21 -1 QUICKSILVER KNOWN TO THE ROMANS. 



LlB - IV - sodainely it thickens and is converted into quickesilver, and 

 if you set him once againe to the fire, hee dooth likewise 

 returne into smoake, to be resolved again into quicke-silver. 

 A strange transmutation of so heavy a substance into so 

 light a thing ; and of so light into so heavy, the which wo 

 may hold for a rare thing in Nature. And therefore the 

 Author of Nature is iustly to be glorified in these and all 

 other strange properties of this mettall, seeing that all 

 things created doe properly obey their secret and vnknowne 

 lawes. 



CHAP. xi. Of the place where they finde quicke-silver, and 

 how they discovered these rich mines in Iluancavilca. 



Quicke-silver is found in a kinde of stone, which dooth 

 likewise yeelde vermillion, which the Antients called 

 Minium, and at this day they call the images of cristall 

 miniades, which are painted with quick-silver. The An 

 tients made great accompt of this Minium or vermillion, 

 holding it for a sacred colour, as Pliuie reportes, saying, 

 that the Romans were accustomed to paint the face of 

 lupiter, and the bodies of those that triumphed in Ethiopia : 

 yea their idolles and their Governors likewise had their faces 

 coloured with this Minium. And this vermillion was so 

 esteemed at Rome (which they brought onely from Spaine, 

 where they had many pittes and mines of quickesilver, 

 which continue there to this day) that the Romans suffered 

 it not to be refined in Spaine, lest they should steale 

 some of it, but they carried it to Rome, sealed vp in a 

 masse as they drew it out of the mine, and after refined it. 

 They did yeerely bring from Spaine, especially from Anda 

 lusia, about tenno thousand poundweight, which the Romans 

 valued as an infinite treasure. I have reported all this out 

 of that Author, to the end that those which do see what 

 passeth at this day in Peru, may have the content to know 



