they have sold their possessions, so that, by having sold and given those things away and in exchange for them having received from God a good purpose that helps them, they might buy for a great price and value the field that has the treasure hidden in itself. 10.7 Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking fine pearls (13, 45[46]. Since the kingdom of the heavens is like, there being many merchants trading in many things, not to any of them, but to the one seeking fine pearls and having found one very precious pearl worthy of the many which he bought in exchange for everything, I think it reasonable to examine the things concerning the nature of the pearl. But observe carefully that it did not say that he has sold all that he had; for he has sold not only those which the one seeking fine pearls had bought, but also everything that he had, in order to buy that fine pearl. We have found, therefore, among those who have written treatises on stones, these things concerning the nature of the pearl: that of pearls some are from the land, and others from the sea. And the land ones are found only among the Indians, being suitable for seals and rings and necklaces. The sea ones, the excellent ones, are found among the same Indians, which are also the best, being produced in the Red Sea. Second in rank among pearls are those taken from the Ocean near Britain. Third, and falling short not only of the first but also of the second, are those found in the Bosporus near Scythia. Furthermore, these things were said about the Indian pearl: that it is formed in shells resembling in nature large conchs. These are reported to make their sea-pasture, as it were, in squadrons, just as if some leader, conspicuous in color and size and superior to those under him, were leading them, so that he has an analogy to the so-called king of the bees. And concerning the hunting of the excellent ones, that is, those in India, the following has been recorded: that the natives, enclosing a large circle of the shore with nets, dive down, contriving to catch the one leader out of all of them; for when he is caught, they say that the hunt for the herd under him becomes effortless, with none from it any longer remaining still, but as if bound by a strap and following the herd leader. It is also said that the generation of the pearls in India takes place over time, with the animal undergoing several turns and changes, until it is perfected. And this has also been recorded: that the shell of the animal bearing the pearl is opened with a gaping motion, and having opened it receives into itself the heavenly dew, and being filled with it, pure and untroubled, it becomes brilliant and gives birth to a large and well-shaped stone. But if it should ever partake of misty and irregular and wintry dew, it conceives a cloudy pearl, shameful with spots. Furthermore, we have also found this: that if, while proceeding to the completion of the stone which it conceives, it should be interrupted by lightning, it closes and, as it were, *** in fear, scatters and diffuses its offspring into what are called "puffs". And there are times when, like abortions, small ones are born, having some mistiness, but well-shaped. Furthermore, the Indian pearl has this quality beyond the others: it is white in color, like transparent silver, and it shines through gently with a slightly pale luster, and for the most part it has a round shape. It is also of a delicate color and softer than a stone. And it is so pleasing to see, that it is even disparaged by the most eminent men, as he who wrote about the stones said. And this is also a sign of the best pearl: to have a perfectly turned circumference and the whitest and most transparent color and the greatest size. These things, then, are about the Indian one. But the one from Britain (they say) is golden in its surface color, but somewhat cloudy and duller in its gleams. And the one in the strait by the Bosporus is gloomier than the British one and livid and completely dim, and soft and of great length. And the one in the strait by the Bosporus is born
λόγον πεπράκασι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῶν, ἵνα, διὰ τοῦ πεπρακέναι καὶ ἀπο<δε>δόσθαι ἐκεῖνα καὶ ἀντ' ἐκείνων καλὴν προαίρεσιν βοηθουμένους αὐτοὺς εἰληφέναι ἀπὸ θεοῦ, ὠνήσωνται τῆς πολλῆς τιμῆς καὶ ἀξίας τοῦ ἀγροῦ τὸν ἔχοντα θησαυρὸν κεκρυμμένον ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἀγρόν. 10.7 Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ ἐμπόρῳ ζητοῦντι καλοὺς μαργαρίτας (13, 45[46]. Ἐπειδὴ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁμοία ἐστί, πολλῶν ὄντων ἐμπόρων πολλὰ ἐμπορευομένων, οὐδενὶ μὲν ἐκείνων, τῷ δὲ ζητοῦντι τοὺς καλοὺς μαργαρίτας καὶ εὑρόντι ἕνα ἀντάξιον τῶν πολλῶν πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην ὃν ἀντὶ πάντων ἠγόρασεν, εὔλογον ἡγοῦμαι τυγχάνειν τὰ περὶ τῆς φύσεως τοῦ μαργαρίτου ἐξετάσαι. Παρατήρει δὲ ἐπιμελῶς ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι πέπρακε πάντας οὓς εἶχεν· οὐ γὰρ μόνους οὓς ὁ ζητῶν καλοὺς μαργαρίτας ἐώνηται πέπρακεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντα ὅσα εἶχεν, ἵνα ἀγοράσῃ τὸν καλὸν μαργαρίτην ἐκεῖνον. Εὕρομεν οὖν παρὰ τοῖς περὶ λίθων πραγματευσαμένοις περὶ τῆς φύσεως τοῦ μαργαρίτου ταῦτα ὅτι τῶν μαργαριτῶν οἱ μέν εἰσι χερσαῖοι, οἱ δὲ θαλάττιοι. Καὶ οἱ μὲν χερσαῖοι παρ' Ἰνδοῖς μόνοις γίνονται πρέποντες σφραγῖσι καὶ σφενδό ναις καὶ ὅρμοις. Οἱ δὲ θαλάττιοι οἱ μὲν διαφέροντες παρὰ τοῖς αὐτοῖς Ἰνδοῖς εὑρίσκονται, οἵτινές εἰσι καὶ ἄριστοι ἐν τῇ ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ γινόμενοι. ∆ευτερεύουσι δὲ ὡς ἐν μαργαρίταις οἱ ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Βρεττανίαν Ὠκεανοῦ λαμβα νόμενοι. Τρίτοι δὲ καὶ ἀπολειπόμενοι οὐ μόνον τῶν πρώτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν δευτέρων, οἱ κατὰ τὸν Βόσπορον περὶ τὴν Σκυθίαν εὑρισκόμενοι. Ἔτι δὲ ταῦτα ἐλέγετο περὶ τοῦ Ἰνδικοῦ μαργαρίτου ὅτι ἐν κόγχοις γίνεται προσεοικόσι τὴν φύσιν εὐμεγέθεσι στρόμβοις. Οὗτοι δὲ ἱστοροῦνται οἱονεὶ κατὰ ἴλας τὴν θαλάττιον ποιούμενοι νομήν, καθάπερ ἀγελάρχου τινὸς ἐξηγουμένου περιόπτου τὴν χρόαν καὶ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ διαφέροντος τῶν ὑπ' αὐτόν, ὥστε ἀναλογίαν αὐτὸν ἔχειν τῷ καλουμένῳ ἐσσῆνι μελισσῶν. Ἱστόρηται δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς θήρας τῶν διαφερόντων, τουτέστι τῶν ἐν Ἰνδίᾳ, τοιοῦτον· ὅτι περιλαμβάνοντες οἱ ἐπιχώριοι δικτύοις κύκλον αἰγιαλοῦ μέγαν κατακολυμβῶσιν, ἕνα ἐξ ἁπάντων τὸν προηγούμενον ἐπιτηδεύοντες λαβεῖν, τούτου γὰρ ἁλόντος φασὶν ἄμοχθον γενέσθαι τὴν θήραν τῆς ὑπὸ τούτῳ ἀγέλης, οὐδενὸς ἔτι ἀτρεμοῦντος τῶν ἀπ' αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ οἷον δεδεμένου ἱμάντι καὶ ἑπομένου τῷ ἀγελάρχῃ. Λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἡ γένεσις τῶν ἐν Ἰνδίᾳ μαργαριτῶν χρόνοις συνίστασθαι, τροπὰς λαμβάνοντος τοῦ ζῴου πλείονας καὶ μεταβολάς, ἕως τελειωθῇ. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἱστόρηται ὅτι διοίγεται ὁ κόγχος χάσμῃ παραπλησίως ὁ τοῦ φέροντος τὸν μαργαρίτην ζῴου καὶ διοιχθεὶς τὴν ἐπουράνιον εἰς ἑαυτὸν δέχεται δρόσον, ἧς ἐμπλησθεὶς καθαρᾶς καὶ ἀθολώτου περιαυγὴς γίνεται καὶ λοχεύει μέγαν καὶ εὔρυθμον τὸν λίθον. Εἰ δέ ποτε ἐπηχλυμένης καὶ ἀνωμάλου χειμερίου τε μεταλάβοι δρόσου, ὁμιχλώδη κύει μαργαρίτην καὶ κηλῖσιν ἐπίμωμον. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εὕρομεν ὅτι εἰ μεσολαβηθείη ὁδεύων ἐπὶ τὴν πλήρωσιν οὗ κύει λίθου ὑπὸ ἀστραπῆς, μύει καὶ ὡσπερεὶ *** τῷ δείματι σκορπίζει καὶ διαχεῖ τὸν γόνον εἰς τὰ λεγόμενα φυσήματα. Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καθάπερ ἠλιτόμηνα γεννᾶται βραχέα καὶ ἀχλύος τι ἔχοντα, πλὴν εὔρυθμα. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἔχει ὁ Ἰνδικὸς μαργαρίτης παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους· λευκός ἐστι τὴν χρόαν, ἀργύρῳ διαφανεῖ προσφερὴς αὐγήν τε ὑποχλωρίζουσαν ἠρέμα διαλάμπει, ὡς ἐπίπαν δὲ σχῆμα ἔχει στρογγύλον. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ τρυφερόχρως καὶ ἁπαλώτερος ἢ κατὰ λίθον. Οὕτως δέ ἐστιν ἐπιτερπὴς ἰδέσθαι, ὡς καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐμφανεστέροις, καθὰ ὁ ἀναγράψας ἔλεγε περὶ τῶν λίθων, ἀφυμνεῖσθαι. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο σημεῖον ἀρίστου ἐστὶ μαργαρίτου τὸ τὴν περιφέρειαν τετορνευμένην ἔχειν καὶ τὸ χρῶμα λευκότατον καὶ διαυγέστατον καὶ τῷ μεγέθει μέγιστον. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν περὶ τοῦ Ἰνδικοῦ. Ὁ δὲ κατὰ τὴν Βρεττανίαν (φασὶ) χρυσωπὸς μέν ἐστι τὴν ἐπίχροιαν, ὁμιχλώδης δέ τις καὶ ταῖς μαρμαρυγαῖς ἀμβλύ τερος. Ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ πορθμῷ τῷ κατὰ Βόσπορον κνεφωδέστερος τοῦ Βρεττανικοῦ καὶ πελιδνὸς καὶ τέλεον ἀμυδρός, ἁπαλός τε καὶ μακρομεγέθης. Καὶ γεννᾶται δὲ ὁ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Βόσπορον