hdits, and the Kings of Mexico , didde much efteeme 

 them; fome did vfe to pierce their nofthrils, and hang 

 therein an excellent Emerald : they hung them on the 

 vifages of their idolles. Thegrcateftftoreisfoundin 

 the NewKingdomeof Grenado, andPm/, neerevnto 

 MAnta and port VkiL There is towardes that place a 

 foile which they call , the Land of Emeraldes 5 for the 

 knowledge they have of aboundance to be there : and 

 yetvnto this day they have not conquered that Land. 

 The Emeralds grow in ftones like vnto criftall 5 I have 

 feene them in the famcftone , fafhioned like a veinc, 

 and they feeme by little and little to thicken and refine. 

 I have feene fome that were halfe white, and halfe 

 greene 5 others all white, and fome greene and very 

 perfite. Ihave feene fome of the bignefTeofa nut, and 

 there have bin fome greater foundrbut I have not kno- 

 wen that in our time they have found any of theform 

 and bignefle of the platt or iewel they have at Genes.thc 

 which they efteeme (and with reafbn) tobea iewellof 

 great price, and no relique ; yet without companion, 

 the Emerald which Tk&pttrajtw fpeakes of, which the 

 King tfBabilon prefented to the King of Egypt, furpaf- 

 feth that of Genes $ it was foure cubitcslong , and three 

 broade, and they fay, that in /#/y/<T/TcmpIe,there was 

 a needle or pyramide, made of foure Emeralds ftones 

 of forty cubits long, and in fome places foure broade, 

 and in others two : and that in his time there \vasm 

 Tir in Pier cules Temple, a pillar of an Emerald . It may 

 be (as Plinie faieth) it was of fome greene ftone, fbme- 

 whatlike to theEmerald.aed they called it a falie Eme 

 rald. As fbme will fay, that in the Cathedrall Church 

 of Cordofa there are certaine pillars of Emeraldes which 

 i'cmaine fince it was a Mef quite for the Kings Mirama- 



molws 



