or THE 



ASBESTINE EARTH. 



n fffitnt oculi njturam nnfc.re rerum. 



LUCRETIUS. 



S-** 



v_>RONSTEDT, in his mineralogy, reckons 

 nine fpecies of earths, which, as he had never 

 analyfed, he confidcred as fimplc and primitive 

 fubftanccs. By analyfis, however, we have 

 learned that the mod of them arc compounded, 

 as the Granatic, AHcatwus, Zcolitic, and F/uo- 

 ratic, and that the Mflgnefian is to be altogether 

 excluded from the clafs of earths, and ranked 

 ;mong metals. Our knowledge of the aibeftine 

 earth lias been hitherto uncertain and fupeifi- 

 ciiil. Some of the varieties have been rcfolv- 

 ed by mcnilrua into more fimplc principles; 

 while others, that fccmed the pureft, have not 

 nudergone the Icaft alteration. In hopes there- 

 M 3 fore 



