to restore his reason, a decoction of Pearls with distilled water was administered.
Margarita significant lacrymarum flumen ;—"
Pearls portend a torrent of tears,"—declared Astrampsychus. Pearls have
for ages been thus significant of tears. A few nights before the
assassination of Henry IX. of France, his Queen dreamed that all the
jewels in her crown were changed into Pearls; which, she was told,
betokened tears.
The
" Majoon," in which there is a large quantity of Pearls, is much
sought-after by Asiatics as a restorative. (But Diamonds are never used
by them medicinally, being considered too hard for absorption.)
A
Kabbinical story tells that Abraham, on approaching Egypt, concealed
his wife Sarah in a locked chest, so that no one might see her
surpassing beauty. On arriving at the place for paying custom he was
asked for the dues, which he at once said he would pay. " Carriest thou
garments 1 " asked the tax-collector ; and Abraham without
demur offered for such, (as well as for gold, and other valuables
specified questioningly by the same official), their required duty. "
Surely then it must be pearls thou bearest with thee ! " said the
collector at last; to which Abraham replied, " I will pay for pearls."
Seeing that they could name nothing of value for which Abraham was not
willing to pay custom, the officers said, " Then it must be that thou
openest the box, and let us see what is therein." So they opened the
box; and the whole land of Egypt was illumined by the lustre of Sarah's
beauty, far exceeding even that of pearls.
At Cleopatra's famous banquet Csesar quaffed costly wines from large cups made of such rare Gems :—
" Gemmaeque eapaces
Excepere merum."
