here at home, whereas now they are grown unto
such exquisite cunning that they can in manner imitate by infusion any
form or fashion of cup, dish, salt bowl, or goblet, which is made by
goldsmiths' craft, though they be never so curious, exquisite, and
artificially forged. Such furniture of household of this metal as we
commonly call by the name of _vessel_ is sold usually by the garnish,
which doth contain twelve platters, twelve dishes, twelve saucers, and
those are either of silver fashion or else with broad or narrow brims, and
bought by the pound, which is now valued at six or seven pence, or
peradventure at eight pence. Of porringers, pots, and other like, I speak
not, albeit that in the making of all these things there is such exquisite
diligence used, I mean for the mixture of the metal and true making of
this commodity (by reason of sharp laws provided in that behalf), as the
like is not to be found in any other trade. I have been also informed that
it consisteth of a composition which hath thirty pounds of kettle brass to
a thousand pounds of tin, whereunto they add three or four pounds of
tin-glass; but as too much of this doth make the stuff brickle, so the
more the brass be, the better is the pewter, and more profitable unto him
that doth buy and purchase the same. But to proceed.

In some places beyond the sea a garnish of good flat English pewter of an
ordinary making (I say flat, because dishes and platters in my time begin
to be made deep like basins, and are indeed more convenient both for
sauce, broth, and keeping the meat warm) is esteemed almost so precious as
the like number of vessels that are made of fine silver, and in manner no
less desired amongst the great estates, whose workmen are nothing so
skilful in that trade as ours, neither their metal so good, nor plenty so
great, as we have here in England. The Romans made excellent
looking-glasses of our English tin, howbeit our workmen were not then so
exquisite in that feat as the Brundusians, wherefore the wrought metal was
carried over unto them by way of merchandise, and very highly were those
glasses esteemed of till silver came generally in place, which in the end
brought the tin into such contempt that in manner every dishwasher refused
to look in other than silver glasses for the attiring of her head. Howbeit
the making of silver glasses had been in use before Britain was known unto
the Romans, for I read that one Praxiteles devised them in