CHAP. v. PRECIOUS METALS. 153 



gold, was imitated in Rome in wood ; but, as 

 Athenaeus 1 says, had feet of gold. These lecticae, 

 or sedan chairs became at length so common, 

 that Caesar prohibited the use of them except to 

 persons of a certain age or rank, and on certain 

 days 2 . The bits of the horses' bridles and the 

 collars on their necks were of gold ; and the 

 covering for their backs (strata) were adorned 

 with gold and purple 3 . Their carriages were 

 ornamented with decorations of precious stones 

 as well as of gold and silver. 



The art of enamelling, though it was known 

 in the time of Pliny, seems to have made but 

 little progress 4 . The operation is described by 

 that writer in the following words. " The an- 

 cients contrived to paint silver, that in drinking 

 they might be more devout from seeing their 

 deities painted in their cups. This fashion is 

 become so prevalent that even the statues which 

 are carried in the triumphs are scarcely valued 

 unless they are enamelled and painted black ; 

 and it is really surprising to think how much 

 more valuable they are considered when the 

 natural brilliancy of the metal is hidden and 

 extinguished by such painting 5 ." From the 

 description given by our author of the mode of 

 preparing the enamel, it seems clear that no 



1 Atlicnacus, v. 10. 2 Suetonius Cses. 43. cl. 28. 



3 Virgil, JEneid vii. 279. 4 Pliny, xxxiii. c. 3. 



5 Idem, lib. xxxiii cap. 4. 



