Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/147

 of thee Characters, but would certainly have decribed its Shape, which is the mot triking, obvious, and remarkable thing about it. We are therefore to eek for ome Stone better anwering this Decription; and this we find, even to the utmot Exactnes, in the Gem which we now call the Hyacinth, which it is alo evident they have never decribed under any other Name but this, (for what they called the Hyacinth, was a Stone of a very different Sort, and reckoned by us either among the Garnets or Amethyts) and which it is not eay to conceive how they could better or more exactly have decribed, than they have in their Accounts of the Lyncurius. I have before oberved, that Theophratus mentions more than one Species of it, and we at preent know three. Pliny eems, in the Paage I have quoted from him, to have meant that beautiful Species of it which we call the Hyacintha la bella, a Gem in great Eteem, of a flame Colour with an Admixture of a deep Red, but without any Tendency to Blacknes. Thee we have from Cambaia, and other Parts of the Eat Indies, and ometimes from Bohemia, but not o hard or beautiful as the Oriental. Our econd Kind are the affron-coloured; thee are next in Eteem after the La Bella, and are from the ame Places. The third are the amber-coloured; thee have no mixture of red; thee were the female Lyncuria of the Antients, and are the leat eteemed of all: They are found in Silea, Bohemia, Spain, and Italy.

The candid and excellent Dr. Waton has given many Reaons for uppoing the Antients to have been acquainted with our Tourmaline, and to have known that Stone by the Name of Lapis Lyncurius. Thee are Fields of Conjecture, open to all who roue the learned Quarry; and it is with a great deal of Pleaure I have read thoe Obervations of my learned Friend: perhaps a great deal may be aid to hew they do not diagree with my own. For thus much is certain, that the Hyacinth, which I undertand here to be alluded to, has an electric Power.

As to the Stone Æpinus, and others, ued in their Experiments, and called the Tourmaline; and which their Authority has fixed as the Tourmaline to this Day; that is a peculiar Species of Garnet, differing in every eential Character from the other Garnets. It is a prim of nine Sides, with two trihaedral Pyramids. Its Colour is purple, not fiery red, as the of Theophratus mut compel us to believe the Lyncurius to be; nor have we yet about it. The polihing thee Stones is alo a Work of great Trouble.