workmen and the
clay, but he even sent forth the edict that no Jew in his kingdom
should marry until he had purchased an entire supply of porcelain from
the Royal factories. As most of the Jews were rich this law assured
their master a wide sale for his product. That they did not wish to
spend all this money for china and resented the order troubled him not
at all. Most of these unlucky Jews bought their expensive porcelain
sets only to sell them afterward to other customers, and thus get them
off their hands. In this way much of the early Berlin Dresden ware
found its way into Russia, where rich Russian Jews were glad to buy
it. After repeated improvements the Berlin porcelain came in time to
be as fine as that made originally at Meissen; and not only were the
Meissen works reopened under German patronage, but the State also
established another factory at Charlottenberg.

"Now, do not forget, Theo, that all this early Meissen or Dresden
porcelain, as well as that eventually manufactured at Berlin, was made
from hard paste, or a combination of clays resulting in what we call
true porcelain. Later on I shall tell you much about soft paste wares,
and about bone china. None of those varieties, however, ranks as real
porcelain. Remember that only the hard paste products are genuine."
Mr. Croyden paused a moment, then added: "And while we are speaking
of this period in history you may perhaps be interested to know that
it was a workman who escaped from Meissen into Austria who started in
Vienna the art of making porcelain from hard paste."

"True porcelain," remarked Theo, who had profited by his lesson.

"Just so, son. Work in porcelain-making had been going on in Austria
since about 1717; but it had been done in a small way by private
individuals, who had only small capital to put into it, and who had
met with little success because the ware they had turned out had been
thick and muddy in appearance. In 1744 the Empress Maria Theresa
purchased these works, and from that time on they began to
prosper. You see, the monarchs of those days could make almost any
industry a success if they once set out to do so. Not only had they
the capital to back their undertaking but they could compel their
subjects to patronize the venture."

Theo laughed. "I see."

"Therefore by 1785 the Empress's china factory was a very busy place
which was supplying with porcelain not only Austria, but also
Turkey. In 1796 Lamprecht, one of the le