, 



8 O F S T N E S. 



They had it from Upper JEgyft and Ethiopia, where there arc vaft 

 flrata of it, as well as granite. It is remarked by Dr. Pocock, the 

 late learned Bifhopof Meath, that travellers do not rightly diftin- 

 guiih between the lie two elegant bodies. They frequently call 

 Granite, phorphyry (c). The ^Egyptians had the honour of firft 

 working it, as well as granite, many centuries before the Gre- 

 cian or Roman times. They made columns, ftatues, and vafcs of 

 it, of fuch exquifirc workmanmip and elegance, as were the afto- 

 miliment of the later ages ; fuch as the Grecian and Roman artifls 

 were unwilling, though not unable, to perform. The admired 

 Rowan lithologift, Pliny informs us, that Pollio, the Roman vice- 

 roy, under Claudius C<efar, brought ftatues of it to Rome, but that 

 no body at Rome was fo fond of it, as to follow his example (d). 

 It is remarkable, that Suetonius is the only one of the ClaJfic-aM.- 

 thors who mentions it (e). Its exceffive hardnefs made them 

 neglect it, and prefer marble before it, of which they had a great 

 variety, of wonderful beauty. All the works in porphyry, now 

 known, were performed by ^Egyptian artifls, by the powers of 

 genius, and with the fame patience and unremitted induftry, as 

 the Northern nations polifhed their Druid beads, or magic gems, 

 into fpheres, fpheroid, and orbicular forms. 



Green phorphyry, with large angular white fpots, is more fre- 

 quent. The white concretions have a flight tinge of green ; fome 

 in oblong fquares, and others in the form of Entrochoi, fo like 



Porphyrites purpureus duriffimus, maculis pallidioribus et albentibus variegatus, qui por- 

 phyrites antiquorum. Hill. Hift. FofT. p. 494. No. i. 



(c) Defcription of fhe Eaft, Vol. i. p. 112. 



(d) Statuas ex eo Claudia Caf&i procurator ejus in urbem ex /Egypto advixit Fitrafms Pollitt) 

 non admodum probata novitate. Nemo certe pofiea imitatus eft. Hift, Nat. 1. 37. c. 7. 



(e) L. 5. c. 50. fpeaking of the plac of Nero's fepulture. 



them 



