90 THE CURIOUS LORE OP PRECIOUS STONES
century.
The greater number of those that have been collected in New Zealand
appear to have been made from one hundred to one hundred and fifty
years ago.74
The
jasper had great repute in ancient times as a rain-bringer, and the
fourth century author of "Lithica" celebrates this quality in the
following lines :75
The
gods propitious hearken to his prayers, Whoe'er the polished
grass-green jasper wears; His parched glebe they'll satiate with rain,
And send for showers to soak the thirsty plain.
Evidently
the green hue of this translucent stone suggested its association with
the verdure of the fields in an even closer degree than was the case
with transparent green stones such as the emerald, etc. Another early
authority, Damigeron, mentions this belief, and states that only when
properly consecrated would the jasper do service in this way.76
Jasper was also credited in the fourth century with the virtue of
driving away evil spirits and protecting those who wore it from the
bites of venomous creatures.77 An anonymous German author
of the eleventh or twelfth century recommends the use of this stone for
the cure of snake bites, and states that if it be placed upon the
bitten part the matter will come out
™
See Fischer, " Ueber die Nephritindustrie der Maoris in Neuseeland,"
Archiv für Anthropologie, vol. xv, Braunschweig, 1884, pp. 463-466.
"King's version in his Natural History of Precious Stones, London, 1865, p. 382.
™ Pitra, " Specilegium Solesmense," Parisiis, 1855, p. 328.
" Epiphanius, " De XII gemmis," Tiguri, 1565, fols. 7, 8.
