their
deity. Many of these fabulous notions were probably brought from the
East to Europe; for we find, in the middle ages, similar views
entertained by Marbodus, Bishop of Rennes, who wrote a book on the
miraculous powers of gems. The twelve Apostles were likewise
represented symbolically by gems, and they were called " the Apostle
gems;" as—
Jasper............................for St. Peter;
Sapphire.......'................... St. Andrew ;
Chalcedony........................ St. James ;
Emerald.......................... St. John ;
Sardonyx.......................... St. Philip ;
Cornelian......................... St. Bartholomew;
Chrysolite......................... St. Matthew;
Beryl............................. St. Thomas ;
Chrysoprase....................... St. Thaddeus ;
Topaz.............................. St. James the Less ;
Hyacinth.......................... St. Simeon ;
Amethyst......................... St. Matthias.
The
ancients, induced by the beauty of gems—the pure and deep color of the
emerald, the vivid and high lustre of the diamond, and the agreeable
reflections of the opal —had commenced using them as ornaments and
jewelry, and they took pains to adapt them to their purposes. Although
they did not, in 'those times, understand the art of cutting and
polishing them as practised at the present time, yet they endeavored to
work them into all possible shapes, by rubbing off the corners, or
polishing the natural faces. They generally fixed the gems on strings;
they also tried to carve figures representing deities, religious
costumes, historical events, exploits of celebrated generals. or the
heads of great men.
