Страница 306 из 490

Leonardus Camillus had seen a white stone taken from the brain of

a newly killed toad, that was a certain antidote against poison.

The bezoar, that was found in the heart of the Arabian deer, was

a charm that could cure the plague. In the nests of Arabian birds

was the aspilates, that, according to Democritus, kept the wearer

from any danger by fire.

The King of Ceilan rode through his city with a large ruby in his

hand, as the ceremony of his coronation. The gates of the palace

of John the Priest were "made of sardius, with the horn of the

horned snake inwrought, so that no man might bring poison

within." Over the gable were "two golden apples, in which were

two carbuncles," so that the gold might shine by day and the

carbuncles by night. In Lodge's strange romance 'A Margarite of

America', it was stated that in the chamber of the queen one

could behold "all the chaste ladies of the world, inchased out of

silver, looking through fair mirrours of chrysolites, carbuncles,

sapphires, and greene emeraults." Marco Polo had seen the

inhabitants of Zipangu place rose-coloured pearls in the mouths

of the dead. A sea-monster had been enamoured of the pearl that

the diver brought to King Perozes, and had slain the thief, and

mourned for seven moons over its loss.