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XIV. And to ſome indeed through whole Countries; from which Quarries of them have obtained their Names; as the Parian, the Pentelican, the Chian, and the Theban[1].
- ↑ The Author here gives an Account of the various Kinds of Marble and Alabaſter known in his Time; and even ſo early as that, we find the Parian familiarly known, and, as may very rationally be gueſſed from its being named before all the other Kinds, moſt eſteemed of any. This was originally dug only in the Iſland of Paros, and the Strata of it were always found ſo cracked, that it was ſcarce ever to be had in Pieces of more than about five Feet long; ſo that the fineſt Blocks of it only juſt ſerved for Statues of a natural Size: they were extremely valued for the Elegance of their Colour, and the excellent Poliſh they would take.
A Marble of this Kind, but perhaps not exactly the ſame with this of the Ancients, is now dug in many Parts of Italy; and much eſteemed for the ſame Qualities.
The Pentelican, the Kind he next mentions, is now wholly unknown, and has been ſo for many Ages.
The Chian was a dead black Marble, ſo named from the Iſland of Chios, where it was dug; ſomething of the Kind of the Lapis Obſidianus of Æthiopia, and, like it, in fome Degree tranſparent.
The Theban is a Marble well known to this Time; it is red, variegated with other Colours, and is of two Kinds: The one ſofter, 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 elſewhere, are of this Marble.
The Alabaſter is the Alabaſtrites, 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 ſofter. The Alabaſtrum and Alabaſtrites of Naturaliſts, though by ſome eſteemed ſynonymous Terms,
the reſt of the Sentence, clearly refer to what I have obſerved the Author to have ſaid before, Page 20, and of which this is no more than a Recapitulation, in its proper Place.
