158 THE CURIOUS LORE OF PRECIOUS STONES
upon an emerald without losing its sight, the Arabian gem dealer, Ahmed Teifashi, in 1242 writes as follows: 23
After
having read in learned books of this peculiarity of the emerald, I
tested it by my own experiment and found the statements exact. It chanced that I had in my possession a fine emerald of the zababi variety,
and with this I decided to make the experiment on the eyes of a viper.
Therefore, having made a bargain with a snake-charmer to procure me
some vipers, as soon as I received them I selected one and placed it in
a vessel. This being done, I took a stick of wood, attached to the end
a piece of wax, and embedded my emerald in this. I then brought the
emerald near to the viper's eyes.. The reptile was strong and vigorous,
and even raised its head out of the vessel, but as soon as I approached
the emerald to its eyes, I heard a slight crepitation and saw that the
eyes were protruding and dissolving into a humor. After this the viper
was dazed and confused; I had expected that it would spring from the
vessel, but it moved uneasily hither and thither, without knowing which
way to turn; all its agility was lost, and its restless movements soon
ceased.
Wolfgang
Gabelchover, in his commentary on the sixth book of the treatise "De
Gemmis," by Andrea Baceio, gives the following account of a strange and
tragic experience in regard to a ruby: M
It
is worthy of note that the true Oriental ruby, by frequent changes of
color and by growing obscurity, announces to the wearer some impending
misfortune or calamity; and the obscurity and opacity is greater or
less according to the extent of the coming ill-fortune. Alas! that what
I had often heard proclaimed by learned men, I should myself
experience; for as, on the fifth of December, 1600, I was travelling
from Stuttgart to Calw with my beloved wife Catherine Adelmann of
pious memory, I plainly observed in the course of the journey that a
very beautiful ruby which she had given me, and which I wore on my
hand, set in a gold ring, once and again lost
23Ravii, "Specimen Arabicum," Trajecti ad Rhenum, 1784, pp. 97, 98.
24 Andreas Baccii, " De gemmis et lapidibus pretiosis," Latin trans, by Wolfgang Gabelchover), Francofurti, 1603, pp. 63, 64.
