A greene forest, or A naturall historie vvherein may bee seene first the most sufferaigne vertues in all the whole kinde of stones & mettals: next of plants, as of herbes, trees, [and] shrubs, lastly of brute beastes, foules, fishes, creeping wormes [and] serpents, and that alphabetically: so that a table shall not neede. Compiled by Iohn Maplet, M. of Arte, and student in Cambridge: entending hereby yt God might especially be glorified: and the people furdered. Anno 1567.

Of the Topaze.

THe Topaze as Plinie sayth, is a Gem of grassie colour: although that in Germanie it is found like to Golde. It was first found in Arabie, in a certaine Ilande there: whereas the people Troglodite such as liue by Snakes flesh and other Serpents, being compelled tho∣row verie extreeme hunger: and they also bee∣ing on the water or Sea, driuē thither by tem∣pest, and so both weared and hungrie, digging vp the Rootes of certaine Hearbes, by hap and chaūce pulled vp this. This Iland afterwards was sought of Mariners and Marchants, and

was ransaked where as they founde (hauing had of them knowledge hereof) their best Mar∣chandise. After that, for those peoples sake, by whome they had so wonne and done so well, they would neuer chaunge the name hereof, but after their proper and peculiar speach cal∣led it a Topaze. For Topazein in Greeke is as much, as to finde by seeking. Plinie sayth, that it hath bene found of that bignesse and quanti∣tie that Philadelphus is saide to haue framed, and made thereof a statue or Image in length of foure Cubits.