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England for the first time.” It does not, however, appear that glass wasused in domestic structures until many centuries afterwards.

The poets speak of berril and crystal in windows :

“ gtntr al tfoe formtfofocs an 1 * rrf) fcnestrallbrought foerc fnttf) berjill anti of dm (install.”

Lydgate’s Troy.

These, it is presumed, could have been nothing more than green andwhite glass; but Harrison asserts, that there were windows filled withberril at Sudley Castle within his remembrance. He was so close andcorrect an observer, that one knows not how to doubt him; while, onthe other hand, the application of a precious substance — even if it weresufficiently transparent—to such purposes is barely reconcilable withcredibility, seeing that painted glass was general in churches and monas-teries at an earlier period.

But all the writers who have touched upon the subject agree thatthis material was exceedingly scarce down even to the reign of Eliza-beth. Warton mentions a hall near Brazen-nose College, Oxford, named“ Glazen-hall,” from having glass windows, — then so rare. And inthe Northumberland Household-Book, we find, that in 1567, on a surveyof Alnwick Castle , the surveyors report, “ y* were good the wholeleights of eviry windowe at the departure of his lordshippe, from lyingeat any of his castels and houses, and douring the time of his lordshippe’sabsence, or others lying in them, were taken downe and lade upe insafety; as the decaye therof shall be verie costlie, and chargeable to berepayred.”

The eccentric contrivances of horn, lattice of wicker, and rifts ofoak, in lieu of glass, are quaintly described by Harrison.

A tolerably correct knowledge of the materials in use, their prices,