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Superstitions: Rajah

A marvellous curative power was supposed to exist in a diamond belonging to the Rajah of Matara in the Island of Borneo, the Malays believing that the drinking water in which it had been placed would remove every disease. So greatly was it esteemed that the Governor of Batavia offered the Rajah an enormous sum of money for it, besides two ships of war, fully equipped; but this was refused, not only from the faith in its healing properties, but it was also believed that the safety of the dynasty depended upon its safe custody. In this latter respect the famous Koh-i-noor, in the possession of Queen Victoria, is regarded in a similar manner by the natives of India, who consider its transfer to denote the downfall of their former rulers. Even in the seventeenth century, a writer, in some respects ingenuous, thus expatiates on the wonderful efficacy of certain precious stones: "No one will attribute these faculties to jewels as natural to them, but only to the spirits to whom God hath permitted and committed the exercise of such faculties. Perhaps the substance of the jewels, in consequence of their beauty, their lustre and their dignity, are considered suitable for the dwelling and receptacle of good spirits, and thus when marvellous effects are operated by precious stones, such are not to be attributed to their natural qualities, but to the spirits."

Reginald Scot, in his "Discoverie of Witchcraft" (1584), devotes several chapters to the enumeration of the superstitious properties ascribed to precious stones in his time, dealing heavy blows at the popular credulity. "Various magicians affirme," he says, "that these stones receive their virtues altogether of the planets and heavenlie bodies, and have not onelie the verie operation of the planets, but sometimes the verie images and impressions of the starres naturalie engraffed in them, and otherwise ought always have graven upon them the similitudes of such monsters, beasts, and other devises as they imagine to be both internallie in operation, and externallie in view, expressed in the planets. As, for example, upon the agate are graven serpents or venemous beasts, and sometimes a man riding on a serpent, which they know to be Esculapius, which is the celestial serpent, whereby are cured (they saie) poisons and stingings of serpents and scorpions. These grow in the river of Achates, where the greatest scorpions are ingendred, and their noisomnes is thereby qualified, and by the force of the scorpions the stone's vertue is quickened and increased. . . . . The desires of the mind are consonant with the nature of the stones, which must also be set in rings, and upon foiles of such metals as have affinitie with those stones, through the operation of the planets whereunto they are addicted, whereby they may gather the greater force of their working. As, for example, they make the images of Saturn in lead, of Sol in gold, of Luna in silver. Marrie, there is no small regard to be had for the certeine and due times to be observed in the graving of them; for so are they made with more life, and the influences and configurations of the planets are made thereby the more to abound in them. As if you will procure love, you must worke in apt, proper, and friendlie aspects as in the houre of Venus, &c.; to make debate, the direct contrarie order is to be taken. If you determine to make the image of Venus, you must expect to be under Aquarius or Capricornis; for Saturn, Taurus, and Libra must be taken heed of. Manie other observations there be, as to avoid the unfortunate seate and place of the planets, when you would bring a happie thing to passe, and speciallie that it be not donne in the end, declination, or haele (as they term it) of the course thereof; for then the planet moneth and is dull. "Such signes as ascend in the daie, must be taken in the daie; if in the night they increase, then must you go to worke by night; for in Aries, Leo, and Sagittarie is a certeine triplicitie, wherein the Sunne hath dominion by daie, Jupiter by night, and in the twielight, the cold star of Saturne. But because there shall be no excuse wanting for the faults espied herein. they saie that the virtues of all stones decaie through tract of time; so as such things are not now to be looked for in all respects as are written. How-beit Jaunes and Jambres were living in that time, and in no inconvenient place, and therefore not unlike to have that helpe towardes the abusing of Pharao. "Cardane saith that although men attribute no small force unto such scales; as to the scale of the sunne, authorities, honors, and favors of princes; of Jupiter, riches and friends; of Venus, pleasures; of Mars, boldness; of Mercury, diligence; of Saturne, patience and induring of labour; of Luna, favour of people; I am not ignorant (saith he) that stones doo good, and yet I knowe the scales or figures do none at all. And when Cardane had shewed fullie that art, and the follie thereof, and the manner of those terrible, prodigious, and deceitful figures of the planets with their characters, &c., he saith that those were deceitfull inventions devised by couseners, and had no vertue indeed, nor truth in them. But because we spake somewhat even now of signets and scales, I will shew you what I read reported by Vincentius in suo speculo, where making mention of the jasper stone whose nature and propertie Marbodeus Gallus describeth in the verses following:-- "'Seven kinds and ten of jasper stones reported are to be, Of many colours this is knowne which noted is by me, And said in manie places of the world for to be seene, Where it is bred; but yet the best is thorough shining greene, And that which prooved is to have in it more vertue plast; For being borne about of such as are of living chaste, It drives awaie their ague fits, the dropsy thirsting dry, And put unto a woman weake in travell which dooth lie, It helps, assists, and comforts her in pangs when she dooth crie. Againe it is beleeved to be a safegard franke and free, To such as weare and beare the same; and if it hallowed bee It makes the parties gratious and mightie too that have it, And noysome fansies (as they write that ment not to deprave it) It dooth displace out of the mind; the force thereof is stronger In silver, if the same be set, and will endure the longer.' "But (as I said) Vincentius, making mention of the jasper stone, touching which (by the waie of a parenthesis) I have inferred Marbodeus, his verses, he saith that some jasper stones are found having in them the livelie image of a naturall man, with a sheeld at his necke, and a speare in his hand, and under his feete a serpent; which stones so marked and figured, he preferreth before all the rest, because they are antidotaries, or remedies, notablie resisting poison. Othersome are also found figured and marked with the forme of a man bearing on his necke a bundle of hearbs and flowers, with the estimation and value of them noted, that they have in them a facultie or power restrictive, and will in an instant or moment of time staunch blood. Such a kind of stone (as it is reported) Galen wore on his finger. Othersome are marked with a crosse, as the same author writeth, and these be right excellent against inundations or overflowings of waters. I could hold you long occupied in declarations like unto these, wherein I laie before you what other men have published and set forth to the world, choosing rather to be an academical discourser, than an universall determiner, but I am desirous of brevitie." "Herein," observes Reginald Scot, in another chapter, "consisteth a part of witchcraft and common cousenage used sometimes by the Lapidaries for gaines: sometimes of others for cousening purposes."