1.It is difficult to realize how universal was the use of perfumes in ancient times.The early physicians freely prescribed sweet odours，especially as cures for nervous diseases，and seemed to understand thatcertain flowers and scents are not only beneficialtohealth，but will also purify the air and ward off disease.
2.Egypt was a great mart for perfumes.Joseph was sold to a company of Ishmaelites on their way to Egyptbearing spices，balm，and myrrh.Egyptian womenused many essencesand rare perfumes，and worenecklaces of scented wood，as the Chinese womenstill do.Guests were received in chambers strewn with flowers，and slaves hung garlands of roses，lotus，or saffron flowers round their necks，while sweet-smelling gums were burned in little vases.
3.The love of the Jews for perfumes was also very great.In their worship a sacred incense was burned which was not allowed to be used in private life.Theyperfumed their rooms withmyrrh，aloes，and cinnamon，and scented their hair withmyrrh，cassia，aloes，and frankincense.They carriedsmall gold or silver boxes，or brightly-coloured vials，suspended from their necklaces，containing musk，attar of roses，balsam，saffron，or spikenard.One-tenth partof a bride’s dowryscents.
4.charm of fresh，fragrant flowers，and at their feasts they decorated their rooms and their persons with garlands and wreaths.The Grecian love of perfumes spread to Rome，and perfumers‘shops，marked by a bunch of sage for a sign-board，crowded one quarter of the city.
5.Pliny tells us that the Romans imported perfumes from India and Arabia to the value of a million sterling every year.Julius C？sar and Crassus tried to restrain this waste by forbidding the sale of foreign perfumesin Rome，but this edictonly made themmore expensive.Ever y one used them.
Houses，furniture，and dresses were perfumed；theamphitheatresand baths were scented with lavenderand other essences，and on certain feast-days even the military ensigns were anointed.
6.Perfumes were never richer or more costly in England than in the time of Elizabeth.The queen was very particular in her choice of scents；and her minister，Cecil，once prevented her from opening some private letters which he had received from Jamesthat they had an evil odour，and he thus saved himself from a dangerous position.
7.Perfumes were burnt in the fires to give out gentle odours；scented lozenges were used to sweeten the breath，and pomanders were carried suspended from chains.Edward de Vere，Earl of Oxford，so pleased Elizabeth with the present ofa pair of perfumed gloves，that she hadher portrait painted with them on her hands，and their scent became fashionable as “Lord Oxford’s perfume.”Scented gloves，embroidered and richly jewelled，were favourite presents until the middle of last century.
8.Perfumes were known in England long before Elizabeth‘s time，however.Matilda，queen of Henry the First，received from France a present of a dish for rose-water in the form of asilver peacock，the tail being set with precious stones.The pomander，or scent-ball，was alsoknown-a gold musk-ball，weighing eleven ounces，being mentioned among the possessions of Henry the Fifth.These balls were pierced，so as to let out the perfume，and were used by fashionable gentlemen as well as by ladies，worn round the neck，carried in thehand，or suspended from the girdle.
9.Attar of roses，the most delicate perfume of the East，is made from the roses of Damascus and the vales of Cash-mere among other places-five hundredpounds of leaves being required to yield one ounce of the oil.Next to this，santalwood，or sandalwood as it is generally called，is the favourite Oriental perfume.This fragrant wood is much used for carving into caskets and jewel-boxes，and for burning as incense.A few perfumes are obtained from animals，such as musk，civet，and ambergris.
10.We import perfumes from all parts of the world.The rose-gardens of the East，the flower farms of southern France，and the lavender-fields of Mitcham in Surrey show that the modern use of perfumes supports a large industry；but all this is nothing compared with the lavish use of sweet scents in ancient times and during the Middle Ages.
