The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-23

Wendell Phillips, in his lecture on
the "Lost Arts" in speaking of maj
leable glass, tells of q Roman who, in
the age of Tiberius, had been banish-
ed, and returned to Rome, bringing Il
wonderful cup. This cup he dashed
upon the marble pavement, aud it was
crushed but not broken by the fall.
Although somewhat dented, with Il
hammer he easily bent it into shape
again. 1t was brilliant, transparent,
but not brittle. He further states that
the Romans obtained their chemistry
from the Arabiars, and that they
brought it into Spain eight centuries
ago. In the books of that age there is
kind of glass spoken of that, if sup
ported by one end, by its own weight
in days time would dwindle down
to fine line, so that it could be curry
ed around ones wrist like bracelet.
The art of luminous painting was
knowE to tile Japanese nine hundred
years ago, and an extract from one OF
their old writers hos been translated rs
follows: Zone Su Ngoh, many years
ago, had q picture of an OK. Every
day the OK left the picture frame to
craze and returned to sleep within it at
night. This picture came into the
possession of the Emperor Tai Tsung,
of the Sun dynasty "a. d. 976.93S),
who showed it to his courtiels, and
asked them for an explanation, which
none of them, however, could give.
At last Il certain Buddhist priest said
that the Japanese found some nacreOus
substance within the flesh of a certain
kind of oyster they picked Up when
the rocks were barred at low tide, and
that they ground this into color mate
rial and then painted pictures with it
which were invisible 10y day and lumi-
nous by night" The secret simply
was that during the day the figure of
the OK was not visible, ana it was
therefore said that it left the frame to
go grazing.
Proclus, whose fame in mathematics
equalled that of Archimedes, is said to
have made burning glasses in the
r~ign of AnastasiuS l>;corua, Of such
wonderful efficacy t!!,; at Il @rcat dis
tauce he burnt and c:;'roirH l':; My
sian and Thracian fleet OF ships Uiat
had blockadeh ByZantium. the Da-
mascuS blt;'!rS, as marvelS of perfect
steel, have long been famous, and even
LlOSS uScu III lllC CltlSilVCS Ill tlS l,ci-
feet to-day as they were eight centuries
ago. One on exhibition in London
could he put into Il Scabbard almost rs
crooked as q corkscrew, and bent every
way without breaking. The point of
this sword could bc made to touch the
hilt.
The poets lave celebrated the perfec-
ton of the Oriental steel, and many fa-
NOUS writers have sung its praises
Scott, in his 'ralisnam," describes Il
meeting between Richard Ceur &c Lii
on and Salatin. Saladin asks Richard
to show him the wonderful strength
for which he is noted, and the Nor
man monarch responds by severing Il
bar of iron which lies on the floor OF
the tent. Saladln says, ~ cannot do
that" hut he takes an elder down pill
low from Il couch, and drawing his
keen blade across it, 1t falls in two
pieces. At this feat Richard says {:
'"rhis is the black art-it is magic you
cannot cut that which has no resis-
tance.n Saladin, to show him that
spch is not the case, takes his scarf
from his shoulders, which is SO light
that il almost floats in the air, and,
tossing it up, sewers i; before it can de-
scend. That Scots story is not an eN-
aggeration is proved ly 4 traveller who
once saw Il man in Calcutta throw Il
\ handful Of floss silk into ll!r mir Hu! a
Hindoo sever i; into pieces with his
sabrc.-ifN.bHy Ui$pufch.