ITALY. LETTER VIII. IOI 



makes it appear, countenances the fame opinion. 

 It has been already fpoken of and defcribed by 

 the learned P. Jacquier delli Minimi alia Trinita di 

 tnonte in a periodical paper, and by P. For 't is in 

 his Saggffopra rifola di Cherfo ed Of era. 



The flone and marble cutters at Rome imitate, 

 in marble, fruit, eggs, and fuch things, which 

 are to be had al Corfo. They give, by maceration 

 and coloured acids, to the white marble, a red, 

 yellow, blue, and green colour, which penetrates 

 and foaks pretty deep into its fubftance. 



In the fame ftreet are fold imitations of cameo's, 

 cut in thick fea-fhells. The ground is commonly 

 blue or reddifh ; the relievo white. Fine im- 

 preffions in red fulphur fell for five bajocchi 

 apiece. 



The old Mofaic-works, imitating Nature by a 

 compofition of fquare ftones, are done at Rome 

 in a high degree of perfection ; they at prefent 

 commonly employ only artificial ones, which for 

 the moft part are manufactured at Venice, in a 

 variety of about a thoufand colours. Thek frttta's 

 or artificial flones are firft cut with a diamond, 

 and then with a convenient iron hammer broken 

 into cubes 5 which, according to their bignefs and 

 colour, are feparated in different chefts and drawers, 

 and kept for ufe. The fixing and compofing them 

 H 3 is 



