Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/51

 XIV. And to ome indeed through whole Countries; from which Quarries of them have obtained their Names; as the Parian, the Pentelican, the Chian, and the Theban The Author here gives an Account of the various Kinds of Marble and Alabater known in his Time; and even o early as that, we find the Parian familiarly known, and, as may very rationally be gueed from its being named before all the other Kinds, mot eteemed of any. This was originally dug only in the Iland of Paros, and the Strata of it were always found o cracked, that it was carce ever to be had in Pieces of more than about five Feet long; o that the finet Blocks of it only jut erved for Statues of a natural Size: they were extremely valued for the Elegance of their Colour, and the excellent Polih they would take.

A Marble of this Kind, but perhaps not exactly the ame with this of the Ancients, is now dug in many Parts of Italy; and much eteemed for the ame Qualities.

The Pentelican, the Kind he next mentions, is now wholly unknown, and has been o for many Ages.

The Chian was a dead black Marble, o named from the Iland of Chios, where it was dug; omething of the Kind of the Lapis Obidianus of Æthiopia, and, like it, in fome Degree tranparent.

The Theban is a Marble well known to this Time; it is red, variegated with other Colours, and is of two Kinds: The one ofter, and marked only with yellow; which is the Brocatello of the modern Italians; the other extremely hard and variegated with Black, White, and many other Colours: This is the Pyrrhopæcilus and Syenites of Pliny, and the Granate of the Moderns. Many of the Works of the Ancients in Greece, Italy, and elewhere, are of this Marble.

The Alabater is the Alabatrites, Boet. 490. De Laet. 166. Worm. 42. Matthiol. 1386. It is a well known Stone, white, and approaching to the Nature of Marble, but much ofter. The Alabatrum and Alabatrites of Naturalits, though by ome eteemed ynonymous Terms,.