133 
TWELFTH ROOM. 
COLLECTION OF SIR WILLIAM HAMILTON. 
Cases 1, 2, 3, 4. Penates, or household room xii. 
gods, in bronze. In the lower part of these Antiquities. 
cases, are contained some large bronze vessels, 
one of which, in the form of a round deep pa¬ 
tera, is remarkable for the beauty of its handles, 
which are raised above the edge : they represent 
two serpents holding an egg in their mouths ; 
underneath the serpents is the asgis of Minerva. 
Case 5. A raven, the size of life, and seven 
large candelabra, in bronze. The raven was pre¬ 
sented, in 1777, by Lord Seaforth. It is of the 
finest workmanship, and has probably accom¬ 
panied a statue of Apollo. 
Case 6 . Specimens of ancient glass. The 
principal articles are eight cinerary urns. One 
of them has the leaden covering in which it was 
preserved ; and another contains the burnt bones, 
and the asbestos cloth which prevented the ashes 
of the body from mixing with those of the funeral 
pile. These articles are accompanied by a great 
number of lachrymatories, and various other ves¬ 
sels and fragments of vessels, of different forms 
and colours; the whole of which afford ample 
proof of the ingenuity of the ancients, and of the 
great knowledge they possessed in the art of ma¬ 
nufacturing glass, and of imparting to it what¬ 
ever colour or form they chose. 
Case 7. A large collection of paterse, upon 
which 
