— 
of Plintes Naturall Hittorie. 
A. gyptians name Alabaftrites. He reporteth moreover,that there be many other Emerauds neare 
by taken forth of the mountaine Taygetus in Laconia,and thofe therfore be named Laconicke, 
and much like they are cothofe of Media. Hee {peaketh likewife of others ia Sicilie:Reckoned 
there isin the ranke of Emerauds, a certain gem brought out of Perfia,named Fanos ;howbeit 
ofan unpleafant greene itis, & foule within: as alfo the ftone Chalcofmaragdos that commeth 
out of the Ifle Cyprus, which hath in itcertaine veins of brafle thattroublethe greene colour: 
Theopbra(tws maketh report,that hee hath read in the books and records of the Agyptians, that 
aK.of Babylon fencas a prefent to one of their kings,one entire Emeraud fonre cubits long and 
three in breadth. Alfo,that there had been within the temple of Jupiter among thems,ais obeliske 
made of foure Emerauds, which obeliske notwithftanding was fortie cubits long,and carriedin 
B_ breadch foure cubits in fome places,and twoin others. He addeth moreover,that while he wrot 
his hiftorie,there was at Tyros within the temple of Hercules, a pillar ftanding of one Fmeraud, 
unleffe haply it were fome baftard Emeraund, for fuch(quoth he) are found ; and namely, in Cy- 
prusthere was feene naturally growing, a ftone,whereof the one halfe was a plaine Emeraud,the 
other a Lafper,as ifthe humourhad not been fully transformed and converted into an Emeraud. 
Apion the Grammarian furnamed * Pliftonices,wrote not long before, and he hath left upon res 
cord, Fhatthere was remaining ftill within the labyrinth of A.gypt; the gyantlike image of their 
god Serapés nine cubits tall,and of one entire Emeraud. 
Moreover, many are of opiriion, that Beryls are of the fame nature thar the Emerand, or at 
Jeaftwife veric like :ftom India they come as from their native place, forfeldome are they to be 
_ c foundelfe-where: lapidariesby their att and cunning know how tocut them with fixangles and 
copolifh them {moorh; for otherwife their luftte which is but fad, would bee dull and dead in 
deed, unleffe it were quickened and revived by the repercutfion of thofe angles «for be they polix 
fhednever fo much any other way,yer they have not that lively glofle which thofe fix faces give 
uatothem. Of thefe Beryls,thofeare beftaccounted of,which carrie a {ea-water greene, and re- 
femble the greenefle of the fea when itis clear. Next to then,are thofe which they call Chryfo- 
berylli:thefe bee fomewhat more pallet, andthe luftre that they have tendeth to the colour of 
gold. A third kind theres approching neareto this, bur that it is more pale (howfoever fome do 
thinke itis nokindof Beryll, buta gem by it felfe) and thisthey call Chryfoprafos. Ina fourth 
degree are placed the Beryis named Hyacinthizontes, becaufe they encline fomewhatto the la- 
D cin&. And ina fifth, fuch as ftand much upon the colour of the skie, whereupon they take their 
name Aéroides. After them,berheBeryls Cerini, forthatthey feeme like wax : then the Olea- 
gini,that is to {ay,of an oyle colour. Andiin thelaft places bee the Cryftalline, which are white; 
and come verieneare to ctyftals; All the fort of thefe Beryl! ftones have thefe faults;to wit,white 
hairie ftreaks or lines in them, yeaand other filthic ordure; beeing of themfelves without thefe 
imperfeétions, apt to fhed their colour,which foone fadeth. The Indians take a wonderfull plea= 
fure in long Beryls, and commendthem for the onely {tones and gems ta the worldyas if they ca- 
rednotto be fet in gold,bur chofe ratherco be worne without it: and in truth,in that regard their 
manner isto bore holes throngh them, and thento file them up into cheinsand collars, with 
haires of elephants: howbeit,when they meet with fome excellent Berylsindeed,which are come 
E totheirabfolute goodnefle and perfection, they thinke it not good to pierce fuch, but prefently 
they tip them with gold, that is to fay,they fet unto their heads certaine knobs in manner of bof 
fes which doe comprehend and enclofethe fame.And in verie truth,they delight ro cut their Be- 
ryls into long rolls or pillaftres in manner of cylindres, rather than afterthe manner of other 
gems,becaufe their principall graceandcommendation lieth in theit length: Some are of opi- 
nion thar the Beryll groweth naturally.cornered and with many faces ; and they hold thofe Be: 
rylstobe richeft, which being bored through along, have their white pithtaken forch,for to give 
thema:berterluftre of gold put untothein by. che reverberation where ofthe overmuch perfpi- 
cuitie of the ftone may feeme morecorpulentand in fome fort correed. Over andabove the 
faultsalreadie noted,fubjeG they arealfo to. thofe imperfections which be incidentto the Eme- 
F rauds,yea and befidesto certainefpeckscalled Pretygiz. Iristhought,that beryls be found like- 
wife in thefe parts-of the world, rowit, ab utthe kingdome of Pontus, Asfor the Indians, after 
that cryftall was oncefound ou desbetio fophifticar and-falfifie other gems therewith,but Be- 
ryls elpeciallys F300). s) 
Ggg Cuars 
612 
* 7. Contenti- 
ous, or Vitte- 
Ti0USs. 
