THE LOST ARTS. 67 



true silicate of soda, or potassa, and any substance 

 constructed of other materials could not properly 

 be called glass. It is possible for modern chemists 

 to prepare, from some of the metals or metallic 

 salts, a ductile material having a glossy appearance, 

 which might pass for glass. From the fusion of 

 chloride of silver a substance of this kind is formed, 

 which, among the unscientific Romans, would 

 readily be called glass. If they possessed the art 

 of spinning glass, of which there is no evidence, 

 vessels might have been constructed which would 

 be flexible, and admit of being dashed upon the 

 floor without breaking ; but no bottle or vessel 

 capable of holding liquids could be thus constructed. 

 The writer has in his possession a card plate, pro- 

 cured of the glass-workers of Venice, made of 

 glass in this form, which is a wonderful specimen 

 of ingenuity and skill. It can be bent and thrown 

 about without breaking, but hammering would soon 

 reduce it to powder. In all that pertains to glass 

 manufactures, in the vastness of the production, 

 cheapness, quality, colors, variety of forms and 

 uses, we have made great advances over any race 

 or races that have preceded us. 



In the working of metals, in the various combi- 

 nations and alloys formed, and in chemical treat- 

 ment, we may justly claim a like superiority. Iron, 

 although well known, was comparatively but little 



