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 being
necessitated to restore it, and (as he affirm'd) it was known within some
while after that the said _Venetian_ Gentleman did in _Constantinople_ sell
that Carbuncle to the then Grand Seignior, newly come to the Empire, for a
hundred thousand Crowns. _And this is what I can say_ concerning
_Carbuncles_, and this is not a little at least as to the first part of
this account, where our _Cellini_ affirms himself to have seen a Real
Carbuncle with his own Eyes, especially since this Author appears wary in
what he delivers, and is inclin'd rather to lessen, than increase the
wonder of it. And his Testimony is the more considerable, because though he
were born a Subject neither to the Pope nor the then King of _France_ (that