. De re metallica. Metallurgy; Mineral industries. BOOK IX.'. INCE I have written of the varied work of pre- paring the ores, I will now write of the various methods of smelting them. Although those who burn, roast and calcine^ the ore, take from it some- thing which is mixed or combined with the metals ; and those who crush it with stamps take away much; and those who wash, screen and sort it, take away still more; yet they cannot remove all which con- ceals the metal from the eye and renders it crude and unformed. Wherefore smelting is necessary, for by this means earths, solidified juices,
. De re metallica. Metallurgy; Mineral industries. BOOK IX.'. INCE I have written of the varied work of pre- paring the ores, I will now write of the various methods of smelting them. Although those who burn, roast and calcine^ the ore, take from it some- thing which is mixed or combined with the metals ; and those who crush it with stamps take away much; and those who wash, screen and sort it, take away still more; yet they cannot remove all which con- ceals the metal from the eye and renders it crude and unformed. Wherefore smelting is necessary, for by this means earths, solidified juices, and stones are separated from the metals so that they obtain their proper colour and become pure, and may be of great use to mankind in many ways. When the ore is smelted, those things which were mixed with the metal before it was melted are driven forth, because the metal is perfected by fire in this manner. Since metalliferous ores differ greatly amongst themselves, first as to the metals which they con- tain, then as to the quantity of the metal which is in them, and then by the fact that some are rapidly melted by fire and others slowly, there are, therefore, many methods of smelting. Constant practice has taught the ^The history of the fusion of ores and of metals is the history of individual processes, and such information as we have been able to discover upon the individual methods previous to Agricola we give on the pages where such processes are discussed. In general the records of the beginnings of metallurgy are so nebular that, if one wishes to shirk the task, he can adopt the explanation of William Pryce one hundred and fifty years ago : " It is very " probable that the nature and use of Metals were not revealed to Adam in his state of " innocence : the toil and labour necessary to procure and use those implements of the iron " age could not be known, till they made part of the curse incurred by his fall : ' In the sweat " ' of thy face sha
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