of the Ancients reJpeBlng Glafs. 105 



their admiration into furprize and aflonirtiment, 

 and to conciliate more effedually the favour of the 

 Emperor, requefted the cup again from his hand; 

 and having received it, threw it with all his force 

 upon the pavement in fo violent a manner, that 

 it could not have efcaped injury, had it been 

 made of the mod folid and uniform brafs. The 

 Emperor, at the fight of this adion, was no lefs 

 aftonifhed than concerned ; but the artifl: taking 

 up the cup from the ground, which was not 

 broken, but only bruifed by the blow it received, 

 which had the fame effeft upon it as it would 

 have had if the cup liad been made of copper; 

 and drawing forth a hammer from his bofom, 

 repaired the bruife that the glafs had received, by- 

 hammering it with frequent fi:rokes, much in the 

 fame way as if the cup had been of brafs. The 

 expeflations of the artificer were much raifed by 

 the fuccefs of this operation, which had intro- 

 duced him to the knowledge of the Emperor, 

 and procured him general admiration j but the 

 event turned out different from what he. imagined ; 

 for the Emperor enquiring of him, if any one 

 elfe was acquainted with the fecret of preparing 

 glafs in fuch a manner ; and he anfwering in the 

 negative, his head was ordered to be (truck off, 

 the Emperor affigning for a reafon, that if this 

 fecret fhould be made publick, gold and filver 

 would lofe their value, and become of no more 

 cftimation than clay." 



• It 



