DURING THE MIDDLE AGE. 137 



he reckoned an ounce of it to be worth fifty 

 florins. Porellius, the general aflaycr of the 

 coin throughout the province of Holland, rc- 

 quefted, that he might be permitted' to make 

 trial of it; and examining two drachms of it by 

 quartation and aquafortis, he found it had in- 

 crcaied in weight two fcruples. This change he 

 attributed to the cficcT: of the great abundance 

 of colouring matter, which had tranfmuted fo 

 much of the lilver he had employed. Sufped- 

 ing, however, that the filvcr was not firmly u- 

 nitcd with the gold, he melted it again, with 

 levcn times its bulk of antimony, and treated 

 it in the ufual manner; but without producing 

 any alteration on its weight. 



Such, then, is the account given by Hclvc- 

 tius; and as the man who furniilicd this ex- 

 traordinary (lone never entered hi> laboratory, or 

 Was even prefent at the operation, no fraud 

 could be pradifcd .by him ; and it will not be 

 cafily proved in what way he might have de- 

 ceived himfelf. The whole argument, therefore, 

 refts on the credit of Helvetius. For, if he has 

 concealed any one circumilance relating to the 

 procefs, or added others that are falfe, the quef- 

 tion will be juft ns obfcurc as it was before. 



His dcfcription, to-be fure, betrays the ar- 

 dour of his dcfire to learn the chryfopoictic art ; 

 nor can any one anfvver for the probity of an- 

 other : Yet it would be highly unjuft to accufc 



any 



