44 On the Styles of Building- in ancient Italy, and 



ed. This substance is an aqueous deposit, and consists of 

 curved lamellar coats. It is the true calcareous sinter of mi- 

 neralogists, such as is now deposited by the Anio at Tivoli, 

 and called Confetti di Tivoli. The cream-white opaque orien- 

 tal alabaster is most commonly seen, but extremely valued. 1 

 have been surprised to observe in this country a calc sinter 

 found in considerable pieces at the Dropping Well, in York- 

 shire, so extremely beautiful when polished, that it would 

 puzzle an experienced eye to know it from the true oriental. 



The Alabastro Fiorito, or flowery calcareous alabaster, is 

 still more rare and beautiful. It has undulating markings 

 from purplish veins which traverse it. There is a beautiful 

 specimen of this kind cut into a small stag in the Vatican 

 Museum. Four twisted columns of extremely transparent cal- 

 careous alabaster support the high altar of St Mark's at Ve- 

 nice. * 



The " Pietro di Paragone," or Touchstone, stands by it- 

 self amongst the hardest stones, though both Nibby and Fer- 

 ber place it among the marbles. It was the Lydian marble 

 of the ancients, and the true Lydian stone of mineralogists, 

 which is a species of flinty slate of great hardness. It was 

 brought from Lydia ; but Ferber tells us, that a kind exactly 

 similar is found at Bergamo. It is at present in great repute 

 for pillars, &c. The small church of the " Scalzi" at Venice 

 is particularly rich in it. It is often traversed by small veins 

 of quartz. It is perfectly black. 



Of antique porphyries I shall only notice two varieties. The 

 first is the green porphyry, one of the most beautiful of the 

 ornamental stones. It is the "Marmo Lacedemonio" of Nibby, 

 who, as an antiquary, places it among the marbles. His de- 

 cision is well supported by the authority of the classics, who 

 mention its hardness (hie dura Laconum saxa virent," Stat.) ; 

 and its use along with porphyry of a red colour in pavements, 

 which is so universal, (" Stravit et saxis Lacedemoniis ac 



• Nibby does not mention the varieties of alabaster ; he only particu- 

 larizes the Theban, which contained spots of gold. The above remarks 

 are chiefly from my own observation. In the Museum of the University 

 of Edinburgh is a most splendid collection of antique alabasters, collected 

 and presented by the father of the late Earl of Hopetoun. 



4 



