82 A TOUR BOUND MT GABDEN. 



to notice common riches which nature has spread with such 

 proftision over the surface of the earth. Truly, there are 

 some precious stones which are singularly agreeable to my 

 sight, but there is not one whose colours may not be found 

 upon some flower or some insect. Is not the chrysis a living 

 jewel, composed of an emerald and a ruby? Do you know 

 a sapphire of so pure a blue as the corn-bottle of the fields, 

 as briUiant as the sage called Salvia patens, as the Delphinivm 

 vivace, which flourish in our gardens? Seek then among 

 stones for the scarlet of certain geraniums, and of the little 

 red verbena, which eclipses the geranium itself. Are these 

 emeralds endued with the transparency of the leaves of the 

 oak under which I reclined yesterday, when the sun was 

 above it 1 Is there a diamond which has the fire and the 

 colours of drops of dew in the sun ? Is not a garden a 

 living jewel-case, full of jewels which fly, and others that 

 blossom and spread around their perfume? But precious 

 stones are dear, all the world cannot have them, and that 

 is the reason all the world wishes for them. The matter, 

 besides, is not to see or to have precious stones, the object is 

 to show them. What I tell you is neither a paradox nor 

 a jest. What do you admire in precious stones 1 Is it the 

 colour ? You have but to look around you ; flowers and in- 

 sects have more beautiful colours than they have. Is it 

 their hardness? The sand of your garden is very hard, the 

 iron balcony of your window is very hard, and yet you take 

 no pride in them : it must be then the value, it must then 

 be money ! 



Besides, all precious stones are so closely imitated in glass, 

 that few persons can distinguish them. Many women exhibit 

 their real jewels only occasionally, and habitually wear false 

 diamonds mounted in the same manner, to avoid thefts and 

 accidents. Truly, these latter have as much brilliancy, and 

 render the women who wear them as attractive, otherwise, . 

 you may be assured that not one of them would resign her- 

 aelf to such a sacrifice. What then is the use of the others, 

 the true ones, shut up in their case? They have them, 

 others know that they have them, and are acquainted with 

 their value — that is all. 



But let us return to colours. Many colours have taken 



