SUPPOSED ANTIQUE EMERALD, - §7 



IV. 



Account of the Antique Vessel, that was preserved at Genoa 

 under the name of ^kc^q Catino, and reputed to be dn 

 Emerald; tvith the Report made of it to the French Insti* 

 iuie, August 4, IS06, by Mr. Gv^iTos*, 



Disli of an liexagorial shape had long been in possession Sacro Catino. 

 of the city of Genoa, which was supposed to be an emerald, 

 and consequently of inestimable price. Farther to enhance 

 its value, according to the legend it was the very dish, on Legend re- 

 which the paschal lamb was served up, when Christ cele- 

 brated the passover with his apostles, afterward miraculously 

 converted into an emerald ; though sOrae will have it to have 

 been originally an emerald, and among the presents of the 

 queen of Sheba to Solomon. Neither is it agreed in what Brought from 

 manner it came into the possession of the Genoese; as some ^*^* 



say it was their part of the booty found at the taking of 

 Caesarea in the first croisade^; others, that it was presented 

 to them by Baldwin king of Coi^stantinople. It was so MoTtgaged for 

 highly valued, however, that at the siege of Genoa in 1319, 1200 marks of 

 it was mortgaged for 1200 marks of gold, and redeemed ^'^ ' 

 eleven years aften 



An act passed in 1476 to prohibit its being touched with Suspicions of 

 gold, silver, gems, coral, or any other substance, under very its being glass. 

 heavy penalties, and even in some cases pain of death, 

 shows, that suspicions of its genuineness existed. William 

 of Tyre is the first wq know, that expresses such a suspicion. 

 Barthelemy observed in it blebs, which induced him to think 

 it glass. Condamine too, examining it by torchlight, and 

 at some distance, could not perceive in it any of those clouds 

 or defects of transparency, that are common in emeralds as 

 well as in all gems of a. certain size ; yet he evidently dis- 

 cerned several small vacuities, resembling air blebs, both 

 round and oval. 



*► Abstracted frojtn Mag.. Encyciop6dique, January, 1807, p. 137', 

 and Annales de Chimie, Vol. LXI, p 250, March, 1807. 



Vol. XVIII—OcT, I8O7. H At 



