DRESDEN PORCELAIN. 



As deserters from Meissen were instrumental in establishing 

 the manufactory of porcelain at Vienna, deserters from Vienna 

 soon spread the knowledge of the art to a greater or less extent in 

 other parts of Germany. 



26, Eingler, one of those who had originally deserted from 

 Meissen, again breaking his engagements, and disregarding his 

 oaths, left Vienna, taking with him plans of the ovens, and asso- 

 ciating himself with M. Gelz, a manufacturer of earthenware at 

 Hochst, near Francfort-on-the-Maine, he enabled that potter, 

 with the aid of Lowenfink and Bengraf, two others, to establish 

 the manufacture of the fine porcelain. 



The German princes, captivated by the productions of this art, 

 and ambitious, each in his own state, to establish a royal manu- 

 factory, in imitation of those of Dresden and Vienna, left no 

 means of corruption and seduction untried to attract the potters, 

 or even the subordinate workmen, wlio were engaged in the manu- 

 factories already established. Thus, the Duke of Brunswick endea- 

 voured, by highly advantageous offers, to tempt the potter Bengraf 

 to desert his employer, and succeeded, though not without much 

 delay and many difficulties, for Bengraf was arrested by order of 

 the Elector of Mentz, and was kept without food, until he was 

 compelled to leave with his employer the full details of his 

 processes, and to verify their exactitude. At length he was per- 

 mitted to depart, and, in fine, he founded, in 1750, the well-known 

 manufactory of Furstenberg, on the Weser. But as he died 

 before his processes were carried into practical effect, the Duke of 

 Brunswick failed in his object, and lost the expense he had incurred. 

 He resorted in vain to the aid of an eminent chemist of that 

 day, the Baron de Lang, to find means of realising the plans of 

 Bengraf. 



Ringler having remained at Hochst, continued to- direct the 

 processes of that manufactory, taking care, however, to conceal his 

 processes, so that without his personal superintendence the works 

 could not proceed. Being addicted to drinking, his companions, 

 availing themselves of his infirmity, and knowing that he usually 

 carried on his person receipts for his processes, tempted him into an 

 excessive indulgence in wine, which ended in his falling into a 

 state of insensibility. Availing themselves of this, they rifled 

 him of his papers, and his receipts being copied and re-copied, 

 were carried about the German States, and sold for considerable 

 sums to wealthy persons, who considered themselves fortunate in 

 becoming the possessors of the processes of an art so much and so 

 universally admired. 



27. Among these hawkers of Ringler's receipts or notes, one of 

 the most noted and active was a certain Paul Becker, who, after 



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