Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/81

 Amber, and in Elis, in the Way to Olympias over the Mountains. Thee are ued by the Smiths The Subtance here decribed, whatever Mitakes there have been among Authors ince about it, appears to me to be evidently no other than the common Pit Coal; and I have made it appear as clearly o in the Tranlation, only by having properly rendered the Word, the carelesly miunderftanding which Word alone has been the Occaion of all the erroneous Guees about the Subtance here decribed. The Authors of thee eem all to have undertood the Word, as ignifying Foile or Pit Coal; and therefore, as the Author compares the burning of this Subtance to that; they were neceitated to think of ome other Subtance that he might here mean; as it was impoible he hould intend to compare a Thing to itelf.

Wormius, on this Foundation, imagined, that he meant the Cannel Coal: ''Quod Galenus vocat Ampelitidem, &c. Theophratus Carbones vocat, quod eorum colorem habeat, & vices gerat. Thus is Theophratus, according to Cutom, accued of aying Things he never meant; becaue the People who quote him have not been at the Pains to undertand him:, is evidently, they kindle and burn like Wood Coals, or, as we call it, Charcoal; for that is the genuine and determinate Sene of the Word in Greek, and Carbo in Latin; as is evident from the other Works of this Author, Pliny'', and all the other old Naturalits. Even the more correct of the. Moderns, when they would expres what we call Pit Coal, the Subtance here decribed by the Author, never ue the Words or Carbo alone, but always Carbo foilis, and. See Woodward, Charlton, Merret, &c. The imilar Ue of this Bitumen got it the Name of Coal, but always with an Addition that ditinguihed it from what was more commonly and properly o called; and expreed its not being of vegetable, but foile Origin. .