360 THE DIAMOND
It is difficult and sometimes bitter, for a people or an individual, in age, to discard the imaginations of youth.
But
after four or five thousand years, the growing light of knowledge
acquired about other things, fell from a thousand lamps kindled about
it, upon the diamond, and as the glamour which had enveloped it was
dissipated, the need came to fill the place of the going fable with
facts, for they only could bear the light. The prominence and
preciousness of the stone attracted attention, but its value hindered
experiments, so that there was little definite knowledge of the
composition of it even, prior to the seventeenth century.
During
the last two or three centuries, scientists have sought by careful
research and costly experiments, to learn how Nature succeeds in
isolating one of her elements in such a beautiful and enduring form.
But while men have learned to measure the stars, and have conceived an
idea of infinity; to harness electricity to wheels and engines and
transmit thought on its ethereal waves; while they have filled their
archives with a myriad discoveries of light, heat, force, and the
whole kaleidoscope of Nature; established the natural rights of man and
placed the compass of his mental horizon in the heavens among the gods;
while this and more has been accomplished, all they have learned of
the crystallization of carbon is, that it can be done by heat and
pressure, and in a very small way to do it.
The
Hindus believe to this day that rock crystal is transformed by
lightning to diamond. This is a poetical fancy, but it may have some
foundation in fact, for the power of electricity over the elements is
great, and it is possible that under certain conditions, it could crys-
