Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/131

 XLVI. After this mention of the Tanus, which the Author upects to be a batard Kind of Emerald, and which was brought from remote Places, he now gives the Hitory of the Batard Emerald in general; which he oberves was common, and produced in Places more frequented. What the Antients knew by the Names of Batard Gems, were Crytals from Mines, tinged with the Colours of the various precious Stones: and that by the ame means, the Admixture of metalline Particles, at the Time of their original Concretion: Thee had therefore the Colour, and in ome degree the Beauty of the Gems, but wanted their vivid Lutre and their Hardnes. And thus the Batard Emeralds here mentioned were many of them no more than common Crytal tinged by Particles of Copper diolved in an Acid. But though this was the general and more determinate Sene of the Words Peudo-Smaragdus, &c. yet they were often ued in a laxer Sene, and applied to Subtances of different kinds more eentially ditinct from the Gem Clas than thee, only from their having ome Reemblance, (perhaps in ome Caes in little more than Colour) to the Gems from which they had the Credit to be named. And of this Kind, if I may be indulged in a random Gues, I hould imagine this Tanus, to have been; which it is evident ome had placed among the Emeralds, and of which this Author knew not whether he might not refer it to the Batard Emerald; though mot probably it was no more than a fine Japer, ranked among thee Gems by les intelligent People, from its having a good green Colour, and ome degree of Diaphaneity; for I have een Oriental Japers, which, though opake in the Mas, have been tolerably pellucid, and of a beautiful green, when cut into thin Plates.

The Places where thee Batard Emeralds were found, favour very much the general Account I have given of them. The Copper Mines of Cyprus could not but abound in Crytals tinged with the Matter of the Mine, and reembling Emeralds. And Pliny oberves of the Carthaginian, that they were always bad, and that the Store of them failed when the The common batard Emeralds are produced in Places known and well frequented; epecially in two;