Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-10-13
GLASS IN ANCIENT DAYS.
Il Was Used FIR Window Panes by tho
Romans In the Times of Caesar.

was tkcu fr WINDOW IAncH by tnO
Romans In the Times of Caesar.
1t used to be cited as an historic para
COX that the same man who carried the
manufacture of glass beads, vases and
other articles of glassware to such won
derous perfection never thought of
glazing their windows Arbuthnot
caught the public fancy with his cpl
gram "The polite Augustus, emperor
of the world, had neither glass in his
window nor shirt to his back" But
Arbuthnot's epigram is inexact. Long
before the time Of which he wrote the
bathroom in Diomed's villa in Pompeii
had been uncovered with four panes of
glass in stu. Since that first revelation
of window panes of Pompeii, which
caused more excitement among the
learned probably than any of the grand
discoveries there, several other in
stances have come to light, A window
in the roof of the public baths had one
single pane no less than three feet eight
inches broad by two feet eight inches
high-dimensions which could not have
been matched until time comparative
ly recent. 1t is not surprising howev.
er, that even scholars should have made
such a mistake, for the glazing of win.
dows-with glass-is nowhere men.
toned by classic authors. They allude to
the matter often enough, as in Juvenal's
fourth satire, where Crispinus is told
that he had better have ''made up" to
the rich old woman whose litter Is
glazed with transparent stones. Guided
by this and other references, scholars
took for granted that tale was used
whenever glazing is mentioned. Such
was the usage in Russia until Peter the
Greats time. George Tuberville, resi-,
dent there in 1868, sent rhymed descrip-
tive letters to his friend, Master Ed
ward Dancie, wherein he says:
''Thcy have no English glass; OF slices Of a
rock
| Called kuda they their windows make which
English glass doth mock
| They curl 1t very thin, and sew 1t with thread,
In pretty order, like to panes, to serve their
present need
| No other glass, good faithl doth give better
light
And sure the rock is nothing rich, the cost is
very sight"
We know that tale, which came from
Syria, was very cheap at Rome; in
many ways it would be preferable to
glass. Upon the mysterious beauty
and art of the Portland vase volumes
have been written; not less wonderful
is that in the museum at Naples, found
in a tomb by the blouse of the Mosaic
Columns" at Pompeii, Such marvels
are not to be dealt with In line or
two. Pliny tells of glass statue raised
to Augustus, the size of life; 1t was
dark in color, like obsidian. And he Is
corr borated by Dion Cassius in recit-
ing very curious story. A hapless in.
ventor waited on Tiberius, asking his
patronage for an unbreakable glass
What~was the process we arc not told
but the emperOr-a man of high intelli.
| gence-Was much Interested. Mean
time the legitimate manufacturers be
came alarmed: the goldsmiths support
ed them and they appointed, as we
should say, u dcputation to protest
against the novelty. Tiberius relieved
them at once. After hearing that in
genius person, he had him put to death
forthwith in the interest of trade
ConnoiSseur.