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Pearl
(The). Dioscorides and Pliny mention the belief that pearls
are formed by drops of rain falling into the
oyster-shells while open; the rain-drops thus received being
hardened into pearls by some secretions of the animal.
According to Richardson, the Persians say when drops of spring-rain
fall into the pearl-oyster they produce pearls.
Precious the tear as that rain from the sky
Which turns into pearls as it falls on the sea.
Thomas Moore.
“Pearls ... are believed to be the result of an abnormal secretory
process caused by an irritation of the mollusk consequent on the
intrusion into the shell of some foreign body, as a grain of sand, an
egg of the mollusk itself, or perhaps some cercarian parasite.” —G.
F. King: Gems, etc., chap. xii. p. 211.
Cardan says that pearls are polished by being pecked and played with
by doves. (De Revum Varietate, vii.
34.)
Pearl
For Cleopatra melting her pearl in honour of Antony, see Cleopatra. A similar act of vanity and folly is told by Horace (2 Satire, iii. verse 239). Clodius, son of AEsop the tragedian, drew
a pearl from his ear of great value, melted it in a strong acid, and
drank to the health of Cecilia Metella. This story is referred to by
Valerius Maximus, Macrobius, and Pliny. Horace says,
Qui sanior, ac si
Illud idem in rapidum flumen jaceretve cloacam!
Sir Thomas Gresham, it is said, when Queen Elizabeth dined with him
at the City banquet, melted a pearl worth 15,000, and drank to her
health.
Here fifteen thousand pounds alone clap goes
Instead of sugar, Gresham drinks the pearl
Unto his queen and mistress.
Thomas Heywood.
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 More on Pearl from Infoplease:
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- Pearl, river, United States - Pearl Pearl, river, 485 mi (781 km) long, rising in E Miss. and flowing S to Lake Borgne, an inlet ...
- Pearl, river, China - Pearl Pearl, Chin. Zhujiang, river, 110 mi (177 km) long, S Guangdong prov., S China. Formed at ...
- mother-of-pearl - mother-of-pearl mother-of-pearl or nacre, the iridescent substance that forms the lining of the ...
- The Pearl - Starring Lukas Haas, Richard Harris, G. Paul Davis, Teresa Tarin, Jorge Rivero
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