Ancient Lustral Vase.

3S7

Chap. S.J

child’s money box provided with a slit at the top, through which a certainsum was to be put before the donor could receive any of the purifyingcontents. In the vase before us Jive drachma, or about seventy-fivecents, were required, and it will be perceived from the construction of theapparatus that no less sum could procure a drop, although as much moremight be put in as the donor thought proper. aThe device is a very neat specimen of religiousingenuity, and the more so since it required noattending minister to keep it in play. Wemay judge of other apparatus belonging to theold temples by the talent displayed in this. Aportion of the vase is removed in the figure toshow the interior. Near one side is seen acylindrical vessel at A. It is this only thatcontained water. A small tube attached to thebottom is continued through the side of the vaseat 0, where the liquid was discharged. The in-ner orifice of the tube was formed into the seatof a valve, the plug of which was fixed on thelower end of the perpendicular rod, whose up-per end was connected by a bolt to the hori-zontal lever or vibrating beam R. One end ofR is spread out into a flat dish and so arrangedas to receive on its surface every thing dropped' through the slit. Thelever turns on a pin or fulcrum very much like a pump handle, as re-presented. The Operation will now be understood. As the weight ofthe rod kept the valve closed while nothing rested upon the broad end ofthe lever, so no liquid could escape; but if a number of coins of sufflcientweight were dropped through the slit upon the end of R, the valvewould then be opened and a portion of liquid escape at o ;—the quaritityflowing out would however be very small, not only from the contractedbore of the tube, but from the fact that the valve would be open only amoment; for as the lever became inclined from its horizontal position thepieces of money would slide oflT into the mass accumulated at H, and theefflux would as quickly be stopped : the apparatus would then be readyto supply the next customer on the same terms. This certainly was assimple and ingenious a mode of dealing out liquids as it was a profitableone, and after all was not half so demoralizing as the retailing of ardentspirits in modern times.

One would suppose the publication of such ä work as Heron’s Spiri-ialia must have been as distasteful to the occupants of ancient temples,as some of Luther’s writings were to Leo X and his associates of theVatican .

No. 178. Ancient Vase of LustralWater.

IffiSiC

a In spondea, hoc est in vasa sacrificii injecto qüinqne drachmarum numismate aquaad mspergendum effluit. Spiritalia, xxi.