117 



BOOK XXXIV. 



THE NATURAL HISTORY OF METALS. 



CHAP. 1. (1.) THE OKES OF BRASS. 1 



must, in the next place, give an account of the ores of 

 bras?, 2 ii metal which, in respect of utility, is next in value; 

 indeed the Corinthian brass comes before silver, not to say 

 almost before gold itself. It is also, as I have stated above, 3 

 the standard of monetary value ; 4 -hence the terms " sera mill- 

 turn/' " tribuni jerarii," " terarium," " ob;eruti," and "cere 

 diruti." 5 I have already mentioned for what length of time, 

 the Horn an people employed no coin except brass ;' and there is 



1 The present Book is translated by the late Dr. T'ostock, the translation 

 being corrected by the readings of the Bamberg MS., which do not appear 

 to have come under his notice. Some Notes by Dr. Bosioek will be ulw 

 found at the commencement of Books 33 and 35 ; they arc distinguished 

 by the initial 15. 



" a '* JEris Metalla." The word "JEs" docs not entirely correspond to 

 our word *' brass ;" the brass of the modems being a compound of copper 

 and zinc, while the 14 ^Ks" of the ancients was mostly composted of copper 

 and tin, and therefore, would be more correctly designated by the word 

 "bronze." But this last term is now so generally appropriated to works of 

 art, that it would seem preferable to employ in most cases the mere general 

 terms " copper" or '* brass." For an excellent account of the " JEs" of the 

 ancients, see Smith's Diet. Antiq. " JKs." 15. Mr. \Vestmacott, iu the 

 above-mentioned article, says that the ancient "Jtls" has hem found, 

 upon analysis, to contain no zinc, but in nearly every instance to be a TIIII- 

 ture of copper and tin, like our bronze. Beckmunn says, on the other 

 hand, that the mixture of zinc and copper now called "brass," first dis- 

 covered by ores, abundant in zinc, MVM certainly known to the ancient*. 

 "In the course of time, an ore, ir/iiVA 'mmt fmvc Iccn carmine, was added 

 to copper while melting, to give it a yellow colour." Hist. Inv. Vol. IJ. 

 pp. 32, 33. Jlohn* J-JlitioH. There can be little doubt that tho native 

 (,'tnhnia of Chapter 22 of this Hook was our Calamine, bydrosilicate of 

 !tinc, or carbonate of zinc, or else copper ore impregnated with culawiue. 



3 In 15. xxxiii. c. 13. 



4 *' Stipis auetoritas." The standard in money payments. 



& These terms must have come into use when brass, "a?s," was the 

 ordinary medium, of circulation. B. Their meaning is, '* soldiers' pay/* 

 tribunes of the treasury/* the "public treasury," 4 ' made bondmen for 

 debt/' uiid * mulcted of their pjty. r> In 13. xxxiii. c. 13. 15. 



L '2 



