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ACHATES.
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modern
mineralogists. Besides the species still retaining the name, it
embraced all the inferior quartz-gems, the clouded Carnelians, and the
like, as well as those now called Jaspers : fur the ancient name "
Jaspis " was properly restricted to the green translucent species of
Calcedony, the Plasma, and the Heliotrope (Jaspis). How
wide the signification of the term " Achates " had become in ancient
times appears from Orpheus (604), who sings its praises as " the
multiform, excellent Achates, invested with every colour; for numerous
to be seen are the dyes of the Achates. In it thou wilt find, on
looking, the glass-like Jaspis, the blood-red Sard, and the sparkling
Emerald. Amongst them is found one of a vermilion aspect, moreover a
copper-colour, and the huo of the summer apple ; but. chiefest of all
that, canst thou obtain it, picturing the tawny hide of the fierce lion
dappled all over with spots ; red, white, dusky, and green,"—this last
sort evidently the Brocatella. These varieties are all distinguished in
Pliny by compound names expressing the different shades or conformation
of the subject-matter. Thus his Jasp-achates would be an Agate with a
green ground ; his Cerachates, one yellow and opaque ; his Sardachates,
one mixed with translucent red ; his Haemachates, our rare Red Agate,
of the deepest blood-colour, traversed by translucent veins of a
lighter sanguine ; the Dendrachates, " decorated with little trees,"
our Moss-Agate.* The Corallachates, " besprinkled with gold-dust like
Lapis-lazuli, and entitled sacred," is unmistakably our Aven-turine-quartz, of a translucent reddish-brown, filled with
*
Sometimes called " Mocha-stone," and consequently believed to come from
Arabia. But in reality " mocha " is merely the Saxon patois for " moss
;'' the stone having the same name in both languages. The filaments
giving the appellation are not petrified vegetation as they appear,
but. particles of clay suspended in the pure silicious matter of the
Agate whilst yet in a liquid state.
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