And Upon Those Rocks Of Crystal Grow The Good Diamonds
That Be Of Trouble Colour.
Yellow crystal draweth colour like oil.
And they be so hard, that no man may polish them.
And men clepe
them diamonds in that country, and HAMESE in another country.
Other diamonds men find in Arabia that be not so good, and they be
more brown and more tender. And other diamonds also men find in
the isle of Cyprus, that be yet more tender, and them men may well
polish. And in the land of Macedonia men find diamonds also. But
the best and the most precious be in Ind.
And men find many times hard diamonds in a mass that cometh out of
gold, when men pure it and refine it out of the mine; when men
break that mass in small pieces, and sometime it happens that men
find some as great as a peas and some less, and they be as hard as
those of Ind.
And albeit that men find good diamonds in Ind, yet nevertheless men
find them more commonly upon the rocks in the sea and upon hills
where the mine of gold is. And they grow many together, one
little, another great. And there be some of the greatness of a
bean and some as great as an hazel nut. And they be square and
pointed of their own kind, both above and beneath, without working
of man's hand. And they grow together, male and female. And they
be nourished with the dew of heaven. And they engender commonly
and bring forth small children, that multiply and grow all the
year. I have often-times assayed, that if a man keep them with a
little of the rock and wet them with May-dew oft-sithes, they shall
grow every year, and the small will wax great. For right as the
fine pearl congealeth and waxeth great of the dew of heaven, right
so doth the very diamond; and right as the pearl of his own kind
taketh roundness, right so the diamond, by virtue of God, taketh
squareness. And men shall bear the diamond on his left side, for
it is of greater virtue then, than on the right side; for the
strength of their growing is toward the north, that is the left
side of the world, and the left part of man is when he turneth his
face toward the east.
And if you like to know the virtues of the diamond, (as men may
find in THE LAPIDARY that many men know not), I shall tell you, as
they beyond the sea say and affirm, of whom all science and all
philosophy cometh from. He that beareth the diamond upon him, it
giveth him hardiness and manhood, and it keepeth the limbs of his
body whole. It giveth him victory of his enemies in plea and in
war, if his cause be rightful. And it keepeth him that beareth it
in good wit.
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