66 The Natural Hiftory 



ftillin part put to chat fcrvice,mixed with another they have from 

 Northampton-fhire. Itisalfo of excellent life to Statuaries, for 

 making Moddels, Gargills, or Antkks ; and containing a hard, 

 but very fmall grit ; mpolifiing Silver, it comes near to Tripela. 



44. And fo do's an anonymous very white earth, found in the 

 feams of the Quarries at Teynton, which at firft 1 concluded a crude 

 Alabafter, becaufe I found near it a piece that was perfect : but 

 reducing it into a very fine powder, and putting it over a quick 

 fire, it would not boil like Alabafter duft, nor keep the colour, but 

 turned reddifh. Many other tryals were made with it, in Pla- 

 fticks, Policing, Painting isrc. but my endeavors fucceeded in no- 

 thing fo well, as in policing fmaller fllver Veflels, that could not 

 endure bumifhing well', to which it gave a more glorious bright- 

 nefs than Tripela would, though perhaps not fo lafting ; and not 

 far behinde that of burnilh'd Plate. 



45 . And yet neither this, nor the former will polifh brrfs, nor 

 any thing elfe that is not of its colour, which has lately engaged 

 my thoughts in 2 Query, whether in all other Metals the rule does 

 hold : for I find, that fulphur gives a lufter to Gold; and that 

 nothing does brighten.Co/^r fo well, as a fort of ftuff they call 

 rotten ft one, alfo foriithing of its colour. 



46. At Teynton alfo, within a fpit of the furface, they dig a 

 fort of earth they there call Lam, of a whitifh colour inclining to 

 yellow ; which mixt with fand, and fome other earth, makes the 

 beft earthen floors for ground-rooms and barns: it diflblves as 

 quick as Fullers-earth, and were it not for a fault which might 

 poffibly be help'd, it may ferve their turns perhaps as well as any 

 they ufe. 



47. To thefe may be added another whitifh earth, which cor- 

 ruptly I fuppofe from its colour is called Which-earth ; mixed with 

 ftraw, they ufe it for fide-walls and ceilings, and with horfe- 

 dung it makes mortar for laying of ftones : it feems to be a natu- 

 ral mixture of lime and fand, found at Thame, Waterperry, and 

 Adwell, and (lakes in water (like Gypfuni) without any heat. 



48. At Milton near Adder bury, Great Tew, and Stunsfield, I met 

 alfo with another fort of fpungy chalk, which though it will not 

 flake like the former ; yet at Milton and Adder bury ufed for point- 

 ing, feems to bindethe ftones of their walls very well : and theirs 

 at Great Tew being fomwhat finer, ferves as well to white their 



rooms 



