Magical Jewels of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Particularly in England

276 Pages·1922·11.772 MB·English

by  Joan Evans

MAGICAL JEWELS
OF THE MIDDLE AGES AND THE
RENAISSANCE, PARTICULARLY
IN ENGLAND
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
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HUMPHREY MILFORD
Publisher to the University
:ser

THE CAMPION PENDANT
MAGICAL JEWELS
of the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance
particularly in
England
BY
JOAN EVANS, B.Litt.
Librarian of St. Hugh’s College, Oxford
OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
M CM XXII
The sciences themselves, which have had better intelligence and
confederacy with the imagination of man than with his reason, are
three in number; astrology, natural magic, and alchemy: of which
sciences, nevertheless, the ends or pretences are noble. For astrology
pretendeth to discover that correspondence or concatenation which is
between the superior globe and the inferior: natural magic pretendeth
to call and reduce natural philosophy from variety of speculations to
the magnitude of works: and alchemy pretendeth to make separation of
bodies which in mixtures of nature are incorporate.
Francis Bacon, The Advancement of Learning, 1605, Book I, iv. 11.
Printed in England
PREFACE
Certain limits of time and place have been set to this study
of the belief in the virtues of gems and jewels. The main
field of investigation has been Great Britain, and the beliefs
and writings of other countries concerning jewels have been
studied as helping to form the tradition formerly current in
these islands. For this reason the Eastern lapidaries have
been dealt with summarily, and those of China and Japan
omitted. The medicinal use of precious stones otherwise than
as amulets has only received incidental consideration. Further,
the investigation ends with the eighteenth century, and there­
fore excludes the charms and mascots of the modern jeweller
and the * lucky-stones ’ of the modern soldier.
My thanks are due to Sir John Sandys, Professor D. S.
Margoliouth, Professor J. A. Stewart, Professor P. Studer,
Dr. R. R. Marett, M. F. de Mély, Mr. Henry Balfour,
Mr. Stephen Langdon, Mr. F. C. Conybeare, Mr. G. McN.
Rushforth, Mr. G. F. Hill, and Mrs. Simpson for help on
points of detail ; to M. Omont of the Bibliothèque Nationale,
the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, the Dean of
Winchester, and the Librarians of Gresham College, Gray’s
Inn, Pembroke College, and Caius College, Cambridge, and
of the Cathedral Libraries of Durham, Lincoln, Salisbury, and
Winchester for information respecting manuscripts in their
care ; and to the officials of the Manuscript Room of the
British Museum and the Staff of the Bodleian Library. To
Dr. and Mrs. Singer I owe the privileges of the History of
Science Room in the Radcliffe Camera, many references, and
much generous help and encouragement, and to the Principal
of my College the opportunities for research which she has
most kindly granted me.
JOAN EVANS.
St. Hugh’s College,
Oxford.

CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION
9
I. MAGICAL JEWELS AND GEMS IN THE
ANCIENT WORLD..........................................
J3
II. THE EARLIER CHRISTIAN LAPIDARIES . 29
III. LAPIDARIES OF SPAIN AND THE NEARER
EAST.................................... . . . 38
IV. WESTERN MEDIAEVAL LAPIDARIES. 51
A. The Rise of Modern Literature: Mediaeval
Popular Lapidaries . . . . .
51
B. The Influence of the Church : Christian Sym­
bolic Lapidaries ...... 72
C. The Growth of the Universities : Mediaeval
Scientific Lapidaries ... 80
V. MEDIAEVAL ASTROLOGY: LAPIDARIES
OF ENGRAVED GEMS................................... 95
VI. MAGICAL JEWELS OF THE MIDDLE AGES 110
A. Precious Stones and Engraved Gems 110
B. Inscribed Jewels........................................... 121
C. Reliquaries and Jewels decorated with Reli­
gious Subjects ...... 133
VII. THE RENAISSANCE: LAPIDARIES OF
THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH
CENTURIES................................................... 140
A. Lapidaries of Precious Stones 140
B. Lapidaries of Engraved Gems !56
4 CONTENTS
PAGE
VIII. MAGICAL JEWELS OF THE RENAIS­
SANCE .................................................................167
IX. THE AGE OF CRITICISM: THE SEVEN­
TEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES 184
APPENDICES
A. Bodleian MS. Hatton 76, fol. 131-139V. . 195
B. British Museum MS. Sloane 1784, fol. 1-5 v. . .214
C. Bodleian MS. Digby 13, fol. 17-19 v. . . 220
D. Bodleian MS. Rawlinson D 358, fol. 81-91 . . 223
E. Bodleian MS. Digby 79, fol. 178 V.-179 v. . . 235
F. British Museum MS. Sloane 1784, fol. 8-12 . . 239
G. Bodleian MS. e Museo 52, fol. 44-47 . ■ . 246
INDEXES
Index of Stones
Index of Proper Names • 253
General Index • 257