“§ 86. And hath found ways to make an earth _white and transparent as porcellane_, and not distinguishable frome it by the eye, or by experiments that have been purposely made to try wherein they disagree. To this earth he hath added the colours that are usual in the coloured china ware, and divers others not seen before. The skill that hath been wanting to set up a manufacture of this _transparent earthenware_ in England, like that of China, is the glazing of the white earth, which hath much puzzled the projector, but now that difficulty also is in great measure overcome. “§ 87. He hath also caused to be modelled _statues or figures of the said transparent earth_ (a thing not done elsewhere, for China affords us only imperfect mouldings), which he hath diversified with great variety of colours, making them of the colour of iron, copper, brass, and party-colour’d as some Achat-stones. The considerations that induced him to this attempt were the duration of this hard-burnt earth, much above brass or marble, against all air and weather, and the softness of the matter to be modelled, which makes it capable of more curious work than stones that are wrought with chisels, or metals that are cast. In short, he has so advanced the _Art Plastic_ that ’tis dubious whether any man since Prometheus have excelled him, not excepting the famous Damophilus and Gorgasus of Pliny (Nat. Hist., lib. xxxv. c. 12). “§ 88. And these arts he employs about meterials of English growth, and not much applyed to other uses; for instance, he makes the stone bottles of a clay in appearance like to tobacco-pipe clay, which will not make tobacco-pipes, although the tobacco-pipe clay will make bottles; so that that which hath lain buried and useless to the owners may become beneficial to them by reason of this manufacture, and many working hands get good livelihoods, not to speak of the very considerable sums of English coyn annually kept at home by it.” Dwight having patented his discovery of “the mistery of transparent earthenware, commonly known by the names of Porcelaine or China, or Persia ware,” in April, 1671, it is perfectly clear that the discovery must have been made before that time, and that it must have been the result of a long series of patient trials and experiments. Thus, I think, we may safely say that the actual discovery was made some time prior to 1671. In 1684 the patent expired, and a new one granted, in June, for another term of fourteen years--this time the wares and articles being more specifically named. It is as follows:-- “CHARLES THE SECOND, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whom these presents shall come, greeting.