172 LETTER VII. 



rity; I refer you to the judicious Mijjon Vol. 3*^, 

 p. 320. as follows. The fhining Stones fo generally 

 known under the Name of the Bomnian Stones, 

 are found on the Hill of Paderno^ three miles from 

 the City. Bartkol. Zanicheli is the only Perfon 

 w^ho knows how to prepare them. Thofe who 

 have written, that thefe Stones are fhining with- 

 out being prepared, have not been well informed. 

 They prepare this Phofphorus, if they have a mind 

 in pretty big pieces 3 and they alfo prepare it, 

 after they have pulverized them. I took fome of 

 both ; but this fhining quality wafted by degrees, 

 and fix years afterwards there was none of it left. 

 27. Such alfo is the Mofaic Work with which 

 ^^.J^ark's Church at Venice is fo richly adorned^ and 

 in particular, all the Arched Dome is lined with 

 it, fays M. MiJJo'n^ vol. i. page 240. For want of 

 natural Stones, which woud have been hard to find 

 for fo vaft a work, and would have required an im- 

 menfe time to polifh and prepare ; they v^ere 

 forced to ufePaftes,and Compofitions of Glafs and 

 Enamel melted, and made in a Crucible j this takes 

 a lively and fliining Colour, which never wears, 

 nor ftains. Every piece of the Mofaic work in 

 this Church is a little Cube, which is not above 

 three lines thick, or fometimes four at the moft. 

 All the Field is of mofaic gilded with very bright 

 gold, and incorporated in the Fire, upon the fur- 

 face of one of the Faces of the Square or Cube ; 



and 



