of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 597. 
A workes,the invention began by Syl/aes time, who ufed thereto {mall quarrels or tiles at Prenefte 
within the temple of Fortane,which pavement remaineth to be feene at this day. But in procefle 
~ of time pavements were driven out of ground.flcores, and pafled.up into chambers, and thofe 
were fecled over head with glafle : which alfo is but anew invention of late devifed:for Agrippa 
verely in thofe baines which hee cauled tobe made at Rome, annealed all the pottcric worke that 
there was,and enamelled the fame with diverfe colours : whereas all others hee adorned onely 
with whiting :andno doubt he would never have forgotten to have arched therm over with glaffe 
if the invention had ben practifed before,or if from the wals and partitions of glaffe which Scas- 
rus made upon his ftage,as I {aid before;anyone had proceeded alfororoufe chambers therwith, 
But fince 1am fallen upon the mention of glaffe, it (hall not bee impertinent to difcourle fomes 
B. whatof che nature thereof, arty . 
Cuar. XXvi icpatin vide Dive 
OS The firft invention of Glaffe,and the manner of making it. Of akindofGlafe,. 
called Obfidtanum. A Ifo of fundrie kinds of Glaffe,and : 
thofe of manie formes, 
“F Here is one part of Syria called Phoenice, bordering upon lurie, which atthe foot of the 
mount Carmel] hath a meere named Cendevia;,out of which the river Belus is thoughtto 
{pring, and within five miles {pace, falleth into the fea, neare unto the colonie Prolemais: 
C This river runneth but flowly, and feemeth a dead or dormant water, unwholefome for drinke; 
howbeit,ufed in many facred ceremonies with great devotion 5 full-of mud it is,and the fame ve- 
ry deepe ere aman {hall meet with the firme ground: and unleffe ic be atfome {pring tide, when 
the fea fowethup high into the river, it never {heweth fandin the bostome; but then, by occafion 
of the {urging waves, which not onely ftirre the water,but alfo caftup and {covre away the grofle 
mud,the fand is rolledtco and fro,and being caft up,fheweth very bright and cleare,as if it were 
purified by the waves of the fea : and in truth, men hold opinion, That by the mordacitie and a- 
iiringent qualitie of the {alc water, the fands become goad, which before ferved to no purpofe. 
The coaft along this river which-(heweth this kind of fand,is not above halfe a. mileinall, and 
yet formany a hundied yeare it hath furnifhed all places with,matter fixfficient to make glafle.As 
D touching which devife,the common voice and famerunneth, That there arrived fometimes cer- 
taine marchantsina thip]adea with nitre,in the mouth of this river, and beeing landed,miaded 
to feeth their victuals upon the fhore and the very {ands : but for that they wanted other ftones, 
toferve as trevets to beare up their pans and cauldrons over the fire,they made (hift with certaine 
peeces of fal-nitre out of the fhip, to fupport the {aid pans, and{o made fire underneath: which 
being once afire among the fand.and gravell of the fhore,they might perceive a certaine cleare 
liquorrunfrom under the fire in very fweames, and hereupon they fay came the firft invention 
of making glafle. Bur afterwards (as mans wit is very inventive) men were not content to mix 
nitre with thisfand, but began to putthe Load-{tone among, for thatitisthoughrnaturally.to 
draw the liquor of gaffe unto it,as wellas yron, Then they fell likewife to calcine and burne in 
E miany other places ihining gravell ftones,fhels of fifhes,yea,and fand digged ont.of the. ground, 
forto make glaffe therewith. Moreover, diverfe authours there bee who affirme, Dhatthe Indians 
vfe to make glaffe of the broken peeces of Cryftall, and therefore no glafle comparable tothat 
6f India, Now the matter. whereof glafie is made mutt be boiled or burntwith afireof drie wood, - 
and the fame burning lightand cleare without {moake, and therewould be purtixereto brafle.of 
Cypros,and nitre,efpecially chat which commech from Ophyr., Thefurnace multbee kept with 
fire continually ,after che manner as theynfe in melting the ore of brafie.,. Nowsthefirtt burning 
_ yeeldeth certaine lumpes ofa fattie fubftance,and biackith of colour, This,matterisfokeene and 
penetrant whilesitishor, thaif it couch orbreath.upon any part of the bodicyit willpierce and 
cut tothe very bone ete one be aware ot doe feele it.-Lhefe maffes orlumpesbeeipurinto the fire 
FE) againe, and avelted.a fecondtime in the glatle houfes,: where the colourisgiven that they fhall 
have: and then fome ofut.withblaft of themouth,is fafbioned to what forme or {hape the work- 
man will : other parcels pollithed withthe, Turners inftrument, and fome againe engraven,cha- 
fed,and emboffed in manner of filver plates: in all which feats, the Sidonians in times paft were 
fanxous artificers : for at Sidon were devifed alfo mirroirsor looking glaffes. Thus much as tou- 
ching 
