A greene forest, or A naturall historie vvherein may bee seene first the most sufferaigne vertues in all the whole kinde of stones & mettals: next of plants, as of herbes, trees, [and] shrubs, lastly of brute beastes, foules, fishes, creeping wormes [and] serpents, and that alphabetically: so that a table shall not neede. Compiled by Iohn Maplet, M. of Arte, and student in Cambridge: entending hereby yt God might especially be glorified: and the people furdered. Anno 1567.

Of the Marble.

THe Marble by Gre••ke worde and name is interpreted gréene. There are Marbles in great and huge bignesse, and length: which are of many esteemed and had in reputation for their spottes and colours. The sorts and kinds of Marble are infinite: for not euery of them are hewen forth out of Rockes: but many be dispersed vnder the earth, as the Marble with the Lacedemonians, which is both grene and precious: So likewise that kinde of Marble which is called Ophites, which hath spottes like a Serpent, is much estéemed. Of Ophites two sortes are mentioned: the first white and soft, the other black and hard. There is ano∣ther

kinde almost Corall like, found in Asia▪ hauing certaine blottes besprent vpon it and about it proporcionally. There is also a The∣bane Marble dipped here and there, and dyed like in maner to golden droppes, and is found in a part of Aegypt. There are other kindes also which bréede and haue the very rocks to be their shop houses, as y^e Marble in Corinth, wherof whole Pillars and great Beames are made. And there is another Marble called Ca∣risteum verie gréene, hauing his name of his good looke, for that it is auayleable to their eie∣sight that engraue therein. The gréene colour hereof refresheth the eies. Marble therefore is more sounde, more faire, more profitable than any other stones are, with Lead and not with Iron (contrarie to all others wont) all stones of Marble are hewen and cut, which thing is marueilous. For neyther with Steele nor yet with Iron, neyther with Mallet nor cutting Sheares, neyther with Sawe by any force or striuing withall, it is subdued.