MANUFACTURE OF CLASS. 



by abbot Benedict, who were employed in glazing the church and 

 monastery of Weremouth. According to others, they were first 

 brought over by Wilfrid, bishop of Worcester, about the same 

 time. Till this time the art of making such glass was unknown in 

 Britain ; though glass windows did not begin to be common be. 

 fore the year 1180 : till this period they were very scarce in pri- 

 vate houses, and considered as a kind of luxury, and as marks of 

 great magnificence. Italy had them first j next Franoe, from 

 whence they came into England. 



Venice for many years excelled all Europe in the fineness of its 

 glasses ; and in the thirteenth century the Venetians were the only 

 people that had the secret of making crystal looking-glasses. Tho 

 great glass-works were at Muran, or Murano, a village near the 

 city, which furnished all Europe with the finest and largest glasses. 



The glass manufacture was first begun in England in 1557 : the 

 finer sort was made in the place called Crutched Friars, in Lon- 

 don j the fine ilitit glass, little inferior to that of Venice, was first 

 made in the Savoy-house, in the Strand, London. This manu- 

 facture appears to have been much improved in 1635, when it 

 was carried on with sea-coal or pit.coal instead of wood ; and a 

 monopoly was granted to Sir Robert Mansell, who was allowed to 

 import the fine Venetian Hint glasses for drinking, the art of 

 making which was not brought to perfection before the reign of 

 William III. But the first glass plates, for looking-glasses and 

 coach-windows, were made in 1673, at Lambeth, by the encou- 

 ragement of the Duke of Buckingham; who in 1670 introduced 

 the manufacture of fine glass into England, by means of Venetian, 

 artists, with amazing success. So that within a century past, the 

 French and English have not only come up to, but even surpassed, 

 the Venetians ; and we are now no longer supplied from abroad. 



The French made a considerable improvement in the art of 

 glass, by the invention of a method of casting very large plates, 

 till then unknown, and scarce practised yet by any but them, 

 selves and the English. That court applied itself with a laudable 

 industry to cultivate and improve the glass manufacture. A com- 

 pany of glass-men was established by letters patent ; and it was 

 provided by an arret, not only that the working in glass should 

 not derogate any thing from nobility, but even that none but 

 nobles should be allowed to work in it. 



An extensive manufactory of this elegant and valuable branch 



