[1] [2] [3] [4] THe olde writers remember fewe other ſtones of eſtimation to be founde in this Iſland then that which we call Geat,Geat. & they in latine Gagates: wherevnto furthermore they aſcribe ſundry properties as vſually practized here in times paſt, whereof none of our writers doe make any mencion at all.Laon. Calchõ|dyle. Howbeit whatſoeuer it hath pleaſed a num|ber of ſtrangers to write of ye vſages of thi [...] oure Countrie, aboute the tryall of the vir|ginitie of our maidens by drincking of the powder of thys ſtone againſt the tyme of their beſtowing in maryage: certaine it is than euen to this day there is ſome plenty to be had of this commoditie in Darby ſhyre & about Barwticke, although that in many mens opinions nothing ſo fine as that which is brought ouer by marchauntes from the mayne. But as theſe men are drowned with the common errour of our nation, ſo I am ſure that in diſcerning the price and value of things, no man now liuing can go beyond ye iudgemẽt of the old Romaines, who prefer|red the geate of Britain before ye like ſtones bred about Luke & all other coũtries. Moreo|uer as Geat was one of ye firſt ſtones of this Iſle wherof any forrein account was made, [...] ſo our pearles alſo did match with it in re|nowne, in ſo much that the only deſire of thẽ cauſed Caeſar to aduenture hyther, [...] after h [...] had ſéene the quantities & hard of our plenty of them, whyleſt he abode in France. Certes they are to be founde in theſe our dayes, and thereto of diuers coulours, in no leſſe num|bers then euer they were in olde tyme. Yet are they not now ſo much deſired bycauſe of theyr ſmallneſſe, and alſo for other cauſes, but eſpecially ſith churchwork as copes, ve|ſtements, Albes, Tunicles, altar clothes, canapies, and ſuch traſh are woorthily abo|liſhed, vpon which our countrymen hereto|fore beſtowed no ſmall quantities. For I thinke there were fewe churches and Reli|gious houſes beſides Biſhoppes Myters & Põtifical veſtures, but were either thorow|ly fretted or notably garniſhed wt huge nũ|bers of them. But as the Brittiſh Geat or o|rient Pearle were in olde tyme eſtéemed a|boue thoſe of other countries, ſo tyme hath ſince the conqueſt of the Romaines reuealed many other: in ſo much yt at this ſeaſon there are founde in Englande the Aetites and the Hematite and theſe very pure and excellent, alſo ye Calcedony, the Porphyrite, ye Chriſtal, & thoſe other, which we call Calaminares, & ſpeculares beſide a kinde of Diamõd or Ada|mant, which although it be very fair to ſight is yet much ſofter thẽ [...] thoſe yt are brought hyther out of other countries. We haue alſo vpon our coaſtes the white corall and other ſtones dayly founde in cliffes and rockes, whereof ſuch as finde them haue eyther no knowledge at all, or elſe doe make but ſmall account, being ſeduced by outlãdiſh Lapida|ries, whereof the moſt part diſcourage vs frõ the fetching and ſéeking out of our owne cõ|modities, to the ende that they may haue the [page 117] more frée vtterance of their naturall and ar|tificial wares, wherby they get great gaines amongſt ſuch as haue no ſkill. [...]all of [...]ne. I haue harde that the beſt triall of a ſtone is to laye it on the nayle of our thombe, and ſo to go abroade into the cléere light, where if the coulour hold in all places a like, the ſtone is thought to be natural. &c. But if it alter eſpecially towarde ye nayle, thẽ is it not ſound, but rather an ar|tificiall practize. If this be true it is an expe|riment worthy ye noting. (Cardane alſo hath it in his De ſubtilitate) yf not I haue reade néere more lies then this, as one example out of Cato, who ſayeth that a cuppe of Iuy will holde no wine at all, but I haue made ſome veſſels of ye ſame wood, which refuſe no kind of liquor, and therefore I ſuppoſe that there is no ſuch Antipatha betwéene wyne & Iuy as ſome of our reading Philoſophers with|out all maner of practize wil ſéeme to inferre amongeſt vs. What ſhoulde I ſaye more of ſtones? truely I can not tell, ſith I haue ſayde what I may already & peraduenture more then I thought. This yet will I adde that yf thoſe which are founde in Muſkelles (for I am vtterly ignoraunt of the generatiõ of pearles) be good pearle in déede I haue at ſundrie times gathered more then an ounce of them, of which diuers haue holes already entred by nature, ſome of them not much in|feriour to great peaſon in quantitie, & there|to of ſundrie colours as it happeneth amõgſt ſuch as are brought from the Eaſterly coaſt to Saffron Walden in Lent, when for want of fleſhe,Neuer [...]s our [...]ed and [...]ſh fiſhe [...]eare as [...]w ſith [...]n muſt [...]s haue ſtale ſtincking fiſhe & welked Muſ|kles are thought to be good meate for other fiſhe is to to déere amongſt vs.