MODE I. MARBLE. 581 



appearance; while those witjj a dull earthy frac- 

 ture were regarded as secondary. But Brard 

 has well observed, that a true white saline sta- 

 tuary marble, presenting every character of the 

 primitive, may be of very recent formation, as 

 appears from the constant depositions of the 

 waters of St. Philip, in Tuscany, and of several 

 other regions. Marbles of an earthy fracture 

 have been found even among those esteemed the 

 most primitive of the Alps. 



Marble is distinguished from limestone by 

 superior weight, and by superior hardness and 

 compactness, so that it assumes a brighter po- 

 lish. But many of the alabasters will scratch 

 marble, being of course of a still harder nature. 



While the Egyptians often employed the eter- Use in 



OJ r architecture. 



nal granite, the Greek and Roman architects, 

 who required greater roundness and softness 

 of forms, chiefly used marble, as more easily 

 wrought, and likewise more abundant in their 

 countries. Nor does its duration seem much 

 inferior to that of granite, or porphyry, when 

 sufficiently pure and unmixed with argil; for 

 not to mention the beautiful statues (which are 

 often under shelter), ancient temples have suf- 

 fered more from the hand of bigotry or bar- 

 barism than from the lapse of time. Marble is 

 however exposed to accidents which could not 



