of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 619 
A This ftonéin regard of colour may be accompanied with the Turquois called Gallais, for a 
certaine green it hath enclining toa yellow.lt is found beyond the farthelt paits of India among 
the inhabitants of the mountaine Caucafus, co wit,the Phicarians and Aidates ; they grow unto 
avery great bigneffe, but the fame is fiftulouis and full of filth. The pureft and ticheft of this kind 
be thofe of Carmania.But in both countries they be found in ycie cliffes hardly acceffible;wheré 
you fhall {ee them beating out afterthe manner of boffes like unto eyes : they fticke unto thofé 
‘crags and rockesfolightly;that aman would fay that faw them, how they grewinornaturally out 
~of the rocke,but were onely fet too by mans hand. “And for thatthe place where they doe grow, 
is fo fteepe that ahorfeman is tiot able toride up tothem, and béeaufe the people of that coune 
trey be loth toclimbe fo high with their feet being otherwifé acquainted orditiarily to the horfe- 
B backe, befides, inregardof the daunger iri venturing to climbe forcherh, thetefore they reacts 
them a farre off with flings,and {o drive them downe,withall che hard mofle about them: And in 
very deed,a commoditie thisis of greatréevenue, and befides,the rich men know not the like jew- 
ello weare about their neckes.By a collar or chaine of thefe Turquoifes,men are judged wealihy 
more or leffe : and this is the glorie that they take from cheirchild-hood to bee able to fay, that 
thus many Turquoifes they have pulled and caft downe by that manner of flinging, And yet in 
the praétifeiof this fear, all {ped not alike; forfome you fhall have to throw downe many fair Tur- 
quoifes at the firft fling; and many for it againe who wearié their atmes and courle after them, 
and yet cannot get one Turquois. This(1 fay)isthe manner of chafing or hunting Torquoifes:and 
when they be gorten,they muft come into the lapidaries hands to be cut arid formed to what fa- 
C fhion you will: and in truth they be otherwife brittle and eafie to be wrought upon: The beft-Fur- 
quois is that which approcheft neareft co the graffe green of an Emeraud,howneit,all the grace 
that they have, feemeth to come from otitward ‘helpe: beeing fet in gold, they looke moft beauti- 
full, neither is there a precious ftone that becommeth gold beter. The fairer that a Turquoifeis, 
thefooner loofeth it the colour by oyle, ointment, or wine : contrariwife,the bafer that they bee, 
thebetterdoe they hold their owne and maintane theirluftre. Neither thall you meet with ani¢ | 
precious ftone mote eafie to be falfified and countericited with glaffe,than a Turquoife. Laftly, 
fome writers affirme, That they be foundin Arabia;within the nealt of cercaine birds called Me- 
Jacoryphi,which is asavuch to fay as Black cops, , 
» | Astouching greene ftones,there be manie morekinds : but of the bafer fort we reckon one of 
D aPorret colour,whichwe call Prafius,and the firft kind of ic is all greene;wheras the fecond hath 
‘upon the greene,certainered {pots like dloud which caule it tofeeme unpleafanttotheeye,and 
soughin hand :thethird is greene, but yet parced with thtee white ftrakes. 3 
Tne ftone Chryfopraftus y. the fea water or Horehound green, is preferred beforettie other.lia 
foie fort it refembleth the greene juice of a Leekesbut it declineth fomewhat from the Topaze, 
as if it were betweeneitand gold, Some of thefe are fo great and bigg; that there be drinking 
cupsmade thereof, after the tafhion of boats: bur pilaftres or round {taves in manner of cylin- 
dresor rolls,are very quickly framed of {uch ftones, Fhefe bee found among the Indians : hke as 
another ftone, whichis called'™Nilios: A weake luftre it hath aud will not long continue, for + Thouoht te 
looke buta while wiftly upon it, you fliall perceive it foone to fade : Sudimes faith, Thattherebe be the Almain 
E_ of them found in Syverus,a river chat paflech through the countrey of Attica: incolour it re~ Ch*/lie 
fembleth a fmoakie Topaze,or otherwhiles that of a honey colour.King Zba reporteth, That it 
isbredin AEthyopia,and namely aboutthe bankes and fides of a river which we call Nilus,wher- 
uponitcommeth tobe named Nilios, _ migra 
There isa ftone called Molochites, for that the greene colour which it hath,commeth neare 
unto a Mallow,andis moredim than the rett wherof | have fpoken. Commended itis highly in 
fignets for to feale faire : and befides it is fuppofed to be by 4 naturall verve thatit hath, acoun- 
tercharme to preferve little babes and infants from all witchcrafts and {orceries; High Yio" 
 Akind of Iafperlikewife thereis of a greenecolour,and the fame oftentimes is tranfparent? 
and although there be many other {tones goe beyond it in richeffe, yet it retaineth ftill the aun- 
F cient gloric andhonour thatit had. A gem cis,common to manie other countries ; India yeel- 
deth it unto us like toan Emeraud, Ge of Cyprusis veric hard;and of a greyifh fattie colour, 
betweene white and greene. The Perfians fendusa lafper like to the skie or aire, and thereup- 
on it iscalled Aérizuia:and fuch a one is that which commeth from the Cafpian hils. The 
Tafperabout theriver Ehermodoon is blewas Azure, In Phrygia you fhallhave it purple: in 
ot 5 Aa 9 ig ms ba i aoa ha ool aha | | cca i Cappa- 
