420 DOMAIN v. CALCAREOUS. 



Purbeck boasts a marble, of whicbr the shells form 

 grey, blue, and white circles. 



But the marble chiefly used in our ancient ca- 

 thedrals and churches, was that of Petworth in 

 Sussex, which is thus described by Woodward : 

 Petworth. Marble, from Petworth, Sussex. The ground 

 grey, with a cast of green. Tis very thick set in 

 all parts of it with shells, chiefly turbinated. 

 Some of them seem to be of that sort of river shell 

 that Dr. Lister, Hist. Cochlear. Angl. p. 133, 

 calls cochlea maxima , fusca sive nigricans, fas- 

 data. Several of the shells are filled with a 

 white spar, which variegates and adds to the 

 beauty of the stone. That spar was cast in the 

 shell before this was reposited in the mass of 

 marble, as is demonstrable from a view of this and 

 other like masses. Conf. Nat. Hist, of the Earth, 

 part IV. consect 2, p. 181, et seqq. second Edit. 

 This is of about the hardness of the white Ge- 

 noese marble. 



" The slender round scapi of the pillars of the 

 Abbey Church in Westminster, and of the Temple 

 Church, are of this sort of marble. So likewise 

 are those of the Cathedral Church of Salisbury, 

 as I remember ; and my Lord Pembroke assures 

 me positively they are. Some persons that are 

 less skilful in these matters, fancy these scapi, 



