162 History of Nature. [BoOK IX. 



his Parlour with Purple ? Spinier was ^Edile in the seven 

 hundredth Year after the Foundation of the City, when Cicero 

 was Consul. This Purple was then called Dibapha, which 

 was twice dyed ; as being of magnificent Expense ; whereas 

 now almost all the genteel Purple Cloths are thus dyed. In 

 the Cloths dyed with the Conchylia the other Things are 

 the same, except that there is no Buccinum. Moreover, the 

 Broth is tempered with Water instead of the Excrement of 

 a Man's Drink; and only a half of the Preparations is 

 added. And thus is made that pale Tint so highly com- 

 mended, as being deprived of the full Colour ; and it is so 

 much the more diluted, as the Wool has been suffered to 

 drink it up. 



CHAPTER XL. 

 The Prices of these Cloths. 



THE Prices are lower, according to the Abundance of the 

 dyeing Material found on the Coast. But it was never known 

 in any Place that a Pound of the Pelagian (Colour) has ex- 

 ceeded five hundred Sesterces : t nor a Pound of the Buc- 

 cinum (Purple) cost above one hundred : which they who 

 sell these Things raise to an extravagant Price. But this is 

 far from being the End ; and Men have a Delight to trifle 

 with the Expense : to deceive by mixing over again, and so 

 double the Produce, adulterating even the Adulterations of 

 Nature; as to stain the Tortoise, to mix Silver with the Gold, 

 and so form Electrum : and by adding Brass to these, to 

 make the Corinthian Metal. 



CHAPTER XLI. 



The Manner of Dyeing the Amethystine Colour, Scarlet, and 

 colour Hysginum. 



IT is not enough to have robbed the precious Stone Ame- 

 thyst of its Name, but when they had it perfect, they must 



1 3 lib. 18 shil. Id. ob. 



