Theophrastus. 83 



ground, with veins of gold. It is therefore not the gem 

 which is now designated sapphire, but the lapis-lazuH. Theo- 

 phrastus speaks of emeralds, and, in doing so, relates, that an 

 Egyptian king had received emeralds from a prince of Ethiopia, 

 which were not less than four cubits in height, and that four of 

 them would have served to erect an obelisk. The thing, though 

 strange, is not altogether incredible ; for it is known that, near 

 Limoges, emeralds are found of very large dimensions, but 

 without either brightness or transparency.* Besides the ancients 

 confounded, under the name of emeralds, tourmalines and many 

 other greenstones. Theophrastus speaks also of the hyacinth ; 

 of the amethyst, which is called the Heraclean-stone ; of rock- 

 crystal ; of the onyx, which is found on breaking certain rocks ; 

 of the Agate, which takes its name from the river Achates ; of 

 the jasper of Bactriana, which is met with among sand. He 

 speaks of the magnetic stone ; and by this name he designates, 

 not what has since been designated by it, the loadstone, but a 

 stone which has no attractive power, of a silvery lustre, and 

 which was then used for making cups. 



In treating of precious stones, Theophrastus speaks also of 

 pearls, but without confounding them with mineral productions. 

 He says that they are got from a shell-fish which is fished in 

 the Indian seas. He speaks of the remains of organized bodies 

 which are found in the earth, of petrified reeds, of fossil ivory, 

 of Armenian blue, &c. 



In treating of the use of mineral substances, he describes the 

 process of the manufactory of glass. He mentions the different 

 colours that painters obtain from minerals; natural ochre, 

 burned ochre, white lead, verdigris, vermilion, cinnabar, which 

 the Phoenicians brought from Spain ; it was brought also from 

 Colchis, and was found, it was said, on the top of certain steep 

 rock.s, from which it was separated by the shots of arrows. This 

 was undoubtedly a story invented by the merchants, to warrant 

 their raising its price. Finally, Theophrastus speaks of marl, 

 and its uses ; and of plaster, which, even in his time, was used 

 as it is now, for moulding ornaments for the interior of houses. 



• In North America beryls weighing 240 pounds have been met with.~> 

 Kdit. 



