chapter 1 piro

8/7/2019 chapter 1 piro

1/64

The First Book of the Pirofechniaof MesserVannoccio Biringuccio, inwhich are treatedgenerallyevery kind of mineraland melting andother things: To MesserBernardinodi Moncelesiof Salo.PREFACE TO THE FIRST BOOK

ConcerningtheLocationof Ores.A VING promisedyou to write concerningthe natureoforesin particular, I must tell you somegeneralfacts, especiallythoseconcerningthe places, kinds, and manneroftheir existence as well as the tools which are used . However ,you mustknow that accordingto good investigatorstheseoresare found in many parts of the world. They showthemselves almost like the veins of blood in the bodies of animals , or thebranchesof treesspreadout in differentdirections. Indeed, carefulinvestigatorsof minerals, wishing to show by analogyhow oresarelocatedin

mountains, havedrawn a largetreewith many branches, plantedin themiddleof the baseof a mountain. From its principaltrunk extendvariousbranches, some thick, some slender, exactly like real treesin matureforests. They think that thesegrow and enlargecontinuallyand drawthemselvestoward the sky, ever convertinginto their own nature themostdisposedadjacentmaterialssothat fmally the tips arriveat the summitof themountainandemergewith clearsign, sendingforth, in placeofleaves and blossoms , blue or green fumosities , * marcasites with smallveins of heavy mineral, or other compositionof tinctures. From thesethings, when they arefound, it is possibleto makecertaininferencethatsuch a mountain containsores, and asthe signsare more or less, so are themineralsplentiful and rich or poor. For this reasonthe prospectorsforthesethingstakeheartaccordingto the manifestationsthat they fmd, andwith hopeandcertaintyof profit they takeall possiblepainsto mine withskill andexpensethosethingsthat thesignshaveindicated. Often thereareoresof sucha kind andquality that theyraisea manin wealthto theskies.For thisreasonmenpenetratewith eyesof appraisalandjudgmentwithinthe mountainsandseealmostexactlyTileplaceswherethereis ore andthe

* fumosita. This refersto the coloredsurface-stainingof rocksby weathering, the mostobvioussign of the presenceof certainminerals. Biringucciobelievedit to be causedbymineralvaporsor fumcspassingthroughthe rocks.


2/64

14 PIROTECHNIA BOOK Iquantity of it . They direct the excavationtoward these, for otherwisethey would go by chance, becausein no other way canmen understandwhere thereis ore in the mountains, howevergood theirjudgment maybe or howeverminutely they may havesearched.Furthermore, it is necessaryto walk around, making certainfrom theappearanceof the signs(trying to find asmany aspossible) and alwayskeepingeyesand earsturnedto whereverthereis hopeof finding someinformation, especiallytoward shepherdsor other ancientinhabitantsofthecountryside. I tell you thisbecauseI ampersuadedthat goodjudgmentconcerning the first aspectof the mountain is not sufficient, for its greatbarrenness, its harshness, or the waters which rise there may not be strongenoughto give certainsign that it containssufficientore to warrant theprospectors' starting to excavatewith much expenseand great bodilyeffort .

I say this also because I do not believe that one man , however strong andcarefulhemaybe, hasenoughstrengthto go aboutminutelyexaminingasinglemountain that might contain ore, much lessall the mountainsof one or more provinces. Some, becausethey know of this difficulty,saythat they makeuseof necromancy. SinceI considerthis a fabulousthing and haveno information of what it may be, I intend neither topraisenor to damnit, andyet if what theysaytheydo wereindeedtrue, itwould bea very usefulthing. However, I wishthesenecromancerswouldtell me why theydo not usetheir art aftertheyhavefoundtheoreanddoalsofor the middle and the end what they do for the beginning; that is,usetheir art for excavatingtheoreandreducingit to smeltedmaterialandto the purity of its separation. Without doubt it can be believed that iftheyhavethepowerto do oneof thesaidthings, theyalsohavethepowerto do the others, but suchoperationsaresofearfulandhorrible that theyneithershouldnor could be practiced, nor would all menwish to do so.Sucha thing is not well known, andI haveneverheardthat it is practiced.The principal reasonwhy it must be believedthat suchpracticesareabandoned in this part of the work is that whenever the excavation of amine is begun, it is customaryfirst to seekthe graceof God, so that Hemay interveneto aid everydoubtful and difficult effort; and in placeofthis onewould be seekingthe aid of the devilsof hell. Whence, in orderto discover ores , I think it better to abandon the way of bestial and fearlessmen and to choose the way of using the signs that are exhibited to usthroughthe benignityof Nature, foundedon truth andapprovedby all


3/64

PREFACE THE LOCATION OF ORES 15expertsbecauseof their experience, which, asis evident, doesnot consistof wordsor promisesof incomprehensibleandvain things.With this you will searchthe slopesof valleys, the crevices, brokenpiecesof rock, ridgesor highestpeaksof the mountains, and likewisethebeds and courses of rivers ; and, looking into their sands or among theruins of ditches, where marcasitesor little piecesof ore or various othermetallictincturesoftenappear, you will easilyhaveindicationsfrom thesethingsthat theresurelyis orein thoseplaces. Exactlywherethey areto befound may be determinedby carefullyobservingthe openingswhencethey havebrokenoff.After these, one hasa generalsign that all thosemountainsand otherplacescontainoreswherelargequantitiesof freshwater springup, waterthat is clear, though it hassomemineral tasteand changesits quality witheveryseason, becomingwarm in thewinter andvery coldin thesummer.Even more must you believeit when you seethoserough and wildmountainsthat are without soil or any growth of trees; or if indeedalittle soil with a few blades of grass should be found , it is seen to be withoutits customarygreencolor, all dry andweak. Most oresarein mountainsofthe kind just describedto you, althoughsomeare found in mountainscoveredwith soilandfruit-bearingtreesandthereis no signto tell you ofthe presenceof oresunlessyou searchtheir slopescarefully. Of thesethetruest and most certain sign that can be given is when the ore showsitselfclearlyto the sighton the surfaceof the ground, eitherhigh or low.Therearesomewho praisehigllly asa good sign certainresiduesthatwatersmakewherethey arestill, andafterhavingstoodfor severaldays,frequentlywarmedby the raysof the sun, they show in somepartsoftheir residues various tinctures of metallic substances . There are otherswho usuallytake this water and causeit to evaporateor dry up entirelyby boiling it in a vesselof earthenware, glass, or someother material, andthey testthe grossearthysubstancethat remainsat the bottom by tasting,by the ordinaryfire assay, or in someotherway that pleasesthem. In thisway (althoughthey do not havean exactproof) they approachsomesortofknowledp "e of the thinp " .

Thusyou'"'canmakesu;e that thereis sufficientore whereyou arelookingfor it and that it is goodandin largequantity, and this mustbe donein the bestway with asmuch careaspossiblebeforebeginningto excavate, sothat theexpensewill not be thrown away. With greatindustriouscareonemustsearchin placesneartherootsof neighboringmountainsor


4/64

16 PIROTECHNIA BOOKIon the slopes of the mountain itself and likewise all the surface where therock is found naturally exposed, or in the watercourses, presupposing thatit is almost impossible , if such mountains contain ores, that they shouldnot send forth some vaporous exhalation . However , if they did not , itmight happen that it is because the ore is of such good quality that it doesnot by nature form vapors, because there is but a small quantity , or perhapsbecause the mountain is so very large and the ore is still very deepdown or so far inside that the fumes have not come through to give asign outside . Alternatively it may be because there is interposed betweenthe metal and the surface some rock of a thick and resistant nature , likelimestone or black or white marble , which prevents it from coming to thesurface. For this reason there may be trees and grass growing (as I havesaid) because the earth retains its powers and is able to nourish their rootssince it is not consumed or burned by heat and poisonous mineral vapors,and rain waters cannot carry the earth away in its course as happens inthose places that are burnt . I have seen many of these mountains with greatchestnut groves on them , cultivated fields , and great woods of beech andcerris trees. Thus , to sum up, the lack of the signs of sterility and harslmessdoes not necessarily mean that the mountains do not have ore, or that oneshould not search there. Since the signs vary in appearance according to thekind of mineral , I shall tell you about them morc in detail where the oresthemselves are treated. Here I have wished to speak of them only ingeneral, in order to give you a certain initial light on them . Likewise ,further enlightening you , I say that III all ores that are found by means ofthese signs or that in any way have come to hand, whether found in rock ,earth , or sand, you have to consider their weight in addition to the firstappearance of metallic mineral which they show . The greater the weightis, the more they show perfection , good elemental mixture of substances,and greater quantity of ore.

Suppose that by signs or other method you have found the mountainsand by knowledge have also found the ore without being certain of itsparticular type , in order to make sure what kind of metal the ore contains~what its quantity , what its companions , and what its purity or impurity , itis necessary before any expenditure is made to assayit one or more timesin the wav that I shall teach vou in its narticular dace in the Third Book .~ ~ J. J.When it is known that tllere is an ore and what quantity of what metal itcontains, and it is found by calculation that you will recover enough valuein it to justify the expense, I exhort you to begin courageously and to


5/64

PREFACE THE LOCATION OF ORES 17continuethe undertakingwith everycare, andto startmining. In any orematerialyou maypromiseyourselfthesameproportionby weightaswasin that which you took from the surfacefor assayingin order to fmd itssubstance, for you will certainlyfind it betterthe fartheryou go into themountain .

Thusdrawnon by the assuranceof the assayandby the quantityof thething that is shownto you by signsand by every other rationalreasonwhich would surely causeyou to wish to start to mine , you must arrangeto do it with the greatestcelerity, so that you may soonenjoy the fruitsthereofandsothat if nothingis foundin that placeyou may try your luckelsewhere .To do this you must first choQse the site where you are to make thebeginningof your mine, taking carethat this is asconvenientaspossible

for the men who are to work there and above all that it is easy to make anentranceinto the mountain, in order to be able to arrive under the signsthat you haveobservedwith the greatestpossib]e savingof expenditureand in a short time. You must makethe traversewisely, working in astraightline in orderto strikethe]argestmassof theore, breakingthroughevery composition of stonestratathat you encounterin the courseof yourexcavation, but alwayskeepingas a guide the signsthat were shownoutside .In additionto the choiceof a placedestinedfor the entranceandbeginningof themine, you mustalsochooseanotherplace, opposite, above, orat the sideof this, that is nearby andconvenientfor the constructionofone , tWo , or more cabins for the convenience and use of your workmen .One is for their sleepingquarters, whereyour assistantcanlive in orderth ~t hp m ~v hf': ~hlf ': to observe and encoura ~e the men in their work at all

~ ~

hours, and alsofor storingand dispensingfood and for otherneeds. An-otller shouldbe a building for the working of iron to mend brokentools and to makenew onesto replacethosethat arelackingasthe oldonesareworn out or ruinedby breaking.This done, when you havea goodly provisionof foodstuffs, a goodlynumberof minersexperiencedin the work you wish to do, and all thetools necessaryfor breakingand excavatingrocks and carrying awayearth , and when you have had Tile mountains and all your cabins and themine baptizedby a priestin the nameof God and a fortunateoutcome(dedicatingit asis customaryto theHoly Trinity or to Our Ladyor in thenameof someothersaintwhom you hold in reverence, invoking his pro-


6/64

18 PIROTECHNIA BOOK Itection), thencarefullymakea beginningof the mining, with the determinationto continueand not to abandonthe enterpriseaslong as thepossibilityof discoveryjustifIes the expense, or until you have passedbeyondthe confinesof the signsshownto you above.Take carethat you alwaysbegin your excavationlow down and asnearlyaspossibleat the baseor root of the mountain, in sucha way andmaI Ulerthat the mineproceedsin a straightlu1eto crossthevein of ore in

FigureI . Smithy andotherbuildingsat the mine entrance.the shortest or surest way that is indicated . For often , though the mine iswell begun by the miners , it is not well followed through , because theydo not know how to continue . The greatest attention must be given tothis, because they are often attracted by hope into certain little branch esof the ore that are encountered on the way . Although there oftenbranch off from the main path little veins that should be followed , oneshould never abandon the direction of the outlined path, but alwayscontinue ahead.

In addition to the other instructions , keep this in mind : that in miningone should avoid as much as possible cutting into weakened or soft rocks ,because these are liable to collapse and ore is rarely found in them ; but ifthey are encountered and it seems unwise to avoid them , then whereversuch a danger shows itself , for your own security in not losing the moneyexpended for the mine and for the safety of the lives of your miners , Iadvise you to use every possible care in reinforcing the mine with archesof brickwork and transverse timbers in the form of armored beams or


7/64

THE LOCATIONOF ORESPREFACE 19else with thick and powerful upright supports made of good strong woodfrom o~k or othrr trrrs .

This is the method by which you should proceed in excavating themine in order to enjoy more surely the fruit of your labors. The ancientsused another method , by \vhich , as is seen in old abandoned mines, insteadof begi I111ingfrom the bottom at the roots of the mountains (as themoderns do ), they began the mine in the upper part of the mountainwhere the ore appeared in light of day at the surface, and digging downas in wells they follovved it to the bottom , novv here, now there, as itappeared. I have thought it well to mention this, since to many peoplesuch a way seems much better and to be more certain of finding the orethan to mUle on the side. They say this because there is always ahead ofthe mine that little or much which is found as a thread to follow withcertainty in proceeding to find the large mass, just as if it could be seen.But whoever considers this matter carefully will realize that the modernshave understood the necessity of doing as they do , as is seen in regard tothe greater convenience and the certainty that this method will producemore than the other . In the old method there are difficulties in descendingand ascending the mine , and danger of being trapped because of thegreater possibility of caving in , in addition to the greater effort in bringingforth the ore and other fraglllents of excavated rocks . Above all , themoderns have a better understanding because of the impossibility [in theold method ] of being able to dispose of the waters which often are soabundant that they multiply the owner 's expense and labors through thegreat number of helpers required in order to make wheels, pumps , pipes,pistons, and other similar contrivances for dravving out the water . Andwith all these they often cannot do enough to avoid being conquered bythe water , so that they are obliged to abandon tlleir useful and honorableentcrprise . Hence, to conclude , I say (as you may well understand) that itis a much bettcr and surer method to begin excavating at the root of themountain rather than at the top or upper ridge and to penetrate withinlittle by little . In order to make it casier for the waters to run offand forthe workmen to carry , there should be a gradual rise of half a braccioeveryten camle. Always take your bearings from the signs which are shown outside, doing this with the compass tl1at sailors usually use as a guide tokeep the excavation continually in a straight line , and using the greatestskill and art in order to arrive at the point of the greatest mass, where thecause is that has shown you the fumosity and mineral signs on the surface.


8/64

20 PIROTECHNIA BOOKIIn this connection I must not fail to tell you how in the Duchy of

Austria between Innsbruck and Halle I saw many years ago a large valleysurrounded by many mountains , between which passeda river with muchwater . In almost all the neighboring mountains some kind of an ore wasmined , principally copper and lead, although in almost all some silver wasfound . Among others in these mountains I saw one in which the peopleof that country , spurred on by the sight of many signs, began to mine inthe said way , and as they mined they advanced little less than two miles,by my estimate, before they saw the sparkle and shadow of ore , and whenthey had almost arrived with the mine at a point perpendicularly beneaththe signs that they had seen above ground , they encountered a vein ofvery hard limestone in a stratum thicker than one and a half canne. Theypassed through this with great effort and time , using strong iron toolstempered to a greater hardness than that rock , and having passedthroughit they encountered a very thick vein of copper ore . The mine was suchthat , when I was there ' looking , I saw a wall of the hardest limestoneforming a very large open space where more than two hundred menstood working at one time , both above and below , having no other lightthan that of lanterns . And wherever the ore showed itself they madevarious cuts, assiduously working in both night and day shifts, a thingthat surely seemed to me great and marvelous , as well as the mine . At themouth of the mine I saw a great quantity of ore that had been excavated,some separated and some ready to be separated; among this was one pieceof solid pure ore which was of such. a grade and weight that a pair of goodhorses with a wagon could scarcely have moved it , let alone drawn it .

As I have said, this was an ore of copper , but in order to increase itsimportance they called it silver , because it contained more than a sufficient

quantity of that substance to cover the expenses, and in additionthey had the copper that was its companion ; hence (as you can understand) they derived the greatest profit from it . Furthermorc , I wish to tellyou that there was in the middle of the mine a channel which collected allthe waters that fell continuously from the various openings and issued insuch quantities that I surely believe it would have satisfied every demandof a large mill . Ingoing in and out of the mine I remember that becauseof water above and water below I was as soaked as if I had passedthrougha heavy rain , but this did not surprise me since I had always understoodthat water was the primary and peculiar companion of minerals , indeedthat it was perhaps the very reason for the generation of their substance.


9/64

PREFACE THE LOCATION OF ORES 21For thisreason, asI havealreadysaid, expertsin speakingof this giveit asa universal rule that all mountains from wllich abundant waters springalso abound in minerals .

As I ponderedon this the greatnessof it cameto my mind andI beganto speakthus: if thosewho areownersof thepresentminehadbegrudgedthe expense, or the long road, or if throughfearof not fmding they haddespairedof it and cowardly abandonedthe undertaking or had stoppedbeforepenetratingthat hardrock, they would havethrown awayin vainall their money and all their effortsboth physicaland mental, and theywould not havebecomevery rich andwould not possessevery convenienceas they now do, nor would they have brought profit to theirsuperiors, to their relatives, to the countrywheretheywereborn, to theirneighbors, or to the poor and rich of theseparts, as they have donethrough their strengthand goodnessof souland throughtheir hopeandtenacity. I thereforeconcludedthat whoeverbeginssuchan undertakingshouldfollow it throughwith the greatestcourageandpatience, proceedingat leastasfar asseemsnecessaryaccordingto the signs, and hopingalwaysthat by goingaheadthe following day, asmay easilyhappen, maybe the onein which hewill discoverwhat he is seekingandsomakehimself

rich and happy. This (asyou canunderstand) is a thing which mayeasilyhappenbecausethe mountainsare the matricesof all the mostprizedrichesandthe repositoryof all treasures, andif you know how toopentheway to them\vith theaid of goodfortuneandtrueskill, you notonly succeedin arriving at the centerwheresuchthingsarehidden, butalso without doubt you will become as rich as the above -named personsor richer, andwill adornyourselfwith honor, authority, andeveryotherbenefitthat richesbring, presupposingthat benignNature, who is mostgenerousto thosewho seekher, promisessuchthings and fulfills herpromisesabundantly.For this reason all men who wish to have wealth should turn theirattention to the excavation of mines rather than to warfare , with all itsannoyances, or to commerce, which goesabout out Witting the world andperhapsdoing other tiresomethingswhich may be illicit for honestmen,or togoing on long and wearyjourneysover land and water- journeysfull of annoyancesanddiscomforts, amongstrangeandunknownpeopleswho areoftenof animal-like natures- or to applyingoneself(asmanydo)to the fabulousphilosopher's stonein the hope of enslavingits elusiveserviceto makefixed silveror to perform magicrites, or to other things


10/64

22 PIROTECHNIA BOOK Ivain and without foundation. And though I believethis gift of findingoresto be a specialgraceof God, it is neverthelessnecessaryeitherto beborn where thesethings are naturally producedor to go thereand byseekingtry to fmd them, andwhentheyarefoundto receivethe gracebymining, aiding the favor of fortune andyour own inclinationwith perseverancandnaturalgoodjudgment. And eventhisis not sufficient, for,in additionto the capacityfor making a begilmingand then carryingitthrough, it is necessaryto be wealthy, so that if it is not possibleto do allthat you wish by your own effortsyou canaddtheretothework of hiredmen .

But now leavingasidethe discussionof thesethingsand presupposingthat you have made the excavation and that you not only have found theoreyou wereseekingbut alsohavebroughtout a greatquantityof it intothe open , it is necessary now - indeed it is one of the first considerationswhich you mustmakebeforeexcavating- thatyou beginto considerandexaminethe availabilityof the thingsyou need, andthe suppliesthat arefound there, as, for instance, the wood, water, and food supply, all ofwhich must be abundant . There must be enough wood for the needs ofthe mine, to make charcoalfor smelting, roastingtrefiningt and otherfires, in additionto thewood necessaryfor makingpropsfor themines, aswell asfor constructingmachines, huts, andothersimilarthings. Thenit isnecessaryto seethat the sitesfor erectingthe machineshavegood air andplentyof waterwith goodfalls. For converuencein makingcharcoalit isnecessaryto havewood nearby, but it is alsonecessarythat it be nearthemInes .

But of all the inconveniences, shortageof wateris mostto be avoided,for it is a material of the utmost im Dortance in such work because wheelsand otheringeniousmachinesared~iven by its powerandweight. It caneasilyraiseup largeandpowerfulbellowsthat give freshforceandvigorto the fires ; and it causes the heaviest hammers to strike , mills to turn , andothersimilarthingswhoseforcesarean aid to men (asyou cansee), for itwould bealmostimpossibleto arrivein anyotherway at thesamedesiredendsbecausethe lifting power of a wheel is much strongerand morecertain than that of a hundred men . For this reason it is necessary to takethe greatestcarenot only asto the placeswherethe saidmachineis to beconstructed but also to make it as strong as necessary and as convenient aspossiblefor bringing the ore andcharcoalthere, so that with eachoneoftheseoperations there is a saving of time, effort, and expense. Each one


11/64

PREFACE THE LOCATION OF ORES 23alonelightensthe labor, and the nearerthey aretogetherthe better. Butbecauseit is not alwayspossibleto haveeverythingconvenient, you mustrlf "r1rlf': Whf ':th ~r it i~ more Drofitable to have the charcoal or the ore closeto thebuilding; thenmak; thisasnearaspossible, dependingon the convenienceof the water. If possible, it is better that the charcoal, the machine, andtheminebeall togetherin oneunit, but this is not possibleexceptwhenthey aresolocatedby chance.

Now concluding, in additionto what I havetold you concerningthediscoveryand mining of oresand all the other considerations, I will tellyou more, andI exhortyou to put it into practiceby seeingthatyou havean ore of some metal of your own , because in this way you will have thepossibilityof extractingthosesupremericheswhich you desireandwhichyour merits deserve . Then I remind you that after you have found themountainandhavebegunmining you must continueevercourageouslyaheadwith every careand diligencein order to find the ore, applyingyour skill with a determinedspirit and goodjudgment, becausein thiswork thesequalitiesserveyou in placeof eyesto penetratewhereyoureyes cannot reach . Nor must you believe what many say, that you willfmd suchthingsby digging at random, for althoughthis might happenyou mustplacemorefaith in art andgoodpracticethanin chance.When in mining you penetrateinto the mountain, rememberto guidethe cut of your mine so that it will cross the vein of the ore when youhavearrivedthere, because, if you shouldfollow alongits courseasyougo , you would have to follow it a great distance at the thickness of afingeror perhapsless, andthusyou might easilyloscit without evcrbeingableto find it again. The samething might happenif you shouldbeginamine andthenabandonit throughcowardicebecauseof theexpense, likemany otherswho, not finding the ore at the first strokcsasthey wouldwish, and, despairingof everbeingableto find it , abandonthe undertakingasa thing not only without profit but harmful, judging that they areearningsomethingif they do not add more expenseto that which theycall a loss. Thus infuriatedthey leaveit, not thinking that they may haveleft the fruit of their sowing to another who may continue their work ,that fruit which they might havefound an amI' Slengthawayor evenat apalm's or perhapsat two fingers' width, or indeedbcneaththe very skin.Thus of their own free will they may easilyleavetheir happulessabandoned. This hasindeedhappenedto many.

Therefore, beforebeginningto mineoneshoulddecidethathewill carry


12/64

Figure 2. Miners' tools, ore barrows, and baskets.

24 PIROTECHNIA BOOK Iit forward with all his strength, castingawayeveryweaknessandhavingno fearof exhaustionin hispath, andat theendapplyingall hisforcewitheverypossiblecareandwithout remorse, ifhe wisheshonor andprofit toresulttherefromin placeof shameandloss. To you, if you shouldeverdoany mining, I say in addition to the aforesaidpreceptsthat you must useall diligencein excavating, havingyour minerswork night and day andordering shiftsevery six or eight hours, dependingon the number of

workmen you have, and putting new and restedmen to work , so that youmay arrive assoonaspossibleat the designatedpoint. For I believethathereinliesthe greatestadvantageandprofitablecontentmentof whoeverwishesto possessthe thingsthat he desires; andfor thisreasonI urgeyouto act without restraint .Becauseit is necessaryto makemanyarrangementsthat it is impossibleto speakof in general, you mustvary the form of the toolsaccordingtothe needsof the placeandthe natureof the ores, for thereis a differencebetween mining ores that are found in marble, travertine, limestone,colombinoJ or other similar hard stone, and mining those in loose or softstones. For excavatingandbreakingrocksstrongandpowerful toolsarerequired, like largehammersand iron picks, long thick crowbars, mattocksandstrc~g spades, picksboth with andwithout handles, andsimilar

iron tools, all of fme andwell-temperedsteel. It is not necessaryto mentionthoseusedfor excavatingoresin softerstones, becauseordinarytoolsare sufficientand necessityteacheswhich onesare to be used, although


13/64

PREFACE THE LOCATION OF ORES 2Sthese are chiefly hammers the length of a bracciaand the width of a palma,picks of the same size, hoes, mattocks , and shovels. There must be a sufficient

quantity for every need of all the kinds that are needed both in thesoft and hard stones, so that the workers may not lose time and thus maybring the greatest profit to the owners . BesIdes this there must be manybaskets, large and small , sacks made of untanned skins, and barrows withand without wheels to carry broken pieces out of the mines. Likewise it isnecessary to have great quantities of oily liquids that may be burned suchas oil of olives , nuts, linseed, hempseed, resin of tree"s, or extracts of the fatof land animals or fish, for it is impossible to work underground withoutthe light of fire . This fire cannot be kept alive unless the mine has somehole for air , either a wooden pipe or some other ope Iung .


14/64

26[1]

PIROTECHNIA BOOKITHE FIRSTCHAPTERConcerningtheOreofGoldandItsQualitiesinDetail.

BECAUSEgoldisacompoundmineralpraisedbyphilosophandallwisemenasbeingofthehighestperfectionamongallmixedminerals,andbecauseofitsgreatbeauty,itistheuniversalopinionthatitpossessesextraordinarypowerswhicharebeneficialtoman.Forthisreasonitisthethingesteemedmosthighlyinthisworld,afterlivingcreatures.Hence,I,too,inordertohonorit,wishtobeginbyspeakiofitnowratherthanofanyoftIleothermetals,andIwishinparticultotellyouofitsgeneration"andofitsmostobviousqualities,for,4althouitisametalverywidelyknownandonethatisdesiredandsoughtafterbyallkindsofpersons,Iknowoffewwhotakethetroubletofindoutwhatitssubstanceornaturalfonnmaybe.But,inorderthatyoutoomaynotbeoneofthosewhoknowitonlybynameorbytheappearancethatitshowsoutwardlytous,Itellyouthatitsoriginalandpeculiarmaterialsarenoneotherthanelementalsubst,withthequantityandqualityofeachproportionedequallyonetotheotherandveryfinelypurified.Fromthisunionofelementswhichareofequalforcethereisbornapleasingandperfectelementalmixture,*andthenafterfermentationanddecoctiontheelements[mallybecom*Biringuccio'sideasrcgardingtl1efoffi1ationofthemetalsareessentiallyAristote.Thefourelements.carth.air.firc,andwater.ortheassociatcdelementalqualitie,aredravinorforcedintocolnbination,calledmistion,whichwehavetranslatedas"elememixture."Thetruemetalsareformedfromthis,aftcracertainripeningperiod.inwhichtheinflucnceoftl1eplanetsissometimesassumed.thoughBiringucciogenerallydenieth;, ThPV:1r;()11,;nrl;v;rlI1:111nrt:11,rp,t1Itfr()Tn~nrprl()T11;n:1nrp()rrlpfiripnrv()f()np()rmorcoftheelementalqualities.InsomcplacesBirl~ngucciotalksofaprimordialmatter-primamatcria-whichsccmstobcmuchthesameasmistionandbecomesmetalbyasuitableripeningprocess.Theideaofgrowthandripeningexplainedtheformatiooftl1emoreeasilyreducedoxidizedoresneartl1esurfaceofmineraldeposits,abovethedeep-lying"marcasites" (sulphideminerals)thatwouldnotgivemetalonsimplsmelting. .Biringucciousedtheunqualificdwordmi,zieraonlytocoverthosemineralsfromwhichmetalscouldbeextractedbythemeansathisdisposal.Mezziminerali,semimine,werethosethatpossessedthecolor,crystallinity,luster,weight,andgencralappearaofamineral,thoughnomalIcablemetalcouldbeextracted.Brittlematerialslikeantimowerenotthoughttobemetallic,fortheylackedthemalleabilitythatwasconsideanessentialcharacteristicofametal.IntheItalian,minieraisusedbothfortheoreandforthemineralcontainedinit.Wehavefollowedthecontextindistinguishingbetweenthem.


15/64

CHAPTER I GOLD ORE 27fixed, permanent, andjoined togetherin sucha unionthat theyarealmostinseparable, sothatby thepowerof theheavensor of time or of the orderof most wise Nature, or by all thesetogetherthesesubstancesare converted

into that metallicbody calledgold.This metal, as hasbeensaid, becomesdensebecauseof its thoroughtemperingandits perfectand uniform elementalmixture, andof suchadensitythat it is given not only an ordinary permanencebut almostanincorruptibility and an incapacityto containany superfluousmaterial,even if it is subtle and in small amount . For this reason it does not rust ,eventhoughit be in the earthor in water for a long time, for neitherofthese has any effect on it , nor does fire , which has the power to reduce toashesor dissolveeverycreatedthing; indeedgold not only defendsitselffrom fire but continuallv purifies itself therein and becomes more beauti -ful. Likewisethis afore~aid perfectunion causesits body to be withoutphlegm or superfluousunctuousness, whereforeit is alwaysbright andbeautifulin its uniform coloring, and when rubbedagainstsomethingitleavesno blackor yellow mark asalmostall other metalsdo; nor doesithave any effect on the sensesof smell or taste, nor is it poisonousas aresomeof the othersif it is eateneitherintentionallyor [IV] by accident-indeed as a medicine it is beneficial in certain illnesses . Nature with herown virtue hasendowedgold, as a singularprivilege, with power to('om fort weaknessof the heart and to introduce there Joy and happiness,disposingthe heart to magnanimityand generosityof works. Manylearnedmen saythat this power hasbeenconcededto it by the benigninfluenceof the sunandthat for this reasonit givessomuchpleasureandbenefit with its great powers- particularly to thosewho have great sacksand chests full of it .

In short, this metal is malleableand of a shining color almost like thatshownto usby thesun. It hasin it a certainnaturalandintrinsicattractionwhich causesmen to desireit when they seeit. For this reasonmanyvirtuesare attributedto it that makemen hold it very dear. Althoughmany cry out loudly againstit , denouncingit asthe seedof pestilentialand monstrous avarice and the causeof many evils, yet many praiseit asuseful . But let us leave aside this discussion as to whether the evil or thegood which it doespredominates, for this would be a long and uselessdebate. Therefore, I repeatoncemore that the worthy qualitiesit pos-sesseshave caused me to treat it first before any of the other metals , andparticularlybecauseit seemsto me that the plan of my work requiresit,


16/64

28 PIROTECHNIA BOOK 1so that I may better descend later to the level of the other metals . Thus , ifin our country of Italy good fortune shouldgive to you or anotherthepossibilityof working with gold, you would not find yourselfwithoutinstruction. I havedonethiswillingly in orderthatyou mayacquiremorelearningandbecauseI am certainthatnew informationalwaysgivesbirthin men 's mind to new discoveries and so to further information . Indeed Iam certainthat it is the key that arousesintelligentmenandmakesthem,if they wish, arrive at certain conclusionsthat they could not havereachedwithout sucha foundation, or evennearlyapproached. Thereforein additionto whatI havealreadytold you in general, I will now tell you inparticularconcerningthenatureandgenerationof gold andalso, soastoomit nothing, the signsof the placeswhere it is producedand generated.Finallv. after I have told you how it is possibleto find the ore I shall tellyouh'ow it is to bepurifiedof itssuperfluousearthiness.

Because I cannot say that I have seen with my own eyes mountainswhich containgold oresor placeswhere the practiceof suchwork iscarriedon, I shall tell you only what I havebeentold by trustworthypersonsasI carefullytried to understand, or elsewhat I havelearnedbyreadingvariousauthors. From theseI have gatheredthat it is true thatmostof thismetalis foundin Scythia* andin thoseregionscalledoriental,perhapsbecausethe sunseemsto shineforth with greatestvigor in thoseplaces. Among theseit is saidthat the Indieshold first place, particularlythoseislandswhich aswe hearare calledPeru, t recentlydiscoveredbythe navalarmadaof the sacredKing of Portugaland of His MajestytheEmperor, [2] and still other places. Also, gold is found in many localitiesin Europe suchasSilesia, many parts of Bohemia, Hungary, in the Rhine,and in the Apsa. Plinyt saysthat it is alsofound in Asturiaandin Lusi-taniaandthat the Romansextractedtwenty-threepoundseveryyear.And speakingthusof this preciousmetalI believethat it is certainthatit is and canbe generatedin all thoseplaceswherethe heavensinfluence

* An ill-definedregionto the north of the Black Sea. FromPliny.t Pizzaro's conquestof Pcru was in 153I , only a few yearsbefore Biringucciowaswriting .t This is an erroneousquotationfrom Pliny, who says, " Accordingto ccrtainwriters,the annualyield by this methodof Asturia, Gallaecia, and Lusitaniaamountsto tVv"entythousandpoundsweight, of which the bulk comesfrom Asturia, andno otller countryhasbeenceasclesslyproductivefor sucha lengthyperiod." NaturalHistory, Book XXXIII ,para. 78 (BaileyTranslation). Ll1sitaniawasroughly the sameas modemPortugalwhileGallaeciaandAsturialay to Tilenorth of it.


17/64

GOLD ORE 29CHAPTERIthe elementaldispositionsand causes. And herewishing particularlytotell you what I haveheardconcerningthis, I saythat gold is generatedinvariouskindsof rocksin the mostruggedmountainsthat arecompletelybarren of soil , trees, and grasses. And of all the rocks for such metal thebestis a bluestonecalledlapislazuli, which hasa bluecolor similarto thesapphire, but is neither so transparentnor so hard. It is alsofound inorpiment and even more it is found associatedwith the ores of othermetals. Much is alsofound in the river sandsof many regions. That whichis found in mountains is in the form of veins between one stratum andanother , U11ited with the blue rock , and indeed is much mixed in withthis. They saythat suchoreis bettertheheavierandthe morefull of colorit is, andthe moreflecksof gold appearin it . They alsosaythat it is generatedin anotllerrock similarto salinemarblebut of a dullercolor, andinstill anotherrock whosecolor is yellow with manyred specksin it . Theyalsosaythat it is found in certainblackrocks, scatteredlooselyaboutlikesmallstonesin a river. And furthermorethey saytllat it is likewisefoundin a certainbitumlllouseartll of color similarto clayandthat suchearthisvery heavyandhasa strongsulphurousodor. The gold extractedtherefromis very beautifulandalmostcompletelypure, but it is very difficultto get out becauseit is of the fll1estgrain, almost like atoms, so that the eyedistinguishesit Witll the greatestdifficulty. Nor canone proceedaswithlapislazluior otherrocksor asonetreatsriver sands, for whenit is foundthere, andevenmorewhenit is washed, it fallsonly with difficulty to tilebottom, and, growing vitreouson melting, it becomespastywith thematrix and its earthy matter. Nevertheless, in the end it is possibletorecover it using the greatestpatiencewith one method or another andfmally with mercury.

As I told you beforegold is alsofound in the sandsof variousrivers, asin Spainin theTagus, in Thrace in the Hebrus, in Asia in the Pactolusand theGanges, in variousriversin Hungary, Bohemia, andSilesiaandin Italy inthe Ticino, the Adda, and TilePo. It is not, however, found throughouttheir bedsbut only in particularplaceswhere in certainbendsthereissomebaregravel, or where Tilewater in timesof flood leavesa certainsandysedimentin which gold is mixedin tiny particleslike scalesor evensmallerthana grain[2V] of flour. In thewinter whenTilefloodspasstheytakeandcarry themalmostbeyondthe bedof the river so that when thewatersreturn to their normal statethey cannoteasilytake them awayagain, andthusthey form mounds.


18/64

30 PIROTECHNIA BOOKIThen in the summer the prospectors for gold wash them with a patient

and ingenious process in order to cleanse away the earthiness. They usecertain wooden tables made of elm or white nut or any other kind offibrous wood , whose plane surfaces are shredded with a saw or other irontool , and with a hollowed -out shovel they throw these sands with anabundance of water onto the tables, which are placcd slightly inclined ,one next to the other in a long row . By this means the gold , as the heaviestmaterial in the sand, falls and, attaching itself to the bottom of thoserough fibers , thus remains separated from the sand.

When they see that a goodly amount has remained they gather it upcarefully , and, when collected , they put it in a wooden vessel like a boatfor washing sweepings or in a large trencher hollowed out in the middle , *and wash it again in order to clean it as much as possible. Finally , theyamalgamate it with mercury and pass it through a leather purset orcucurbitt so that when the mercury has evaporated the gold remains likesand at the bottom . This gold is then mixed with a little borax , saltpeter,or black soap, melted and reduced to its own body , and later is given theshape of an ingot or other desired form .

This , then , is exactly the method that is used in e:':tracting gold fromriver sands. Prospectors often use it in certain seasonsand have great profittherefrom , all the more because this metllod of cleansing does not requireas much expenditure as do the others for the aid of many men, buildings ,fires, or other apparatus. For this method , one man is enough , togetherwith a table, a shovel, a little mercury , and sufficient abundance of water ,which is a thing pleasant to seek in the summer . Whatever you find ,whether it be much or little , is gold , the value of which you well know .

But now let us ceasespeaking of these things becausehere perhaps youor someone else might like to know why such gold is carried by the waterinto these river sands and woods and whether indeed it is produced there-

* Agricola (De re metallica, p. 255) hasan illustrationof sucha "woodenvcssellikeaboat" for washingores. The hollow trencheris, of course, a batea.t borsa. This is a smallmoneybagor purseill :lde of soft leatherandtied at the top withstrings. An exccllcntillustrationof onein usefor scparatingexcessmercuryfrom thesolidamalgamis givenby Erckcr, page5I (I580 edition), which we reproducein the Appendix, Fig. I.t boccia. No modernEnglishword is anexactequivalentof thisasusedin Biringuccio'stime, andwe havethcreforeadoptedthe archaicword "cucurbit." The vesselwasa widemouthed

flaskusedfor generalchemicaloperations, but particul:lrly for distillation. Itwasthenfitted with an "alembic," a term that strictly appliesto the headandbeakonly,andnot, aslater, to the entireassembly.


19/64

CHAPTER I GOLD ORE 3 Iin. I have often thought about tilis, greatly marveling, particularlyinre !'"ard to the Ticino . the Adda , and the Po , but the reason is not clear tom~, sincealthoughI told you beforethat greatfloodsof watercarryit towhereit canbe extracted, thereis no gold minenearthoseplacesor evenone of any other metal that I know of . I am also confused because I haveseenseveralauthorswho believethat it is generatedin the very placewhere it is found ; and if this were true it would not be true that the watershadbroughtit . But that it is generatedthereseemsto me a very difficultthing to comprehend, sinceI do not understandwhetherit is producedbythe innate propertiesof the watersor of the earth or indeed of the heavens,for it [ 3] appearsreasonablethat if the causewere any of theseit would befound everywherein the bed of a given river, and, seeking, one wouldfind it everywhereat all times. If theinfluenceof theheavensis thepowerfulcausethat producesgold, it seemsto me that it would necessarilyhave to operateinstantaneouslybecauseit is not possibleotherwisetoperceive the order that Nature usesin generating metals. It would haveto produceit first in the openin a placewherethereis a continuousflowof water, andthenit would haveto havethe powerto removethe earthymaterialsfrom placeto placeandalsoto mix with it the greatlydifferentqualitiesof cold and humidity. And evenif this compositionand orderbegunby the watersof the river shouldnot change, it seemsto me thatthe rainsor floodswhich passoverit would completelysoften, break, andentirely spoil anything that might be conceivedtherein. Furthermore,it~thismaterialis generatedthere, I wish to be told why it is generatedonlyin theseandnot in otherplaces, andwhy silver, copper, lead, or oneof tIleothermetalssimilarto gold is not likewisegeneratedin a similarmanner,for thesesubstancesareperhapseveneasierfor Natureto form thangoldbecauseof the many concordancesand ultimate perfectionsthat goldrequires. Moreover, in many placesin the countrysidenearRome particlesof iron arefoundin thesandsof severalsmallriversandI would liketo know why this ~lso is concededonly to certainparticularpartsof theriver and not to all parts .For thesereasonsand visiblephenomenait seemsmore probablethatgold is carriedby the water than that it is generatedthere. Nor doesourdilemmahelp us to ascertainthe truth. For, speakingjust betweenourselves

- not with firm conviction, but only to tell you what I think- 1saythat I inclinetowardeitherof two theories. Of theseoneis that this phenomenonoccursonly in very largeriverswhich receivemuchwaterfrom


20/64

32 PIROTECHNIA BOOK Isprings, streams, and other rivers and so it often happensthat, with themeltingof snowsor the comingof heavyrains, they washthe banksandthe sloves of near - by mountains . in which it may be that there is earththat, by its own particularnature, containsthesubstanceof gold; or elsetheoresarelocatedin somepeakor surfacewheremenhavenot yet takenthe troubleto go or whereaccessis difficult, andmay thenbe exposedtoinseminationby the sunor by the coldnessof the snowsor by thewaters,and broken up becausein heavy rains anything is easilyworn awayand carried off to the rivers. Alternatively it might be that such earth isinsidethe near-by mountainsor indeedin the sameprincipalstreamthathas its bed hidden from our eyes . Since it is never dried up or free fromcontinuouslyrunningwater, it is not strangetllat in somanycenturiesthetrue origin and knowledgeof sucha thing shouldnot be understoodbythosewho live nearby.But howeverit maybe, in theend[3v] the truth is that gold is foundinthe sandsof many rivers, particularly, accordingto my information, inthosementionedabove. Therefore, if I havemarveledat this thing, I deserveto be excused, becausewhere it is impossibleto understandthecertaincauseof thingseither by reasonor by direct observation, doubtalwaysexistsand new reasonsfor wonder are born. But I marvelevenmore greatlyat what I haveheardtold manytimesasthetruth by variouspersons: that in severalplacesin Hungaryat certaintimesthe purestgoldsprings from the earth like grassand wraps itself like the stemsof con-volvulusaroundthe young dry shoots. It is aboutastruck asa pieceofstring and aboutfour ditalong or evena palma. ApparentlyPliny in thethirty-third book of his Naturalhistoryrefersto this or a similar thingwhen he speaksof ores, incidentallyreferringto the fact that in his timethis samething occurredin Dalmatia. If what is saidbe true, thenindeedwould the farmers in the fields reap the fruits of celestial instead ofterres -trial sowing, and they would be consideredblessed, sincesuchpreciousand pleasingfruits would be producedby God, by the heavens, or byNature , without any labor or skill on their part . This would indeed be aunique grace, since among all the vast amount of earth and number ofpossessionsthat arecultivatedby living creatures, nonebut theseregionsareworthy of sucha harvest.

What shall I say of what Albertus Magnus writes in his work DeMineralibus) wherehesaysthat hehasseengold generatedin theheadof adeadman~He saysthat whenthis wasdug up by chanceandfound to be


21/64

CHAPTER I GOLD ORE 33extraordinarilyheavy, it wasseento be full of very fine sand. Becauseofits weight thosewho saw it thought that it was metal and by experimentingfmally found it to be of the purestgold. It seemsto me that hiswords haveno other significancethan that the readydispositionof thething and the greatinfluenceof the heavenshad generatedthis preciousmetal . Since I heard it thus , I wanted to pass it on to you . To tell the truthit is not easyto believethis, and certainlyto me it seemsincredible, yetconsideringwho tells of it and thinking how great are the forcesofsuperiorcausesandof Nature, we canreceiveit, havingfaith andrespectfor the learningof thosewho relateit, sinceby ourselveswe lack fullunderstandingof the causesof things.

SinceI havebegunto tell you Qf suchthingsI do not wish to omitdescribingstill anothercasethat I heardhappenedin a regionin Hungary,perhapsin that placewhere gold is generated. To thosewho searchfororesthis may give hopeof finding gold, and to thosewho havealreadyfound themit may givesomeinformationandencouragementin [4] continuingto find others. This is it : Oncetherewasa peasantwomanwhohabituallywent to washher clothesin a streamwherea goodly quantityof water ran , and she rubbed her clothes on a rock there which seemedmost convenientfor her purpose. To her good fortune shediscoveredrunning acrosstherock avein of gold asthick asacordwhichhadbecomeshiningand beautifuland visible to the sight from much rubbing. Andwhen the woman saw this, not knowing what it was, shewent aboutgreatlymarvelingandoneday told of it to themenof her householdwholooked at it and decidedto fetch someonewho understoodsuchthingsbetterthanthey. Thusat lastthey foundit to be a vein of purestgold exposedto thelight of day, andmoreoverthey found that a stratumof thatrock crossed the course of the water in that stream. Immediately thereforethey took thewaterandsentit by anotherway andcourageouslybegantoexcavatethis ore. To this day thereis mining there, andalreadyperhapshundredsof yearshave passedin which gold hasbeencontinuallyremoved, so that tl1isthing not only enrichesthat region but alsoabundantlysuppliesall Christendom.

I wished to tell you of this in order to encourage you never to lack thedesireto understandeverythingthat may be useful; evenif it werebut a'shadow, you mustalwaysgive eyeandearto it andmustdespisenothingnor havefearof any of thosetilingswhich may harm. For, asyou see, if.credence and due consideration had been denied to the words of the old


22/64

34 PIROTECHNIA BOOK Iwoman, sucha usefulthing would not havebeenfound then, or perhapsneverafterwards. Althoughtheyweredrawnon by a reasonablehopeandhv the necessitv of doin {! it in order to continue . nevertheless those whob~ganthe exca'vationdid not lackcouragein makinganotherbedfor theriver that coveredthe gold, eventhoughtherewaslittle to be seen.Gold and silver, howeverlittle there may be, almostalwaysgive aprofit abovethe expensesand alwaysthe deeperone goesinto the rock,the more one finds. as with every kind of ore, although experiencedsearchersfor gold saythat thismetalis neverfoundin suchlargemassesorin suchquantitiesasareothermetals. Perhapstheyareright, but onemustnot believefrom this that wherea little is generateda greatdealmay notbe; for if this weretrue the scarcityof gold would not be surprising. Butto me it seemsthat in thisworld thebenignityof Natureconcedesa greatdeal, andthat a greatquantityof goldalwayshasbeenandis foundamongmen, especiallywhen we think in how many placesthereis a continualaddition theretoevery day, both in mountainsand in the sandsof therivers as well as in that mined in association with other metals . We haveproof of thiswhenwe considerhow much[4v] is consumedby paintersasornamentationfor their work, by goldsmithswho makeobjectsof solidgold aswell asusingit for gilding and coveringother metals, alsothatwh ;rh ;~ r ()n ~Tim~d hv weavers for ta Destries and cloths . that whichwomenin theirvanitYwastefor their;domment, andthatwhichtilealchemistsbum andsendup in smokeby the forceof fire and powerfulactionof materials. Likewisethink how muchis hiddenby avaricein wallsandin the ground, or is sealedup in strongandchainedboxeswith manydevicesand triplicatekeys, in additionto tllat which is scatteredandevergoesaboutthroughthe world in the serviceof menandfor the convenienceof trade. Consideringthis, he who saysthat but a little is producedwill surelyseethat throughoutthe world a largequantityis found, eventhoughtherebe but few who satisfytheir thirst for it astheywould wish.Speakingparticularlyof Italy, althougha minehasneverappearedhere,shehasbeenmore richly endowedthan manyotherregionsthroughthevirtuesof her good and talentedmen in everyage, eventhoughshehasbeenmany timesdespoiledand tom asunderby variousnations, asinour own timesby the bestialhandsof barbarousnationswho cameheremore than forty years ago.* Who knows but that once again God may

* The first Frenchinvasionof Italy, underCharlesVIII, took placeill tIle autumnof1494. Supposedly, therefore, Biringucciowaswriting after 1534.


23/64

CHAPTERI GOLD ORE 35not grant us the possibility of punishing them as in other times ourancient and valorous forefathers did , and of going into their very homesin order to force them to return our possessionsto us with double usury ~Perhaps if He does not permit this, He may grant that some rich goldmine be discovered in our land . Considering this, and seeing that our landof Italy is full of as many other excellent qualities as heaven can concede tohabitable places, I cannot believe that this gift of gold can be completelylackin2: to her . since she is so rich and abundant in all the other ores thatNatur ~ produces except gold and tin . But it seems to me that we must believethat these two also exist and that they have not yet shown themselvesin the light of day and to man . I am persuaded of this by the gold that isfound in the said rivers and also bv the semiminerals that are found . someof which , one may believe, following experienced men, give almostcertain indication of gold since they are one of its peculiar natural agents,and until they are found and actually handled , it cannot be said that golddoes not exist.

It is true that up to now I do not know that pure gold (with the exceptionof that used in commerce ) has been found in our region other than intwo ways, both of which produce but little . One of these is that of washing

the sands of rivers ; and the other is tllat of the laborious and subtle artof separating gold from newly smelted silver , from gilded things , or fromother metals that contain some gold- for as I have told you there are butfew of these that do not have some particle of gold accompanying them ,some more and some less, [ 5] depending on the elemental mixture andfixed permanency of their materials , or else on the quality and force of theplanets that have influenced them .And this, in short , is all the gold that is found in our country of Italy ,unless perhaps, as curious and subtle speculators believe , there may be heresome practical philosopher who might make with his art the large quantitythat their books (more like recipe books that are not understood thanbooks of philosophers ) promise to their believers. Certainly I am moreinclined to believe in this because of the authority of some of them thanbecause of any good reasons for it that I have ever heard . The more I lookinto this art oftlleirs , so highly praised and so greatly desired by men, themore it seems a vain wish and fanciful dream that it is impossible torealize unless someone should find some angelic spirit as patron or shouldoperate through his own divinity . Granted the obscurity of its beginningsand the infinite processes and concordances that it needs in order to


24/64

36 PIROTECHNIA BOOKIreach its destined maturity , I do not understand how anyone can rea-sonablybelievethat suchartistscaneverdo what they sayand promise.That this is true is shownby consideringhow many philosopherstherehavebeenin the world throughmanycenturieswho weremostlearned,informed, andexperiencedin thingsof Nature; andalsohow manygreatprinceswho with moneyandauthorityhavehad the power to havethiswork done and to aid all skillful men who work in this art . These men inorder to arrive at sucha port haveequippedtheir vesselswith sailsandhard-working oarsmenand havesailedwith guiding stars, trying everypossiblecourse, and, fmally, submergedin the impossible(accordingtomy belief) not oneof themto my knowledgehasyet cometo port.

But many arequotedby the credulous, who advancethe authority ofhearsayin placeof reasonsfor possiblesuccessor factsthat canbe demonstrated. Among others they cite Hermes, Arnold, Raymond, Geber,Occam, Craterrus, theholy Thomas, Pariginus, anda BrotherEliasof theorder of St . Francis - which one I don ' t know . To these , because of thedignity of their philosophicallearningor becauseof their holiness, thecredulousdemandthat a certainrespectbe accordedthroughfaith so thatwhoeverlistenseitheris silentthroughignoranceor confirmswhat theysay. But it is not in thisway that suchmenpersuadetllosewho havegoodjudgmentthattheart of alchemyis true; for it is evidentthatin theirdesirefor richesthey becomeblind with credulity, andwhen they seekto persuadethe mindsof othersthat this art is true, the fact of their evidentpovertybeliesthem. This is especiallyso sincethey cannotquoteastheirown the authority of Aristotle, that most divine scrutatorof all thesciences and of every other secret of Nature , or indeed of the mostlearnedCommentator,* or of anyof thosemanyworthy ancientphilosopherswho fed on no other food than speculationand the loftinessofphilosophic[sv] blessedness, nor canthey quotethe authorityof Pliny orAlbertusMagnus, both of whom, like eagerhunting dogs, havealwaysjourneyedthroughoutall the regionsand shoresof the world, seekingwith all possiblecareto understandthe wondersand powersof Nature.And like a wheel violently turned which cannotstop when it is leftalone, so I too afterhavingfalleninto this discoursecannotrestrainmy-

* We believethat this refersto A verrot:s, the twelfth-centuryArab pllilosopherwholived in Cordobaandis usuallyreferredto asthe " greatcommentator" on Aristotle. Thisfollowsthe 1550andlatereditions, for the first editionreads"mostholy (santissimo) commentator," who cannotbe identified.


25/64

CHAPTERI GOLD ORE 37self from going on to give you in full my opinion about the matteral -though I know that , if perchance some who are passionately devoted tothis art should read my work , they would denounce me, accusing me ofignorance and presumption - and if I should hear tllem , I would patientlyagree so as not to quarrel with them . But even if they are more intelligentthan I am in this, I do not envy them the blessednessof their knowledge .I must tell you that with diligent study I have looked at many books containingsuch things and not only have I had discussions with many experienced

men , but I have not refrained from attempting to make some experimentsmyself in order to understand it better . I have also taken care to

listen to the opinion of wise and experienced persons, as I have heardthem subtly arguing whether such things are true or only fantastic dreams.And fmally , taking all the alchemistic principles and comparing themwith the processes of Nature , and pondering on the procedure of the oneand of the other , it seems to me that there is no proportion between theirpowers , granting that Nature operates in things from within and causesall of her basic substances to pass wholly one into the other ; while art ,very weak in comparison , follows Nature in an effort to imitate her, butoperates in external and superficial ways, and it is very difficult , even impossible, for her to penetrate things . And presupposing that through thisit were granted to men to have those basic and particular materials fromwhich Nature composes metals, I would like to be told how they canreceive at will the influence of the heavens, on which are dependent allinferior things on this convex of the world , and also how men ever knowby this art how to purify those elemental substancesor how to proportionnecessary quantities one to the other , or fmally how to carry these substancesto perfection as Nature does and make metals of them . I do notbelieve that anyone could accomplish all this unless men were not onlygenius es but also angels upon earth , and therefore I believe that those errwho expend their energies on this art , standing with long and continuousvigil always ardent in their desire and in the conduct of their operations ,more inflamed than the very coals in their furnaces in the effort to seewhether they can bring the adamantine hardness of such fruit to ripeness.God 's aid would be needed to do this and those who knew how to do suchthings would be called not men but gods, for they would extinguish theinsatiable thirst of avarice in this world and in the extraordinary [ 6] excellenceof their knowledge would by far outstrip the power of Nature (shewho is mother and minister of all things created, daughter of God , and


26/64

38 PIROTECHNIA BOOKIsoul of the world ) if they should use methods that perhaps she does notpossess, or , if she does have them , does not employ to such ends.

Certainly I am not deceived in this, for I see that the mothers in whichthey wish to find this birth have wombs of factitious glass, and the materialsthey use in place of sperm are things extraneously composed, andlikewise the heats that they apply are intermittent and intemperate fires,very unlike natural ones since they lack a certain proportion of nourishingand augmentative substance. It is the same with the times, the measures,and tIle weights necessary for such results. And who doubts that the basicsubstanceswhich tIley wish to use are secondary matter , things mixed andcomposed by art , whereas Nature , according to naturalists , uses nothingbut the Durest~What more childish folly is there than to believe that menwith th~ir wit can shorten the time of parturition of those things , wheneven Nature , wishing to make them perfect , cannot do this- perhaps because

they have need of the specific length of time that she gives them ?It would certainly be very useful to bring the sown seed to immediatefruition in order to serve human needs in time of famine .

The reason why they say this is easily understood , for our age cannotawait the slow working of time , and the credulous are nourished with thehope of shortening time and are told that by means of their industrious artthey can turn back the effects determined by Nature and reduce them toprimary matter . They say that they withdraw spirits from bodies andmake them return there at will like a blade in the scabbard. Though I believethat those substanceswhich are called spirits in things can be withdrawn

and reduced to vapor by the violence of fire , I do not believe thatonce drawn forth they can ever be returned , for such a thing could not bedone except through knowing how to make the dead live again.

In order to puff themselves up more they say that with their art theysurpassNature in that they not only reanimate things but also give themthe vegetal power of animating others and this Nature has perhaps notdone becauseshe did not know how or did not so desire. This seemsto methe more difficult because, as I have said, when the metals are reduced totheir ultimate perfection , it must be believed that they have arrived at afmal point which exceeds the arrangement of their materials and that thebasic nutritive moisture has been converted into maturity in order toattain its end, and also perhaps, by being passed through the violence offire when it was purified , it is possible that it has had some line of lifebroken and has taken on a new character which it did not have before .


27/64

CHAPTER I GOLD ORE 39Ruminatingon thesethingsI remainuncertainasto how thosecredulousmencanbe of suchpervertedvision that they do not discernasthey

shouldthesethingswhich are so obviousand true. But the greatdesire[6v] that theyhaveto becomerich causesthemto gazein the distanceandhindersthemfrom seeingTileintermediatestepsbecausetheyarethinkingonly of the [malresult, folding aboutthem the shadowof Tilehappinessthat theywould derivefrom sucha thing. And indeedif they shouldsucceedin accordancewith their dreamsthey could truly be calledblessed,for theywould possessthe meansof satisfyingeverydesire, surpassingthegrandeurof any greatprince (whoeverhe might be) in forceof arms, inmagnificenceand greatnessof buildings, or in benefitingthe provincewith virtuousandmagnanimousliberality, or in conqueringtheTurks inwar and thusexaltingto the skiesthe Christianlaw, asthey could. Withtheseand other similar excellentworks they could make themselvesgloriousandimmortal.What greaterfolly couldmen commit thanto wastetheir time in followingthe other artsand sciencesand to fail to studyand learnthis artwhich is sousefulandsoworthy, nay divine andsupernatural, sinceit hasthe power to producesuchpreciousthings, indeedevenmore perfectlyand in greater quantity than Nature herself and with more easeand inshortertime?This art is onethat, if we wish, cangive usestatesandking-domsand the graceof gaulingentranceto heavenafter we are deadbymaking donationsand building hospitals, monasteries, and temples, andby continuallyhelpingour neighbor, not only by arranginghis materialwell-being, but alsoby healinghim if heis sick, andifhe is old by returninghim from old ageto youth- even in a moreperfectconditionthan hewas before. And likewisetllrough the power which this art hasit canresuscitatethe vital forceof thosewho havealmostpassedinto the otherlife. Sometimesthey call this power of theirs the " Quintessence," andsometimesthe "Philosophers' Stone," and sometimes"PotableGold,"and they offer to obtain from any natural thing whateverresult theywish, comparingthe quintessenceto thenatureandqualityof theheavensandmostpowerfulstars; the potablegold to the spirit andsoulof things;andthe philosophers' stoneto the powerof mighty Nature.But in spite of all this, the fathersand inventors of the art who exalteditwith suchhigh praiseareall deadandhavenot enjoyedevenoneperiodofyouth, to saynothing of two or three; and asfar asI know they arenotyet raisedfrom the dead as tiley promised. Certainly it would be a


28/64

40 PIROTECHNIA BOOKIglorious and fine thing and a source of greatest contelltment to those whopossesssuch an alchemistic art if they should have in their room a cucurbitor other vessel full of liquor , dust, or some petrified * thing which , withgushing abundance and certain continuous outflow , should have thepower to convert quicksilver , engendering gold or silver or whatevermetal they should desire, multiplying every little bit that they have toinfinity . For by producing as much as they wish they will never lackeither silver or gold or the power to use all those excellent and exaltedvirtues which such an art promises to the credulous . For this reason theyshould not call it by the names that they use, but , if what they say istrue , they could say that they hold [ 7] prisoner in a bottle that God whichis the creator of all these things . They could indeed ridicule Nature , aswhen they say that with their medicine they wish to correct her defectsand faults , reducing imperfect metals to that perfection which she, in herweakness, has not been able to reach.

Now in having spoken and in speaking thus I have no thought of wishingto detract from or decrease the virtues of this art, if it has any, but Ihave only given my opinion , based on the 1.cts of the matter . I could stilldiscourse profusely concerning this art of transmutation , or alchemy asit iscalled, yet neither through my own efforts nor through those of others(although I have sought with great diligence ) have I ever had tile fortuneto see anything worthy of being approved by good men, or that it wasnot necessary to abandon as imperfect for one cause or another evenbefore it was half finished . For this reason I surely deserve to be excused,all the more because I know that I am drawn by more powerful reasons,or perhaps by natural inclination , to follow the path of mining morewillingly than that of alchemy , even though mining is a harder task, bothphysical and mental , is more expensive, and promises less at first sight andin words than does alchemy ; and it has as its scope the observation ofNature 's powers rather than tllose of art- or indeed of seeing what reallyexists rather than what one thinks exists.

For these reasons the more I think about these works of alchemy themore discouraged I become, because I do not know nor do I believe thatthe true means of creating the elemental substancesare known when I seethat those who firmly believe that this art is true use them variously . Furthermore, I am discouraged because I know the great weakness of ourintellects , from which many errors are born , especially since we Can ilOt

* The second, third, andfourth editionsread"putrified" andthat of 1678, "purified,"


29/64

CHAPTER 1 GOLD ORE 41know the intrinsicvirtuesandspecificpowersof things, andalsobecausewe do not know how to proceedin administeringheatsthat areidenticalwith naturalones, and becausewe do not havethe meansof providingremediesfor the infrnite numberof hindrancesthat occur unexpectedlyduring the long anddifficult processof suchan undertaking. For if therearemany suchin any processthey areexcessivein this one, sincesuchanart is forced to usemany different methods, as, for instance, evenly regu-latedfires, providedtheycanbemade, andspecialfurnacesandvessels;andlikewiseit is necessaryto havethe powerful materialsvery pureandfine and to make good calcinations , solutions , putrefactions , and scintilla -clons, and likewis~ elemental mixings, decoctions, and incinerations; andall must be accuratelyproportionedto the requirementsof the work.Thusin order to bring thesethingsto a good endit is necessaryto makewaters , oils , and divers sublimates from various minerals and herbs , andeachoneof thesemusthaveits perfection. If by chancea cucurbitshouldhreak or the fires should not be as constant as is necessarv . or should not bediminishedor increasedat opportunetimes, [7V] or perhapsif the thiIlg Stakenasa basisshouldlack their proper quality, then the resultswouldlack perfection. It seemsto me impossiblethat thereshouldbeno defects,for it would not be humanto be ableto do all thesethingswithout somemishap.How many alchemistshaveI heardlamenting, one becauseby someunfortunatechancehe had spilledhis whole compositionin the ashes;anotherbecausehehadbeendeceivedby theexcessivestrengthof thefire,so that the substanceof his materials had been burned and the spirits inadvertentlyallowed to escape; and yet another becausehe had poor andfeeble materials ! In a word , one for one reason and one for another , inorder to hide eithertheir deceptionor their ignorance, all defendthemselvesandmakeexcusesfor their art. Finally, to conclude, not seeinganythingelse, I think that thehopesof their fantasticwritings arebut maskedshadows . composed by certain itinerant herbalists in order to accreditthemselvesor elseby otherlazy peopleor by mostunfortunatealchemiststo leadthe greedyinto believingin themsofirmly that theywill aid themin their needs. In order to lend authority to their recipebooksthey headthem with the nameof an authorwho not only did not write them butperhapsnevereventhoughtaboutthe subject.For thisreasonI tell andadviseyou that I believethe bestthing to do isto turn to thenatUralgold andsilverthat is extractedfrom oresratherthan


30/64

42 PIROTECHNIA BOOK Ithat of alchemy, which I believenot only doesnot existbut also, in truth,hasneverbeenseenby anyone, althoughmanyclaim to haveseenit. Forit is a thing whoseprinciplesareunknown, asI havetold you; andwhoever

doesnot know thefirst principlesof thingsis evenlessableto understandthe end. Concerningthis I shall tell you that I do not know anyphilosopheror cleveralchemistwho could accomplishenoughso tllat Iwould believethat he possessedin himselfsufficientpower of art to beableto draw out from a metallicbody or other objectits vital spirit andto replaceit againin the sameobject, asI havetold you, andthusto givevegetalform to somethingwhich is not so by its own nature. And whowill ever believe that bread , herbs , and fruits may be converted intofleshby anyheator artificialdigestionin the sameway that Naturedoes;and likewise that wood that is burned and converted into charcoal likethe ashesof metals, or passedthroughthesmeltingfire, may beginto budagain, becomegreen, and engenderstill other wood? Although I knowthat they give all kinds of answersto thesethings, and you can wellimagin~ what they may be, it seemsmore appropriateto touchupon theextent of their proofs, and ignore tlleir words. For they try to prove thepossibilityof their art more by e~amplethan by reason, citing the tinyseedsof grass, the graftingof plants, the multiplying of a sparkof fire, thefermentation within a mass of flour mixed with water , and , for certain oftheir propositions, the operationswhich physiciansperfornl in healingsick bodies, and other [8] similarand obviousthings. In supportof theirpower to understandand to operatethey quote a passageof the HolyScriptures, which says: Omniasubieci.\'ti subpedibuseius,* interpretingit tomeanthat God hasgiven them the power and authority, in addition todominationover all the thingsof thisworld, to understandandput to useall things in the other world. Among thesethey say that it is not onlyDossible to understand tIle 2:eneration of metals but also to effect it with; rt, just asNature herselfdoes. They arguein favor of their art with asaying of Aristotle concerning the squaring ofa circle, when, in order toprove to thosewho deny it that it may be true, he saysthat, althoughgeometricallyit isnot found, thisdoesnot provethatit doesnot exist, andif it exists, it may still be possibleto find it . Likewise, sincethe generationof metalsdoesactually occur, it is possiblefor the art of alchemytoattain it .

With this and many other reasonsthey wish to makeyou believethat* "Thou hastput all thingsin subjectionunderhis feet." Hebrews2:8.


31/64

* Original unclear.

CHAPTER I GOLD ORE 43evenoutsidea woman's body it is possibleto generateandform a manorany other animal with flesh , bones , and sinews , and to animate him with aspirit and every other attribute that he requires. And in like mannerthey sayit is possibleby art to causetreesandgrassesto be born withouttheir naturalseeds, andto give to fruits separatedfrom treestheform andcolor, odor, and flavor of true natural fruits; to this I cannot forbear sayingthat I do not believe them . And likewise I can make no answer to thosewho saythat they transmutebut do not create, and that they transmuteonespeciesinto another, for thiscannotbedonewithout thetotal destructionof the thing that you wish to transmute.

At last to conclude and leave this discussion , I say that I believe that ifthesepeopleaccomplishanything they do it only in the sameway asbricklayersmakemortar, that is, they put it tl"lerewith the desirethat themortar itself turn into stoneso that the stonesbe betterjoined, for withthat thought the onewho wasthe inventor of this could be seen. * But Ido not wish to consumemoretime in speakingof thisart or to annoyyouwith further details, or wholly to offend the alchemists(although manythingscometo mind thatI couldsayto them, thoughtsthat pressforwardin a thronglike dogshappyin the chase, eachonedesirousof comingoutfirst), nor do I wish that any more of thesethingscomeout in the open,sinceI know that the alchemistsbecomeangry with thosewho speakinderogatoryfashionof their art. Although you are a personwho understandshow much good fruit could comefrom aiding somewilling butinexperiencedonesby warning them not to throw their talentsunre-strainedlyinto suchthings, asmany do, I am contmt to havedonethiswith so little offense . I am also content because , in order to show myignoranceto theworld, thedesiremay cometo someworthy philosopherandalchemistto bring to light at leastthe openargumentsfor their art, ifnot the completedwork. And thus, after sucha noble and fruitful art[Sv] is madeclearandis understoodby all good menof ability, they willbeginto work andto makegold in the greatestablmdanceand so makemen rich . secure . and happv . For one of the said reasons these insults ofmineto thealchemistsm;y: I think, benefitmanypeople.In ordernot to continueindefinitely, I wishnow to makeanendof myopinionsanddiscoursesthat perhapswill seemto you to havebeenmulti-pliedtoo greatly. It is indeedtrue thatI amnot stoppingbecauseI am tired


32/64

PIROTECHNIA 1300KI44or satiated, but only because it has carried me too far afield from the projected

subject, to which I will now return .Although I have already told you much about the generation of gold

ores and their discovery , I want now to tell you how gold must be separatedfrom its earthy superfluities and particularly the gold that is foundarranged in Tile fornl of veins. Although I have never seen the devices usedfor extracting gold , I will now tell what I have understood is necessaryforreducing it by other processes so that if you should ever have occasion touse it in our regions of Italy , you will not be entirely without enlightenment.

Having excavated and well selected the ore, it is first necessary to considerin what kind of rock it was engendered. If it is in that rock calledlapis lazuli you must extract the gold and save the stone, because fromsuch a stone is made that perfect blue color which painters call ultramarine. They esteem it highly and pay a large price to whoever collects and

prepares it . To do this it is necessary first to grind it well and make anowder of it . wash it with water in a boat or other wooden vessel, andthen to rub mercury on it well until all the gold has been amalgamated . Inthis way the stone will become freed from the gold . Then by causing themercury to pass through a leather purse or cucurbit , the gold remainsseparated from the mercury .

If you do not care about saving the stone you can use the commonmethod of smelting it in a furnace or in a lead bath . If you succeed in thisway , you must continue with it , but if not , then seek to experiment withother methods or else try to understand the method that is used wherethe work is done nowadays . In my opinion , if it is not a rock you wish tosave, the best method for reducing it to purity would be to roast the orewith a slow fire in an open furnace and cause it to evaporate well . Thenhave it ground fme with a mill or by stamps connected with a wheel ,wash it thoroughly in order to extract from it all the superfluous matter ,and then purify it by smelting it [ on a lead bath ] in a cupeling hearth of asize depending on the quantity , or on a very hot cupel , throwing off thelead as litharge or consuming it and reducing the gold to purity .

This is the method you may use almost universally , not only for goldand its ore, but also for any other kind if you wish . I wanted to describethese methods of smelting to you here, since I think that in the placeswhere I shall speak to you in general of other ores I shall not wish to treatof them again.


33/64

CHAPTER2 SILVERORE 45[9] THE SECOND CHAPTER

ConcerningtheOreof SilverandIts Qualities.THEREare,asIhaveheard,varyingopinionsamongmenexpeinmineralsastowhethersilverhasitsownminera[i.e.,occursnative] or not. Mineralogicalreasonsandtheauthorityof themajority persuademe that it has, not only becauseI haveseenthe naturalmaterialseparatebut alsobecauseI know that in minesof gold, copper,lead, and other metalspiecesof pure metal are folmd without admixture,andI haveheardthat piecesof silver, gold, andcopperhavebeenfoundthat had beenreducedto their ultimatepurity by naturalcauses. This isalsoconfirmedby a German, GeorgiusAgricola, who says* thatin a minein Saxonya pieceof metallicsilverwasfoundsolargethat theDukewhowas princeand patron of the placehad a whole dining tableof squareGermanstylemadefrom it without its bcll1genlargedor worked on byany humanartificeexceptfor the tripod legs, andhe oftenboastedthat inthis he surpassedthe greatnessof the Emperor.In truth I haveneverseenanymetalexceptcopperthatwasbroughtoutfrom theminepureandwithout anymineral, but I think that sucha thingis indeedpossible, sinceI believein the greatnessand power of Nature,who strivestowardno othergoalthanperfectionandpurity. Indeedmostof the minerals that I have seen have not been wicl10ut admixture , notonly of their earthbut alsoof ocllermetals, and this is more true of thatwhich I have heard called silver than of any of the others . I except thesilver that is mined in Schio in the region of Vicenza. Thesedoubts, therefore, are not born without some shadow of apparentreason.

As I told you above I believe that silver may have and does have its ownmineral, for everysubstancethat is convertedinto metalcanexistpurebyitselfin its own species, asit alsoexistsseparatelyevencll0ughit be mixedwith others, sinceit is seenthatin eachoreits metalis generatedin a singlebody. Thereforeit happensmanytimesthat whoeverspeaksof the ore ofsilver in one breath, without distinction, speaksof that of all the othermetals , because there are few ores that are not mixed . But because themostnoblethingsalwayshavethe prerogativeof includingin their namethat of the others, where thereis gold or silver the oresare not called

* This is in Bcrmannus, Agricola'sfirst work relatingto miner~logy. It waspublishedbyFroben in 1530.


34/64

46 PIROTECHNIA BOOK Icopper, lead, or iron, which arethe mostabundantin them, but gold orsilver, eventhoughthe quantityof theseis far less.But leavingthesethings, I now say to you that, asfar as I haveobserved

, the moresuchoresaremixturesof variousmetalsthemorevariedarethefumositiesandtincturesthat they showto our eyesassignsof theirlocationandpurity, becauseeachone[9v] givesoffits own color, stainingtheexternalrock a blue, green, yellow, or indistinctcoloraccordingto thecompositionand mixture of the primary matterof the metals, and likewisethereis more or lesscolor dependingon the quantity that is foundgatheredthere. Now speakingparticularlyof this metalcalledsilver, thenaturalphilosopherssaythat it is generatedfrom a substancethat is morewatery thanfiery, and that all the other substancesaresimilar and pure;not somuchso, however, asarethoseof gold. Thereforeit attainsa lesserperfection, andit is asmuchlessperfectastheinfluenceof themoonis lessthanthat of the sun, althoughit is muchnearerto us.Practicalmen saythat silver generatesitself willingly in a rock similarto limestone and also in a stone that is a dark , dull gray in color ; and it isoften found in another stone similar to travertine . or in travertine itsel Itsmineralis very heavyandoftenhasa shininggrain; the smallerthisis andthe morepointedlike scurf, tile moreperfectit is, becauseit showspurityandfixity . When it is found in a white andleadystoneit is much betterbecauseit is easilyseparatedfrom its rock and from its earthiness. Andwhenit is foundloose, ahnostin theskinof theearthlike pebbles, theysaythatit is perfect, altlloughit doesnot havea certainbrilliant quality to Tileeyesasthe othersusuallyhave. They saythat it is alsoengenderedin adark gray soil, and when it is in this, it occurs in great quantities and ingreatperfectionandthereis muchwithin tIle mountain. It is somuchthebetterTilemoreshiningit is andthe morerusty or red its color.In order tllat ).ou may understandthe signsof the minerals of the saidmctal better, you must know that alwaysbet-ore the mineralsarc folmdthereare, eithernearthem or mixed togetherwith them, marcasitesofayellow colorlike gold. Theyellowertheseare, themoretheyindicateburningandheat, which is opposedto thenatureof their metal. For thisreasonit is possibletojudge thefat or leanqualityof sucha mineralby thedegreeof color that they show. Now thosethat give good indicationsmustapproachwhite asnearlyaspossibleand be of minute grainandin smallquantities. This is a generalrule for all marcasites, that the closertogetherand the finer they are the betterthe mineralsthat they point out. Often


35/64

CHAPTER 2 SILVER ORE 47thereis found a vein of thissilvermineralthat is largein quantitybut is soleanin valuethat it doesnot justify the expenseof mining, for, althoughthe quantity is there, it is in a hard rock like limestonewhich is most difficult

to cut. At other times it is found in company with copper or lead,and in this casealso one must not waste effort in extracting it if its valuedoes not more than cover the expenses .Thesemetalsareoftenall threefound togetherin a singleore andwhen[10] thishappensit is necessaryto usecareandthe cunningof art. Supposingthat you wish to separatethe silver, it is necessaryto increasethe lead;and if you do not careto saveeitherthe silver or the lead, but only thecopper, it is necessaryto proceedfor a long time with strongfiresuntil theweaker materials are consumed; but this happensmost often in mineralswhich contain iron . But , after all , in neither the one nor the other is itpossibleto give a generalrule. It is necessaryto chooseaccordingto theirquality and quantity, all the more so becausethey areoften mixed withsomedry earthor a quantityof antimonyor arsenicthat is entirelyevapo-rabIe, or combustiblematerials, or elsethey are difficult to reduce. Forthis reasonthe artisans, often weary and overcomeby this difficulty,abandon the ore as useless; but many times the cause may be attributed totheir inexperiencewith the extraordinaryandlong fires that areapplied.Whoever goesdirectly to thesein the ordinary way, if he doesnotaccompanythemwith tilings that protectthemfrom the fire in smelting,findsthat theybecomeuseless, andheencountersthoseeffectsI mentionedbefore . One of those substances that are burned or else are too watery iscalled sulphur and the other is called mercury not yet fixed, that is,arsenic. If it happensthat thereis an excessof one of theseit burnsthesilver, while the other carriesit away so that nothing remainsof theore except the earthiness which is often infusible . Therefore , in order tosave the mineral, it is necessaryto use patient skill and appropriateprocess es.First, in the most commonly usedmethod, the oresmust be roasted,or, without beingroasted, they mustbe groundfinely and thenwashedwell, and finally they mustbe purified, eitherwith a very hot fire, or atleastwith a greatleadbath. In order to do this mosteasily, they mustbetestedafter they havebeengroundup to seewhetherthey canbeamalgamatewith mercury, either in the samegrinding mill or elsewhere.This is an excellentmethodif they are dry, and I know that it hasbeenusedby manywith greatprofit, andparticularlyin thattypeof mineral,


36/64

48 PIROTECHNIA BOOKIrich and good , which I told you before is mined in the region of Vicenzaat Schio. I tell you to test them becaus~ not every kind of ore r~sponds toit .

And of that which I have mentioned I have heard that one piece wasexcavated which contained a quarter silver and another more than a halThis was found almost on the surface, loose and in open areas, and sometimes, as I have heard, that which is found under the roots of uprootedtrees is rich and very perfect . I cannot , therefore , say that I have seen thebest, although I have seen many mines in Venice , Carnia , and otherplaces. Most of these, however , are of copper with some silver . Amongothers I once operated a n

chapter 1 piro

Documents

Transcript of chapter 1 piro