235 



hensible as it is) on its being free from sulphur. 

 For mix but one grain of sulphur with a thousand 

 of gold ; and it is malleable no longer. 3. It is 

 more fixed in the fire than any other metal. Lay a 

 quantity of gold two months in the intensest heat, 

 and when it is taken out, there is no sensible diminu* 

 tion of its weight, and yet in the focus of a large 

 burning glass, it volatilizes and evaporates. Yea, 

 many thousands of moidores were wholly consumed, 

 others half or a quarter consumed, by the flames 

 which broke out of the earth, during the late earth- 

 quake at Lisbon. Gold may likewise by a glass be 

 fused into a sort of calx, and then vitrified. But if 

 the same be fused again with grease, it is restored 

 into gold. 4. It is dissolvable by 110 menstruum 

 known, but aqua regia and mercury. The basis of 

 aqua regia is sra salt, the only salt which has any 

 effect on gold. But this has ks effect, however ap- 

 plied, whether in a fluid or solid form. 5. It readily 

 and spontaneously attracts and absorbs mercury. But 

 as soon as the mercury enters it, the gold becomes 

 soft like paste, 6. It withstands the violence both of 

 lead and antimony. All metals but gold and silver, 

 melted with lead, perish and evaporate, and all but 

 gold, if melted with antimony. Tnus melt gold, silver, 

 copper, and tin with antimony, and all the rest rise 

 to the top, and are blown off with bellows, but 

 the gold remains behind. Hence antimony is used 

 as the test of gold. 



The malleableness or ductility of gold, is beyond 

 all imagination. By exact weighing and computation 

 it has been found, that there are gold leaves, which 

 in some parts of them are scarce 350000th part of aa 

 inch thick. And yet this is a notable thickness, in 

 comparison of that of the gold spun on silk in gold 

 thread. It has been proved that the breadth of these 

 gold plates is only the 96th part of an inch, and their 

 thickness 3072d : so that an ounce of gold is here 

 extended to a surface of 11 DO square feet. 



How thiu must it be when thus extended ! la 



