“Thou couldst not believe how marvellous a place it was.There were huge tortoise-shells full of pearls and hollowed moonstones of great size piled up with red rubies.The gold was stored in coffers of elephant-hide,and the gold-dust in leather bottles.There were opals and sapphires,the former in cups of crystal and the latter in cups of jade.Round green emeralds were ranged in order upon thin plates of ivory,and in one cornet were silk bags filled,some with turquoise-stones and others with beryls.The ivory horns were heaped with purple amethysts,and the horns of brass with chalcedonies and sards.The pillars,which were of cedar,were hung with strings of yellow lynx-stones.In the flat oval shields there were carbuncles,both wine-coloured and coloured like grass.And yet I have told thee but a tithe of what was there.