BOOK IX.] History of Nature. 153 



like a Leader, and endued with wonderful Shrewdness, to 

 guard his Flock from Danger. These the Divers use their 

 Efforts to obtain ; for if they are caught the rest are scat- 

 tered, and are easily taken in the Nets. When thus obtained, 

 they are put into earthen Pots, and covered with Salt; and 

 when all the Flesh is consumed, certain Kernels within their 

 Bodies, that is, the Pearls themselves, fall down to the Bot- 

 tom. There is no Doubt but they will become worn, and 

 change their Colour, if they be not well looked to. Their 

 Reputation jconsisteth in their brilliant Whiteness, Size, 

 Roundness, Smoothness, and Weight : Qualities not readily 

 found, insomuch that it is impossible to find two perfectly 

 fitted together. And hence it is that our very elegant People 

 at Rome have given them this Name of Uniones. For the 

 Greeks have no such Terms for them : nor among the Bar- 

 barians, who discovered them, is there any other Name than 

 Margaritas. In the very Whiteness itself there is a great 

 Difference among them. That which is found in the Red 

 Sea is the clearer The Indian Pearl resembleth the Plates 

 of the Stone called Specularis ; but otherwise it excels all 

 others in Magnitude. The greatest Commendation of their 

 Colour is to be called Exalumiuatrse. They that are more 

 lengthened are commendable in their Degree. For those 

 that are elongated and pointed at the Top, and grow into a 

 full Globe at the Bottom, in the Shape of Alabaster Boxes, 

 are favoured with the Name of Elenchi. The Ladies take 

 great Pride to have these dangling from their Fingers, 

 and two or three pendent at their Ears. There is Luxury 

 conveyed in the Names they have devised for these, and 

 wanton Excess in what they carry about; for when they 

 knock one against another they call them Crotalia (Cym- 

 bals), as if they delighted to hear the Sound of their Pearls 

 rattling together. Now, also, poor People affect to wear 

 them ; and it is a Saying among them, that a fair Pearl is to 

 a Woman instead of a Lictor. 1 Nay, upon the Feet, also, 



1 That is, they are a warrant of her rank, and so make way for her in 

 a crowd. Wern. Club. 



