A Myth About Precious Stones

"Herein," observes Reginald Scot, in another chapter, "consisteth a part of witchcraft and common cousenage used sometimes by the Lapidaries for gaines: sometimes of others for cousening purposes."

The Marbodeus, quoted by Scot, was Marboeuf, Bishop of Rennes, who wrote a Latin poem between 1067-1081, the "Lapidarium," a tissue of marvels, charms, and talismans in connection with precious stones, as already mentioned.

In the Journal of Sir Jerome Horsey, employed as a messenger between Ivan the Terrible and Queen Elizabeth, referred to in Dean Stanley's "Eastern Churches," is a curious account of the superstitious notions prevalent at that period (1584).

"The old Emperor," writes Horsey, "was carried every day in his chair to his Treasury. One day he beckoned me to follow. I stood among the rest venturously, and heard him call for some precious stones and jewels. Told the princes and nobles present before and about him, the vertue of such and such which I observed, and do pray I may a little digress to declare for my own memory's sake. 'The loadstone you all know hath great and hidden virtue, without which the seas that encompass the world, are not navigable, nor the bounds nor circle of the earth cannot be known. Mahomet, the Persians' prophet, his tomb of steel hangs on their Rapetta at Darbent, most miraculously.'

"Caused the waiters to bring a chain of needles touched by the loadstone--hanged all one by the other. 'This fair coral and this fair turcas you see: take it in your hand; of his nature are orient colours, put them on my hand and arm. I am poisoned with disease, you see they show their virtue by the change of their pure colour into pale;--declares my death. Reach out my staff royal, an unicorn's horn, garnished with very fair diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and other precious stones that are rich in value, cost 70,000 marks sterling of David Gower, from the fowlkers of Ousborghe; seek out for some spiders.'

"Caused his physician Johannes Lloff, to scrape a circle thereof, on the table; put within it one spider, and so one other, and died, and some other without that ran alive apace from it. 'It is too late, it will not preserve me.'

"'Behold these precious stones. This diamond is the Orient's richest and most precious of all others. I never affected it. It restrains fury and luxury, (gives?) abstinence and chastity. The least parcel of it in powder will poison a horse given in drink, much more a man.' Points at the ruby. 'Oh, this is most comfortable to the heart, brain, vigour, and memory of man, clarifies congealed and corrupt blood.' Then at the emerald. 'The nature of the rainbow, this precious stone is an enemy to uncleanness. The sapphire I greatly delight in; it preserves and increaseth courage, joys the heart, pleasing to all the vital senses, precious and very sovereign for the eyes, cheers the sight, takes away blood-shot, and strengthens the muscles and strings thereof.' Then takes the onyx in hand. 'All these are God's wonderful gifts, secrets in nature, and yet reveals them to man's use and contemplation as friends to grace and virtue, and enemies to vice. I faint, carry me away till another time.'"