56 ■'the Bipoop of Landaff on Grichalcmn. 



The kings of -P^ii;>fe, who preceded the Darius 

 mentioned by Ariltotki were in poiTefTion of 

 fiinilar veflels ; but they feem to have been rare, 

 and, of courfe, were held in high eilinnation. 

 Amono; the matrnificent prefents of gold and 

 filver vefit-ls, wWich. Artaxerxes and his counfeilors 

 gave to Fzra, for the fervice of the temple at 

 Jerujdlemy there were tv-enty bafons of gold, and 

 but tv/o veflels o^ yellow (liiniog copper, precious 

 as gold, or, as fome render the words, refembling 

 gold.* " ^ii John Chardin, in his MS. note, 

 has mentioned a mixt mcral ulcd in the ead, 

 and hijjhly efteeme'i the.e; and, as the origin 

 'of this compofition is unknown, it might, for 

 aught we know, be as old as the rime of Ezra, 

 and be bicught fron; tho.fi more jcin^te coun- 

 tries into Perjia, where ihefe two bafons were 

 given to be conveyed to Jerufalem. / have 

 heard, fays the v.. ytf.^ fome DWuh GenHemen J^'ak of 

 a metal in the ifland rf ^wnrtra,^ and amoKg the 

 Macnf^ars, much more eflamed than gold^ "iZ'hich 

 royal perjonage^ alone might rvear. It is a mixture, 

 if I remember light, of goi'l and fi eel, or of copper 

 and fl eel. He afterivards added to this note (for the 

 colour of the irk difers) Calmbac ii this metal 

 compofed of gold and copper. It in colour nearly 

 reJcmUes the pale carnation rofe, has a very fine 

 grain, the polifh extremely lively. I have feen fome- 



* Ezra, viii. 27. 



thing 



