¶NCIPIT LIBER XVI. DE LAPIDIBVS Preciosis. (Book 16)
FOR the properties of the Earth and of the parties thereof, is described in ge∣nerall: by helpe of God, is now our purpose to plant héere somwhat, of ye beautie & ornament therof in special. Of things, yt beautifie ye earth, some be clene without soule & without feeling, as all thing that groweth vnder the grounde, & is gendered in veines of the earth, as stones, coulours, and mettall: and of these we shall first speake by order. And some with lyfe and soule, as rootes, hearbes, and trees, and some with soule and fée∣ling, as men, and other beasts, of whome we shall last speake. And we shall shewe first by order of A.B.C. the things that be gendered in the earth, & in the veines thereof.
Of Arena. chap. 1.
GRauell is called Arena, and hath that name of drinesse. And if it were thrust and brused together in a mans hande, it should rattle & make noise for drinesse & hardnes. And if grauell be throwne on a white cloth, it defileth it not, as Isi. saith li. 15. ca. 4. Also grauell of the sea is wash∣ed of all manner slime and wose, and of gleamie fenne, as Aristotle saith liber de proprietatibus elementorum. And there∣fore because of great drinesse it runneth not, nor turneth not perfectly into stone. Also li. 4. Mcth. he saith, that pure earth turneth not perfectly into stone: for it cō∣tinueth not, but breaketh. And therefore drines euercōming all moisture, suffreth not earth to turne into sadnesse of stone. Therefore it is ye grauell & sand is more harde in substaunce then common earth, & more soft then a stone, and may be de∣parted in many parts. And so grauel and sand is colde & dry & small, & most heauie in weight when it is thrust togethers, & though of it selfe it be small & baraine for defalt of heat & of moisture, & mastry of cold & drines, whē a showre falleth ther∣on, it breaketh not, but sennye things is washed away & wasted, & grauell & sand is more pressed togethers, & is more pure & sad: for the parts cleaue more together. Also the waues of the sea is letted with multitude of grauel and sand, & withstood with heaps thereof, & constrained that it passeth not the meares & boundes yt God hath ordeined thereto, as Hierome saith super le. cap. 5. He set grauel & sand mark & meare to the sea, &c. Also he hath vni∣uersally kind of during and of cleansing. And so water that runneth through gra∣uell is most clene and fresh, as Constan∣tine saith.
Also it hath vertue to cleanse mettal, and to cleanse alwaye the rustinesse of mettall. Gold, Brasse, and Yron is made bright with froting of Grauell and Sand.