316 NATURAL HISTORY OF GEMS.
where
flows the Green Fountain of Life, a voice was heard that the gravel
under their feet, green from the reflexion of the fountain, was the '
Gravel of Eepentance ' (Hassbaen. Medamet). When they returned to the
light they found this voice verified ; for both they that had picked up
this gravel repented, and they that had picked up none : the former,
because they had got nothing but Chrysolites (instead of Emeralds) ;
the latter, because they had got nothing at all. Hence is it called the
' Stone of Eepentance.' "
Epiphanius
relates a curious notion as to his Topazius, which he strangely makes a
gem " red of colour beyond the Carbuncle," namely, " that if rubbed
down upon a physician's hone it does not give out a red j'uice in
accordance with its own colour, but one like milk, and fills as many
cups as he that rubs it down may choose, and yet loses nothing at all
of its original weight. This juice is a remedy for all diseases of the
eyes, and, taken internally, for the dropsy ; and is an antidote
against the poison of the ' marine grape.' " *
The
modern Topaz is a totally distinct substance from the ancient Topazius
; being a combination of alumina and silica with fluoric acid,
extremely hard (reaching 8 on the scale, while the latter barely
attains to 0), highly electric, and of a vinous orange colour, without
any admixture of green. Those used in jewelry come from Brazil. An
inferior kind is found in Saxony. It is needless to add that it was
totally unknown to the ancients, or to the mediaeval writers even as
late as De Boot, whose jeweller's
* Orpheus says that the Magi ascribe the same powers to the Topazius as to tho Lychnis, viz., if thrown into a pot upon the fire, to prevent its boiling however hot the blaze ; but to make it boil over when set upon cold ashes. Now the latter was the red Spinel.
Marbodus avers that the Chrysolite strung on a hair out of an ass's tail is of mighty virtue to scare away evil spirits.
