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MAY, 1896.]
SPIRIT BASIS OF BELIEF AND CUSTOM.
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chased or housed, and the safety of the building is secured, by laying under the foundations bags of small rubies.78 The Egyptian priest wore a sapphire amulet on his breast.7 Like the crystal among the Greeks the sapphire was the gem of gems, the most sacred of stones.80 It prevailed against the gods. Those who consulted the oracle at Delphi, bringing a sapphire, had early and favourable answers,81 According to St. Jerome, the sapphire wins the favour of princes, soothes enemies, and frees from enchantments. It is partly because it dulls devotion to Venus that the sapphire is worn by the priest and bishop.82 Also, according to Mercurialis, the sapphire frees the mind from prejudice and mends manners.83 The sapphire preserves the sight and strengthens the body as well as the soul.84 In Middle-Age England, Richard Preston, citizen and grocer, gave to the shrine of St. Erkenwald his best sapphire stone to cure imprints of the Evil Eye.86 On the top of the English Crown is a rose-cut sapphire, said to have been used by Edward the Confessor (A. D. 1050) for blessing cramp rings.86 In eleventh-century Europe, & sard worn on the finger kept off dreams and charms and made the wearer a favourite with women.87 In the eleventh century, the swallow-stone or chelidonian was good for idiots and madmen, for orators, and for tempering the ire of kings.89 In the eleventh century, the thunderstone, which came with the thunder-bolt, kept off lightning and all harm.89 A famous Arab amulet was of topaz, with the Arabic words bored through it - "Success is from God alone.''90 Even anaided by a text the topaz was of high virtue. When placed near poison it grew dark, it quenched the heat of boiling water, it calmed the passions, it prevented bad dreams.81 Cill the close of the Middle Ages, according to Camillo (1503), the topaz (he calls it chrysolite), get in gold and worn on the left hand, drove out night-demons, terrors and gloomy visions. If strang on an ass's hair, it drove out devils and overthrew spells. Held in the hand, it cooled fever. Among the ancient Egyptians the turquoise was a favourite amulet and charm.es According to Pliny (A. D. 70), the turquoise brought health and fortune. The Persians hold that the turquoise has talismanic virtue.86 In Middle-Age Europe, few stones had such guarding power as the turquoise. It was especially valued by horsemen. No one wearing a turquoise would either be thrown or tire his horse. In eleventh-century Europe, to draw out the full virtue of the turquoise, à beetle and under the beetle & man should be graven on it, the stone should be bored lengthwise and hang on & swivel, blessed and set in a prepared and adorned place.97 The Muslims added to the virtue of the turquoise by carving texts on the gem. Nádir Shah (A.D. 1737) wore as an amulet a heart-shaped turquoise graven with a verse from the Kurán. Many Europeans still wear the turquoise because it keeps off contagion, because it prevente damage if you fall from your horse, because it foretells sickness, changing with the colour of the wearer.100 In Italy and in India turquoise-coloured glass is the best protection of horses, camels and bullocks from the Evil Eye and other hurtful influences. In the sixteenth century, zemech or lapis lazuli cured melancholy.
The inherent guardian virtue of gems was increased by having them cat in certain lucky shapes, by having them graven with guardian forms, names or letters, by having them set in certain guardian substances. Further the gem's virtues were increased by choosing for
15 Streeter's Precious stones and Goms, p. 141.
Eber's Egyptian Princea, Vol. I. p. 56. 30 Dienlafait's Diamonds and Precious Stones, p. 122. Streeter's Precious Stones and Goma, p. 146. » Emanuel's Diamonds and Precious Stones, pp. 80, 112. Fraser's Magasine, October 1856, p. 431. * Emanuel's Diamonds and Precious Stones, p. 41. #Milman's Latin Christianity, Vol. VI. p. 875, and Skeat's Pier the Ploughman, p. 113. * Jones' Crowns, 44.
17 Marbodus (A.D. 1070) in King's Antique Goma, pp. 432, 483. # Op. cit. p. 401.
* Op. cit. p. 408. * Streeter's Precious stones and Groms, p. 222.
1 Emanuel's Diamonds and Preciow Stones, p. 128. » King's Antique Gems, p. 420.
* Emanuel's Diamonds and Precious Stones, p. 182. * Op. cit. p. 182
* Fraser's Khordaan, p. 469. * Streeter's Precious Stones and Gems, p. 170; King's Antique Gome, p. 427. Marbodas (1070) in King's Antique Gems, p. 483.
Streeter's Precious stones and Gems, p. 171. Emanuel's Diamonds and Precious Stones, p. 23; Dienlafait's Diamonds and Precious Stones, p. 49. » Emanuel's Diamonds and Precious Stones, p. 29.
Op. cit. pp. 181, 182. 1 Oamello Leonardo (1503) in King's Antique Gems, P. 427.
