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.

  [28] Purchas’s Pilgrim. lib. 1. cap. 4. pag. 104.

  [29] In the year 1619.

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