XXII

NOTES ON TIIE

golden chalice of this form was found some years ago at Gourdon, near Chalonsur Saone, France, and larger examples once existed at Monza. Pope Zepliirinus(a.d. 197—217) we are told ordered the use of chalices of glass instead of those ofwood (Platina historia de vitis Pontificum, in vita Zephirini).

A considerable quantity of glass was, however, manufactured for mosaics; ofthese decorations there is a series at Rome, ranging from the time of Constantineuntil after that of Charlemagne, chiefly or entirely composed of glass. Fine examplesof the fifth and sixth centuries exist at Ravenna, and there would seem to be littleground for supposing that the material was imported and not made on the spot.In the eleventh century we find that Desiderius, Abbot of Monte Cassino (afterwardsPope under the name of Victor III.), sent to Constantinople for workers in mosaic ;* * * §this fact, coupled with the absence of mosaics of that period at Rome and else-where in Italy, excepting Venice, indicates that the manufacture had been discon-tinued.

The making of glass for windows was, it would appear, continued throughoutthe dark and middle ages; its use for this purpose is alluded to by Lactantius'j* inthe fourth century, St. Jerome J early in the fifth, and Gregory of Tours § and Fortu-natus|| in the sixth. Isidore^) writing circa 600, when mentioning glass, says, “nequeest alia speculis aptior materia.” About 675, Benedict Biscop procured from Franceworkmen to manufacture glass for the church of the monastery at Wcarmouth.**In 677, according to Filiasi,'ft many Greek workmen went to France for tire pur-pose of working' in glass. Anastasius tells us that Pope Leo III. adorned thechurches of St. Peter and St. John Lateran with glass of various colours; this wasbetween the years 795 and 816, and is the earliest notice of the use of colouredglass in windows which has been met with; it is, however, not at all improbablethat it may have been used at a much earlier time.

Drinking vessels of glass are found in the graves of the pagan Saxons inEngland, and exactly similar objects are found in Normandy and in the neighbour-hood of the Rhine, but the place where these were manufactured has not beenascertained; they are composed of glass made without lead and of a horn-likeappearance, and are blown very thin. Occasionally the vessels have a number oflobes attached to the exterior, giving them a very singular appearance. Adamnanin his life of Columba (Lib. ii. cap. 32), tells a story from which it would appearthat the northern Piets were also in the habit of using drinking cups of glass.One peculiarity to be noticed in most of the cups is, that their bases are either

* Leo Ostiensis, Lib. iii. cap. 28.

f Be Opificio Bei, cap. 8.

j Comm, on Ezekiel, chap. xli. y. 16. Apud Ducange, art. Vitrece.

§ Ilist. Franc., Lib. vi. c. 10.

|1 Carm. 1.

Origines, Lib. xvi. cap. 15.

Abbat. IViremuth.

Baggio suU’ antico commereio, etc., p. 184, n.

Liber Pontijicalis.