210

COBALT, SMALT, AND ZAFFBR.

deep and velvet-coloured blues upon the wings of thepeacock and butterfly,—that almost inimitable lustre on thegrowing plum, which a touch destroys, called its bloom,—the expanse of the firmament of heaven, See.

The cheaper kind of this material is employed to keepour linen, cottons, Sec. free from that disagreeable yellowtint which they acquire in process of time, whilst under thehands of the laundress.

The preparation of this colour must be reckoned amongthe most beneficial inventions of modern times, from thebenefit society derives from its use and application, as wellas from its affording utility to a heretofore useless mass ofmaterial. It likewise serves for another most valuablepurpose, by furnishing employment for thousands of handsin the mining districts, who would probably be unemployed,and, of course, most likely need the common necessaries oflife.

There can scarcely exist a doubt that the process usedfor these various productions was invented about the latterpart of the fourteenth or the beginning of the fifteenthcentury, although probability is greatly in favour of theancients having discovered this valuable secret, or some equi-valent, extracted from the womb of nature, from the perfectionto which they brought their coloured glass: although it is saidan iron preparation may imitate it; yet this does not seemfully proved. Glass, coloured, perhaps, with this material,cannot be shown in a more resplendent specimen than inthat beautiful remain of antique art in the British Museum ,denominated the Barberini or Portland vase, from itsrespective possessors; the beauty of which is very consi-derably enhanced by the colourless opaque engraving onits exterior surface ; and which afforded the truly ingeniousMr. Wedgewood so excellent a specimen for his delicatelybeautiful imitations of this mode of relief. To digress onemoment, we may be pardoned, when we know the universalattention of a tasteful public, which they evince in an un-common degree of curiosity, to be informed of the subjectmatter of this composition. Many and ingenious are theresult of various researches which have been made bylearned antiquaries of Italy, 1 France , 1 and England, 3 toascertain the subject of representation ; but it should appear,from the report of the trustees of that institution, that allsuch labours have been yet bestowed in vain. However,

* Count de Caylus, &c. 1 Montfauoon, and others.

* An almost infinite number of eminent names.