Porcelain and Earthenware. 235 



now made of various kinds, and of superior quality in England, not 

 only for home consumption, but largely for exportation. 



It could not have been long after the discovery of the plastic qual- 

 ity of clay ; and that by drying or burning it became impervious to 

 water; before the wants and ingenuity of man suggested the appli- 

 cation of it to vessels for domestic and culinary uses. Earthenware 

 being peculiarly adapted to keeping water pellucid and cool, jars and 

 vases for holding it, soon became articles of first necessity, where it 

 was not plentiful, as in Syria, and many of the middle and eastern 

 parts of Asia. Allusions to earthen vessels — to the potter's clay and 

 the potter's wheel, occur in the most ancient writers. The plastic 

 properties and consequent uses of clay are noticed in the book of 

 Job, the most ancient book now extant ; and the potter's wheel is re- 

 ferred to by Homer in his description of Achilles shield.* Earthen 

 vessels were in use among the Hebrews when they received the law 

 from Moses; and the prophets often refer to the power of the potter 

 over that most ductile material the clay, as illustrating the relative 

 position of man in the hands of him, who moulds our purposes at 

 his will. 



The arts flourished soon after the deluge, to a surprising extent 

 in Sidon the capital of Phenicia, a narrow country, between mount 

 Lebanon and the most eastern coast of the Mediterranean sea. 

 This city was nearly coeval with Babylon, being founded soon 

 after the confusion of languages, more than 2000 years before 

 Christ. It excelled in manufactures of fine linen, embroidery, ta- 

 pestry, metals and glass; of the latter there were many varieties; 

 such as colored, figured, turned by the lathe, painted, cut or carv- 

 ed, and even mirrors; but no mention is made, at this date, of por- 

 celain, unless the article named as painted glass was a species of 

 that manufacture. To this people is ascribed the invention of 

 boats — of navigation — of the application of astronomy to nautical 

 purposes — of book-keeping — of writing — of arithmetic and of weights 

 and measures. They sent colonies to Greece, and Italy, and with 

 their little boats of wicker work, covered with leather, they coasted 

 the Mediterranean, and made various settlements in the south and 

 west of Europe, and on the northern shores of Africa. At a very 

 early period a colony of Phenicians settled on the west coast of Italy, 

 and carried the perfection of their arts and manufactures to Etruria ; 



* Moses wrote 1452 B. C. Homer in 907 B. C. 



Vol. XXVI.— No. 2. 31 



