464 PLT^Y's NATUItAL HISTOEY. [Book XXXTIT. 



every mark that is made will leave a white scratch upon it. 

 In addition to this, there is such a vast diversity in tlieir de- 

 grees of hardness, that some stones do not admit of heiug 

 engraved with iron, and others can only be cut with a graver 

 blunted at the edge. In all cases, however, precious stones 

 may be cut and polished by the aid of adamas f^ an operation 

 which may be considerably expedited by heating the graver. 

 The rivers which produce precious stones, are the Acesinus^^ 

 and the Ganges ; and, of all countries, India is the most pro- 

 lific of them. 



CHAP. 77. A COMPARATIVE VIEW OF NATUKE AS SHE APPEARS IN 



DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THE COMPARATIVE VALUES OF THINGS. 



Having now treated of all the works of Nature, it will be 

 as well to take a sort of comparative view of her several pro- 

 ductions, as well as the countries which supply them. Through- 

 out the whole earth, then, and wherever the vault of heaven 

 extends, there is no country so beautiful, or which, for the pro- 

 ductions of Nature, merits so high a rank as Italy, that ruler 

 and second parent of the world ; recommended as she is by 

 her men, her women, her generals, her soldiers, her slaves, 

 her superiority in the arts, and the illustrious examples of 

 genius which she has produced. Her situation, too, is equally 

 in her favour ; the salubrity and mildness of her climate ; the 

 easy access which she offers to all nations ; her coasts indented 

 with so many harbours ; the propitious breezes, too, that always 

 prevail on her shores ; advantages, all of them, due to her situa- 

 tion, lying, as she does, midway between the East and the West, 

 and extended in the most favourable of all positions. Add to 

 this, the abundant supply of her waters, the salubrity of her 

 groves, the repeated intersections of her mountain ranges, the 

 comparative innocuousness of her wild animals, the fertility of 

 her soil, and the singular richness of lier pastures. 



"Whatever there is that the life of man ought not to feel in 

 want of, is nowhere to be found in greater perfection than 

 here ; the cereals, for example, wine, oil, wool, flax, tissues, 

 and oxen. As to horses, there are none, I find, preferred to 

 those of Italy for the course f^ while, for mines of gold, silver, 



''^ See Chapter 15 of this Book. Ajasson thinks that he has here con- 

 founded two diflFerent substances, powdered emery and diamond dust. 



''9 See B. iv. c. 26. 



^ *' Trigariis." " Three-horse chariot races," literally. See B, xxviii. 

 c. 72, and B. xxix. c. 5. 



