"
"Until now we had not come to that story," replied Mr. Croyden. "But
to-day it chances that that is the very tale I have in mind to tell
you."
Theo rubbed his hands, and with a contented smile settled back against
the pillows prepared to listen.
"As I told you," began Mr. Croyden, "about 1518 Portuguese traders
brought Chinese porcelains into Europe; and following their lead the
Dutch imported the same goods in even greater quantities. Everywhere
people marveled at the beauty of these wares just as you would have
done if up to that time you had never seen anything but crude clay
dishes. The whiteness of the porcelain seemed a miracle, and on every
hand people were eager to make such china themselves. Especially
eager were the rulers of the different European countries, who were
clever enough to see that such production would greatly increase their
national fame and prosperity. Now there chanced to be a Prussian by
the name of Boettger, an alchemist, who because of the wars had fled
for safety to Meissen. He was a man well-versed in the composition of
minerals and chemicals, and in consequence Augustus II, who was at
that time Elector of Saxony, sent for him, and asked him to join his
other skilled chemists, who for a long time had been busy
experimenting with clays in the hope of discovering how the Chinese
made their porcelain.
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