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III. 127 Conscious of poison, &c.—P. 102.

Giafar, the founder of tbe Barmecides, being obliged to fly from Persia, his native country, took refuge at Damascus, and implored the protection of the Caliph Soliman. When he was presented to that Prince, the Caliph suddenly changed colour, and commanded him to retire, suspecting that he had poison about him. Soliman had discovered it by means of ten stones which he wore upon his arm. They were fastened there like a bracelet, and never failed to strike one against the other, and make a slight noise when any poison was near. Upon enquiry it was found, that Giafar carried poison in his ring, for the purpose of self-destruction in case he had been taken by his enemies.—Marigny.

These foolish old superstitions have died away, and gems are now neither pounded as poison, nor worn as antidotes. But the old absurdities respecting poisons have been renewed in our days, by authors who have revived the calumnies alleged against the Knights-Templar, with the hope of exciting a more extensive persecution.

From spells, or blunt the hostile weapon’s edge.— P. 102.

In the country called Panten or Tathalamasin, “there be canes called Cassan, which overspread the earth like grasse, and out of every knot of them spring foorth certaine branches, which are continued upon the ground almost for the space of a mile. In the sayd canes there are found certaine stones, one of which stones whosoever carryeth about with him, cannot be wounded with any yron: and therefore the men of that country for the most