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Ch. 6: Carbunculus, Ruby

Ch. 6: Carbunculus, Ruby Page of 377 Ch. 6: Carbunculus, Ruby Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
CARBUNCULUS.
239
lighted up the entire chapel on all sides that it served instead of lamps for the reading of the Hours late at night, and would have served the same purpose to the present day, had not the hope of gain caused it to be stolen by a runaway Benedictine monk, the most greedy creature that ever went on two legs. Afterwards, however, from the fear of being convicted of sacrilege by having so notable a gem in his possession, he threw it away into the sea near Egmund. Some traces of this stone still remain in the upper border of the before-mentioned tablet."* Creuzer, in his ' Description of the Tomb of St. Elizabeth at Marburg,' states that the same belief was to the last firmly held by the common folks as to the nocturnal luminousness of the huge " Karfunkel " set above the statuette of the Saviour upon the principle façade of this magnificent Châsse, in silver-gilt, made in the year 1249. This stone, on examination by him before 1808 (most of the gems were stolen after the removal of the Châsse to Cassel), proved to be no more than a common yellow Crystal or German Topaz, possessing, it is needless to add, no phosphorescent quality whatever, save to the eye of Faith, that by the same intense straining was of old enabled to discern the mystic light of Tabor. Such a property belongs, in reality, to no other precious stone than the Diamond, and that only retains it for a few minutes after having been excited by exposure to the sunshine, and then immediately carried into a dark room. This singular phenomenon must often have attracted the notice of Orientals on entering their gloomy chambers after long exposure to their blazing sun,
Ch. 6: Carbunculus, Ruby Page of 377 Ch. 6: Carbunculus, Ruby
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