Greenwell had a celt from Yorkshire, which was used by a shoe-maker for smoothing down the seams he made in leather. The old English name for the smooth stones used for such purposes is "slickstone." In the "Promptorium Parvulorum,"[1] written in the fifteenth century, a slekystōn or slekenstone is translated, linitorium, lucibriunculum, licinitorium—terms unknown to classical Latinity. Mr. Albert Way, in a note on the word, after giving its various forms as slyke-stone, sleght-stone, sleeke-stone, &c., remarks, " In former times, polished stones, implements in form of a muller, were used to smooth linen,[2] paper, and the like, and likewise for the operation termed calendering. Gautier de Bibelesworth says,—
"Et priez la dame qe ta koyfe luche (slike)
De sa luchiere (slikingston) sur la huche."
In directions for making buckram, &c., and for starching cloth, (Sloane MS., 3548, f. 102), the finishing process is as follows: 'Cum lapide slycstone levifica.'" "She that hath no glasse to dresse her head will use a bowle of water, she that wanteth a sleeke stone to smooth her linnen will take a pebble."[3]
"Slickstones occur in the Tables of Custom-House Rates on Imports, 2 James I., and about that period large stones inscribed with texts of Scripture were occasionally thus used. (See "Whitaker, 'Hist, of Craven,'[4] p. 401, n.) There was a specimen in the Leverian Museum. Bishop Kennett, in his 'Glossarial Collections,' s.v. 'Slade,' alludes to the use of such an appliance 'to sleek clothes with a sleekstone.' " Cotgrave, in his French Dictionary, translates calendrine or pierre calendrine, as a sleekstone; and under the word "lisse" makes mention of "a rowler of massive glasse wherewith curriers do sleeke and gloss their leather." This, probably, was a substitute for a more ancient instrument of stone. Sir Thomas Browne mentions slickstones among electric bodies, and implies that in his time they were of glass. "Glass attracts but weakly though clear; some slickstones and thick glasses indifferently."[5]
I have two or three specimens of glass slickstones, which in form resemble mushrooms. The lenticular part is usually about 5 inches in diameter, and its rounded surface was used for
