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by the jewellers into brilliants and rose diamonds ; the formerare first noticed about the year 1650, and are considered byfar the most valuable.

In 1564 Clement Beragne engraved on a diamond the por-trait of Don Carlos, the unfortunate son of Philip II., of Spain .

The first mention of a diamond being used for writing onglass occurs in the sixteenth century, when Francis I. ofFrance, in 1527, wrote some lines with a diamond ring upona pane of glass, at the castle of Chamboud, in order to letAnn of Pisseleau, Duchess of Estampes, know he was jea-lous. The glaziers were accustomed to use emery, sharp-pointed steel, and a red-hot iron, for the purpose of cuttingglass.

The largest diamond recorded was one belonging to theGreat Mogul, dug from the Golconda mines in 1550, andweighing two hundred and ninety-seven carats, which, if cut,would be worth a6622,738.

DICE are said to have been invented by Palamedes , the-son of Naupleus, King of Euboea , for the amusement of theofficers and soldiers during the siege of Troy; but Herodotus assigns the invention of both dice and chess to the Lydians,a people of Asia , in the reign of Atys. Various kinds of dice,similar to ours, were discovered at Herculaneum . The Romanswere acquainted with the secret of cogging dice. In the middleages the dice were spotted with gold and silver. Our kingswere partial to gaming with dice. Hazard, the alea of Sue­ tonius , is a very ancient game. Raffling with dice is also ofgreat antiquity.

The dice-box, the fritillia of the Romans, was made in the-shape of a funnel, the interior being fluted, to agitate the diceand prevent false throws.

DICTIONARY. The oldest Latin Dictionary was com-piled by Solomon, bishop of Constance, about the year 1410.