with in mod other ftony Concretes : nor can there be 
obferved Rays, Furroughs, Stride, or any manner of 
Lines running along its Superficies ; fo that it is capable 
of a good Pollifli, and I find has in Perfeftion that Qua- 
lity of the Lapis Lyditu^ Bafanm or Touchftone^ fo much 
celebrated of old, for fliewing the various Imprefllons 
different Mettals make upon it when rub'd or drawn 
along its Surface ; but being a Stone naturally divided 
into fmall Pieces or Joints, and of (b hard a Body, that 
it turns or breaks the Edges of the beft Tools, when they 
offer to cut it ; it feems unfit for the imbellifliing of Hou- 
fes, and all the other greater liJfes of Architedure and 
Statuary. 
Its Ruff and natural OutCde that's expos'd to the open 
Air and beating of the Weather, is of a whitifh Colour, 
much the fame with that we fee on common Rocks and 
Lime Stone ; but the Infide, when you fever one Piece 
frefti from another, is of a Blackiih Iron-grey, like that 
of the beft Black Marble before 'tis poliihed, but fome- 
what of a darker Shade. 
And indeed I can difcover but little, if any, Difference 
between the Subflance of this Stone, and that of Marble: 
^Tis true, the moft common fort of Marble is not near 
fo hard and clofe a Body ; yet that does not import much, 
fince 'tis known that feveral Kinds of Marble vary ex- 
treamly from one another in thefe Refpefts for which 
we may take Pliny's Word, Htjlor. Natural, lib. 36. 
cap, 7. Marmorum Genera & colore s non facile efl emme' 
rare cum fint infant a Multitudine : and a little farther 
in the fame Chapter, fpeakingmore particularly of the 
various Kinds of Marble, he mentions one fort of it found 
in j^thiopia. Quern vocant Bafalten ferrei color is atque 
duritU unde ^ nomen. 
And 
