96 Dr. Falconer on the Knoioledge 



in the middle, through the tranfparent coverlngj 

 neJLher emitting any ill Tcentj nor being otherwife 

 difagreeable."* It appears, plainly, that artificial 

 glafs could not be meant here, nor as I fliould 

 conjeflure, rock chryftal, but in all probability 

 fomewhat of the talky kind or lapis fpecularis, 

 which might eafily be framed, in fuch a manner, 

 as to form a convenient tranfparent cafe, fuch as 

 is here defer i bed, 



A. C. 400. The next writer, in point of time, 

 Arulophanes, ([^^^ takes notice of glafs is, I be- 

 lieve, Ariftophanes, who, in the firll fcene of the 

 fecond a6l of his Comedy of the Clouds, intro- 

 duces Strepfiades an old Man, much in debt, 

 informing Socrates of a method he had difcovercd 

 of annulling his own debts. 



** You have feen, fays he, among the druggifts 

 or perfumers, a ftone which is beautiful and 

 tranfparent, and ufed to kindle fire. Do you 

 mean glafs ? anfwers Socrates. I do, replies the 

 other. What will you do with it ? fays Socrates. 

 "When, the other anfwers, the Scribe fliall have 



XsyonTai ay.ivxt,i<r^<x.i el; Vi>.ov, TgoTrui toiwo;. Tc.Tnav rov ny.gii 

 iyxv7iii«<7», £iT£ ori y.x^xTTtp Atyi'Trlioi, EiT£ aXKi^i x-a;?, yv^uicrctirei 

 wirxuTd ccvrov, yecdpri y.iieriAsov(Ti, E^o^otstvTs^ to eiJo; e; to oukxtov* 

 MreiTot at 01 TTE^ii^ao-i alriXriii ff voi^^ov TrETroifAJjfr)* xoiXr,v. r) $■ <7(pi, 

 vro7-.Xy) )c, EfE^of opvo'O'irca. tv //HiS'Jj ^2 Tii s"»)?:»! iveuv Cix^xivnai » 

 *£xtj;, efTE o^fj.-:iv ov^ty.inv axagtii irapzyoixitot;, ovn aXKo oct^y.-^ tvdiVx 

 iC. met •nxyra^ct.iea, t^owj «yT« T« vexvi. Herod, L. UJ. 



written 



1 



