diamonds), yet, whether herein there be not too high an apprehension, and above its natural radiancy, is not without just doubt; however it be granted a very splendid gem, and whose sparks may somewhat resemble the glances of fire, and metaphorically deserve that name. And, therefore, when it is conceived by some, that this stone in the breastplate of Aaron respected the tribe of Dan, who burnt the city of Laish, and Sampson of the same tribe, who fired the corn of the Philistines, in some sense it may be admitted, and is no intolerable conception.

*

As for that Indian stone that shined so brightly in the night, and pretended to have been shown to many in the court of France, as Andreus Chioccus hath declared out of Thuanus, it proved but an imposture, as that eminent philosopher, Licetus, hath discovered; and, therefore, in the revised editions of Thuanus it is not to be found. As for the phosphorus or Bononian stone,† which exposed unto the sun, and then closely shut up, will afterwards afford a light in the dark; it is of unlike consideration, for that requireth calcination or reduction into a dry powder by fire, whereby it imbibeth the light in the vaporous humidity of the air about it, and therefore maintaineth its light not long, but goes out when the vaporous vehicle is consumed.

9.9 Whether the atites or eagle-stone1 hath that eminent property to promote delivery or restrain abortion, respectively applied to lower or upward parts of the body, we shall not discourage common practice by our question; but whether they answer the account thereof, as to be taken out of eagles' nests, co-operating in women into such effects, as they are conceived toward the young eagles; or whether the single signature of one stone included in the matrix and

9

* De Quæsit. per Epistolas.

+ De Lapide Bononiense.

89.] This and the following paragraphs were first added in 3rd edition.

1

the aetites, or eagle-stone.] A kind of hollow geodes of oxide of iron, often mixed with a larger or smaller quantity of silex and alumina, containing in their cavity some concretions, which rattle on shaking the stone. It is of a dull pale colour, composed of concentric layers of various magnitudes, of an oval or polygonal form, and often polished. Eagles were said to carry them to their nests, whence the name; and superstition formerly ascribed wonderful virtues to them.

belly of another, were not sufficient at first, to derive this virtue of the pregnant stone upon others in impregnation, may yet be farther considered. Many sorts there are of this rattling stone, beside the geodes, containing a softer substance in it. Divers are found in England, and one we met with on the sea shore, but because many of eminent use are pretended to be brought from Iceland, wherein are divers eyries of eagles; we cannot omit to deliver what we received from a learned person in that country.* Etites an in nidis aquilarum aliquando fuerit repertus, nescio. Nostra certe memoria, etiam inquirentibus non contigit invenisse, quare in fabulis habendum.

10. Terrible apprehensions, and answerable unto their names, are raised of fairy stones and elves' spurs,2 found commonly with us in stone, chalk, and marl-pits, which, notwithstanding, are no more than echinometrites and belemnites, the sea hedge-hog, and the dart-stone, arising from some siliceous roots, and softer than that of flint, the master-stone lying more regularly in courses, and arising from the pri mary and strongest spirit of the mine. Of the echinites, such as are found in chalk-pits are white, glassy, and built upon a chalky inside; some, of an hard and flinty substance, are found in stone-pits and elsewhere. Common opinion commendeth them for the stone, but are most practically used against films in horses' eyes.

11. Lastly, he must have more heads than Rome had hills, that makes out half of those virtues ascribed unto stones, and their not only medical, but magical properties, which are to be found in authors of great name. In Psellus, Serapion, Evax, Albertus, Aleazar, Marbodeus; in Maiolus, Rueus, Mylius, and many more. 3

That lapis lazuli hath in it a purgative faculty we know; that bezoar is antidotal, lapis judaicus diuretical, coral ante

*Theodore Jonas, Hitterdalæ pastor.

2 Terrible apprehensions, &c.] Though he denounces the popular superstitions attached to these fairy-stones, &c. our author, in this para graph, gives additional evidence that he had fallen into another error of his day, in confounding fossils with minerals. See Mr. Brayley's note, p. 105.

3

many more.] And above all Cardan in De variet. ubique superstitiosissime.-Wr.

pileptical, we will not deny. That cornelians, jaspis, heliotropes, and blood-stones may be of virtue to those intentions they are employed, experience and visible effects will make us grant. But that an amethyst prevents inebriation; that an emerald will break if worn in copulation; that a diamond laid under the pillow, will betray the incontinency of a wife; that a sapphire is preservative against enchantments; that the fume of an agate will avert a tempest, or the wearing of a chrysophrase make one out of love with gold, as some have delivered, we are yet, I confess, to believe, and in that infidelity are likely to end our days. And therefore, they which, in the explication of the two beryls upon the ephods, or the twelve stones in the rational or breastplate of Aaron, or those twelve which garnished the wall of the Holy City in the Apocalypse, have drawn their significations from such as these, or declared their symbolical verities from such traditional falsities, have surely corrupted the sincerity of their analogies, or misunderstood the mystery of their intentions.

Most men conceive that the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate made a jewel surpassing any, and not to be paralleled; which, notwithstanding, will hardly be made out from the description of the text; for the names of the tribes were engraven thereon; which must notably abate their lustre. Besides, it is not clear made out that the best of gems, a diamond, was amongst them ;5 nor is it to be found in the list thereof, set down by the Jerusalem targum, wherein we find the darker stones of sardius, sardonynx, and jasper; and if we receive them under those names wherein they are usually described, it is not hard to contrive a more illustrious and splendent jewel. But being not ordained for mere lustre by diaphanous and pure tralucencies, their mys

rational or breastplate.] "Rationale quoque judicii facies," &c.

Exod. xxviii. 15.

5 not clear made out, &c.] The doubt here intimated, whether the true diamond was among the stones of the breastplate, has been expressed by commentators, on the ground that it is too hard to be engraved. Calmet, in his figure of the Pectoral, omits it. Rosenmüller however asserts, on the testimony of Büsching, the existence of engraved diamonds of great antiquity. A diamond of sufficient size to admit the engraving, must have equaled the largest modern specimens. Like many other such questions, it admits of discussion, but not of solution.

terious significations became more considerable than their gemmary substances; and those, no doubt, did nobly answer the intention of the institutor. Beside, some may doubt whether there be twelve distinct species of noble tralucent gems in nature, at least yet known unto us, and such as may not be referred unto some of those in high esteem among us, which come short of the number of twelve; which to make up, we must find out some others to match and join with the diamond, beryl, sapphire, emerald, ame thyst, topaz, chrysolite, jacinth, ruby, and, if we may admit it in this number, the oriental granat.?

CHAPTER VI.

Of sundry tenets concerning vegetables or plants, which, examined, prove either false or dubious :—of mandrakes; that cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mace, are but the parts or fruits of the same tree; that miseltoe is bred upon trees, from seeds which birds let fall thereon; of the rose of Jericho, that flowereth every year upon Christmas Eve; of Glastonbury thorn; that Sferra Cavallo hath a power to break or loosen iron; that bays preserve from the mischief of lightning and thunder; that bitter almonds are preservatives against ebriety.

1. MANY molas and false conceptions there are of mandrakes. The first, from great antiquity, conceiveth the root

6 whether there be twelve, &c.] If we are to understand, by the terms "noble tralucent gems," those only which were formerly called precious stones, we shall scarcely enumerate more than two distinct species, viz., the diamond and sapphire; for the oriental ruby, amethyst, and topaz, are not distinct in species from the sapphire; and the crysoberyl and spinelle ruby, though distinct species, are inferior in hardness and brilliancy to stones of the first class. But if we extend our range, as Sir Thomas has done, to gems of lesser value, though we confine ourselves to such as are, scientifically speaking, distinct species, and so omit several of the most splendid and valuable, as being only varieties, we may still enlarge his list—for example: supposing his "chrysolite to refer to the common chrysolite or peridot, and his "oriental granat" to be the garnet; we may add the chrysoberyl, or oriental chrysolite; the almandine garnet, or carbuncle of the ancients (which he seems to con sider as only a ruby of greater size and beauty); the precious tourmaline (lyncurium of the ancients), and perhaps the chrysoprase; not to mention opal and torquoise.

7 Most men, &c.] This whole paragraph was added in the 6th edition. 8 Many molas, &c.] An excellent digest of the various and absurd

thereof resembleth the shape of man; which is a conceit not to be made out by ordinary inspection, or any other eyes, than such as, regarding the clouds, behold them in shapes conformable to pre-apprehensions.

Now, whatever encourageth the first invention, there have not been wanting many ways of its promotion. The first a catechrestical and far-derived similitude it holds with man; that is, in a bifurcation or division of the root into two parts, which some are content to call thighs; whereas, notwithstanding, they are ofttimes three, and when but two, commonly so complicated and crossed, that men, for this deceit, are fain to effect their design in other plants. And as fair a resemblance is often found in carrots, parsnips, briony, and many others. There are, I confess, divers plants which carry about them not only the shape of parts, but also of whole animals; but surely not all thereof, unto whom this conformity is imputed. Whoever shall peruse the signatures of Crollius, or rather the Phytognomy of Porta, and strictly observe how vegetable realities are commonly forced into animal representations, may easily perceive in very many, the semblance is but postulatory, and must have a more assimilating fancy than mine to make good many thereof.

Illiterate heads have been led on by the name, which, in the first syllable, expresseth its representation; but other have better observed the laws of etymology, and deduced it from a word of the same language, because it delighteth to

* Mávopa, spelunca.

speculations and conjectures respecting the mandrake and its properties will be found in Dr. Harris's Dictionary of the Natural History of the Bible.

The Abbe Mariti, in his Travels, vol. ii. p. 195, thus describes the mandrake. "At the village of St. John, in the mountains, about six miles south-west from Jerusalem, this plant is found at present, as well as in Tuscany. It grows low like lettuce, to which its leaves have a great resemblance, except that they have a dark green colour. The flowers are purple, and the root is for the most part forked. The fruit, when ripe in the beginning of May, is of the size and colour of a small apple, exceedingly ruddy, and of a most agreeable odour. Our guide thought us fools for suspecting it to be unwholesome. He ate it freely himself; and it is generally valued by the inhabitants as exhilarating their spirits, and a provocative to venery.”

VOL. 1.