The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-12

WI HILE all visitors to Europe are
M recommended to see their own
w country first. 1 take 1t that
such advice refers exclusively 10
those who are travelling aproao
with a view to beholding the beauties ana
grandeur of the natural scenery OF the
land: 1t has no reference to historical as
sociations. the Incompatible treasures Oh
art, quaintness of architecture nor
uniqueness of costume, custom and con-
trast.
Moving along these lines 1t is both IN
teresting and amusing to note the vari-
ance of motive which takes visitors to
Europe and the wide divergence In the
character of the continents features
which appeals most strongly to the ;e-
spective individuals.
[ was once resting at noon with a
party of women and men in the streets
of Pompeii and as beneath the shade of
a convenient wall we sought shelter from
the pitliess rays of an Italian sun,
asked my companions to tell me what
they anticipated beholding with the
greatest amount of pleasure. for they
were all first-trippers and had been as
yet but day or so in Europe.
One, woman, as we might know by
her reply, mentioned the Blue Grotto of
Capri; another said an interview with
the holy father; third declared Venice
was her objective point; another an
swered the Matterhorn," and still an
other, young man, announced TO see
London from the top of an OMNIBUS.
As for myself, 1T is difficult to dis
criminate. | love art immeasura bly,,
scenic beauty thrills and historic asso-
Citations weave around me the spell or an
enchanted dream. But l am quite sure
that nothing gives me more pleasure than
frequenting the shop and ateiier OF the an
tiquary or rummaging among melange
of antiques provided that L am sure OF
their genuineness.
For many years J never visited the
continent without making an exhaustive
search for a rare stone known as
Abraxas, sometimes spelled Abrasax, and
before my quest was successful I had
learned much about precious stones, and
q few of my observations may be of no
little interest to the general reader. First,
| found that the diamond was, probably
owing to its hardness, rarely used in en-
craving. The same Is true of the ruby,
which the ancients called spinellus and
which next approaches the diamond in
hardness but the emerald, known among
the ancients as smaragdus. was favor-
ite material for the lithoglyphs on ac-
count of its soft green hue. being both
agreeable and salutary to the eyes of the
artists. 1t must be remembered, how
ever that many of the ancient gems
should be distinguished from those which
today bear the same name but possess
quite different characteristics. Thus we
know that many of the precious stones
mentioned by Pliny are not the same as
those recognized in modern science. and
when we read that a hall of Ehasurais
was paved with emerald, that temple Of
Hercules was adorned with pillars of
emerald and that whole statues were cut
in emerald. we know that some kind of
marble of a green hue is meant.
The opal was rarely engraved and but
few such specimens are to be found in
the collection. This was probably due to
the impression that engravings spoiled
the play of It's fire which seemed to come
from within the gem.
They were very valuable and Nonins
a Roman senator, possessed one esti-
mated to be worth $So0,OOo Rather than