“_Within that awful volume lies The mystery of mysteries._” SCOTT. THE LEGEND OF THE SHAMIR: THE RING OF SOLOMON: RABBI LOW BEN BEZALEL: AND HIS GOLEM: THE AUTOMATON OF ALBERTUS MAGNUS: DIOCLETIAN AND THE OSTRICH: PRECIOUS STONES AS GIFTS: MAGICAL STONES: METEORITES: PRECIOUS STONES OF THE BUDDHISTS. It was forbidden to use metal in the engraving of the stones of the Breastplate, neither was it permitted to mark them with pigments or paint. The work was done by the magical Shamir which had the power of eating into the hardest substances at the will of its holder. In the evening light of the first Friday this seventh of the ten marvels of Creation followed closely by the Stylus, the knowledge of writing, and the two tablets of stone destined to bear the commandments of God, was given to mankind. It was no larger than a barley grain, yet its power was intense: iron lying near it was shattered and stones were sliced like the leaves of a book. Moses, after tracing the tribal names with his forefinger on the Breastplate, simply held the Shamir over them and the letters were as by magic cut clearly into the stones without trace of fracture or flaw. The Shamir disappeared with the earth-death of Moses, and was not heard of again until the time of Solomon. When the occasion came to build the temple the priests reminded the King that it was not lawful to fashion the stones for the Holy Building with instruments of iron. “What then shall I do?” enquired the King. To this one of the priests answered: “O, great King, when the world was created the Shamir was created also, and with it Moses was enabled to fashion and engrave the stones of the HOSHEN-HA-MISHPAT.” “But how can I obtain this wonderful Shamir?” asked Solomon. “What is there difficult for thee who knowest the secrets of Heaven and Earth?” replied the priest, at the same time asking Solomon to compel two demons, a male and a female, to come before him. The King, taking this advice, conjured the demons and bade them declare unto him the hiding-place of the Shamir. This they were unable to do, and they begged the Master-Magician to release them and obtain the secret from the Prince of the demons, Ashmadai. Further they told the King that amongst certain mountain ranges Ashmadai had sunk a deep hole which he filled with water and screened with a great stone sealed with his magical seal. In the dawn of each day he raised himself to Heaven where he learned heavenly wisdom, descending in the evening as the light faded to learn the wisdom of earth. Then he would break the seal, drink of the water, rebind the seal and go his way again.