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 from Salmaius, the bet, mot diligent, and accurate of them all, and to whom I am much indebted in many Parts of this Work. But I had rather dient from a thouand Critics than from Reaon.

That cannot have been the original Reading here is evident, from the Characteritics of that Species before named, the principal of which was its Smallnes. Many of the other Emeralds were at Times found mall, but the Bactrian always: its general Character was, that it was too mall for engraving Seals on, and therefore only ued for ornamenting Veels and other Utenils of Gold. And it is certain, that if Theophratus had known this Exception to its common Character, he would have named it hereafter, when decribing it, and mentioning till its contant Smallnes. But beide the Improbability of a large Pillar of a Gem uually too mall for a Seal; why do thoe Gentlemen imagine Theophratus, who we hall find hereafter was well acquainted with the Stones of this Clas, hould upect the Bactrian Emerald to be a batard Kind: It was well known to him to be a genuine Emerald, and was generally eteemed the econd in Value: the bet in the World except the Scythian.

That he could never, therefore, mean the Bactrian Emerald here, where he is decribing a large, and, as he upects, batard Stone, is certain; and that he did mean the Tanus, I think, is, from his Account, almot equally clear. He is talking of the exceive Size of Emeralds; and after having mentioned two Accounts, neither of which, he tacitly declares, he can believe, he here adds a third, the Truth of which he eems not to doubt, but upects the Genuinenes of the Stone. Pliny, we fee, is jut of the ame Opinion in regard to the Tanus; ranking it, according to the common Opinion, in the ame Chapter with the Emeralds, but not allowing it a Place among them, according to his own Sentiments. That Author has generally copied cloely from Theophratus in Things of this Kind, and almot every where adopted his Opinions; 'tis highly probable, therefore, that he had read this is at that Place a very large Pillar of this Stone in the Temple of Hercules. But perhaps this is no true Emerald, but of the Peudo-Smaragdus, or batard Kind; for there is uch a Stone of this Clas.