Hiftorieoftbefndic!t< lib.^, 24.9 



Author writes , giving it the third place amongft all ic- 

 welles and pretious ftones, that is next to the diamond 

 and pearle . At this day they doe not fo much cfteeme 

 the Emerald ,nor thepearle, for the greataboundance 

 is brought of theie twd forts from the Indies , onely the 

 diamond holds the principality, the which can not be 

 taken from it. Next,the rubies comein price and other 

 ftones, which they hold more pretious than tire Eme 

 rald. Men are fo defirous of fingularities & rare things, 

 that what they fee to be common,they do notefteeme. 

 They report of a Spaniard , who being in Italic when 

 the Infos were firft difcovered, (hewed an Emerald to 

 a Lapidary, who asking him the value thereof, after he 

 had well viewed it, being of an excellent luftre and 

 forme , he prized it at a hundred ducats : he then fhe- 

 wed him an other greater than it , which he valued at 

 three hundred ducats . The Spaniard drtinkc with this 

 difcourfe , carried him to his lodging , (hewing him a 

 casket full . The Italian feeing fo great a number of E* 

 meralds, fiyde vnto him , Sir, theft are well woorth a 

 crowne a peece : the like hath happened both at the 

 Indies and in Spaine , where the ftones have loft their e- 

 ftimation,for the great abundaunce they findc of them 

 there. 



P//#y reportes many excellencies of the Emerald, a- 

 mongft the which he faith , that there is nothing more 

 pleafing, nor more healthfull for the fight; wherein he 

 hath reafbn, but his authority importeth little, feeing 

 there is fuch ftorc . It is reported that Lelia a Romanc 

 Damebdfowed vppon a fcoffionand a garment cm- 

 broidenfd with pearle and emerald 400000. ducats,the 

 which at this day might be doone with lefle than forjy 

 thoudnd ducats, yea two fuch . In diverfc partes of the 



Indies* 



