Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/41

 Days. This Property it was much famed for, and all the ancient Naturalits mention it: But the other, of turning into Stone Things put into Veels of it, has been recorded only by this Author and Mutianus, from whom Pliny has copied it; and from him ome few only of the later Naturalits. The Account Mutianus gives of it is, that it converted into Stone the Shoes of Perons buried in it, as alo the Utenils, which it was in ome Places cutomary to bury with the Body; particularly thoe the Perons while living had mot delighted in. The Utenils he mentions. are uch as mut have been made of many different Materials; whence it appears, that this Stone had a Power of conuming only Fleh; but that its petrifying Quality extended to Subtances of very different Kinds. Whether it really poeed this lat Quality, or not, has been much doubted; and many have been afraid, from its uppoed Improbability, to record it. What has much encouraged a Dibelief of it is Mutianus's Account of its thus taking Place on Subjects of different Kinds and Textures: But this, in my Opinion, is no Objection at all, and the whole Account, very probably, true. Petrifactions, in thoe early Days, might not be ditinguihed from Incrutations of parry or tony Matter; as even, with many People; they are not to this Day; the Incrutations of Spar on Mos and other Subtances, in ome Springs, being yet called by many petrified Mos, &c. and thee might eaily be formed upon Subtances encloed in Veels, made of this Stone, by Water; if the Situation was in the Way of its paing through the Pores, dilodging from the common Matter of the Stone, and carrying with it parry or other uch Particles, and afterwards leaving them, in Form of Incrutations, on whatever it found in its Way. By this Means Things made of Subtances of ever o different Natures and Textures, which happened to be encloed, and in the Way of the Paage of the Water, would be equally incruted with, and in Appearance, or converting wholly into Stone, whatever is put into Veels made of them. Others have an attractive Quality; and others erve for the Trial of Metals, as that called the Heraclian, or Lydian Stone.