their
prayers. Here, in our day, Jet is chiefly used for mourning jewelry. It
is polished with tripoli, and oil. During manufacture it must be
frequently moistened with water, or, becoming heated by the friction,
it will fly to pieces. Thus, as Isidore saith, " it is kindled by
water, and quenched by oil." " Being worn it helps the nightmare. An
oyl may be made from jet, like oyl of amber, but with a stronger fire.
Put to the nose this is good for joynt-gouts, cramps, convulsions, and
palsies." "Everyone knows," quoth Schroder, "that an oyl drawn from
rock-coal ripens wounds, and softens tumours." Similarly, Jet, when
burnt, gives off a dense pungent smoke, which, if insufflated by the
nostrils, will exercise the like remedial effects.
In
Prussia the amber-diggers call Jet " black amber." They manufacture it
into various ornamental articles, and sell these to unwary persons, as
" black amber," at a great price.
THE ADDER STONE.
What was
formerly .known as the " Adder Stone " is reported to have come again
recently into demand. It was not, and is not, a stone at all, but
simply a glass ring, which was worn in old times, prior to the Roman
occupation of this country, as an amulet, or charm; but without having
any actual connection with the adder, or other snake, beyond a reputed
efficacy for curing the bites thereof. Such rings are rare now-a-days
as relics of former times; but one of the same is occasionally picked
up in a South of England rural district. This curio is accepted by
antiquarians as a proof that the ancient Britons knew something about
the art of making glass. Certain round perforated stones, (thought to
have served the
