422 NATURAL HISTORY. 



watered, will increase into greater pieces. This 

 is certain, and known of old, that lead will multiply 

 arid increase, as hath been seen in old statues of 

 stone which have been put in cellars ; the feet of 

 them being bound with leaden bands ; where, after 

 a time, there appeared, that the lead did swell ; inso 

 much as it hanged upon the stone like warts. 



Experiment solitary touching the drowning of the 



more base metal in the more precious. 

 798. I call drowning of metals, when that the 

 baser metal is so incorporate with the more rich as it 

 can by no means be separated again ; which is a kind 

 of version, though false : as if silver should be 

 inseparably incorporated with gold : or copper and 

 lead with silver. The ancient electrum had in it a 

 fifth of silver to the gold, and made a compound 

 metal, as fit for most uses as gold, and more re 

 splendent, and more qualified in some other proper 

 ties ; but then that was easily separated. This to 

 do privily, or to make the compound pass for the rich 

 metal simple, is an adulteration or counterfeiting : 

 but if it be done avowedly, and without disguising, 

 it may be a great saving of the richer metal. I re 

 member to have heard of a man skilful in metals, 

 that a fifteenth part of silver incorporated with gold 

 will not be recovered by any water of separation, 

 except you put a greater quantity of silver to draw 

 to it the less ; which, he said, is the last refuge in 

 separations. But that is a tedious way, which no 



