Numerous preparations of glass, in vases, drinking-cups, and other utensils, have been found; but the most curious discovery connected with this subject is, that in the first century the Romans were incontestably acquainted with the use Of glass for windows. The fast distinct testimony to this effect is that of Lactantius, about the end of the third century, who speaks of windows fitted with shining glass, or talc : and as neither Pliny nor Seneca, who both speak of windows, mention their being composed of the former material, a natural conclusion has been drawn that as yet it had not been applied to that purpose. Pliny's omission is the more remarkable, because he speaks at length of the qualities of glass and of the construction of windows. The invention of transparent windows, of whatever materials, is inferred, from a passage of Seneca, not to have been earlier than the Christian era. Before this time thin hides, prepared perhaps like parchment, are mentioned as having been employed, and probably plates of horn, of which Pliny speaks as though they were made into lanterns. Such imperfect contrivances probably were only brought into use when inclement weather rendered some protection necessary: and the poor must have been contented with curtains or shutters. The transparency of talc, and the readiness with which it splits into the thinnest laminae, naturally suggested to some ingenious person the idea of framing it, and thus at pleasure entirely excluding the air; and hence its name of lapis specularis : for it seems much more reasonable to conclude that specularis is derived from the general term specular, a window, than that whenever the word specular is used, it is to be understood as glazed with the lapis specularis, as some authors have thought. Another stone employed for the same purpose was called phengites, (from light.) Pliny's account of these two substances runs as follows :-

" As touching talc, it is by nature easy to be cloven into as thin flakes as a man will. This kind of glass stone the hither part of Spain only in old time did afford us, and the same not all throughout, but within the compass of a hundred miles, namely, about the city Segobrica; but in these we, have it from Cyprus, Cappadocia, and Sicily, and of late it has been found in Barbary : howbeit the best glass stone cometh from Spain and Cappadocia, for it is the tenderest, and carrieth the largest panels, although they be not altogether the clearest, but somewhat duskish. There be also of them in Italy, about Bologna : but the same be short and small, full of spots also, and joined to pieces of flint; and yet, it seemeth that in nature they be much like unto those that in Spain be digged out of pits, which they sink to a great depth. Moreover, there is found of this talc, enclosed in a rock, and lying under the ground, which must be hewed out if a man would have them. But for the most part it lieth in manner of a vein in the mine by itself, as if it were perfectly cut already by nature; and yet was there never any piece known to be above five foot long. Some are of opinion that it is a liquid humour of the earth congealed to an ice, after the manner of crystal. Certes, that it groweth hard into the nature of a stone, may appear evidently by this : that when any wild beasts are chanced to fall into such pits where this glass stone is gotten, the very marrow of their bones (after one winter) will be converted and turned into a stony substance like to the talc itself. Otherwhiles there is found of this kind which is black; but the white is of a strange and wonderful nature, for being (as it is well known) tender and brittle, nothing more, yet it will endure extreme heats and frozen cold, and never crack; nay, you shall never see it decay for age, keep it so long as you will, so that it may escape outward injuries : notwithstanding we do see many stones in building laid with strong mortar and cement, yet subject to age. There hath been devised also another use of talc, namely, to strew with powder of it the floor of the great circus in Rome during the running of chariots and other feats of activity there performed, to the end that their whiteness might give a more lovely gloss to commend the place. In the days of Nero, late emperor, there was found in Cappadocia a stone as hard as marble, white and transparent, even where it is marked with certain tawny streaks or spots : in which regard, for that it is so resplendent, it bath found a name to be called phengites. Of this stone the said emperor caused the Temple of Fortune to be built, called Seia (which King Servius had first dedicated), comprised within the compass of Nero's golden house : and therefore when the doors were shut it was in the interior as light as day; yet so as if all the light were enclosed within it, and not let in from the air through the windows. Moreover, King Juba writeth, that in Arabia there is a certain stone found, transparent like glass, whereof the inhabitants of those parts do make their mirrors or looking-glasses."

Pliny speaks of vitreoe cameroe glassy chambers, an expression the exact meaning of which is doubtful; but is in general understood to mean rooms lined or wainscoted with glass. We have met with a passage which, if the facts contained in it were more certainly related, would go far to decide the question; and vague as the information is, it is still worth extracting. " I received a letter from my learned correspondent at Rome, Abate Venuti, dated Dec. 30th, 1759, wherein he informs me that he had lately read in some anecdotes of Cardinal Maximin, I that as they were digging on the ruins on Mount Coelius in the last century, they found a room belonging to an antique dwelling-house, that had all its sides within ornamented with plates of glass, some of them tinged with various colours, others of their own natural hue, which was dusky, occasioned by the thickness of the mass of which they consisted. There were likewise in the same apartment window-frames composed of marble, and glazed with laming of glass.' But as the Abate did not take upon himself to ascertain the real age of this building, I shall not pretend to lay any greater stress on this discovery than I did on the observation for the sake of which I produced it, for proving the point I had then in view, viz., that the usage of glass for windows was probably nearly of the same antiquity with that of adorning houses with it."

Doric Capital, cut in tufa and covered with coloured stucco. The stucco having partially fallen, the carving beneath it is shown.