Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/163

 irregular and uncertain Manner of its Spots, Clouds, and Variegations, being placed. It has commonly a grey horny Ground; its Variegations are of different Colours, and often mot beautifully dipoed; repreenting ometimes, very exactly and elegantly, Trees, Shrubs, and Plants, Clouds, Rivers, and Forets; and ometimes Animals: There are Stories of very trange Repreentations on ome of them; and, indeed, the beautiful Images we often now ee upon ome, may incline one to believe many of the trange Things we hear of them.

The Antients have ditinguifhed Agates into many Species, to each of which they have given a Name, importing its Difference from the common Agate; whether it were in Colour, Figure, or Texture: From their, Colours, they called the red Hæmachates, the white Leucachates, and the plain yellowih, or wax-coloured, Cerachates. Thoe which approached to, or partook of the Nature of other Stones, they ditinguihed by Names compounded of their own generical Name, and that of the Stone they reembled or partook of: Thus that Species which eemed allied to the Japers they called Jap-Achates; and that which partook of the Nature of the Carnelian, Sard-Achates; and thoe which had the Reemblance of Trees and Shrubs on them, they called, for that Reaon, Dendrachates: Thee are what our Jewellers at this Time call Mocho-Stones, but improperly; for they are not the Product of that Kingdom, but are only ued to be brought from other Countries, and hipped there for the Ue of our Merchants.

Others they have named idly from their imaginary Virtues; as that Kind which they uppoed had the Power of conquering the Rage of Lions, and other wild Beats, they called therefore, which ome have imperfectly tranlated Leonina only, and uppoe the Stone to have been o named, from its being of the Colour of a Lion's Skin: How much they were mitaken, we may know from this remarkable Decription of it in o old an Author as Orpheus:

Pliny eems not to have perfectly undertood Stone; it has its Name from the River Achate in Sicily; and is old at a great Price.