CHAP. 16.—SMARAGDUS.
Next[1] in esteem with us are the pearls of India and Arabia,
of which we have already spoken in the Ninth Book,[2] when
treating of the marine productions.
(5.) The third rank, for many reasons, has been given to
the smaragdus.[3] Indeed there is no stone, the colour of which
is more delightful to the eye; for whereas the sight fixes itself
with avidity upon the green[4] grass and the foliage of the trees,
we have all the more pleasure in looking upon the smaragdus,
there being no green in existence of a more intense colour[5]
than this. And then, besides, of all the precious stones, this is
the only one that feeds the sight without satiating it. Even
when the vision has been fatigued with intently viewing other
objects, it is refreshed by being turned upon this stone; and
lapidaries know of nothing that is more gratefully soothing to
the eyes, its soft green tints being wonderfully adapted for
assuaging lassitude, when felt in those organs.
And then, besides, when viewed from a distance, these stones
appear all the larger to the sight, reflecting as they do, their
green hues upon the circumambient air. Neither sunshine,
shade, nor artificial light effects any change in their appearance;
they have always a softened and graduated brilliancy; and
transmitting the light with facility, they allow the vision to
penetrate their interior; a property which is so pleasing, also,
with reference to water. In form they are mostly concave, so
as to re-unite the rays of light and the powers of vision:
and hence it is, that it is so universally agreed upon among
mankind to respect these stones, and to forbid their surface[6]
to be engraved. In the case, however, of the stones of Scythia
and Egypt, their hardness is such, that it would be quite impossible
to penetrate them. When the surface of the smaragdus
is flat, it reflects the image of objects in the same manner as
a mirror. The Emperor Nero used to view[7] the combats of
the gladiators upon a smaragdus.
1. At the present day the ruby is next in esteem to the diamond.
2. Chapter 54, et seq.
3. The Emerald, and various other green precious stones, were included
under this name.
4. "Virentes" seems a very preferable reading to "silentes," as given
by the Bamberg MS.
5. The emerald is supposed to derive this colour from a minute portion
of oxide of chrome.
6. Engraved emeralds are but seldom found among collections of ancient
gems. In 1593, there was one found in the tomb of Maria, daughter of
Stilicho, in the Vatican, with the head of Honorius, her husband, engraved
upon it.
7. "It may here be objected that real emeralds are too small to admit
of being used as mirrors; but the ancients speak of some sufficiently large
for that purpose, and also of artificial ones; so that we may with certainty
conclude, that they classed among the emeralds fluor spar, green vitrified
lava, or the green Icelandic agate, as it is called, green jasper, and also green
glass."—Beckmann, Hist. Inv. Vol. II. p. 67. Bohn's Edition. It has
also been suggested, with reference to this passage, that Nero was shortsighted,
and that this emerald was formed like a concave lens. The passage,
however, will hardly support such a construction. Ajasson thinks that it
must have been a Dioptase or Siberian emerald; or else a green Corundum.