The French academie Fully discoursed and finished in foure bookes. 1. Institution of manners and callings of all estates. 2. Concerning the soule and body of man. 3. A notable description of the whole world, &c. 4. Christian philosophie, instructing the true and onely meanes to eternall life. This fourth part neuer before published in English. All written by the first author, Peter de la Primaudaye, Esquire, Lord of Barre, Chauncellour, and Steward of the French Kings house.

Of Pearle, Corall, and Chrystall. Chapter 98.

AMANA.

IT is no maruell though pearles be so much sought after in these daies, by e∣uery one for ornaments, especially for women: for of old they haue beene in such or more request: so that while the Romane Empire flourished this was a common Prouerbe. That a woman could or might goe without pearles, aswell as a Consull might goe without Officers: meaning thereby that pearles were an honor to wo∣men, and made way to be giuen them in the street, as the sergeants did for the Consul be∣fore whom they marched. Pearle is placed among precious stones, and is of great price, being esteemed for whitenesse, splendor and roundnes: and when it is found big, poli∣shed, * 1.1 and heauy, then may it be said to bee faire in all perfection. But there are very fewe pearles that haue all these beauties, and conditions. Concerning the generation thereof the ancient opinion hath euer beene, that the pearle was engendred in shels of fishes, wherewith the the Indian Sea doth abound, which engendring at one time of the yeare, doe open and gape in the night time, by that meanes filling themselues with dewe, where∣by they conceiue pearles, which they make according to the qualitie of the dewe receiued: if it be cleere, they are cleere: if troubled, so are they troubled, and foule: if aboundant, the

pearles are great: if scarce, they are little. Moreouer if it happen to thunder the shels shut together for feare that they haue; so that they haue no leasure to take in dewe enough, whereby they remaine lancke and empty, as if they had fasted: and thereof also pearles do proceed that are without substance, and full of wind.

But marke what our French Cosmographer saith: if these shels or oisters haue no o∣ther * 1.2 substance within them, but this pearle so conceiued of dew how doth the race of this shell-fish maintaine it selfe? Moreouer in the west Indian seas, where abundance of these pearles are found, it cannot be seene how their generation may bee iudged by the cleere or obscure disposition of the weather, for if that were so, there is no doubt, but that all the pearles, which were found in one shell, should bee all of one manner: whereas the contrary is seene. that within one shell are found some darke pearles, others drawing to a tawny, some pale, some greenish, and some againe blewish, and very few there are, which haue the perfection required in a faire pearle.

Thereupon he concludeth, that this pearled fish maintaineth the kinde thereof by the egges which it breedeth: and that the pearles come out of the sand and grauell wherin they breede and are hidden: because that by little and little this grauell refineth it selfe, and groweth into these shels, or oisters, till such time as it hath attained to an entire and perfect forme, remaining still soft, for so long time as the oister is within the water, but being out, it presently hardneth, and becommeth such pearle as we see. But without much disputing hereupon, euery man is of opinion, that these pearles are bredde in the shelles of fishes. And the experience hereof is not onely seene in the Indian sea, but also in the British seas, yea in all seas, and fresh waters: because that such oisters do swimme as well as fishes: of which there haue beene some fished vp in the riuer Garronne. But the industry of such as fish for them in the bottome of the sea is wonderfull? for from thence they fetch their best mother of pearle, Which lie within, and vpon rockes hidden in the waters.

They which are appointed to such fishing, enter into boates, and afterwards (leauing some within to gouerne them, and to helpe themselues also vp, when they haue done their fishing) they cast themselues into the water, diuing downe to the bottome, where they sometimes remaine for the space of halfe an hower, and with nettes catch these shelles: hauing taken some, they returne againe to the toppe of the water, and are re∣ceiued by those in the vessell, where refreshing themselues with meate, and drinke, and hauing fitted on that, which they put before their face. which is, as of little peeces of seare cloath very fine like a thinne bladder, made that they may see cleerely through with∣in the water; they leape in fiue, or sixe times a day, These oisters are also found fastned vpon rockes, which appeare aboue water, from whence they are fetched with paine, and beeing catched, the pearles are straight waies taken out, which otherwise would consume and lofe their fresh colour: and in one shell there are sometimes thirty, or forty small and meane ones, but few great ones, to witte, one, or two. They were, doubtlesse, wonderfull faire, which were giuen to Ferdinand Magellano, in a certaine isle of the Moluc∣caes, which were fowre in number, each one of the bignes of a pigeons egge, esteemed to be worth fiue and twenty thousand crownes a peece.

But this was a very small matter in comparison to the two vnions of Cleopatra Queene of Egypt, esteemed woorth fifteene hundred thousand crownes: one whereof shee * 1.3 dissolued in very strong vineger, and drank it vp at a banket, because it might be said, that shee had surpassed in sumptuousnesse of cost, the feast which Anthony had made her. Now for the vertues of pearles, they are very good for passions, and faintnesse of heart, and purge the blood, and beeing put into medicines, they take away clowdes, and dimmenesse from before the eies, and dry vp the moisture that runnes from them.

Corall is likewise fished for in the sea, and put into the number of stones, although * 1.4 indeed it is a plant, or shrubbe, which being drawne out of the Mediterranean sea, and fee∣ling the aire, doth waxe hard by the power thereof. And there is found, white, redde and blacke, in one selfe same plant, which groweth amongst stones and rocks in the bottome of the water: but the best coral is the red if it be euenly congealed: for the white is not so mas∣siue nor heauy: but is light, rare, and full of holes like a spunge. When it is fished for, it is all couered with mosse, and hath no signe or apparition of rednesse. But beeing clensed, it

taketh colour, and appeereth fairely polished: now those graines of round corall, which are put in bracelets and collers, are not found so in the shrubbe: but it consisteth of many little branches, whereof these graines are made with a wheele, and files, and are afterwards po∣lished with vermilion, and with a certaine earth which is brought from Tripoly in Africa. The properties which are attributed to Coral, are maruailous: for some say, that being han∣ged about the necke, or taken in drinke, it is good for them that haue the falling euill, for bloody flixes, and loosenes of the belly, to fasten the teeth, to heale sorenes in the mouth: to prouoke sleepe in such as haue feuers, to diminish the spleene, for those that vomite and spit blood. Auicen placeth it amongst those medicines that comfort the heart, & Pliny saith that being burnt and puluerized, and so drunke with water, it is good for them that haue wring∣ing in their belly, and the stone in the bladder. The ashes therof also are put into medicines for the eies: it thickneth, refrigerateth, and doth incarnate hollow vlcers, and maketh skars smooth. But amongst other properties this is most admirable and true, that red Coral, which is pure and fulgent like the carbuncle, being tied about ones necke so that it touch the skin when that person is sicke, or shall be in short space after, or hath drunke any venim, which he yet feeleth not, the corall doth wax pale and lose the splendor thereof, which Cardanus hath often testified to haue prooued by experience.

I will hereto adde some short discourse concerning Chrystall: because that as it is engen∣dred in the veines of the earth, of the same humour that the Diamond is, which opened the * 1.5 entrance of this discourse concerning precous stones; so now this speech of Chrystall may shut it vp againe. Pliny and many others haue supposed that it was made of yce or snow, in a word, that it was water congealed through great cold. But it appeereth that christall is engendred of some very well purified humour, in that it is the cleerest of all stones. Againe, if the oldest yce in the world be put into an hot place, it doth presently melt, which chry∣stall doth not. Moreouer, it is most certaine that it is not found on the tops of mountaines, where there is continuall snow and extreame coldnes: but in quarries of marble & of other stones, yea and in mines of diuers mettals. This also is another reason, that yce doth alwaies swimme aboue water, but chrystall sinketh to the bottome. That christal is best, which is white and cleere as water, It melteth with very great fire, & doth conuert into glasse, wher∣of there are very faire vessels made. In vertue it is restringent, and is therefore good for such as are sicke of Dysenterias to drinke, in good sharpe wine, after it is well and subtilly beaten to powder. The ancients made a bowle of chrystall, wherwith phisitions cauterized those which feared the fire, and common searing iron: to doe which, they laide the same bowle directly toward the beames of the sunne: by the reuerberation whereof they did their surge∣ry work vpon the grieued part. Now in this litle which (we cōpanions) haue declared cōcer∣ning mettals and precious stones, we may imagine, that if there be sufficient matter to ad∣mire the effects of nature, ordained by the diuine prouidence, what might we thinke, if we should enterprise to speak of fiue hundred kindes of mettals, earths, and precious stones which the earth hideth within her bowels? But sith that we haue attained to the end of our discourse, which is to glorifie God in the knowledge and contemplation of his most noble creatures: let vs aduise our selues how to giue some good instructions vpon that which hath beene deliuered concerning minerals and stones hidden vnder ground, as (ARAM) you can declare vnto vs:

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of pearle.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 10. de cosm. c. 4.
• * 1.3

  Pearles of great price.
• * 1.4

  Of Corall.
• * 1.5

  Of Chrystall.