iquor; and
although they were colorless before, and although this dyeing liquor
was of one equable and uniform color, yet when taken out of it soon
afterwards, the cloth was found to be wonderfully tinged of different
colors according to the peculiar nature of the several drugs which had
been applied to their respective parts, and these colors could not be
afterwards discharged by washing."

Herodotus states that certain people who lived near the Caspian Sea
could, by means of leaves of trees which they bruised and steeped in
water, form on cloth the figures of animals, flowers, etc., which were
as lasting as the cloth itself. This statement is more suggestive than
instructive.

Persia was much famed for dyeing at a very early period, and dyeing is
still held in great esteem in that country. Persian dyers have chosen
Christ as their patron; and Bischoff says that they at present call a
dye-house Christ's workshop, from a tradition they have that He was of
that profession. They have a legend, probably founded upon what Pliny
tells of the Egyptian dyers, "that Christ being put apprentice to a
dyer, His master desired Him to dye some pieces of cloth of different
colors; He put them all into a boiler, and when the dyer took them out
he was terribly frightened on finding that each had its proper color."

This or a similar legend occurs in the apocryphal book entitled "The
First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ." The following is the
passage:

"On a certain day also, when the Lord Jesus was playing with the
boys, and running about, He passed by a dyer's shop whose name
was Salem, and there were in his shop many pieces of cloth
belonging to the people of that city, which they designed to dye
of several colors. Then the Lord Jesus, going into the dyer's
shop, took all the cloths and threw them into the furnace. When
Salem came home and saw the cloth spoiled, he began to make a
great noise and to chide the Lord Jesus, saying: "What hast Thou
done unto me, O thou son of Mary? Thou hast injured both me and
my neighbors; they all desired their cloths of a proper color,
but Thou hast come and spoiled them all." The Lord Jesus
replied: "I will change the color of every cloth to what color
thou desirest," and then He presently began to take the cloths
out of the furnace; and they were all dyed of those same colors
which the dyer desired. And when the Jews saw this s