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Achates, Agate

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NATURAL HISTORY OF GEMS.
gold-like particles of Mica (Sandaster). This, says Pliny, was found abundantly in Crete : at, present the finest speci­mens are brought from Cape de Gatte, in Spain.
That amongst these varieties our Red Jasper was included may be suspected from the singular pretence of the Magi "that the single * coloured sort rendered athletes invincible : the test being that, if boiled in a pot of oil along with other pigments, it should within two hours reduce the whole liquid to its own vermilion dye." That Pliny's Leucachates and Cerachates were whitish and yellowish Calcedonies, seems borne out by his remark, "jam e cerea staticula, et equorum ornamenta." The staticula, properly " steelyard-weights," were possibly those heads in Calce-dony, still very abundant, the perforations through which show the intention of attaching them to the dress, perhaps as weights to the ends of robes, in order to make them set well, like the metal ñïúóêïú terminating the Grecian chlamys. And the mention of " horse-ornaments " explains the existence of the larger specimens rudely worked into Isis or Gorgon-heads, and traversed by large diagonal holes evidently intended for a stout cord. Now a Pompeian bas-relief of a negro in a biga, led by a warrior, displays very conspicuously on the breast of each horse a grand Medusa's head in front-face, similarly suspended. This sculpture illustrates Pliny's words ; and both, taken together, throw light, equally, upon the original purpose of these singular Glyptic remains.
The Agates from. India were greatly admired as lusun naturœ, " because they represented rivers, groves of trees,f
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