past ages, but stop at the end
of the sixteenth century, we find some new interpretations in a
Commentary on the Book of Exodus by Corneille de la Pierre; for he
ascribes truth to the onyx and carbuncle, heroism to the beryl, and to
the ligure, with its delicate and sparkling violet hue, scorn of the
things of earth, and love of heavenly things."

"And then St. Ambrose regards this stone as emblematical of Eucharist,"
the Abbe Gevresin put in.

"Yes; but what is the ligure or ligurite?" asked Durtal. "Conrad of
Haimburg speaks of it as resembling amber; Corneille de la Pierre
believes it to be violet-tinted, and St. Jerome gives us to understand
that it is not identifiable; in fact, that it is but another name for
the jacinth, the image of prudence, with its water of blue like the sky
and changing tints. How are we to make sure?"

"As to blue stones, we must not forget that St. Mechtildis regarded the
sapphire as the very heart of the Virgin," observed the Abbe Plomb.

"We may also add," Durtal went on, "that a new set of variations on the
subject of gems was executed in the seventeenth century by a celebrated
Spanish Abbess, Maria d'Agreda, who applies to Our Mother the virtues of
the precious stones spoken of by St. John in the twenty-first chapter of
the Apocalypse. According to her, the sapphire figures the serenity of
Mary; the chrysolite shows forth Her love for the Church Militant, and
especially for the Law of Grace; the amethyst, Her power against the
hordes of hell; the jasper, Her invincible fortitude; the pearl, Her
inestimable dignity--"

"The pearl," interrupted the Abbe Plomb, "is regarded by St. Eucher as
emblematic of perfection, chastity, and the evangelical doctrine."

"And all this time you are forgetting the meaning of other well-known
gems," cried Madame Bavoil. "The ruby, the garnet, the aqua-marine; are
they speechless?"

"No," replied Durtal. "The ruby speaks of tranquility and patience; the
garnet, Innocent III. tells us, symbolizes charity. St. Bruno and St.
Rupert say that the aqua-marine concentrates in its pale green fire all
theological science. There yet remain two gems, the turquoise and the
opal. The former, little esteemed by the mystics, is to promote joy. As
to the second, of which the name does not occur in treatises on gems, it
may be identified with chalcedony, which is described as a sort of agate
of an opaque quality, dimmed with clouds and flashing fires in the
shadows