of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 
turneth it, Hee affirmeth alfo, That the forefaid Cerauniz will become dull and duskifh: which 
if they be foaked for certaine daies together in vinegre and {al-nitre, will recover their light and 
conceive a new fire in manner of a ftar,which will continue for fo many moneths as they lay daies 
infufed; and after that loofe their luftre againe. Sotacws hath {et downe twokinds more of Cerau- 
nia,to wit,the blacke and the red,faying thar they doe refemble halberds or ax- heads. And by his 
faying, theblacke, fuch efpecially as bee round withall, are endued with this vertue, that by the 
mieanes of them cities may be forced,and whole navies at fea difcomfied;and thefe(forfoorh)be 
called Betuli, whereas the long ones be named properly Cerauniz. 
It is {aid that there is one more Ceraunia yet,but very geafon itis and hard to be found whicki 
the Parthian Magicians fet much ftoreby,and they onely can find it,for that itis no where to bee 
had than ina place which hath been fhot with a thunderbolt, 
Next after the Ceraunia,there is a {tone in name called Iris: digged out of the grounditisin | 
acertaine Ifland of the red fea,diftant from the city Berenice threefcore miles.For the moft pare 
itrefemmbleth Cryftall : which is the reafon that fome have tearmed itthe root of Cryftall, Bue 
the caufe why they call it Iris, is, Thatif the beamesof the Sunne ftrike upon it direCtly within 
houfe,itdoth fend from it againft the walls that bee neare, the very refemblance both in forme 
and alfo in colour of arainebow; and eftfoones it will chaunge the fame in much varietie, to the 
- greatadmiration of them that beholdit. For certaine it isknowne,that fix angles it hath in ma- 
ner of the Cryftall: but they fay that fome of them have their fides rugged, and the fame un- 
equally angled: which if they be laid abroad againft the Sunne in the open aire, doe {cater the 
beames of the Sunne,which light upon them too and fro: alfo that others doe yeeld a brightnes 
from themfelves, and thereby illuminatall that isabout them. As for the diverfe colours which 
they caft forth, it never happeneth but in a darke or fhaddowie place: whereby a man may know, 
that the varietie of colours is not in the {tone Iris,but commiath by the reverberation of the wals. 
But the bet Irisis that which reprefenteth the greateft circles upon the wall,and thofe which bee 
likeft unto raine-bowes indeed. There is another gem called Iris, like unto the other in all ref- 
pects, but that it 1s exceeding hard : Horvs faith, Thatif it be calcined and pulverized, itis a fin- 
gularremedie againft the biting of Ichneumones:alfo that naturally itis to bee found in Perfis, 
Much likein forme and fhape to Iris, but not of the fame effect, is there another {tone called 
Zeros :aman that feethit, would take it to bee aCryftall, with a blacke ftrake parting it over- 
thwart. Thus having laid abroad the precious ftones and jewels which are diftinguifhed by fun- 
drie kinds of principall colours, I will proceed tothe reft, and difcourfe of them according to 
the order of the Alphabet. , 
Cuap. x. 
2& Of certaine gems digefted in order according to the Alphabet. 
He Agate wasin oldtimeof great eftimation, but nowitisin more requeft. Found it was 
firft in Sicilieneare unto a rivercalled tikewife Achatés: but afterwards in many other pla- 
ces. Jr exceedeth in bigneffe,and is full of varietie in colours,whereby it hath gotten many 
names: for called it is Phaflachates, Cerachates, Sardachates, Hemachates,Leucachates,and 
Dendrachates,as if the veines therof refembled a little tree.As touching the Agath,called An- 
tachates, as it burneth you fhall have it cofmell like unto Myrrhe. Alfo, there is an Agath of a 
reddith colour refembling Corrall: and thereupon called Coralloachates:and thefame is befet 
with certaine {pots or drops of gold, in manner of the Saphire :of which kind there is paffing 
great plentie in Candie, where they call itthe holy or facred Agate: for people are perfuaded 
that itavaileth much againft the {ting of venomous {piders and {corpions : which propertie I 
could very well beleeve to be in the Sicilian Agaths,for that fo fooneas {corpions come within 
the aire and breath of the {aid province of Sicilie, as venomous as they bee otherwife, they die 
thereupon. The Agares likewife found among the Indians, have the fame operation,and befides 
doe reprefent many other miracles ; for you thal find imprinted naturally in them the form and 
proportion of rivers,woods,and laboring horfes: a man {hall fee in them coaches and little cha- 
riots ot horfelitters,together with the furniture and ornaments belonging to horfes.As for Phy- 
ficians,they make their grinding {tones thereof for fine pouders. And it is holden for a truth, thae 
onely to behold and looke upon an A gate,is very comfortable for the eyes, If they bee but held 
in 
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