new character. Four 
 years ago, I had to prepare for the Society of Arts 
 a paper on "The Art of Perfumery, its History and 
 Commercial Development," and, to qualify myself for the 
 task, I was forced to devour a huge pile of hig hooks 
 in order to ascertain through what mysterious arts the 
 Ancients ministered to the gratification of their olfac- 
 tory sense, and to the embellishment of "the human 
 face divine." Two j^ears later, I was called upon 
 to form part of the Jury at the Great Exhibition, 
 and to draw up the official report of the Perfumery 
 class. The researches I had to make on the former 
 occasion, and the observations I gathered on the latter, 
 gave me a complete insight into the world of " sweet 
 smells," both ancient and modern ; and, thinking that 
 the notes I had thus collected, combined with the 
 
 b 
 
PEEFACE. 
 
 I'esults of iny experience as a practical perfumer, and 
 of my rambles in foreign lands, miglit prove in- 
 teresting to some readers, and especially to ladies, 
 I published in tbe "Englishwoman's Magazine" a 
 series of articles on the " History of Perfumery and 
 the Toilet." These few stray leaves ha\Tng met with 
 a much more favourable reception than I had pre- 
 sumed to anticipate, I have been induced to re-publish 
 them in the shape of a book, adding thereto a great 
 deal of fresh matter, and numerous illustrations. 
 
 Many writers have already exercised their pen on 
 the subject of Perfumery, from Aspasia, the wife of 
 Pericles, to Mr. Charles Lilly, tbe Perfumer, of the 
 Strand, at the corner of Beaufort Buildings, whose pre- 
 mises I have now the honour of occupj^ing, and whose 
 name was immortalized in the " Tatler," and other 
 magazines of the period. The list of these works 
 would be long and tedious, and those that are worth 
 noticing will be found chronicled in their proper place 
 in the following pages. 
 
 Modern books on Perfumery may be divided into 
 two classes, some being simply books of recipes, laying 
 claim to a useful purpose which, however, they do not 
 fulfil, since they contain nothing but antiquated 
 formulaD long discarded by intelligent practitioners ; 
 and others being what our neighbours call reclames, 
 namely, woi-ks written in a higb-ilown style, but inva- 
 riably terminating en queue de jMisso)!, with the praise 
 of some preparation manufactured b^' the author. 
 
 Besides these productions, articles on Perfumery 
 
PKEFACE. Til 
 
 have occasionally appeared in periodicals ; but though 
 some of them are handled with evident talent, the 
 want of technical knowledge on the part of the writers 
 considerably impairs their value. I may mention as 
 an instance an essay of that kind lately published by 
 the " Grand Journal," in which a certain Parisian 
 doctor gravely asserts that rouge is made of ver- 
 milion, and commits numerous other blunders, which 
 may pass unnoticed by the general public, but which 
 in the eye of a practical man, denote his utter igno- 
 rance of the subject he attempted to treat. 
 
 In writing this book, I have endeavoured to steer 
 clear of these objections, by adopting the following 
 plan, which will be foiind to differ entirely from those 
 of my predecessors. After devoting a few pages to 
 the physiology of odours in general, I trace the his- 
 tory of perfumes and cosmetics from the earliest times 
 to the present period, and that is the principal feature 
 of my work. I then briefly describe the various modes 
 in use for extracting the aromas from plants and 
 flowers, and conclude with a summary of the principal 
 fragrant materials used in our manufacture ; in fine, 
 I give all the information which I think likely to 
 interest the general reader. The only recipes which 
 I quote are those which I think, from their quaintness, 
 likely to amuse, but I abstain from giving modern 
 formula;, for the following reasons, which I hope may 
 appear sufficient : 
 
 There was a time when ladies had a private still- 
 room of their own, and personally superintended the 
 
"VIU PEEFACE. 
 
 various " confectious " used for their toilet ; but it 
 was then almost a matter of necessity, since native 
 perfumers were scarce, and exotic preparations ex- 
 jjensive and difficult to procure. Such is not the 
 case now: good perfumers and good perfumes are 
 abundant enough ; and, with the best recipes in the 
 world, ladies would be unable to equal the productions 
 of our laboratories, for how could they procure the 
 various materials which we receive from all parts of 
 the world ? And were they even to succeed in so doing, 
 there would still be wanting the necessary utensils 
 and the modus faciendi, which is not easily acquired. 
 I understand the use of a cookery-book, for the 
 culinarjr art is one that must be practised at home ; 
 but perfumery can always be bought much better 
 and cheaper from dealers, than it could be manufac- 
 tured privateljr by untutored persons. 
 
 The recipes, therefore, admitting them to be genuine, 
 would only bo of use to those who follow the same 
 pursuit as myself. But is it to be reasonably ex- 
 pected that, after spending my life in perfecting my 
 art, I am thus to throw away the result of my 
 labours in a fit of Quixotic generosity? Had I dis- 
 covered some means of alleviating the suiFerings of 
 my fellow- creatures, I should think myself in duty 
 bound to divulge my secret for the benefit of hu- 
 manity at large; but I do not feel impelled by the 
 same considerations to give to my rivals in trade the 
 benefit of my practical experience, for then, indeed, 
 "Othello's occupation" would be "gone." This may be 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 thought by some a selfish way of reasoning; but on 
 due reflection, they will find that I am only more sincere 
 than those who appear to act differently. As a proof, 
 I need but point out the inconsistency of a perfumer 
 who claims some superiority for his art in compounding, 
 and who, at the same time, explains by what means 
 he attains that superiority. Is he not at once de- 
 stroying his prestige if he professes to enable others 
 to manufacture just as well as himself? The con- 
 clusion of all this is, that the recipes given in books 
 are never those actually used ; and I say, therefore, 
 cui bono ? 
 
 If I have avoided recipes, I have also shunned any 
 allusions to my personal trade. As a man of business, 
 I do not underrate the value of advertisements ; but 
 I like everything in its place, and consider this hybrid 
 mixture of literature and puff, an insult to the good 
 sense of the reader. 
 
 Before I close this brief address, I wish to acknow- 
 ledge, with best thanks, the assistance I have received 
 in the shape of very interesting notes, from many of 
 my friends and correspondents, among whom I may 
 mention, Mr. Edward Greey, of the Eoj^al West 
 India Mail Company ; Mr. Chapeli^, of Tunis ; Mr. 
 Thunot, of Tahiti ; Mr. Schmidt, of Shang-Hae ; Mr. 
 Elzingre, of Manilla ; Professor Miiller, of Melbourne ; 
 Mr. Hannaford, of Madras ; and last, not least, Mr. S. 
 Henry Berthoud, the eminent French litterateur, who 
 very kindly placed his unique museum at my disposal. 
 
 I have also found some valuable information in the 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 following books (besides otbers mentioned in the course 
 of the work) :— Sir Gardner Wilkinson's " Ancient 
 Egyptians;" Mr. Layard's "Nineveh;" Mr. Eastwick's 
 excellent translations of Sadl's " Gulistan," and the 
 "Anvar-I Suhaili;" Mr. Monier Williams's no less 
 admirable adaptation of " Sakoontala ; " Consul Pethe- 
 rick's " Egypt, the Soudan, and Central Africa ;" Dr. 
 Livingstone's "Travels," and Mr. Wright's " Domestic 
 Manners and Sentiments During the Middle Ages." 
 I have not the honour of knowing these authors, but 
 I hope they \vill excuse me for having borrowed 
 from them what belonged to my subject. 
 
 In conclusion, I crave for this offspring of my leisure 
 hours (which are but few), the same indulgence which 
 has been shown to the objects contained in the Work- 
 men's Exhibitions lately held in various parts of the 
 Metropolis, in which the labour and difficulty in pro- 
 ducing an article is more taken into account than the 
 actual merit of the production. Mine is a plain, un- 
 varnished tale, without any literary pretension what- 
 ever ; and if I have picked up a few gems on my way, 
 and inserted them in my mosaic work, I claim but to 
 be the humble cement which holds them together. 
 
 EUGENE RIMMEL. 
 
 96, Strand, \5th December, 1864. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Preface. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Physiology of Perfumes. 
 
 PACE 
 
 The sense of smell — Origin of Perfumery — The Perfumer's art — • 
 Perfumes used at first for sacred rites — Plan of this work — Nature of 
 odours — Floral clock — Classification of odours — Influence of scents 
 on memory — Medicinal properties attributed to perfumes by the 
 ancients — Flowers more injurious than perfumes — Natural instinct to 
 prefer pleasant odours 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 The Egyptians. 
 
 Perfumes applied to three distinct purposes in Egypt — Religious 
 festivals — 'The sacred bull, Apis — Ointments offered to the gods — The 
 fHes of Isis and Osiris — Processions — Kings anointed — Methods used 
 for embalming the dead — Incense and honors paid to mummies — 
 Funeral vases — Animals embalmed — Modern mode of embalming — 
 Ointments — The first perfumers — Cosmetics used by ladies — 'The 
 toilet of an Egyptian belle — Cleopatra and Mark Antony — Egyptian 
 banquets — Agesilaus — A "sensation" scene — The hair and beard — 
 Egyptian wigs — Ladies' head-dresses 15 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Jews. 
 
 Noah's sacrifice — Balm of Gilead — Altar of incense — Holy incense 
 and anointing oil — Jewish kings anointed — Stacte, onycha, and gal- 
 banum — Penalties against using holy perfumes for private purposes — 
 Purification of women — Esther and Ahasuerus — Judith and Holo- 
 
XU CONTENTS. 
 
 p. 
 femes — Solomon's Song — Aromatics used by the Jews — Camphire — 
 Spikenard — Saffron — Frankincense — My rrli — Aloes — Clothes and 
 beds perfumed — Aromatic plants abundant in Judsea — Anointing — 
 Embalming — Soap not known by the Jews — Cosmetics and toilet 
 implements — Jewish customs x^reserved in the Holy Land — Jewish 
 ornaments — Mode of wearing the hair — King Solomon's pages . . . 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Ancient Asiatic Nations. 
 
 The garden of Eden — Ancient authors and modern discoveries — 
 Assyrian deities and worship — The temple of Belus — Nimrod's altar — 
 Zoroaster — Origin of the sacred fire — Sardanapalus — Nineveh and 
 Babylon — The hanging gardens — Babylonian perfumes and cos- 
 metics — Parsondes and Nanarus — Astyages and Cyrus — The Persians — 
 Darius and his perfume-chest — Antiochas Epiphanes — A "sweet" 
 monarch — The Lydians — The hair and beard — Ladies' head-dresses — 
 The marriage-market at Babylon — Mausolus, and his little specu- 
 lation 59 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Greeks. 
 
 Greek deities and sacrifices — Eleusinian mysteries — Juno's toilet — ■ 
 Pallas and Penelope — Phaon's transformation — Medea's renovating 
 process — Origin of Greek pei-fumery — Diogenes' notions about scents — 
 List of Greek perfumes — Athenian perfumers — Grecian entertain- 
 ments — Socrates' horror of scents and baths — Milto — Greek cosmetics 
 and hair dye — Lais and Myron — Euneral rites — Anacreon's wish — 
 The toilet tribunal — Grecian ladies' head-dresses — Hair cut off in 
 mourning , 77 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Romans. 
 
 Early Roman sacrifices — Religious worship and funeral rites — 
 Ticinus Menas — Lucius Plotius — The Roman emperors' taste for per- 
 fumes — Roman baths — The Emperor Hadrian — Caracalla's baths — 
 A matron at her toilette — Roman perfumes and cosmetics — Roman 
 perfumers — Catullus and Martial — A Roman lean — Poppa?a's fifty 
 asses — Ovid's book on cosmetics — Hair dyes — Modes of dressing the 
 hair — Otho's wig — Plioebus's expedient 97 
 
CONTENTS. XIU 
 
 CHAPTER Til. 
 The Orientals. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Eastern Empire — The Arabs — Avicenna — The invention of 
 rose-water — Oriental courtesies — Censer and Gulabdan — Mahomet's 
 Paradise — Musky walls — Turkish baths — Scented clay used as soap — 
 Sadi's " Gulistan " — Hafiz's love of flowers — Tanjtakh and Yezdijird — 
 Turkish ladies — List of Oriental cosmetics and mode of preparing 
 them — Eastern mode of wearing the hair — The king of Persia's 
 barber H9 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Fak East. 
 
 Perfumery used in India 2000 years ago — Sakoontala — Sacred 
 fires — Ointments — Henna — The five Hindu heavens — Kama, the 
 Indian Cupid — Religious ceremonies — Tibetan altar — Cochin-Chinese 
 sacrifices — Hindu marriages and funerals — Origin of otto of roses — ■ 
 Indian flowers and essences — Extracts from Indian poems relating 
 to flowers and perfumes — Hindu perfumers and barbers — Incense used 
 by Mussulmans — Exorcisms — Cosmetics — Origin of soorma — Indian 
 mode of dressing the hair — Himalayan fashions — Chinese censers — 
 Chinese funerals — Chinese perfumers and cosmetics — Chinese flowers — 
 Three styles of coifi'ure used in China — Japanese perfumers and cos- 
 metics — Japanese funerals — Style of hair-dressing in Japan .... 139 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Uncivilized Nations. 
 
 Savage modes of adornment — African ointments — Tola pomatum' — ■ 
 Bridal toilet at Fernando Po — African head-dresses : the cocked-hat, 
 nimbus, and shoe-brush styles — The Ounyamonezi — King Radama's 
 system of hair-cutting — ^Arab, Nubian, and Abyssinian coiffures — The 
 language of oyster-shells — A begging bridegroom — A pat on the 
 head — A bath in a teacup — The enamelling process in Soudan — , 
 
 Fashions in Central Africa — The Neam-Nam and Como peasants — 
 Blue hair and red skin — The Tagals and Loo-Choo Islanders — Lord 
 Macaulay's New Zealander — Tattooing in New Zealand — The artist's 
 song — Embalmed heads— Rainbow style of hair dyeing in Fee-jee — 
 Powdered beaux — White versus black. — Nooka-hiva and Tahiti — Terra 
 del Fuego — South American Indians — Facial painting among the 
 Redskins — Indian mourning 167 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 From Ancient to Modern Times. 
 
 PAGR 
 
 Gauls and Britons — The Druids — Roman conquest — Clovis — Char- 
 lemagne—Sweet rushes— Embalming— The Crusades— Introduction 
 of rose-water — The perfumers' charter — Mediasval times — Hungary- 
 water — The Renaissance — Venetian hair-dyes — Catherine de Medieis 
 —The secrets of Master Alexis— Queen Elizabeth— Pomanders— The 
 boat of foolish smells— Musk and civet— Casting-bottles— Perfumed 
 ground — Aromatic fumigations — Sweet bellows — Buoklersbury in 
 Shakespeare's time — Perfumery hawkers — Charles I. — The Common- 
 wealth — Charles II. — Patches — Hair -powder — Louis XIV. — The 
 Prince de Conde's snuff — Ancient recipes — Louis XV. — The Georges 
 — English perfumers of the last century — French charlatans — The 
 hair and beard — Ladies' head-dresses 189 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The Commercial Uses of Flowers and Plants. 
 
 Countries whence perfumery materials are obtained — Proposed 
 British flower-farms — Distillation, expression, maceration, and ab- 
 sorption — Semeria's new system of enjleurafje — Piver's pneumatic 
 apparatus — Millon's percolating process — Quantities of flowers con- 
 sumed — Manufacture of perfumery — London and Paris perfumers — 
 Scents, toilet soaps, cosmetics, etc. — Glycerine — Volatilisation of per- 
 fumes — A word of advice to ladies 223 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Materials Used in Perfumery. 
 
 The animal series, musk, civet, and ambergris — The floral, herbal, 
 andropogon, citrine, spicy, ligneous, radical, seminal, balmy, fruity, 
 and artificial series — New materials — East India essences — Australian 
 trees and flowers — Other aromatic products 241 
 
 Appendix 265 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 FKONTISPIECE— The Shop of Rene, the Perfumer, on 
 Po.\T-AU-CiiANGE, Pakis to face the Title. 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. I.— The Floral World to face 1 
 
 Initial A ib. 
 
 A Primitive Perfume Altar 4 
 
 Egyptian Princess 6 
 
 Powdered Belle of the last century ... ... ... ... ih. 
 
 African Head-dress 7 
 
 Lepcha Head-dress ib. 
 
 Floral Clock 8 
 
 LinNjEus, the Botanist 9 
 
 "The Young Arab" 12 
 
 Perfumery and Toilet Attributes (Tail-piece) 14 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. II.— An Egyptian Temple, to face 15 
 
 Initial L ii. 
 
 Mummy Pit 16 
 
 Rhamses III. Sacrificing ... 17 
 
 Egyptian Censers (Two Illustrations) 18 
 
 Offerings op Ointment (Two Illustrations) 19 
 
 Priest Pouring Oil over a Mummy' 21 
 
 Embalming Mummies (Perfuming the Body) 22 
 
 Embalming Mummies (Binding the Body) ih. 
 
 Embalming Mummies (Painting the Case) 23 
 
 Funeral Vase 24 
 
 Mummy of a Cat 25 
 
 Alabaster Vase containing Ointment 26 
 
 Ointment Boxes (Four Illustrations) 27 
 
 Ointment Box with Compartments ih. 
 
XVI 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 A Theban Lady's Dressing-case 
 
 Kohl Bottles and Bodkin (Three Illustrations) .. 
 
 Chinese Kohol Bottle 
 
 An Egyptian Lady at her Toilet 
 
 Egyptian Mirrors (Three Illustrations) 
 
 Egyptian Mirror with Ty^phonian Handle 
 
 Egyptian Comb 
 
 Cleopatra on the Cydnus 
 
 Slave Anointing Guest 
 
 An Egyptian Banquet 
 
 Egyptian Barbers (Two Illustrations) 
 
 Egyptian Wig, from the Berlin Coli,ection 
 Egyptian Wig in the British Museum (uacic and 
 
 Beards (Three Illustrations) 
 
 Egyptian Ladies' Head-dresses (Two Illustration. 
 Egyptian Head-dress from a Mummy Case 
 Head-dresses (Tail-inece) 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. III.— A Garden i 
 Land 
 
 Initial A 
 
 The Altar of Incense 
 
 The High Priest Offering Incense 
 Judith Preparing to Meet Holofernes ... 
 Henna, or Camphire, with enlarged leaf and 
 
 Spikenard 
 
 S.\FFRON 
 
 Frankincense 
 
 The Aloes Tree 
 
 An Eastern Marriage Procession 
 
 An Eastern Bride 
 
 Jewish Captives at Baby'lon 
 
 Jewish Censer (Tail-piece) 
 
 '; 
 
 the Holy 
 Ao face 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. IV.- 
 
 Initial T 
 
 Baal, ok Belus 
 
 ASTARTE, the ASSY'RIAN VENUS 
 
 Dagon, or the Fish-God 
 Altar (Khorsabad) 
 
 -TiiK Death of Sardanapalu 
 
LIST or ILLUSTRATIONS. XVU 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Nimrod's Statue and Altar 03 
 
 Altar on a High Place 04 
 
 Assyrian Altar and Priests (Khoesabad) ib. 
 
 Sassanide Medal 00 
 
 Parses Altar ib. 
 
 Assyrian Ointment Boxes (Two Illustrations) 08 
 
 Assyrian Perfume Bottles, with Cuneiform inscriptions 
 
 (Nimroud) Two Illustrations th. 
 
 Baby'lonian Banquet 70 
 
 Incense-burning before a King (Persepolis) 72 
 
 King's Head-dress 74 
 
 Cyrus' Head-dress (Persepolis) 75 
 
 ASSY-RIAN Ear-rings (Three Illustrations) ib. 
 
 Baby'lonian Ladies ib. 
 
 Assyrian Winged Bull {Tail-piece) 76 
 
 FEONTISPIECE TO CHAP. V.— Venus' Toilet to face 77 
 
 Initial N" ib. 
 
 Private Altar 78 
 
 Patera ib. 
 
 Incense Altar 79 
 
 Greek Altar ib. 
 
 Alabaster Scent-bottle 83 
 
 Public Washing Basin 89 
 
 Ladies' Toilet Basin ib. 
 
 Greek Ladies at their Toilet 90 
 
 Greek Girl Painting ib. 
 
 Funereal Urns {Two Illustrations) 92 
 
 MiTEA Head-dresses {Three Illustrations) 94 
 
 Sakkos Head-dress ib. 
 
 Korymbos Head-dress ib. 
 
 Strophos Head-dresses (Three Illustrations) 95 
 
 NiMBO Head-dresses {Three Illustrations) ... ... ... ... ib. 
 
 Kredemnon Head-dress ib. 
 
 Tholia Head-dress ib. 
 
 Greek Censer (Tail-piece) 90 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. VI.— A Roman Lady's Boudoir... 97 
 
 Initial R il>- 
 
 Incense Altar 98 
 
xviii LIST OF ILLUSTRAllONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 99 
 
 ib. 
 
 ib. 
 100 
 
 ib. 
 102 
 103 
 104 
 105 
 106 
 
 Incense Casket 
 
 Censee 
 
 Roman Altar 
 
 Sepulchral Chamber 
 
 Incense Chariot 
 
 EoMAN Baths 
 
 Strigil AND Ampulla 
 
 Tepidarium at Pompeii 
 
 Plan of Caeacalla's baths 
 
 TiEE Woman 
 
 Toilet Ewer ^^"^ 
 
 EoMAN Comb 108 
 
 BoMAN Mirrors ib. 
 
 Scent-box H** 
 
 Roman Perfume Bottles (Ten Illustrations) tS- 
 
 Triclinium Found at Pompeii HI 
 
 Roman Lady applying Fucus 114 
 
 Julia Semiamira 116 
 
 Roman Head-dresses — Tutulus, Nimbus, Vitta (Tlrree Illus- 
 trations) 117 
 
 Hair-pin '''■ 
 
 MUNDUS MuLiEBRis (Tail-piccc) 118 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. VII.— A Perfume Bazaar in 
 
 THE East to face 119 
 
 Initial L ib. 
 
 Arabian Censer and Gulabdan 123 
 
 Turkish Servants bearing Perfumes 124 
 
 Turkish Bath 128 
 
 A Persian Lady' 132 
 
 An Eastern Fountain (Tail-piece) 138 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. VIII.— Japanese Fashion Pl.4TE 1.39 
 
 Initial C ib. 
 
 Kama, the Indian Cupid 143 
 
 Song-boom, or Tibetan Incense Altar 145 
 
 Hindu Marriage Ceremony" 147 
 
 Gund'hee, or Hindu Perfumer 151 
 
 Hindu Razor 152 
 
 Magic Figure for Dawut or Exorcism 153 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS. XIX 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Magic Figure for Dawut or Exorcism 15-1 
 
 Hindu Head-dress 157 
 
 Pocket Comb Used by the Mech Tribes ib. 
 
 Statue of Providence with Burning Censeu 158 
 
 Chinese Censek at Tong-Choo-Foo 159 
 
 Private Incense Burner ih. 
 
 Chinese Maid ICl 
 
 Chinese Head-dress (Teapot Style) 162 
 
 Chinese Barber 163 
 
 Japanese Ladies at their Toilet 164 
 
 Japanese Belle 165 
 
 Japanese Head-dress ib. 
 
 Japanese Perfume Burner (Tail-piece) 166 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. IX.— Otahitian Dancers, to face 167 
 
 Initial I ib. 
 
 A Bridegroom's Toilet at Fernando Po 170 
 
 Bushukulompo Head-dresses 172 
 
 LoNDA Head-dress ih. 
 
 AsHiRA Head-dress 173 
 
 Head-dress of the Ounyamonezi Tribes 174 
 
 Abyssinian Lady 176 
 
 Abyssinian Amulet ib. 
 
 Abyssinian Combs 177 
 
 African Anointing Feather 178 
 
 Marquesas Hair-pin 184 
 
 Marquesas Ear-rings made of Fish-bones ib. 
 
 Comb from the Solomon Islands 185 
 
 Tattooed Head of a New Zealand Chief (Tail-piece) 188 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. X.— A Strolling Vendor of 
 
 Perfumery (time of Louis XV.) to face 189 
 
 Initial L ib. 
 
 A Lady at her Toilet (1.3th century) 194 
 
 Ladies Making Garlands 195 
 
 A Medieval Perfumer's Shop 197 
 
 La donna CHE SI fa biondi i capelli 199 
 
 The Boat of Foolish Smells 203 
 
 A Lady with Patches, of the Time of Charles II 208 
 
 Applying Hair Powder (temp. Louis XV.) 209 
 
XX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGK 
 
 Comb of the 17th centuky 210 
 
 Madame de Pompadour at Choisy 213 
 
 German Barber (16th century) ... 2IG 
 
 Caricature of the Horned Head-dress 218 
 
 Various Styles of Head-dresses Last Century — Butterfly, 
 Dove, Battery, Bride, Noble Simplicity, Great 
 Pretensions, Jardiniere, Tuilfries, Frigate, Capri- 
 cious, Intercepted Looks, Union, Pilgrimage, Flower 
 Girl, Shepherdess, Porcupine, Friendship, Victory 
 (Ei(/hteen Illustrations) ... ... ... ... ... 220-1 
 
 Modern Toilet Eequisites {Tail-piece) 222 
 
 PfiONTISPIECE TO CHAP. XI,— Interior of a Perfume 
 
 Manufactory AT Nice to face 223 
 
 Initial IJ ,7,. 
 
 Steam Still 220 
 
 Oil and Pomade Frames 229 
 
 View of Grasse 230 
 
 View of Nice 231 
 
 Floral Vase (Tail-piece) 240 
 
 FRONTISPIECE TO CHAP. XII.— A Flower Garden and 
 
 Distillery at Nice to face 2-41 
 
 Initial H ... ,'j. 
 
 Musk-Deer 242 
 
 Musk-Deer Hunting 243 
 
 Musk-Pod (Natural size) 244 
 
 Civet Cat 246 
 
 Bigarrade Leaf ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 
 
 Tuberose 251 
 
 Cassie 252 
 
 Patchouli 255 
 
 Cloves 257 
 
 Nutmeg 
 
 Benzoin 
 
 Camphor 
 
 DiPTERix Odorata 
 
 Sassafras 
 
 Vanilla Plant 
 
 Flora (Tail-piece) 
 
 ih. 
 258 
 
 ih. 
 259 
 
 ih. 
 261 
 264 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. Chap. I. 
 
 THE FLORAL WORLD. 
 
THE BOOK OF PEEFUMES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Physiology of Peeftjmes. 
 
 Ah, what can language do ? ah, where find words 
 
 Ting'd with so many colours ; and whose powers, 
 
 To life approaching, may perfume my lays 
 
 With that fine oil, those aromatic gales, 
 
 That inexhaustible flow continual round? — Thomson. 
 
 M N G 
 
 the many 
 enjoy- 
 ments 
 provided 
 for us by 
 bountiful 
 Nature, 
 there are 
 few more delicate and, at the same 
 time, more keen than those derived 
 from the sense of smell. When the 
 olfactory nerves, wherein that sense 
 resides, are struck with odoriferous 
 emanations, the agreeable impres- 
 sion they receive is rapidly and 
 vividly transmitted to the braiQ, 
 and thus acquires somewhat of a mental character. 
 
 1 
 
 K^- 
 
2 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Who has not felt revived and cheered by the balmy- 
 fragrance of the luxuriant garden or the flowery mea- 
 dow ? Who has not experienced the delightful sensa- 
 tions caused by inhaling a fresh breeze loaded with the 
 spoils of the flowery tribe ? — that " sweet south," so 
 beautifully described by Shakspeare as 
 
 " Breathing o'er a bank of violets, 
 Stealing and giving odour." 
 
 An indescribable emotion then invades the whole being ; 
 the soul becomes melted in sweet rapture, and silently 
 oflers up the homage of its gratitude to the Creator 
 for the blessings showered upon us ; whilst the tongue 
 slowly murmurs with Thomson — 
 
 " Soft roll your incense, herbs, and fruits, and flowers, 
 In mingled clouds to Him whose sun exalts, 
 Whose breath perfumes you, and whose pencil paints ! " 
 
 It is when nature awakes from her long slumbers, 
 and shakes oS the trammels of hoary Winter, at that 
 delightful season which the Italian poet so charmingly 
 hails as the " youth of the year," 
 
 " Primavera, gioventu dell' anno ! " 
 
 that the richest perfumes fill the atmosphere. The fair 
 and fragile children of Spring begin to open one by one 
 tlieir bright corols, and to shed around their aromatic 
 treasures : — 
 
 " Fair-handed Spring unbosoms every grace ; 
 Throws out the snowdrop and the crocus first ; 
 The daisy, primrose, violet darkly blue, 
 And polyanthus of unnumber'd dyes ; 
 The yellow -wallflower, stained with iron-brown. 
 And lavish stock that scents the garden round." 
 
 But soon — too soon, alas ! — those joys are doomed to 
 
PHYSIOLOGY OF PERFUMES. <j 
 
 pass ; like the maiden ripening into the matron, the 
 flower becomes a seed, and its fragrance would for ever 
 be lost, had it not been treasured up in its prime by some 
 mysterious art which gives it fresh and lasting life. 
 
 "The roses soon withered that hung o'er the wave, 
 But some blossoms were gathered while freshly they shone, 
 And a dew was distilled from their flowers that gave 
 All the fragrance of summer when summer was gone." 
 
 Thus the sweet but evanescent aroma, which would 
 otherwise be scattered to the winds of heaven, assumes 
 a durable and tangible shape, and consoles us for the 
 loss of flowers when Nature dons her mourning garb, 
 and the icy blast howls round us. To minister to these 
 wants of a refined mind — to revive the joys of ethereal 
 spring by carefully saving its balmy treasures — con- 
 stitutes the art of the perfumer. 
 
 When I say " the art of the perfumer," let me ex- 
 plain this phrase, which might otherwise appear ambi- 
 tious. The first musician who tried to echo with a 
 pierced reed the songs of the birds of the forest, the 
 first painter who attempted to delineate on a polished 
 surface the gorgeous scenes which he beheld around 
 him, were both artists endeavouring to copy nature ; 
 and so the perfumer, with a limited number of materials 
 at his command, combines them like colours on a palette, 
 and strives to imitate the fragrance of aU flowers which 
 are rebellious to his skill, and refuse to yield up their 
 essence. Is he not, then, entitled to claim also the 
 name of an artist, if he approaches even faintly the 
 perfections of his charming models ? 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 The origin of perfumery, like that of all ancient 
 arts, is shrouded in obscurity. Some assert that it was 
 first discovered ia Mesopotamia, the seat of earthly 
 paradise, where, as Milton says, 
 
 " Gentle gales, 
 Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense 
 Native perfumes, and whisper M'hence they stola 
 Those balmy spoils ;" 
 
 others that it originated in Arabia, which has long 
 enjoyed, and still retains, the name of the " land of 
 perfumes." Whatever may be the true version, it is 
 evident that when man first discovered 
 
 " What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed," 
 
 Ills first idea was to offer up these fragrant treasures as 
 
 a holocaust to the Deity. 
 The word perfume {per, 
 through,/((»»(OT, smoke) 
 indicates clearly that it 
 was first obtained by 
 burning aromatic gums 
 and woods ; and it seems 
 as if a mystic idea was 
 connected'v^T.th this mode 
 of sacrifice, and as if men 
 fondly believed that their 
 prayers would sooner 
 reach the realms of their 
 gods by being wafted on 
 the blue wreaths which 
 
 ^ y^/^y^^.i ^ 
 
 A Primitive Perfume Altar. 
 
 slowly ascended to heaven and disappeared in the 
 
PHYSIOLOGY OF PERFUMES. 
 
 atmosphere, whilst their intoxicating fumes threw them 
 into religious ecstasies. Thus we find perfumes form a 
 part of all primitive forms of worship. The altars of 
 Zoroaster and of Confucius, the temples of Memphis and 
 those of Jerusalem, all smoked alike with incense and 
 sweet scented woods. 
 
 Among the Greeks, perfumes were not only con- 
 sidered as a homage due to their deities, but as a sign 
 of their presence. Homer and other poets of that period 
 never mention the apparition of a goddess without 
 speaking of the ambrosial clouds which surround her. 
 Thus is Cupid's fair mother described in the " Iliad " 
 when she visits Achilles : — 
 
 " Celestial Venus hovered o'er his head, 
 And roseate unguents heavenly fragrance shed ! " 
 
 And in one of Euripides' tragedies, Hippolites, dying, 
 exclaims, " Diana, sweet goddess, I know that thou 
 art near me, for I have recognised thy bakny odour." 
 
 The use of perfumes by the ancients was not long 
 confined to sacred rites. From the earKest times of the 
 Egjqjtian empire we find that they were adapted to 
 private uses, and gradually became an actual necessary 
 to those who laid any claim to refined taste and habits. 
 We may say that perfumery was studied and cherished 
 by all the various nations which held in turn the sceptre 
 of civilization. It was transmitted by the Egyptians 
 to the Jews, then to the Assyrians, the Greeks, the 
 Romans, the Arabs, and at last to the modern Euro- 
 pean nations, when they emerged from their long chaos 
 of barbarous turmoil, and again welcomed the arts of 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 peace. It will be our study to trace its course through 
 these different phases ; to dive into the mysteries of the 
 toilet of the Greek beauty and the Roman matron ; to 
 describe the various ways in which ladies have endea- 
 voured, at all times and in all countries, to increase and 
 preserve the charms lavished upon them by nature; and, 
 lastly, to record the progress of perfumer)' to the present 
 
 Igyptian Princess. 
 
 Powdered Belle of the last 
 centiuy. 
 
 period, when, having shaken off the trammels of ignor- 
 ance and quackery, it aspires to become useful no less 
 than ornamental. To render the history of the Toilet 
 more complete, we shall bestow a passing glance on the 
 simdry styles of dresshig the hair at different periods, 
 
PHYSIOLOGY OF PERFUMES.' 
 
 African Headdress. 
 
 from the Egyptian princess under the Cheops dynasty 
 
 to the powdered belle of the last century. Nor shall 
 
 civilised people monopolise our 
 
 whole attention : in our roamings 
 
 "all round the world," we shall 
 
 find even among barbarous tribes 
 
 some curious fashions to register, 
 
 and African beauties as well as 
 
 Tartar damsels will have to reveal 
 
 to us the secrets of their so-called 
 
 embellishments. We shall then 
 
 conclude with a brief description 
 
 of the principal modes used in 
 
 extracting perfumes from flowers 
 
 and aromatic plants, of the chief materials to which 
 
 we are indebted for our aromatic treasures, and of the 
 
 various substances which 
 might also be rendered 
 available for that purpose. 
 Before commencing, 
 however, this chronolo- 
 gical narration, I may be 
 allowed to say a few words 
 on odours in general. 
 
 All plants and all 
 flowers exhale an odoui 
 more or less perceptible 
 Lepcha Headdress. — more or less agreeable. 
 
 Some flowers, like that of the orange-tree and the rose, 
 
 possess such a powerful aroma that it scents the air for 
 
8 
 
 THE r.OOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 miles around. Those who have the good fortune to travel 
 
 in the " genial land of Provence," when the flowers are 
 
 in full bloom, 
 
 " And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad 
 And tlie musk of the roses blown," 
 
 are saluted (as I have frequently been myself), with the 
 
 Floral Clock. 
 
 balmy breezes emanating from the floral plantations 
 of Grasse or Nice long before they reach them. Some 
 flowers have a stronger smell at sunrise, some at mid- 
 day, others at night. This depends in a great measure 
 on the time they are wont to open, which varies so much 
 
PHYSIOLOGY OF PERFUMES. 
 
 9 
 
 among the fragrant tribe, that it has allowed a patient 
 botanist to form a floral clock, each hour being indicated 
 by the opening of a particular flower. 
 
 The accompanying illustration will give some idea of 
 this floral clock. I have taken it from an old work 
 on botany, but for its accuracy I cannot vouch. It con- 
 sists of the following flowers, the hour stated for some 
 beiag in the morning and for others in the evening : — 
 
 1 Eose. 
 
 2 Ileliotrope. 
 
 3 Water-lily. 
 i Hyacinth. 
 
 5 Convolvulus. 
 
 6 Geranium. 
 
 7 Jl ignonette. 
 
 8 Carnation. 
 
 9 Cactus. 
 
 10 Lilac. 
 
 1 1 Magnolia. 
 
 12 Violet and Pansy. 
 
 All odours are not alike in intensity. Some flowers 
 lose their fragrance as soon as they are c\illed ; others, 
 on the contrary, preserve it even when dried. None, 
 however, can equal in 
 strength and durability 
 the odours derived from 
 the animal kingdom. A 
 single grain of musk will 
 retain its aroma for years, 
 and impart it to every- 
 thing with which it comes 
 in contact. 
 
 Odours have been clas- 
 sified in various ways by 
 learned men. Linnaeus, 
 the father of modern bo- 
 tanical science, divided Lmnaeus, the Botanist. 
 
 them into seven classes, three of which only were plea- 
 
10 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 sant odours, viz., the aromatic, the fragrant, and the 
 ambrosial : but, however good his general divisions may 
 have been, this classification was far from correct, for 
 he placed carnation with laurel leaves, and saffron with 
 jasmine, than which nothing can be more dissimilar. 
 Fourcroy divided them into five series, and De Haller 
 into three. All these were, however, more theoretical 
 than practical, and none classified odours by their re- 
 semblance to each other. I have attempted to make a 
 new classification, comprising only pleasant odours, by 
 adopting the principle that, as there are primary colours 
 from which all secondarj^ shades are composed, there 
 are also primary odours with perfect types, and that all 
 other aromas are connected more or less with them. 
 
 The types I have adopted will be found in the follow- 
 ing table : — 
 
 CLASSIFICATION OF ODOURS. 
 
 CLASSES. 
 
 TYPES. 
 
 ODOURS BELONGING TO THE SAMK 
 CLASS. 
 
 Rose 
 
 Jasmine 
 
 Orange Flower 
 
 Tuberose 
 
 
 1 Geranium, Sweetbriar, Rhodium, 
 ( Rosewood 
 
 Lily of the Valley 
 
 Acjcia, Syringa, Orange leaves. 
 
 Lily, Jonquil, Narcissus, Hyacinth. 
 
 Cassie, Orris-root, Mignonette. 
 ^Balsam of I'eru and Tolu, Benzoin, 
 < Styrax, Tonquin Beans, Helio- 
 L trope. 
 
 Cassia, Nutmeg, jVTaee, Pimento, 
 
 Caraation, Clove Pink. 
 
 Rosemary, Patchouly. 
 
 Vetivert, Cedarwood. 
 
 Bergamot, Orange, Cedrat, Limette 
 
 Spike, Thyme. Serpnlet, iNIarjoram. 
 
 Spearmint, Balm, Rue, Sage. 
 ( Badiane, Carraway, Dill, Coriander, 
 ■f Fennel. 
 
 Laurel, Pench Kernels, Mirbane. 
 
 Civet, Musk-seed, Musk -plant. 
 
 Oak -moss. 
 
 Apple, Pine-apple, Quince. 
 
 Jasmine 
 
 Oranfje Flower 
 
 
 
 
 Spice 
 
 Cinnamon 
 
 
 Camphor 
 
 
 Sandal 
 
 
 Citrine 
 
 Lemon 
 
 Lavender 
 
 Lavender 
 
 Mint 
 
 
 Aniseed 
 
 Aniseed 
 
 Bitter Almonds 
 
 Musk ... 
 
 
 Muslv 
 
 Amber 
 
 
 Fruit 
 
 Pear 
 
 
PHYSIOLOGY OF PERFUMES. 11 
 
 This is the smallest number of types to which I could 
 reduce my classification, and even then there are some 
 particular odours, such as that of winter-green, which 
 it would be difficult to introduce iato either class ; nor 
 does this list comprise the scents which are produced 
 by blending several classes together. 
 
 Jean Jacques Rousseau, Zimmermann, and other au- 
 thors, say that the sense of smell is the sense of imagina- 
 tion. There is no doubt that, as I have observed be- 
 fore, pleasant perfumes exercise a cheering influence on 
 the mind, and easily become associated with our remem- 
 brances. Sounds and scents share alike the property of 
 refreshing the memory, and recalling vividly before us 
 scenes of our past life — an effect which Thomas Moore 
 beautifully illustrates in his " Lalla Rookh :" — 
 
 " The young Arab, haunted by the smell 
 Of her own mountain flowers as by a spell, 
 The sweet Elcaya, and that courteous tree, 
 Which bows to all who seek its canopy, 
 Sees call'd up round her by those magic scents 
 The well, the camels, and her father's tents; 
 Sighs for the home she left with little pain, 
 And wishes e'en its sorrows back again." 
 
 Tennyson expresses the same feeling in his " Dream 
 
 of fair women." 
 
 " The smell of violets, hidden in the green, 
 Pour'd back into my empty soul and fiame 
 The times when I remember to have been 
 Joyful and free from blame." 
 
 Criton, Hippocrates, and other ancient doctors, classed 
 perfumes among medicines, and prescribed them for 
 many diseases, especially those of a nervous kind. 
 
12 
 
 THK BOOK OF PfiKFUMES. 
 
 Pliny also attributes therapeutic properties to various 
 aromatic substances/ and some perfumes are still used 
 in modern medicine. 
 
 Discarding, however, all curative pretensions for per- 
 fumes, I think it right, at the same time, to combat the 
 doctrines of certain medical men who hold that they are 
 
 - ^ ^^IL- l/v^ 
 
 injurious to health. It can be proved, on the con- 
 trary, that their use in moderation is more beneficial 
 than otherwise ; and in cases of epidemics they have 
 been known to render important service, were it 
 
 ' Pliny, in his Natural History, mentions eighty-four remedies derived 
 from rue, forty-one from mint, twenty-five from pennyroyal, forty-one from 
 the iris, thirty-two from the rose, twenty-one from the lily, seventeen from 
 the violet, etc. (Pliny's Nat. Hist, b. xx. and xxi.) 
 
PHYSIOLOGY or PERFUMES. 13 
 
 only to the four thieves who, by means of their 
 famous aromatic vinegar/ wero enabled to rob half 
 the population of Marseilles at tho time of the great 
 plague. 
 
 It is true that flowers, if left in a sleeping-apartment 
 all night, will sometimes cause headache and sickness, 
 but this proceeds not from the diffusion of their aroma, 
 but from the carbonic acid they evolve during tho night. 
 If a perfume extracted from these flowers were left 
 open in the same circumstances, no evil efiect would 
 arise from it. All that can be said is that some deli- 
 cate people may be afiected by certain odours ; but the 
 same person to whom a musky scent would give a 
 headache might derive much relief from a perfume 
 with a citrine basis. Imagination has, besides, a great 
 deal to do with the supposed noxious effects of perfumes. 
 Dr. Cloquet, who may be deemed an authority on this 
 subject, of which he made a special study, says in 
 his able Treatise on Olfaction : — " We must not forget 
 that there are many effeminate men and women to be 
 found in the world who imagine that perfumes are in- 
 jurious to them, but their example cannot be adduced 
 as a proof of the bad eflfect of odours. Thus Dr. Thomas 
 Capellini relates the story of a lady who fancied she 
 could not bear the smell of a rose, and fainted on 
 
 ■ It is related that during the great plague which visited IVfarseilles four 
 robbers, ivho had become associated, invented an aromatic vinegar by- 
 means of which they could rob the dead and the dying, without any fear 
 of infection. This vinegar was long known in France under the name of 
 " Vinaigre des quatre Voleurs," and gave the first idea of Toilet Vinegar. 
 
14 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 receiving the visit of a friend who carried one, and yet 
 the fatal flower was only artificial." ^ 
 
 Were any other argument wanting to vindicate per- 
 fumes from the aspersions cast upon them, I would say 
 that we are prompted by a natural instinct to seek and 
 enjoy pleasant odours, and to avoid and reject un- 
 pleasant ones, and it is unreasonable and unjust to 
 suppose that Providence has endowed us with this dis- 
 cerning power, to mislead us into a pleasure fraught 
 with danger, or even discomfort. 
 
 ' Osphresiologie, ou Traite de 1' Olfaction, par le Dr. H. Cloquet, chap. 
 T. p. 80. 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. Chap. IT. 
 
 AN EaTPTIAN" TEMPLE. 
 
15 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The Egyptians. 
 
 The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne, 
 Burnt on the water ; the poop was beaten gold, 
 
 Purple the sails, and so perfumed that 
 The winds were love sick .... 
 
 Antony and Cleopatra. 
 
 ONG be- 
 fore any 
 other na- 
 tion, E- 
 gypt had 
 learned, 
 or rather 
 invented, 
 the art of 
 raising 
 lofty temples to its gods, magnifi- 
 cent palaces to its princes, and im- 
 mense cities for its people, and of 
 decorating them with all the va- 
 rious treasures which nature had 
 placed at its disposal. Whilst the 
 Jews and other surrounding people were confined to the 
 simplicities of pastoral life, the Egyptians were enjoying 
 the luxuries of refinement, and carried them to an extent 
 which was not surpassed, if equalled, by those who, after 
 them, successively held the sceptre of civilization. 
 Although the Egyptians left no trace of their litera- 
 
 ^>1;^=.5?^ ,; V 
 
16 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 tare, the ample descriptions given by the Greek and 
 Latin authors, the frequent mention made in the Bible, 
 and, above all, the numerous paintings and sculptures 
 found on their monuments and in their tombs, give 
 us a complete insight into their manners and mode 
 of life. The huge piles of granite which they reared 
 over the last asylum of their monarchs, in the vain 
 hope of securing their eternal peace, and of screening 
 them from the profane gaze of intruders, were not proof 
 against the cupidity of the feikihs of modern Egypt, who 
 found their way into the abodes of the dead in search of 
 the treasures buried with them. This unholy spoliation 
 was not, however, entirely barren of happy results, 
 
 " For nought so vile on the earth doth live 
 But to the earth some special good doth give." 
 
 In this instance the inroads made by the avaricious 
 plunderers into the ruined pa- 
 laces and mummy pits paved 
 the way for equally daring but 
 more disinterested explorers, 
 and enabled scientific men 
 like Sonnini, Belzoni, Savary, 
 Champollion, Sir Gardener 
 Wilkinson, Mariette, and 
 others, to dive into the mys- 
 Mummynt. ^^^.-^g ^f ancient Eg3'ptian 
 
 customs, and to give us a correct and vivid account 
 of what the world was long before the era of written 
 history. We learn from these descriptive illustra- 
 tions, confirmed by the records of ancient writers and 
 
THE EGYPTIANS, 
 
 17 
 
 by the numerous implements found intact in the tombs, 
 that perfumes were extensively consumed in Egypt, and 
 applied to three distinct purposes — offerings to the gods, 
 embalming the dead, and uses in private life. 
 
 ' At all the festivals held by the Egyptians in honour 
 of their numerous deities, perfumes played a conspicuous 
 part, and they also ranked among the most grateful of 
 their dailj^ oblations. With the naive gratitude of a 
 primitive people, they felt it a sort of duty to offer the 
 finest fruit, the fairest flower, the richest wine, the 
 fattest bullock, to the 
 gods, who were sup- 
 posed to have dispens- 
 ed those boons ; but 
 of all other sacrifices 
 that of incense appear- 
 ed to them the mostre- 
 fined and appropriate. 
 In the temples of Isis, 
 the good "goddess;" 
 of Osiris, the eternal 
 rival of Typhon ; of 
 Pasht, ortheEgyptian 
 Diana; aromatic gums 
 and woods were con- 
 stantly burned by the 
 priests, and on grand 
 state occasions the 
 
 Ehamsea III. Sacrificing. 
 
 kinghimself officiated, 
 
 holding a censer in one hand, and in the other a small 
 
 2 
 
IS THE liOOIv OF PERFUMES. 
 
 vase with a spout containing wine or perfumed oil for 
 libations to be poured on the altar. The engraving on 
 the preceding page, which represents Ehamses III., 
 illustrates this mode of sacrifice. 
 
 In ordinary ceremonies incense alone was offered, in 
 the shape of round balls or pastilles, which were thrown 
 into the censers. Those censers were not swung about, 
 as are those used in Catholic churches : they were 
 straight, and held firmly in the right hand, whilst the 
 incense was thrown in with the left, an operation which 
 must have required some little practice, if performed as 
 adroitly as the Egyptian painters would lead us to 
 believe. 
 
 Egyptian Cenaers. 
 
 At Ileliopolls, the Citj' of the Sun, where the great 
 orb was adored under the name of Re, they burned 
 incense to him three times a day — resin at his first 
 rising, myrrh when in the meridian, and a mixture of 
 sixteen ingredients, called Kuphi, at his setting. 
 
 The sacred bull, Apis, had also his share of such 
 homage. Those who wished to consult him burnt in- 
 cense on his altar, filled the lamps which were lighted 
 there with fragrant oils, and deposited a piece of money 
 before the statue of the god. They then whispered 
 softly to him the question they wished to ask, and 
 issued from the temple carefully stopping their ears. 
 
THE EGYPTIANS. 19 
 
 The first word that was uttered by any one they chanced 
 to meet after that, was taken by them to convey the 
 reply which they sought. 
 
 "Besides incense, ointment was also offered to the gods, 
 and formed an indispensable part of what was considered 
 acomplete oblation. Itwas 
 placed before the deity in 
 vases of alabaster or other 
 costly material, on which 
 was frequently engraved 
 the name of the god to 
 
 whom itwasofiered. Some- Offenngs of Cintment. 
 
 times the king or the priest took out a certain portion, 
 and anointed the statue of the divinity with his little 
 finger. 
 
 At the fete of Isis, which was performed with great 
 magnificence, they sacrificed an ox filled with myrrh, 
 frankincense, and other aromatic substances, which they 
 burnt, pouring a quantity of oil over it during the pro- 
 cess. The fragrant vapours thus produced counteracted 
 the smell of the burning flesh, which would otherwise 
 have been unbearable, even to the most ardent votaries 
 of the goddess. 
 
 The two principal festivals in honour of Osiris were 
 held at six months' distance from each other. The first 
 was meant to commemorate the loss, and the second 
 the finding, of Egypt's tutelar god. At the latter the 
 priests carried the sacred chest, inclosing a small 
 vessel of gold, into which they poured some water, and 
 all the people assembled cried out, "Osiris is found!" 
 
20 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 They then threw into the water some fresh mould, to- 
 gether with rich odours and spices, and shaped it into 
 a little image resembling a crescent, which was supposed 
 to typify the essence and power of earth and water. 
 
 It was, however, in their grand religious processions 
 that they made the most luxurious display of perfumes. 
 In one of those described as having taken place under 
 one of the Ptolemies, marched one hundred and twenty 
 children, bearing incense, myrrh, and saffron in golden 
 basins, followed by a number of camels, some carrying 
 three hundred pounds weight of frankincense, and 
 others a similar quantity of crocus, cassia, cinnamon, 
 orris, and other precious aromatics. 
 
 No king could be crowned without being anointed : 
 this was done privately by the priests, who pretended 
 that the ceremony had been performed by a god, in 
 order to convey to the people a more exalted notion 
 of the benefits conferred on their monarchs. The 
 latter also shared with the deities the privilege of 
 being offered incense : but this only on special occa- 
 sions, such as their return from a victorious campaign. 
 The king then entered the capital, borne in his chair 
 of state, and accompanied by a brilliant cortege. 'A 
 long procession of priests came to meet him, dressed 
 in gorgeous robes, and holding censers fuU of incense, 
 whilst a sacred scribe read from a papyrus roU the glo- 
 riojis deeds of the victorious sovereign. 
 \ The Egyptians believed in the transmigration of souls 
 — a doctrine afterwards adopted by Pythagoras and other 
 Grecian philosophers. They held that, after leaving the 
 
THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 21 
 
 body of a man, his soul entered that of some other ani- 
 mal, and, having successively passed through all crea- 
 tures of the earth, water, and air, it again assumed the 
 human shape, which journey was accomplished in the 
 lapse of three thousand years. This belief would ac- 
 count for the very great care they took in embalming 
 the bodies of their dead, so that, after having concluded 
 their long journey, the souls might find their original 
 envelopes in a tolerable state of preservation. Diodorus, 
 however, assigns another reason for this custom, and 
 says the wealthy Egyptians kept the bodies of their 
 ancestors in magnificent rooms set apart for that pur- 
 pose, in order to have the gratification of contemplating 
 the features of those who had died m.any generations 
 before them, for the whole appearance of the person was 
 so well preserved that it could be easily recognised. 
 
 Several times during the year 
 these mummies were brought 
 out and received the greatest 
 honors. Incense and libations 
 were offered to them, and 
 sweetly scented oil was poured 
 over their heads and carefully 
 wiped off' with a towel carried 
 
 on the shoulder for the pur-P^'^^tpounugOil over a Mummy. 
 
 pose. A priest was generally called in to officiate on 
 these occasions. 
 
 The operation of embalming was performed in the 
 following manner by the ancient Egyptians, according 
 to Herodotus : — They first extracted the brains through 
 
 j'^;:^ 
 
22 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 the nostrils by means of a curved iron probe, and filled 
 the head with drugs ; then, making an incision in the 
 side with a sharp Ethiopian stone, they drew out the 
 intestines, and inserted into the cavity powdered myrrh, 
 
 Embalminf^ MuiDniics (Perfuming the Body). 
 
 cassia, and other perfumes, frankincense excepted. After 
 sewing up the body they kept it in natron ^ for 
 seventy days, and then wrapped it up entirely with 
 bands of fine linen, smeared with gum, and laid it in a 
 
 wooden case, 
 made in the 
 shapeof aman, 
 which they 
 placed upright 
 against the 
 wall. 
 
 This was the 
 
 Embalming Mummies (Einding the Body). 
 
 first class, or 
 "Osiris stjde," of embalming; but, being very expen- 
 sive, it was confined to the richest people. Another 
 
 ' A native sesquicarbonate of soda found in great quantities in Egypt. 
 
THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 23 
 
 mode consisted in injecting oil of cedar into the body, 
 without remo\'ing the intestines ; whilst, in the case 
 of the poorer class of people, the body was merely 
 cleansed with syrmcea and salt, subjecting it, in both 
 cases, to a natron bath, which completely dried the 
 flesh. The first kind of embalming cost a talent, or 
 about £250, the second twenty-two minae, or £60, and 
 the third was extremely cheap. These operations were 
 
 Embalming Mummies (Painting the Case). 
 
 performed by some persons regularly appointed for the 
 purpose, and at Thebes there was a whole quarter of the 
 town devoted to the preparation of the necessary imple- 
 ments. One of the most curious parts of the perfor- 
 mance was that the paraachktes, or dissector, who had 
 to make an incision in the body, ran away as soon as 
 it was done, amid the bitter execrations of all those 
 present, who pelted him unmercifully with stones, to 
 testify their abhorrence of any one inflicting injury on 
 a human creature, either alive or dead. 
 
 In some of the mummies the viscera were returned 
 into the body, after being cleansed with palm wine and 
 mixed with pounded aromatics ; but for persons of dis- 
 
24 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 tinction they placed the internal parts in four sepulchral 
 -vases, dedicated to different deities. The first jar, sur- 
 mounted with a human head, was consecrated to Am- 
 Set, a genius presiding over the South, and contained 
 the large intestines; the second vase, covered with a 
 njnocephalus^ held the smaller viscera, and was dedicated 
 to Ha-Pi, the genius of the North; the third, represented 
 here, received the heart and lungs, 
 and was decorated with a jackal's 
 head, in honour of Traut-mutf, the 
 genius of the East ; and in the 
 fourth, ornamented with a hawk's 
 head, were deposited the liver and 
 gall-bladder, under the protection 
 of Krebsnif, the genius of the 
 West, who was, as well as the 
 three others, a son of Osiris. All 
 these vases were filled with per- 
 fumes, to insure the preservation 
 of their contents. 
 Embalming was not confined to the human species. 
 Some animals, and principally those held sacred by the 
 Egj'ptians, equallj' shared this privilege. AVhen the 
 divine bull, Apis, had completed the twenty-five years 
 which were allotted to him as the extent of his natural 
 life, the priests dro^^^^ed him in the Nile, embalmed 
 him, and buried him with great solemnity. Cats 
 and other animals were also embalmed, and there are 
 numerous specimens of their mummies in the British 
 Museum. 
 
 Funeral Vase. 
 
THE EGYPTIANS. 25 
 
 In some barren parts of Egj^jt, where sand was 
 more plentiful than aromatics, they preserved their 
 dead by exposing them for some time on the gromid 
 to the burning rays of the sun, which 
 completely desiccated the body. Son- 
 nini describes, in his travels, a some- 
 what similar process carried on at a 
 Capuchins' convent in the neighbour- 
 hood of Palermo, by means of which 
 the bodies of all the commvmity have 
 been kept since its foundation by 
 broiling ilicm over a sloio fire, forming, gL 
 as he says, a most ghastly collection. 
 
 Among many customs derived by J^ 
 modern Egyptians from their ancestors ^j^^?" 
 is that of embalming, which is still Mummy of a Cat. 
 observed among wealthy people, and which, according 
 to Maillet, is performed in the following manner : they 
 wash the body several times with rose-water, perfume it 
 with incense, aloes, and a variety of spices, wrap it up 
 in a sheet moistened with liquid odours, and bury it 
 with the richest suit of clothes belonging to the de- 
 ceased. 
 
 Great as was the consumption of perfumes in Egypt 
 for religious rites and funeral honours, it was scarcely 
 equal to the quantity of aromatics used for toilet pur- 
 poses. The Eg}'})tians were very cleanly in their 
 habits, and were the inventors of that complete system 
 of baths which the Greeks and Romans borrowed from 
 them, and which has remained in use among modern 
 
26 TllK liOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 Eastern nations. After the copious ablutions in which 
 they indulged, they rubbed themselves all over with 
 fragrant oils and ointments. This practice may appear 
 repulsive to English readers, but it was, no doubt, re- 
 quired by the climate to give elasticity to the skin and 
 counteract the effects of the sun. It is still generally 
 kept up in Africa and other hot countries. The un- 
 guents used were of great variety, and were at first 
 dispensed by the priests, who were then alone 
 acquainted with the mysteries of the compounding art, 
 and may be termed the first manufacturing perfumer.'^. 
 Some were flavoured with origanum, bitter almond, 
 or other aromatics indigenous to the Egyptian soil; 
 but the greater part of their ingredients, such as 
 myrrh, frankincense, etc., came from Arabia. They 
 were kept in bottles, vases, or pots, 
 made of alabaster, onyx, glass, por- 
 phyry, or other hard substances ; 
 and also in boxes made of carved 
 wood or ivory, which assumed some- 
 times the most curious shapes, such 
 as that of fishes, birds, etc. Some 
 of these boxes were divided into 
 compartments, like the specimen 
 
 Alabaster Vase containing t . i 
 
 Ointment. represented on the next page, which 
 
 probably held different cosmetics for the toilet. The 
 preparation of those ointments was so perfect that a 
 specimen in the Alnwick Castle museum has retained 
 its scent after a lapse of three or four thousand years. 
 They were generally very expensive, and the poorer 
 
THE EGYPJIANS. 27 
 
 classes, who could not afford sucli luxuries, used, 
 
 Ointment Boxes. 
 
 as a substitute, castor-oil, which Eg-j'pt produced in 
 abundance. 
 
 Ointment Box with compartments. 
 
 The perfumes and cosmetics resorted to by an 
 Egyptian beauty of that period to heighten the effect 
 of her charms were as numerous, if not as elegant, as 
 those used by a modern votary of fashion, if we may 
 
28 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 judge by the annexed toilet-case, containing a goodly 
 array of jars and bottles, supposed 
 to have belonged to a Theban lady. 
 Besides scented oils and unguents, 
 they used red and white paiat for 
 their faces, and a black powder 
 called koJil, or kohol, made of anti- 
 mony, which, applied with awooden 
 
 A Theban Ladv's Dressing- . i n • j ji -i i» j_t_ 
 
 case. or ivory bodkm to the pupils oi tne 
 
 eyes, increased their brilliancy and made them appear 
 
 larger 
 
 'm0^ 
 
 Kohl Bottles and Bodkin. 
 
 ■a custom stiU prevalent throughout the East. 
 This kohol was held in vases of a curious 
 shape of which quantities have been found 
 in the tombs. One of those represented here 
 is evidently of Chinese origin, which leads 
 some people to suppose that the intercourse 
 between Egypt and the Celestial Empire 
 commenced at a very early date. This is, 
 however, a vexed question, on which many 
 large folios have been written, and I shall, Kohoi boitie. 
 therefore, abstain, with wholesome dread, from offering 
 
 Chinese 
 
THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 29 
 
 an opinion on sucli a controverted subject. I must not; 
 omit from the list of artifices employed by Egyptian 
 belles, that of staining their fingers and the palms of 
 their hands with the leaves of the henna {Lawsonia iner- 
 mU), a practice which is supposed by some to have given 
 rise to the Greek metaphor of " rosy-fingered Aurora." 
 The accompanj'ing outline, taken from a painting at 
 Thebes, represents an Egyptian lady at her toilet, and 
 
 An Egyptian Lady at her Toilet. 
 
 may convey an idea of the manner in which this im- 
 portant duty was performed. One of her attendants 
 is pouring water over her, another rubs her with 
 her hand, a third gives her to inhale the flower of 
 the lotus, whilst the fourth is preparing to replace her 
 ornaments. 
 
 Among the numerous toilet implements found in 
 Egyptian tombs, the most conspicuous are mirrors and 
 combs. The former were made of copj)er mixed with 
 other metals, and their workmanship and polish were 
 so excellent that some of them which have been revived 
 after lying buried for many centuries equal almost in 
 
80 THE liOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 lustre our modern looking-glasses. They were 
 
 Fgyptian Mirrors. 
 
 of a round shape, and the handle represented various 
 subjects, such as a deity, a flower, or sometimes a 
 
 Ul 
 
 Egyptian Mirror with Typhonian handle. Egyptian Comb. 
 
 typhonian monster, whose ugliness was calculated to 
 off agreeably the lovely features reflected above it. 
 
THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 31 
 
 Egyptian combs were generally made of wood ; some 
 plain, and others carved. The annexed specimen is not 
 unlike our modern small-tooth comb in shape. 
 
 The taste for perfumes and cosmetics went on increas- 
 ing in Egj^t until the time of Cleopatra, when it may 
 be said to have reached its climax. This luxurious 
 queen made a lavish use of aromatics, and it was one of 
 
 Cleopatra on the Cydnus. 
 
 the means of seduction she brought into play at her 
 first interview with Mark Antony on the banks of the 
 Cydnus, which is so beautifully described by Shaks- 
 peare. Glowing as the picture may seem, it is in no 
 way overdrawn, and has been copied by our great poet. 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 
 almost vrord for word, from Plutarch's original recital, 
 to wliich lie only added the charm of his verse. 
 
 At all private festivals 
 perfumes were in great re- 
 quest. The first duty of 
 the attendant slaves on 
 the arrival of the visitors 
 was to anoint their heads, 
 or, rather, their wigs, for 
 they were all shaven and 
 wore this artificial cover- 
 ing, which served the pur- 
 pose of modern turbans — 
 Slave Anointing Guest. ^^ protect them agaiust 
 
 the raj's of a scorching sun. During the entertaia- 
 ment, fresh flowers were used in great profusion ; 
 chaplets of lotus decorated the necks of the guests, 
 garlands of crocus and safiron encircled the wine-cup, 
 floral wreaths were hung all round the room, and 
 over and under the tables were strewn various flowers 
 mingling their fragrance with the fumes of numerous 
 cassolettes, whilst, to leave no sense nngratified, musi- 
 cians charmed the ear with the sweetest melodies. It 
 was thus that Agesilaus was received when he visited 
 Egypt ; but the rude Spartan, unaccustomed to such 
 luxuries, refused the sweetmeats, confections, and per- 
 fumes, for which act of barbarism the polished na- 
 tives held him in great contemjjt, as a man incapable 
 and im. worthy of enjoying the refinements of good 
 societj'. 
 
THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 35 
 
 Herodotus relates a very curious custom which was 
 observed at these Egyptian festivals. When the revel 
 was at its height, a man entered, bearing the wooden 
 image of a dead body, perfectly carved and painted, and 
 cried aloud, " Look at this, drink and make merry, for so 
 you will be after your death." Our modern " sensation " 
 
 An Fgyi^tian Banquet. 
 
 dramatists could not wish for a better contrast, and I 
 do not see, after all, why this strange habit shoidd be 
 more wondered at than the fiireur with which they 
 have sought lately to introduce ghosts into our public 
 and private entertainments. . : 
 
34 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 The Egyptians, as I said before, shaved their heads 
 and chins, and looked with abhorrence on the rough- 
 
 Egyptian Barbers. 
 
 haired and long-bearded Asiatic nations. They only 
 allowed their hair and beard to grow when in mourn- 
 ing, and looked upon it in any 
 other circumstance as a sign of 
 low and slovenly habits. Most of 
 them wore over their shaven polls 
 wigs made of curled hair, with a 
 series of plaits at the back, like 
 the annexed specimens, one of 
 which is taken from the British 
 Museum, and the other from the 
 Berlin collection of antiquities. 
 Poor people, who could not afford 
 the expense of real hair, had 
 theirs made of black, sheep's wool. 
 Bj' a singular contradiction, the 
 great people wore artificial beards, 
 which they likewise affixed to the 
 
 flgyptian Wig, 
 from the Berlin collection, 
 
THE EGYPTIANS. 35 
 
 images of their gods. The beard of an individual of 
 
 I'gyptiaa Wig ia the British Museum (back and front iriew). 
 
 rank was short and square, that 
 of a king equally square, but 
 much longer, and that of a god 
 was pointed and turned up at 
 the end. 
 Ladies wore their hair long, and worked into a multitude 
 
 Beards. 
 
 The Lotus style] Fgyj)tian Ladies' Headdresses. [The Peacock style. 
 
 of small plaits, part of which hung down their back and 
 
36 
 
 THE liOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 the remainder descended on each side of the face, covering 
 the ears completely. They generally had an ornamental 
 fillet round the head, with a 
 lotus bud in front by way of a 
 ferroniere. Some of the creme 
 de la creme indulged in a head- 
 dress representing a peacock, 
 whose gorgeous plumage set 
 off their dark tresses ; and 
 princesses were usually dis- 
 tinguished by a coiffure of 
 extraordinary dimensions, com- 
 bining aU the riches of the animal, vegetable, and 
 mineral kingdoms. 
 
 Modern Egypt has preserved many of the customs of 
 its former inhabitants, on which I shall further descant 
 when treating of the " Orientals." At present I shall 
 proceed in due chronological order, and devote my next 
 chapter to the Jews. 
 
 Egvptian Headdress from a 
 Mummy case. 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. Chap. III. 
 
 A GARDEN IN THE HOLT LAND. 
 
37 
 
 CHAPTEE III, 
 
 The Jews. 
 
 ' Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart." — Pkoverhs xxvii. 9. 
 
 LTHOUGII 
 
 the Jews 
 are un- 
 doubtedly 
 the most 
 a n cient 
 people ex- 
 tant, and 
 the Holy 
 Scriptures 
 furnish 
 us with 
 abundant 
 details re- 
 specting 
 them since the com- 
 mencement of the 
 world, I have given them 
 the second place in my history of Perfumes, because 
 those luxuries do not appear to have come into general 
 use among them until their return from Egypt. During 
 their long captivity in that highly civilised country, 
 they became initiated in all the refinements of their 
 masters, being gradually transformed from a simple. 
 
38 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 pastoral people to a polished, industrious nation ; and 
 among the many arts which they brought back with 
 them into their own country was that of perfumery. 
 
 Long before that time, however, they had probably 
 discovered the aromatic properties of some of their 
 native gums, and, prompted by that natural instinct to 
 which I have already alluded, they had oifered those 
 fragrant treasures on the altars raised to their God. 
 Thus we find Noah, on issuing from the ark, expressing 
 his gratitude to the Almighty for his wonderful preserva- 
 tion by a sacrifice of burnt offerings, composed of "every 
 clean beast and ever}' clean fowl." ' It is true that 
 Genesis docs not mention incense as having formed part 
 of the holocaust, but the very words that follow, " And 
 the Lord smellcd a sweet savour," may lead us to as- 
 sume that such was the case. 
 
 The moimtains of Gilead, a ridge running from 
 Moimt Lebanon southward, on the east of the Holy 
 Land, were covered with fragrant shrubs. The most 
 plentiful among them was the amyris, which yields a 
 gum known under the name of " balm of Gilead." 
 Strabo also speaks of a field near Jericho, in Palestine, 
 which was full of these balsam-trees. This gum seems 
 to have formed an article of commerce at a very early 
 IDeriod, for the Ishmaelite merchants to whom Joseph 
 was sold by his brethren " came from Gilead with their 
 camels, bearing spicery, and bahn, and myrrh, going to 
 carry it down to Egypt." ^ 
 
 Among the many commands which Moses received 
 
 ' Genesis viii. 20. » Genesis xxxvii. 25. 
 
THE JEWS. 
 
 39 
 
 from the Lord on his return from the land of captivity, 
 were those of erecting the altar of incense, and com- 
 pounding the holy oil and perfume : — 
 
 "And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: 
 of shittim wood shalt thou make it." 
 
 " And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top 
 
 The Altar of Incense. 
 
 thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns 
 thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold 
 round about." ^ 
 
 In the same chapter wc find the directions for making 
 the holy anointing oil : — 
 
 " Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure 
 
 ' Exodus XXX. 1-3. 
 
40 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half 
 SO much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of 
 sweet calamu^s two hundred and fifty shekels. And of 
 cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanc- 
 tuarjr, and of olive oil an hin. 
 
 " And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an 
 ointment compound after tho art of the apothecary (or 
 perfumcv) : it shall be a holy anointing oil."' 
 
 This oil served to anoint tho tabernacle, the ark of 
 the testimony, the altar of burnt offerings, the altar of 
 incense, tho candlesticks, and all the sacred vessels. It 
 was also used to consecrate Aaron and his sons, con- 
 i'erring upon them perpetual priesthood from generation 
 to generation. Tho ceremony was confined to the high 
 priest, and was performed by pouring oil on the head in 
 sufficient quantity to run down on the beard and tho 
 skirta of tho garments.* There is a controversy as to 
 when this practice was discontinued — some of the rabbis 
 pretending that it was given up about fifty years before 
 the destruction of the temple ; while Eusebius is of opinion 
 that it remained in use until our Saviour's time.^ 
 
 Jewish kings were also anointed, but opinions differ 
 very much as to whether it was done with the holy oil 
 or common oil. Talmudic writers maintain that it was 
 the peculiar privilege of the kings of the family of 
 David to be anointed with the same holy oil which was 
 used in the consecration of the high priest ; but this 
 can scarcely agree with the directions contained ia 
 
 1 Exodus XXX. 23, 24, 1h. « Psalm cxxxiii. 2. 
 
 * Eusebius, Demonstr. Evang. viii. 
 
THE JEWS. 41 
 
 Exodus, by wHich the use of the holy ointment is con- 
 fined to Aaron and his generation, to the exclusion of 
 every other person.^ 
 
 Although the ingredients of this oil are given to us, 
 we are not told how it was prepared ; and it seems diffi- 
 cult to tinderstand how so many solid substances could 
 be introduced into an hin of oil (which, according to 
 Bishop Cumberland, is only a little more than a gallon) 
 without destroying its liquidity. Maimonides pretends 
 to explain this by saying that the four spices were 
 pounded separately, then mixed together, and a strong 
 decoction of them made with water, which, being strained 
 from the ingredients, was boiled up with the oil till all 
 the water had evaporated.^ 
 
 The instructions given to Moses for compounding the 
 holy incense were as follow : — 
 
 " Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and 
 galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense ; of 
 each shall there be a like weight : and thou shalt make 
 it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary 
 {or perfumer), tempered together pure and holy."^ 
 
 The word perfumer occurs in some of the translations 
 instead of that of apothecary, which is easily accounted 
 for by the fact that in those times both callings were 
 combined in one. 
 
 There is a great difference of opinion among scrip- 
 tural commentators as to the true nature of stacte, 
 onycha, and galbanum. 
 
 ' Exodus xl. 13-15, - De Apparatu Templi, cap. i. sec. 1. 
 
 2 Exodus XXX. 34, 35. 
 
42 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Stacte, in Hebrew S|tDJ (nataj^h), means dropping; 
 and the Greek translation, STUKTr} (stakte), has the same 
 signification, hence it was thought by some to be storax 
 and by others opobalsamiun. Gesenius simply calls it 
 a fragrant gum; but Professor Lee maintains it was 
 myrrh, and he is probably correct. EosenmiiUer, how- 
 ever, says that cnaicrrj is derived from a-rd^eLV, to distil, 
 and that it was a distillate from myrrh and cinnamon. 
 The word stacte also occurs in Latin authors, but their 
 definitions do not agree ; Pliny saying it is the natural 
 exudation of the myrrh tree before it is cut, whilst 
 Dioscorides pretends it is an unguent made of myrrh 
 pounded in a little water and mixed with origanum. 
 
 There is stiU a greater controversy respecting onycha. 
 Geddes and Boothroyd assimilate it to bdellium,^ and 
 Bochartus brings forth many arguments to prove it to 
 have been labdanum,'^ one of the principal aromatics used 
 by the Arabians. Maimonides states it was the hoof or 
 claw of an animal, and Jarchi the root of a plant. The 
 most general version, however, is that it was the shell of 
 a fish found in the marshes of India, and that it derived 
 its fragrance from the spikenard, upon which it fed. This 
 fish was also found in the Red Sea, whence the Jews pro- 
 bably obtained it ; and its white and transparent shell 
 resembled a man's nail, which accounts for its name.'' 
 
 Galbanum, in Hebrew nji^H {chalbaneh), means 
 unctuous, and was evidently a balsam. Bishop Patrick 
 
 ' Gum-resin produced by the balsanwiiciulron mtikul. 
 
 " Ouni of the cistus creticu^. 
 
 ^ Auu^ {onyx) in Greek means u human nail. 
 
THE JEWS. 
 
 43 
 
 says it must not be confounded with the common 
 galbanum used in medicine, which has anything but 
 an agreeable smell, but that it was a superior sort foimd 
 in Syria, on Mount Amonus. 
 
 The word tempered has also been discussed, some pre- 
 tending that it meant salted. Maimonides says that the 
 incense was always mixed with salt of Sodom ; but 
 Bishop Horsley thinks that temjxred in this case signi- 
 fies dissolved. 
 
 Bezaleel and 
 Aholiab, who were 
 expert "in all man- 
 ner of workman" 
 ship," were in- 
 trusted with the 
 task of preparing 
 the holy oil and 
 incense, and it M'as 
 strictly forbidden 
 to use them for any 
 other but sacred 
 purposes. 
 
 " Whosoever 
 shall make like 
 unto that, to smeU 
 thereto, shall even 
 be cut off from his 
 people." ^ 
 
 It was likewise the exclusive prerogative of priests to 
 I Exodus XXX. 38. 
 
 The High Pnest offering Incense. 
 
44 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 offer up incense in the temple ; and for having violated 
 this law, and disregarded the threats of Moses and 
 Aaron, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with two hundred 
 and fifty princes of the assembly, were swallowed up 
 by the earth, with their families and their goods.^ 
 
 At a later period. King Uzziah was likewise repri- 
 manded by Azariah and eighty other priests for attempt- 
 ing to burn incense in the temple ; and having persisted 
 in his design, he was struck with leprosy on the spot.^ 
 
 The verj' severe penalties decreed by Moses against 
 any persons attempting to use the holy oil and incense 
 for private purposes, or even to compound similar pre- 
 parations, give a very evident proof that the Jews had 
 brought from Egj-pt with them the habit of employing 
 perfumes, otherwise such prohibitions would have been 
 imnecessary. 
 
 With these they had also imported the cleanly habits 
 of the Egyptians, and that complete system of baths 
 which gaA'c, as it were, new life to the frame, and which 
 naturally led them to the use of sweet imctions. 
 
 The purifications of women, as ordained by law, also 
 caused a great consumption of aromatics. They lasted 
 a whole year, the first six months being accomplished 
 with oil of myrrh, and the rest with other sweet odours. 
 This was the ordeal Esther had to undergo before she was 
 presented to king Ahasuerus, and " she obtained grace 
 and favour in his sight more than all the virgins." ^ 
 
 Perfumes were also one of the means of seduction 
 resorted to by Judith when she went forth to seek 
 
 1 Numbers xvi. 32-35. - 2 Chron. xxvi. 16-19. ' Esther ii. 12, 17. 
 
THE JEWS. 
 
 46 
 
 Holofernes in his tent, and liberate her people from 
 his oppression. 
 
 " She pulled off the sackcloth which she had on, and 
 put off the garments of her widowhood, and washed her 
 body all over with water, and anointed herself with 
 precious ointment, and braided the hair of her head 
 and put a tire upon it, and put on her garment of 
 
 AM 
 
 - 'J JL 
 
 Judith rreparmg to meet Holofernes. 
 
 gladness, wherewith she was clad during the life of 
 Manasses her husband." 
 
 " And she took sandals upon her feet, and put about 
 her bracelets, and her chains and her rings, and her 
 ear-rings and all her ornaments, and decked herself 
 bravely, to allure the eyes of aU men that should see 
 her." i' 
 
 ' Judith X. 3, 4. 
 
46 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Perfumes were then very costly, and the Jews held 
 them in such high esteem that they formed part of the 
 presents made to sover'eigns, as we find it to have been 
 the case when the queen of Sheba visited king Solomon, 
 and brought him " such spices as had never been seen." 
 We also read that Hezekiah, receiving the envoys of 
 the kiag of Babylon, showed them all his treasures, 
 "the gold and silver, and the spices and sweet oint- 
 ment." 1 
 
 The most complete description of the various aroma- 
 tics used by the Jews is to be found in the Canticles. 
 A symbolical meaning has been ascribed, it is true, to 
 this splendid Hebrew poem; but, even if taken in a 
 figurative sense, the frequent mention of perfumes made 
 in it shows that they must have been weU-known and 
 appreciated at the Je'udsh court. 
 
 "Because of the savour of thy good ointment, thy 
 name is as good ointment poured forth." 
 
 " ^AHiile the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard 
 sendeth forth the smell thereof." 
 
 " My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in 
 the vineyards of Engedi." 
 
 " Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like 
 pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, 
 with all powders of the merchant ?" 
 
 " The smell of thy garments is Hke the smell of 
 Lebanon." 
 
 " Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with 
 pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, spikenard 
 
 ' Isaiah xxxlx. 2. 
 
THE JEWS. 
 
 47 
 
 and saiFron ; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of 
 frankincense ; myrrh, and aloes, with all the chief 
 spices." 
 
 The last lines sum up the principal fragrant sub- 
 stances then in use, of which the following description 
 may not be deemed out of place : — 
 
 Camphire is the same shrub which the Arabs call henna 
 {lau'sonia inerinis), the leaves of which are still used by 
 women in the East to impart a rosy tint to the palms of 
 
 Henna, or Camphire {Lawsonia inermis) with enlarged leaf and flower, 
 
 their hands and the soles of their feet. Its flowers are 
 very fragrant, and are worn in chaplets round the neck, 
 or used to decorate apartments and scent the air. 
 
 The true nature of Spikenard has been at all times 
 the subject of much controversy. Ptolemy mentions it 
 as an odoriferous plant, the best of which grew at 
 Eangamati and on the borders of the country now called 
 Bootan. Pliny says there are twelve varieties of it — 
 
48 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 the best being the Indian, the next in quality the Syriac, 
 then the Gallic, and, in the fourth place, that of Crete. 
 He thus describes the Indian spikenard : •" It is a shrub 
 with a heavy thick root, but short, black, brittle, and 
 yet unctuous as well ; it has a musty smell, too, very 
 much like that of the cjqjerus, with a sharp acrid taste, 
 the leaves being small, and growing in tufts. The 
 heads of the nard spread out into ears ; hence it is that 
 nard is so famous for its two-fold production, the spike 
 or ear, and the leaf." ' The price of genuine spikenard 
 was then one hundred denarii per pound,- and all the 
 other sorts, which were merely herbs, were infinitely 
 cheaper, some being only worth three ^ denarii per 
 pound. 
 
 Galen and Dioscorides give a somewhat similar account 
 of spikenard or nardostachys,^ but the latter pretends 
 that the so-called Syrian nard came in reality from 
 India, whence it was brought to Syria for shipment. 
 The ancients appear to have confounded spikenard with 
 some of the fragrant grasses of India, which would 
 account for the report that Alexander the Great when 
 he invaded Gedrosia could smell from the back of his 
 elephant the fragrance of the nard as it was trod upon 
 , by the horses' feet. This error was shared by Linnaeus, 
 who did not attempt to classify it, but was inclined to 
 think it was the same as the Andropogon nardus, com- 
 monly called ginger-grass. 
 
 Sir Wniiam Jones, the learned orientalist, turned his 
 
 ^' Pliny's Nat. Hist, book xii. chap. 26. 
 
 - About £3 6s. id. of our money. 3 Fmrn the Greek mo^osTaxm. 
 
THE JEWS. 
 
 49 
 
 serious attention to this question, and after a laborious 
 investigation succeeded in establishing beyond doubt 
 that the spikenard of the ancients was a plant of the 
 valerianic order, called by the Arabs sumbul, which 
 means " spike," and by the Hindus jafamansi, which 
 signifies " locks of hair," both appellations being derived 
 from its having a stem which somewhat resembles the 
 tail of an ermine or of a small 
 weasel. He consequently gave 
 it the name of "Valeriana Jata- 
 mansi," under which it is now 
 generally classed by botanists. 
 It is found in the mountainous 
 regions of India, principally in 
 Bootan and Nepaul. Its name 
 appears to be derived from the 
 Tamil language, in which the 
 syllable r^rrij ndr denotes any 
 thing possessing fragrance, such 
 as ndrtiim pillu, "lemon-grass;" 
 ndrum panei, "Indian jasmine;" 
 ndrta maniim, "wild orange," etc. It is highly pro- 
 bable, however, that the word spikenard was often 
 applied by the ancients as a generic name for every 
 sort of perfume, as the Chinese now designate all 
 their scents by the name of ^ heang, which pro- 
 perly means incense, it being for them the type of aU 
 perfumes. 
 
 Saffron is composed of the dried stigmata of the 
 flowers of the crocus salivus. Calamus is the root of 
 
 Spikenard. 
 [Valeriana Jataiiinnsi.) 
 
50 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 the sweet flag {crocus calamm), and Ciimamon the bark 
 of the cinnamomum verum,. 
 
 Frankincense is an exudation from a sort of terebinth 
 called hostccUia thtirifera, ■which is principally found in 
 Yemen, a part of Arabia. In the time of Pliny it was 
 only to be procured from that country, and he tells 
 many marvellous stories respecting its mode of collec- 
 tion and the difficul- 
 ties in obtaining it. 
 It has, however, since 
 been discovered in 
 some of the moun- 
 tainous parts of India. 
 Myrrh is likewise 
 an exudation from a 
 tree called halsamo- 
 dendron myrrha,io\mA 
 principally in Arabia 
 and Abyssinia. The 
 Greeks attributed a 
 fabulous origin to this 
 precious resin, hold- 
 ing it to be produced 
 by the tears of Myrrha, 
 daughter of Cinyrus, king of Cj'jjrus, who had been 
 metamorphosed into a shrub. It is now scarcely used 
 in perfumerj', although it was such a favourite with the 
 ancients. 
 
 The aloes mentioned here must not be confounded with 
 the medicinal drug bearing the same name. It is the 
 
 Saffron [Crocus Sativus), 
 
THE JEWS. 
 
 51 
 
 wood of a tree called aloexylum agallochum and is still 
 greatly used in the East as a perfunae principally for 
 burning. 
 
 That these aromatics formed already an important 
 branch of commerce, appears from the words used in 
 the Canticles, "all powders of the merchant ;" and it is 
 
 Frankincense {BosweUia thurijera). 
 
 equally evident they were applied to many purposes. 
 Besides those that were burned, or used as perfumes, 
 the allusion made to "the smeU of the garments,'' 
 shows that they laid them among their clothes, a 
 custom also observed by the Greeks, as mentioned in 
 Homer's " Odyssey," and kept up to the present day 
 among Eastern nations. The most luxurious even 
 
52 
 
 THE BOOK OF TEKFUMES. 
 
 applied scents to their couches, as we read ia the 
 
 Proverbs : — 
 
 " I have perfumed 
 my bed with myrrh, 
 aloes, and cinna- 
 
 mon 
 
 " 1 
 
 We cannot wonder 
 that the Jews evinced 
 such a taste for per- 
 fumes (a taste which 
 they have retained 
 to the present day), 
 when we consider 
 with what lavish 
 hand Nature had 
 showered her fra- 
 grant treasures upon 
 them. Judea abound- 
 ed with aromatic 
 plants and shrubs, 
 and well might Goldsmith hail it as a second Arabia : 
 
 The Aloes Tree. 
 [Aloerylum yJgaHochtlm] 
 
 " Ye fields of Sharon, dress'd in flowery pride ; 
 Ye plains where Jordan rolls its glassy tide ; 
 Ye hills of Lebanon, with cedars crowned ; 
 Ye Gilead groves, that fling perfumes around ; 
 Those hills how sweet ! those plains how wondrous fair 1 " - 
 
 The Egyptian custom of anointing the head of a 
 guest to honour him was practised likewise by the 
 Jews ; thus when Jesus was sitting at table in Bethany, 
 
 ' Proverbs vii. 17. ' "The Captivity." 
 
THE JEWS, tj3 
 
 in the house of Simon the leper, " there came a woman 
 having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very 
 precious, and she brake the box and poured it on his 
 head." i 
 
 The Jews had also borrowed from the Egyptians the 
 practice of embalming their dead, for we see in the 
 Gospel that after Jesus's death Nicodemus " brought a 
 mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound 
 weight. Then took they the body of Jesus and wound 
 it in linen clothes with the epices, as the manner of 
 Jews is to bury." ^ 
 
 Soap does not appear to have been known by the Jews. 
 It is true that the word sope occurs twice in the Bible,^ 
 but in these instances it may be permitted to doubt if 
 it renders the true meaning of the Hebrew word n''"l3 
 {borith). The Septuagiat* translates it "herb," and the 
 Latin Vulgate " the herb borith." Jarchi says it was 
 an herb used by fullers for cleansing clothes, and Mai- 
 monides thinks it was the plant called by the Arabs 
 gazul, which, according to Jerome, grows abundantly 
 in the moist parts of Palestine. Others again assert 
 that it meant fuller's earth, or a saponaceous clay 
 found in the east, which is still used there for the bath. 
 Dr. Henderson in his new translation of Jeremiah, has 
 it "potash,"^ and he appears to be nearer the truth, 
 for I strongly believe borith to have been nitrate of 
 
 1 St. Mark xiv. 3. = St. John xix. 39, 40. 
 
 s Jeremiah ii. 22 ; and Malachi, iii. 2. 
 
 < A Greek version of the Old Testament, supposed to be the work of 
 seventy translators. 
 5 Jeremiah and Lamentations, translated by Dr. Henderson, page 1 1, 
 
54 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 potash, or common nitre. It may be objected that the 
 words used by Jeremiah, " For though thou wash thee 
 with nitre, and take thee much sope," show that nitre 
 and borith were two diiferent things. This I fully admit, 
 but the substance called nitre by the ancients was in 
 reality the natron of Egypt, a sesquicarbonate of soda 
 which was fovmd in several lakes in that country, and used 
 for washing and also for embalming,^ whilst our common 
 nitre or saltpetre is a nitrate of potash. I am confirmed 
 in this opinion, by the description of the holy incense 
 found in the Talmud (Book Cheritoth,) which comprised 
 i<5^*1.3 nnS, {borith of Carshena), probably a native 
 nitre found at Carshena, and a very proper ingredient 
 to promote combustion, if we admit it to be nitre, but 
 difficult to explain if it is asserted to be a soap, a clay, 
 or even an herb. 
 
 Jewish women were mostly endowed with great phy- 
 sical beauty — a gift which they have preserved to this 
 time, throughout the work of ages, the changes of climes, 
 and the innumerable hardships to which they have been 
 submitted. Not contented, however, with their natural 
 personal attractions, they tried to enhance them with 
 various cosmetics, among which stood pre-eminent the 
 Egyptian kohl, described in the last chapter. It was 
 this artifice Jezebel resorted to when she was expecting 
 Jehu ; for, although the text says that she painted 
 her face,"^ it was most probablj^ her eyes to which she 
 gave that dark hue which was thought so fascinating. 
 Ezekiel explains this mode of painting more clearly 
 
 ' See last chapter. = 2 Kings is. 30. 
 
THE JEWS. 
 
 55 
 
 when he says, " Thou didst wash thyself, paintedst 
 thine eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments." 
 
 The todet implements used by the Jews were, like 
 their perfumes, borrowed principally from their late 
 masters, the Egyptians. They used the same sort of 
 metal mirrors, and the brazen laver made by Moses for 
 the tabernacle was composed of those belonging to the 
 women <3f the congregation. 
 
 There is no country in the world where manners and 
 
 An Eaitera Marriage Frocession. 
 
 customs are so perpetuated from generation to genera- 
 tion as in the East. "We iind among the modem Arabs 
 the same mode of life which was adopted by the patri- 
 archs of old, and we may likewise form some idea of the 
 
56 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 costumes and habits of ancient Jewish women from those 
 of the present occupants of the Holy Land. The marriage 
 
 procession represented on the 
 previous page may give us 
 some notion of the ancient way 
 of performing that ceremony. 
 The sweet aspersions and aro- 
 matic fumigations are still 
 maintained ; and in the an- 
 nexed engraving of an Eastern 
 bride, we recognise manj' of 
 the ornaments, with the loss 
 of which Isaiah threatens the 
 daughters of Zion as a punish- 
 ment for their wickedness : — 
 " In that day the Lord wdl 
 take away the bravery of their 
 tinkling ornaments about their 
 feet, and their cauls, and their 
 round tires like the moon, 
 
 " The chains, and the brace- 
 lets, and the mufflers, 
 
 " The bonnets, and the oma- 
 An Eastern Pnde. meuts of the legs, and the 
 
 head-bands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings, 
 " The rings and nose-jewels, 
 
 " The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, 
 and the wimples, and the crisping-pins, 
 
 " The glasses, and the fine Knen, and the hoods, and 
 the veils. 
 
THE JEWS. 
 
 57 
 
 "And it sliall come to pass, that instead of sweet 
 smell, there shaU. be a bad odour ; and instead of a 
 girdle, a rent ; and instead of well-set hair, baldness ; 
 and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth ; and 
 burning instead of beauty." ^ 
 
 Of all the menaces held out by the prophet to the 
 Hebrew women, that of baldness must have been the 
 most severely felt by them, for they generally possessed 
 very line hair, which they wore confined in a net or 
 caul, and ornamented with "round tires like the moon." 
 The men also kept 
 their hair long, just 
 as it grew; and Absa- 
 lom's hair is said to 
 have weighed two 
 hundred shekels, 
 which is about thirty- 
 one ounces. Shorn 
 locks were usually a 
 sign of slavery; and 
 in this lamentable guise are represented Jewish captives 
 at Babylon suing mercy from their conquerors. The 
 priests had their hair cut every fortnight, while they were 
 in waiting at the temple. The Nazarites, who made a 
 vow of observing a more than ordinary degree of purity, 
 were forbidden from touching their hair with a razor or 
 scissors during its continuance, but when it ended they 
 came to the door of the temple, and the priest shaved 
 their heads, and burnt their hair on the altar. 
 
 1 Isaiah iii. 18-24. 
 
 Jewish Captives at Eabyloli. 
 
58 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Josephiis relates that, in grand ceremonies, king Solo- 
 mon was preceded by forty pages, all scions of noble 
 families, wearing their hair profusely powdered with 
 gold-dust, which, glitteriag ia the sun's rays, had a 
 most briUiant effect. Our beUes of the present time 
 who patronise this mode of adornment and ascribe its 
 invention to a modern illustrious lady, may not be aware 
 that it is some three thousand years old, which confirms 
 once more the truth of the adage, that " there is nothing 
 new under the sun." 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. Chap. IV. 
 
 THE DEATH OF SABDANAFALUS. 
 
69 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Ancient Asiatic Nations. 
 
 " In this pleasant soil 
 His far more pleasant garden God ordained, 
 Out of the fertile ground he caused to grow 
 AU trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste." 
 
 Milto.n's Pakadise Lost. 
 
 HE strip of land 
 running between 
 those two mighty 
 rivers, the Tigris 
 and the Euphra- 
 tes, which was 
 called Mesopo- 
 tamia by the an- 
 cients, and is 
 named El Jezireh 
 by its modern in- 
 habitants, is supposed 
 to have been the site of 
 earthly Paradise. Some 
 bcripture commentators, it is 
 tiue, entertain the opinion that 
 it was placed in Armenia ; but 
 out of the four rivers mentioned 
 Genesis as flowing through it, two being evidently 
 
60 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 the Tigris and the Euphrates, it seems more natural 
 to suppose that Mesopotamia was the scene of that mag- 
 nificent garden of Eden so beautifully described by 
 Milton in his noble poem : — 
 
 " It was a place 
 Chosen by the immortal Planter, when he framed 
 All things to man's delightful use ; the roof 
 Of thickest covert was inwoven shade, 
 Laurel and niyrtle, and what higher grew 
 Of firm and fragrant leaf; on eithei side 
 Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub. 
 Fenced up the verdant wall ; each beauteous flower, 
 Iris all hues, roses and jessamine, 
 
 Eear'd high their flourished heads between, and wrought 
 Mosaic ; under foot the violet, 
 Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay 
 Broidcr'd the ground, more colour'd than with stone 
 Of costliest emblem." ' 
 
 That this favoured spot has preserved its natural 
 beauties to the present day we may judge by Layard's 
 description of the environs of the ancient city of Nim- 
 roud : — 
 
 " Flowers of every hue enamelled the meadows ; not 
 thinly scattered over the grass as in northern climes, 
 but in such thick and gathering clusters, that the whole 
 plain seemed a patchwork of many colours." * 
 
 Such an attractive region could not fail to be chosen 
 by man at an early period for a dwelling-place ; nor is 
 it to be wondered at that it tempted more than once 
 the ambitious invader to overrun its fertile plains and 
 settle with his hordes in this desirable spot. It would 
 be, however, quite out of my province to trace the his- 
 
 ' " Paradise Lost," book iv. ' "Nineveh and its Remains," vol. i, p. 78. 
 
THE ANCIENT ASIATIC NATIONS. 61 
 
 tory of the great Eastern empire from its foundation by 
 Asliur, the son of Shem, and Nimrod, " the mighty 
 hunter," to its conquest by Cyrus. I shall confine my- 
 self to what strictly appertains to my subject, and en- 
 deavour to delineate the manners and customs of the 
 Assyrians, the Medes, the Persians, the Chaldeans, and 
 other ancient Asiatic nations. 
 
 Besides the frequent reference to the Assyrians and 
 Chaldeans which we find in the Bible, Herodotus, 
 Xenophon, Diodorus Siculus, and other authors have 
 transmitted to us, some curious and valuable informa- 
 tion, respecting the mode of life of those luxurious 
 people, which has been fully confiimed by modem 
 discoveries. 
 
 For many centuries, Nineveh and Babylon, once the 
 wonders of the imiverse, lived but in the memories of 
 men. Their sites were scarcely known ; and it was 
 thought that every trace of them had disappeared from 
 the face of the earth, when, some fifty years since, 
 an English scholar and a French savant, Rich and 
 Niebuhr, after long and patient researches, succeeded in 
 lifting a corner of the shroud of sand and ruin which 
 had so long covered the dead cities, and revealed to the 
 astonishment of the world the splendours of Assyrian 
 architecture. These pioneers of exploration were fol- 
 lowed by Botta, Bonomi, Layard, and other ardent 
 investigators, who, by dint of untiring perseverance and 
 energy, rescued many valuable treasures from the mounds 
 of rubbish which the present occupiers of the soil had 
 allowed, in their careless ignorance, to accumulate over 
 
62 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 them. These interesting relics now enrich our museums ; 
 and in their graphic illustrations we may read, as in a 
 written book, the manners and customs of a nation which 
 rivalled Egjjpt in the arts of peace and war. 
 
 The Assj'rians wor- 
 shipped many deities, 
 the principal of which 
 were the sun, the moon, 
 and the constellations. 
 Baal, or Belus, the 
 Baal, or licius. Egyptian Osiris, typi- 
 
 fied the sun, and was the most highly venerated of 
 them all. Next came Astarte, or Mylitta, the Assyrian 
 Venus, who, like Isis in Egj-pt, was honoured imder the 
 shape of the moon. 
 
 which accounts for 
 her being generally 
 represented with a 
 crescent on her head. 
 Dagon, or the fish- 
 god, was principally 
 revered b^' the Plice- 
 nicians, to whom he 
 was said to have 
 taught the art of 
 navigation. 
 
 On all the altars 
 erected to these gods, incense and aromatic gums were 
 burnt in great profusion, for we read in the Holy Writ 
 of the " idolatrous priests that burn incense unto Baal, 
 
 Astarte, the Assyrian Venus. 
 
THE ANCIENT ASIATIC NATIONS. 
 
 63 
 
 to the sun and the moon, and to the planets, and to all 
 the host of heaven." ^ 
 
 Herodotus describes at great length the magnificent 
 
 Dagon, or the Fish-god. Altar (KhorBabad). 
 
 temple erected in Babylon in honour of Baal, or Belus, 
 
 which consisted in a series of eight huge towers 
 
 raised one over the other, and 
 
 thought by some to have been 
 
 identical with the Tower of 
 
 Babel. In the interior was a 
 
 golden statue of the god, said 
 
 to have weighed eight hundred 
 
 talents (which made it worth 
 
 about three millions of our 
 
 money), and on the altar, which 
 
 was also made of massive 
 
 gold, they burned every year 
 
 one thousand talents of pure 
 
 incense.^ 
 
 Besides these deities the As- 
 syrians also worshipped their ancient sovereigns, such 
 • 2 Kings xxiii. 5, 
 
 Nimrod's Statue ind filtar. 
 
 2 Herodotus, book i. 
 
64 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 as Nimrod, under whose statue an altar was found in 
 one of the excavated monuments ; and Semiramis, their 
 great queen, who had raised Babylon to its greatest state 
 of splendour, and who was supposed to have been trans- 
 formed into a dove, under which shape she was adored. 
 
 Their altars were not 
 always placed in the 
 temples ; they were 
 sometimes raised on 
 high places, a custom 
 frequently alluded . to 
 in the Bible, and fur- 
 ther illustrated by mo- 
 dern discoveries. The 
 Altar on a High Place. pricsts represented in 
 
 the sculptures by the sides of the altar generally have 
 in their hand a small square basket of wicker-work, the 
 destination of which has greatly puzzled the savans. It 
 may probably have been used 
 to carry the aromatic gums 
 and woods to be burned in the 
 sacrifice. The consumption of 
 these precious drugs was so 
 large that, besides what the 
 country produced, additional 
 supplies were obtained from 
 neighbouring nations. The 
 Arabians alone, according to 
 Herodotus, had to furnish a yearly tribute of one thou- 
 sand talents of frankincense. 
 
 Assyrian Altar and Priests 
 (Khorsabad). 
 
THE AKCIENT ASIATIC NATIONS. 65 
 
 Zoroaster, during the reign of Darius Hystaspes, un- 
 dertook to reform the religion of the Persians, and sub- 
 stituted the worship of fire for that of their various 
 idols. Five times a day did his priests burn perfumes 
 on the altar, and it was their dutj^ to watch by turns 
 so that the holy flame might not be extinguished. 
 
 The following origin was ascribed to the sacred fire : 
 An astrologer once predicted at Babylon the birth of 
 a child who would dethrone the king. The reigning 
 monarch gave orders thereupon to have all women who 
 were in a state of pregnancy put to death ; but one of 
 them, whose appearance had not betrayed her, gave 
 secretl}' birth to the future prophet. The king having 
 heard of it a short time after, sent for the child and 
 tried to kill him with his own hand, but his arm was 
 withered on the spot. He then had him placed on a 
 lighted stake, but the burning pile changed into a bed 
 of roses, on which the child quietty slept. Some per- 
 sons present saved a portion of the fire, which was kept 
 up to the present day, in memory of this great miracle. 
 The king made two other attempts to destroy Zoroaster, 
 but received punishment for his wickedness in the shape 
 of a gnat which entered his ear and caused his death. ^ 
 
 Zoroaster's doctrines were adopted and upheld by the 
 kings of the Sassanide dynasty, one of whom is repre- 
 sented on the accompanyingmedaljhavingon the obverse 
 a pyreum, or holy altar-fire. When Persia was invaded 
 by the Turks, his sectaries flew from the persecutions 
 to which they were subjected by the Mahometans, and 
 
 ' Tavernier, Voyage en Perse. 
 
66 
 
 THE HOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 took refuge on the western coast of India, where they 
 continue to exercise their religion under the name of 
 Parsees, or Ghebers. They still keep up the sacred 
 
 
 fasaanide Medal. 
 
 fires on brazen altars, upon which they throw aromatic 
 gums in their ceremonies. 
 
 The luxurious and refined habits of the Assyrians in 
 
 private life naturally in- 
 volved the use of per- 
 fumes and cosmetics. 
 Their last monarch, Sar- 
 danapalus, whom Col. 
 Rawlinson calls Assar- 
 adan-pal, carried this 
 passion to such an ex- 
 : tent that he dressed and 
 rarsee Altar. painted like his women ; 
 
 and, when driven to the last extremity by the rapid 
 advance of the conqueror, he chose a death worthy of 
 an Eastern voluptuary by causing a pile of fragrant 
 woods to be lighted, and, placing himself on it with 
 his wives and treasures, was sweetly sufibcated by 
 aromatic smoke. Duris, however, and other historians 
 quoted by Athenseus, give another version of his death. 
 
THE ANCIENT ASIATIC NATIONS. 67 
 
 They say that Arhaces, one of his generals, having gone 
 to visit Sardanapalus, found him painted with vermilion 
 and clad in female garb. He was just in the act of 
 pencilling his eyebrows when Arbaces entered, and tlie 
 general was so indignant at the effeminacy of the monarch 
 that he stabbed him on the spot. 
 
 Great as was the magnificence of Nineveh, it was 
 scarcely equal to that of Babylon, which, according to 
 ancient records, had a circumference of sixty miles, and 
 contained the most gorgeous buildings and immense 
 riches. Foremost among all these marvels were the 
 celebrated hanging gardens which Nebuchadnezziiv 
 erected to please his wife Amytes, daughter of Astyanax, 
 king of the Medes, and which were classed among the 
 wonders of the world. 
 
 " 'Within the walls was raised a lofty mound 
 Where flowers and aromatic shrubs .adorned 
 The pensile garden. For Nebassar's queen 
 Fatigued with Babylonia's level plains, 
 Sighed for her Jlcdian home, where Nature's hand 
 Had scooped the vales and clothed the mountain side 
 With many a verdant wood ; nor long she pined 
 Till that uxorious monarch called on Art 
 To rival Nature's sweet variety. 
 Forthwith two hundred thousand slaves uprcar'd 
 This hill— egregious work, rich fruits o'erhang 
 The sloping vales, and odorous shrubs entwine 
 Their undulating branches." 
 
 There by the side of the lofty cedar grew the mourn- 
 ful cypress and the elegant mimosa ; but the favourite 
 resort of the Queen was the bower where bloomed the 
 rose and the lily, vying with each other in beauty and 
 fragrance. 
 
68 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 " And the jessamine faint, and the sweet tuberose, 
 The sweetest flowei' for scent that blows, 
 And all rare blossoms from every clime !" 
 
 We can easily conceiye that people who professed 
 such admiration for fragrant flowers had an adequate 
 esteem for perfumes, and that when the season of the 
 
 Assyrian Oln^^lent Poxes 
 
 former was past they had recourse to the latter to per- 
 petuate their enjoyment of " sweet smells." Babylon 
 was, in fine, the chief mart for perfumes in the East, 
 and Babylonian scents were celebrated far and wide. 
 
 Assyrian Perfume Pottles with cuneiform inscriptions (Nimroud). 
 
 The liquid essences were generally contained in bottles 
 of glass or alabaster, and the ointment in boxes of 
 porcelain or chalcedony. The bottles represented here 
 
THE ANCIENT ASIATIC NATIONS. 09 
 
 with cuneiform inscriptions were found by Mr. La3'incl 
 in the excavations at Nimroud. 
 
 The Babylonians themselves were great consumers of 
 aromatics, for Herodotus tells us that they used to per- 
 fume their whole bodies with the costliest scents, and 
 at their magnificent banquets fragrant cassolettes wore 
 kept constantly burning. 
 
 Cosmetics were also in much request among those 
 luxurious people. Stibium, a preparation of antimony 
 similar to the Egj^ptian kohl, they applied to the lids 
 and corners of the eyes to make them appear larger and 
 more brilliant. They used, besides, white and red paint 
 for the face, and they rubbed their skin with pumice- 
 stone to make it smooth. 
 
 Nicolaus of Damascus narrates the following curious 
 anecdote, which illustrates the manners of the Babylon- 
 ians. In the reign of Artseus, king of the Medes, one 
 of his favourites, named Parsondes, a man renowned for 
 his courage and strength, having observed that Nanarus, 
 the governor of Babylon, was very effeminate in hiH 
 person, shaving himself and using various cosmetics, he 
 asked the king to transfer his post to him. Artseus re- 
 fused, and Nanarus, having heard what had occurred, 
 swore to be revenged on Parsondes. He caused him to 
 be seized whilst he was hunting near Babylon, and 
 having had him brought before him, inquired for what 
 reason he had tried to supplant him. " Because," an- 
 swered Parsondes, " I thought myself more worthy of 
 the honour, for I am more manly and more useful to 
 the king than you, who are shaven, and have your eyes 
 
70 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 underlined with stibium, and your face painted with 
 white lead." Nanarus, on hearing this, delivered his 
 enemy into the hands of a slave, to whom he gave strict 
 oiders to shave him, rub him with pumice-stone, bathe 
 Inm twice a-day, anoint him, paint his eyes, and plait 
 liis liair like a woman's. This mode of treatment soon 
 
 Babyloniaa BanqaeL. 
 
 rendered Parsondes as effeminate as his rival ; and, some 
 time after, Artgeus having sent one of his officers to 
 Babylon to claim his favourite, Nanarus had him brought 
 among one hundred and fifty female musicians before 
 the ambassador, who could not recognise him, and took 
 lii)n for a woman. 
 
 Tlie Modes were no less expert in the art of impart- 
 
THE ANCIENT ASIATIC NATIONS. 71 
 
 ing artificial ciiarms to their persons. Xenophon, in 
 , his Cyropedia,' relates that when Cyrus, at the age of 
 twelve years, went with his mother to visit his grand- 
 father, Astyages, King of the Medes, he found him 
 adorned with paint round his eyes, colour on his face, 
 and a magnificent wig of flowing ringlets. The boy, 
 thinking all this was real, turned round to his mother, 
 and exclaimed, in his naive admiration, " Oh, mother, 
 how handsome my grandfather is !" 
 
 The Persians borrowed from the Medes their taste 
 for perfumes and cosmetics. Their kings usually spent 
 their summers at Ecbatana, and their winters at Susa ; 
 the latter place was celebrated for its beautiful flowers, 
 and especially the lily, which, being called Souson in 
 the Persian language, gave its name to the town. Such 
 was their predilection for perfumes that they usually 
 wore on their heads crowns made, according to Dinon, 
 of myrrh and a sweet-smelling plant called labj^zus. 
 In the palaces of monarchs and individuals of rank, 
 aromatics were constantly burning in richly-wrought 
 vessels, a custom of which we find an illustration in 
 the annexed engraving, taken from the sculptures at 
 Persepolis. 
 
 When Darius was vanquished by Alexander at the 
 battle of Arbela, he left behind him in his tent, among 
 other treasures, a casket filled with precious aromatics. 
 Alexander, who at that time professed to despise such 
 luxuries, had them thrown out, and replaced them with 
 the works of Homer, who, by-the-bye, does not appear 
 
 ' Xenophon, Cyrop. b. i. c. 3. 
 
72 
 
 THE BOOK OF PEKFUIJES. 
 
 to have been so averse to sweet scents as his royal 
 admirer, for he often praises them in his poems. After 
 the great conqueror had sojourned som.e time in Asia, 
 lie altered his views on the subject, for Athenaeus 
 tells us that he used to have the floor sprinkled with 
 exquisite perfumes, and fragrant resins and myrrh were 
 burnt before him, with other kind of incense. "^ 
 
 Incense-burning before a King. (Persepohs ) 
 
 The greatest admirer of perfumes, however, among 
 ancient Asiatic monarchs, seems to have been Antiochus 
 Epiphanes, or the Illustrious,^ King of Syria, who once 
 
 Athenaeus, Deipnosophists, b. xii. 
 
 Athenaeus calls him derisively Epimanes, or the Mad. 
 
THE ANCIENT ASIATIC NATIONS. 73 
 
 held some games at Daphne, where scents played a 
 most important part. 
 
 In one of the processions that took place there were 
 two hundred women sprinkling every one with perfumes 
 out of golden watering-pots. In another, marched 
 boys in purple tunics, bearing frankincense, and myrrh, 
 and saifron, on golden dishes, and after them came two 
 incense-burners made of ivy-wood, covered with gold, 
 six cubits in height, and a large square golden altar 
 in the middle of them. Every one who entered the 
 gymnasium was anointed with some perfume contained 
 in gold dishes. There were fifteen of these dishes, each 
 holding different scents, such as saffron, cinnamon, 
 spikenard, fenugreek, amaracus, lilies, etc. Thousands 
 of guests were invited, and after being richly feasted 
 were sent away with crowns of myrrh and frank- 
 incense. 
 
 The same king was once bathing in the public baths, 
 when some private person, attracted by the fragrant 
 odour which he shed around him, accosted him, saying, 
 " You are a happy man, king : you smell in a most 
 costly manner." Antiochus, being much jjleased with 
 the remark, replied, "I will give you as much as you can 
 desire of this perfume." The king then ordered a large 
 ewer of thick unguent to be poured over his head, and 
 a multitude of poor people soon collected around him to 
 gather what was spilled. This caused the king infinite 
 amusement, but it made the place so greasy that he 
 slipped and fell on his royal back in a most undignified 
 manner, which put an end to his merriment. 
 
74 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 All other Asiatic nations made great use of perfumes, 
 and paid great attention to their toilet ; but none, per- 
 haps, exceeded in that taste the Lydians, who were 
 most effemiaate, and whom Xenophanes describes as 
 
 " Boasting of hair luxuriously dress'd, 
 Dripping with costly and sweet-smelliug oils. 
 
 The Egyptian custom of embalming does not appear 
 to have boon practised in the same manner bj' the 
 Assyrians or Babylonians. Herodotus says that the 
 latter preserved the bodies of their dead with honey, 
 but this would not have been sufficient without the 
 admixture of some aromatic substances. M. Botta 
 found a great number of funereal urns at Nineveh, 
 which onl}' contained fragments of bones, the bodies 
 having been transformed into c\aj. 
 
 No ancient nation devoted such care to the hair and 
 beard as the Assj^rians. The mass of luxuiiant curls 
 falling over the shoulders and the elaboratelj' plaited 
 beard are so familiar to those who have visited our 
 museums that I need not give anj' enlarged description 
 of this fashion. The kings usually had 
 gold thread intcrAvoven with their beard, 
 which, contrasting with its dark hue, had 
 a most brilliant effect. Their head-dress 
 was of a semi-conical form, and enriched 
 with pearls and jewels. Cyrus is said to 
 have been the first to wear the tiara, 
 but he is represented on a monument at 
 
 King's Head-dress, -o ,. ., 1 • I, J 
 
 rersepolis with a most peculiar head- 
 dress, which, if ornamental, must have been somewhat 
 
THE ANCIENT ASIATIC NATIONS. 
 
 75 
 
 Cyrus' llead-dresa. 
 (Peisepolia.; 
 
 inconvenient, as the reader may judge from the annexed 
 
 engraving, which would not form a bad O O O 
 
 design for a candelabrum. 
 
 Ladies wore their hair flowing in 
 
 long ringlets over their shoulders, and 
 
 simply confined by a band round the 
 
 head, as shown in the accompanying 
 
 illustration. They wore massive ear- 
 rings and a profusion of jewels, and 
 
 were mostly pretty. Those, however, 
 
 who had not been favoured with Nature's gifts did not 
 
 on that account remain sin- 
 l()^ /^^ w^»L S^^ ' ^°^' ^y ^ very curious 
 
 custom established at Ba- 
 bylon, all marriageable 
 girls were assembled to- 
 gether at a certain time, 
 
 and the rich smtors selected first the handsomest brides, 
 
 and paid down a dowry, 
 
 which was given to the 
 
 others, who by means of 
 
 this easily found husbands ^,„ 
 
 among the young men who 
 
 cared more for money than 
 
 beauty. 
 
 All the Asiatic people at- 
 tached the greatest value 
 
 to their hair ; and well did 
 
 Mausolus, king of Caria, 
 
 turn this fondness to account when he resorted to the 
 
 AssyriaQ Far-rings 
 
 Babylonian Ladies. 
 
7G THE liOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 following stratagem to replenish his impoverished 
 exchequer. Having first had a quantity of wigs 
 manufactured and carefully stored in the roj'al ware- 
 houses, he published an edict compelKng all his sub- 
 jects to have their heads shaved. The imfortunates had 
 to submit ; and when, a few days after, the monarch's 
 agents went round offering them the perukes destined 
 to cover their denuded polls they were glad to buy 
 them at any price. No wonder that Artemisia could 
 not console herself for the loss of such a clever hus- 
 band ; and that, not satisfied with drinking his ashes 
 every day mixed with her wine, she exhausted the 
 treasures of the state in erecting to his manes a splendid 
 monument, which wa.« reckoned one of the wonders of 
 the world. 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. CnAr. V. 
 
 ^J-TH0IV1^ N — - I 
 
 VENUS' TOILET. J 
 
77 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Greeks. 
 
 also 
 
 'A/i/8po(Ti7; ^fy Trpurov airh xpo^5 i^uepJei/roy 
 Au/xara Trayra Ktid-qpep, dAeii^aro Se A^tt' ^Aaiy 
 'AyUjSpotri'^j, €5ai'at, rti pa ot Teffucu/xfVov ^ei/. HoMER. 
 
 UMEROUS as the 
 stars were the dei- 
 ties adored by ihe 
 ancient Greeks. 
 In Hesiod's time 
 they had already 
 attained the re- 
 spectable number 
 of thirty thou- 
 sand/ and new 
 ■^ ^ ones were being 
 
 constantly manufactured or adopted 
 from other nations. There were 
 many different rites observed in 
 their worship, but they nearly all 
 comprised sacrifices, which were 
 offered not only in the temples but 
 in private houses, where altars were erected for 
 1 Hesiod, Oper. i. 250. 
 
78 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 that purpose. No Greek commenced a journey or any 
 other enterprise of greater or lesser moment 
 without having first sought to propitiate the 
 god whose protection he thought he might re- 
 quire in his undertaking, by sacrificing the 
 animal consecrated to that particular deity. 
 Thus an ox was ofibred to Jupiter, a dog to 
 ''Aitar.^ Hecate, a dove to Venus, a sow to Ceres, and a 
 fish to Neptune. The victim was laid on the altar 
 decked with garlands of fragrant herbs or flowers, and 
 
 burned with frankincense, accompanied with libations of 
 wine out of a flat vessel called patera. This formed the 
 complete oblation described by Hesiod. 
 
 *' Let the rich fumes of od'rous incense fly, 
 A grateful savour to the powers on high ; 
 The due libation nor neglect to pay, 
 When evening closes, or when dawns the day." ' 
 
 In the more ordinary sorts of sacrifices, incense alone 
 was burned on the thyterion, or incense altar, as re- 
 presented in the accompanying engraving. At all the 
 numerous religious festivals held in Greece, aromatics 
 were consumed in large quantities. The principal of 
 these fetes were the PanathcuoBa, in honour of Minerva; 
 the Eleutheria, celebrated at Plataea, in the temple of 
 Jupiter ; and the Dyonisia, of which Bacchus was the 
 
 ' Hesiod, Oper. i. S34. 
 
THE GREEKS. 
 
 79 
 
 Incense Altar. 
 
 hero ; but none equalled in magnificence the Eleusinian 
 mysteries, instituted in honour of Ceres. The latter 
 festival lasted nine days, during 
 which the mystoe, or initiates, 
 were gradually subjected to a 
 series of terrifying trials to test 
 their fortitude. Those who had 
 succeeded in braving the most 
 hideous apparitions, the most 
 ferocious monsters, and the most 
 appalling dangers, were intro- 
 duced on the ninth day into the 
 temple of the goddess, where her statue, covered with 
 gold and precious stones, shone amidst a thousand 
 lights. The altar, smoking with the purest incense, 
 
 was surrounded by a crowd 
 of priests clad in purple, and 
 crowned with myrtle; and 
 above them, on a splendid 
 throne, sat the Hierophant, 
 or high priest, who expounded 
 to the adepts the mysteries 
 of the goddess, and described 
 to them the joys which awaited 
 them in return for their cour- 
 age. In the midst of the 
 Elysian fields they were to find 
 a golden city with emerald ramparts, ivory pavement, 
 and cinnamon gates. Around the walls flowed a river of 
 perfumes one hundred cubits in width, and deep enough 
 
 Greek Altar. 
 
80 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 to swim in. From this river rose an odorous mist, 
 which enveloped the whole place and shed a refreshing 
 and fragrant dew. There were to be, besides, in this 
 fortunate city, three hundred and sixty-five fountains 
 of honey and five hundred of the sweetest essences. 
 This description, taken from a Greek author, bears a 
 singular resemblance to that of the marvels of Ma- 
 homet's paradise, promised to the Mussulmans in the 
 Koran, as will be seen hereafter, and shows the pas- 
 sionate fondness of both people for perfumes. 
 
 The Greeks, with their lively imagination, constantly 
 mixing up fable with reality, ascribed a divine origin 
 to perfumes, which they numbered among the attri- 
 butes of their deities. Thus, as I have remarked before 
 in the first chapter, the early poets never mention the 
 apparilion of a goddess without speaking of the am- 
 brosial fragrance which she shed around her. The gods 
 who revelled in nectar and ambrosia, food unknown to 
 mortals, indulged also in delicious perfumes specially 
 reserved to their use. Homer thus describes Juno's 
 toilet operations when she repairs to her bower before 
 meeting Venus : — 
 
 " Here first she bathes, and round her body pours 
 Soft oils of fragrance, and ambrosial showers. 
 The winds, perfumed, the balmy gale conveys 
 Through hcatcn, through earth, and all th' aerial ways. 
 Spirit divine ! whose exhalation greets 
 The sense of gods with more than mortal sweets." ' 
 
 Sometimes good-natured deities condescended to be- 
 stow some of these exquisite aromatics upon their own 
 
 ' Iliad, xiv. 
 
THE GREEKS. 81 
 
 proteges as a mark of special favour. Thus, when Pene- 
 lope prepares to receive her suitors, Eurynome advises 
 her to dispel her grief, and diifuse " the grace of unction 
 over her cheeks." The virtuous matron refuses in the 
 following terms : — 
 
 " Persuade not me, though studious of my good, 
 Eurynome ! to bathe or to anoint 
 My face with oil ; for when Ulysses sail'd, 
 On that same day, the Pow'rs of Heav'n deform'd 
 And wither'd all my beauties." 
 
 Pallas, however, visits her during her slumbers, and 
 sheds over her some wonderful perfume, which was pro- 
 bably called in those times " The Venus Bouquet." 
 
 " The glorious goddess clothed her as she lay 
 With beauty of the skies ; her lovely face 
 "With such ambrosial unguent iirst she bathed 
 As Cytherea, chaplet-crowned, employs 
 Herself, when in the sight-entangling dance 
 She joins the Graces." ' 
 
 Phaon, the Lesbian pilot, having once conveyed in 
 his vessel to Cyprus a mysterious passenger, whom he 
 discovers to be Venus, receives from the goddess, as a 
 parting gift, a divine essence, which changes his coarse 
 face into the most beautiful features. Poor Sappho, 
 who sees him after his transformation, becomes smitten 
 with his charms, but, finding her love unrequited, is 
 driven to seek a watery grave. This miracle certainly 
 beats all the vaunted achievements of modern perfumery, 
 even including the " patent enamelling process," which, 
 if applied to gentlemen, would not, I am afraid, attract 
 many "Sapphos." 
 
 The persons skilled in preparing perfumes — and they 
 
 ' Odyssey, xviii. 
 
 6 
 
82 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 were mostly women — were deemed by the Greeks, with 
 their love of the marvellous, to be magicians. Thus we 
 have Circe detaining Ulysses in her isle by means of 
 spells, which were chiefly sweet fumigations ; and Medea 
 boiling old Eson in an aromatic bath, and turning him 
 out a perfect juvenile — an operation, by-the-bye, which 
 few of our old beaux would submit to, whatever may be 
 their wish to become young again. 
 
 The nymph QEnone was supposed to have imparted 
 to Paris some of the secrets of Venus's toilet, and it was 
 by means of these cosmetics that the fair Helen acquired 
 that transcendent beauty which was so fatal to both 
 Greeks and Trojans. These secrets she revealed to her 
 countrywomen on her return from Troy, and thus we 
 have the perfection of Greek perfumery accounted for. 
 
 In those ancient times, besides the fragrant gums 
 burned as sacrifices, the only perfumes known aj)pear 
 to have been in the shape of oils scented with flowers, 
 and principally the rose. Homer generally designates 
 them under the name of ekaiov, elaion (oil), adding 
 sometimes the epithet of " rosy" or " ambrosial." At a 
 later period the lonians introduced a greater variety of 
 essences chiefly borrowed from Asiatic nations, who 
 were then more versed in the art. 
 
 Their use became so prevalent at one time, that Solon 
 issued an edict prohibiting the sale of perfumes ; but, 
 like all sumptuary laws, it was " more honoured in the 
 breach than the observance," for perfumers' shops still 
 continued to be the resort of loungers, as modern cafes 
 are in the south of Europe. Even the tattered cynic, 
 
THE GREEKS. 83 
 
 Diogenes, did not disdain to enter them now and then, 
 leaving his tub at the door; but, with a praiseworthy 
 spirit of economy, he always applied the ointments he 
 bought to his feet; for, as he justly observed to the 
 j^oung sparks who were mocking him for his eccen- 
 tricity, "when you anoint your head with perfume it 
 flies away into the air, and the birds only get the benefit 
 of it ; whilst if I rub it on my lower limbs it envelopes 
 my whole body, and gratefully ascends to my nose." 
 
 The general name for perfumes was ixvpov (jnyron), 
 which, according to Chrysippus, was derived from the 
 word moron (trouble), "owing to the vain and unprofitable 
 labour of compounding it." I put this down, however 
 as the detestable pun of a man who had " no perfume in 
 his soul," and am more inclined to believe it came from 
 the word myrrh, as being the best known of aromatics. 
 
 The Greeks in the time of their splendour used a 
 great variety of scents and unguents, the 
 principal of which are thus described at full 
 length by ApoUonius of Herophila, in his 
 "Treatise on Perfumes," quoted by Athe- 
 naeus : ^ — 
 
 " The iris is best in Elis and at Cyzicus ; sdnt'-betue 
 the perfume made from roses is most excellent at Pha- 
 selis, and that made at Naples and Capua is also very 
 fine. That made from crocus (saffron) is in the highest 
 perfection at SoK in Cdicia, and at Rhodes. The essence 
 of spikenard is best at Tarsus, and the extract of vine- 
 leaves is made best at Cyprus and at Adramyttium. 
 
 ' Deipnosophists, b. xv. c. 38. 
 
84 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 The best perfume from marjoram and from apples comes 
 from Cos. Egypt bears the palm for its essence of 
 Cypirus, and the next best is the Cyprian and Phoeni- 
 cian, and after them comes the Sidonian. The perfume 
 called Panathenaicum is made at Athens, and those 
 called Metopian and Mendesian are prepared with the 
 greatest skill in Egypt. But the Metopian is made 
 from oil which is extracted from bitter almonds. StiU, 
 the superior excellence of each perfume is owing to the 
 purveyors, ivnd the materials, and the artist, and not to 
 the place itself, for Ephesus formerlj^, as men say, had 
 a high reputation for the excellence of its perfumery, 
 and especially of its megallium, but now it has none. 
 At one time, too, the unguents made in Alexandria were 
 brought to high jjerfection on account of the wealth of 
 the city and the attention that Arsinoe and Berenice 
 paid to such matters ; and the finest extract of roses in 
 the world was made at Cyrene while the great Berenice 
 was alive. Again, in ancient times the extract of vine- 
 leaves made at Adramyttium was but poor ; but after- 
 wards it became first-rate, owing to Stratonice, the wife 
 of Eumenes. Formerly, too, Sj'ria used to make every 
 sort of unguent admirablj', especially that extracted from 
 fenugreek, but the case is quite altered now. And long 
 ago there used to be a most delicious unguent extracted 
 from frankincense at Pergamus, owing to the invention 
 of a certaia perfumer of that city, for no one else had 
 ever made it before him ; but now none is made there." 
 Theophrastus also wrote a book on scents, in which 
 lie says that some perfumes are made of flowers, as, for 
 
THE GllEEKS. 85 
 
 instance, from roses, white violets, and lilies — some 
 from stalks or leaves, and some from roots. 
 
 The name of the perfumes generally indicated the 
 ingredients from which they were prepared, but others 
 were called after their inventor. Thus the MegaUium 
 was made by a perfumer named Megallus — 
 
 "And say you are bringing her such unguents 
 As old Megallus never did compound." ' 
 
 Peron was also a celebrated Athenian perfumer, often 
 quoted by ancient authors : — 
 
 " I left the man in Peron's shop just now 
 Dealing for ointment ; when he has agreed, 
 He'll bring you cinnamon and spikenard essence. "- 
 
 Baccaris and Psagdas, or Psagdes, were two perfumes 
 much in vogue : — 
 
 " I then my nose with baccaris anointed, 
 
 Redolent of crocus."'' 
 " Come, let me see what unguent I can give you : 
 
 Do you like psagdes }"* 
 "She thrice anointed with Egyptian psagdas."-^ 
 
 The most luxurious applied a different perfume to 
 each part of their body, as we find in Antiphanes : — 
 
 " lie really bathes 
 In a large gilded tub, and steeps his feet 
 And legs in rich Egyptian unguents ; 
 His jaws and breasts he rubs with thick palm oil, 
 And both his arms with extract sweet of mint ; 
 His eyebrows and his hair with marjoram, 
 His knees and neck with essence of ground thyme." 
 
 The greatest consumption of aromatics, however, took 
 place in their entertainments. Already in Homeric 
 times it was customary to offer to the guests a bath 
 
 ' Strattis, Medea. ' Antiphanes, Antea. ^ Hipponax. 
 
 * Aristoph. Daitaleis. ^ Eubulus. 
 
86 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 followed by sweet imctions before sitting to table. Thus 
 when Telemachus and Pisistratus are received by Mene- 
 laus they descend to the baths — 
 
 " Where a bright damsel train attends the guests 
 With liquid odours and embroider'd vests ; 
 Eefreshed they wait thorn to the bower of state, 
 Where circled with his peers Atrides sate." ' 
 
 At a later period perfumes were not only used for 
 ablutions prior to the entertainment, but were also 
 brought in, during the feast, in alabaster or gold bottles, 
 with flower garlands to crown the guests.^ Philosenus, 
 in his play called "The Banquet," says — 
 
 " And then the slaves brought water for the hands, 
 And soap' well mix'd with oily juice of lilies, 
 And pour'd o'er the hands as much warm water 
 As the guest wish'd. And then they gave them towels 
 Of finest linen, beautifully wrought, 
 And fragrant ointments of ambrosial smell. 
 And garlands of the ilow'ring violet." 
 
 Xenophanes gives a still more ample description of a 
 Grecian entertainment : — 
 
 " The ground is swept, and the triclinium clear, 
 The hands are purilied, the goblets, too, 
 Well rinsed ; each guest upon his forehead bears 
 A wreath' d flow' ry crown ; from slender vase 
 A willing youth presents to each in turn 
 A sweet and costly perfume ; while the bowl. 
 Emblem of joy and social mirth, stands by, 
 Fill'd to the brim ; another pours out wine 
 Of most delicious flavour, breathing round 
 Fragrance of flowers, and honey newly made. 
 So grateful to the sense, that none refuse ; 
 Wliile odoriferous gums fill all the room. 
 
 ' Odyssey, iv. ^ Athcnajus, Deipnos., b. xv., c. 36. 
 
 ' Although the original Greek word ir/ii'jy/ia {smefjmi) is usually trans- 
 lated "soap," I believe it only meant a kind of scented clay, still used in 
 the Eastj for the Greeks were unacquainted with soap. 
 
THE GREEKS. 87 
 
 Water is served, too, cold, and fresh, and clear ; 
 Bread, saflfron tinged, that looks like beams of gold. 
 The board is gaily spread with honey pure 
 And savoury cheese. The altar, too, which stands 
 Full in the centre, crown'd with flow'ry wreaths ; 
 The house resounds with music and with song." 
 
 Although the preceding details indicate a high state 
 of luxury in Grecian entertainments, some voluptuaries 
 were not even satisfied with those means of enjoyment, 
 but sought to increase them by resorting to all sorts 
 of ingenious devices, such as that mentioned in the 
 "Settler of Alexis":— 
 
 " Nor fell 
 His perfumes from a box of alabaster ; 
 That were too trite a fancy, and had savour'd 
 0' the elder time — but ever and anon 
 He slipp'd four doves, whose wings were saturate 
 With scents, all different in kind— each bird 
 Bearing its own appropriate sweets — these doves 
 Wheeling in circles round, let fall upon us 
 A shower of sweet perfumery, drenching, bathing 
 Both clothes and furniture, and lordlings all. 
 I deprecate your envy when I add 
 That on myself fell floods of violet odours." 
 
 This mode of using perfumes during their banquets 
 was not only adopted on account of the pleasure they 
 created, but because a beneficial efiect was ascribed to 
 them, especially when rubbed on the head : — 
 
 " The best recipe for health 
 Is to apply sweet scents unto the brain." 
 
 Anacreon also recommends the breast to be anointed 
 with unguents, as being the seat of the heart, and con- 
 sidering it an admitted point that it was soothed by 
 frao-rant smells. Another virtue the Greeks attributed 
 to perfumes, and not the least ia the sight of the 
 
88 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Epicureans, was, that it enabled them to drink more 
 wine without feeling any ill effects from it. This be- 
 lief, however justified it might have been, is alluded to 
 by many authors. The most refined votaries of Bac- 
 chus were not satisfied with the external use of aro- 
 matics : thej' also applied them to improve the taste of 
 their wine. Some of these were prepared with odorous 
 resins, such as the myrrhine, which was flavoured with 
 myrrh ; others had simple honey or fragrant flowers 
 infused in them. 
 
 If scents were in favour with the wealthy and luxu- 
 rious Athenians, they were not so with the philosophers, 
 who condemned their use as effeminate. Xenophon 
 relates that Socrates, being once entertained by Callias, 
 was offered some perfumes, but he declined them, saying 
 they were only fit for women, and that .for men he 
 preferred the smell of the oil used in the gymnasia. 
 " For," added he, "if a slave and a freeman be anointed 
 with perfumes, they both smell alike ; but the smell 
 derived from free labours and manly exercise ought to 
 be the characteristic of the freeman." I am bound to 
 add, as a faithful historian, even at the risk of damaging 
 Socrates in the eyes of my fair readers, that he equally 
 disapproved of baths, considering cleanliness no essen- 
 tial part of wisdom. 
 
 Although the elaborate Egyptian system of bathing 
 had been partly adopted by the Greeks, they never 
 gave it that development which it acquired afterwards 
 with the Romans. They were generally satisfied with 
 more limited ablutions, performed in a marble basin 
 
THE GREEKS. 
 
 89 
 
 situated in some public place, whilst the ladies attended 
 at home to the duties of the toilet. The engravings 
 given here are taken from antique sculptures, or from 
 specimens in the British Museum. 
 
 Perfumes, as I have said before, were generally sup- 
 posed to possess medicinal properties, and the recipes of 
 the most celebrated essences and cosmetics were in- 
 scribed on marble tablets both in the temples of Escula- 
 pius and of Venus. The priestesses of various deities suc- 
 ceeded the ancient magicians, and dispensed their pre- 
 parations, which were supposed to be endowed with par- 
 
 Public Washing Basin. Ladies' Toilet Basin. 
 
 ticular virtues, and competed successfully for a long time 
 ■with the less divine productions of ordinary perfumers. 
 
 Jlilto, a fair young maiden, the daughter of an 
 humble artisan, was in the habit of depositing every 
 morning garlands of fresh flowers in the temple of 
 Yenus, her poverty preventing her from indulging in 
 richer oflerings. Her splendid beauty was once nearly 
 destroyed by a tumour which grew on her chin, but 
 she saw in a dream the goddess, who told her to applj^ 
 to it some of the roses from her altar. She did so, and 
 recovered her charms so completely that she eventually 
 sat on the Persian throne as the favourite wife of Cyrus. 
 
 Since that time the reputation of the rose was esta- 
 blished as a flower no less beneflcial than beautiful, and 
 
90 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 it formed the basis of many lotions, both useful and 
 ornamental, for as Anacreon says — 
 
 " The rose distils a healing halm, 
 The heating pulse of pain to calm." 
 
 Even to the present day the queen of flowers has preserved 
 
 Greek Ladies at their Toilet. 
 
 its double fame, and is to be found equally on the shelves 
 of the apothecary and in the laboratory of the perfumer. 
 
 All the Grecian cosmetics, 
 however, were not so innocent 
 as the rose. The sedentary life 
 of women deprived them of a 
 great part of their natural fresh- 
 ness and beauty, and they sought 
 to repair their loss by artificial 
 means. They painted their face 
 with white lead, and their cheeks 
 Greek Girl Pamtmg. and lips witli vcrmilion or a root 
 called pcederos, which was similar to alkanet-root. This 
 
THE GREEKS. 91 
 
 was applied with the finger, or with a small brush, as 
 represented in the annexed engraving, taken from an 
 antique gem. They also used Egyptian kohl, for 
 darkening the eyebrows and eyelids, and various other 
 preparations for the complexion, which will be more 
 amply described in the next chapter, as they were 
 nearly all afterwards adopted by the Romans. 
 
 Hair dye was often employed by those who wished 
 to emulate old Eson's renovation without having re- 
 course to the boiling process. Lais, who was as cele- 
 brated for her wit as for her beauty, having once 
 repulsed the sculptor Miron, who at the age of seventy 
 fell desperately in love with her, the discomfited suitor 
 attributed his rejection to his white locks ; he therefore 
 had them dyed of a splendid black colour, and returned 
 the next day hoping for better success. But he was 
 doomed to disappointment, for Lais replied, laughing, 
 to his demands, " How can I grant thee to-day what I 
 refused to thy father yesterday ? " 
 
 From the earliest times perfumes were used by the 
 Greeks in their funeral rites. Homer represents AchiUes 
 with his attendants paying thus the last honours to his 
 friend Patroclus : — 
 
 " The body then they bathe with precious toil, 
 Embalm the wounds, anoint the limbs with oil," ' 
 
 Even to an enemy it was considered a duty to pay this 
 
 last tribute ; and we find Achilles having the body of 
 
 Hector anointed and perfumed before he returns it to 
 
 Priam.^ 
 
 ' Iliad, xvii. ' Iliad, xxiv. 
 
92 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Funereal Urns. 
 
 A pile was usually raised to burn the bodies of the 
 dead, and the friends of the deceased stood by during 
 
 the operation, throwing 
 incense on the fire, and 
 pouring libations of 
 wine. The bones and 
 ashes were afterwards 
 collected, washed with 
 wine, and, after mix- 
 ing them with precious 
 ointments, inclosed in 
 funereal urns, such as 
 the annexed specimens 
 taken from the British Museum. Agamemnon is de- 
 scribed by Homer in the "Odyssey," informing Achilles 
 how this ceremony had been performed upon him : — 
 
 " But when the flames your body had consumed, 
 "With oils and odours we your bones perfumed, 
 And wash'd with unniix'd wine." ' 
 
 It was also customary to strew fragrant flowers and 
 shed sweet perfumes over the tombs of the dead ; and 
 Alexander is said to have paid this mark of respect to 
 Achilles, whose monument he anointed and crowned 
 with garlands when he ^dsited Troy. 
 
 Perfumes were thought such an essential part of 
 fimeral ceremonies that scent-bottles were painted on 
 the coffins of the poorer class of people as a sort of empty 
 consolation for the absence of the genuine article." 
 
 Anacreon, as a true voluptuary, preferred enjoying 
 
 Odyssey, xxiv. 
 
 - Aristophanes, Eccles. 
 
THE GKEEKS. 93 
 
 perfumes and flowers in his lifetime to having them 
 ofiered to his manes after his death. He exclaims in 
 one of his odes — 
 
 " Why do we shed the rose's hloom 
 Upon the cold insensate tomb ? 
 Can flowery breeze or odour's breath 
 Affect the slumbering chill of death ? 
 No, no ; I ask no balm to steep 
 With fragrant tears my bed of sleep ; 
 But now while every pulse is glowing, 
 Now let me breathe tlie balsam flowing ; 
 Now let the rose, with blush of fire, 
 Urion my brow its scent expire." ' 
 
 The caies and duties of the toilette were deemed of 
 such importance that a tribunal was instituted at Athens 
 to decide on all matters of dress, and a woman whose 
 pejylon, or mantle, was not of correct cut, or whose 
 head-dress was neglected, was liable to a fine, which 
 varied according to the gravity of the offence, and 
 sometimes reached the high sum of a thousand 
 drachmae. I must say, however, that Grecian ladies 
 do not seem to have required such a law to make them 
 study their personal appearance ; their own coquetry 
 acted, no doubt, as a still more powerful stimulant, 
 and the antique specimens we have left would tend to 
 show that they possessed excellent taste, especially in 
 their modes of dressing the hair. 
 
 In ancient times the hair of both sexes was rolled up 
 into a kind of knot on the crown of the head, which 
 mode was called krobylos for the men, and liorymhos for 
 the women. The greatest luxury of the latter at that 
 
 ' Anaereon, Ode xxxii. 
 
94 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 period was to ornament that ]aiot with a golden clasp 
 in the shape of a grasshopper. This simple ornament 
 was however discarded in later times, and many diffe- 
 rent fashions were adopted, among which the most pre^ 
 
 Mitra Head-dresses. 
 
 valent were the kekryphalos, the saklios, and the mitra. 
 The first was a caul of network, which we have already 
 found among the Jews, and which we shall find again 
 in many other epochs and nations ; a fact which, hj'- 
 the-bye, somewhat impairs its claims to novelty put 
 forth a very short time since. The sakkos was a close 
 
 Eatkos Head-dress. 
 
 Kor^'rabos Head-dress. 
 
 bag, made generally of silk or wool; and the mitra, 
 which was of Asiatic origin, was a band of cloth dyed 
 of the richest colours and bound in various ways round 
 the head. There were many other modes of wearing 
 the hair, such as the sfrophos, the nimbo, the kredemnon, 
 the tholla, etc., of which the annexed illustrations will 
 
THE GREEKS. 
 
 95 
 
 convey a better idea than a written description, and my 
 fair readers will no doubt find among them some which 
 
 strophes Head-dresses. 
 
 would be almost a la mode in a drawing-room of the 
 present day. 
 
 The men used to cut off their hair when they attaiued 
 
 Kimbo Head-dresses. 
 
 the age of puberty, and dedicate it to some deity. The- 
 seus is said to have repaired to Delphi to perform this 
 
 ;^redeirmon nead-dress. 
 
 Tholia Head-dress. 
 
 ceremony, and to have consecrated his shorn locks to 
 Apollo. 
 
96 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 After this they allowed their hair to grow long again, 
 and only cut it oif as a sign of mourning. Thus, at 
 the funeral of Patroclus, the friends of Achilles cut off 
 their hair, and 
 
 "O'er tlie corse their scatter'd locks they threw." ' 
 
 In some parts of Greece, however, where it was cus- 
 tomary to wear the hair short, they allowed it to grow 
 long when in mourning — 
 
 '* Neglected hnir shall now luxurious grow, 
 And by its length their bitter passion show."^ 
 
 Another striking proof that external marks of grief are 
 only matters of convention, and that the white garb of 
 the Chinese mourner may be coupled with as much 
 real sorrow as our sable habiliments. 
 
 ' Iliad, xxiii. 
 
 - Cassandr. 973. 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. Chap. YI. 
 
 A KOMAN LADT'8 BOUDOIR. 
 
97 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Eomans. 
 
 Discite, quae faoiem commendet cura, puelliB, 
 Et q'lo sit vobis forma tuenda modo. 
 
 Ovid. 
 
 const 
 
 with their neigh- 
 bours, cared not for the arts of peace ; and their unshorn 
 locks and shaggy beards were more calculated to strike 
 terror into their enemies than to captivate the ej'es of 
 the fair sex. The only perfume they indulged in at 
 that time was perhaps a bunch of verbena or other 
 fragrant plant, which they plucked ia the fields and 
 
 7 
 
98 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 hung over their door to keep away the evil eye, il maloc- 
 c/iio, still so dreaded by their modem descendants. Even 
 their gods did not then fare much better, and the sacri- 
 fices offered to them were, as Ovid says, of the plainest 
 description : '■ 
 
 " In former times the gods were cheaply pleased, 
 A little corn and salt their wrath appeased, 
 Ere stranger ships had brought from distant shores 
 Of spicy trees the aromatic stores ; 
 From India or Euphrates had not come 
 The fragrant incense or the costly gum; 
 The simple savin on the altars smoked, 
 A laurel sprig the easy gods invoked, 
 And rich was he whose votive wreath possess'd 
 The lovely violet with sweet wild flowers dress'd." 
 
 As, however, the Eomans extended their conquests 
 towards the provinces of Southern Italy colonized by 
 the Greeks, which had received the name of Magna 
 Grajcia, they gradually adopted the manners of the 
 countries they had vanquished, and became initiated in 
 all the refinements of luxury. They imitated, likewise, 
 their religious ceremonies ; and in the va- 
 rious implements and paintings found at 
 Herculaneum and Pompeii, the Grecian 
 origin is easily discernible. To describe 
 the Roman modes of worship would, there- 
 fore, be a repetition of the last chapter : 
 we should find precisely the same things 
 under diflPerent names. Thus the incense 
 
 InceLise Altar. . 
 
 (Ara Tuiicrema.) casket used for Sacrifices, and called by 
 the Greeks Xu^avasTpk {Ubanotris), became the "acerra;" 
 
 Fastor. iii. 337. 
 
IHE ROMANS. 
 
 the 6vTt]piov ithyterion), or altar, was changed into "ara 
 turicrema ;" and the Grecian dvfuar'^piov {thumiaterion) 
 became the Roman " turibulum." 
 
 The accompanying illustrations wiU give some idea 
 
 Incense Casket. 
 (Acerra.) 
 
 Censer (Turibuluna). 
 
 of the usual forms of these various implements. The 
 
 incense casket is taken from a basso-relievo in the 
 
 Capitol Museum, the altars from 
 
 ancient paintings, and the censer 
 
 from an original in bronze found at 
 
 Pompeii. The chariot represented 
 
 on the next page was also discovered 
 
 in some excavations, and was used 
 
 in the temples to carry incense to 
 
 the various altars. 
 
 Funeral rites are so much grafted 
 on religious ideas, that we must 
 naturally expect to find the same 
 resemblance between the Greek and 
 the Roman ceremonies. In the early 
 times of Rome, the dead were buried; 
 but when Greek manners were adopted, they were 
 burnt in the way already described, and the bones 
 
 Roman Altar. 
 
100 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 gathered in a funereal urn, with perfumes more or less 
 costly, according to the fortune of the deceased, or the 
 extent of gratitude of his heirs. Rich people usually 
 had sepulchral chambers built, like the one represented 
 
 here, where they placed the 
 
 funereal urns of all mem- 
 bers of their family. 
 
 Although in private life 
 Greek customs were like- 
 wise imitated, those of the 
 Romans assumed pecuHar 
 sepulchral Chamber. features which it may be 
 
 interesting to study. A Sicilian named Ticinus Menas, in 
 the year 454, brought into Rome the mode of shaving the 
 beard, and sent to his country for a troop of clever bar- 
 bers, who established their shops imder the porticos of 
 Minucius, near the temple of Hercules. Scipio Africanus 
 and the elifc of the patricians adopted the new fashion, 
 and in a short time smooth chins, and hair redolent 
 with ointments, became the rage, beards being left to 
 slaves and common people. 
 
 The use of perfumes in Rome may be dated from 
 that period, and be- 
 came soon so pre- 
 valent, that Lucius 
 Plotius, being pro- 
 scribed by the tri- incense Chanot,. 
 
 umvirs, and having taken refuge at Salernum, was 
 betrayed in his hiding-place by the smell of his un- 
 guents, and put to death. After the defeat of Antiochus 
 
THE ROMANS. 101 
 
 and the conquest of Asia, the abuse became still greater; 
 and in the year 565, wishing to put a stop to it, the 
 consuls, Licinus Crassus and Julius Csesar, published a 
 law forbidding the sale of "exotics," meaning thereby- 
 all sorts of perfumes which then came from abroad. 
 This edict, however, was no better observed than Solon's 
 had been at Athens, and did not in any way diminish 
 the consumption of aromatics, which reached its greatest 
 height under the reign of the emperors. 
 
 Among the latter, Otho was one of the most ardent 
 votaries of the perfumer's art, for Suetonius^ tells us 
 that, even when going on a military campaign, he 
 carried with him a comj)lete arsenal of essences and 
 cosmetics to adorn his person and preserve his com- 
 plexion. Juvenal, in one of his satires, thus ridicules 
 him for his effeminacy : — 
 
 " Oh ! noble subject for new annals fit, 
 In musty Fame's report unmentioncd yet, 
 A looking-glass must load tli' Imperial car, 
 The most important carriage of the war ; 
 Galba to kill he thought a general's part ; 
 Butas a courtier used the nicest art 
 To keep his skin from tan ; before the fight 
 Would paint and see his soil'd complexion right." - 
 
 Caligula spent enormous sums for perfumes, and 
 plunged his body, enervated by excesses, in odoriferous 
 baths.^ Nero was also a great admirer of sweet scents ; 
 and at Poppasa's funeral he consumed more incense than 
 Arabia could produce in ten years. In his golden 
 palace the dining-rooms were lined with movable ivory 
 
 1 Sueton., b. viii. * Juvenal, Sat. i. = Suet., b. iv. 
 
102 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 plates, concealing silver pipes, which were made to throw 
 on the guests a sweet rain of odoriferous essences.^ 
 
 The Romans had borrowed from the Eg5rptians the 
 use of the public bath, to which they resorted almost 
 daily — a very necessary measure to insure health and 
 cleanliness, when we consider that they wore neither 
 linen nor stockings. Their baths, or ihermce, were very 
 
 Poman Baths. 
 
 magnificent buildings, as we may judge from the ruins 
 still extant. The principal establishments of that kind 
 had been built at various times by the Emperors, and 
 bore their names. The largest were those of Agrippa, 
 Nero, Titus, Domitian, Antoninus, Caracalla, and Dio- 
 cletian. They were open to the public at first on the 
 payment of a quadrans, or a little less than a farthing of 
 our money. Agrippa bequeathed his garden and baths 
 ' Suet., b. vi. 
 
THE ROMANS. 103 
 
 to the Roman people, and assigned particular estates to 
 their support, that they might enjoy them gratuitously. 
 The plan of those baths was so well devised that it 
 deserves a particular description. On entering them, 
 the bathers first proceeded to undress, and gave their 
 clothes to guard to persons called capsarii, who were 
 hired for the purpose. They went then into the 
 unduarium, or eleothesium — a room marked at the back 
 of our engraving — where all the perfumes and oint- 
 ments were kept in large jars, making it somewhat 
 resemble a modern apothecary's shop. There they re- 
 ceived a preliminary unction of cheap oils, and next 
 proceeded to the Jrigidarium, or cold bath, where they 
 went through the first course of ablution. Thence they 
 passed into the tepidarium, or tepid bath, and after that 
 they entered the caldarium, or hot bath, where 
 the temperature was maintained at a high de- 
 gree by means of a furnace placed im.derneath, 
 called hypocavstum. There, whilst imdergoing 
 profuse perspiration, they scrubbed their 
 skin with a sort of bronze curry-comb called 
 strigil — somewhat in the same fashion as mo- 
 dern grooms treat their horses — and dropped 
 on their body at the same time a little scented strigii and 
 oil out of a small bottle named ampulla. Those ™^*^ 
 who could afford it had this operation performed upon 
 them by the bath attendants, called aliptes, or by their 
 own slaves, whom they brought with them for that 
 purpose. 
 
 There is a story told of the Emperor Hadrian, who, 
 
104 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 one day bathing with the common people, and seeing an 
 old soldier, whom he had known among the Eoman 
 troops, rubbing his back against the marble wall, asked 
 him why he did so. The veteran answered that he had 
 no slave to attend on him. Whereupon the Emperor 
 presented him with two slaves and enough money to 
 maintain them. A few days afterwards, two old men, 
 enticed by the good fortime of the veteran, began to rub 
 
 Tepidanum at Fonipeii. 
 
 themselves also against the wall, in the hope of attract- 
 ing the Emperor's attention ; whereupon Hadrian, per- 
 ceiving their drift, told them that if they had no slaves 
 they had better rub their backs against each other. 
 
 The accompanying engraving represents the tepida- 
 riiim of the baths at Pompeii, with the three bronze 
 benches on the sides, and the stone at the end, such as 
 they were actually found. The compartments above 
 were probably used to keep unguents and perfumes, and 
 
THE ROMANS. 
 
 105 
 
 it is supposed that, as these baths were of small dimen- 
 sions, this room was also used as an eleotliesium for the 
 rubbing and anointing process. 
 
 There are no modern buildings which can convey an 
 idea of the extent and magnificence of these Eoman 
 
 PLAN OF CARACALLA'S BATHS. 
 
 Colonnade facing the street. 
 Private bath rooms. 
 Principal entrances. 
 Internal corridors. 
 Seats for bathers. 
 Saloons for conversation. 
 Open-air walks. 
 Tlirntrifiinm, or amphitheatre. 
 Water reservoir. 
 Aqueduct. 
 L, M Rooms for gymnastic exercises. 
 
 N Swimming bath. 
 
 O Caldnrium, or hot-water bath. 
 
 P Laconicum, or vapour bath. 
 
 Q Supply cisterns. 
 
 R Covered halls. 
 
 S Cold-water bath. 
 
 T Room for sweet unctions. 
 
 U Cooling room. 
 
 ', 2, 3, 4 Private rooms. 
 
 5, 6 Lahra, or public basins. 
 
 Thermce, which were not only devoted to the purposes 
 of bathing, but also comprised saloons for conversation 
 
106 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 or discussion, galleries of pictures and sculpture, libra- 
 ries, walks planted with shady trees, porticos for gym- 
 nastic exercises, and, in fine, aR that could contribute 
 to the material and intellectual pleasure of a rich and 
 liLKurious people. The largest were those of Caracalla, 
 situated near Mount Aventine, which measured about 
 675 yards in length, by 540 in width. They contained 
 1,600 seats of polished marble, and accommodation for 
 no less than 2,300 bathers. On one side stood the 
 temples of Apollo and Esculapius, the protectors of 
 health ; and, on the other, those of Hercules and Bac- 
 chus, tutelary gods of the Antoninus family. They 
 are still in a sufB.cient state of preservation to have 
 enabled Pardini, the learned Italian architect, to make 
 a plan of them, the foregoing copy of which may not 
 prove uninteresting to my readers. 
 
 Although in all the baths there was a part set aside 
 for ladies, it was not so generally 
 frequented as that used by the 
 men, and the rich patrician ma- 
 trons preferred attending to the 
 duties of the toilet in their own 
 houses. Indeed, this was no small 
 matter for them, and with many 
 it was the sole occupation ; hencG 
 the various implements apper- 
 taining to the toilet were styled 
 mundus miiUehris, or a woman's 
 world. 
 Surrounded by a crowd of young slaves (called cosmetce) 
 
 Tire Wonian. 
 (Ornatrix.) 
 
THE ROMANS. 
 
 107 
 
 belonging to various nations, from tlie dark Nubian to 
 
 the fair Gaul, who had each their 
 
 particular department, and were 
 
 marshalled by the ornatrix, or 
 
 grand mistress of the toilet, the 
 
 Roman lady sat in state, and 
 
 made all tremble around her. 
 
 Woe be to the xmfortunate maid 
 
 whose awkward fingers had not 
 
 given a siifficiently graceful turn 
 
 to her mistress's locks, or had 
 
 not applied the paint to her 
 
 cheek in its proper place. A 
 
 pinch on the arm, a prick of a 
 
 ■pin, or a heavy metal mirror hurled at her head, soon 
 
 apprised her of the lady's displeasure. ^ Juvenal, the 
 
 bitter satirist of Roman manners, thus describes one 
 
 of these scenes : — 
 
 Toilet Ewer. 
 
 ' She hurries all her handmaids to the task ; 
 Her head alone will twenty dressers task ; 
 Psecas, the chief, with neck and shoulders bare, 
 Tremhling, considers every sacred hair. 
 If any straggler from his rank he found, 
 A pinch must for the mortal sin compound. 
 Psecas is not in fault ; but, in the glass. 
 The dame's offended at her own ill face : 
 The maid is banish'd, and another girl. 
 More dext'rous, manages to comb and 3url ; 
 The rest are summon' d on a point so nice. 
 And first the grave old woman gives advice ; 
 The next is call'd, and so the turn goes round, 
 As each for age or wisdom is renown'd. 
 Such counsel, such deliberate care they take, 
 As if her life and honour lay at stake ; 
 
108 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Roman Comb. 
 
 With curls on curls they huild her head before, 
 And mount it with a formidable tow'r : 
 A giantess she seems, but look behind. 
 And then she dwindles to the pigmy kind." 
 
 There were three kinds of perfumes principally used 
 by the Romans — the licchjsmafa, or solid unguents ; the 
 
 nf/jininafa, or liquid ungu- 
 ents, having an oily basis ; 
 and the dinjMsmata, or pow- 
 dered perfumes. The un- 
 guents formed a numerous 
 class, and their names were 
 borrowed, some from the ingredients which entered into 
 their comijosition, some from the original place of their 
 production, and others, again, from the jieculiar circum- 
 stances under which they were first made. Like our 
 present preparations, they succeeded each other in public 
 favour, and novelty was as great an attraction to the 
 Ixoman belles as it is to our own modern ladies. There 
 were the simple unguents, 
 flavoured with one aroma, 
 such as the rhodium, made 
 from roses ; the nie.lin urn, from 
 (juince blossoms ; the mcto- 
 pium, from bitter almonds ; 
 the narcissiuiim, from narcissus flowers ; the niahhathntm, 
 prejDared from a tree called so by Pliny, and supposed by 
 some to be the laurus cassia; and many others too nume- 
 rous to mention. The compound unguents were pre- 
 pared by combining several ingredients. The most 
 celebrated were the siisinum, a fluid unguent, made of 
 
THE ROMANS. 109 
 
 lilies, oil of ben, calamus, honey, cinnamon, saiFron, and 
 myrrh ; the nanUnum, made of oil of ben, sweet rush, 
 costus, spikenard, amomum, myrrh, and balm ; and, 
 above all, Pliny praises the regal unguent, which was 
 originally prepared for the king of the Parthians, and 
 which consisted of no less than twenty-seven ingre- 
 dients.'^ Some of these preparations were very costly, 
 and sold for as much as four hundred denarii per pound, 
 or about £14. The Romans not only applied them to 
 the hair, but to the whole of the body, even to the soles 
 of their feet. The most refined, indeed, adopted, as did 
 the Grecian epicures, a different perfume for each part 
 of their person. Besides this, their baths, their cloths, 
 their beds, the walls of their houses, and even their 
 military flags, were impregnated with sweet odours. 
 Some carried this taste so far as to rub their horses and 
 dogs with scented ointment. 
 
 Saffron was one of the perfumes most in favour with 
 the Eomans. They not only had their apartments and 
 banqueting-halls strewed with this plant, but they also 
 composed with it imguents and essences which were 
 highly prized. Some of the latter were often made to flow 
 in small streams at their entertainments, or to descend in 
 odorous dews over the public from the velaiium forming 
 the roof of the amphitheatre. Lucan, in his "Pharsa- 
 lia," 2 describing how the blood runs out of the veins of 
 a person bitten by a serpent, says that it spouts out in 
 the same manner as the sweet-smelling essence of saffron 
 issues from the limbs of a statue. 
 
 ' Pliny's Nat. His., b. xiii. chap. 2. '' Lucan, Pharsal., b. ix. v. 809. 
 
110 
 
 THE BOOK or PERFUMES. 
 
 Perfumes were usually inclosed in bottles [unguent- 
 aria) made of alabaster, onyx, or glass, of tbe shapes 
 copied below from specimens in the Naples Museum. 
 When required for the bath, they were carried 
 in a round ivory box, called narthecium, lilte 
 this engraving, copied from one found at 
 Pompeii. Common perfumes were sold in 
 little gilt shells,^ or vessels, made of clay. 
 soent-box. '^^^ Romau perfumers (called imgueniarii) 
 '^^^ '^'^'^™'' were very numerous, and occupied a part of 
 the town named vicus thuraricus in the Velabrum. The 
 most celebrated ia Martial's time was Cosmus, whom he 
 frequently mentions ia his Epigrams.- In Capua, a city 
 
 Pvoman Perfume Bottles (Unguentaria). 
 
 noted for its luxury, the perfume vendors occupied a 
 whole street of the town, called Seplasia. They ex- 
 tracted some of their essences from flowers grown in 
 Italy, but most of their ingredients were imported from 
 Egypt and Arabia ; and some of them were so costly, 
 that the slaves who worked in their laboratories were 
 stripped before they went home, to see that they had 
 none concealed about them. 
 
 ' Martial, b. 3, kxxii 2 Ibid., b. 1, kxxvii. ; b. 3, Iv. ' 
 
THE ROMANS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 The custom of using perfumes in the triclinium, or 
 dining-room, had been 
 transmitted by the Greeks 
 to the Romans ; and the 
 latter carried it, perhaps, 
 to a still greater extent, 
 for no banquet was con- 
 sidered complete without 
 them, and they formed an 
 indispensable item in the 
 "bill of fare." Catullus, 
 
 when inviting FabuUuS to TricUmum fouad at rompeu. 
 
 supper, after enumerating the various treats he has in 
 store for him, adds — 
 
 "And I can give thee essence rare 
 Tliat Loves and Graces gave my fair ; 
 
 So sweet its odour flows, 
 Thou'lt pray the gods ' May touch and taste 
 Be quite in smell alone effaced, 
 And I become all nose.' " 
 
 Martial does not appear to have enjoyed the happy 
 state preconised by Catullus, of being "all nose ;" for, in 
 one of his epigrams, he complains to his host for giving 
 him more perftxmes than viands, thus reducing him to 
 the state of a living mummy : — 
 
 " Faith ! your essence was excelling, 
 But you gave us nought to eat ; 
 Nothing tasting, sweetly smelling, 
 Is, FabuUus, scarce a treat. 
 
 " Let me see a fowl unjointed 
 
 When your table next is spread ; 
 Who not feeds, but is an(]inted. 
 Lives like nothing but the dead."" 
 
112 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 The witty critic was evidently not one of Cosmus's best 
 
 customers, for lie often ridicules tlie use of perfumes, 
 
 saying that 
 
 " lie that smells always well does never so." ' 
 
 And addressing Polla, an old coquette who sought by 
 artifice to conceal the ravages of time, he exclaims — 
 
 " Leave off thy paint, perfumes, and youthful dress, 
 And nature's failing honestly eonfess. 
 Double we see those faults which art would meud ; 
 Plain downright ugliness would less offend."^ 
 
 The following picture of a "beau" of the period shows 
 
 that ladies were not alone addicted to an extravagant 
 
 use of perfumes : — 
 
 "A heau is one who with the nicest care 
 In parted locks divides his curling hair; 
 One who with balm and cinnamon smells sweet, 
 "Whose humming-lips some Spanish air repeat ; 
 Whose naked arms are smoothed with pumice-stone, 
 And toss'd about with graces all his own."'' 
 
 In addition to the liqu.id essences and unguents, the 
 Romans made use of an immense variety of cosmetics 
 for improving and preserving the complexion. Pliny, 
 in his " Natural History," gives a description of these 
 preparations, some of which consisted of pea-flour, bar- 
 ley-meal, eggs, wine-lees, hartshorn, bulbs of narcissus, 
 and honey ; others simply of corn-flour, or criunb of 
 bread soaked in milk. They made with these jDastes 
 a sort of poultice, which they kept on the face all night 
 and j)art of the day. Some, indeed, only removed them 
 for the purpose of going out, and Juvenal tells us, in 
 one of his satires, that a Roman husband of his time 
 
 ' Martial, b. 1, xii. = Ibid., b. 3, xlii. = Ibid., b. 3, Ixiii. 
 
THE ROMANS. 113 
 
 seldom sees his wife's face at home, but when she sallies 
 forth— 
 
 "Th' eclipse then vanishes ; and all her face 
 Is open'd and restored to every grace ; 
 The crust removed, her cheeks as smooth as silk 
 Are polish' d with a wash of asses' milk ; 
 And should she to the farthest North he sent, 
 A train of these attend her hanishment." ' 
 
 The last lines allude to Poi^paca, the wife of Nero, who 
 used to bathe in asses' milk every day, and when she 
 was exiled from Rome, obtained permission to take with 
 her fiftj- asses to enable her to continue her favourite 
 ablutions. 
 
 Ovid, the poet of love, wrote a book on cosmetics,^ of 
 which, unfortunately, but a fragment came do^vn to us. 
 I shall give one or two extracts from it, if only to 
 afford ladies who may be curious in these matters an 
 opportunity of testing the virtues of the recipes given 
 by the poet. 
 
 " Learn from me the art of imparting to your com- 
 plexion a dazzling whiteness, when your delicate limbs 
 shake off the trammels of sleep. Divest from its husk 
 the barley brought by our vessels from the Libyan 
 fields. Take two pounds of this barley with an equal 
 quantity of bean-flour, and mix them with ten eggs. 
 Wlien these ingredients have been dried in the air, 
 have them ground, and add the sixth j^art of a pound 
 of hartshorn, of that which falls in the spring. ^Vhen 
 the whole has been reduced to a fine flour, pass it 
 through a sieve, and complete the preparations with 
 twelve narcissus bulbs pounded in a mortar, two ounces 
 
 ' Juvenal, Sat. vi. 2 Medicamina Faciei. 
 
114 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 of gum, as much of Tuscan seed, and eighteen ounces 
 of honey. Every woman who spreads this paste on her 
 face will render it smoother and more brilliant than 
 her mirror." 
 
 Another recipe he gives for removing blotches from 
 the complexion consists in a mixture of roasted lupines, 
 beans, white lead, red nitre, and orris-root, made into a 
 paste with Attic honey. 
 
 Frankincense he also recommends as an excellent 
 cosmetic, saying that if it is agreeable to gods, it is no 
 less useful to mortals. Mixed with nitre, fennel, myrrh, 
 rose-leaves, and sal ammoniac, he gives it as an excel- 
 lent preparation for toilet purposes. 
 
 Besides these, the Romans also used psUotnun, a sort 
 of dejjilatory, white lead or chalk for the face, fiicus, a 
 kind of rouge for the cheeks, Egj'ptian kohl for the eyes, 
 barley-flour kneaded with fresh butter to cure pimples, 
 calcined pumice-stone to whiten the teeth, and various 
 sorts of hair dyes. Of the latter, the most curious 
 was a liquid for turning the hair 
 black, prepared from leeches 
 which had been left to putrefy 
 during sixty days in an earthen 
 vessel with wine and vinegar. 
 As, however, blondes were very 
 scarce among the Roman ladies, 
 the most fashionable dj^e was 
 Eoman Lady applying rucu3. one which changed their natu- 
 rally dark hair to a sandy or fair colour. This was 
 principally accomplished by means of a soap from 
 
THE ROMANS. 115 
 
 Graul or Germany, called sapo (from the old German 
 sepe), and composed of goat's fat and ashes. It is 
 rather remarkable that this was the first introduc- 
 tion of soap we find mentioned, and that it was then 
 solely applied to the purpose of dyeing the hair. Martial 
 designates this dj^e under the name of Mattiac balls,i 
 because they came from Mattium, a town of Germany, 
 supposed to be Marpurg, and sarcastically sends them 
 to an octogenarian, who is completely bald, to change 
 the colour of his hair. 
 
 There is no doubt that some of these preparations 
 were very injurious to the hair ; for Ovid, in one of his 
 elegies,^ reproaches his mistress with having destroyed 
 her flowing locks by means of dyes. "Did I not tell 
 you to leave ofli' dyeing your hair ? Now you have no 
 hair left to dye. And yet nothing was handsomer than 
 your locks. They came down to your knees, and were 
 so fine that you were afraid to comb them." Then he 
 adds, a little further, " Your own hand has been the 
 cause of the loss you deplore ; you poured the poison 
 on your own head. Now Germany will send you slave's 
 hair ; a vanquished nation will supply your ornament. 
 How many times, when you hear people praising the 
 beauty of your hair, you will blush and say to vourseK, 
 ' It is a bought ornament to which I owe my beauty, 
 and I know not what Sicamber virgin they are admiring 
 in me ! And yet there was a time when I deserved all 
 these compliments.' " 
 
 In such cases, as will be seen from the preceding 
 
 ^ Martial, b. 14, xxvii. - Elegy xiy. 
 
116 THE BOOK OF TERFUMES. 
 
 extract, false hair was resorted to ; but baldness was 
 not always the excuse for wearing such an appendage. 
 The rage for blonde hair was so great at one time, that 
 when ladies did not succeed in imparting the desired 
 shade to their naturally raven tresses, they cut them 
 off, to replace them with flaxen wigs. This was pro- 
 bably what had been done by the lady referred to by 
 Martial : — 
 
 " The golden hair that Galla wears 
 
 Is hers : who would have thought it ? 
 She SAvears 'tis hers, and true she swears, 
 For I know where she bought it." 
 
 That false hair was in fashion with ladies may be judged 
 from the fact that even busts like that of Julia Semi- 
 amira, mother of Heliogabalus, repre- 
 sented here, were made with wigs of a 
 different coloured marble, which could 
 be removed at pleasure. 
 
 Ladies were not, however, the only 
 Julia semiamira. ones who tampered with their locks. 
 The sterner sex did not disdain to practise this deceit ; 
 and Martial, apostrojDhizing one of these chameleons in 
 hmnan garb, asks him how it is that he who was a 
 " swan before, has now become a crow." 
 
 The Roman matrons were not less expert and tasteful 
 than the Greek ladies in their modes of dressing the 
 hair ; but their coiffures, like their perfumes, were 
 principally borrowed from the latter. Thus we find 
 the Grecian strophos adopted by the Romans under 
 the name of vitia. This pretty head-dress, which 
 
THE ROMANS. 
 
 117 
 
 has been lately revived amongst us, consisted of 
 simple bands wound round the hair. It was con- 
 fined to young maids, and was strictly forbidden to 
 persons of bad character, who usually wore the mitra 
 
 Horaan Head-dresses. 
 
 TuLulus. 
 
 Nirr.bus. 
 
 ViLta. 
 
 mentioned in the last chapter. The net was again pa- 
 tronised under the name of reticulum ; and the only two 
 head-dresses of strictly Roman creation were perhaps 
 the tutuhiH and the nimbus, both of which 
 are represented here. Some simply wore a 
 long pin (acus), to hold the hair at the back 
 of the head. 
 
 When a man attained his majority and 
 assumed the toga, he shaved his beard and 
 ofiered it to some god. Nero presented his in a golden 
 box set with pearls to Jupiter Capitolinus. Shaving 
 continued in fashion until the time of Emperor Hadrian, 
 who, to cover some excrescences on his chin, revived the 
 custom of letting the beard grow, which his courtiers 
 naturally hastened to adopt. How many modem 
 fashions can thus be traced to the caprice or con- 
 venience of some influential person ! 
 
 False hair was worn by men as well as by women ; 
 
118 
 
 THE BOOK or PERFUMES. 
 
 and if we are to credit Suetonius, the Roman perruqtiiers 
 had attained some proficiency in the art ; for he tells 
 us that Otho's wig was so cleverly made that it looked 
 perfectly natural. These appendages, however, were 
 very costly at that time, and a certain Phcsbus, who 
 had probably more imagination than ready cash, and 
 could not afford to treat himself to an "invisible peruke," 
 had drawn on his bald pate imaginary locks by means 
 of a dark pomatum, whereupon Martial thus apostro- 
 phises him in his iisual sarcastic stjde : — 
 
 " Phoebus belies with oil his absent hairs, 
 And o'er his scalp a painted peruke wears ; 
 Thou need'st no barber to dress thy pate, 
 Phcebus ; a sponge would better do the feat." ' 
 
 ' Martial, b. 6, Ivii. 
 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. Chap. TII. 
 
 
 A PERFUME BAZAAR IN THE EAST. 
 
119 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Oeientals. 
 
 Know ye the land of the cedar and vine, 
 
 Where the flowers ever blossom, the beams ever shine ; 
 
 Where the light wings of Zephyr, oppress' d with perfume, 
 
 Wax faint o'er the gardens of Giil in her bloom ! 
 
 Where the citron and olive are fairest of fruit, 
 
 And the voice of the nightingale never is mute. 
 
 'Tis the clime of the East ; 'tis the land of the Sun. Byuon. 
 
 ^^m^^^^^^ UXURIES are only 
 
 sought and enjoyed 
 by people living in 
 a higli state of re- 
 finement. When 
 the Roman Empire 
 of the West crum- 
 bled beneath the at- 
 tacks of a horde of 
 barbarians, who in- 
 vaded its fertile 
 plains and laid waste its magnifi- 
 cent cities, the arts of civilization, 
 which they were unable to appre- 
 ciate, took refuge in the Eastern 
 metropolis where they had been 
 cultivated since the days of Con- 
 Among these arts perfumery was 
 
 stantine the Great. 
 
120 THE HOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 ranked, and the Greek emperors and their court showed 
 for aromatics a fondness at least equal to that which 
 had boon disj)layed by their Western predecessors. 
 Having at their command all the fragrant treasures 
 of the East, they made a lavish use of them in private 
 life, and in all public festivals perfumes were made to 
 play an important part. I^or were they confined to 
 profane purposes, for the Oriental Church had likewise 
 introduced them into all their religious ceremonies, and 
 their consumption was so large at one time that the 
 priests purchased in Syria a piece of ground ten square 
 miles in extent, and jalanted it with frankincense-trees 
 for their own special requirements. 
 
 After several centuries of glory and splendour, the 
 Eastern Empire, torn by religious dissensions, was 
 doomed in its turn to fall under the aggressions of its 
 enemies, and although it struggled many years against 
 the followers of Mahomet, the Crescent succeeded at 
 last in replacing the Cross on the proud domes of Con- 
 stantinople. In this instance, however, the conquerors 
 were nearly as polished as the vanquished. If their 
 religion, by forbidding them to delineate the form of 
 man in any way, had checked their progress in art, it 
 offered no impediment to the pursuit of science, and 
 they had already attained considerable proficiency in 
 many of its most important branches. To the Arabs, 
 indeed, we are indebted for many valuable discoveries 
 in the field of knowledge, and these children of the 
 desert may well be called the connecting link between 
 ancient and modern civilisation. 
 
THE ORIENTALS. 121 
 
 Avicenna, an Arabian doctor who flourished in the 
 tenth century, was the first to study and apply the 
 principles of chemistry, which was but imperfectly 
 known to the ancients. This extraordinary man, who 
 in a wandering life of fifty-eight years found time to 
 write nearly one hundred volumes (twenty of which 
 were a General Encyclopaedia), is said to have invented 
 the art of extracting the aromatic or medicinal prin- 
 ciples of plants and flowers by means of distillation.^ 
 Perfumes had for many years been known and used hj 
 his countrymen, and long before Mahomet's time, Musa, 
 one of the chief cities in Arabia Felix, was a celebrated 
 emporium for frankincense, myrrh, and other aromatic 
 gums ; but hitherto the far-famed "perfumes of Araby 
 the blest" had merely consisted in scented resins and 
 spices. The floral world, so rich and fragrant in those 
 favoured climes, had not yet been made to yield its 
 sweet but evanescent treasures. To A^dcenna belongs 
 the merit of saving their volatile aroma from destruc- 
 tion and rendering it permanent by means of distilla- 
 tion. 
 
 The Orientals always exhibited for the rose a par- 
 tiality almost equal to that of the nightingale, who is 
 said to dwell constantly among its sweet bowers. It 
 was, therefore, on that flower that Avicenna made his 
 first experiments, selecting the most fragrant of the 
 species, the Rosa centifoUa, called by the Arabs, Qui 
 sad berk. 
 
 ' The word al-emblc, whicli was formerly used in England and is still 
 used iu France to designate a ulill, clearly shows its Arabian origin. 
 
122 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 " The floweret of a hundred leaves, 
 Expanding while the dew-fall flows, 
 And ever;' leaf its balm receiyes." ' 
 
 He succeeded by his skilful operations in producing 
 tlio delicious liquid known as rose-'water, the formula 
 for which is to be found in his works and in those of 
 the succeeding Arabian writers on chemistry. It soon 
 came into general use, and appears to have been manu- 
 factured in large quantities, if we are to believe the 
 historians, who tell us that when Saladin entered Jeru- 
 salem in 1187, he had the floor and walls of Omar's 
 mosque entirely washed with it. 
 
 Eose- water is still held in high repute in the East, 
 and when a stranger enters a house the most grateful 
 token of welcome which can be offered to him is to 
 sprinkle him over with rose-water, which is done by 
 means of a vessel with a narrow spout, called gulahdan. 
 It is to this custom that Bj-ron alludes in " The Bride 
 of Abydos," when he says — 
 
 " She snatched the urn wherein was mix'd 
 
 The Persian Atar-jul's perfume, 
 
 And sprinkled all its odours o'er 
 
 The pictured roof and marbled floor. 
 
 The drops that through his glitt'ring vest 
 
 The playful girl's appeal address' d, 
 
 Unheeded o'er his bosom flew, 
 
 As if that breast was marble too." 
 
 Nicbuhr, in his " Description of Arabia," mentions 
 likewise this habit of throwing rose-water on visitors as 
 a mark of honour, and says it is somewhat amusing to 
 witness the discomfited and even angry looks with 
 which foreigners are wont to receive these unexpected 
 
 ' Moore's Lalla Eookh. 
 
THE OKIENTALS. 
 
 123 
 
 aspersions. The censer is also generally brought in 
 afterwards, and its fragrant smoke directed towards the 
 beards and garments of the visitors, this ceremony be- 
 ing considered as a gentle hint that it is time to bring 
 the visit to an end.^ 
 
 According to the same authority, Arabian censers are 
 made of wood (probably lined with metal) and covered 
 with plaited cane, like the specimen represented here. 
 
 Arabian Censer and Gulabdan. 
 
 The gulabdan, or " casting bottle," as it was called in this 
 country two or three centuries back, is either of glass or 
 earthenware in ordinary houses, but among rich j)eople 
 both these implements are of gold or silver richly chased 
 or ornamented. The engraving on next page illustrates 
 this important feature in Oriental customs. The female 
 servant carrying the perfume-burner and sprinkling- 
 vase is taken from La Mottraye's print of a Turkish ■ 
 harem, and the man from a picture in the late Lord 
 Baltimore's collection representing the reception of a 
 French ambassador by the Grand Vizier. The per- 
 
 ' Niebuhr, Description do I'Arabie. 
 
124 
 
 THE BOOK OF PEEFUMES. 
 
 fumes used in the censer combine all the fragrant 
 woods and gums of the East, among which the aloe, 
 mentioned in Chapter III., stands prominent : 
 
 " The aloes-wood, from -which no fragrance came, 
 If placed on fire, its inodorous state 
 
 Mahomet, who was a keen observer of human nature, 
 foimded his religion on the enjoyment of all material 
 
 Turkish Servants bearing Terfumes. 
 
 pleasures, well knowing that it was the best means of 
 securing the adhesion of his sensual countrymen. He had 
 forbidden, it is true, the use of wine, but simply because he 
 feared the dangerous excesses to which it gave rise : the 
 indulgence in perfumes was one, on the contrary, he liked 
 to encourage, for they assisted in producing in his adepts 
 a state of religious ecstasy favourable to his cause. He 
 
 ' Sadi's Gulistun, chap. i. st. 18. 
 
THE ORIENTALS. 125 
 
 professed himself a great fondness for them, saying that 
 what his heart enjoyed most in this world were children, 
 women, and perfumes, and among the many delights 
 promised to the true believers in the Djennet Firdous, 
 or Garden of Paradise, perfumes formed a conspicuous 
 part, as will be seen from the following description, 
 taken from the Koran : — 
 
 ^Vhen the day of judgment comes, all men will have 
 to cross a bridge called Al Sirat, which is finer than a 
 hair, and sharper than the edge of a Damascus blade. 
 This bridge is laid over the infernal regions, and how- 
 ever dangerous and difficult this transit may appear, 
 the righteous, upheld and guided by the prophet, will 
 easily accomplish it ; but the wicked, deprived of such 
 assistance, will slip and fall into the abyss below, which 
 is gaping to receive them. 
 
 After having passed this first stage, the " right-hand 
 men," as the Koran calls them, will refresh themselves 
 by drinking at the pond of Al Cawthar, the Avaters of 
 which are whiter than milk or silver, and more odori- 
 ferous than musk. They will find there as many drink- 
 ing-cups as there are stars in the firmament, and their 
 thirst will be quenched for ever. 
 
 They at last will penetrate into Paradise, which is 
 situated in the seventh heaven, under the throne of 
 God. The ground of this enchanting place is composed 
 of pure wheaten flour mixed with musk and saffron ; its 
 stones are pearls and hyacinths, and its palaces built of 
 gold and silver. In the centre stands the marvellous 
 tree called tuba, which is so large that a man mounted 
 
126 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 on the fleetest horse could not ride round its branches 
 in one hundred years. This tree not only affords the 
 most grateful shade over the whole extent of Paradise, 
 but its boughs are loaded with delicious fruit of a size 
 and taste unknown to mortals, and bend themselves at 
 the wish of the inhabitants of this happy abode. 
 
 As an abundance of water is one of the greatest 
 desiderata in the East, the Koran often speaks of the 
 rivers of Paradise as one of its chief ornaments. All 
 those rivers take their rise from the tree tuba : some 
 flow with water, some with milk, some with honey, and 
 others even with wine, this liquor not being forbidden 
 to the blessed. 
 
 Of all the attractions, however, of these realms of 
 bliss, none wiU equal their fair inhabitants — the black- 
 eyed houris' — who will welcome the brave to their 
 bowers, waving perfumed scarves before them,^ and 
 repaying with smiles and blandishments aU their toils 
 and fatigues. These beauteous nymphs will be per- 
 fection itself in every sense : they will not be created 
 of our o-OTi mortal claj, but of ^Ji^rc musk. 
 
 I doubt very much if the prospect of inhabiting a 
 place with a soil of musk, peopled with ladies composed 
 of the sam.e material, would prove a great allurement to 
 our Europeans, with their nervous tendencies ; the bare 
 notion of such a possibility would be sufficient to give a 
 
 1 "Houri" comes from the words Inir ctl oyoiin, "the black-eyed." 
 - " Waving embroider'd scarves whose motion gave 
 Perfume forth, like those the Uouris wave 
 When beckoning to their bowers the Immortal Brave." 
 
 Mooke's Lalla Rookh. 
 
THE ORIENTALS. 127 
 
 headache to some of the more sensitive. But in the 
 East tastes are different ; and it is a singular fact that 
 the warmer a country is, the greater is the taste for 
 strong perfumes, although one would suppose that the 
 heat, developing to the utmost such powerful aromas, 
 would render them actually unbearable. 
 
 As an instance of the fondness which the Orientals 
 exhibit for musk, Evlia Effendi relates that in Kara 
 Amed, the capital of Diarbekr, there is a mosque called 
 Iparie, built by a merchant, and so called because there 
 were mixed with the mortar used in its construction 
 seventy juks of musk, which constantly perfume the 
 temple. The same author describes the mosque of Zo- 
 baide, at Tauris, as being constructed in a similar wa}^ : 
 and as musk is the most durable of all perfumes, the 
 walls still continue giving out the most powerful scent, 
 especially when the rays of the sun strike upon them. 
 
 Many of Mahomet's prescriptions were of a sanitary 
 nature, and in order to insure their observance hy his 
 superstitious followers, he gave them, like Moses, the 
 form of religious laws. Such were the ablutions and 
 purifications ordained by the Koran.' All true believers 
 are strictly enjoined to wash their heads, their hands as 
 far as the elbows, and their feet as far as the knees, be- 
 fore saying their prayers ; and when water is not to be 
 procured, fine sand is to be used as a substitute. 
 
 When the Turks settled themselves in the Greek 
 Empire, they did not rest satisfied with these limited 
 ablutions, but soon adopted the luxurious system of 
 
 1 Koran, v. 8, 9. 
 
128 
 
 THE BOOK 01' PERFUMES. 
 
 baths which they found already established in the con- 
 quered cities. These baths have been fully described 
 in the last chapter; they have, moreover, been lately 
 introduced into London ; and although what we are 
 offered is but a pale copy of the magnificence of the 
 palaces devoted to that purpose in the East, it might be 
 
 Turkish Bath. 
 
 thought superfluous to dwell any longer on this subject. 
 The above illustration will suffice to convey an idea of 
 the style of these buildings. 
 
 Soap is sometimes used in these establishments, but 
 they more frequently employ a sort of saponaceous clay 
 scented with the sweetest odours, which is, no doubt, a 
 lineal descendant of that smegma mentioned in the Greek 
 chapter as being in great favour among the Athenians. 
 It is to that preparation that SadI, the celebrated Per- 
 
THE ORIENTALS. 129 
 
 siau poet, alludes in the following beautiful apologue, 
 whereby he illustrates the benefit of good society : — 
 
 '"Twas in the bath, a piece of perfumed clay 
 Came from my loved one's hand to mine, one day. 
 'Art thou, then, musk or ambergris ?' I said ; 
 ' That by thy scent my soul is ravished ?' 
 'Not so,' it answered, 'worthless earth was I, 
 But long I kept the rose's company ; 
 Thus near, its perfect fragrance to me came. 
 Else I'm but earth, the worthless and the same.' " ' 
 
 The rose, as I said before, is the favourite flower 
 of the Orientals. The beauty of its aspect and the 
 sweetness of its perfume are favourite themes for their 
 poets. The finest poem that ever was written in the 
 Persian language, the "Gulistan," from which the 
 above is extracted, means the garden of roses, and SadT, 
 its author, with the naive conceit of Eastern writers, 
 thus explains his motives for giving that name to his 
 work : — 
 
 "On the first day of the month of Urdabihisht (May), 
 I resolved with a friend to pass the night in my garden. 
 The ground was enamelled with flowers, the sky was 
 lighted with brilliant stars ; the nightingale sang its 
 sweet melodies perched on the highest branches ; the 
 dew-drops hung on the rose like tears on the cheek of 
 an angry beauty ; the parterre was covered with hya- 
 cinths of a thousand hues, among which meandered a 
 limpid stream. "When morning came my friend gathered 
 roses, basilisks, and hyacinths, and placed them in the 
 folds of his garments ; but I said to him, ' Throw these 
 
 ' Sadi's Gulistan, Pref. 
 
130 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 away, for I am going to compose a Gulistan (garden of 
 roses), which wUl last for eternity, whilst your flowers 
 will live but a day.' " 
 
 Hafiz, another renowned Persian poet, was also a 
 great admirer of flowers and perfumes, which are con- 
 stantly recurring in his verses, and furnish him with the 
 most charming similes. Addressing his mistress in one 
 of his Gazels, he exclaims — 
 
 " Like the bloom of the rose, when fresh pluck'd and full blown, 
 Sweetly soft is thy nature and air : 
 Like the beautiful cj'press in Paradise grown, 
 Thou art ev'ry way charming and fair. 
 
 " When my mind dwells on thee, what a lustre assume 
 All the objects which fancy presents ! 
 On my memory thy locks leave a grateful perfume, 
 Far more fragrant tlian jasmine's sweet scents." ' 
 
 Hafiz seems, like Anacreon, to have particularly wor- 
 shipped the rose ; and, as his Grecian predecessor, he 
 always couples in his odes the praise of wine with that 
 of the queen of flowers : — 
 
 " In the mirth-enliven'd bower, 
 "Wine, convivial songsters, pour : 
 See the garden's flowery guest 
 Comes in happiness full dress'd ; 
 Joy round us sweet perfume throws, 
 Offspring of the blooming rose. 
 
 " Hail ! sweet flower, thy blossom spread, 
 Here thy welcome fragrance shed ; 
 Let us with our friends be gay, 
 Jlindful of thy transient stay : 
 Pass the goblet round ; who knows 
 When wc lose the blooming rose ? 
 
 ' Hafiz, Gazel si. 
 
THE ORIENTALS. 131 
 
 " Hafiz loves, like riiilomcl, 
 With the darling rose to dwell : 
 Let his heart a grateful lay 
 To her guardian ' humbly pay, 
 Let his life with homage close, 
 To the guardian of the rose." ■ 
 
 That perfumes have been in use in the East, to please 
 the living and honour the dead, since a very remote 
 period, we find a proof in the following story, extracted 
 from a Persian writer, relating the death of Yezdijird, 
 the last of the Kaianian race of kings, in the year 652. 
 
 That unfortunate monarch having fled from his do- 
 minions and taken refuge in the territory of Merv, its 
 inhabitants were anxious to apprehend and destroy him ; 
 they accordingly sent a message to Tanjtakh, king of 
 Tartary, ofiering to place themselves under his protec- 
 tion, and to deliver the fugitive into his hands. Tanj- 
 takh accepted their proposal and marched against Merv 
 with a large army ; hearing which, Yezdijird left the 
 caravanserai where he had alighted, and wandered about 
 unattended in quest of a hiding-place. He at last came 
 to a mill, where he begged for a night's shelter. The 
 miller promised him that he should be unmolested ; but 
 his attendants having remarked that he was richly 
 clad, murdered him in his sleep, and divided the spoil 
 among themselves. 
 
 The next day Tanjtalvh arrived at Merv, and caused 
 Yezdijird to be sought in every direction. Some of the 
 emissaries came to the mill, and having remarked that 
 one of the servants smelt strongly of perfume, they tore 
 
 ' The nightingale. ' Hafiz, Gazel ii. 
 
132 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 open his garments, and found Yezdijird's imperial robe, 
 Bcented with otto of roses and other essences, hid in 
 his bosom. The body of the king was discovered in 
 the mill-dam, and brought before TanjtSkh, who wept 
 bitterly, and ordered it to be embalmed with spices and 
 perfumes, and buried with regal honours. The miUer 
 
 A Persian Lady. 
 
 and his servants were put to death, in punishment for 
 their treachery. 
 
 The taste for perfumes has in no wise diminished 
 among modern Orientals ; it has, on the contrary, been 
 constantly increasing, and now pervades all classes, who 
 seek to gratify it to their utmost, according to their 
 
THE ORIENTALS. 133 
 
 means. It is principally cultivated among ladies who 
 caring little or nothing for mental acquirements, and de- 
 barred from the pleasures of society, are driven to resort 
 to such sensual enjoyments as their secluded mode of life 
 will afford. They love to be in an atmosphere redolent 
 with fragrant odours that keep them in a state of 
 dreamy languor which is for them the nearest approach 
 to happiness. The sole aim of their existence being to 
 please their lords and masters, the duties of the toilet 
 are their principal and favourite occupation. Many are 
 the cosmetics brought into request to enhance their 
 charms, and numerous are the slaves who lend their 
 assistance to perform that important task, some correct- 
 ing with a whitening paste the over-warm tint of the 
 skin, some replacing with an artificial bloom the faded 
 roses of the complexion. 
 
 "Wliile some bring leaves of henna, to imbue 
 The fingers' ends with a bright roseate hue, 
 So bright that in the mirror's depth they seem 
 Like tips of coral branches in the stream ; ' 
 
 And others mix the kohol's jetty dye 
 To give that long dark languish to the eye 
 Which makes the maids whom kings are proud to cuU 
 From fair Circassia's vales so beautiful." ' 
 
 Although, according to our European notions, red- 
 tipped fingers and darkened eyelids are not calculated 
 to increase female loveliness, this may be looked upon 
 as a mere conventional matter, and it may be fairly 
 presumed that the constant cares which the Eastern 
 ladies bestow on themselves have the efiect of increas- 
 
 ' Moore's Lalla Eookh. 
 
134 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 ing and preserving their beauty. This is confirmed 
 by most travellers, and, among others, Sonnini in his 
 Travels in Egypt thus expresses himself on that 
 subject ; — 
 
 " There is no part of the world where the women 
 pay a more rigid attention to cleanliness than in those 
 Oriental countries. The frequent use of the bath, of 
 perfumes, and of everything tending to soften and 
 beautify the skin and to preserve all their charms, em- 
 ploys their constant attention. Nothing, in short, is 
 neglected, and the most minute details succeed each 
 other with scrujjulous exactness. So much care is not 
 thrown away ; nowhere are the women more uniformly 
 beautiful, nowhere do they possess more the talent of 
 assisting nature, nowhere, in a word, are they better 
 skilled or more practised in the art of arresting or 
 repairing the ravages of time, an art which has 
 its princi^Dles and a great variety of practical re- 
 cipes." '■ 
 
 As it may interest some of my fair readers to know 
 the composition of those far-farmed Oriental cosmetics, 
 I shall transcribe here the recij^es of some of those pre- 
 parations, for the authenticit}' of which I can vouch, 
 having received them from one of m}^ correspondents at 
 Tunis,- to whom they were given by a native Arabian 
 perfumer. If not useful, they will no doubt be found 
 amusing. 
 
 The kohl, or kheul, which we have seen in use for 
 
 ' Sonnini's Travels ia Upper and Lower Egypt, p. 180. 
 2 M. A. Chapclie. 
 
THE ORIENTALS. 135 
 
 darkening the eyelids since the time of the ancient 
 Egyptians, is made by them in the following way : — 
 They remove the inside of a lemon, fill it up with 
 plumbago and burnt copper, and place it on the fire 
 until it becomes carbonised ; then they pound it in a 
 mortar with coral, sandal-wood, pearls, ambergris, the 
 wing of a bat, and part of the body of a chameleon, 
 the whole having been previously burnt to a cinder 
 and moistened with rose-water while hot. 
 
 A complexion-powder called batikha, which is used 
 in all the harems for whitening the skin, is made in 
 the following manner : — They pound in a mortar some 
 cowrie-shells, borax, rice, white marble, crystal, tomata, 
 lemons, eggs, and helbas (a bitter seed gathered in 
 Egypt) ; mis them with the meal of beans, chick-peas, 
 and lentils, and place the whole inside a melon, mixing 
 with it its pulp and seeds ; it is then exposed to the sun 
 until its complete desiccation, and reduced to a fine 
 powder. 
 
 The preparation of a dye used for the hair and beard 
 is no less curious. It is composed of gall-nuts fried in 
 oil and rolled in salt, to which are added cloves, burnt 
 copper, minium, aromatic herbs, pomegranate flowers, 
 gum-arabic, litharge, and henna. The whole of these 
 ingredients are pulverised and diluted in the oil used 
 for frying the nuts. This gives it a jet-black colour, 
 but those who wish to impart a golden tint to their 
 hair employ simply henna for that purpose. 
 
 That hair-dyes have been used in the East for many 
 centuries appears from the following lines, in which 
 
136 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 SadI ridicules the habit with a sarcastic spirit worthy 
 of Martial :— 
 
 "An aged dame had dyed her locks of grey ; 
 'Granted,'! said, 'thy hair with silver hlent 
 May cheat us now ; yet, little mother ! say, 
 
 Canst thou make straight thy back, which time has bent.' " ' 
 
 To conclude the list of Oriental cosmetics, I may 
 mention an almond paste, called hemsia, which is used 
 as a substitute for soap ; a tooth-powder named souek, 
 made from the bark of the walniit-tree ; pastilles of 
 musk and amber paste (koiirss), for burning and also 
 for forming chajDlets of beads, which the fair odalisques 
 roll for hours in their hands, thus combining a reli- 
 gious duty with a pleasant pastime ; a depilatory called 
 "termentina," which is nothing more than turpentine 
 thickened into a paste ; and last, not least, the cele- 
 brated schnouda, a perfectly white cream, composed of 
 jasmine pomade and benzoin, by means of which a very 
 natural but transient bloom is imparted to the cheeks. 
 
 The far-famed Balm of Mecca is still greatly esteemed 
 amongst the Orientals, and some even pretend that the 
 limited quantity of the genuine article produced yearly 
 is reserved for the Grand Seignior's special use. Lady 
 Mary Wortley Montagu does not appear to have shared 
 their admiration for it, for she relates in her letters 
 that having had a small quantity presented to her, she 
 applied it to her face, expecting some wonderful im- 
 provement from it, instead of which it made it red and 
 swollen for three days.^ 
 
 ■ Sadi's Gulistan, chap, vi, st. 5. « Lady Montagu's Letters, xxxvii. 
 
THE ORIENTALS. 137 
 
 The same authority furnishes us with a very accurate 
 description of the Eastern mode of wearing the hair ; 
 and, as fashions are not so liable to change there as 
 they are here, we may assume it as applicable to the 
 present period. " The head-dress," says Lady Mon- 
 tague,' " is composed of a cap called talpock, which is, 
 in -R-inter, of fine velvet, embroidered with pearls or 
 diamonds, and in summer of a light shining silver stuff. 
 This is fixed on one side of the head, hanging a little 
 way down with a gold tassel, and bound on either with 
 a circle of diamonds or a rich embroidered handkerchief. 
 On the other side of the head the hair is laid flat, and 
 here the ladies are at liberty to show their fancies, 
 some putting flowers, others a plume of heron's feathers, 
 .md, in short, what they please ; but the most general 
 fashion is a large bouquet of jewels made like natural 
 flowers — that is, the buds of pearl, the roses of different 
 coloured rubies, the jessamines of diamonds, the jon- 
 quils of topazes, etc., so well set and enamelled, 'tis hard 
 to imagine anything of that kind so beautiful. The 
 hair hangs at its full length behind, divided into tresses 
 braided with pearl and ribbon, which is always in great 
 quantity." 
 
 The Turks shave their heads, leaving a single tuft of 
 hair on the top, by which they expect Azrael, the angel 
 of death, to seize them when conveying them to their 
 last abode. They preserve their beard with the greatest 
 care, and make it a point of religion to let it grow, be- 
 cause Mahomet never cut off his. No greater insult can 
 
 ' Lady Montague's Letters, xxix. 
 
138 
 
 THE BOOK OF PEEFUMES. 
 
 be offered to a Mahometan than to deprive him of this 
 hirsute ornament ; it is a degradation reserved for 
 slaves, or a punishment inflicted on criminals. 
 
 The barber of the King of Persia is no insignificant 
 personage ; he enjoys aU the privileges and considera- 
 tion naturally attached to one who has in his charge 
 such a venerated object as a royal beard. The dellak, 
 or barber, of the great Schah Abbas amassed such riches 
 that he built a splendid bridge, which still bears his 
 name ; and his modern successor erected, not long 
 since, a magnificent palace for himself in the vicinity 
 of the Royal Baths at Teheran. 
 
HIMMCL'-' BOOH ?F PERFUMFS 'HAP d" 
 
 FAC-SIMILE OF A 
 JAPANESE FASHION PLATFJ 
 
139 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 TiiE Fae East. 
 
 " Be like the perfume-sellers, for thy dress 
 Near them v.ill share the odours they possess." 
 
 Pii, pay's Inuias Apologues. 
 
 NONTINUING 
 our peregri- 
 nations " all 
 round the 
 world," we 
 now come to 
 the Far East, 
 that fairy-land 
 of the ancients 
 which we more 
 sober - minded 
 moderns sim- 
 ply designate 
 under the 
 names of 
 Here our history will cease 
 
 India, China, and Japan. 
 
 to be chronological, for the arts of civilisation have been 
 
 known and practised by those nations from a very 
 
140 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 remote period, and little if any would be the change or 
 progress to be traced among them for many centuries. 
 
 To commence with India, we find that perfumes have 
 been used in that country since the earliest records ; a 
 fact easily accounted for by the sensual temperament 
 of its inhabitants, and the abundance of fragrant 
 materials placed at their disposal by bountiful Nature. 
 Kalidasa, a Sanskrit writer, who flourished under the 
 reign of king Vikramaditya I., some two thousand 
 years ago, frequently mentions perfumes in his poems, 
 and especially in the beautiful drama called " Sakoon- 
 tala ; or, the Lost Ring." From him we learn they 
 were applied both to sacred and private purposes. 
 
 Sacrifices were usually offered in the temples of the 
 Indian Trinitj', or Tremoortee, comprising Brahma, 
 Vishnu, and Siva. According to the Vedas they were 
 to consist of a fire of fragrant woods lighted at each of 
 the four cardinal points. The flames were fed now and 
 then with a consecrated ointment, and around the fire 
 was scattered a scented herb called kiisa} which was 
 held sacred. Kanwa, the father of Sakoontala, who 
 is the chief of the hermits, offers one of these sacrifices 
 in the above-mentioned drama, and exclaims — 
 
 " Holy flames that gleam around 
 Every altar's hallowed ground ; 
 Holy flames, whose frequent food 
 Is the consecrated wood, 
 
 ' I helieve this to have been the herb I found in the East India col- 
 lection at the International Exhibition, under the name of rusa. It is 
 the Androporjon nardus, or ginger grass (improperly called Indian gera- 
 nium), from which an oil is extracted which is used in perfumery. 
 
THE FAR EAST. 141 
 
 And for whose encircling bed 
 Sacred Kusa-grass is spread ; 
 Holy flames that waft to heaven 
 Sweet oblations daily given, 
 M ortal guilt to purge away ; 
 Hear, oh, hear me, when I pray, 
 Purify my child this day !" ' 
 
 As will be seen from the last words of this prayer, 
 sacrifices were not only offered by the Hindus as a 
 general mode of worship, but also to propitiate the 
 gods on particular occasions, as was done by the ancient 
 Greeks and Romans. In this instance Sakoontala 
 is about to be married, and her father invokes the 
 blessings of the deities upon her. These ceremonies 
 did not always take place in temples, but sometimes in 
 consecrated groves. In this same drama. King Dush- 
 yanta, alluding to this custom, says — 
 
 " The sprouting verdure of the leaves is dimmed 
 By dusky wreaths of upward-curlmg smoke 
 From burnt oblations." 
 
 It was considered no sin to apply sacred grass to pri- 
 vate purposes, for we find Anasiiya, one of Sakoontala's 
 handmaids, compounding perfumes and unguents with 
 consecrated paste and this kiisa-grass, to anoint the 
 limbs of her mistress, when attending to her bridal 
 toilet.^ Some of these preparations were believed to 
 possess medicinal properties, and such was the ointment 
 of Usira-root,^ brought to the Indian beauty by another 
 assistant as a cure for fever. 
 
 The custom of staining the soles of the feet with 
 
 ' Sakoontala, Act iv. ' Sakoontala, Act iv. 
 
 ' This root is probably the Indian kus-kus, or vetivert [Anatherum 
 muricatum). 
 
142 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 henna appears to have been very ancient, for we find 
 it mentioned by one of the hermits who brings bridal 
 presents for Sakoontala, and thus describes a mysterious 
 forest where he found them : — 
 
 " Straightway clcpendiriir from a neighbouring tree 
 Appeared a robe of linen tissue, pure 
 
 And spotless as a moonbeam — mystic pledge i 
 
 Of bridal happiness ; another tree 
 Distilled a roseate dye ■wherewith to stain 
 The lady's feet." 
 
 In an Indian ode called " Megha-duta," translated by 
 
 Paterson, there occurs, also, the following passage 
 
 alludinsj to the same fashion : — 
 
 "The rose bath humbly bowed to meet 
 Witli glowing lips her hallowed feet, 
 And lent them all its bloom." 
 
 According to Hindu mythology there are five hea- 
 vens, over each of which presides one of their superior 
 gods. That of Brahma, called -Brahma-loka, is situated 
 on Mount Meru ; those of Vishnu, Siva, Kuvera, and 
 Indra are on the summit of the Himalayas. In all these 
 elysiums perfum.es and flowers are among the chief de- 
 lights. The principal ornament of Brahma's heaven is 
 
 " That blue flower which, Brahmins say, 
 Blooms nowhere but in Paradise." 
 
 It is the blue campac or champac flower, a great rarity, 
 as the only sort known on this earth' has j^ellow blos- 
 soms with which Hindii girls are wont to ornament 
 their raven hair. 
 
 In Indra's paradise, called Swarga, is to be foimd the 
 still more attractive camalata, whose rosy flowers not 
 
 ^ MichcUa champaca. 
 
THE FAR EAST. 
 
 143 
 
 only enchant tlie senses of all those who have the happi- 
 ness of breathing its delicious fragrance, but have also 
 the power of granting them all they may desire. This 
 Indra, the Jujnter Tonans of the Hindus, appears very 
 partial to scent, for he is always represented with his 
 breast tinged with sandal-wood. 
 
 Kama, the god of love, or Indian Cupid, is armed 
 with a bow made of 
 sugar-cane, the string 
 of which consists of 
 bees. He has five 
 arrows, each tipped 
 with the blossom of 
 a flower, which pierce 
 the heart through the 
 five senses, and his 
 favourite dart is 
 pointed with the chii- 
 ta or mango-flower. 
 I regret to add that 
 young maidens, with 
 
 cruel dispositions, Kama, the Indian Capid. 
 
 hardly to be expected in their tender years, do not 
 scruple to furnish the malicious god with weapons, as 
 may be seen from the following quotation. A young 
 maid plucks a mango-blossom and exclaims — 
 
 " God of tlic bow, who with spring's choicest flowers 
 Dost point tliy five unerring shafts ; to thcQ 
 I dedicate this blossom ; let it serve 
 To barb thy truest arrow ; bo its marTc 
 Some youthful heart that pines to bo beloved." 
 
144 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 A sweet little flower, mounted on a reed, does not 
 appear at first sight to form a very dangerous weapon, 
 yet it seems to inflict great pain, if we are to credit the 
 complaints exhaled by a wounded swain, who says, in 
 the same poem — 
 
 " Every flower-tipped shaft 
 Of Kama, as it probes our throbbing hearts, 
 Seems to be barbed with hardest adamant." 
 
 Flowers and perfumes are still used in modern Hindu 
 worship. Incense is burned in all ceremonies, and the 
 temples are adorned with a profusion of fresh-gathered 
 blossoms. Coloured ointments are also used to make 
 hieratic signs on the face, arms, and chest. The secta- 
 ries of Vishnu have a red and yellow line drawn 
 horizontally on the forehead ; those of Siva wear the 
 same line vertically. I saw in the East Indian collec- 
 tion at the last Exhibition some specimens of these 
 ointments, which were verj^ strongly flavoured with 
 sandal-wood, and other indigenous essences. In a 
 religious fete called Mariafta Codam, the devotees rub 
 themselves over with an ointment made of saffron, and 
 go round collecting alms, in return for which they dis- 
 tribute scented sticks, partly composed of sandal-wood, 
 which are received with great veneration. At ano- 
 ther held in honour of the goddess Debrodee, fakeers 
 crowned with flowers sprinkle incense on glowing coals, 
 which they place in their hands without appearing to 
 experience any pain from it. At the Krishna festival 
 a red powder diluted in rose-water is liberally distri- 
 buted by means of syringes over all passers-by, to the 
 
THE FAR BAST. 145 
 
 utter discomfiture of their wearing apparel. A some- 
 what similar custom is observed in the Birman Empire. 
 On the 12th of April, which is the last day of their 
 calendar, women throw water at all they meet, to wash 
 away all the impurities of the past year and commence 
 the new one free from^ sin. E-ich people use rose-water 
 mixed with sandal-wood for that purpose. 
 
 In Tibet incense is also burned, sometimes in a censer 
 but more frequently in a gigantic altar, with an aperture 
 at the top, which is called Song-boom, and bears some 
 
 Song-boorn, or Tibetan Incense Altar. 
 
 resemblance to a lime-kibi.' As, however, the fragrant 
 gums of India are scarce in these northern regions, 
 juniper is used as a substitute. They also make use in 
 their worship of a very singular implement consisting 
 
 1 Dr. Hooker's Himalayan Journal, vol. i. p. 339. 
 
 10 
 
146 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 of a leather cylinder, which contains written prayers, 
 and is turned with a handle. Each revolution causes 
 a little beU to ring, and this counts for one prayer. 
 Some people even think this mechanical mode of pray- 
 ing too fatiguing, and have their cyKnders turned, like 
 iniUs, by water-power} 
 
 In Cochin China, when fishermen are about to start 
 on a cruise, they seek to propitiate the deities of the 
 perfidious element by burning aromatic and conse- 
 crated woods on altars formed of rude stones. The 
 Javanese, who are the usual purveyors of those delicate 
 birds' nests so highly prized by Chinese epicures, offer 
 up likewise a sacrifice before venturing on these dange- 
 rous expeditions. They slaughter a buifalo, pronounce 
 some prayers, anoint themselves with sweet-scented oils, 
 and smoke with gum benzoin the entrance of the caverns 
 where they are to seek the coveted prize. Near some 
 of these caves a tutelar goddess is worshipped, whose 
 priest burns incense, and lays his protecting hands on 
 every person prepared to descend into the abyss.* 
 
 Hindu marriages are celebrated imder a sort of canopy 
 called pendal, which, among wealthy people, is richly 
 ornamented and brilliantly lighted with lamps. The 
 bride and bridegroom sit, or rather squat, at one end, 
 and at the other burns the sacred fire or oman, which 
 is constantly kept up by throwing into it sandal- wood, 
 incense, scented oils, and other ingredients, which shed 
 aromatic fumes. The Brahmans, after having recited 
 
 ' Dr. Hooker's Himalayan Journal, i. 195. 
 ' Lord Macartney's Embassy to Cliina. 
 
THE FAR EAST. 
 
 147 
 
 a variety of prayers, consecrate the union of the couple 
 by throwing a handful of saffron mixed with rice flour 
 on their shoulders, and the ceremony ends by the 
 husband presenting his wife with a little golden image 
 called take, which is worn round the neck by married 
 women, as a substitute for the wedding-ring.^ 
 
 Hindii Marriage Ceremony. 
 
 Scented woods are also used in the funeral piles which 
 consume the remains of the dead, when the wealth cf 
 the deceased, or the generosity of his heirs, admits of 
 such expense. "When suttees were still in fashion, dis- 
 consolate widows could have the satisfaction of dying, 
 like Sardanapalus, "ttifled in aromatic smoke;" but 
 
 ' L'IndoujBtan, vol. iii. p, 11. 
 
148 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 since the British Government has abolished this custom 
 they are left to end their days like ordinary mortals. 
 
 There are few countries in the world equal to India 
 for the abundance and variety of its floral productions. 
 
 " A liundrod flowers there are beaming, 
 The verdure smiling and the liushed waves dreaming. 
 Each flower is still a brighter hue assuming, 
 Each a far league the love -sick air perfuming. 
 The rose her book of hundred leaves unfolding, 
 The tulip's hand a cup of red wine holding. 
 The northern zephyr ambergris round spreading, 
 Still through its limits varied scents is shedding." ' 
 
 Whilst the southern provinces are rich with the 
 vegetation of tropical climes, the northern parts, and 
 especially Cashmere, teem with roses and other Euro- 
 pean flowers. 
 
 " Who has not heard of the vale of Cashmere, 
 
 With its roses the brightest that earth ever gave, 
 Its temples and grottoes, and fountains as clear 
 
 As the love-lighted eyes that hang over their wave?" ^ 
 
 Otto of roses has been made for a very long time in 
 India, and Lieutenant-Colonel Poller thus relates its 
 origin in the " Asiatic Researches : " — " Noorjeehan 
 Begum (Light of the World), the favourite wife of 
 Jehan-Geer, was once walking in her garden, through 
 which ran a canal of rose-water, when she remarked 
 some oily particles floating on the surface. These were 
 collected, and their aroma found to be so delicious, that 
 means were devised to produce the precious essence in 
 a regular way." 
 
 Next in favour is the jasmine, which Hindu poets call 
 
 ' Anvir-i Suhalli, ch, i. st. 26. - Moore's Lalla Bookh, 
 
THE FAR EAST. 149 
 
 the " Moonlight of the Grove." Tliero are two species 
 cultivated for their perfume — the Jasinlnum grandifloniui, 
 or Tore, and the Jasminum hirsittum, or Samhac. 
 
 Among other fragrant flowers we may mention the 
 Pandang [Pandanus odoratissimus), the Champac [Michc- 
 lia champaca), the Kurna (P/ieenix dactiUfcra), the Boo- 
 kool {Minut-ops eleiigi), and last, not least, the Henna 
 {Lawsonia inermis), the blossoms of which have a deli- 
 cious odour. 
 
 From all these flowers essences are distilled, and the 
 centre of this manufacture is Ghazepore, a town situated 
 on the north bank of the Ganges above Benares. The 
 process is extremely simple. The petals are placed in 
 clay stills with twice their weight of water, and the 
 produce is exposed to the fresh air for a night in open 
 vessels. The next morning the otto is found congealed 
 on the surface and is carefully skimmed off. These 
 essences would be very beautiful if they were pure, but 
 the native distillers being but little skilled in their art, 
 add sandal- wood shavings to the flowers to facilitate the 
 extraction of the otto, which thus becomes tainted with 
 a heavy sandal-wood flavour. Besides these essences, 
 perfumed oils are also made with some of these flowers 
 in the following way : — Gingelly oil seeds are placed in 
 alternate layers with fresh flowers in a covered vessel. 
 The latter are renewed several times, after which the 
 seeds are pressed, and the oil produced is found to have 
 acquired the smell of the flowers. Musk, civet, amber- 
 gris, spikenard ( Valeriana Jatamami)} patchouly, and 
 
 ' See chap, iii. 
 
150 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 kus-kus are also favourite perfumes with, the Indians. 
 The last mentioned, which is the rhizome of the ana- 
 iherum miiricatum, is made into mats and blinds, which, 
 being watered in the sun, give out a most pleasant 
 odour. 
 
 Perfumes and flowers play a great part in Indian 
 poetry, and the following extracts taken at random from 
 "Anvar-i Suhaili"^ will show to what happy compari- 
 sons they are applied : — 
 
 " Like musk is moral worth ; from sight concealed 
 'lis by its odour to the sense revealed." 
 
 " The damsel entered the king's chamber with a face 
 like a fresh rose-bud which the morning-breeze has 
 caused to blow, and with ringlets like the twisting 
 hyacinth buried in an envelope of the purest musk." 
 
 "With hyacinth and jessamine her perfumed hair was bound, 
 A posy of sweet violets her clustering ringlets seemed ; 
 Her eyes with love intoxicate, in witching sleep half drowned, 
 
 II cr locks to Indian spikenard like, with love's enchantments beamed." 
 
 The following description of a young maiden struck 
 down by illness is exquisitely beautiful : — 
 
 "All of a sudden the blighting glance of unpropitious 
 fortune having fallen on that rose-cheeked cypress, she 
 laid her head on the pillow of sickness ; and in the 
 flower-garden of her beauty, in place of the damask- 
 rose, sprang up the branch of the safl!ron. Her fresh 
 jessamine, from tlie violence of the burning illness, lost 
 its moisture ; and her hyacinth full of curls, lost all its 
 endurance from the fever that consumed her." 
 
 ' Anvar-i Suhaili, or the Lights of Canopus, translated by E. B. Eastwick. 
 
THE FAR EAST. 
 
 151 
 
 " Her graceful form, with lengthened sufferings spent, 
 Was like her perfumed musky tresses — bent." 
 
 The Hindu perfumer (called gund'hee) does not in- 
 dulge, like his European confreres, in showy glass cases 
 and briUiant shops. His whole establishment consists 
 in a few sacks, boxes, and trays, containing his various 
 fragrant stores, in the midst of which he sits dispensing 
 them to his beauty-seeking patrons. 
 
 Gund'hee. or Hindi! Perfumer. 
 {From an originnl alietch.) 
 
 The Hindu barber plies also his vocation in the 
 open air, and handles with great dexterity his razor, 
 mounted on hinges, which is a somewhat formidable 
 looking instrument. The specimen represented on the 
 next page is from an original in Mr. Berthoud's collec- 
 tion, which is of gilt metal, chiselled, and studded 
 with jewels. 
 
152 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 My remarks have been hitherto confined to the Hin- 
 dus, and although some of them will equally aj)ply to 
 the Mussulmans inhabiting India, the latter offer some 
 peculiar characteristics which may be briefly described. 
 In "Qanoon-e-Islam," a book written by Jafiur Shur- 
 reef, a native of the Deccan, is to be found some reliable 
 information on this subject. 
 
 Hindti Razor. 
 
 Their customs naturally ofler some resemblance to 
 those of their Arabian ancestors, and their fondness for 
 perfumes seems to have in no way decreased siace the 
 time of the Prophet. In all their ceremonies they burn 
 ^^ ood, an incense composed of benzoin, aloe, sandal- 
 wood, patchouly, etc., and the oodsoz, or censer, is also 
 lighted at the feet of the dead as soon as their eyes have 
 been closed. jAi-« sundul or sandal- wood ointment is 
 
THE FAR EAST. 
 
 153 
 
 likewise used for religious purposes in so many instances 
 that it would fill a book to relate them all. I shall merely 
 quote one as being, perhaps, the most curious, and that 
 
 Wagic Figure for Dawut or Exorcism. 
 
 is the dawut or exorcism. Magic circles, squares, and 
 figures are drawn on a plank with sundul, and the indi- 
 vidual supposed to be possessed with a demon is made 
 
154 
 
 THE BOOK OF PEEFUMES. 
 
 to sit in the centre. The exerciser then pronounces an 
 incantation in Arabic, and burns some incense under 
 the nose of the patient, who is requested to inhale its 
 fumes. It seems that demons are not partial to scents, 
 
 Magic Figure for Dawub or Exorcism. 
 
 for they generally allow themselves to be smoked out 
 in this manner. The accompanying illustrations, which 
 are perfectly authentic, represent two of these magic 
 figures, which are supposed to bear some faint resem- 
 blance to the Evil One. 
 
THE FAR EAST. 155 
 
 As an example of the lavish use of perfumes they 
 make in private life, I may give a description of the 
 Singardaii, or toilet-bag, forming part of the presents 
 which a bridegroo'm usually sends to his bride elect. 
 This necessaire contains, among other things, a pandan, 
 or box to hold betel, an aromatic mixture for chewing, 
 a vial containing otto of roses, a goolabpash or bottle 
 to sprinkle rose-water on visitors, a box for containing 
 spices, another for holding mcesee (a powder made of 
 gall-nuts and vitriol for hlackening'^ the teeth), one for 
 soorma to blacken the eyelids, one for /iojul to darken 
 the eyelashes, a comb, a looking-glass, etc. 
 
 This kqjul is used in the same way as the Egyptian 
 kohl, often mentioned before, but the soorma is applied 
 inside the eyelids, and there is a very curious tradition 
 connected with the origin of this custom. They say 
 that when God commanded Moses to ascend Koh-e-Toor 
 (Mount Sinai), to show him His countenance. He ex- 
 hibited it through an opening of the size of a needle's 
 eye, at the sight of which Moses fell into a trance. 
 After a couple of hours, on coming to himself, he dis- 
 covered the mountain in a blaze, when he descended 
 immediately. The mountain then addressed the Al- 
 mighty thus : — " What ! hast thou set me, who am the 
 least of all mountains, on fire ?" Then the Lord com- 
 manded Moses, saying, " Henceforth shalt thou and 
 thy posterity grind the earth of this mountain, and 
 apply it to your eyes." Since then this custom has pre- 
 
 ' Women blacken their teeth when they marry, and keep them so as 
 long as their husbands are alive. 
 
156 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 vailed, and the soorina sold in the bazaars of Hindostan 
 is supposed to be earth coming from Mount Sinai.' 
 
 Among other perfumes used by Indian Mussulmans 
 may be mentioned Abeer, a scented powder, which is 
 rubbed on the face and body, or sprinkled on clothes 
 and which is made of sandal-wood, aloes, turmeric, 
 roses, camphor, and civet ; another powder called Clnksa, 
 composed of mustard-seed, flour, fenugreek, Cyprus, san- 
 dal-wood, patchouly, kus-kus, aniseed, camphor, benzoin, 
 and all known spices ; Uggur-kee-buttee, a pastille made 
 of gum-benzoin and other odoriferous substances ; and 
 Urgiijja, a sweet ointment composed of sandal-wood, 
 aloes, otto of roses, and essence of jasmine. They also 
 use a tooth-powder called Munjun, which is a mixture 
 of burnt almond- shells, tobacco ashes, black pepper, 
 and salt. 
 
 Indian women pay great attention to their hair, 
 which is generally of a beautiful colour and length, but 
 rather coarse. They anoint it with perfumed oil, and 
 wear in it a profusion of jewels, the poorer class substi- 
 tuting glass beads for those costly ornaments. Some- 
 times also they decorate their heads with natural flowers, 
 the silvery jasmine or the golden champac setting ofi' 
 admirably their raven tresses. The blossoms of a sort 
 of acacia, called Sirisha, they place above their ears : — 
 
 " Fond maids, the chosen of their hearts to please, 
 Entwine their ears with sweet Sirisha flowers, 
 Whose fragrant lips attract the kiss of bees, 
 That softly murmur through the summer hours." 
 
 ' Qanoon-e-Islam Gloss, xcv. 
 
THE FAB, EAST. 
 
 157 
 
 The hair is worn by some confined in a net, but more 
 generally in long tresses, which are united into one in 
 case of mourning. The nautch- 
 girls, or bayaderes, wear ringlets 
 in front and plaits at the back 
 of the head. The accompanying 
 illustration, from a native draw- 
 ing, will convey some idea of the 
 appearance of an Indian beauty, 
 who might lay claim here to the 
 same appellation, were it not for 
 Eindfl Head-dress. the nose-ring, which may be 
 thought objectionable, and which must decidedly be 
 inconvenient. 
 
 In the Himalayas the hair is made up into long 
 
 Pocket Comb used by the Mech Tribes. 
 
 braided tails, women wearing two, and men only one. 
 
158 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 The Lepchas have, in addition, a detached braid, form- 
 ing an arch of about ten inches in height over the head 
 as represented in page 7. They pay great attention to 
 their hair, and generally carry with them a pocket comb, 
 curiously carved, like the accompanying specimen found 
 amongst the Mech tribes. 
 
 "VVe shall now proceed to the Celestial Empire, where 
 perfumes have also been used since the earliest times. 
 A Chinese proverb, attributed to 
 Confucius (or Kong-Foo-Tse), 
 says, " Incense perfumes bad 
 smells, and candles illumine 
 men's heai'ts." Acting on that 
 principle, they use both lavishly 
 in public and private, which 
 would lead the hj^ercritical to 
 conclude that their hearts re- 
 quire a great deal of lighting 
 up, and that the natural odours 
 of their temples and dwellings 
 are none of the sweetest. 
 
 Joss-sticks (icdii heang) and 
 tinsel-paper (i/ucn jyaoii) are the 
 forms under which this incense 
 is usually burned, and the con- 
 sumption is so enormous that, 
 according to Morrison, there are no less than ten 
 thousand makers in the province of Canton alone. 
 Morning and evening three sticks of incense are to be 
 offered. They are usually placed in stationary censers 
 
 fctaLue of Providence with 
 burning Censer. 
 
THE FAR EAST. 
 
 159 
 
 of an elegant form, such as the annexed specimen 
 taken from a temple at Tong-Choo-Foo. Sometimes 
 they are laid at the feet of idols, as shown in the 
 preceding illustration which represents a statue of 
 Providence. 
 
 In the Ti-vang-mia-o, or Hall of ceremonies, at Pekin, 
 incense is burned in twelve large urns, in m^emory of 
 the deceased emperors. When the man- 
 darins come and pay their respects to 
 their present monarch, they also burn 
 incense before him ; if he is away they 
 offer the same homage to his empty 
 chair. A similar ceremony takes place 
 every year at the festival held ia honour 
 of Confucius. 
 
 Perfumes also play their part at Chi- 
 nese funerals. The body is washed, 
 perfumed, and dressed in the best ap- 
 parel of the deceased, whose portrait is chmese cesser at 
 placed in the middle of the room, above 
 
 the iacense-burner, which forms an indis- 
 pensable item in their household furniture. 
 The persons forming the procession who 
 convey the corpse to its last abode burn 
 perfumed matches all the way. The nearest 
 relatives walk on crutches, as if entirelj' dis- 
 abled from grief, whilst the women, carried 
 in . palanquins closed with white silk curtaias, utter 
 loud lamentations.^ 
 
 Lord Macartney's Embassy to China. 
 
160 THE BOOK or PERFUMES. 
 
 The catalogue of Chinese perfumery is rather limited. 
 Besides the iucense sticks, they only use a few scented 
 oils and essences, which are more strong than agreeable — 
 'T\f >]& e Iteang, a perfume for the clothes, and ^i _cfi 
 lieang tsaou, a pomade for the hair. Musk is one of 
 their favourite perfumes, which is but natural, con- 
 sidering that they supply all the world with it, the 
 animal which produces it inhabiting the provinces 
 of Mohang Mang and Mohang Vinan. They not 
 only like its flavour, but they believe that it cures 
 every disease under the sun, even headache, and in this 
 opinion they are backed by their principal medical 
 authorities. Pao-po-tse recommends it as a sui'e pre- 
 ventative against the bite of serpents, and says that all 
 persons travelling in the mountains should carry a 
 small ball of musk under the nail of the big toe, as the 
 musk-deer (which they call shaij) being in the habit of 
 eating serpents, those reptiles are kept away by the 
 odour. Sandal-wood, patchouly, and assafcetkla com- 
 plete the list of Chinese perfumery ingredients. 
 
 They have some beautifully fragrant flowers, such as 
 the Kwei-Hwa {Olea fragrans), Lien-Hwa {Ni/mphcBa 
 nelumbo), Cha-Hwa {Camellia scsamjna), and a sort of 
 jasmine called Mo-lu-Hwa, one blossom of which is 
 sufficient to scent a room. They possess also several 
 species of odoriferous woods, but they have not hitherto 
 availed themselves of these natural treasures. They 
 hold, however, in high esteem the fruit of a cedar 
 which grows in the mountains of Tchong-te-foo, and 
 hang it up in Iheir rooms to perfume them. 
 
THE FAR EAST. 
 
 161 
 
 Soap is not made or used by the Chinese. A natural 
 alkali, called "keen," which is found in abundance near 
 Pekin, serves as a substitute for washing their clothes. 
 As to their persons, I am forced to confess that they do 
 not appear to feel the want of a detersive, their taste for 
 ablutions being very limited. If, however, soaps are 
 not in request with Chinese helleif, they have not the 
 same objection to cosmetics, which they ajDply very 
 liberally to their skin. Those who have some regard 
 for their complexion, bedaub themselves at night with a 
 mistiure of tea-oil and rice-flour, which, like the Roman 
 dames, they carefully scrape off in the morning. They 
 then apply a white powder called " Meen-Fun," touch 
 up with a little carmine their cheeks, their lips, their 
 nostrils, and the tip of their tongue, and sprinkle rice- 
 powder over their face, 
 which finishes the elabo- 
 rate picture, and softens 
 its tones. Some of them 
 also use the pulp of a 
 fruit called Lung-ju-en, 
 with which they make a 
 sort of cold-cream for the 
 skin. 
 
 There are three styles 
 principally adopted by 
 a Chinese lady for dress- 
 ing her hair, which styles 
 indicate whether she is ^'^^"^"^ ^"^^■ 
 
 a maid, wife, or widow. From her infancy to her 
 
 11 
 
162 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 marriage, a young girl wears the back part of her 
 hair braided into a tail, and the remainder combed 
 over her forehead, and cut in the shape of a crescent. 
 On her wedding-day, her head is decorated with a 
 crown covered with tinsel paper, and on the next 
 day her hair is dressed, for the first time, in the well- 
 known teapoi style, of which the 
 annexed engraving is an illustra- 
 tion. On holidaj^s she ornaments 
 it with flowers, either natural 
 or artificial, according to the 
 season. When she becomes a 
 widow, she shaves part of her 
 head, and binds round it a fiUet, 
 fastened with numerous bodkins, 
 which are sometimes very costly. 
 The men shave their heads, 
 keeping only on the summit a 
 long tuft of hair, of which they are very proud, although 
 it was originally a mark of their subjection to the Tar- 
 tars. When their hair is thin, they mix silk or horse- 
 hair with it, to give their tails a respectable appearance. 
 Sometimes they wind this appendage round their necks 
 when they are at work ; but if they see a stranger 
 approaching they quickly restore it to its natural posi- 
 tion, as it would be thought unmannerly to receive any 
 one in that state. 
 
 Barbers are called in China Te tow teih jin, or 
 literally "shavers of the head," this being their prin- 
 cipal occupation ; but like the barber-surgeons of old 
 
 Chinese Head-dress. 
 (1 eapot Style.) 
 
 \From art original sketch by 
 2[i: E. Greeij.] 
 
THE FAR EAST. 
 
 163 
 
 they combine with shaving, bleeding and other opera- 
 tions. They exercise their calling in the open air, as 
 represented in the illustration below. 
 
 We find in Japan many customs similar to those of 
 
 Chinese Barber. 
 
 the Chinese. Their list of perfumes is also rather 
 limited, and consists chiefly of a pomatum called Nioi- 
 abra, made of oil and wax ; Jinko, an aromatic wood 
 used for burning in temples and private houses ; a sort 
 
164 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 of sachet called Nioi-bukooroo ; and Hamigaki, a tooth- 
 powder made of fine shells found on the coast, and 
 mixed with scented herbs. European perfumes are 
 slowly working their way into the country, but not 
 much consumjition is to be expected until paper piocket- 
 handkerchiefs are aboKshed. Aromatics are used in 
 funeral rites, somewhat in the same manner as they 
 were by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The body is 
 placed on a pile of fragrant woods, the youngest child 
 of the deceased sets fire to it with a torch, and all 
 persons present throw on it oil, aloes, and odoriferous 
 
 Cosmetics are as much used by ladies in Japan as they 
 
 Japanese Ladies at their Toilet. 
 [From the Mirror of Female Education, published at Jcddo.) 
 
 are in Kathay ; and, if we may judge by the above 
 sketch, the duties of the toilet are an important matter 
 
THE FAR EAST. 
 
 165 
 
 with them. I have in my possession a Japanese book, 
 from which I have selected the 
 accompanying portrait of a 
 belle in full dress, one of those 
 charming creatures thus apos- 
 trophised by a native poet : 
 
 " One glance of her ej'e 
 And you lose your city ; 
 Another, and you would 
 Forfeit a kingdom." 
 
 Japanese ladies pay great at- 
 tention to their hair, which they 
 arrange in all manner of fan- 
 tastical stj'les, inserting into 
 it an immense quantity of pins, 
 made of tortoiseshell or lac- 
 quered wood, and sometimes 
 also natural flowers. When a 
 woman marries, she blackens 
 her teeth and extirpates her 
 
 eyebrows. 
 
 Japanese Eelie. 
 
 The men shave the 
 
 Japanese Head-dress. 
 
 fore-part and the crown of their 
 heads, and work up the back 
 
 > and side hair into a tuft over 
 
 the bald skull. The annexed 
 engraving represents the ordi- 
 nary kind of female head-dress, 
 and the illustration forming 
 the frontispiece of this chapter, 
 which is a perfect fac-simile of a 
 
 Japanese fashion-plate, from the Hair- Dressers' Journal 
 
166 
 
 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 at Nagasaki, proves that both, men and women indulge 
 in a great variety of styles and ornaments. The lower 
 part of the plate is composed of ladies' coiffures, and the 
 upper part is reserved to the sterner sex, which is in- 
 dicated by the blue patch on the head showing where it 
 is shaved. 
 
 Thus they take great pains to get rid of what we are 
 so anxious to preserve ; and glory in a smooth pate, 
 which we Europeans endeavour to conceal with a pe- 
 ruke. So much for diversity of tastes in nations. Some 
 shave their heads, and others their chins, and each calls 
 the other uncleanly for not following the same fashion ! 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. Chap. IX 
 
 OTAHITIAN DANCERS. 
 
16: 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Uncivilized Nations. 
 
 "!D!il tcilcii, Mc ipfiHo'e Slutl) gcl'ar 
 Suictflittt (ic ^a8 fioiift, b.i6 fctivarjc |)aiir, 
 ectmucfi lie Stinic mil ivnDoiibcri gtbcni, unb 
 'S>cn iiali uiib bic armc mil fflufcttlii tunt." 
 
 Freiliorath. 
 
 T was men- 
 tioned at the 
 commencement 
 of this book 
 that civilized 
 people would 
 not monopolise 
 our whole at- 
 tention; but 
 that among 
 savage tribes 
 we could also 
 find some cu- 
 rious fashions 
 to chronicle. 
 In every age and in every country, men, even in a 
 barbar lus state, have attempted to enhance artificially 
 their -^ rsonal attractions ; and however indifi'erent their 
 
Ifi8 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 success may have been in our eyes, it is only charitable 
 to suppose that it attained its purpose with them. A 
 Botocudo dandy, parading about with a huge wooden 
 disc inserted in his lower lip, thinks no doubt as much 
 of himself as one of our fops issuing in full trim from 
 the hands of his valet ; and who is to decide, after all, 
 which is the true standard of taste ? Let those who 
 think that ue must always be ia the right look back to 
 the fashion plates of fifty or sixty years ago, and it is 
 highly probable they will irreverently apply the name 
 of old giti/s to their grandfathers and grandmothers ; 
 but may we not naturally expect our grandchildren to 
 entertain the same flattering opinion of ourselves in half 
 a century ? 
 
 Before concludiag our history, therefore, and bring- 
 ing it down from the Roman Emjoire to the present 
 time, we shall devote this chapter to a glance into 
 various nooks and corners of the world where, although 
 they know little or nothing of civilisation, they stUl 
 attempt to ornament and decorate in various ways " the 
 human face divine." Of perfumes, properly speaking, 
 there is a very limited use among these people, whose 
 untutored olfactories are sometimes apt to prefer a strong 
 rancid smell to the finest productions of our labora- 
 tories ; but if we are allowed to class among cosmetics 
 the various pigments used by them for painting their 
 faces and bodies, we shall find them extensively patro- 
 nised. And why should not the elaborate and motley 
 colours a^Dplied by the Red Indian to his physiognomy, 
 to render him by turns attractive to his squaws or ter- 
 
UNCIVILIZED NATIONS. 169 
 
 rible to his foes, be placed in the same category with 
 the patent enamel of some of our London aspiring belles, 
 who confidently believe it will make them beautiful for 
 ever ? As to the modes of dressing the hair, numerous 
 and eccentric as may be our styles of European coiffures, 
 they are left altogether in the shade, when compared 
 with the extraordinary contrivances resorted to by the 
 children of nature in decking out the hair or leool which 
 may have fallen to their lot. 
 
 Commencing our tour in Africa, we shall find the 
 custom of anointing as prevalent with all the natives as 
 it was with the ancient Greeks and Romans, and ap- 
 pKed, as was the case then, to the body as well as 
 to the hair. The chief motive for this practice is no 
 doubt a sanitary one ; by means of this greasy coating 
 they protect their skin against the scorching rays of 
 the sun, on the same principle that a cook bastes 
 her meat well to prevent it from burning ; but it is 
 also looked upon by them as a great embellishment. 
 They take as much pride in exhibiting a sleek, oily 
 cuticle as a Parisian in wearing well-polished boots, 
 and no greater compliment can be paid to a woman 
 than to say she looks "fat and shining." They accom- 
 plish this desirable result by means of various lubricat- 
 ing substances, such as cocoa-nut oil, palm-oil, and a 
 kind of butter called ce, produced by pounding in a 
 mortar and boiling in water the fruit of a tree which 
 grows on the west coast of Africa. These ointments 
 are generally flavoured with aromatic herbs or scented 
 woods ; but from the accoimts of travellers, their aroma 
 
170 
 
 THE BOOK OF PEEFUJIES. 
 
 is often "more peculiar than pleasing." That it is 
 strong enough is not to be doubted, for Mr. Hutchinson, 
 in his " Ten Years in Ethiopia," speaking of a parti- 
 cular sort called Tola pomatum, which is used in the 
 
 1 I, 
 
 ( 
 
 km " ""■■■■ " ■ 
 
 A Bridegroom's Toilet at Fernaniio Po. 
 
 province of Fernando Po, says, " The first thing of 
 which one is sensible when approaching a village is the 
 odour of Tola pomatum, wafted b}' whatever little breeze 
 may be able to find its way through the dense bushes." 
 The same traveller gives the following amusing 
 
UNCIVILIZED NATIONS. 171 
 
 account of the "toilet" of a Fernandian bridegroom: — 
 " Outside a small hut, belonging to the mother of the 
 bride expectant, I soon recognized the happy bride- 
 groom undergoing his toilet from the hands of his 
 future wife's sister. A profusion of Tshibbu strings 
 being fastened round his bodj', as well as his legs and 
 arms, the anointing lady, having a short black pipe in 
 her mouth, proceeded to putty him over with Tola 
 paste. He seemed not altogether joyous at the antici- 
 pation of his approaching happiness, but turned a sulky 
 gaze now and then to a Iddney-shaped piece of yam 
 which he held in his hand, and which had a parrot's 
 red feather fixed on its convex side. This, I was 
 informed, was called Ntshoba, and is regarded as a 
 protection against evil influence on the important 
 day." 
 
 It must not be supposed that this beautifying pro- 
 cess is confined to the male sex ; for, speaking a little 
 further on of the bride, Mr. Hutchinson says — " Borne 
 down by the weight of rings and wreaths, and girdles 
 of Tshibbu, the Tola pomatum gave her the appearance 
 of an exhumed mummj'', save her face, which was all 
 white, not from excess of modesty (and here I may add 
 the negro race are reported alwaj's to blush hluc), but 
 from being smeared over with a white paste, the symbol 
 of purity. As soon as she was outside the paling, her 
 bridal attire was proceeded with, and the ichole body 
 plastered over uith wJiiie duff." What a pretty substitute 
 for the classical wreath of orange-blossoms, and what a 
 charming contrast must be offered when the paint 
 
172 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 gradually peels off, and reveals the sable ground on 
 which it is laid ! 
 
 Dr. Livingstone, Du Chaillu, and other African ex- 
 plorers give us amusing accounts of the fantastical 
 
 Bushuk^aiompo Head-dresses. 
 
 modes of native hair — or, rather, tvool — dressing. The 
 Bushukulompos work theirs up into a cone somewhat 
 like a helmet,' whilst the Londa ladies'^ bring theirs over 
 
 in front and at the back of 
 the head, in the shape of a 
 cocked hat, with a carved pin 
 jauntily stuck in, in lieu of a 
 feather. The Ashira belles 
 patronise a more elaborate 
 style, consisting in mvdtitu- 
 dinous points radiating from 
 the face, and confined with 
 an outward circle, which would give them some faint 
 
 1 Dr. Livingstone's Africa. 2 Du CliaiUu's Travels. 
 
 Londa Head-dress. 
 
UNCIVILIZED NATIONS. 173 
 
 resemblance to a saint such as depicted in Catholic 
 countries, if the picture con- 
 tained inside the nimbus wore 
 a more angelic expression. 
 The Makololo women cut their 
 hair quite short, and in the 
 Great Desert of Sahara the 
 forehead is shaved high up, 
 leaving only one curl, which 
 is braided and hangs down ^^^'^^ Head-dress 
 
 over the face.^ The Hottentots, according to Sir John 
 Barrow, have very curious hair ; it does not cover the 
 whole surface of the scalp, but grows in small tufts 
 separated from each other, and, when kept short, looks 
 and feels like a hard shoe-brush. 
 
 The most varied and extraordinary coiffures, however, 
 are to be found among the tribes of the Ounyamonezi, 
 or Mountains of the Moon, as will be shown by the 
 group, on the next page, taken from Capt. Burton's 
 interesting Voj^age to the Lake Regions of Central 
 Africa. To complete their attractions they have 
 two deep scars made on each side of the face with a 
 razor or a knife. This ornament is also patronized by 
 the fair sex ; but with their usual jKnchant to coquetry, 
 they have the scars dyed of a blue colour. 
 
 In the island of Madagascar, the long black hair of 
 
 the men used to be plaited in small tails, three or four 
 
 inches in length, with a knot at the end; but King 
 
 Radama, finding this fashion inconvenient for his troops, 
 
 ' Richardson's Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara. 
 
174 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 published an edict ordering all his soldiers to have these 
 plaits cut off. This law, however, met with great oppo- 
 sition, not only from the men — who cherished their 
 capillary ornaments as much as the hussars of the last 
 century did their tresses and queues — but also on the part 
 of their wives, who prided themselves on their attention 
 
 llead-dresa of the Ounjamonezi Tribes. 
 
 in keeping their husbands' hair well plaited and greased 
 with cocoa-nut oil. Finding ordinary legal means in- 
 sufficient, King Ptadama resorted to the force of example, 
 and appeared one day at a review with his hair cropped 
 quite close. Those who were most anxious to please 
 their sovereign, did not now hesitate to sacrifice their 
 locks ; but some of the more obstinate held out, en- 
 
UNCIVILIZED NATIONS. 175 
 
 oouraged in their resistance by the women, who raised 
 quite an emeute about it. Seeing this, the king 
 quietly instructed his guards to take the disobedient 
 to a neighbouring wood, and cut off their hair in 
 such a way that it should not grcio acjain. The intelli- 
 gent servants, with a zeal worthy of such a master, 
 punctually obej^ed these orders, for they cut off — their 
 heads !^ 
 
 The mode of plaiting the hair seems the most pre- 
 valent in Africa ; for, according to Consul Petherick, 
 we find it adopted, with a few exceptions, by both sexes 
 over all the eastern part of that continent, from Mount 
 Sinai to the White Nile. Respecting the Hassanyeh 
 Arabs, who inhabit the latter locality, he says — "The 
 heads of men and women are dressed with equal care, 
 the hair of both being plaited, although not in a similar 
 manner, that of the man being drawn off the forehead 
 towards the back of the head, around which it hangs in 
 numerous plaits. The woman collects the plaits together 
 in bunches at each side of her face, and at the back of 
 her head, ornamenting them with coral, amber beads, 
 and little brass trinkets. Brass thimbles, perforated 
 through the top, and strimg on a stout thread, sustained 
 by knots at regular distances above each other, and 
 suspended to the ci'own of the head, hanging down at 
 the back of it, form a very favourite ornament, as also 
 does an old button or any little brass trinket over the 
 forehead.^ 
 
 ' Captain Owen's Voyage to Africa. 
 
 ' Egypt, the Soudan, and Central Africa, by John Petherick. 
 
176 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 In Nubia, the hair, which is inclined to be woolly, is 
 plaited into a variety of forms, but generally close to 
 the head, fitting like a skuU-cajj, and hanging down in 
 thick masses of innumerable small plaits all round the 
 back and sides of the head. Another style is to plait 
 only the part next to the head, and have the ends 
 combed out and stiffened with a gvimmy solution, form- 
 ing a thick bushy circle round the head. This is a 
 very elaborate sort of coiffure, which is only done once 
 or twice a month, as it takes a long time to build up ; 
 and those who patronise it are obliged to sleep with 
 their head reclining on a small wooden stool, hollowed 
 out to fit the neck, so as not to 
 disarrange the precious edifice, 
 which shows that victims to fa- 
 shion are to be found even in 
 those remote parts. ^ 
 
 Abyssinian ladies wear in their 
 hair ivory or wooden pins and 
 combs, neatly carved in various 
 patterns, and stained with henna. They also indulge in 
 a profusion of chaplets on their heads and 
 round their necks, and the most elegant 
 carry on their bosom a large flat silver 
 case containing scented cotton, which they 
 consider as a sort of amulet. 
 
 The Bedouin Arabs of Mount Sinai have 
 their hair plaited, and so arranged as to 
 form a protuberance resembling a horn placed low down 
 
 ' Egj-pt, the Soudan, and Central Africa, by Jolm Pettierick. 
 
UNCIVILIZED NATIONS. 
 
 177 
 
 on the forehead and projecting two or three inches. 
 The girls wear on their heads a wreath of various 
 coloured beads, to which are 
 suspended neatly-carved oyster 
 shells, the latter being con- 
 sidered as a significant hint to 
 the young men of the tribe 
 that they have no objection to 
 alter their condition. This 
 may not be quite so poetical 
 as the language of flowers, but 
 still it is a great pity a similar 
 custom is not adopted in Eng- ^ > v m w 
 land, as the sight of the oyster- Abyssijiian combs. 
 
 sheU. woidd naturally encourage timid young men to 
 "pop the question." 
 
 In Upper Egypt, Arab perfumery and cosmetics are 
 extensively patronised by those who can afibrd them. 
 Musk, for scenting the clothes, and kohl, to darken the 
 eyelashes, are two indispensable items in the list of 
 presents sent to a bride by her intended ; and the latter, 
 with a praiseworthy regard for the future wants of the 
 community, during a few days after the marriage squats 
 on a mat at the door of the mosque, exhibiting his pre- 
 sents on a tray, and collecting alms from the faithful. 
 
 Going farther into the interior, the principal article 
 of perfumery (if it may be so called) we find in use, is a 
 sort of pomatum or butter, more or less scented, which 
 the natives generally keep in ostriches' eggs, and use 
 profusely, the most stylish thing being to put a pat on 
 
 12 
 
178 THE BOOK OF PEllFUMES. 
 
 the head, and let it melt and run down the whole body. 
 Others apply this ointment to their heads or persons 
 with an ostrich's feather, which they carry about 
 in a case made of a buffalo-horn. The specimen 
 of this singvilar toilet implement represented here, I 
 found in Mr. S. H. Berthoud's unique collection, and 
 is, I believe, the first that has been seen in Europe. 
 
 AfiicrLa Aaointini^ Feather. 
 
 There is a very curious sort of bath used in Nubia 
 which deserves particular description. Consul Pethe- 
 rick relates that, having ordered a bath at Berbera, one 
 of the Nubian towns he visited, he was much surprised at 
 seeing a negro maid enter bearing a bowl and a teacup 
 as the sole apparatus required. The bowl contained 
 dough, and the cup a small quantity of sweet oil scented 
 with aromatic roots ; the former of these well rubbed 
 on the bare sidn cleaned it thoroughly, after which the 
 perfumed oil was applied, to give elasticity to the limbs. 
 The whole operation, which is called dilka, is in great 
 favour with the natives ; and Mr. Petherick, who de- 
 clares he was much refreshed by it, attributes to its use 
 the entire absence of cutaneous diseases among these 
 people, and says it enables them to resist the cold and 
 
UNCIVILIZED NATIONS. 179 
 
 cutting winds of winter with no other protection than 
 very thin clothing. 
 
 An aromatic fumigation replaces, in the Soudan, even 
 this very imperfect mode of bathing. In a hole, dug 
 in the ground by the side of the bed, is placed an earthen 
 pot, in which is burned the odoriferous wood of the 
 tuUoch. The natives sit over this, covering themselves 
 closely with a thick woollen wrapper, and remain ex- 
 posed for about ten minutes to the cloud of fragrant 
 smoke, which causes intense perspiration, and is sup- 
 posed to exercise a tonic and beneficial influence on the 
 sldn. Ladies who use this frequentlj' become incrustcd 
 in time with an odoriferous enamel which is highly 
 prized and considered tcry fa^.t. 
 
 Even in the remotest wilds of Central Africa wo find 
 people endeavouring to assist nature with art as far as 
 is compatible with their primitive minds. 
 
 The Neam Nam, a tribe in the far interior on the 
 equator, take great pains with their hair, which they 
 wear plaited in thick masses covering the neck, and 
 which they ornament with long ivory pins from six 
 inches to a foot in length. These pins are carved in 
 pretty patterns, and partly dyed with the decoction of 
 a root ; they are inserted at the back of the head, 
 long ones alternating with short ones, and forming a 
 semicircle, Fomewhat similar to that worn by the pea- 
 sant girls on the borders of the Lake of Como, the only 
 difference being that the Italian decoration is composed 
 of steel and gold pins. This is certainly a very curious 
 coincidence. 
 
180 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 The Dinkas dye their hair red, whilst the Djibbas, 
 who are a warlike people, pride themselves in inter- 
 weaving the hair of their fallen enemies with their 
 own, forming a thick tail, the length of which indicates 
 the valour of the wearer. 
 
 The greatest dandies, however, are the Griquas, who 
 smear themselves with grease and red ochre, whilst the 
 head is anointed with a blue pomatum made of mica. 
 The particles of shining mica falling on the body are 
 thought highly ornamental, and the mixture of colours 
 very attractive.^ 
 
 Taking a bold stride thence to the Philippine Islands, 
 we find the natives, who are called Tagals, pay the 
 greatest attention to their hair, which is long, black, 
 and glossy. The women wash it at least once a day 
 with a saponaceous grass called go-go, and anoint it 
 with cocoa-nut oil scented with the flowers of the 
 alangilan or san-paqidta. 
 
 Both men and women in the Loo-Choo Islands wear 
 their hair drawn uj) towards the cro^vn, and worked up 
 into a sort of loop, which is ornamented with two pins. 
 The wealthy have these pins studded with precious 
 stones, and use the juice of an aromatic plant to en- 
 hance the natural brilliancy of their hair. 
 
 Javanese women greatly pride themselves on the 
 yellow complexions which nature has allotted to them. 
 It is the constant theme of their poets, who praise its 
 golden hue with as much fervour as ours do the roses 
 and lilies which distinguish our belles. Admiral Du- 
 
 ' Dr. Li^-ingstone's Africa. 
 
UKCIVILIZEB KATIONS. 181 
 
 mont d'Urville says they have recourse to yellow cos- 
 metics to keep up the brilliancy of the favourite tint, 
 in the same way as rouge and white are used here."^ In 
 addition to this they blacken their teeth, and greatly 
 ridicule Europeans for the whiteness of theirs which, 
 according to their opinion, makes them look like monkeys. 
 
 In Austraha the aborigines are worse than Esqui- 
 maux : to these tribes a bad smell is really a perfume, 
 so we will leave them alone. Yet the country produces 
 plenty of sweet-scented flowers and plants, and whole 
 forests of trees with fragrant leaves;^ and who knows 
 but one day that fertile market for our manufactures 
 may in its turn furnish the world with essences and 
 cosmetics ? When, in a few centuries, Lord Macaulay's 
 New Zealander takes his stand on the ruins of London 
 Bridge, his handkerchief made of the fibres of the for- 
 mium tenax will probably be redolent with the last neio 
 scent by Warranonga of the Murrumbidgee ! 
 
 Tattooing ranks among the chief personal adornments 
 with the Australian and Polynesian races. It might 
 almost be called an indelible form of cosmetic, for it 
 probably originated in facial painting ; some savage of 
 enduring cuticle having conceived the idea of rendering 
 the colour permanent by driving it into the skin. New 
 Zealand bears, or used to bear, the palm in this art. 
 There the chiefs especially prided themselves on the ele- 
 gant arabesques which decorated their physiognomies, 
 and hair and beard were willingl}^ sacrificed to afford a 
 
 ' Voyages autour du monde, par Dumont D'Urville, vol. ii. p. 324. 
 - Principally the Eucalyptus and Melaleuca tribes. 
 
182 THE BOOK OF I'ERFUMES. 
 
 better ground for the design. This operation^ called 
 inoko, was generally performed with a black powder 
 composed of the burnt resin of the haiiriy which was 
 inserted into the skin by means of a small chisel made 
 of the bone of an albatross. The process is described at 
 full length by Mr. Taylor in his interesting work on 
 New Zealand. He says that to allay the pain caused 
 by it the artist used to sing to his patients songs, of 
 which he gives the following curious spscimen : — 
 
 ' He who pays well let him be 
 lieautifully ornamented ; 
 But he who forgets the operator 
 
 Let liim be done carelessly : 
 Be the lines wide apart. 
 hiki Tangiroa! 
 Strike that the chisel as it cuts 
 
 Along may sound ; 
 lien do not know the skill of the operator 
 In driving his chisel along. 
 hiki Tangaroa!" 
 
 The delicate allusion contained in these lines shows that 
 artists in their poetical effusions always had "an eye to 
 business," and thought it necessary to remind their 
 patrons that heautij, like everything else, must be paid 
 for. The gentler sex had likewise recourse to this mode 
 of embellishment, but the tattooing was only executed 
 on the lips and chin, with an arch little curl at the 
 corner of the eye by way of an accroche cceiir. 
 
 Embalming seems also to have been practised by New 
 Zealanders, but was confined to the heads of cherished 
 relations, which, after taking out the brain, were stuffed 
 with flowers, baked in ovens, and finally dried in the 
 sun. These heads were kept in baskets carefully made 
 
UKCIVILIZED NATIONS. 183 
 
 and scented with oil. They were brought out on grand 
 occasions, ornamented with feathers, and cried over by 
 all the family. 
 
 The most extraordinary and fantastical coiffures are 
 perhaps to be found among the Feejee Islanders. Not 
 satisfied with twisting their locks into every conceivable 
 shape, ihay varj^ their sable appearance by dyeing them 
 in sundry colours, such as blue, white, red, and yellow. 
 Among young people bright crimson and flaxen are the 
 favourite hues ; but the most fashionable style is to 
 combine several shades in the same head-dress. Thus 
 some wear a spherical mass of jet-black hair with a 
 white band in front as broad as the hand ; or a white 
 oblong occupies the length of the head, the black hair 
 passing down on either side ; whilst others have a large 
 red roll or a sandy projection falling on the neck; and 
 others, again, work fancy devices on their hair, dividing 
 it into squares or cones of different hues. I humbly 
 submit this notion to ladies fond of novelties, and am 
 certain that such a chequered head-dress would create 
 quite a sensation in one of our drawing-rooms. Hair- 
 dyes we are well acquainted with ; and that some of 
 them are apt to produce varied shades, from a lively 
 pea-green to a soft violet, is no secret to those who use 
 them : but, with our anti-Feejean prejudices, we have 
 considered this circumstance hitherto rather as a mis- 
 fortune than a matter of ornament. 
 
 The natives of Duke of York's Island are also partial 
 to hair of divers hues ; but they attain their purjDose 
 without dyeing it, by simply smearing it with grease 
 
184 
 
 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 and sprinkling it afterwards with a white, red, or yellow 
 powder made of burnt shells and coral, which they carry 
 always with them in a small gourd — a fashion which 
 
 Marquesas Hsir-piu. 
 
 remiads one of our own powdered beaux of the last 
 century. 
 
 Several other tribes of South Sea Islanders patronize 
 
 Marquesas Ear-riugs made of Fish-'bcnes (natural size) 
 
 multi-coloured hair, and among others those of the 
 Darnley and Britannia Islands. Young people of the 
 latter group take as much trouble in whitening their 
 
UNCIVILIZED NATIONS. 
 
 185 
 
 black locks as elderly Europeans in blackening their 
 white ones. 
 . At Nooka-hiva, the principal of the Marquesas Islands, 
 both sexes anoint themselves freely with sweetly-scented 
 cocoa-nut oil, and the most refined use as a substitute 
 the juice of the papa, which is supposed to whiten the 
 skin and preserve its smoothness. The women bestow 
 particiilar care on their hair, which they ornament with 
 
 Coiii"b frouj the Solcmon Islands. 
 
 long carved pins : they also wear ear-rings, generally 
 formed of fish bones. The accompanying specimens are 
 from Mr. Berthoud's collection, as well as the comb 
 from the Solomon Islands, which is made of the teeth 
 of the sea-elephant {Trichechus) . 
 
 Last, not least, we must mention Tahiti, the Queen of 
 the Pacific, where the natives, and especially the women, 
 have always paid great attention to their personal ap- 
 pearance. Since their contact with Europeans they 
 have adopted many of their customs, and they are not 
 
136 THE BOOK Ol-' I'ERFUMES. 
 
 now the same as described by Captain Cook and as 
 represented in the frontispiece to this chapter ; but 
 still they have preserved some of their original habits, _ 
 which are worth noticing. 
 
 The Tahitian women are generally tall and well 
 made ; they have iine eyes and teeth, and beautiful 
 long hair, to which they devote great care. They 
 wash it daily, anoint it with a pomatum called mondi, 
 made of cocoa-nut oil, scented with sandal-wood or 
 toromco root, and plait it in long braids, which hang 
 down their back. Sometimes they work it up into a sort 
 of diadem, ornamented with odoriferous flowers called 
 mairi, or with the deliciously-scented blossoms of the 
 Tiare, a sort of jasmine. The reca-reva, formed of cocoa- 
 nut tree fibre, is another favourite head-dress with 
 them, and very elegant crowns are also made with the 
 arrow-root straw or |;((7. Specimens of some of these 
 coiffures are exhibited at the Colonial Museum in Paris, 
 and are extremely graceful. 
 
 Crossing over now to America, and commencing with 
 the southern extremity, we find a curious custom re- 
 corded by CajDtain Cook as existing then in Terra del 
 Fuego, and in all probability the same is still in vogue. 
 The natives of that countrj^ paint themselves all over 
 with red and white, the red forming patches on the 
 chest and shoulders, and the white long streaks on the 
 arms and legs. With a little white round the eyes, 
 and a long bone passed through the cartilage of the 
 nose, their toilet is considered complete. 
 
 The South American Indians generally have long 
 
UNCIVILIZED NATIONS. 187 
 
 black hair, which they wear loose on their shoulders. 
 The women plait theirs behind with a ribbon, and cut 
 it in front a little above the eyebrows from one ear to 
 the other. The greatest disgrace that can be inflicted 
 upon Indians of either sex is to cut off their hair ; they 
 .will put up with any corporal punishment in preference, 
 and such a measure is consequently limited to the most 
 enormous crimes. They are nearly all very fond of 
 perfumes, but, although their soil abounds in aromatic 
 materials, they generally resort to our European pro- 
 ductions. There is, however, a native perfume men- 
 tioned by Mr. AVallace as being very exquisite and in 
 great repute on the Eio Negro. It is called vmari, and 
 is extracted from the huinirium Jloribunduni by means 
 of a very singular process ; this consists in lifting the 
 bark and inserting under it pieces of cotton wool to 
 imbibe gradually the scent which is expressed from 
 them at the end of a month. ^ 
 
 "We shall now conclude our long ramble with the 
 North American Indians, and briefly describe their 
 mode of face-painting, an art in which they certainly 
 are unrivalled. From all accounts of travellers who 
 have visited the Redskins, no dowager of the ancien 
 regime, rougeing and patching for the opera or ball, ever 
 spent so much time at her toilet as a Sioux or a Pawnee 
 getting his face up for an excursion either of a warlike 
 or a peaceful nature. 
 
 Mr. Murray, speaking of the son of a chief called Sa- 
 in-tsa-rish, says that he never saw any dandy to equal 
 ' Travels on the Amazon and Eio Kegi'O, by A. E. "Wallace. 
 
188 THE BOOK OF PEKl'UMES. 
 
 him for vanity. He usually commenced his toilet at 
 eight o'clock in the morning, and it was not concluded 
 until a late hour ; after having greased his whole person 
 with fat to serve as a ground for the paint, and drawn 
 a few streaks on his head and body, he kept looking at 
 himself in a bit of mirror he carried with him, and 
 altering the lines until they happened to please him. 
 
 Some pretend that there is a certain symbolism in 
 the various colours they use ; thus, for instance, red 
 typifies joy, and black mourning. In this latter par- 
 ticular they exhibit some resemblance to ourselves, the 
 difference being that, instead of assuming a sable garb 
 when they lose a relative, they rub their face over with 
 charcoal. The subdued tints of half- mourning they re- 
 present with a trellis- work of black-lines over the face, 
 or sometimes thej paint one-half of their face black, as 
 we do the ground of our family escutcheons. Fortu- 
 natel}^ they are not addicted to frequent ablutions, or 
 their mournino: would be of short duration. 
 
 y' 
 
THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. Chap, X. 
 
 A bj. ROLLING VENDOR OF PERFUMERY. (Time of Louis XV.) 
 
189 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Fbom Ancient to Modekn Timks. 
 
 (!erca d'accrescer coUo studio e I'arte 
 La natural belta che in lei risplende, 
 L'auree chiome in vago ordine comparte, 
 Ed ad ornarsi il rimanente attende : 
 Poi lieta si contempla a parte a parte 
 Nell'acciar, che I'immago al vivo rende, 
 Cosi augellin dopo la pioggia al Sole 
 Polirsi i vanni, e vagheggiarsi suole. 
 
 ToRQrATO Tasso. 
 
 EAVING 
 far dis- 
 t a n t 
 lands, 
 vre shall 
 ^ now re- 
 \\ turn to 
 our own 
 Europe, 
 and trace 
 from the 
 earliest 
 times the 
 progress of the art 
 >', which forms ■ our 
 subject, principally in England, Ifrance, and Italy, with 
 
190 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 respect to whieli countries our information is most 
 complete. 
 
 The toilet of the ancient inhabitants of Britain some- 
 what resembled that of the North American Indians, 
 and consisted in a series of elaborate paintings on the 
 ■n'hole surface of the body, which was no doubt ori- 
 ginally intended to protect the skin against the in- 
 clemencies of the weather, but which was afterwards 
 used as a mode of embellishment and a means of dis- 
 tinguishing the different conditions ; for it was reserved 
 to freemen, and strictly forbidden to slaves.^ The com- 
 mon people only indulged in small designs, drawn at a 
 distance from each other, whilst the nobility had the 
 privilege of ornamenting their persons with large figures, 
 chiefly of animals, which were subsequently transferred 
 to their shields when they adopted a less scanty cos- 
 tume. This may bo looked iipon as the origin of 
 family arms, which the Japanese, who probably com- 
 menced in the same way, now wear embroidered on 
 their dress. 
 
 The Picts who inhabited the North of Britain, were 
 the most remarkable for their pictorial decorations, 
 whence they derived their name.- The Gauls and the 
 Germans dj^ed their breasts red before going to fight, 
 so that the enemy could not sec the blood flowing from 
 their wounds. Among the various colouring substances 
 then in use, Julius Caesar mentions tcoad (Isatis Tinc- 
 toria), with which the Britons gave a bluish cast to 
 their skins, and made themselves look dreadful in battle. 
 
 ' Pelautier, " Ilistoire des Celtes," ' Picti, "painted." 
 
FKOM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 191 
 
 Pliny also speaks of a sort of plantain called Glastrum, 
 by means of which the Gauls and Britons stained their 
 faces and bodies.' 
 
 Hair-dyes were already known even at that early 
 period, for Diodorus Siculus says that the Britons, who 
 naturally possessed red hair, endeavoured all they could 
 to make it redder by art, which they accomplished by 
 washing it repeatedly in water boiled with lime. 
 
 The Druids left no written record of their customs, but, 
 from contemporaneous accounts, they do not appear to 
 have used perfumes in their mode of worship, which 
 was of the most primitive description. They knew, 
 however, and highly prized, the numerous aromatic 
 plants indigenous to their soil. Druidesses crowned 
 their brows with verbena, and composed with fragrant 
 herbs mysterious balms, which cured the heroes' wounds 
 and enhanced the charms of the fair. 
 
 The Roman conquest brought into Gaul and Britain 
 the civiUsed manners of the conquerors. Body painting 
 and rude ornaments were laid aside and exchanged 
 for graceful costumes and elaborate cosmetics, and the 
 provinces soon equalled the metropolis in elegance and 
 refinement. The various toilet implements and splendid 
 baths of that epoch, discovered by excavations in France 
 and in England, bear witness to the high state of luxury 
 which existed then in those countries. This, however, 
 lasted but a time, and with the Roman dominion ended 
 this transient gleam, for all relapsed into darlaiess with 
 successive invasions. 
 
 ' Pliny's Nat. Hist. kxii. cap 1. 
 
192 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 From that period to the Crusades, the principal re- 
 cords of perfumes we find in history are connected with 
 the church or the court, for they were then too costly 
 to be used much in private life. In the year 496, when 
 Clovis, the first Christian king of France, was baptised 
 at Rheims, incense was burned, and fragrant tapers 
 were lighted, for that ceremony. 
 
 That incense was also known to the Anglo-Saxons 
 appears by the following riddle translated from the 
 Exeter Book : — *\ 
 
 " I am much sweeter than incense or the rose 
 That so pleasantly on the earth's turf grows ; 
 I More delicate am I than the lily, 
 
 Though dear to mankind that flower may he." ' 
 
 Hugh the Great, father of Hugh Capet, having asked 
 in marriage the sister of King Athelstan, sent, among 
 other presents, as the Malmesbury Chronicles inform 
 us, such perfumes as had never been seen in England. 
 Charlemagne was also a great lover of scents, and at 
 his brilliant court at Aix-la-Chapelle they were in 
 constant request. 
 
 Carpets were not known then, but they used to strew 
 on the floor, in the houses of the great, sweet rushes,^ 
 which spread a pleasant fragrance through the atmo- 
 sphere. When William the Conqueror was born in 
 Normandy, where that custom prevailed, at the very 
 moment when the infant burst into life and touched 
 the ground, he filled both hands with the rushes on the 
 floor, firmly grasping what he had taken up. This Wi^s 
 
 ^ Exeter Book, p. 423. ^ Probably the calamus aromaticus. 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 193 
 
 hailed as a propitious omen, and the persons present' 
 declared the boy would be a king.' This custom of 
 strewing sweet rushes was still in vogue in England 
 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and Shakspearc 
 frequently alludes to it in his plays. 
 
 Embalming was sometimes practised in those days, 
 and in Eadmer's life of St. Anselm we find the body 
 of the saint was anointed with balsam after his death .-' 
 
 After the Crusades, perfumes came into more general 
 use. The gallant knights brought homo to their lady 
 loves some of the far-famed perfumes of the East, and 
 specimens of the wonderful cosmetics by means of which 
 the beauties of the harem preserved their charms ; and 
 among the costly presents offered to St. Louis, King of 
 France, rare and precious aromatics formed a conspi- 
 cuous part. Eose-water was also introduced about that 
 time, and it became the custom to offer it to guests in 
 noblemen's houses to wash their hands with after meals 
 — a very necessarj' ablution, if we consider that forks, 
 which were invented in Italy during the fifteenth cen- 
 tur}', were not known in England until the reign of 
 James I., and were then considered a great piece of 
 foppery. Matilda, queen of Henry I., received from 
 France, as a present, a beautiful silver peacock, with a 
 train set in pearls and precious stones, which was in- 
 tended to contain rose-water and to be placed on the table 
 for the above-mentioned purpose. Mathieu de Coucy 
 also relates in his Chronicles, that, at a grand banquet 
 given by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, there 
 
 ' EeliquesinMalmesbury, p. 299. - Eadnier, Vita S. Ansclnii, p. 893. 
 
 13 
 
194 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 stood on the sideboard the statue of a child, from which 
 issued a jet of rose-water. 
 
 Perfumers had already sprung into commercial ex- 
 istence in France in the twelfth century, for Philip 
 Augustus granted them in the year 1190 a charter, 
 which was confirmed by John in 1357, and afterwards by 
 Henry III., in 1582. That charter was for the last 
 time renewed and enlarged by Louis XIY. in 1658. 
 It was then requisite to serve four years as apprentice, 
 and three years as companion, to be elected master 
 perfiraier, which shows that it was considered a handi- 
 craft of some importance. 
 
 In a manuscript of the 
 thirteeenth century, pre- 
 served in the British Mu- 
 seum,i we find the annexed 
 illustration of a lady at her 
 toilet, which may convey 
 some idea of the manner in 
 
 ALady at her Toilet (13 th century) , . , n i • 
 
 which those duties were 
 performed. Early morn was the time chosen for that 
 important task by the fair of the period, as we read in 
 the romance of " xilisaimder :" — 
 
 " In a moretyde- hit was, 
 Theo dropes hongyn on tlie gras ; 
 Theo maydenes lokyn in the glas 
 For to tyffen' heare fas." 
 
 The moralists and satirists of that age reproach the 
 ladies with paying too much attention to their personal 
 
 1 MS. Addit., No. 10,293, fol. 266. 2 Morning. 
 
 5 Adorn, from the Fiench atlijffi: 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 
 
 195 
 
 embellislinients, and with deforming their bodies witli 
 stays, which were introduced about that time. They 
 are also accused of painting their faces, dyeing their 
 locks, and plucking ovit superfluous hair. 
 
 Our ancestors were very fond of flowers, which they 
 used to decorate their persons as well as to ofnament 
 their gardens. Like the ancient Greeks and Romans, 
 they wore on their heads, at all their entertainments, 
 wreaths of flowers called in the French of that period, 
 chapels or cajnek. In the Romance of " Perce-Forest," 
 the author, describing a festival, says, " avoist chasciui 
 et chascune un chapel de roses sur son chief."' These 
 words clearly denote that even the dark sex indulged 
 in this floral head-gear, which, when coupled with a 
 rubicund nose and a 
 
 " Fair round belly, with good capon lined," 
 
 must have produced a very pretty efl'ect. 
 
 Ladies making Garlands, 
 
 The task of culHng flowers for garlands was generally 
 entrusted to ladies, and the above engraving, taken 
 ' Every man and eyery woman had rose-wreaths on their heads. 
 
196 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 from a, manuscript in the British Museum/ represents 
 them engaged in this charming occupation. Thus is 
 Enielie described by Chaucer in his " Knight's Tale :" 
 
 " Hire yolwe lieer was br^wdid - in a tresse, 
 Byhynde hire bak, a yerdc long, I gcsse. 
 And ill the gardyn at the sonne upriste,' 
 * Sche walketh np and doun wheel- as hire liste; 
 Sche gadcreth tioures, partye whyte and reed, 
 To make a certejTi gerland for hire licede." 
 
 Jean de Dammartin, in "Blonde of Oxford," thids like- 
 wise his mistress in a meadow making flower wreaths. 
 
 " A dont de la ehambre j'avance 
 De lu le vit en i-prael 
 U ele faisoit un capiel.'' ' 
 
 Perfumery did not form then a separate branch of 
 
 trade in Engkmd. It was generally sold by mercers, 
 
 ■\A'ho also combined with that trade the sale of a 
 
 varietj' of toilet implements, such as combs, mirrors, 
 
 fillets for the head, etc. We find them mentioned in 
 
 a very curious manuscript entitled the "Pilgrim,"'' 
 
 A^'herein a lady who keeps a mercery shop thus 
 
 enumerates the different articles in which she deals : — 
 
 " Quod* sche, ' Geve' I schal the telle, 
 Mcrcerye I have to selle ; 
 In boystes soote oynementis' 
 Therewith to don allegenientis ; ' 
 I have knyves, phyllctys, eally.s, 
 At ffecstes to hang upon wallys ; 
 Kombes mo than nyne or ten, 
 Both tfor horse and eke for men ; 
 Merours also, large and brode, 
 And tfor the syght wonder godr.' " 
 
 ' 'M.S. Reg. 2 B, vii. - Her yellow hair was braided. ^ \^ sunrise. 
 * iVdvancing from the room, I see her in a meadow making a chaplet. 
 5 M 8. Cottim, Tiberius A. vii. « Said. ^ If 
 
 ' In boxes sweet ointments. 
 ^ Give relief, fro:n the French doniicr alU'ijeiHoU . 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN i TIMES. 
 
 .197 
 
 The accompanjang cut, taken from tKe same manu- 
 script, represents the mercer's shop, with some of thfe 
 articles described. The fair trader is offering to th« 
 pilgrim a flattering mirror, in which people see them- 
 selves handsomer than they are, but it is indignantly 
 rejected by the pious man. 
 
 A IJediseTril l-'erfumer's Shop. 
 
 Alcoholic perfumes do not appear to have been known 
 until the fourteenth century, and the first we find men- 
 tioned is Hungary water, so called because it was first 
 prepared in the year 1-370 by Queen Elizabeth of 
 Hungary, who had the recipe from a hermit, and 
 became so beautiful through the use of it, that her 
 hand was asked in marriage at the age of seventy-two 
 by the king of Poland. This story, which is taken 
 from an old book published at Frankfort in 1639, is 
 
198 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 related by Beclanann/ who devotes a whole chapter to 
 the subject, but ends by doubting its accuracy — a most 
 ungallant conclusion, for he ought not to question the 
 captivating powers possessed by ladies of any age, with 
 ♦)r without the aid of Hungary icater. 
 
 The fifteenth century, that brilliant cinque cento, of 
 V'hich Italy is justly proud, saw the revival of the fine 
 arts on that classical ground. The palaces of its princely 
 merchants teemed with luxuries of every description, 
 among which perfumery was, as usual, called to play 
 its part. Venice, from its early intercourse with Con- 
 stantinojile, was one of the first to introduce the fra- 
 grant treasures of the East. In the course of time 
 cosmetics were also adopted by its patrician dames, who, 
 not content with the charms which nature had lavished 
 upon them, sought to enhance them by artificial means. 
 The first book on this subject ajipearcd in the sixteenth 
 century, under the auspices of Countess Nani,^ and 
 contained many curious recipes, among which were 
 some for dyeing the hair of that beautiful shade called 
 capclU fila cVovo? As my fair readers may wish to knon' 
 how this was accomplished, I shall mention one of these 
 jireparations, which consisted of two pounds of alum, 
 six ounces of black sulphur, and four ounces of honey, 
 distilled together with water. Cesare Vecellio, the 
 cousin of Titian, in his interesting work, Degli hahiti 
 antichi e moderni, exfilains how this water was applied. 
 Ladies repaired to the terraces on the tops of their 
 
 ' Beckmann's History of Inventions, vol. i. p. 315. 
 2 Eiccttario della Contcssa Nani. ' Golden thread hair. 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODEllN TIMES. 199 
 
 houses, soaked their hair well with the preparation, and 
 remained sitting there for hours, to let the sun well fix 
 the colour in. They wore on their heads a large straw 
 hat without a cro^vIl, called solana, to protect their 
 complexions, and allowed their hair to hang round over 
 
 La. donna che si ia biondi i capoili. 
 
 the rim until it was completely dry. The above 
 illustration, copied from his book, will show how it 
 was done. It is generally supposed that those beautiful 
 
200 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 golden locks which are so much admired in the paint- 
 ings of the Venetian artists of the period were acquired 
 in that manner, for thej' are seldom to be met with 
 among the modern population. 
 
 When Catherine de Medicis came to France to marry 
 Henry II., she brought with her a Florentine named 
 Eene, who was very expert in preparing perfumes and 
 cosmetics. His shoj) on Pont au Change became the 
 rendezvous for the beaux and liefks of the period, 
 and from that time perfumery came into general use 
 among the wealthy. This Rene also possessed the art 
 of preparing subtle poisons, and his royal mistress is 
 said to have had frequent recourse to his talents to get 
 rid of her enemies. Among her victims the historians 
 mention Jeanne d'Albret, mother of Henry IV., and 
 state that she was poisoned by wearing some perfumed 
 gloves presented to her by Catherine ; but modern 
 chemists doubt whether it was possible to poison any 
 one by such means. 
 
 In public festivals it became the custom to perfume 
 fountains; and in the year 1548 the citj' of Paris paid 
 the sum of six golden crowns to Georges Marteau 
 " pour herbes et plantes de senteur pour embaumer les 
 eaux des fontaines publiques lors des derniers esbatte- 
 ments." * 
 
 Under the reign of that effeminate monarch, Henry 
 III., the abuse of perfumes became so great that it was 
 denounced by the satirists of the period ; and, among 
 
 ' ' For aromatic herbs an! plants, to perfume the waters of public foun- 
 tains during the late rejoic'.ngs. 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 201 
 
 others, Nicolas de Montaut, in his "Miroir des Frangois" 
 (1582) reproaches ladies with using "all sorts of per- 
 fumes, cordial waters, civet, musk, ambergris, and other 
 precious aromatics to perfume their clothes and linen, 
 and even their whole bodies." 
 
 The earliest French perfumery book that I have met 
 with is entitled " Les secrets de Maistre Alexys le 
 Piedmontois," ^ and contains some curious recipes for 
 taking pomatum with apples,^ pomanders against the 
 plague, "oiselets odoriferants " for burning in apart- 
 ments, paste for perfuming gloves, and various hair 
 dj'es and cosmetics. To give some idea of the state of 
 the art at that period, I shall quote the following 
 formula for preparing a marvellous water, warranted 
 to make ladies " beautiful for ever." 
 
 " Take a young raven from the nest, feed it on hard 
 eggs for fortj' days, kill it, and distil it with myrtle 
 leaves, talc, and almond oil." 
 
 This is a fair specimen of the whole, which strongly 
 savours of the still prevalent delusions of alchemy, and 
 bears no little resemblance to the recipes quoted in 
 chapter VIII. as being still used by the Arabs. 
 
 Perfumes did not come into general use in England 
 until the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Howes, who con- 
 tinued Stowe's chronicle, tells us that they could not 
 make any costly wash or perfume in this countrjr until 
 about the fourteenth or fifteenth year of the queen, 
 
 ' The secrets of Master Alexis, the Picdmontese. 
 
 ' Pomatum was first prepared from apples, whence it derives its 
 name. 
 
o 
 
 202 TIIE BOOK OF PEEFXJMES. 
 
 when the Right Honourable Edward de Vere, Earl of 
 Oxford, came from Italy and brought with him gloves, 
 sweet bags, a perfumed leather jerkin, and other pleasant 
 things; and that year the queen had a pair of perfumed 
 gloves, trimmed onlj^ with four tufts or rows of coloured 
 silk. She took such pleasure in these gloves that she 
 was pictured with them upon her hands, and for many 
 years afterwards it was called the " Earl of Oxford's 
 perfume." On another occasion. Queen Elizabeth, 
 visiting the University of Cambridge, was presented 
 with a pair of perfumed gloves, and was so delighted 
 with them that she put them on at once. She also 
 usually carried with her a pomander (or pomme d'amhre), 
 which was a ball composed of ambergris, benzoin, and 
 other perfumes ; and she was once mightily pleased 
 with the gift of a " faire gyrdle of pomander," which 
 was a series of pomanders strung together and worn 
 round the neck. These pomanders were held in the 
 hand, to smell occasionally, and were supposed to 
 be preservatives from infection. They were verj' 
 generally used, as may be seen from the portraits 
 of the period. Their exact ingredients are thus de- 
 scribed in an old play : — " Your only way to make a 
 good pomander is this : Take an ounce of the finest 
 garden mould, cleaned and steeped seven days in change 
 of rose-water ; then take the best labdanum, benzoin, 
 both storaxcs, ambergris, civet, and musk ; incorporate 
 them together, and work them into what form you 
 please. This, if j^our breath be not too valiant, will 
 make you smell as sweet as any lady's dog." 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 
 
 203 
 
 Drayton, in his " Queen of Cynthia," also alludes to 
 pomanders in the following lines : — 
 
 "And when she from the water eame, 
 When first she touched the mould, 
 In balls the people made the same 
 For pomanders, and sold." 
 
 Some of these pomanders consisted in globular vessela 
 containing strong perfume, and perforated with small 
 holes, not unlike our modern pocket cassolettes. The 
 earliest illustration of this favourite toilet requisite 
 occurs in the " Boat of Foolish Women," ^ a series of 
 five caricatures published by Jodocus Badius in 1502, 
 and intended to flagellate the abuse made of the five 
 
 The Boat of Foolish Smells. 
 
 senses. The above engraving represents the " Boat 
 of Foolish Smells," ^ in which are three ladies, one of 
 whom is holding some flowers she has gathered, and 
 smelling at the same time a pomander which her friend 
 has bought from an itinerant vendor of perfumes. 
 
 ' Scaphae Fatuarum Mulicrum. ' Scapha olfactionis stultic. 
 
204 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. ; 
 
 ' J The principal perfumes used in those times were 
 very strong. Musk and civet were the basis of most 
 preparations, and we find them often mentioned by 
 Shakspeare. In " Much Ado About Nothing," speaking 
 of Eenedick, Pedro says, " Nay, lie rubs himself with 
 civet : can you smell him out by that ? — that's as much 
 as to say the sweet youth's in love." In the " Merry 
 Wives of Windsor," Mrs. Quickly, enumerating to Fal- 
 staff all the presents made to Mrs. Ford, says, " Letter 
 after letter, gift after gift, smelling so sweeth', all musk." 
 With all due deference to our immortal bard, I doubt 
 very much if a modern swain, resorting to the same 
 means to press his suit, would find them succeed with 
 the object of his afiections ; for musk and civet used 
 alone are anything but agreeable, and would be more 
 likel}' to aflfect the head than the heart. 
 
 The Eastern fashion of sprinkling rose-water over 
 the clothes seems to have been prevalent at that period ; 
 for in one of Marston's plays a young gallant enters 
 with a casting bottle of sweet water in his hand, 
 sprinkling himself; and in another part he says, "As 
 sweet and neat as a barber's casting bottle."' Ford, in 
 a play called "The Fairies," also mentions the same 
 toilet implement. One of his dramatis personw comes 
 in sprinkling his hair and face with a casting bottle, 
 and carrying a little looking-glass in his girdle, setting 
 his countenance. 
 
 The floors of the apartments were also perfumed either 
 with sweet rushes or with scented waters. In " Dr. 
 
 ' Marston; Antonio and Mallida," Intr. 
 
FEOJI ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 205 
 
 Faustus," an old play by Marlow, Pride enters, saying, 
 "Fye, what a smell is here ! I'll not speak another word 
 for a king's ransom, unless the ground is perfumed." 
 Even in churches this used to be the case ; but in sum- 
 mer they generally strewed flowers in the pews, instead 
 of scents. In " Apius and Virginia," a play of that 
 period, we tind the following illustration of this habit : 
 
 " Thou knave, but for thee ere tins time of day 
 My lady's fair pew had been strewed full gay 
 With primroses, cowslips, and violets sweet, 
 AVitli mints, and with marygold, and marjoram meet. 
 Which now lyeth uncleanly, and all along of thee." 
 
 This custom is still in vogue in Spain and Portugal, 
 where the floor of churches is generallj^ strewn in sum- 
 mer with lavender and rosemary. 
 
 Perfumes were likewise used to burn in rooms, and 
 to fumigate sheets. " Now are the lawn sheets fumed 
 with violets," says Marston in "What You Will." In 
 "Much Ado About Nothing," Borachio, being asked 
 how he came into the palace, answers, "Being enter- 
 tained for a pici'funicr, as I was smoking a musty 
 room," etc. ; and Strype, in his "Life of Sir J. Cheke," 
 mentions that he sent for a "perfume pan" for his 
 apartments.'- 
 
 Burton, in his "Anatomy of Melanchol}^" say.^, 
 "The smoke of juniper is in great request with us to 
 sweeten our chambers;" and in Ben Jonson we find, 
 "He doth sacrifice twopence in junij^er to her every 
 morning before she rises, to sweeten the room by 
 burning it." 
 
 1 Strype's "Life of Sir J. Cheke," p. 39. a.d. 1.549. 
 
206 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Perfumed bellows were another device resorted to for 
 producing a fragrant atmosphere, and Richelieu, who was 
 a great Sybarite, made use of them in his apartments. 
 Ford, in one of his plays, thus alludes to this custom : — 
 
 " I'll breathe as gently 
 As a perfumed pair of sucking bellows 
 In some sweet lady's chamber." 
 
 Scented gloves were then usually sold by milliners or 
 haberdashers, and various fragrant herbs were kept by 
 apothecaries, who in London mostly dwelt in Buck- 
 lersbury, which accounts for Shakspeare's expression, 
 " Smelling as sweet as Bucklersbury in simpling time." 
 This fragrant herb business included all aromatics then 
 in use, such as rosemary, which, singularly enough, was 
 used at weddings as well as funerals, and divers woods 
 for burning, as Beaumont and Fletcher have it in ""Wit 
 without Money : " — 
 
 " Selling rotten wood by the pound, like spices, 
 "Which gentlemen often burn by the ounces." 
 
 Numerous hawkers also travelled the country, and 
 attended country fairs, where they offered their sundry 
 wares, like Autotycus in the "Winter's Tale:" — 
 
 " Gloves as sweet as damask roses 
 Masks for faces and for noses, 
 Bugle bracelet, necklace amber. 
 Perfume for a lady's chamber." 
 
 In the reign of Charles I., perfumes were exten- 
 sively used as preservatives from the plague ; and 
 among the various specifics devised by the doctors of 
 that period a curious one is mentioned by Eush worth, 
 which consisted in eating a roasted apple stuffed with 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MOBEKN TIMES. 207 
 
 frankincense, which was recommended as a certain cure. 
 Whether it were or not, I will not presume to say ; but 
 the iDrophj'lactic properties of scents cannot be doubted, 
 and as late as the last century, medical practitioners 
 carried on the top of their walking-sticks a little casso- 
 lette filled with aromatics, which they held up to their 
 nose when they had to visit any contagious cases. 
 
 The art of facial adornment does not appear to have 
 been far advanced at that time. We may quote as a 
 specimen an extract from the "Poems and Fancies" of 
 the Duchess of Newcastle, who recommends the teeth 
 to be cleaned with " china, brick, or the like," and says 
 it is customary to pull up the edges of the eyebrows by 
 the roots, leaving none but a thin row, and to remove 
 the first skin off the face with oil of vitriol, that a new 
 skin may come in its place — a very strange way, cer- 
 tainly, of improving the complexion. 
 
 During the Commonwealth, perfumerj^ shared the 
 fate of all articles of luxury, and was discarded by 
 strict Puritans; but at the restoration of Charles II., 
 " the Merry Monarch," it was again in favour with his 
 brilliant court. It became then customary for all ladies 
 of fashion to paint their faces, and wear patches, which 
 were supposed to add piquancy to the features, but 
 which also served sometimes to conceal some disfigure- 
 ment, as Pepys in his Diary represents the Duchess of 
 Newcastle " wearing many black patches because of 
 pimples about her mouth." ^ Some of these patches 
 were of the most extraordinary shaj)cs, such as suns, 
 
 > Pepys' Diary, 26th April, 1687. 
 
208 
 
 THE BOOK or PERFUMES. 
 
 moons, stars, etc., as Butler has it in his " Hudi- 
 bras:"'— 
 
 " Tlic sun and moon, by her bright eyes 
 Eclipsed and darken'd in the skies, 
 Are but black patches that she wears. 
 Cut into suns, and moons, and stars." 
 
 The annexed illustration, taken from an engraving of 
 the period, represents a ladj^ who, in addition to the 
 
 above, had adorned her coun- 
 tenance with a coach and 
 horses! This custom became 
 so prevalent, that Grammont 
 says in his memoirs that you 
 were always sure to find 
 rouge and patches on a 
 lady's toilet. 
 
 It was also the fashion 
 
 then for both sexes to blacken 
 
 the eyebrows, as we find in 
 
 Shadwell's " Humourists " — 
 
 " Be sure if j'our eyebrows 
 
 are not black, to black 'em soundly. Ah ! yovir black 
 
 eyebrow is your fashionable eyebrow. I hate rogues 
 
 that wear eyebrows that are out of fashion." 
 
 Ilair-powder was introduced towards the end of the 
 sixteenth century, probablj^ by some person who had 
 turned prematurely grey, and, like the fox who had 
 lost his tail in the trap, wanted others to assume the 
 same appearance. This fashion seems to have become 
 extensively jjatroniscd, if we may judge from the 
 
 - "Iliulibras," pnrt ii., canto 1. 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODEEN TIMES. 
 
 209 
 
 criticisms of contemporaneous writers. Taylor, the 
 water-poet, saj's in his " Superbise Flagellum " — 
 
 " Some every day do powder so their hair, 
 That they like ghosts or millers do apjjear ; 
 But let them powder all that e'er they can, 
 Their pride will show hoth before God and man." 
 
 The custom of wearing hair-powder lasted about two 
 centuries, and may be scarceh ctUed extinct noi^. 
 
 Applying Bair Pov/der, (tump. Loais iV.) 
 
 being still patronized by eccentric hcUcs and aristo- 
 
 14 
 
210 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 cratic footmen. It certainly imparts a degree of soft- 
 ness to the features, but must be very inconvenient to 
 apply, as may be judged by the preceding engraving, 
 of the time of Louis XV. 
 
 The following quotation from the "Yirtuoso," another 
 of Shadwell's plays, enumerates the various articles 
 which formed then the complete stock of a perfumer : 
 " I have choice good gloves. Amber, Orangery, Genoa, 
 Romane, Frangipane, Nerolj', Tuberose, Jessamine, and 
 Marshall ; all manners of tires for the head, locks, tours, 
 
 ^?rjv^vw 
 
 
 !??fflaiifMffl]M 
 
 ]{ r> 
 
 
 
 
 fVT 
 
 ^ r 
 
 mm 
 
 
 ^ [m 
 
 1 1 
 
 Comb of the lytla century.i 
 (From the Sauvfxgeot collection at the Louvre). 
 
 frowzes, combs, and so forth ; all manner of washes, 
 almond water, and mercury for the complexion ; the 
 best pomatums of Europe, but a rare one made of lamb's 
 
 ' Tliis specimen forms part of a series of comljs, ■wliicli are all exquis- 
 itely carved. Tlic ■n'ords Per voi Servir (pour vous servir) engraTcd on it, 
 show it to be of foreign workmanship. 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 211 
 
 caul and May dew. Also all manner of confections of 
 mercury and hog^s bones to preserve present and to re- 
 store lost beautJ^" 
 
 The last-mentioned preparation would not appear 
 very tempting, were it not coupled with a promise cal- 
 cidated to over-rule every objection : at all events, per- 
 fumers of that period must have credit for their candour 
 in mentioning the strange ingredients which they em- 
 ployed. 
 
 Some historians pretend that Louis XI Y., king of 
 France, had a strong dislike for perfumes, which were 
 consequently banished from his court. I at first shared 
 their opinion, until, meeting accidentally with a very in- 
 teresting and erudite book by M. Edouard Fournier,' 
 I was convinced of my error. It appears, on the con- 
 trarj^, that this king was verj' fond of scents, and was 
 said to be " le plus doux fieurant," or the " sweetest 
 smelling" monarch that had ever been seen. " Le 
 Parfumeur Francoys," a curious book published in 
 1680, leaves no doubt on the subject, for it says that 
 "his Majesty was often pleased to see Mr. MartiaP 
 compose in his closet the odours which he wore on his 
 sacred person." It was not then considered derogatory 
 for great people to superintend the manufacture of their 
 perfumes, for the Prince de Conde had his- snuff scented 
 in his presence ; and the celebrated " Poudre a la 
 Marechale," which still holds its place in the modern 
 
 ' Paris Demoli, par Edouard Fournier. 
 
 2 A celebrated perfumer of that period mentioned by Moliere in his 
 ' Comtesse d'Escarba^'nas." 
 
212 THE BOOK or FERFTJMES. 
 
 perfumer's catalogue, was so named because it was at 
 first composed by Madame la Marecbale d'Aumont. 
 
 Italy had still the privilege tben of supplying the rest 
 of Europe with the finest perfumes. When Poussin, 
 the great French painter, went to Rome, he was en- 
 trusted by M. de Chanteloup with the mission of pur- 
 chasing scented gloves, which he piucured from "la 
 Signora Maddelena," who was then in repute as the 
 best Roman perfumer ; and Du Pradel, in his " Livre 
 Commode des adresses," mentions the " Sieur Adam 
 counier de cabinel," who often brought fine essences 
 from Rome, Genoa, and Nice. 
 
 I have in my possession an old English book, called 
 the " Queen's Closet," printed in 1663, which gives a 
 complete insight iato the art of perfumery at that 
 period. It contains a number of very curious recipes, 
 among which are those of a perfume invented by 
 Edward VL, another composed by Queen Elizabeth, 
 a wonderful pomatum made from apples mixed with 
 the fat of a young dog, and a highly-praised dentifi'ice 
 made by Mr. Ferene, of the New Exchange, perfumer 
 to the Queen, who was, I suppose, the first of the 
 generation. This gentleman seems to have shared the 
 Duchess of Newcastle's partiality for bricks, for they 
 form the chief ingredient in his tooth-powder. 
 
 Under the reign of Louis XY., perfumes still in- 
 creased in favour with the French Court, and etiquette 
 prescribed the use of a particular sort every day, which 
 caused Versailles to be named "la cour j^ar/iimee." At 
 Choisy, also, where Madame de Pompadour held the 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 
 
 213 
 
 sceptre of elegance and beauty, perfumes were in great 
 favGur, and formed no inconsiderable item in that 
 lady's household expenses, which amounted at one time 
 to 500,000 livres per anmmi. 
 
 This taste continued to prevail in France, until the 
 sanguinary days of the Revolution caused a momentary 
 
 Maaame ae Pompaaour at Uhoisy. 
 
 interruption in the use of articles of luxury, which 
 returned with the advent of the imperial court. The 
 Empress Josephine entertained the usual passionate 
 fondness of Creoles for scents, and her consort shared 
 it in no small degree. 
 
 In England, under the Georges, perfumery was more 
 
214 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 or less in favour according to the different notions of 
 the magnates who held by turns the sceptre of fashion. 
 
 At the commencement of the last century, the per- 
 fumer in vogue seems to have been one Charles LUly, 
 who lived in the Strand, at the corner of Beaufort 
 BuHdings.i His name is frequently mentioned in the 
 Tatler, which highly praises his skUl in preparing 
 "snuffs and perfumes, which refresh the braia in 
 those that have too much for their quiet, and glad- 
 dens it in those who have too little to know the 
 want of it." 
 
 The next one who seems to have attracted a little 
 notice is a Mr. Perry, residing also in the Strand, at 
 the corner of Burleigh Street. He was, however, re- 
 duced to "blow his own trumpet ;" and in a paper called 
 the Wceklij Packet, bearing the date of 28th December, 
 1718, ho vaunts, besides his perfumes, an oil drawn from 
 mustard- seed, which, at the moderate price of 6rf. per 
 ounce, is warranted to cure all diseases under the sun. 
 
 Some of the French perfumers of that period also 
 combined with their " sweet wares" various sorts of 
 medicines. This was particularly the case with the 
 itinerant vendors or " charlatans,"^ who, arrayed in a 
 gorgeous red coat, with gilt lacings, addressed the gaping 
 crowd from an elegant equipage, and dealt out their per- 
 fumes and quack remedies with musical accompaniment. 
 The illustration forming the frontispiece to this chapter 
 represents one of these " strolling perfumers," who 
 
 ' By a very curious coincidence, I now occupy the same premises. 
 ^ From the Italian "ciarlare," to chatter. 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 215 
 
 usually sold powders, elixirs, pills, opiates, eau-de- 
 Cologne, and scouring drops. Eight or ten years before 
 the Revolution the King's physician had them banished 
 from the kingdom, and from that time perfumery held 
 a more respectable position in the industrial world. 
 Now, thanks to the progress of science and education, 
 it has shaken off the trammels of quackery, and become 
 an important branch of our commerce. 
 
 I shall conclude this chapter with a few remarks on 
 the hair and beard. The Gauls wore their hair long, 
 whence their country derived its appellation of Gallia 
 Comata, or long-haired Gaul. JuKus Cassar compelled 
 them to ciit it off when they were subdued, which they 
 considered a great disgrace. The ancient Britons 
 were likewise very proud of the length of their hair, 
 of which they took great care. They shaved their 
 chins, but preserved a long moustache. The Anglo- 
 Saxons and Danes paid also great attention to their 
 hair. The Danish soldiers who were quartered in 
 England at the time of Edgar and Ethelred were the 
 beaux of the period, and are said to have captivated 
 English ladies with their fine hair, which they combed 
 and dressed once a day. The clergy, who were obliged 
 to shave the crown of their heads and keep their hair 
 short, were constantly preaching against long hair, and 
 even sometimes carried their precepts into action by 
 cutting off with their own hands the hair of their flock ; 
 but their victories were of short duration, and the 
 favourite fashion soon resumed its sway. Men con- 
 tinued to wear their hair long until the time of Francis I., 
 
216 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 King of France, who, having been wounded in the head 
 at a tournament, had his hair cut close, and took to 
 wearing his beard as a compensation, which example 
 was of course followed immediately by the whole coun- 
 try. This custom soon spread to England, where we 
 
 German Barber ',16th century). 
 
 find it in full vigour during the reign of Henry VIII., 
 as we may judge by Holbein's pictures, in which the 
 head seems almost destitute of hair. The above en- 
 graving, representing a German barber in the sixteenth 
 century, from a design by Jost Amman, illustrates 
 this fashion, which certainly seems to facilitate the 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 217 
 
 "shampooing" operation undergone by the customer at 
 the back of the shop. 
 
 In Charles the First's time, ringlets were again in 
 fashion for men as well as for women. " I know many 
 young gentlemen," says Middleton in one of his plays, 
 "wear longer hair than their mistresses." The beard 
 was worn in various waj's, the favourite shape being 
 what Beaumont and Fletcher, in their " Queen of 
 Corinth," denominate the T beard, consisting of the 
 moustache and imperial : — 
 
 " His beard, 
 Wliich now he put i' the form of a T, 
 The Roman T ; your T beard is the fashion, 
 And two-fold doth express the enamoured courtier." 
 
 The beard was also dyed in sundry colours, as mentioned 
 by Shakspeare in some of his plays. The Puritans had 
 their hair closely cropped, whence they acquii-ed the 
 cognomen of "Roundheads;" but long hair returned 
 with Charles II. As, however, every one was not 
 naturally gifted with luxuriant locks, periwigs were 
 invented to supply the deficiency. I would rather 
 ascribe it to this cause, for the honour of the gentlemen 
 of the period, than to the reason given by Pepys, who 
 says in his Diary, "At Mr. Jervas's, my old barber, I 
 did try two or three borders and periwigs, meaning to 
 wear one, and yet I have no stomach for it, but that 
 the pain of keeping my hair clean is so great."^ Powder 
 and queues came next into fashion, and were patronised 
 during the whole of the last century, until the French 
 
 » Pepys' Diary, 9th May, 1663. 
 
218 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Revolution brought a complete change in costume and 
 habits, and the hair was cut short, d la Titus, ia imita- 
 tion of the antique. 
 
 As regards ladies' head-dresses, the various modes 
 adojoted by turns are so numerous that it 'would fill a 
 whole book to enumerate them all. The hair being the 
 only part of a woman's charms that she can alter at 
 her will, it has naturallj^ been subjected to a constant 
 change of stjde. In ancient times young ladies, before 
 their marriage, used to wear their hair uncovered and 
 untied, flowing loose over their shoiilders ; but when 
 they entered the wedded state they cut it off and as- 
 sumed some sort of head- gear. A little later they made 
 it into long tresses, which sometimes reached their heels. 
 In Richard the Second's time, the hair was worn confined 
 in a golden net or caul — an Eastern custom, probably 
 brought over by the Crusaders. Then came those high 
 conical caps introduced bj^ Isabeau de Baviere, which 
 were made of such extraordinary dimensions that doors 
 had to be altered to admit them. A specimen of these 
 
 may still be seen in 
 the "PaysdeCaux," 
 a part of Normandy 
 where they are worn 
 by rich farmers' 
 wives. During the 
 earlier half of the 
 fifteenth century the 
 horned head-dress was adopted, and its form and 
 dimensions became the frequent butt of the satirists and 
 
 Caricature of the Horned Head-dre 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 219 
 
 caricaturists of the age. The sketch on the preceding 
 page, from the church of Ludlow, in Shropshire, repre- 
 sents an aged dame whose "horns" ins23ire evident 
 terror to her two companions, who appear to deem 
 them a sign of some relationship to the spirit of evil. 
 In Queen Elizabeth's time, flaxen hair was greatly 
 prized as being the queen's own colour, and we find it 
 frequently alluded to by poets of the period. 
 
 "Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow," 
 
 says Julia, in the "Two Gentlemen of Yerona," and 
 Bassano, in the "Merchant of Venice," exclaims, on 
 seeing Portia's likeness — 
 
 " Here in her hairs 
 The painter plays the spider ; and hath woven 
 A golden mesh to entrap the hearts of men, 
 Faster than gnats in cobwebs." 
 
 Ealse hair was also often resorted to at that time, and 
 appears to have been varied according to the age of the 
 wearer, if we may judge by the following epigram 
 written by Lord Brooke : — 
 
 " Coelica, when she was young and sweet, 
 Adorned her hair with golden borrowed hair ; 
 And now in age, when outward things decay, 
 In spite of age she throws the hair away, 
 And now again her own black hair puts on 
 To mourn for thoughts by her worth's overthrown."' 
 
 Under the reign of Charles II., short curls on the 
 forehead, and ringlets at the sides, came into vogue. 
 This was called the "Sevigne" style, and may be seen 
 in Lely's portraits at Hampton Court Palace. In the 
 1 Lord Brooke, p. 202. 
 
220 THE BOOK OF PEBFtJMES. 
 
 last century head-dresses assumed tlie most extravagant 
 
 VARIOUS STYLES OF HEAD PKESSES, LAST CEMTURT. 
 
 Butterfly. 
 
 K\ 
 
 I 
 
 Bride. 
 
 IToble Simplicity. G-reaC Pretensions. 
 
 Jardiniere. 
 
 Tuileries 
 
FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES. 221 
 
 dimensions. They were complete edifices rising some two 
 
 Capricious. 
 
 Pilgrimago 
 
 Intercepted Looks. 
 
 Union. 
 
 Flower Girl. Shepherdess 
 
 Porcupine 
 
 Friendship 
 
 Victory. 
 
 or three feet above the head, and comprising eveiy 
 
222 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 possible and impossible ornament. The foregoing illus- 
 trations will convej^ some idea of these coijfares, the 
 denomination of which is at least as quaint as their 
 appearance, and which inspired the following squib, in 
 the London Magazine for 1777 : — 
 
 " Give Chloe a bushel of horsehair and "wool, 
 
 Of paste and pomatum a pound ; , 
 
 Ten yards of gay ribbon to deck her sweet skull, 
 And gauze to encompass it round." 
 
 Of the fashions of the present century it would be 
 needless to speak, for they are still fresh in the memory 
 of my readers ; nor shall I presume to offer an opinion 
 touching their respective merits. Ladies are the best 
 judges of what sets off their charms ; and, after all, 
 what matters the frame when the picture is pretty ? 
 
o 
 
 3 
 
 'St. 
 
223 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 The Commekcial Uses of Flowees anb Plants. 
 
 Then, were not summer's distillation left, 
 
 A liquid prisoner pent in walls of glass, 
 
 Beauty's effect with beauty were bereft, 
 
 If or it, nor no remembrance what it was. 
 
 But flowers distill'd, though they with winter meet, 
 Leese but their show ; their substance still lives sweet. 
 
 Shakspeaee. 
 
 NDER this 
 heading I shall 
 describe the va- 
 iious modes in 
 use for extract- 
 ing the aroma 
 of floAvers and 
 I] plants. This 
 manufacture 
 IS carried on 
 pimcipally in 
 the south of 
 Fiance, Italy, 
 Spam, Turkey, 
 Algena, India — in fact 
 wherever the climate gives to flowers and plants the 
 
224 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 intensity of odour required for a profitable extraction. 
 The south of France furnishes the most abundant supply 
 of perfumery materials ; there the most odoriferous 
 flowers — such as the rose, jasmine, orange, etc. — are cul- 
 tivated on a large scale, and form the basis of the finest 
 perfumes. Italj^ produces chiefly essences of bergamot, 
 orange, lemon, and others of the citrine family, the 
 consumption of which is very great. To Turkey we 
 are indebted for the far-famed otto of roses, which 
 enters into the composition of many scents. Spain and 
 Algeria have yielded but little hitherto, but will no 
 doubt in after times turn to better account the fragrant 
 treasures with which nature has endowed them. Travel- 
 Hng in the plains of Spanish Estramadura, I have passed 
 through miles and miles of land covered with lavender, 
 Tosemarj', iris, and what they call "rosmarino" (Lavcm- 
 dtila stceclias), all growing wild in the greatest luxuriance, 
 and yet they are left to "waste their sweetness on the 
 desert air," for want of proper labour and attention. I 
 also found many aromatic plants in Portugal, and among 
 others one named " alcrim do norte" {Diosina ericoides), 
 which has a delightful fragrance. 
 
 From British India we import cassia, cloves, sandal- 
 wood, patchouljr, and several essential oils of the andro- 
 pogon genus ; and the Celestial Empire sends us the 
 mucli-abused but yet indispensable musk, which, care- 
 fully blended with other perfumes, gives them strength 
 and piquancy without being in any way ofiensive. 
 
 It has been proposed to cultivate flowers in England 
 for perfumerjr purposes, but the climate renders this 
 
THE COMMERCIAL USES OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 225 
 
 Bclieme totally impracticable. English flowers, however 
 beautiful in form and colour they may be, do not pos- 
 sess the intensity of odour required for extraction, and 
 the greater part of those used in France for perfumery 
 would only grow here in hothouses. The only flower 
 which could be had in abundance would be the rose, 
 but the smell of it is very faint compared with that of 
 the Southern rose, and the rose-water made in this 
 country can never equal the French in strength. If 
 we add to this the shortness of the flowering season, 
 and the high price of land and labour, we may arrive 
 at the conclusion that such a speculation would be as 
 bad as that of attempting to make wine from English 
 grapes. As a proof of this, I may mention that I had 
 a specimen submitted to me not long since of a perfumed 
 pomade which a lady had attempted to make on a 
 flower-farm which she had been induced to establish in 
 the north of England, and it was, as I expected, a 
 complete failure. 
 
 The only two perfumery ingredients in which Eng- 
 land really excels are lavender and peppermint, but 
 that is owing to the very cause which would militate 
 against the success of other flowers in this country; for 
 our moist and moderate climate gives those two plants 
 the mildness of fragrance for which they are prized, 
 whilst in France and other warm countries they grow 
 strong and rank. 
 
 There are four processes in use for extracting the 
 aroma from fragrant substances — distillation, expres- 
 sion, maceration, and absorption. 
 
 15 
 
226 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Distillation is employed for plants, barks, woods, and 
 a few flowers. These are placed in a still containing 
 water, which evaporates by means of heat, condenses in 
 the worm, and issues from the tap strongly impregnated 
 with the aroma, the more concentrated part of which 
 collects either on the surface or at the bottom of the 
 distillate, according to its specific gravity, and forms 
 the essential oil. The same water is generally distilled 
 
 steam Still. 
 
 several times over with fresh materials, and is sometimes 
 of sufficient value to be kept, as is the case with rose and 
 orange-flower water. A great improvement has been 
 latelj' introduced in the mode of distillation : it consists 
 in suspending the flowers or plants in the still on a sort 
 of sieve, and allowing a jet of steam to pass through and 
 carry off the fragrant molecules. This produces a iiner 
 essential oil than allowing these substances to be steeped 
 in water at the bottom of the stiU. 
 
THE COMMERCIAL USES OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 227 
 
 Expression is confined to the essences obtained ft cm 
 the rinds of the fi-uits of the citrine series, comprising 
 lemon, orange, bigarrade, bergamot, cedrat, and limette. 
 It is performed in various ways : on the coast of Genoa 
 they rub the fruit against a grated funnel; in Sicily 
 they press the rind in cloth bags ; and in Calabria, 
 where the largest quantity is manufactured, they roll 
 the fruit between two bowls, one placed inside the 
 other, the concave part of the lower and the convex 
 part of the upper being armed with sharp spikes. 
 These bowls revolve in a contrary direction, causing 
 the small vesicles on the surface of the fruit to burst 
 and give up the essence contained in them, which is 
 afterwards collected with a sponge. These rinds are 
 also sometimes distilled ; but the former process, which 
 is called in French aii zest, gives a much purer essence. 
 
 Maceration and absorption are both founded on the 
 affinity which fragrant molecules have for fatty bodies, 
 becoming more readily fixed into them than into any 
 others. Thus the aroma of flowers is first transferred 
 to greases (called pomades), and oils, which are made 
 afterwards to yield it to alcohol, whUst the latter, if 
 placed in direct contact with the flowers, would not 
 extract it from them. The first attempt that was made 
 in this way, some two hundred years ago, was to place 
 some almonds in alternate beds with fresh-gathered 
 flowers, renewing the latter several days, and after- 
 wards pounding the almonds in a mortar, and pressing 
 the oil which had absorbed the aroma. This is the 
 same process now used in India by the natives for ob- 
 
228 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 taining perfumed oils, substituting gingelly or sesamum 
 seeds for almonds. The next improvement was to use 
 a plain earthen pan, coated inside with a thin layer of 
 grease, strewing the flowers on the grease, and covering 
 it over with another jar similarly prepared. After re- 
 newing the flowers for a few days, the grease was found 
 to have borrowed their scent. This process was aban- 
 doned in France some fifty years ago, but is still 
 resorted to by the Arabs (who were probably the 
 inventors of it), the only difference being that they 
 use white wax mixed with grease, on account of the 
 heat of the climate. 
 
 The two modes now adopted to make these scented 
 oils and pomades are, as I said before, maceration and 
 absorption. The former is used for the less delicate 
 flowers, such as the rose, orange, jonquil, violet, and 
 cassie [Acacia farnesiana) . A certain quantity of grease 
 is placed in a pan fitted with a water bath, and is 
 brought to an oily consistency. Flowers are then 
 thrown in, and left to digest for some hours, being 
 stirred frequently ; after which, the grease is taken out 
 and pressed in horsehair bags. This operation is re- 
 peated, until the fatty body is sufficiently impregnated 
 with the fragrance of the flowers. Oil is treated in the 
 same way, but requires less heat. 
 
 The process of absorption, called by the French en- 
 ficurage, is chiefly confined to the jasmine and tuberose, 
 the delicate aroma of which would be injured by 
 heat. A series of square glass frames are covered 
 with a thin layer of purified grease, in wliich ridges 
 
THE COMMERCIAL USES OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 229 
 
 are made to facilitate absorption. Fresh -gathered 
 flowers are strewed on these, and renewed every morn- 
 ing as long as the flower is in bloom, and by that time 
 the grease has acquired a verj^ strong flavour. The 
 same process is used for oil, but the frames, instead of 
 being mounted with glass, have a wire bottom, ovei' 
 which is spread a thick cotton cloth soaked in olive oil. 
 Flowers are laid on in the same way, and the cloths 
 submitted to high pressure to extract the oil when suf- 
 
 Oil and Pomade Framea. 
 
 ficiently impregnated These frames are piled on each 
 other to keep them air-tight. 
 
 A new mode of enfleurage has been lately devised by 
 Mr. D. Semeria, of Nice, and found to ofier advantages 
 over that just described. Instead of laying the flowers 
 on the grease, he spreads them on a fine net mounted on 
 a separate frame. This net is introduced between two 
 glass frames covered on both sides with grease. The 
 whole series of frames is inclosed in an air-tight recess, 
 
230 
 
 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 and all that is required is to draw out the nets every 
 morning and fill them with fresh flowers, which give 
 their aroma to the two surfaces with which they are in 
 contact. This system saves the waste and labour re- 
 sulting from having to pick the old flowers from the 
 surface of the grease, and produces also a finer fragrance. 
 A very curious pneumatic apparatus for the same 
 purpose has been invented by Mr. Piver, the eminent 
 
 Vie"W" oi 
 
 Parisian perfumer, who submitted a plan of it to the 
 jury at the last Exhibition. It consists in a series of 
 perforated plates, supporting flowers placed alternately 
 with sheets of glass overlaid with grease, in a chamber 
 through which a current of air is made to pass several 
 
THE COMMEECTAL USES OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 231 
 
 times, until all the scent of the flowers becomes fixed 
 into the grease. 
 
 ■ A no less remarkable invention is that of Mr. Millon, 
 a French chemist, who found means to extract the aroma 
 of flowers by placing them in a percolating apparatus 
 and pouring over them some ether, or sulphuret of car- 
 bon, which is drawn off a few minutes after, and carries 
 with it all the fragrant molecules. It is afterwards dis- 
 
 
 View oi' A' ice. 
 
 tilled to dryness, and the result obtained is a solid waxy 
 mass possessing the scent of the flower in its purest and 
 most concentrated form. This process, although very 
 ingenious, has not received any practical application as 
 yet, owing to the expense attending it, some of thes3 
 
232 THE HOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 concrete essences costing as much as £50 an ounce. It 
 has, however, served to prove the total imponderability 
 of fragrant molecules ; for although this substance, from 
 its high state of concentration, appears at first sight to 
 be the solidified principle of scent, if it be treated several 
 times with alcohol it gradually loses all its perfume, and 
 yet the residue is not found to have lost one atom of its 
 weight. 
 
 Grasse, Cannes, and Nice, all in the south of France, 
 and close to each other, are the principal towns where 
 the maceration and absorption processes are carried on. 
 There are above one hundred houses engaged in these 
 operations, and in the distillation of essential oils, giving 
 employment during the flower season to at least ten 
 thousand people. Nice is, perhaps, the most admirably 
 situated of the three for producing all flowers for 
 perfumery purposes, and its violets in particular are 
 superior to any other. Since that town has become 
 French a great impulse has been given to its manufac- 
 ture of perfumery materials, which had formerly to 
 pay customs duties on entering into France. 
 
 The following are approximate quantities and values 
 of the flowers consumed in that locality for preparing 
 perfumery materials : — 
 
 ( Irange-flowcrs 2,000,000 lbs., -n-orth about £40,000 
 
 Roses 600,000,, ,, 12,000 
 
 ,Tasmine 150,000 ,, ,, 8,000 
 
 Violets 60,000 „ „ 4,000 
 
 Cassia 80,000 ,, ,. 6,000 
 
 Tuberose 40,000 ,, „ 3,000 
 
 These flowers are procured from growers by private 
 contract or sold in the market. The average quantities 
 
THE COMMERCIAl. USES OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 233 
 
 of the following articles are manufactured with, them 
 yearly; — 700,000 lbs. of scented oils and pomades, 
 200,000 lbs. of rose-water, l,200,0001bs. of orange-flower 
 water, first qviality,^ 2,400,000 lbs. of orange-flower 
 water, second qualitj' ; 1,000 lbs. of nerolj% an essential 
 oil obtained from orange-flowers. The other flowers do 
 not yield essential oils, but the latter are extensively 
 distilled in the same places from aromatic plants, such 
 as lavender, rosemary, thyme, geranium, etc. Many of 
 my fair readers have considered flowers hitherto as 
 simply ornamental : the above figures will give them 
 an idea of their importance as an article of commerce. 
 
 Another branch of the art of perfumery is the manu- 
 facture of scents, cosmetics, soaps, and other toilet 
 requisites. It is carried on in the principal cities of 
 Europe, and especially in London and Paris, which 
 may be called the head-quarters of perfumerj^, and 
 whence these products are exported to all parts of the 
 world. There are, it is true, other manufactories in 
 Germany, Russia, Spain, and the United States, but 
 their chief trade consists in counterfeiting the articles 
 of the London and Paris manufacturers, and this can- 
 not be considered a legitimate business. 
 
 The principal English manufacturers of perfumery 
 and toilet soaps reside in London, where they number 
 about sixtj^ employing a large number of men and 
 women ; for female labour has been introduced for nearly 
 twenty years in all the London manufactories,^ and 
 
 ' That is, distilled twice over the flowers. 
 
 2 I helieve I was the first to employ female lahour in England, and I am 
 happy to say my example was soon followed by my confreres. 
 
234 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 has been found to answer very well for all kinds of 
 work requiring more dexterity than strength. 
 
 According to the official returns published, the ex- 
 ports of perfumery from the United Kingdom for the 
 year 1863, amounted to £106,989, sub-divided as will 
 be seen in the following table ; we must, however, say 
 that very little reliance is to be placed on these figures, 
 which do not represent perhaps one-fourth of the actual 
 amount exported. Taking, for instance, the sum given 
 for Australia at £18,921, it appears ridiculously small; 
 there are undoubtedly several manufacturers in London 
 who each and individually ship perfumery to nearly 
 that amount every year, to our Australian colonies. 
 
 EXPOUTS OF PERrUMEKY PIIOM THE TJnITED IviNGDOM IK 1863. 
 
 Countries to which Exported. 
 
 Amounts declared. 
 
 Itussia 
 
 £2732 
 3118 
 1980 
 2568 
 2250 
 1968 
 5749 
 4477 
 2149 
 1818 
 2141 
 21914 
 18921 
 3415 
 6004 
 10189 
 1003 
 1172 
 2021 
 1717 
 9683 
 
 Hcimbur"" 
 
 Hollfind 
 
 
 
 Eirvpt 
 
 China 
 
 United States 
 
 Brazil 
 
 Britisli Possessions in Sontli Africa 
 
 
 Australia 
 
 British Korth America 
 
 British AVest Indies 
 
 
 
 
 Sp:iin and Canaries 
 
 Ar'T'entine Confederation 
 
 Other Countries 
 
 
 £106,989 
 
THE COMMERCIAL USES OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 235 
 
 This table does not include soap ; but as perfumed 
 soaps are not particularized, and are confounded with 
 common ones, it is impossible to obtain any correct in- 
 formation respecting the amount or quantity exported. 
 
 Paris is the great centre of the manufacture of per- 
 fumery, which forms an important item of what are 
 called " articles de Paris." There are in that capital 
 one hundred and twenty working perfumers, employing 
 about three thousand men and women, and their united 
 returns may be estimated at not less than forty millions 
 of francs yearly. The amount of perfumery exported 
 from France alone reaches annually upwards of thirty 
 millions of francs, its principal consumers being Europe 
 and North and South America ; whilst British per- 
 fumery is more frequently shipped to India, China, and 
 Australia. 
 
 Next to Hungary- water, the most ancient perfume 
 now in use is eau-de-Cologne, or Cologne-water, which 
 was invented in the last century by an apothecary re- 
 siding in that city. It can, however, be made just as 
 well anywhere else, as all the ingredients entering into 
 its composition come from the South of France and 
 Italy. Its perfume is extracted principally from the 
 flowers, leaves, and rind of the fruit of the bitter 
 orange, and other trees of the Citrus species, which 
 blend well together, and form an harmonious com- 
 pound. 
 
 Toilet vinegar is a sort of improvement on eau-de- 
 Cologne, containing balsams and vinegar in addition. 
 Lavender-water was formerly distilled with alcohol from 
 
236 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 fresh flowers, but is now prepared by simply digesting 
 the essential oil in spirits, which produces the same 
 result at a much less cost. The finest is made with 
 English oil, and the common with French, which is 
 considerably cheaper, but is easily distinguished by its 
 coarse flavour. 
 
 Perfumes for the handlcerchief are composed in va- 
 rious ways : the best are made by infusing in alcohol 
 the pomades or oils obtained hj the processes I have 
 just described. This alcoholate possesses the true scent 
 of the flowers entirely free from the empyreumatic smell 
 inherent in all essential oils ; as, however, there are but 
 six or seven flowers which jdeld pomades and oils, the 
 perfumer has to combine these together to imitate all 
 other flowers. This may be called the truly artistic 
 part of perfumery, for it is done by studj'ing resem- 
 blances and affinities, and blending the shades of scent 
 as a painter does the colours on his palette. Thus, for 
 instance, no perfume is extracted from the heliotrope ; 
 but as it has a strong vanilla flavour, by using the latter 
 as a basis, with other ingredients to give it freshness, a 
 perfect imitation is produced ; and so on with many 
 others. 
 
 The most important branch of the perfumer's art is 
 the manufacture of toilet soaps. They are generallj^ 
 prepared from the best tallow soaps, which are remelted, 
 purified, and scented. They can also be made by what 
 is called the cold process, which consists in combining 
 grease with a fixed dose of lees. It offers a certain 
 advantage to perfumers for producing a delicately- 
 
THE COMMERCIAL USES OF FLOWERS AND PLAINTS. 237 
 
 scented soap, by enabling tbem to use as a basis a po- 
 made instead of fat, which could not be done with the 
 other process, as the heat would destroy the fragrance. 
 This soap, however, requires being kept for some time 
 before it is used, in order that the saponification may 
 become complete. Soft soap, known as shaving cream, 
 is obtained by substituting potash for soda lees, and 
 transparent soap by combining soda soap with alcohol. 
 Another sort of transparent soap has been produced 
 lately by incorporating glycerine into it, in the propor- 
 tion of about one-third to two-thirds of soap. 
 
 The English toilet soaps are the very best that are 
 made : the French come next, but, as they are not re- 
 melted, they never acquire the softness of ours. The 
 German soaps are the very worst that are manufactured : 
 the cocoa-nut oil, which invariably forms their basis, 
 leaves a strong fa3tid smell on the hands, and their very 
 cheapness is a deception ; for as cocoa-nut oil takes up 
 twice as much alkali as any other fatty substance, the 
 soap produced with it wastes away in a very short time. 
 Cosmetics, pomatums, washes, dentifrices, and other 
 toilet requisites, are also largely manufactured, but they 
 are too numerous to be described here at full lenirth : 
 nor shall I attempt to descant on their respective 
 merits, which depend, in a great measure, upon the 
 skill of the operator, and the fitness and purity of the 
 materials used. The greatest improvement effected 
 in these preparations lately has been the introduction 
 of glycerine. Although this substance was discovered 
 in the last century, it is only a. few years since medical 
 
238 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 men fully recognised and appreciated its merits, and 
 applied it to the cure of skia diseases, for which it 
 answers admirably. Perfamers are now beginning to 
 avail themselves of its wonderful properties, and to 
 combine it with their soaps and cosmetics. 
 
 The volatilisation of perfumes by means of steam is 
 also a modern improvement. A current of steam is 
 made to pass through a concentrated essence, from 
 which it disengages the fragrant molecules, and spreads 
 them through the atmosphere with extraordinary ra- 
 pidity and force. A whole theatre may be perfumed 
 by this means in ten minutes, and a drawing-room 
 consequently in much less time. This system has the 
 advantage of purifying the air, and has been adopted 
 on that account by some of the hospitals and other 
 public institutions. 
 
 Before concluding this chapter I shall venture to 
 offer to ladies a few words of advice on the choice of 
 their perfumes and cosmetics. I feel that this is deli- 
 cate grouni, but I shall endeavour to let my remarks 
 be of a purely general character. 
 
 The selection of a perfume is entirely a matter of 
 taste, and I should no more presume to dictate to a lady 
 which scent she should choose, than I would to an epicure 
 what wine he is to drink ; yet I may say to the ner- 
 vous : use simple extracts of flowers which can never 
 hurt you, in preference to compounds, which generally 
 contain musk and other ingredients likely to aifect the 
 head. Above all, avoid strong, coarse perfumes ; and 
 remember, that if a woman's temper may be told from 
 
THE COMMERCIAL USES OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 239 
 
 her handwriting, her good taste and good breeding 
 may as easily be ascertained by the perfume she uses. 
 "Whilst a Inchj charms us with the dehcate ethereal 
 fragrance she sheds around her, aspiring vulgarity will 
 as surely betray itself by a moudwir redolent of common 
 perfumes. 
 
 Hair preparations are like medicines, and must be 
 varied according to the consumer. For some pomatum 
 is preferable, for others oil, whilst some, again, re- 
 quire neither, and should use hair-washes or lotions. 
 A mixture of lime-juice and glycerine has lately been 
 introduced, and has met with great success, for it clears 
 the hair from pellicles, the usual cause of premature 
 baldness. For all these things, however, personal ex- 
 perience is the best guide. 
 
 Soap is an article of large consumption, and some 
 people cannot afford to pay much for it ; yet I would 
 say, avoid tcrij cheap soaps, which irritate the skin owing 
 to the excess of alkali which they contain. Good soaps 
 are now manufactured at a very moderate price by the 
 principal London perfumers, and ought to satisfy the 
 most economical. White, yellow, and brown are the 
 best colours to select. 
 
 Tooth-powders are preferable to tooth-pastes. The 
 latter may be plcasanter to use, but the former are cer- 
 tainly more beneficial. 
 
 Lotions for the complexion require of all other cosmetics 
 to be carefullyprepared. Some are composed with mineral 
 poisons, which render them dangerous to use, although 
 they may be effectual in curing certain skin diseases. 
 
240 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 There ought to be always a distinction made between 
 those that are intended for healthy skins, and those 
 that are to be used for cutaneous imperfections ; be- 
 sides, the latter may be easily removed without having 
 recourse to any violent remedies. 
 
 Paints for the face I cannot conscientiously recom- 
 mend. Rouge is innocuous in itself, being made of 
 cochineal and safflower ; but whites are often made of 
 deadly poisons, such as cost poor Zelger his life a few 
 months since. ^ The best white ought to be made of 
 mother-of-pearl, but it is not often so prepared. To 
 professional people, who cannot dispense with thesej I 
 must only recommend great care in their selection ; but 
 to others I would say, cold water, fresh air, and exercise, 
 are the best recipes for health and beauty ; for no bor- 
 rowed charms can equal those of 
 
 " A woman's face, with Nature's own hand painted." 
 
 1 M. Zelger was a Belgian singer at the Eoyal Italian Opera. During 
 the performance of " Guillaume Tell," some of the paint which he had on 
 his face accidentally entered his mouth, and he died in consequence, after 
 a ver)' painful and lingering illness. 
 
241 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMERY. 
 
 Cheiro suave, ardente especiarin. 
 
 Camoens. 
 
 AVING now 
 concluded the 
 history of per- 
 fumery, both 
 ancient and mo- 
 dern, it remains 
 for me to give 
 a brief descrip- 
 tion of the va- 
 rious materials 
 used for that 
 branch of manu- 
 facture, which 
 are supplied by 
 all parts of the 
 
 world, from the parched regions of the torrid zone to 
 
 the icy realms of the Arctic pole. 
 
 They may be divided, according to their nature, into 
 
 twelve series, viz., the animal, floral, herbal, andropo- 
 
 16 
 
242 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 gon, citrine, spicy, ligneous, radical, seminal, balmy or 
 resinous, fruity and artificial. 
 
 The animal series comprises only three substances — 
 musk, civet, and ambergris. It is very useful in per- 
 fumery, on account of its powerful and durable aroma, 
 which resists evaporation longer than any other. 
 
 Musk is a secretion found in a pocket, or pod, under 
 the beUy of the musk-deer {Moschus moschatus or tnos- 
 chiferus), a ruminant which inhabits the higher moun- 
 
 Musk-Deer (Jlofichtis moschi/ei'iis.} 
 
 tain ranges of China, Thibet, and Tonquin. " It is a 
 pretty grej' animal," says Dr. Hooker, " the size of a 
 roebuck, and somewhat resembling it, with coarse furj 
 short horns, and two projecting teeth from the upper 
 jaw, said to be used in rooting up the aromatic herbs 
 from which the Bhoteas believe that it derives its 
 odour."' The male alone yields the celebrated per- 
 fume, the best being that which comes from Tonquin. 
 The next in quality is collected in Assam ; whUst the 
 Kaberdeen musk, obtained from a variety of the species 
 ' Himalayan Journal, by Dr. Hooker, toI. i., p. 256. 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMERY. 
 
 24a 
 
 called Kubaya {Moschus Sibiricus), whicli inhabits the 
 Siberian side of those mountains, is the most inferior 
 of all. 
 
 The Chinese have known musk for many ages : they 
 call it shell/ h'eang, — sliaij being the name of the animal, 
 and litang meaning perfume. Ta vernier is the firft 
 European traveller who mentions the precious drug, 
 and he saj's he bought 7673 pods in one of his journeys, 
 which shows how plentiful it must have been even at 
 that early period. He gives the following description 
 of musk-deer hunting, which takes place in February 
 and March, when hunger drives these animals from 
 
 Mask-Deer Hun ting. (From a Cliinesc drawing.) 
 
 their wild snowy haunts towards cultivated regions : — 
 ' At that time the hunters lie in wait for them with 
 
244 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 snares, and kill them with arrows and sticks. They 
 are so lean and exhausted through the hunger they 
 have endured, that they are easily pursued and over- 
 taken. "^ The foregoing illustration, faithfully copied 
 from a Chinese drawing, in which were wrapped up 
 some musk-pods I purchased lately, would tend to 
 prove that the musk-deer chase is stiU. carried on in 
 the same manner. 
 
 Musk is an unctuous substance of a reddish-brown 
 colour, which soon becomes black by exposure to the air. 
 
 Musk Pod. (Natural, size 
 
 It is so powerful that, according to Chardin's authority, 
 the hunter is obliged to have his mouth and nose 
 . stopped with folds of linen when he cuts off the bag 
 from the animal, as otherwise the pungent smell would 
 cause haemorrhage, sometimes ending in death. As, 
 however, the natives take good care to adulterate the 
 musk before they send it to Europe, we are not exposed 
 to such accidents. The substances used for this adul- 
 
 ' Voyage de Jean Baptiste Tavemier, vol. iv., p. 75. 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMERY. 245 
 
 teration are generally the blood or cliopped liver of the 
 animal, which they cleverly insert into the pod, and 
 sometimes pieces of lead are introduced to increase the 
 weight. Some even manufacture artificial pods from 
 the telly skin, and fill them with a mixture of musk 
 and other materials. Musk, in pods, is generally im- 
 ported in caddies of twenty ounces in weight, and the 
 price of it varies from 25s. to 50.s. per ounce, accord- 
 ing to quality. Grain music, which is the musk ex- 
 tracted from the pods, is much dearer. Musk is, with- 
 out any exception, the strongest and most durable of all 
 known perfumes, and it is, in consequence, largely used 
 in compounds, its presence, when not too perceptible, 
 producing a verj^ agreeable efiect. 
 
 The odour of musk is not confined to this species of 
 animals : it is also to be found, though in a less degree, 
 in others, such as the musk-ox, the musk-rat, the musk- 
 duck, etc. Chief Justice Temple, of British Hon- 
 duras, who presided at the Society of Arts when I read 
 my paper on perfumery, assured the meeting that the 
 glands of alligators had a strong musky odour ; and, 
 wishing to ascertain the fact, I procured, through the 
 kindness of my friend, Mr. Edward Greey, of the 
 Royal West India Mail Companj', the head of one of 
 these monsters : but I must say that, when the case 
 was opened, the stench difiused was so great that 
 it required some little amount of courage to extract 
 the glands, and the perfume they seemed to possess 
 was strongly suggestive of Billingsgate market on a 
 hot day. Some polypi, and, among others, the Tipula 
 
246 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 moschi/cra, which is found in the Mediterranean, and 
 principally at Nice, give out a musky smell, but of a 
 very evanescent nature. 
 
 The musky fragrance likevrise occurs in some vege- 
 tables, such as the -svell-knowii yellow-flowered musk- 
 plant, but its intensity is not suf&cient for extraction. 
 The definition moschatus (musky), is often applied to 
 plants and flowers ; but it must not always be taken in 
 its literal sense, for botanists are apt to distinguish by 
 this name strong scents, such as the nutmeg, which is 
 termed Myristica moscluda, although it bears no resem- 
 blance to musk. The so-called muak-seed, itself {Hibiscus 
 (il/eliiiosc/iic) is much more like civet than musk. Dr. 
 Cloquet pretends that some preparations of gold and 
 other mineral substances have also a musky fragrance,^ 
 but I have never met with any which bore out this 
 assertion. 
 
 Civet is the glandular secretion of the Vicerm civctla, 
 
 CiveC Cat ( Firerra ciretia) 
 
 an animal of the feline tribe, about three feet in length 
 and one foot in height, which is found iu Africa and 
 
 ' Osphresiologie, p. 7C. 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMERY. 247 
 
 India. It is now chiefly imported from the Indian 
 Archipelago ; but, formerly, Dutch merchants kept some 
 of these cats at Amsterdam in long wooden cages, and 
 had the perfume scraped from them two or three times 
 a week with a wooden spatula. Civet, in the natural 
 state, has a most disgusting appearance, and its smell 
 is equally repulsive to the uninitiated, who would be 
 tempted to cry out with Cowper — 
 
 " I cannot talk with civet in the room, 
 A fine puss gentleman that's all perfume ; 
 The sight's enough, no need to smell a beau 
 "Wlio thrusts his nose into a raree show." 
 
 Yet, when properlj^ diluted and combined with other 
 scents, it produces a very pleasing effect, and possesses 
 a much more Jloral fragrance than musk ; indeed, it 
 would be impossible to imitate some flowers without 
 it. Its price varies from 20s. to 30s. per ounce, ac- 
 cording to quality. 
 
 Ambergris for a long time puzzled the savans, who 
 were at a loss to account for its origin, and thought it 
 at first to be of the same nature as yellow amber, whence 
 it derived its name of r/rey amber [amhrc gris). It is 
 now ascertained beyond a doubt to be generated by 
 the large-headed spermaceti whale {Physefer ijiacroce- 
 phahis), and is the result of a diseased state of the 
 animal, which either throws up the morbific substance, 
 or dies of the malady, and is eaten up by other fishes. 
 In either case, the ambergris becomes loose, and is picked 
 up floating on the sea, or is washed ashore. It is found 
 principally on the coasts of Greenland, Brazil, India, 
 China, Japan, etc., and sometimes on the west coast of 
 
248 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 Ireland. The largest piece on record was one weighing 
 182 lbs., which the Dutch East India Company bought 
 from the King of Tydore. I have in my possession a 
 very curious specimen extracted b}' a North American 
 whaler from a fish which he killed. Part of it is quite- 
 grey, and the remainder still black, which shows that 
 the disease had not yet attained its maturity. 
 
 Ambergris is not agreeable by itself, having a some- 
 what earthy or mouldy flavour, but blended with other 
 perfumes it imparts to them an ethereal fragrance un- 
 attainable by any other means. Its price varies very 
 much, according to the quantity to be found in the 
 market. I have known it as low as 10s. and as high as 
 50s. per ounce. 
 
 The floral series includes all flowers available for 
 perfumery purposes, which hitherto have been limited 
 to eight — viz., jasmine, rose, orange, tuberose, cassie, 
 violet, jonquil, and narcissus. 
 
 Jasmine is one of the most agreeable and useful 
 odours employed by perfumers, and highly valuable are 
 the fragrant treasures which they obtain 
 
 "From timid jasmine buds, that keep 
 Their odours to tliemselves all day, 
 But, when the sunlight dies away, 
 Let their delicious secret out." ' 
 
 It was introduced by the Arabs, who called it Yasmyn, 
 hence its present name. The most fragrant sort is the 
 Jnsmiiium odoratUsimum, which is largely cultivated 
 in the south of France. It is obtained by graftino- on 
 wild jasmine, and begins to bear flowers the second 
 
 ' Light of the Harem. 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMEKY. 249 
 
 year. It grows in the shape of a bush from three 
 to four feet high, and requires to be in a fresh open 
 soil, well sheltered from north winds. The flowering 
 season is from Julj' to October. The flowers open 
 every morning at six o'clock with great regularity, and 
 are culled after sunrise, as the morning dew would 
 injure their flavour. Each tree yields about twenty- 
 four ounces of flowers. 
 
 "We next come to the queen of flowers, the rose — 
 the eternal theme of poets of all ages and of all nations, 
 but which for the prosaical perfumer derives its prin- 
 cipal charms from the delicious fragrance with which 
 Nature has endowed it. 
 
 " The rose looks fair, tut fairer we it deem 
 For that sweet odour which doth in it live." ' 
 
 And well does the perfumer turn that sweetness to 
 account ; for he compels the lovely flower to yield 
 its aroma to him in every shape, and he obtains from 
 it an essential oil, a distilled water, a perfumed oil, 
 and a pomade. Even its withered leaves are rendered 
 available to form the ground of sachet-powder, for they 
 retain their scent for a considerable time. 
 
 The species used for perfumery is the hundred-leaved 
 rose {Rosa ceiitiJoUa). It is extensively cultivated in 
 Turkey, near Adrianople, whence comes the far-famed 
 otto of roses; and in the south of France, where 
 pomades and oils are made. 
 
 Rose trees are planted in a cool ground, and may be 
 exposed to the north wind without any injury. They 
 
 ' Shakspeare's Sonnets, liv. 
 
250 THE liOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 bear about eight ounces of flowers in the second year, 
 and twelve ounces in the following ones. The flowering 
 season is in May, and the flowers, which generally open 
 during the night, must be gathered before sunrise, as 
 after that time they lose half their fragrance. 
 
 The orange-blossoms used for perfumery are those of 
 the bigarrade or bitter orange- tree {Citrus higarradia). 
 They yield by distillation an essential oil known under 
 the name of ncrohj, which forms one of the chief ingre- 
 dients in eau-de-Cologne : a pomade and an oil are also 
 obtained from them by maceration. From the leaves 
 of the tree an essential oil called petit-grain is produced, 
 and from the rind of the fruit another essence is ex- 
 pressed, which is styled oil of higarradc. The edible 
 orange-tree [Citrus auraiitiinn) also produces essences, 
 but they are of a very inferior quality, with the excep- 
 tion of that obtained from the rind, which is called oil 
 of Portugal. These two trees bear a great resemblance 
 to each other, but tho petiole of their leaves 
 are slightly different ; that of the bigarrade 
 being in tho shape of a heart. 
 
 Tho largest bigarrade-tree plantations are 
 to be found in the south of France, in Calabria, 
 and in Sicily. This tree requires a dry soil, 
 with a southern aspect. It bears flowers 
 three years after grafting, increasing every 
 year until it reaches its maximum, when it is 
 about twenty j^ears old. Tho quantity de- 
 pends on the age and situation, a full-grown tree yielding 
 on an average from 50 lbs. to 60 lbs. of blossoms. Tbo 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PEKFUMEEY. 
 
 251 
 
 flowering season is in May, and the flowers are gathered 
 two or three times a week, after sunrise. 
 
 The tuberose {Polyaiithes tuberosa) is a native of the 
 East Indies, where it grows wild, in Java and Ceylon : 
 it was first brought to Europe by Simon de Tovar, 
 a Spanish physician, in 1594. The Dutch monopolised 
 this flower for some time, cultivating it in hothouses, 
 but it has now foimd its way to France, Italy, and 
 Spain, and thrives well in those climates. 
 
 " Eternal spring, with smiling verdure here 
 Warms the mild air, and crowns the youthfal year. 
 The tuherose ever breathes, and violets blow." 
 
 It springs from a bulb which is 
 planted in the autumn and bears 
 flowers the following year. The 
 stalk rises about three feet, and 
 produces every day two full- 
 blown flowers, which open from 
 11 A.M. to 3 P.M., according to 
 localities, but always with the 
 most precise regularity: they Tuberose (/'o/i/aH/zicsdiicrosm 
 must be gathered immediately, as their fragrance does 
 not last long. 
 
 Cassie (Acacia farnesiana) is a shrub of the acacia 
 tribe, which only grows in southern latitudes. Its 
 height ranges from five to six feet, and it becomes 
 covered in the months of October and November with 
 globular flowers of a bright golden hue, which, peering 
 through its delicate emerald foliage, have the prettiest 
 eflect. All those who have travelled in that season on 
 
252 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 the coast of Genoa will no doubt remember what 
 charming bouquets and garlands are made of the cassie 
 intermixed with other flowers. To perfumers it is a 
 most valuable assistant, possessing in the highest degree 
 
 a fresh floral fragrance, which 
 renders it highly useful in 
 compounds. It bears some 
 resemblance to the violet, and, 
 being much stronger, is often 
 used to fortify that scent, 
 which is naturally weak. 
 
 The cassie requires a very 
 dry soil, well exposed to the 
 
 Cassie (Acacia ftirnesiana). i „ rpT, j j 
 
 ' -^ ' sun s rays. ihe tree does 
 
 not bear flowers until it is five or six j'ears old. The 
 yield varies from 1 lb. to 20 lbs. for everj^ tree, ac- 
 cording to age and position. The blossoms are gathered 
 three times a week after sunrise : a very strong oil 
 and pomade is obtained from them by maceration. In 
 Africa, and principally in Tunis, an essential oil of 
 cassie is made, which is sold at about £ 4 per ounce ; but 
 French and Italian flowers are not sufficiently powerful 
 to yield an essence. 
 
 The violet is one of the most charming odours in 
 nature, and well might Shakspeare exclaim — 
 
 " Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells, 
 If not from my love's breath?" 
 
 It is a scent which pleases all, even the most delicate 
 and nervous, and it is no wonder that it should be in 
 such universal request. The largest and almost only 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PEllFUMEEY. 253 
 
 Tiolet plantations have hitherto been at Nice, its excep- 
 tional position rendering it the most available spot for 
 them. The species used is the double Parma violet 
 (Viola odora(a). It requires a very cool and shady 
 ground, and is generally placed in the orange and 
 citron groves, at the foot of the trees, which screen it 
 with their thick foliage from the heat of the sun. It 
 flowers from the beginning of February to the middle 
 of April, and each plant yields but a few ounces of 
 blossoms, which are culled twice a week after sunrise. 
 
 Jonquil {Narcissus jonqidla), and narcissus [Narcissus 
 odorata), are two bulbous plants which are also culti- 
 vated for perfumery purposes, but in much smaller 
 quantities than any of those already mentioned, their 
 peculiar aroma rendering their use limited. The former 
 is to be found chiefly in the south of France, and the 
 latter in Algeria. Mignonnette, lilac, and hawthorn 
 are also sometimes worked into pomades, but on such 
 a small scale that they are not worth mentioning. The 
 extracts named after those flowers are generally pro- 
 duced by combination. 
 
 The herbal series comprises all aromatic plants, such 
 as lavender, spike, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, mar- 
 joram, geraniimi, patchouly, and winter green, which 
 yield essential oils by distillation. 
 
 Lavender was extensively used by the Romans in 
 their baths, whence it derived its name. ^ It is a nice, 
 clean scent, and an old and deserving favourite. The 
 best lavender {Lavandula vera) is grown at Mitcham, 
 
 ' From the Latin lavare, " to wash." 
 
254 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 in Surrej', and at Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. It is pro- 
 duced by slips, which are planted in the autumn, and 
 yield flowers the next year and the two following ones, 
 when they are renewed. Mr. James Bridges, the largest 
 English distiller of lavender and peppermint, cultivates 
 these two plants on an extensive scale near Mitcham. 
 During the flower season he has three gigantic stills in 
 operation, each able to contain about one thousand gallons. 
 
 A great deal of essence of lavender is also manufac- 
 tured in France; but, as I said before, it is very inferior 
 to that made in England. It is obtained from the 
 same plant, which grows wild in great abundance in 
 most Alpine districts. Portable stills are carried into 
 the mountains, and the herb distilled on the spot. 
 The same process is used for rosemary and thyme. 
 
 Spike [Larandula spica) is a coarser Sf)ecies of laven- 
 der, wliich is principally used for mixing with the 
 other, or for scenting common soaps. A third sort of 
 lavender {Lavanditla ntwchan) has a beautiful odour, and 
 would yield a very fragrant essence, but it is very 
 scarce in France : the only places where I met with it 
 in quantities are Spain and Portugal, and there it is 
 only used to strew the floors of churches and houses on 
 festive occasions, or to make bonfires on St. John's day, a 
 custom formerly observed in England with native plants. 
 
 Peppermint {Mentha piperita) is more used by con- 
 fectioners than perfumers, yet the latter find it useful 
 in tooth-powders and washes. It is, like lavender, best 
 grown in England, the foreign being very inferior. 
 The American comes next to the English ia quality. 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMEETi. 255 
 
 Rosemary {Rosmarinus officinalis) is another plant of 
 the labiate order, which yields a powerful essence, 
 used chiefly for scenting soap. The resemblance of its 
 flavour to that of camphor is very remarkable. 
 
 There are two sorts of thyme distilled — ordinary 
 thjTne {Thymun vuhjaris), and wild thyme, or serpolet 
 {Tlnjmus serpi/llttm). Marjoram {Origana majorana) be- 
 longs to the same class. 
 
 The rose-geranium {Pelargonium odoratissimum) jdelds 
 an essence which is greatly prized by perfumers on 
 account of its powerful aroma, by means of which they 
 impart a rosij frac/rancc to common articles at a much 
 less cost than by using otto of roses, which is worth six 
 times as much. It is cultivated in the south of France, 
 Algeria, and Spain. The latter produces the finest 
 essence, which is principally obtained from the fertile 
 " Huerta de Valentia." 
 
 Patchouli {Pogostcmon ^MtchouU) comes from India, 
 where it is Icnown under the name 
 of pucltapiit. It has a most pecu- 
 liar flavour, which is as offensive 
 to some as it is agreeable to others. 
 
 Winter green ( Gaultheria procum- 
 bens) we receive from North Ame- 
 rica. This essence is exceedingly 
 powerful, and requires to be used 
 with great caution to produce a 
 pleasing eflect. Well blended with ^ ° 
 
 others in soap, it imparts to it a rich floral fra- 
 grance. 
 
256 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 The andropogon' series embraces three sorts of aro- 
 matic grasses, which grow abundantly in India, and 
 principally in Ceylon, whence we obtain their essential 
 oils. They are the Andro2Mgon Hcluenantlnis, or lemon- 
 grass, which is used to imitate verbena, having a some- 
 what similar fragrance ; the Andropogon citratum, or 
 citronella, which forms the basis of the perfume of 
 honejr soap ; and the Andropogon nardus, or ginger- 
 grass oil, improperly called Indian geranium, which I 
 have already mentioned in Chapter VIII. The chief 
 use of the latter in the East, I am sorry to say, is to 
 adulterate otto of roses, which costs from 305. to 40.s. 
 per ounce, whilst the other oil is scarcely worth one 
 shilling per ounce. 
 
 The citrine series comprises bergamot [Citrus her ga- 
 mut), sweet orange {Citrus aurantium), bitter orange 
 {Citrus higarrad'ia), lemon {Citrus medico), cedrat {Ci- 
 trus eedrata), and lunette {Citrus limetta). Essential 
 oils are expressed or distilled from the rind of all 
 these fruits, as described in the last chapter. 
 
 The spice series includes cassia, cinnamon, cloves, 
 mace, nutmeg, and pimento. 
 
 Cassia, which was, like cinnamon, well known and 
 highly prized by the ancients, is distilled from the 
 Lauriis cassia, a tree of the laurel tribe, which is abun- 
 dant in the East Indies and China. 
 
 Cinnamon belongs to the same class, and is extracted 
 from the bark of the Laurus cinnamomum. A coarser 
 
 1 From ai/5pos ircuyov, so called because this grass resembles a man's 
 beard. 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMERY. 257 
 
 essence is likewise obtaiaed from the leaves of the same 
 tree. 
 
 Cloves are the flower-buds of the Caryojphjllus aro- 
 maticus, a tree found in the Indian Archipelago. The 
 finest come from Zanzibar. The essence is chiefly 
 used for scenting soap; but, when in infinitesimal 
 quantities, it also blends well with some handkerchief 
 scents, and principally with the carnation and cIoyg- 
 pink, the fragrance of which it closely resembles. 
 
 Cloves Nutmeg. 
 
 Mace and nutmeg are both produced by the Myris- 
 tica moschata, the latter being the fruit of that tree, 
 and the former one of its envelopes, or husks. 
 
 Pimento, or allspice, is the berry of the Eugenia 
 pimenta, from which an essential oil is distilled, 
 which, like the two last named, is used for perfuming 
 soap. 
 
 The ligneous series consists of sandal-wood, rose- 
 wood, rhodium, cedar- wood, and sassafras. 
 
 Sandal-wood comes from the East, where it is highly 
 
 17 
 
258 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 esteemed as the perfume par excellence, forming the 
 ground of all toilet preparations. There are several 
 species, the best being the Santalum citrinum, from 
 which the essential oil used by perfumers is chiefly 
 distilled. I observed, in the last Exhibition, some very 
 fine specimens from Western Australia and New Cale- 
 donia. 
 
 Rosewood [Lignum aspalathum),rhoAivLm. (Convolvulus 
 scoparia), and cedar-wood {Juniperus virginiana) like- 
 wise yield essential oils, which are, however, but little 
 used by perfumers. 
 
 Benzoin. 
 
 Camphor. 
 
 Sassafras, distilled from the Laurus sassafras, a tree 
 which grows abundantly in North America, is a very 
 useful essence for soap, on account of its fresh and 
 powerful aroma. 
 
 The radical series is confined to orris-root and 
 votivert. 
 
 Orris, or iris, is the rhizome of the Iris Florentina, 
 wliicli is extensively cultivated in Italy, and principally 
 in Tuscany. It exhales, when dry, a delightful violet 
 
MATEEIALS USED IN PERFUMERY. 
 
 259 
 
 fragrance, which renders it very useful for scenting 
 toilet, sachet, and tooth powders. When infused in 
 spirits it loses the violet odour, owing to the resinous 
 matters contained in it, which become dissolved and 
 overpower it ; but it is still sufficiently pleasant to form 
 the basis of many cheap perfumes. 
 
 Vetivert, or kus-kus, is the rhizome of the Anatherum 
 muricatum, which grows wild in India, as mentioned in 
 a former chapter. It forms the basis of the perfume 
 called mousseline, which derived its name from the 
 
 Iiipterix Odorata 
 
 Sassafra 
 
 peculiar odour of Indian wuslin, which had formerly 
 great repute in Europe, and which was scented with 
 this root by the natives. Some of the Cyprus species in 
 India also possess fragrant roots, but thej^ are little 
 used in Europe. 
 
 The seminal series includes aniseed {Pimpinella 
 anisum), dill {AnctJmm f/raveolcns), fennel {Aneihum 
 foenicuhim), and carraway {Carum carui), all imibelli- 
 ferous plants, with JTcmatic seeds whieh yield csfentJal 
 
260 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 oils. The last-named is the most largely used. Musk- 
 seed, obtained from the Hibiscus ahebnoschus, belongs 
 also to the same series. 
 
 The balmy and gummy series comprises balsam of 
 Peru, balsam of Tolu, benzoin, styrax, myrrh, and 
 camphor. With the exception of the last, they are all 
 exudations from various trees ; balsam of Peru being 
 obtained from the Myroxylon Peruifcrum, balsam of 
 Tolu from the Tohdfer halsamum, benzoin (or gum- 
 benjamin) from the Sty rax benzoin, and mj^rrh from 
 the Bahamodendron wyrrha. The four first-named 
 possess a fragrance somewhat similar to vanilla, but 
 less delicate. Myrrh was the most esteemed perfume 
 in ancient times, but tastes must have changed since, 
 for it is now but little in request, and then only for 
 dentifrices. Camphor, which is more used in medicine 
 than perfumery, is obtained b}^ boiling the wood of the 
 Laurus cawphora, a tree found principally in China 
 and Japan, and in which the gum exists ready 
 formed. 
 
 The fruitj^ series includes bitter almonds, Tonquin 
 beans and vanilla. The essential oO. of bitter almonds 
 is obtained by distilling the dry cake of the fruit 
 after the fat oil has been pressed out. It con- 
 tains from eight to ten per cent, of prussic acid, 
 which can be removed by re-distilling it over 
 potash. 
 
 Tonquin beans are the fruit of the Dipterix odorata, 
 a tree which grows in the West Indies and South 
 America. 
 
MATERIALS USED IN FEllFUMEKY. 261 
 
 Vanilla is the bean of a beautiful creeper ( Vanilla 
 flanifolia) which is a native of Mexico, but has lately 
 been introduced into the French island of Reunion, 
 where it thrives admirably. This colonj'^ now yields 
 annually more than 12,000 lbs. of the costly perfume, 
 and among the many beautiful specimens shown at the 
 last Exhibition, nine were deemed worthy of medals or 
 of honourable mention. A sort of bastard vanilla, 
 called vanilloes, is obtained from the Yanilla Pompona, 
 which is found in the West Indies and Guiana. 
 
 Vanilla Plant. 
 
 The artificial series comprises all the various flavouis 
 produced by chemical combinations. Of these the most 
 extensively used in perfumery is the nitro-benziae, 
 usually called mirbane, or artificial essence of almonds. 
 This is obtained by treating rectified naphtha with nitric 
 acid and sulphuric acid, or sometimes with nitric acid 
 alone. The naphtha is poured slowly through a tube 
 into the acids, decomposition follows, and the essence 
 is found floating on the surface. Artificial essences of 
 
262 THE BOOK OF PEKFUMES. 
 
 lemon and cinnamon have also been produced, but have 
 not been brought to sufficient perfection to be available 
 for practical use. Besides these, artificial essences 
 imitating fruit flavours are manufactm-ed, but princi- 
 pally for making confectionery. The pear essence is 
 an amylic ether ; the apple essence, a valerianic ether, 
 containing amj4 ; and the pine-apple essence, a butyric 
 ether. The whole of these require to be diluted with 
 five or six times their weight of alcohol, to develop 
 their flavour. 
 
 This closes the list of materials used hitherto by 
 perfumers ; but there are many other fragrant treasures 
 dispersed all over the globe, which, from want of 
 communication, or the difficulty of extraction, have not 
 yet found their way to our laboratories, but may do 
 so at some future time. 
 
 The various floral essences distilled in the East 
 Indies I have noticed in a former chapter. The 
 imperfect way in which they are made, and their 
 very high price, preclude us from making any use 
 of them, but these two obstacles may one daj' be 
 removed. 
 
 In Australia there are many trees with fragrant 
 leaves, and principally the Tasmanian peppermint 
 {Eucalyptus amyiidalina), the peppermint-tree {Euca- 
 lijptiis odorala) the blue gum-tree {Eucalyptus globulus), 
 &c. Essential oils distilled from these leaves were 
 shown at the last Exhibition ; and although described 
 in the catalogue as only fit for painting purj)oses, I 
 expressed an opinion that they might be rendered 
 
MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMERY. 263 
 
 available for perfumery. Aa experiment wMcli I made 
 with the oil of Eucah/ptus amygdalina (possessing a 
 strange flavour of nutmegs combined with peppermint) 
 confirmed me in that idea ; and I am pleased to find that 
 colonists have turned their attention to the subject, and 
 are now sending these oils to our markets. The wattle 
 flower is also very abundant in those parts, and as it 
 closely resembles the cassie in fragrance, it might 
 be turned to good account. I received not long since 
 from Tasmania a specimen of pomade made from the 
 flowers of the silver-wattle {^Acacia dcalbata), but it 
 was very inferior, owing to the want of experience in 
 the operator. New South Wales and Queensland pro- 
 duce myall- wood (Acacia pendula), which has an intense 
 and delightful smell of violets, a very scarce odour in 
 nature. 
 
 Among other novel odorous products shown at 
 the Exhibition, I may mention Alyxla aroma tica, a 
 fragrant bark from Cochin- China ; another bark from 
 New Caledonia, called Ocotea aromatica ; and a highlj^- 
 scented wood {Licoria odorata) from French Guiana, 
 which has a strong flavour of bergamot. 
 
 For the convenience of persons curious or interested 
 in this matter, I have subjoined a table, where all the 
 principal materials used for perfumery are classed in 
 alphabetical order. Besides these, as I said before, 
 there is a vast number of aromatic plants and flowers 
 which have not yet been made available for the per- 
 fumer's art. The Flora of Nice alone furnishes above 
 one hundred and fifty different specimens, of which the 
 
264 
 
 THE BOOK OF PERFUMES. 
 
 sole mission lias been hitherto to embalm the air of 
 its mountains and valleys, but which, one day, may 
 be brought into use ; for 
 
 " Arabia cannot boast 
 A fuller gale of joy, tban liberal, tlience 
 Breathes through the sense, and takes the ravish'd soul." 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 PRIXCIPAL MATERIALS USED IN PERFUMERY. 
 
 NAMES. 
 
 Almond (bitter) 
 
 Ambergris , , 
 
 Aniseed . . . 
 Ditto (Star) . . 
 Balsam of Peru 
 Balsam of Tolu 
 Benzoin Gum . 
 
 Berfj-amot 
 Bigarrade 
 Camphor 
 
 Carraway 
 
 Cascarilla 
 Cassia . . 
 
 Cassie . , 
 
 Cedar ., . 
 
 Cedrat . 
 Cinnamon 
 Cinnamon leaf , 
 Citronella 
 
 Civet . . 
 
 Cloves . . 
 
 Dill . . 
 ' Fennell . 
 
 I Geranium 
 
 Ginger grass 
 Iris or Orris 
 
 Jonquil . 
 Laurel 
 
 Lavender 
 Lemon 
 
 WHENCE EXTRACTED. 
 
 Amygdalus amara 
 
 I Secretion of the Physeter macro- 
 i cephalus 
 
 Pirapinella anisum . . 
 Illicium anisatum . . 
 
 Myroxylon peruiferum 
 
 Toluifera balsamum . 
 
 Styrax benzoin . . . 
 
 Citrus Bergamia rind . 
 Citrus bigaradia rind . 
 Laurus camphora . . 
 
 Carum eanii . . , , 
 
 Croton cascarilla . . 
 Laurus Cassia , . . 
 
 Acacia farnesiana . , 
 
 I Pinus Cedra and Juniperus Vir- \ 
 
 i giniana ] 
 
 Citrus cedrata rind 
 
 Laurus Cinnamomum bark . . . 
 Leaves of the same phmt . . . 
 Andropogon Citratum . . . . 
 
 Secretion of the Vivcrra Civetta . 
 
 i Flower bud of the Carj ophyllus t 
 
 t aromaticus j 
 
 Anethum graveolens 
 
 Anethum foeniculum 
 
 Pelargonium odoratissimum 
 
 Andropogon nardus . . . 
 Root of the Iris florentina . 
 
 Jasminum odoratissimum . 
 
 Narcissus Jonquila .... 
 Cerasus lauro-cerasus leaves 
 
 Lavandula vera 
 
 Citrus medica rind 
 
 PLACE OF PRODUCTION 
 
 Northern Africa. 
 
 / Found floating on the sea, 
 
 1 or on the coasts of India, 
 
 I China,Japan, Greenland, 
 and other places. 
 
 North of Europe. 
 
 China and Japan. 
 
 J Western coast of South 
 
 I America. 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 ( Siam, Sumatra, and Singa- 
 
 / pore. 
 
 Calabria and Sicily. 
 
 Italy. 
 
 China and Japan. 
 
 ( England, Germany, and 
 
 ) France. 
 
 Bahama Islands. 
 
 East Indies and China. 
 
 t South of France, Italy, 
 
 j Algeiia, and Tunis. 
 
 t Syria, United States, and 
 
 ) Honduras. 
 
 South of France and Italy. 
 
 Ceylon. 
 Ditto. 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 ( Indian Archipelago, and 
 
 '/ Africa. 
 
 \ Indian Archipelago, and 
 
 ( Zanzibar. 
 
 England. 
 
 South of France. 
 
 ) South of France, Italy, 
 
 * Algeria, and Spain. 
 
 Ceylon. 
 
 Italy. 
 
 ) South of France, Italy, 
 
 ( Tunis, and Algeria. 
 
 South of France and Italy. 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 \ England, South of France, 
 
 ( and Italy. 
 
 i Coast of Genoa, Calabria, 
 
 ) Sicily, and Spain. 
 

 266 
 
 APPEXDIX. 
 
 NAMES. 
 
 WHENCE EXTRACTED. 
 
 PLACE OF PRODUCTION. 
 
 Lemon grass . 
 
 Andropogon Sehaenanthus , , . 
 
 Ceylon. 
 
 Limette . . . 
 
 Citrus limetta rind 
 
 South of France. 
 
 Mace .... 
 
 Expressed from the refuse nutmegs 
 
 Indian Archipelago. 
 
 Marjoram . . 
 
 Origana majorana 
 
 South ot France. 
 
 Mirbane . . . 
 
 I Nitrobenzine or artificial essen- f 
 ( tial oil of almonds . . . . ( 
 
 England and France. 
 
 Musk .... 
 
 J Secretion of the Moschus mos- j 
 i chatus \ 
 
 Thibet, China, and Siberia. 
 
 Musk seed . . 
 
 Hibiscus abelmoschus .... 
 
 West Indies. 
 
 Mvitle . . . 
 
 Mvrtus communis , 
 
 South of France. 
 
 Myrrh . . . 
 
 Balsamodendron Myrrba . . . 
 
 East Indies and Arabia. 
 
 Narcissus . . 
 
 Narcissus odorata 
 
 Algeria. 
 
 Neroli (bigar- ( 
 rade) . . S 
 
 Citrus Bigaradia flowers .... 
 
 J South of France, Italy, 
 j and Algeria. 
 
 Neroh (Porta- ( 
 
 gal) ...» 
 
 Nutmeg- . . . 
 
 Citrus aurantium flowers . . . 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 Myristica moschata 
 
 Indian Archipelago. 
 
 Orange or Por- t 
 tugal . . i 
 
 Citrus aurantium rind .... 
 
 Calabria and Sicily. 
 
 Orange flower . 
 
 Citrus Bigaradia flowers .... 
 
 South of France and Italv. 
 
 Patchoulv . . 
 
 Pogostemon Patchouli .... 
 
 India and China. 
 
 Peppermint . . 
 
 Mentha piperita 
 
 England and United States. 
 
 Petii grain (bi- i 
 garrade) . ( 
 
 Citrus Bigaradia leaves .... 
 
 J South of France and Al- 
 } geria. 
 
 Petit grain j 
 (Portugal) 1 
 
 Citrus aurantium leaves .... 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 Rose .... 
 
 Rosa centifolia , • . 
 
 ) Houth of France, Italy 
 1 and I'urkev. 
 
 Roseraarv . . 
 
 Rosmarinus officinalis .... 
 
 South of France. 
 
 Rosewood . . 
 
 Lignum aspalathum 
 
 South America. 
 
 Sandalwood . . 
 
 Santalum citrinum 
 
 } cbipelago, and West Aus- 
 (. tralia. 
 
 Sassafras . . . 
 
 Laurus sassafrus 
 
 United States. 
 
 Serpolct . . . 
 
 Thymus Serpyllum 
 
 South of France. 
 
 Spike .... 
 
 Lavandula Spica .-.,., 
 
 Ditto. 
 
 Styrax . . . 
 
 Liquidambar stjiraciflua .... 
 
 Turkev. 
 
 Tbyme . . . 
 
 Thymus vulgaris 
 
 South of France. 
 
 Tonquin . . . 
 
 Beans of the Dipterix odorata . . 
 
 j South America and West 
 
 Tuberose . . . 
 
 Polianthes tuberosa 
 
 South of France and Italy. 
 Mexico. 
 
 \ an ilia . . . 
 
 Pod of the Vanilla planifolia . . 
 
 Verbena . . . 
 
 Aloysia citriodora 
 
 
 Violet .... 
 
 Viola odorata 
 
 South of France and Italv. 
 
 Vitivert . . . 
 
 Anatherum muricatum .... 
 
 India. 
 
 Wintcrgreen . 
 
 Gaultheria procumbens .... 
 
 United States. 
 
 STKPHtN AL'SIIN, PIUNTFR, Hi;LUFORD.