i\\)\ 



n';\\'i'i'',ij \Nit 111 I', i;i',\i\' \i, (H' irs iisi'i 



spoils liilvcii rnnn lli<> M idiiiiiilfs, mihI it liiis Imhmi cod jccliircd lli:il il 

 \V!is niiiH'd ill ^diiic di^lncl of ('ciilr:!! Asin, hccMiisc il is mIso cliiiiiicd 

 (() li;i\(' Ix'cii known (ilioii^li wlicfc nl)l;iiii('d is iiol clcnr) id :iii 

 ('((iiidl\ r:irly dale ill ( 1i ii;i. Mild I Ixdicvcs iilso, in 1 1 indiis(:iii. 



,\( :i l:it('i' d:il(', l>ii( slill Ixd'orc llic riitrniciiiiis h;nl siiilcd hcvoiid 

 llic |)ill;irs<d" Ilcrcidcs, tin \\:is iiih|ii('-;( ionidtly slii|»|»cd from 'I'lii'lcs 

 SIIS ill (he solllli (d" Spnili. ;i lociditv ^ciicr:! II y idciililird ;is (lie Tiir 

 sinsli of llic l)(M»k (»r l*'/,('ki('l. Slill hitcr, ;is we nil know, llic sninc 

 (•iilcr|)i'isinn" ii:i\ ii^Mlofs Inidcd for tin lo ('oriiw;ill ;iiid l)('\on. tlit' 

 (\)niisli |)(«iiiiisiil;i, indeed, heinii' itK'iil ilicd l)V (lie (Jrccks solely willi 

 I liiil uielMJ, :ind ii:inie(| hy IIhmii '• ( 'iissilerides," I he kiiul of I in, :i 1 il le 

 wliieli, in \ iew of llie colli inii;inf<' :iiid rielmess in llie siipply of lliis 

 nieliil, il niijU'hl jiislili;d)ly li;i\'e reliiined lo days williin Inin^j^^ mem 

 (My. l>ron/,e lieinn' (liend'oi'e llie earliesl known allow i( may, per 

 liaps, l»e peiinisMl>l(> lo suppose lliat llie iincntioii of pewler was due 

 lo an aeeideiilal re\cisal of llie l)r()ii/,e-makin<:; pi'oeess llial is lo 

 say, a small (pianlily (d" eopper heiiii:^' mixed willi a lai'ii'e proporlion 

 of lin. I >e lliis as il may, such an alloy was siihseciiieni ly discovered 

 and found lo |)ossess much «ji,realer loiiyhness and malleahilily Ihan 

 Ihe piii'e whil(> melal, and proved nol lo he allecled hy I he acid cd' 

 wine or xiiien'ai* (as is hroii/e). Il wa--, loo, holh in appearance 

 and dnrahilily, lo a cerlaiii exieiil a |)assal)le siihsliliile for the rarer 

 melal. silver. Il has even heen sii^ncsled as prohahle llial Ihe " lin "' 

 iiieiilioiied hy lloiiier ill his descriplion of Ihe shield of Achilles, ihe 

 "(in" s(ii(iu> of Da'dalus I'ld'ei'red lo by Arislolle, and olher similar 

 arlislie works de^ci'ihed hy ancient wrilers, was in realily a kind of 

 pewler, since pure lin is wvy hrillle, especially al certain lem|)era 

 (ni'es, and nol al all adaptable lor workine- ('asily with the hammer. 



I'laiilns menlioiis pewler dishes as heine- iis(>d al a haii(|nel, and 

 (lalen recommends the keepinii' cd' antidotes and other di'iiii'S in \'es- 

 sels of ^lass, silvei", or pewler. Il vvonld tvxeeed the bounds of this 

 papei', however, to atlempt to follow llu> not too easily traceable his 

 lory of pewler throii^^h the classic to the middle aii'es; alllioiii;ii I 

 wish to call passing atb'niion to some illustrations of pewter vessels 

 fntm the (>xlremely interi'stini!,' collection of Komano British pt'vvter 

 now ill the Hiilish Museum. Il will siillice to mention thai the craft 

 existed in th(> early days of (irtu'ce and lu)nu\ was never absolub^ly 

 lost, i>ven in the dark ai:«>s, ami was praeticiMl, moi't* or less, in Saxon 

 and Noriiian limes in I'Jii^land as well as on the ('onlinenl. In medi 

 :eval days Ihe |)i'incipal patrons wer<', of course, the «'hurch, espe 

 eially the monasteries. Hnt I bt^liiMe no specimens of this pei'iod are 

 now extant. And this recalls the iiii fort iiiiate fact llial the fa<'ility 

 with which pewter can be remelied and cast has b(>i>n always fatal to 

 the survival of ancient examples, for wheiievei- pewler objects be 

 caiiu> badiv worn or bruised it wa^ alvvav^ customarv to send lliem 



