MODE X, ALABASTER. 501 



nitrous acid; it loses its transparency, its lustre, 

 and solidity, when exposed to fire; that is to 

 say, that it changes into plaster. 



" It is so soft as to be marked with the nail, 

 and yet it takes a pretty fine polish ; but it is 

 true that the least friction will destroy it. 



" It is never decked with lively colours; 

 milk-white is its colour by excellence. 



" Its transparency is sensible, even through 

 thick plates. 



" In short, its fracture or internal aspect va- 

 ries much ; sometimes it presents a crystalline 

 and bright tissue, sometimes only a laminar con- 

 texture, or at other times only a dull and com- 

 pact surface. 



" As gypsous alabaster is much oftener white 

 than calcareous alabaster, it is to that kind that 

 the old proverb should be applied of white as 

 alabaster."* 



He informs us that the statues of the superb Monuments. 

 mausoleum of the Constable Lesdiguieres, in the 

 cathedral of Gap, are of gypsous alabaster, from 

 Boscadon, near Embrun, in the department of 

 the Upper Alps. It is probable that those in 

 the English cathedrals, generally executed by 

 foreign artists, are of Italian alabaster. The 



P. 468. 



