262
MILLS.
In addition to the preparation of fine meal, by Abraham,'for his divine guests, formerly mentioned, we may add thatit certainly does appear in a subsequent text, 1 * * that mannawas ground like corn. The earliest instrument for thispurpose appears to have been the mortar, which was re-tained long after the introduction of mills, properly socalled: because they were most probably, at first, veryimperfect. J In process of time the mortar was made ridged,and the pestle notched at the bottom; by which means thegrain was rather grated than pounded.
A passage in Pliny , 4 which has not yet had a satisfactoryinterpretation, renders this conjecture probable. In time,a handle was added to the top pestle, that it might be moreeasily driven round in a circle, when this machine, at firstcalled mortarium, by this means assumed the name of ahand-mill. Such a mill was called by the name formerlygiven, meta, or mala trusatilis, versatilis, manuaria , 5 6 fromrubbing backwards and forwards; and varied but little fromthose used by our colour-grinders,' apothecaries, potters,and other artisans. From expressions in the sacred volumewe may rationally infer, that it was customary to have a millof this sort in every family: Moses having forbidden to takesuch instruments for a pledge ; for that, says be, “No man“ shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge :“ for he taketh a man’s life to pledge.” 7 It is observed byMichaelis, on this passage, that a man could not then grind,consequently could not bake the necessary daily bread forhis family.
1 Genesis, ch. xviii. v. 6. * Numbers, ch. xi. v. 8.
3 *0X/u*v f4tf Tpwbt* Tafxvtiv, impcv it —Hesiod. Opera et Dies , 421.
Mortarium quidem tripedale seca , pistillum vero tricubitale.
It, therefore, appears that both the mortar and pestle were then made of wood, andthat the former was three feet high; although it is not expressly said, that thismortar was for the purpose of pounding corn. The mortar was called ixptt;, pila}the pestle, iiweptc or iwipcr, pistiUus or pistillum ; to pound, ptto-etif, pinsere, whichword as well as pinsor, was retained afterwards, when mills came into regular use.Serous ad Virg. JEn. i. 179. Majores molaruro u*ura non habebant. Fruraentatorrebant, et ea in pilas missa pinsebant, et hoc erat genus molendi. Unde etpinsores dicti sunt, qui nunc pistores vocantur. Plin. lib. xviii. c. 3.
4 Pistura non omnium facilis; quippe Etruria spicam farris tosti, pisente pilopraeferrato, fistula serrata et Stella jntus denticuiata, ut nisi intenti pisant, conci-dantur grana, ferrumquc frangatur. Major pars Italiae ruido utitur pilo. Plin*xviii; 10. ii. p. Ill ; which passage Gesner has endeavoured to elucidate in hisIndex to the Scriptores rei rustic <r, p. 59.
5 Plautus ob quxrendum victum ad circumagendas molas qose trusadles ap-pellantur, operara pistori locasset. Gellius , iii. c. 3.
6 Consult Harfung {Sprengels) Handwerkc und KunsU, xiii. p. 125. plate 4,fig. 12, and WaUerius, Physische chemie, i. p. 62.