296 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
Again :— 
“0 what avails the Punic purple rare, 
Or that my hand the limpid crystal bear.”’ 
—(IV. 3.) 
If it were needed to have additional confirmation of the use of balls 
of crystal by the Romans, we may refer to a brief Paper in the ‘ Kil- 
kenny Archeological Journal” for 1852-3, in which a statement of 
Montfaucon is given, which asserts that it was customary to deposit balls 
of rock crystal in sepulchres and urns in early ages. Thus twenty-four 
were found in Rome contained in an Alabaster urn, and one was dis- 
covered in 1653 at Tournai, in the tomb of a Frankish king, considered 
to be that of Childeric, who died a.p. 480. 
Rock crystal spheres are constantly made at present in China, for 
there they constitute the appropriate badge on the cap of certain officials. 
There are eight different grades who wear distinctive coloured balls 
on their caps, in addition to other marks of dignity; and the fifth grade 
is specially distinguished by possessing a ball of rock crystal. This is, 
so far as I can learn, about the size of a large marble, and perforated. 
Now it is obvious there must be a large manufacture of such balls in 
constant operation; and the patient industry of a Chinaman would be 
quite adequate to produce perfect spheres of much larger size than 
marbles if required. The unchanging character of manufactures in 
China would explain the production of identically similar crystal balls 
in the time of the Romans, and during the revival of commerce with the 
far East, at the period of the Crusades, and its continuance up to our 
owntimes. T'hemineralogical evidencealso strengthens this view, forthe 
special character of the quartz admits of our ascribing to it a Chinese 
origin. From the 12th to the 16th century works of high art were carved 
from masses of crystal in Italy, Germany, and France ; but, so far as 
I can ascertain, not spheres. Wondrous also as are the engravings of 
Assyrian, Babylonic, and Egyptian origin in hematite, agate, and 
even hard basalt, yet we do not obtain crystal spheres in association 
with undoubted works of those races. Their history rather points in 
the direction of the far East. They are objects of luxury to the Roman 
lady ; they are brought to decorate the shrines and reliquaries of our 
primitive Irish churches—the Eastern relations of which are undoubted ; 
they are the prized possession of knights returning from the Crusades 
to our western lands; they are valued as rare and priceless objects fit 
for royal regalia; and buried in the tomb of ancient king and priestess. 
Nor are the magical and curative powers ascribed to them less impor- 
tant as evidence of their foreign nationality : they were mysterious in 
their origin ; far beyond the skill of the native lapidary ; and valued 
as priceless gems alike by chieftain and clansman—conferring good 
fortune on their owners; distributing the priceless gift of health to 
men and cattle; nor did their simple-minded possessors question for a 
moment that with their aid they could foretell futurity itself. 
Additional information about talismans used for the cure of dis- 
eases of men and cattle in Ireland will be found in vol. v., N.S., ‘‘ Kil- 
