infidels long time before there was any king in Israel. It
came to pass also, as a certain merchant sailed that way, loaden with
nitrum, the passengers went to land for to repose themselves, and to take
in some store of fresh water into their vessel. Being also on the shore,
they kindled a fire and made provision for their dinner, but (because they
wanted trevets or stones whereon to set their kettles on) ran by chance
into the ship, and brought great pieces of nitrum with them, which served
their turn for that present. To be short, the said substance being hot,
and beginning to melt, it mixed by chance with the gravel that lay under
it, and so brought forth that shining substance which now is called glass,
and about the time of Semiramis. When the company saw this, they made no
small accompt of their success, and forthwith began to practise the like
in other mixtures, whereby great variety of the said stuff did also ensue.
Certes for the time this history may well be true, for I read of glass in
Job; but, for the rest, I refer me to the common opinion conceived by
writers. Now, to turn again to our windows. Heretofore also the houses of
our princes and noblemen were often glazed with beryl (an example whereof
is yet to be seen in Sudeley Castle) and in divers other places with fine
crystal, but this especially in the time of the Romans, whereof also some
fragments have been taken up in old ruins. But now these are not in use,
so that only the clearest glass is most esteemed: for we have divers
sorts, some brought out of Burgundy, some out of Normandy, much out of
Flanders, beside that which is made in England, which would be so good as
the best if we were diligent and careful to bestow more cost upon it, and
yet as it is each one that may will have it for his building. Moreover the
mansion houses of our country towns and villages (which in champaign
ground stand altogether by streets, and joining one to another, but in
woodland soils dispersed here and there, each one upon the several grounds
of their owners) are builded in such sort generally as that they have
neither dairy, stable, nor brew-house annexed unto them under the same
roof (as in many places beyond the sea and some of the north parts of our
country), but all separate from the first, and one of them from another.
And yet, for all this, they are not so far distant in sunder but that the
goodman lying in his bed may lightly hear what is done in each of them
wit