EMERALDS. 225 



and in Spaine, where the stones have lost their estimation, LlB - 



for the great abundance they finde of them there. 



Pliny reportes many excellencies of the emerald, amongst Pim., lib. 



xxxvii, ca- 



the which he saith, that there is nothing more pleasing, 5 - 

 nor more healthful for the sight ; wherein he hath reason, 

 but his authority importeth little, seeing there is such 

 store. It is reported that Lolia, a Roinane Darne, bestowed ^&quot;c s^ 

 vppon a scoffion 1 and a garment embroidered with pearle 

 and emerald 400,000 ducats, the which at this day might 

 be doone with lesse than forty thousand ducats, yea two 

 such. They have been found in diverse partes of the Indies. 

 The Kings of Mexico didde much esteerne them ; some did 

 vse to pierce their nosthrils, and hang therein an excellent 

 emerald; and they hung them on the visages of their idolles. 

 The greatest store is found in the New Kingdome of Grenada 

 and in Peru, neere vnto Manta and Puerto Viejo. There is 

 towardes that place a soile which they call the Land of Emer- 

 aldas ; for the knowledge they have of aboundance to be there; 

 and yet vnto this day they have not conquered that land. 

 The emeralds grow in stones like vnto cristall; I have seene 

 them in the same stone, fashioned like a veine, and they 

 seeme by little and little to thicken and refine. I have 

 seene some that were halfe white and halfe greene ; others 

 all white, and some greene and very perfite. I have seene 

 some of the bignesse of a nut, and there have bin some 

 greater found ; but I have not knowen that in our time 

 they have found any of the form and bignesse of the catino 

 or iewel they have at Genoa, the which they esteeme 

 (and with reason) as a iewell and not as a relique; yet 

 without comparison, the emerald which Theophrastus 

 speakes of, which the King of Babilon presented to the 

 King of Egypt, surpasseth that of Genoa ; it was foure 

 cubites long and three broade; and they say, that in lupiters 

 Temple there was a needle or pyramide, made of foure 



1 Tocado. 



Q 



