CHAPTER XXVII
PERIDOT—RUBY
PERIDOT: PLASMA: THE REWARDING HERMES: PORPHYRY, ITS INTRODUCTION INTO ROME BY VITRASIUS POLLIO: PRASE OR MOTHER OF EMERALD: PYRITE: THE PYRITES LITHOS OF ISIDORE OF SEVILLE: A PRIMITIVE FIRESTONE: USED FOR FIREARMS: THE “SEED OF MINERALS”: MUNDIC OF THE MINERS: ITS CHANGE TO VITRIOL IN MINING DISTRICTS: SPINON OF THEOPHRASTUS: FRENCH “PIERRE DE SANTÉ”: MARCASITE USED AS A JEWEL ORNAMENT: EDEN’S FLOWERS OF METALS: PYROPE: QUARTZ: RUBELLITE: RUBICELLE: RUBY, THE CORUNDUM FAMILY: THE TERM “ORIENTAL”: THE MOGOK MINES: “LORD OF THE RUBIES”: THE MINE EATERS: “THE DRAGON LORD”: THE KING OF SCILAN’S RUBY: COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES: A CORONATION CUSTOM DESCRIBED BY HATYON: TEARS OF BUDDHA: THE RUBY BOWL OF ARYA CHAKRAVARTI: COLONEL ALEXANDER GARDENER AND THE FAKIR’S RUBY: THE KING OF VISHAPOOR’S RUBY: RUBIES PLACED UNDER THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDINGS: RUBIES IN THE CHO KENG SU: PLINY’S ACAUSTI: PRACTICE OF THE ETHIOPIANS: ANTHRAX OF THEOPHRASTUS: DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE’S RUBY: RUBIES MENTIONED BY MR. C. W. KING: RABBI RAGIEL’S TALISMAN: DRAGONS GUARDIANS OF RUBY MINES: M. ROCHEFORT’S STORY AND THE RUBY IN THE DRAGON’S HEAD: ST. MARGARET AND THE DRAGON: SHEIKH EL MOHDY AND THE RUBY-JEWELLED DRAGON: BARTHOVERI AND THE SERPENT: DIEUDONNÉ OF GOZON AND THE DRAGON OF RHODES: THE IMPORT OF THESE LEGENDS: ST. GEORGE AND ST. MICHAEL AND THE DRAGONS: SHRINE OF THE MAGI IN COLOGNE CATHEDRAL: THE SUN AND CHRISTIANITY: THE NAMES OF THE MAGI: THE ROSICRUCIAN CLASSIFICATION: THE “RÉGALE” OF FRANCE, FROM THE TOMB OF ST. THOMAS A’BECKET, WORN BY HENRY VIII: VOW OF LOUIS VII OF FRANCE AND ITS FULFILMENT AT CANTERBURY: SWEDENBORG’S CORRESPONDENCE OF THE RUBY: COMTESSE D’ANOIS’ STORY OF THE RUBY SINGING APPLE: THE ARABS AND THE ANGEL OF THE WORLD: PERSIAN CHARM AGAINST THE FORCES OF EVIL: THE 4TH STONE OF THE NAO-RATTAN: BURMESE SYMBOL OF REINCARNATION: A RUBY WHICH NEARLY DESTROYED A NATIVE STATE IN INDIA: JEWELLED RINGS ON THE STATUE OF ST. LAMBERT AT LIÈGE[LIÈGE] CATHEDRAL: CATHARINE OF ARAGON READS MISFORTUNE IN HER RUBY’S CHANGE OF COLOUR: OCCULT VIRTUES OF THE RUBY: SYMBOL OF THE RUBY IN DREAMS: COLOUR PHENOMENA DISPLAYED BY A RUBY: THE STAR RUBY: THE HUNTER AND THE RUBY.
PERIDOT. (See [CHRYSOLITE].)
PLASMA. This variety of leek-green jasper is derived from the Greek word PLASMA, an image. It was a favourite stone among the ancients who employed it in gem engraving and for important talismans. In the Rhodes collection there is a beautiful oval specimen on which is engraved a nude figure of Hermes holding a caduceus in his left hand, whilst on his right above a purse is perched a cock; a scorpion is on his left side, a little above his knee. He wears the winged cap on his head. Mr. King classes this piece as astrological. It symbolizes the wisdom and rewards of the well-starred subject of Mercury. Plasma was largely used in Abraxes charms by the Gnostics who employed the substance always for special talismans. Astrologically Plasma is under the zodiacal Virgin.
PORPHYRY. The name is derived from the Greek word for purple—PORPHYRA—and we find it written at various periods in many ways, for example: porfurie, porphurye, purphire, porpherie, porphiry. It is a hard purple and white stone, said to have been introduced into Rome by Vitrasisus Pollio in the form of statues of Claudius. The quarries whence the ancients obtained their supplies of porphyry were found at Gebel Dokhan, near the Red Sea, by Wilkinson and Burton. It has always been a favourite stone with sculptors, glyptic artists, and architects, and was chiefly esteemed in the forming of columns. Porphyry was regarded as a stone to promote eloquence in speaking. Astrologically it was placed under “the sign of the Columns”—Gemini.
PRASE. The name is derived from the Greek PRASON, a leek. Leonardus calls it Prassius, and he says it is so termed from a herb of its own name. It is also written as prasius, prasium. It is thus described by Marbodus:
“Midst precious stones a place the Prase may claim,
Of value small, content with beauty’s fame.
No virtue has it: but it brightly gleams
With emerald green, and well the gold beseems;