160 THE BOOK OF THE PEARL
We have no certain information whether the pearls secured by the Romans were from the edible mussel (Mytilus edulis) of
the sea-coast or from the Unios of the fresh-water streams. Tacitus's
statement that they were collected "as the sea throws them up," seems
to locate them on the sea-coast ; but conditions in modern times make
it appear more probable that they were from the fresh waters.
Some
of the very early coins of the country indicate that pearls were used
to ornament the imperial diadem of the sovereigns of ancient Britain.
In "Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum," the celebrated English
monk, Bede (673-735) surnamed "The Venerable," enumerated among
other things for which Britain was famous in his day, "many sorts of
shell-fish, among which are mussels, in which are often found excellent
pearls of all colours; red, purple, violet and green, but mostly white."1
And Marbodus, Bishop of Rennes, in his lapi-darium, written about 1070,
refers to the British pearls as equaling those of Persia and India.
About 1094 a present of an Irish pearl was made to Anselm, Archbishop
of Canterbury, by Gilbert, Bishop of Limerick.2
In the .twelfth century there was a market for Scotch pearls in Europe, but they were less valued than those from the Orient.3
An ordinance of John II, King of France, in August, 1355, which
confirmed the old statutes and privileges of goldsmiths and jewelers,
expressly forbade mounting Scotch and oriental pearls together in the
same article, except in ecclesiastical jewelry (Orfèvre ne peut mettre
en œuvre d'or ne argent parles d'Ecosse avec parles d'orient se ce
n'est en grands joyaulx d'église).4
Writing in the sixteenth century, the historian. William Camden ( 1551-1623) stated in his "Britannia":
The
British and Irish Pearls are found in a large black Muscle. . . . They
are peculiar to rapid and stony rivers ; and are common in Wales, and
in the North of England, and in Scotland, and some parts of Ireland. In
this country they are called by the vulgar Kregin Diliw, i.e.
Deluge shells; as if Nature had not intended the shells for the rivers
; but being brought thither by the Universal Deluge, they, had
continued there, and so propagated their kind ever since. Those who
fish here for Pearls, know partly by the outside of these Muscles,
whether they contain.any ; for generally such as have them are a little
contracted or distorted from their usual shape. A curious and
accomplished Gentleman, lately of these parts, showed me a valuable
Collection of the Pearls of the Conway River in Wales ; amongst which I
noted a stool-pearl [button-
