Plinies Naturall Hillorie, 



A rirtinlent are kept hungtie and fafting.and fo the pcarles keepe at a ftay and prolper not accor- 

 dingly. But if it thunder withall^then fodainly they fhut hard at once^ and breed onely thofe ex- 

 crefcences which be called Piiyfemata^ilike unto bladders puft up and hooved mih windjand no 

 corporallfubftance at all : and thefe are the abortive & untimely fruits of thefe fhell-finies.Now? 

 thofe that have their full perfedionjand be found and good indeed, have many folds and skins 

 wherein they be lapt, notunproperlyas it may be thought, a thicker hard, and callous rind of 

 the bodie^whichthey that be skilfull doe pill and cleanfc from them. Certes,! cannot chufe but 

 wonder how they fhould fogreatly be affedted with the aire, and joy fo much therein : for with 

 the fame they wax red, and loofe their native whiteneffeand beautie, even as the bodie of a man 

 or woman that is caught and burnt with the funne. And therefore thofefhells that keepe in the 



B maine lea, and lie deeper than that the fuu-beames can pierce unto them, keepe the fincft and 

 moft delicate pearles. Andyet theyjas orient as they be, waxe yellow vyith age, become riveled^ 

 and lookedead without any lively vigor : fo as that commendable orient luftre (fo much fought 

 for of our great lords and coftly dames) coniinueth but in their y outh jand decaieth with yeeres, 

 Wiien they be oldathey will p^oovc thicke and groffe in the very fliells, and fticke faft unto theic 

 fides/o as they cannot be parted from thcm,unle{re they be filed afunder.Thcfe have no more 

 but one faireface^and on that fide are tound, for the backe part is flatandplainejand hereup- 

 on fuch are called Tympaniajas one would fay, Bell pearles. We fee daily of thefe (hcWs which 

 fcrve as boxes to carrie fweet perfumes and precious ointments, and mofi commendable they 

 are for this gift. That in them there be pearles of this fort naturally growing togither like twins. 



C The pearle is foft and tender fo' long as it is in the water , take it forth once and prefently it harde- 

 neth. As touching the fhell that is the mother of Pearlcjaffooneasit perceiveth and fceleth 

 a mans hand within it, by and by (he fnutteth, and bythatmeaneshidcdiand covercthher ri- 

 ches within: for well wotethfhe that therefore ilie is fought for.Budetthefifher lookc v^cll to 

 his fingers, for if ilie catch his hand betwecne.olf it goeth : fo trenchant and iharpe an edge llie 

 carrietii,thatisableto cutitquiteatwo. And verily ihisisa ju{lpuniflimentforthetheefe,and 

 none more: albeit fhee be furniilied and armed with other meanes of revenge. Forthey keepe 

 for the moft parr about craggie rockesjand arc there found : and if they be in the deepe,accom- 

 panied lightly they are with curft Sea-dogs . And yet all this will notferve toskare men away 

 from fiilimg after them: for why Pour dames and gendewomen mufthave their -earesbehan- 



D ged with them, there is no remedie. Some fay, that thefe modier-pearles have their kings and 

 captaineSjasBees have : chat as they have their fwarmes led by a mafter Be^jfo everie troupe and 

 companie of thefe, have one fpeciall great and old one to condud^itjand fuch common- 

 ly have a fingular dcjiteritie and woonderfuU gift to prevent arid avoid all daungers-. Thcie 

 they be that thedy vers after pearles are moll: carefull to come by : for if they be once caught j 

 the reft fcatter afiinder and be foone taken up within the nets. When they be thus gotten , it is 

 faid that they be put up into earthen pots and well covered with fak : and when the fait hath ea- 

 ten and confumed all the fleflTi within, then certaine kernels that were within their bodies (and 

 thofe be the veric pearles) fall downe and fettle to the bottomc of thofe pors. There is no doubt 

 but with much ufe they will weare, yea and chaungc colour through negligence, if they be not 



E well looked unto , Their chiefe reputation confifteth in thefe five properties, namely->if they be 

 orient whitc,great,round, fmoothjand weightie.Qualitiesl niay teil you, not eafily to be found 

 all in one : infomuch as it is impoffible to find two perfitly forted togither in all thefe points. 

 And hereupon it is, that our dainties and delicates hereat Rome, have devifed this name for 

 them,and call them Vniones j as a man would fay, Singular,and by themfelvcs alone. For fure- 

 ly the Greekes have no fuch tearmesforthem, neither know they how to call them ; nor yet the 

 Barbarians, who found them firft out,, ocherwife than Margaritas. In the very whiteneffe itfelfe^ 

 there isa great difference among them. That which is found in theredfea, is the clearer and: 

 more orient. As for the Indian pearle, it refembleth the skalesand plates of theflone called 

 Specularis 5 howfosver othecwifc itpaffethall others in greatnefle.Themoft commcndatiorj 



p that they have is in their colour, namely, if they may be truly called Exaiuminati, /. orient and 

 cleare as Aiume. They that be goodly great ones, are commendable in their degree. As for 

 thofechac are long and pointed upward, growing downward broader and broader like a peare, 

 or after the manner of Alabafler boxes, full and round in the bottomc, they be called Elenchi. 

 Ol\i dames take a greatpride in a braverie^to have thefe not only hang danglin g at their fingers, 



lij ' but 



