The Preface.
we commonly ſay, that there is no Smoak without ſome Fire, ſo amongst theſe forreign Fables came in ſome Indian Allegories, and probably the Brachmans themſelves had given them out, at once to declare and obſcure their Knowledg. Theſe Allegories are but two, and Jarchas inſiſts much upon them, beſides a ſolemn Acknowment: ἐ χς ὴ ἀπις εῖν, There is no reaſon (ſaid he) but we ſhould believe there are ſuch Things. The firſt of theſe two Myſteries is the Pantarva, which Ficinus corruptly tranſcribes Pantaura, and of this Apollonius deſired to know the Truth; namely, is there was ſuch a Stone at all, and whether it was enriched with ſo ſtrange a Magnetiſm, as to attract to it ſelf all other precicious Stones? This Queſtion the Brachman ſatisfies experimentally, for he had this goodly Stone about him, and favour’d Apollonius with the ſight thereof. But for our better Information, let us hear Jarchas himſelf deſcribe it, for he doth it ſo fully, that a very ordinary Capacity may go along with him. This Stone (ſaith he) is generated in certain earthly Caverns, ſome four yards deep, and hath in it ſuch abun-
