MINES OF POTOSI. 205 



therefore,, humbly to pray that He will be pleased to favour LlB 

 the pious zeal of the Catholic King, giving him prosperous 

 success and victory against the enemies of the holy faith. In. 

 this cause he spends the treasure of the Indies which have 

 been given to him, and he even needs much more. 1 ] The 

 riches of Potosi justify this digression,, and we will now 

 turn to the mines, and show how they are worked, and how 

 they refine the metal that is obtained from them. 



CHAP. vin. How they labour in the mines of Potosi. 

 Boetius, complaining of the first iuventer of mines, spake Boetiusde 



consolat. 



well : 



&quot; Heu primus quis fuit ille, 

 Auri qui poiidera tecti. 

 Gemmasque, latere volcntes, 

 Preciosa pericula f odit ? 



&quot; Alas, who was the first, 

 So curious and accurst, 

 Who digged out of the mine, 

 Mans mind to vnderrnine, 

 Pleavie weights of golde ore, 

 Better concealde before : 

 And pearlt crept into ground, 

 Pale for feare to be found : 

 Galing gold, wringing rings, 

 Precious, but perilous things.&quot; 



With reason he calleth them precious dangers, for the 

 great labour and perill wherewith they draw out these 

 mettalls, which men so much esteeme. Plinie saies, that in PH., Kb. 



. . xxxiii, ca. 1. 



Italie there are many mines, but the Ancients would not 

 suffer their people to worke in them, only to preserve the 

 people. They brought these mettalls from Spaine, and 

 made the Spaniards labour in the mines as tributaries. The 

 1 This passage is omitted in the old translation. 



