English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources
And þerfore whan grete lordes and knyghtes gon to seche worschipe in
armes, þei beren gladly the dyamaund vpon hem. I schal speke a litill
more of the dyamandes, allþough {110} I tarye my matere for a tyme, to
þat ende þat þei þat knowen hem not be not disceyued be gabberes þat
gon be the contree, þat sellen hem. For whoso wil bye the dyamand, it
is nedefull to him þat he knowe hem, because þat men counterfeten hem
often of cristall þat is ȝalow; and of saphires of cytryne {115}
colour, þat is ȝalow also; and of the saphire loupe; and of many
oþer stones. But, I tell ȝou, theise contrefetes ben not so harde;
and also the poyntes wil breken lightly; and men may esily pollissche
hem. But summe werkmen, for malice, wil not pollische hem, to þat entent
to maken men beleue þat þei may {120} not ben pollisscht. But men may
assaye hem in this manere: First schere with hem, or write with hem, in
saphires, in cristall, or in oþer precious stones. After þat men taken
the ademand, þat is the schipmannes ston, þat draweth the nedle to him,
and men leyn the dyamand vpon the ademand, and leyn the nedle {125}
before the ademand; and ȝif the dyamand be gode and vertuous, the
ademand draweth not the nedle to him, whils the dyamand is þere present.
And this is the preef þat þei beȝonde the see maken. Natheles it
befalleth often tyme þat the gode dyamand leseth his vertue, be synne
and for incontynence of him þat {130} bereth it. And þanne is it nedfull
to make it to recoueren his vertue aȝen, or ell it is of litill value.
Chap. xxvi (xxx), f. 112 a.
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