Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

Of Topazio. cap. 96.

TOpazius is a precious stone, & hath another name Topazion indeclina∣ble, as Isidore sayth, lib. 16. And is of shi∣ning kind, and shineth with all colours, and was first found in an Ilande of A∣rabia in which Iland when the Troglo∣dites were diseased with hunger & tem∣pest, they digged vp rootes of hearbs, and they found this stone therewith, and cal∣led it Testam nebulis. After that shippe men sought and found the stone, and cal∣led it Topazim in the language of Tro∣glodites. Therefore this stone that was so sought & sound is called Topazius, and hath that name of the Iland. Topa∣zim in their language, is to saye Siche, & is greatest of precious stones. Plinius wrote, that a stone of this kinde was found so greate, that Philadech made thereof an Image of foure cubites long. In the Glose super fixem Apost. it is sayde in this manner. The more scarce Topazius is, the more precious it is. And hath two coulours, as it were of golde and of cléere aire, and shineth most when it is smit with the Sunne beame, & passeth in cléerenesse all other precious stones, and comsorteth men and beastes to beholde and looke thereon. And if thou wipe this stone, thou darkest it, and if thou leadest him to his owne kinde, hée is the more cléere. And in treasurye of kings, nothing is more cleere nor more precious then this precious stone. For cléerenesse thereof taketh to himselfe the cléerenesse of other precious stones that be about him, and it is sayd, that hée fol∣loweth y^e course of y^e Moone: and helpeth against the passion Lunatik. And so it is sayd, y^e as y^e Moone is more full or lesse, so his effect is more or lesse, as it is said in Lapid. and stauncheth bloud, and hel∣peth them that haue Emoroides, & swa∣geth seruent water, & suffereth it not so boile, as it is said in Lapidario. Diosco∣rides saith, that it swageth both wrath and sorrowe, and helpeth against euill thoughtes and phrensie, and against so∣deine death. And hath the shape of a mir∣rour, aud the Image that is therein, is séene in a hollow mirrour.

(* 1.1The Topaseis grow in the Ilande of Zeilam, and are named of the Indi∣ans Purceragua: It is a harde and fine stone, and of equall estimation with the Rubie and the Saphire, because al these thrée are of one kinde: the perfect coulour of this is yeolowe, like vnto fine beaten golde, whereof some be more pale & some white, and therefore of lesse value. And of these are small Diamondes, coun∣terfeit.)

Notes

• * 1.1

  Additiō.