DURING THE MIDDLE AGE. 



-people turned cither to open the inward trea- 

 furcs of the earth, or to apply them with more 

 ikill to purpofcs of utility. At a convention of 

 the dates of the kingdom at Stockholm, in the 

 year 1282, during the reign of Magnus Ladu- 

 la>, all the mines and their produce were afliga- 

 cd to the public trcafury. Before this time we 

 have no authentic writings that give any account 

 of metallurgy. King Magnus regulated by a 

 law, in 1354, the mine of Norbcrg: The privi- 

 leges of the mine of Atvidabcrg, and of the me- 

 tallic focicty, were granted by King Erie in 

 1413. In 1420, the mines of Norbcrg, Bitf- 

 berg, Vik'tbcrg, Silfvcrberg, Tunaberg, and 

 Skinikatteberg, obtained their privileges. Some 

 privileges, indeed, are mentioned of a more an- 

 tient date ; but the original manufcripts have 

 fallen in the general ravages of time, which re- 

 quires not many ajrcs to overturn and deflroy 

 things far more durable. At a time when no- 

 thing but what was antient was held in any ef- 

 timation, many pcrfons of Ikill in thefc matters, 

 contended, that the mine of Sahlberg \va.? open- 

 ed a fliort while after the birth of our Saviour: 

 But no papers or records fpcak of it fooncr than 

 the time of Suantc Sture. Otto liiihop of Aro - 

 fien, in his letters to him, dated about the be- 

 ginning of the year 1511, folicited a part of 

 this mine. He founded his claim, firft on his 

 right as bifliop ; and fccondly, on a plea of hi- 

 II 4 ' damnification 



