A lapidary, or, The history of pretious [sic] stones with cautions for the undeceiving of all those that deal with pretious [sic] stones / by Thomas Nicols ...

CHAP. LXXIII. Of the Ophites of the Ancients, or the Serpentine Marble.

[Description of the stone.] THe Serpentine Marble is by some taken for an Alabaster, distinguisht with spots like a Serpent. It is often found of divers colours.

Its names.

This Marble is called Zeblicum, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ab 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, serpens, as saith Dioscorides, lib. 5. cap. 154. hence the name Ophites. By the Germanes Serpentin stein. In English the Serpentine Marble.

Its vertues.

Galen. l. 9. de simpl. med. facult. saith that this stone hath a detersive facultie, and that if it be taken in white wine, it is good to break the stone in the blad∣der. It is of a cold nature, and may therefore miti∣gate pains, as saith Dioscorides. It is said of this by Plinie and Dioscorides, that if it be worn, it will secure the person wearing it, from stingings of serpents, from phrensies, and lethargies, and from plagues, pox, and poysonings, and the like. To this purpose also Cardane in his book de lapid. doth speak of the Zeblicum Marmor which is found in Misnia. Of the various coloured Marble called O∣phites, Cardane saith that Andr. Alciatus had a fair table of great beauty: and that naturally there are shapes and personages found in these various colour∣ed Marbles: and sometimes in the Lapis Parius. Of this admirable workmanship of nature Cardane saith

there is a Marble in the Temple of* 1.1 Wisdome at Constantinople, which hath in it the image of S. John Baptist, with his garment of camels hair very exquisite in all things. Cardan. de subtilitat. l. 7. p. 377.

Notes

• * 1.1

  in aede sapi∣entiae.