Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Jewel1·y and Pгecious Stones

79

ve1·satile ring indeed ! An old French book speaks of an engгaved stone with the image of Pegasus being paгticulaгly healtblul for warriors; it was said to give them "boldness and s,viftвess in flight." These two viгtues sound а trifle incornpatiЫe ! The turqнoisc was supposed to Ье especially sympa­ thetic. According to Dr. Donne: nшst have Ьееn а vегу sensitive stone. There was а physician iп the fourth century who was famous fш Ыs сшеs of colic r11d bilioнsness Ьу means of ап iron ring engraved ,vith an exorcism 1·eчuesting the Ьile to go and take possessioп of а Ьiгd ! Tl1e1·e ,Yas also а superstition that fits could Ье сшеd Ьу а гing шаdе of "sacгameлt шоnеу." The sнfferer ,vas ()Ыiged to stancl at the сlшгсh cloor, beggiпg а pen11y f1·ош every unma1тie(] шаn vvlю pas�ed in or онt; tl1is ,Yas given to а silveгsшitli, who cxchangecJ it at tЬе cathedral for "sacгaшent шоnеу," out of ,vhicli he made а 1·ing. If this ring "'as ,vorn Ьу thc affiicted person, tlie seizures ,уеге said to cease. The supeгstitioл concerning the je,ve] iп the toad's head was а strangely persistcnt one: it is difficult to imagine ,vhat real foundation theгc could ever have been for the idea. An old ,vтiter gives directions for get­ ting tbls stone, ,vl1icl1 the toad in Ьis life time seems to liave gL1arded most cai·efully. "А га1·е good ,vay to get " А compassionate turqнoise, that doth tel1 Ву looking ра!е, the owner is not well,"