Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/139

 Japis, ays Pliny, l. 38. c. 9. and poibly a true genuine Emerald affixed to it, as often to the Praius, and affixed to, or immered in others: But, whatever it was, it is certain, from the preent more rational Sytem of the Origin of the Gem Clas, that it had been in this mixed State from the Time of its original Concretion; and would auredly have for ever continued o: there being no Agent in nature of Power to have changed the Japer Part into the Nature of the other.

The medicinal Virtues of the Emerald, according to the Antients, were o many, that, to look over their Accounts of them, one would imagine it deerved even more Eteem as a Medicine than as a Gem: They accounted it a certain Remedy, taken internally in Powder, for Poions, and the Bites of venomous Beats, for Fluxes of the Belly, the Plague, and petilential Fevers, Hæmorrhages, and Dyenteries; the Doe was from four to ten Grains. Externally worn as an Amulet, they eteemed it a certain Remedy for Epilepies, and imagined it had the Power of eaing Terrors, and driving away evil Spirits; tied to the Belly or Thigh of Women with child, they attributed to it the Virtues of the Eagle-tone, of taying or forwarding Delivery: and thought it an infallible Preervative of Chatity; to the Violations of which it had that innate Abhorrence, that if but worn on the Finger in a Ring, it flew to pieces on the committing them.

It may not be amis to have thus once given an Account of the Virtues the Antients attributed to Gems: for they had almot as large a Lit for every Kind as this. The greatet part of thee cannot but be een at firt view to be altogether imaginary; and as to the Virtues of is aid there has been found in Cyprus a Stone, the one half of which was Emerald and the other Japer, as not yet changed.

XLIX. There is ome Workmanhip required to bring the Emerald to its Lutre, for originally it is not o bright.

L. It is, however, excellent in its