^6 OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY 



tations in other colours of hyacinths and Tap- 

 phires*, nay, even the true precious flones could 

 f-rarce be dirtinguifhcd from the falfef. 



Betides wines, the Egyptians prepared a li- 

 quor from* barley, in flavour and talle very little 

 inferior to the juice of the grape; and which 

 they call Zytbus^ and fuppofe to be invented by 

 Oiiris}. Tlieir vinegar is extolled as the bell, 

 by Chryfippus in Athenxus ; and fuch was its 

 acidity, that it immediately diilblved the great- 

 efl pearl Cleopatra had in her poflefllon. 

 % Of their (kill in colours we have many beau- 

 tiful examples. They were acquainted with 

 native minium. The words of Pliny upon this 

 fubjecl are worthy of attention: " Fingunt," 

 he fays, " et vefles in yEgypto, inter pauca mi- 

 44 rabili gencre, Candida vela poiUjuam attrive- 

 44 re, illinentes non coloribus, fed colorcm for- 

 44 bentibus medicamcntis: hoc cum fecere non 

 41 apparet in veils ; fed in cortinam pigment! 

 44 fervcntis merf.i poll momentum extrahuntur 

 44 pidu. Mirumque, cum (it unus in cortina 



44 color 



in Ntumdia. And they mud neccfTarily luve known tlie Llut 

 fcorire, alfo, t lint covcu the furfacc of iron, obtained by Fire 

 from thole ores. From fuch arguments as thefe, Gmclin 

 contends that the blue ^l.tGi of the ancients was not coloured, 

 witli cobalt, but with iron. Vid Gotting. gel. Anz 1776^ 

 St. 42. 



* Lib. xxKvi. 26. 



f Lib xxxvi. 12. * 



| Diudoru* Siculuff !. i. c. 2O. 34. 



} Pliu. ix, 3;. 



