408 pliny's natural history. [Book XXXVII. 



led man to experiment upon a thing of such extraordinary 

 value as this, and that, too, with the most unclean^*^ of all 

 animals ? Surely a discovery, such as this, must have been due 

 solely to the munificence of the gods, and we must look for 

 the reason of it in none of the elementary operations of 

 Nature, but wholly in her wilL 



When, by good fortune, this stone does happen to be broken, 

 it divides into fragments so minute as to be almost impercep- 

 tible. These particles are held in great request by engravers, 

 who enclose them in iron, and are enabled thereby, with the 

 greatest facility, to cut'^ the very hardest substances known. 

 So great is the antipathy borne by this stone to the magnet, 

 that when placed near, it will not allow of its attracting 

 iron ; or if the magnet has already attracted the iron, it will 

 seize the metal and drag it away from the other. ^' Adamas, 

 too, overcomes and neutralizes poisons, dispels delirium, and 

 banishes groundless perturbations of the mind ; hence it is 

 that some have given it the name of " ananchites."^^ Metro- 

 dorus of Scepsis is the only author, that I know of, who says 

 that this stone is found also in Germany, and in the island of 

 Basilia," where amber is found. He says, too, that this is pre- 

 ferable to the stone of Arabia ; but can there be any doubt 

 that his statement is incorrect ? 



CHAP. 16. SMARAGDtrS. 



Next^" in esteem with us are the pearls of India and Arabia, 

 of which we have already spoken in the Ninth Book,^^ when 

 treating of the marine productions. 



(5.) The third rank, for many reasons, has been given to 



^5 Said, probably, with reference to the rank, nauseous smell of the he- 



^6 This is true with reference to the diamond, and, in a less degree, 

 several other crystalline substances, emery and quartz, for example. 



^' Ajasson remarks, that if the diamond is placed in the magnetic line 

 or current of the loadstone, it attracts iron equally with the loadstone, 

 and consequently neutralizes the attractive power of the loadstone in a 

 considerable degree. 



'8 The reading is very doubtful here. This word, as it is here given, 

 would appear to be derived from the Greek d privative, and dyxoixat, 

 " to strangle oneself," and to mean, *' preventive of suicide," 



19 See B. iv. c. 27, and Chapter 11 of this Book. 



20 At the present day the ruby is next in esteem to the diamond. 



21 Chapter 54, et seq. 



