370 plint's natural HISTORT. [Book XXXVL 



that ISTero rebuilt the Temple of Fortune, surnamed Seia,^' 

 originally consecrated by King Servius, enclosing it within the 

 precincts of his Golden Palace. ^^ Hence it was that, even 

 when the doors were closed, there was light in the interior 

 during the day ; not transmitted from without, as would be tlie 

 case through a medium of specular-stone, but having all the 

 appearance of being enclosed within^^ the building. 



In Arabia, too, according to Juba, there is a stone, trans- 

 parent like glass, which is used for the same purposes as specu- 

 lar-stone. 



CHAP- 47. WHETSTONES. 



We must now pass on to the stones that are employed for 

 handicrafts, and, first of all, whetstones for sharpening iron. 

 Of these stones there are numerous varieties ; the Cretan stones 

 having been long held in the highest estimation, and the next 

 best being those of Mount Taygetus, in Laconia; both of 

 which are used as hones, and require oil. Among the water- 

 whetstones, the first rank belonged to those of ISTaxos, and the 

 second to the stones of Armenia, both of them ah-eady-^ men- 

 tioned. The stones of Cilicia are of excellent quality, whether 

 used with oil or with water ; those of Arsinoe,^^ too, are very 

 good, but with water only. Whetstones have been found also 

 in Italy, which with water give a remarkabl}' keen edge ; and 

 from the countries beyond the Alps, we have the whetstones 

 known as *' passernices."^ 



To the fourth class belong the hones which give an edge 

 by the agency of human saliva, and are much in use in bar- 

 bers' shops. They are worthless, however, for all other pur- 

 poses, in consequence of their soft and brittle nature : those 

 from the district of Laminium,^^ in Nearer Spain, are the best 

 of the kind. 



gypseous spar. Suetonius saj's, c. 14, that Domitian, when he suspected 

 that plots were forming against him, caused the porticos in wliich he 

 walked to be lined with Phengites, which by its rellection showed what 

 was going on behind his back. ^a ggg j^^ xviii. c. 2. 



-5 See Chapter 24 of this ]}ook. 



^'^ Beckmann says, in reference to this passage, supposing that a kind 

 of spar is meant by the -word 2)hengUes — " It is probable that the openings 

 of the walls of the building where the windows used to be, were in this 

 instance ^Wed up with pheuffiies^ which, by admitting a faint light, pre- 

 vented the place from being dark, even when the doors were shut." — Hist. 

 Inv. Vol. II. p. 66. John's Edition. -s In Chapter 10 of this Book. 



29 See B. V. cc. 22, 35, for two places of this name. 



3° A Ccliic word, probably si See B. iii. c. 2. 



