76 J. A. Phillips, Esq., on the Metals and 



thus indicating that in those days, it was not only well 

 known, but commonly used as a medium of exchange, for 

 which purpose it was estimated by weight. 



In the time of Moses, at least six metals were known, as in 

 his direction for the purification of the spoils of theMidianites, 

 he says, " Only the gold and silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, 

 and the lead, every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make 

 it pass through the fire, and it shall be clean ;"* thus shew- 

 ing that the metallurgical arts had at that period attained 

 considerable perfection, and that the metals were of frequent 

 occurrence and constant employment. Of the processes 

 practised in the early ages of the world, little can at present 

 be known ; but it would appear likely, from some passages in 

 the sacred writings, as well as from the somewhat confused 

 and obscure accounts of profane authors, that they differed 

 but little from those which are employed at the present day. 

 That silver was at a very early period purified by means 

 of lead, the following passages would seem to indicate : " The 

 house of Israel is to me become dross : all they are brass, 

 and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace ; they 

 are even the dross of silver." t And again, " the bellows are 

 burned, the lead is consumed by the fire, the founder melteth 

 in vain. "J We also read of silver being purified in a fur- 

 nace of earth. Strabo quotes Polybius as speaking of a silver 

 ore which after being washed seven times, was melted with 

 lead, and became pure silver. 



That tin was not only well known, but also highly valued 

 at the time of the Trojan war, we learn from Homer, who 

 calls it xaaaiTi^og, and mentions it as forming part of the ar- 

 mour of Agamemnon§ and shield of Achilles, || to make which, 

 Vulcan is represented as throwing into the crucible brass 

 unconquered, TtaaatTi^og, and honoured gold and silver. 



Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, the workers of 

 metal had attained a pitch of excellence, in some instances 

 scarcely to be surpassed in the present day ; but although 

 many proofs of their skill have come down to us, in the form 

 of coins, statues, and implements of war, yet their authors 

 aiford but scanty information relative to the methods em- 



* Numb. xxxi. 22. t Ezek. xxii. 18. \ Jer. vi, 29. § Iliad, 2. || Iliad, 18. 



