CHAP. V.

TRECIOUS METALS.

153

gold, was imitated in Rome in wood; but, asAthenaeus 1 says, had feet of gold. These lecticm,or sedan chairs became at length so common,that Crnsar prohibited the use of them except topersons of a certain age or rank, and on certaindays 2 . The bits of the horses’ bridles and thecollars on their necks were of gold; and thecovering for their backs (strata) were adornedwith gold and purple 3 . Their carriages wereornamented with decorations of precious stonesas well as of gold and silver.

The art of enamelling, though it was knownin the time of Pliny , seems to have made butlittle progress 4 . The operation is described bythat writer in the following words. “ The an-cients contrived to paint silver, that in drinkingthey might be more devout from seeing theirdeities painted in their cups. This fashion isbecome so prevalent that even the statues whichare carried in the triumphs are scarcely valuedunless they are enamelled and painted black ;and it is really surprising to think how muchmore valuable they are considered when thenatural brilliancy of the metal is hidden andextinguished by such painting 5 .” From thedescription given by our author of the mode ofpreparing the enamel, it seems clear that no

1 Athenseus, v. 10. 2 Suetonius Cscs. 43. cl. 28.

3 Virgil, TEneid vii. 279. 4 Pliny , xxxiii. c. 3.

5 Idem, lib. xxxiii. cap. 4.