Show venetians first to restore fading sight after visiting the university exhibition in rome with its ita quaint and wag cincent collections says saya a correspond ent of taj baltimore evening sun thero there can remain no doubt in ones mind as to the fact that italy lias has been tho tb 0 mother of spectacles professor Al bertotti a professor at the university of padua and dean 0 of tho the oculists of italy collected a number of ancient and modern books about spectacles and illustrated this valuable material in a creati treatise tre ati which lie he dedicated to senator isidoro isidore del lungo the latter had attributed tho the invention of spectacles for shortsighted short sighted and long sighted persons to the dominican moab fra alessandro della spina salna of plea pisa but professor Alberto whose nu au in this matter Is 13 unchallenged Is of tho the opinion that the glory of first i making spectacles must bo be attributed to venice the homo home of glass and pure crystal from the codex of the ca pito larl della artl artill of the state of venice dated 1201 it Is found that severe penalties were applied to disi dishonest honest eliones t spectacle makers who used elm pie glass instead of pure crystal another document proving the an iniquity of spectacles Is a portrait of cardinal hugh of province painted by thomas of modena in the chapter of st nicholas at treviso in which the cardinal la Is represented as wearing spectacles the minister of education signor signer r fedele edele also lent a rare picture by the umbrian painter niccolo alunno representing the virgin and child with SL jerome who Is reading a look book with a large pair of spectacles across his nose |