A lapidary, or, The history of pretious [sic] stones with cautions for the undeceiving of all those that deal with pretious [sic] stones / by Thomas Nicols ...

CHAP. LXXVI. Of the Porphyrites or Porphyrie, or of the Marmor rubrum, or red Marble.

THe Porphyrite is a red Marble, of very excellent hardnes, and of a beautifull splendour.

Anselmus Boetius saith that of all the kinds of red Marbles, the Porphyry is the best for splendour and hardnesse.

At Millain before the altar of S. Ambrose temple, (Cardanus in his book de Lapidibus saith) there are two notable pillars of excellent Por∣phyry to be seen: And that in the same place there was a very fair tombe of B. Dionysius, of Porphyrie, for magnitude as large as a mans body, and of no small thicknesse, which was translated from the temple of S. Ambrose to a larger temple of the same citie of Millain.

Its adulteration.

It is no hard matter for those artificers that are skilled in the sophistications of this kind, and in an exquisite imitation of nature in the making of facti∣tious stones, to adulterate the Porphyrie, for such ar∣tists as these, who are the imitatours of nature, know what matter will be purest and most exactly com∣pacted together for this purpose; they know what tinctures will best fit for the production of the beau∣ty of the Porphyrie, and how to mix these tinctures so, as that their artificiall stone shall emulate in beau∣ty the best red Marble, or Porphyrie of the excel∣lentest beauty; for the matter of the adulteration of this stone, how such matter may be brought to the perfection of a stone by art, will appear by what hath been spoken concerning the China cups in the chapter of the Onyx; and concerning the artificiall tinctures of gemms in other chapters of this our lapidary. Alabaster and fat earth well mixt will

raise a fit matter for this purpose, to which a conve∣nient tincture being added, it will produce the arti∣ficiall beauty of a very excellent Porphyrie.

Of its names.

In Hebrew it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Esther 1.6. In Greek it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which signifieth sum purpureus, vel in purpuram vergo. So Dioscorides l. 3. c. 44. In Latine it is called Porphy∣rites & Marmor rubrum. If it have any white specks, Pliny calleth it Leucostictos. The best Porphyry is by Martinus Rulandus, from its native soil called Ae∣gyptium Uniforme; and for the same cause it is in Germane called ein schoner roter Marmor auss E∣gypten. In English we call it the Porphyrite, and the red Marble. Divers other names it hath from the places of its birth, from the soyl where it groweth, and from its mixture and variety of beautifull co∣lours, as will appear in the severall distinctions of its species by its severall colours, and severall places where it groweth, and is found, and from whence it is brought.

Its kinds.

The Porphyry or red Marble, is found of divers kinds saith Rulandus. Rulandus speaketh of eight kinds of this stone, which is called Marmor rubrum, or Porphyrites.

The first kind he saith is Marmor rubrum Aegy∣ptium uniforme, or Porphyrites uniformis, that is, a Porphyrite full of uniformity, and every way like it self, of one entire beauty arising from its pleasing

red, which is uncompounded, and not at all inter∣mixt with any variety of other colours, this is that excellentest or best red Marble or Porphyrite, which is singularly hard, full of splendour, and more beau∣tifull then all the other kinds, as having no dark∣nesse admixt with the splendour of its rednesse; nor cloudinesse or obscurenesse shaddowing of it.

The second kind Rulandus calleth Marmor Ae∣gyptium rubrum, or Porphyrites ruber candidis punctis distinctus; that is, the red Marble of Egypt, or the Porphyry distinguished with white spots.

The third kind he calleth Marmor rubrum Ratis∣bonense, or Porphyrites Ratisbonensis, this is so called from Ratisbone the place where it is found.

The fourth kind he calleth Rutilans Marmor Ra∣tisbonense cum candidis maculis, that is, the red Ratis∣bonian Marble with white spots.

The fifth kind he calleth Marmor nigrum in rubro Bohemicum, or Porphyrites ruber Bohemicus, so called from the place where it is found.

The sixth kind he calleth Marmor in rubro candi∣dum Belgicum, or Porphyrites in rubro candidus Belgi∣cus variis maculis distinctus, that is, the Belgick Por∣phyrite which is white in a red, and distinguished with divers spots.

The seventh kind he calleth Marmor Annebergi∣cum, or Porphyrites Annebergicus in metallis repertus; that is, the Annebergick Porphyrite found in mettals.

The eighth kind he calleth Marmor rubrum in can∣dido, in metallis ferè omnibus repertum; that is, the Marble or Porphyrite which is red in a white, and is found saith Rulandus, in, or amongst almost all me∣tals.

Cardanus speaketh of but two kinds of the Por∣phyrite, the one distinguished with red and white spots, the other he saith is a red Marble distinguished with shining spots.

Anselmus Boetius speaketh of these kinds of the Porphyrite.

1. A Porphyrite red and full of splendour, excel∣lency, and beauty; of which before.

2. A Porphyrite which is blue or of a violet co∣lour, and is found about the Gregorian mount in the field of S^t Pisans in France.

3. A Theban Porphyrite of a red colour with golden spots.

4. A white Marble with red veins which is called Lunense. And this truly if it be excellent and well polished, is of admirable and excellent beauty, and very gratefull to the eye.

The place.

It is found in Egypt, in Belgium, in Bohemia, in Ra∣tisbone, and in divers places of France, Germany, and Italy, and at Anneberge, and about Thebes.

Of its dignity and use.

It is of dignity for its beauty; of use for orna∣ment of Princely and stately Palaces and Tem∣ples; it is also used for sepulchres, and as rich and costly tables.