Jan. 14. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



37 



lowing year, led him to conjecture and suggest 

 that these were fragments of a whole, which, at its 

 first creation, had occupied the vacant position, 

 ■with a magnitude not disproportionate to that 

 assigned to the other planets. Since then there 

 have been, and continue to be, discoveries of more 

 and more such fragmental planets, all moving at 

 solar distances so close upon that numbered 28, 

 a3 to pass each other almost, as has been said, 

 within peril ; but in orbits which seem capriciously 

 elevated and depressed, when referred to the 

 planes assigned for the course of the regular 

 planets ; so that, to most minds capable of appre- 

 ciating these facts, it will seem that Olber's con- 

 jecture has been marvellously confirmed. 



As to the theological conjecture appended to 

 it in my previous communication, about which 

 Quaestor particularly questions me, I can only 

 say, that if he deems it rash or wrong, I have no 

 right to throw the blame of it on any other man's 

 shoulders, as I am not aware of its having been 

 hazarded by any one else. But I hope he will 

 agree with me, that if there has been a disruption 

 of a planetary world, it cannot have arisen from 

 any mistake or deficiency in the Creator's work 

 or foresight, but should be respectfully regarded 

 as the result of some moral cause. 



Henry Walter. 



EMBLEMATIC MEANINGS OF PRECIOUS STONES 



(Vol. viii., p. 539.). — planets of the 



MONTHS SYMBOLISED BY PRECIOUS STONES 



(Vol.iv., pp.23. 164.). 



The Poles have a fanciful belief that each 

 month of the year is under the influence of a 

 precious stone, which influence has a correspond- 

 ing effect on the destiny of a person born during 

 the respective month. Consequently, it is cus- 

 tomary, among friends and lovers, on birth-days, 

 to make reciprocal presents of trinkets orna- 

 mented with the natal stones. The stones and 

 their influences, corresponding with each month, 

 are supposed to be as follows : 



January - - Garnet. Constancy and fidelity. 



February - Amethyst. Sincerity. 



March - - Bloodstone. Courage. Presence of 



mind. 



April- - - Diamond. Innocence. 



May - - - Emerald. Success in love. 



June - - - Agate. Health and long life. 



July - - - Cornelian. Contented mind. 



August - - Sardonyx. Conjugal felicity. 



September - Chrysolite. Antidote against madness. 



October - - Opal. Hope. 



November - Topaz. Fidelity. 



December - Turquoise. Prosperity. 



The Rabbinical writers describe a system of 

 onomancy, according to the third branch of the 

 Cabala, termed Notaricon, in conjunction with 



lithomancy. Twelve anagrams of the name of 

 God were engraved on twelve precious stones, by 

 which, with reference to their change of hue or 

 brilliancy, the cabalist was enabled to foretel 

 future events. Those twelve stones, thus en- 

 graved, were also supposed to have a mystical 

 power over, and a prophetical relation to, the 

 twelve signs of the Zodiac, and twelve angels or 

 good spirits, in the following order : 



Anagrams. Stones. Signs. Angels. 



HIPP Ruby. Aries. Mulchediel. 



inrp Topaz.' Taurus. Asmodel. , 



nnV Carbuncle. Gemini. Ambriel. 



»il)n Emerald. Cancer. Muriel. 



;-piri Sapphire. Leo. Verchel. 



Vnn Diamond. Virgo. Humatiel. 



*nni Jacinth. Libra. Zuriel. 



JliTI Agate. Scorpio. Barbieh 



>J")in Amethyst. Sagittarius. Adnachiel. 



in^fl Beryl. Capricornus. Humiel. 



i"Pi"ll Onyx. Aquarius. Gabriel. 



nVfl Jasper. Pisces. Barchiel. 



These stones had also reference to the twelve 

 tribes of Israel, twelve parts of the human body, 

 twelve plants, twelve birds, twelve minerals, 

 twelve hierarchies of devils, &c. &c. usque ad 

 nauseam. 



It is evident that all this absurd nonsense was 

 founded on the twelve precious stones in the 

 breast-plate of the High Priest (Exodus xxviii. 

 15. : see also Numbers xxvii. 28., and 1 Samuel 

 xxviii. 6.). I may add that in the glorious de- 

 scription of the Holy City, in Revelation xxi., the 

 mystical number twelve is again connected with 

 precious stones. 



In the Sympatliia Septem Metallorum ac Septem 

 Selectorum Lapidum ad Planetas, by the noted 

 Peter Arlensis de Scudalupis, the following are 

 the stones and metals which are recorded as 

 sympathising with what the ancients termed the 

 seven planets (I translate the original words) : 

 Saturn - Turquoise. Lead. 



Jupiter - Cornelian. Tin. 



Mars - - Emerald. Iron. 



Sun - - Diamond. Gold. 



Venus - - Amethyst. Copper. 



Mercury - Loadstone. • Quicksilver. 

 Moon - - Chrystal. Silver. 



N". D. inquires in what works he will find the 

 emblematical meanings of precious stones de- 

 scribed. For a great deal of curious, but obso- 

 lete and useless, reading on the mystical and 

 occult properties of precious stones, I may refer 

 him to the following works: — Les Amours et 

 noveaux Eschanges des Pierres Precieuses, Paris, 

 1576 ; Curiositez inouyes sur la Sculpture Talis- 

 manique, Paris, 1637 ; Occulta Nature 3firacula, 

 Antwerp, 1567 ; Speculum Lapidi, Aug. Vind., 

 1523 ; Les (Euvres de Jean Belot, Rouen, 1569. 



W. PlNKERTON. 



