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THere are three kinds of stones that will run in a burning furnace. The one is like to transparent Jewels. It hath their colour, but is not so hard. Of this kind is Alabandicus, which melts in the fire, and is melted for glasse; The second kind is not much unlike it, but hath not so many colours, the third kind is lapis Vitrarius. This hath
its proper Veins also. At A••nebe••gum, in a Silver Mine it was found in the forme of a Crosse; at Priberg like to an Ape; pieces of it are found also out of the Earth: but by the running of the waters, they are polished by rubbing against some stones of their own, or of some other kind. The white stone is burnt, beaten to powder, searsed; of that they make sand, of these they blow glasses. The River Belu•• at the foot of the Mount Carmel, rising in Phoenicia, between the Colo∣ney of Ptolemais and the City Tyre, brings those kind of Sands fit for glasse to the Sea side, which being tumbled with the Waves of the Sea, shine, their foulness being washed off. Plin. l. 6. c. 26. The report is that a ship came loaded with Nitre, the Merchants provid∣ed their Victualls as they were dispersed here and there on the Sea shore, and when they found no stones to make them Tables of, these took fire, and the Sea shore••sand mingled with them, thence those transparent Rivers of this noble liquor began to run; and this was the beginning of Glasse. But we must not think that Glasse is made of this Sand only. To three parts of that they add one part of Nitre, and of these melted cometh Amm••-••itre. If Nitre be wanting, mi∣neral salt will supply the defect. If this, then either Sea salt, or the Ashes of the hearb Anthyllis burnt. But when that the matter of glasse melts in the fire, it froths, and the froth is taken off with a drag: when they are forthwith hardned, they are made into white loafs, in which there is a mixt tast more salt than bitter. Men re∣port that in Tiberius's days, there was a way invented to make glasse malleable, and that his whole shop was ruin'd, that the price of Gold, Silver, Brasse and other mettles should not be brought down; but the fame of it is more constant than certain. In our time, espe∣cially at Venice, is glasse of high esteem; we have seen some that have framed divers works of it, as bright as a Candle. When Nero raigned, by the art of making glasse, was found out to make small Cups with two ears, they called them Pinnati or Pterota: one of them was sold for 6000 Denarit. I referre the lapides speculares to these, because they were of a bright substance, as Basilius writes, it was transparent like the Ayre. The Antients used it for Windows, as we do glasse. Nero made a Temple for Fortune of these stones, so that whosoever stood without was seen, though the dores were shut, the light appeared though not sent through. Pancirolla, l. 1. de veter. deperd.