United States or Sierra Leone ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
He hath houses full of golde and siluer, and bringeth in often, but spendeth very little, and hath the mines of rubies and saphires, and spinelles. Neere vnto the palace of the king, there is a treasure woonderfull rich; the which because it is so neere, he doth not account of it: and it standeth open for all men to see in a great walled court with two gates, which be alwayes open.
Of the amber they holde diuers opinions; but most men say it commeth out of the sea, and that they finde it vpon the shores side. The rubies, saphires, and spinnelles are found in Pegu. The diamants are found in diuers places, as in Bisnagar, in Agra, in Delli, and in the Ilands of the Iauas.
The wood which they burne is Cinamom wood, and it smelleth very sweet. There is great store of rubies, saphires, and spinelles in this Iland: the best kinde of all be here; but the king will not suffer the inhabitants to digge for them, lest his enemies should know of them, and make warres against him, and so driue him out of his countrey for them. They haue no horses in all the countrey.
But summe werkmen, for malice, will not pollische hem, to that entent, to maken men beleve, that thei may not ben pollischt. But men may assaye hem in this manere; first schere with hem or write with hem in saphires, in cristalle or in other precious stones.
We afterwards, try'd precious Stones, as Diamonds, Rubies, Saphires, and Emeralls, &c. but found not any of them to Shine except some Diamonds, and of these we were not upon so little practice, able to fore-tell before hand, which would be brought to Shine, and which would not; For several very good Diamonds, either would not Shine at all, or much less than others that were farr inferiour to them.
And the cuppes ben of emeraudez and of saphires or of topazes, of perydoz, and of many other precyouse stones. Vesselle of sylver is there non: for thei telle no prys there of, to make no vesselle offe: but thei maken ther of grecynges and pileres and pawmentes, to halles and chambres.
Upon the Knowledge of the differing wayes of making Minerals and Metalls produce their adventitious Colours in Bodies capable of Vitrification, depends the pretty Art of making what Chymists by a Barbarous Word are pleas'd to call Amanses, that is counterfeit, or factitious Gemms, as Emeralds, Rubies, Saphires, Topazes, and the like.
There are foure houses gilded very richly, and couered with lead: in euery one of them are Pagodes or Images of huge stature and great value. In the first is the picture of a king in golde with a crowne of golde on his head full of great rubies and saphires, and about him there stand foure children of golde.
Word Of The Day