174 LETTER VII. 



is full as fine as the beft poHflied Black Marble, 

 The Face of the Table is ornamented with a 

 Gold-Finch, and another Bird in extreamly natu* 

 ral Colours, with Butterflies, Tulips, and feveral 

 other Flowers in their natural Colours, and with 

 Wreaths of white Foliages running along through 

 all parts of it. In fhort, the whole face of the 

 Table is fo well done, that it looks juft like one 

 fingle piece of poliflied Marble ; and indeed at one 

 Corner which was a little broken, I found it, 

 upon trial with the point of a fharp Pen-knife, to 

 be as hard as Marble. It feems a fort of Glafly 

 Compofition. 



29. The general opinion is; That the little 

 Pillars or Pilafters on the infide of Gothick 

 Cathedrals, and other fuch like Churches, are arti- 

 ficial, and the reafons affigned for this opinion, are 

 as follow; viz; Firft, They are all of one blewifh 

 Colour, which could hardly be fuppofed, if they 

 were not all hewn out of one particular fort of 

 Stone 'y and this is hardly poflible, becaufe as moft 

 Englijh Stones differ in Colour, as well as other 

 qualities, it muft have been an infinite expence 

 to have conveyed them from one or two Quar- 

 ries, to all thofe diftindl Buildings in moft (if not all) 

 Counties in England. Secondly, They all confift 

 of one fingle Stone apiece. Thirdly, That Stone 

 is not of the fame kind with the reft of the Church, 

 and Fourthly, That thofe Pilafters being ftruck 



with 



