Of OXFO%T>*SH1%E. 75 



bout Finslock. and Nuneham- Courtney ; I found them alfo in the 

 way between Nevo-yate and Enfiam, but none comparable to what 

 was fhewn me by that great Virtuofo, the Right Worfhipful Sir 

 Anthony Cope of Hanwell, the moft eminent Artift and NaturaliSi 

 while he lived, if not of England, moft certainly of this County, 

 whole Hpufe me thought feemed to be the real New Atlantis, 

 which my Lord Vifcount Verulam had only in fanfie. The Pebble 

 I remember was about the breadth of ones hand, of a flat form, 

 and yet not much lefs than an inch in thicknefs, fo clear and pel- 

 lucid, that no Chryftal that ever I faw yet excellM it ; fo that had 

 not its Mafter, the cautious Artift, took care to leave on it part 

 of its outward coat, few would have believed it had ever been a 

 Pebble. 



1 7. Thefe Pebbles when transparent, make an excellent ingre- 

 dient for the Glaft-worh; and fo do thofe which arew/?>/7e,though. 

 not transparent, called by fome Authors by the name of Quocoli, 

 and perhaps not much different in nature from the Cuogolo of 

 Ftrrantt Imperato b , and fuch are the Pebbles gathered at Tefino % 

 with which they make the pureft Glafs at the Moran. 



1 8 . There are about Goreing and Nunebam-Courtney, a fort of 

 Pebbles of a blue-black, colour, that ifpoliflb'd, might fupply 

 the place of Touch. And about Fawler and Stunsfieldz.it a red- 

 difli kind, very hard, and for the moft part of an oval Figure, 

 fo excellent for pitching offirtets and ftables, and for Painters 

 mullars, that none can be found more fit and durable. 



19. After confideration of Flints and Pebbles apart, let 

 us now take a view of them jointly together, for fo I found 

 them at C aver/ham, and Greenvil, and in the way from Pufiill 

 to Stonor-houfe, in clufters together of divers colours, and uni- 

 ted into one body, by a petrified cement as hard as themfelves, 

 and moft of them I believe capable of politure *. But the beft of 

 all are in theClofe at Stonor, of which there are fome fo large 

 and clofe knit, that could the Ingenious Proprietor, Thomas Sto- 

 nor Efq; find a way to (lit and polifti them without too much 

 charge, he might make him rich Chimney-pieces and. Tables of them, 

 fo far excelling Porphyrie and Marble, that perhaps they might 

 compare with the beft Ja/per or Achat. For I havefeen fuch as 

 thefe found about Hampfted, curioufly wrought into handles of 



b Dell' Hift. Nat. lib. 24. cap. 16: e Anton. Neri, Hi. 1. cap- 1. * There is a Quarry of this South 

 of Wohircot Church, but the Cement fo loft, that it will not polish. 



K. knives, 



