in the Dark. For if such a thing can be found, it may afford no small Assistance to the Curious in the Investigation of Light, besides the Nobleness and Rarity of the thing it selfe. And though Vartomannus was not an Eye witness of what he relates, that the King of Pegu, one of the Chief Kings of the East-Indies, had a true Carbuncle of that Bigness and Splendour, that it shin'd very Gloriously in the Dark, and though Garcias ab Horto, the Indian Vice-Roys Physician, speaks of another Carbuncle, only upon the Report of one, that he Discours'd with, who affirmed himself to have seen it; yet as we are not sure that these Men that gave themselves out to be Eye-witnesses speak true, yet they may have done so for ought we know to the contrary. And I could present you with a much considerabler Testimony to the same purpose, if I had the permission of a Person concern'd, without whose leave I must not do it. I might tell you that Marcus Paulus Venetus[28] (whose suppos'd Fables, divers of our later Travellours and Navigatours have since found to be truths) speaking of the King of Zeilan that then was, tells us, that he was said to have the best Rubie in the World, a Palm long and as
big as a mans Arm, without spot, shining like a Fire, and he subjoyns, that the Great Cham, under whom Paulus was a considerable Officer, sent and offer'd the value of a City for it; But the King answer'd, he would not give it for the treasure of the World, nor part with it, having been his Ancestours. And I could add, that in the Relation made by two Russian Cossacks of their Journey into Catay[29], written to their Emperour, they mention'd their having been told by the people of those parts, that their King had a Stone, which Lights as the Sun both Day and Night, call'd in their Language Sarra, which those Cossacks interpret a Ruby. But these Relations are too uncertain for me to build any thing upon, and therefore I shall proceed to tell you, that there came hither about two years since out of America, the Governour of one of the Principal Colonies there, an Ancient Virtuoso, and one that has the Honour to be a member of the Royal Society; this Gentleman finding some of the chief Affairs of his Country committed to another and me, made me divers Visits, and in one of them when I enquir'd what Rare Stones they had in those parts of the Indies he belong'd to, he told me, that the Indians had a Tradition
that in a certain hardly accessible Hill, a pretty way up in the Country, there was a Stone which in the Night time shin'd very vividly, and to a great distance, and he assur'd me, that though he thought it not fit to venture himself so far among those Savages, yet he purposely sent thither a bold Englishman, with some Natives to be his guides, and that this Messenger brought him back word, that at a distance from the Hillock he had plainly perceiv'd such a shining Substance as the Indians Tradition mention'd, and being stimulated by Curiosity, had slighted those Superstitious Fears of the Inhabitants, and with much ado by reason of the Difficulty of the way, had made a shift to clamber up to that part of the Hill, where, by a very heedful Observation, he suppos'd himself to have seen the Light: but whether 'twere that he had mistaken the place, or for some other Reason, he could not find it there, though when he was return'd to his former Station, he did agen see the Light shining in the same place where it shone before. A further Account of this Light I expect from the Gentleman that gave me this, who lately sent me the news of his being landed in that Country. And though I reserve to my self a full Liberty of Believing no more
than I see cause; yet I do the less scruple to relate this, because a good part of it agrees well enough with another Story that I shall in the next place have occasion to subjoyn, in order whereunto I shall tell you, that though the Learned Authors I formerly mention'd, tell us, that no Writer has affirm'd his having himself seen a real Carbuncle, yet, considering the Light of Mr. Claytons Diamond, it recall'd into my mind, that some years before, when I was Inquisitive about Stones, I had met with an old Italian Book highly extoll'd to me by very competent Judges, and that though the Book were very scarce, I had purchas'd it at a dear Rate, for the sake of a few considerable passages I met with in it, and particularly one, which being very remarkable in it self, and pertinent to our present Argument, I shall put it for you, though not word for word, which I fear I have forgot to do, yet as to the Sense, into English.
Having promis'd (Says our Author)[30] to say something of that most precious sort of Jewels, Carbuncles, because they are very rarely to be met with, we shall briefly deliver what we know of them. In Clement the seventh's time, I happen'd to see one of
them at a certain Ragusian Merchants, nam'd Beigoio di Bona, This was a Carbuncle white, of that kind of whiteness which we said was to be found in those Rubies of which we made mention a little above, (where he had said that those Rubies had a kind of Livid Whiteness or Paleness like that of a Calcidonian) but it had in it a Lustre so pleasing and so marveilous, that it shin'd in the Dark, but not as much as colour'd Carbuncles, though it be true, that in an exceeding Dark place I saw it shine in the manner of fire almost gone out. But as for colour'd Carbuncles, it has not been my Fortune to have seen any, wherefore I will onely set down what I Learn'd about them Discoursing in my Youth with a Roman Gentleman of antient Experience in matters of Jewels, who told me, That one Jacopo Cola being by Night in a Vineyard of his, and espying something in the midst of it, that shin'd like a little glowing Coal, at the foot of a Vine, went near towards the place where he thought himself to have seen that fire, but not finding it, he said, that being return'd to the same place, whence he had first descry'd it, and perceiving there the same splendor as before, he mark'd it so heedfully, that he came at length to it, where he took up a very little Stone, which he carry'd away with Transports and Joy. And the next
day carrying it about to show it divers of his Friends, whilst he was relating after what manner he found it, there casually interven'd a Venetian Embassadour, exceedingly expert in Jewels, who presently knowing it to be a Carbuncle, did craftily before he and the said Jacopo parted (so that there was no Body present that understood the Worth of so Precious a Gemm) purchase it for the Value of 10. Crowns, and the next day left Rome to shun the being necessitated to restore it, and (as he affirm'd) it was known within some while after that the said Venetian Gentleman did in Constantinople sell that Carbuncle to the then Grand Seignior, newly come to the Empire, for a hundred thousand Crowns. And this is what I can say concerning Carbuncles, and this is not a little at least as to the first part of this account, where our Cellini affirms himself to have seen a Real Carbuncle with his own Eyes, especially since this Author appears wary in what he delivers, and is inclin'd rather to lessen, than increase the wonder of it. And his Testimony is the more considerable, because though he were born a Subject neither to the Pope nor the then King of France (that Royal Virtuoso Francis the first) yet both the one and the other of those Princes imploy'd him much
about making of their Noblest Jewels. What is now reported concerning a Shining Substance to be seen in one of the Islands about Scotland, were very improper for me to mention to Sr. Robert Morray, to whom the first Information was Originally brought, and from whom I expect a farther (for I scarce dare expect a convincing) account of it. But I must not omit that some Virtuoso questioning me the other day at White-Hall about Mr. Claytons Diamond, and meeting amongst them an Ingenious Dutch Gentleman, whose Father was long Embassador for the Netherlands in England, I Learn'd of him, that, he is acquainted with a person, whose Name he told (but I do not well remember it) who was Admiral of the Dutch in the East-Indies, and who assur'd this Gentleman Monsieur Boreel, that at his return from thence he brought back with him into Holland a Stone, which though it look'd but like a Pale Dull Diamond, such as he saw Mr. Claytons to be, yet was it a Real Carbuncle, and did without rubbing shine so much, that when the Admiral had occasion to open a Chest which he kept under Deck in a Dark place, where 'twas forbidden to bring Candles for fear of Mischances, as soon as he open'd the Trunck, the Stone
would by its Native Light, shine so as to Illustrate a great part of it, and this Gentleman having very civilly and readily granted me the request I made him, to Write to the Admiral, who is yet alive in Holland, (and probably may still have the Jewel by him,) for a particular account of this Stone, I hope ere long to receive it, which will be the more welcome to me, not onely because so unlikely a thing needs a cleer evidence, but because I have had some suspition of that (supposing the truth of the thing) what may be a shining Stone in a very hot Countrey as the East-Indies, may perhaps cease to be so (at least in certain seasons,) in one as cold as Holland. For I observ'd in the Diamond I send you an account of, that not onely rubbing but a very moderate degree of warmth, though excited by other wayes, would make it shine a little. And 'tis not impossible that there may be Stones as much more susceptible than that, of the Alterations requisite to make a Diamond shine, as that appeares to be more susceptible of them, than ordinary Diamonds. And I confess to you, that this is not the only odd suspition (for they are not so much as conjectures) that what I try'd upon this Diamond suggested to me. For not here to entertain you with the
changes I think may be effected ev'n in harder sorts of Stones, by wayes not vulgar, nor very promising, because I may elsewhere have occasion to speak of them, and this Letter is but too Prolix already, that which I shall now acknowledge to you is, That I began to doubt whether there may not in some Cases be some Truth in what is said of the right Turquois, that it often changes Colour as the wearer is Sick or Well, and manifestly loses its splendor at his Death. For when I found that ev'n the warmth of an Affriction that lasted not above a quarter of a minute, Nay, that of my Body, (whose Constitution you know is none of the hottest) would make a manifest change in the solidest of Stones a Diamond, it seem'd not impossible, that certain warm and Saline steams issuing from the Body of a living man, may by their plenty or paucity, or by their peculiar Nature, or by the total absence of them, diversifie the Colour, and the splendor of so soft a Stone as the Turquois. And though I admir'd to see, that I know not how many Men otherwise Learn'd, should confidently ascribe to Jewels such Virtues as seem no way competible to Inanimate Agents, if to any Corporeal ones at all, yet as to what is affirm'd concerning the Turquois's