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Ancient Ideas on the Origin & Virtues of Pearls

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Ancient Ideas on their Origin and Virtues. 55
language, is poetically expressed in the following
verses by the late Archbishop Trench:—
" A dew-drop falling on the ocean wave Exclaimed in fear ' I perish in this grave ;' But in a shell received, that drop of dew Unto a Pearl of wondrous beauty grew ; And happy now the grace did magnify, Which thrust it forth (as it had feared) to die; Until again, ' I perish quite,' it said, Torn by rude diver from its ocean bed. Vain apprehension 1 soon it gleamed a gem, Chief jewel of a monarch's diadem."
We can well imagine that so chaste and charming a gem as the Pearl should be deemed worthy of a more sacred birth than that arising from a drop of common rain or dew, and hence arose the highly poetical idea that Pearls were formed from tears wept by angels, or shed by mortals under circumstances of peculiar trial. Thus, in "The Bridal of Triermain," Sir Walter Scott writes :—
" See the Pearls fhat long have slept, These were tears by Naiades wept."
So Shakespeare finds a similar idea in the following lines :—
" The liquid drops of tears that you have shed, Shall come again transformed to Orient Pearl, Advantaging their loan with interest, Of ten times double gain of happiness."
The favorite poetical idea that Pearls were " angels' tears " has been beautifully expressed in
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