In the middle of the roof was fixed a ring of massive
gold, as thick as my clenched fist. Three chains
somewhat less, most curiously wrought, hung about
two feet and a half below it, and in a triangle supported
a round plate of fine gold whose diameter or breadth
did not exceed two cubits and half a span. There
were four holes in it, in each of which an empty ball
was fastened, hollow within, and open o’ top,
like a little lamp; its circumference about two hands’
breadth. Each ball was of precious stone; one
an amethyst, another an African carbuncle, the third
an opal, and the fourth an anthracites. They
were full of burning water five times distilled in
a serpentine limbec, and inconsumptible, like the oil
formerly put into Pallas’ golden lamp at Acropolis
of Athens by Callimachus. In each of them was
a flaming wick, partly of asbestine flax, as of old
in the temple of Jupiter Ammon, such as those which
Cleombrotus, a most studious philosopher, saw, and
partly of Carpasian flax (Ozell’s correction.
Motteux reads, ’which Cleombrotus, a most studious
philosopher, and Pandelinus of Carpasium had, which
were,’ &c.), which were rather renewed than
consumed by the fire.
About two foot and a half below that gold plate, the
three chains were fastened to three handles that were
fixed to a large round lamp of most pure crystal,
whose diameter was a cubit and a half, and opened about
two hands’ breadths o’ top; by which open
place a vessel of the same crystal, shaped somewhat
like the lower part of a gourd-like limbec, or an urinal,
was put at the bottom of the great lamp, with such
a quantity of the afore-mentioned burning water, that
the flame of the asbestine wick reached the centre
of the great lamp. This made all its spherical
body seem to burn and be in a flame, because the fire
was just at the centre and middle point, so that it
was not more easy to fix the eye on it than on the
disc of the sun, the matter being wonderfully bright
and shining, and the work most transparent and dazzling
by the reflection of the various colours of the precious
stones whereof the four small lamps above the main
lamp were made, and their lustre was still variously
glittering all over the temple. Then this wandering
light being darted on the polished marble and agate
with which all the inside of the temple was pargetted,
our eyes were entertained with a sight of all the
admirable colours which the rainbow can boast when
the sun darts his fiery rays on some dropping clouds.
The design of the lamp was admirable in itself, but,
in my opinion, what added much to the beauty of the
whole, was that round the body of the crystal lamp
there was carved in cataglyphic work a lively and pleasant
battle of naked boys, mounted on little hobby-horses,
with little whirligig lances and shields that seemed
made of vine-branches with grapes on them; their postures
generally were very different, and their childish strife
and motions were so ingeniously expressed that art
equalled nature in every proportion and action.
Neither did this seem engraved, but rather hewed
out and embossed in relief, or at least like grotesque,
which, by the artist’s skill, has the appearance
of the roundness of the object it represents.
This was partly the effect of the various and most
charming light, which, flowing out of the lamp, filled
the carved places with its glorious rays.
