QUESTIONS TOUCHING MINERALS. 399 



what is said of copper is true of brass, in the union of other 

 metals. 



Gold will not incorporate with iron. 



Gold incorporates with tin, the ancient allay, Isa. I. 25. 



What was said of gold and quicksilver, may be said of 

 quicksilver and the rest of metals. 



Silver with lead in any proportion. 



Silver incorporates with copper. Pliny mentions such a 

 mixture for triumphales statuae, lib. xxxiii. 9. " Miscentur 

 argento, tertia pars seris Cyprii tenuissirai, quod coronarium 

 vocant, et sulphuris vivi quantum argenti." The same is 

 true of brass. 



Silver incorporates not with iron. Wherefore I wonder 

 at that which Pliny hath, lib. xxxiii. 9. " Miscuit denario 

 triumvir Antonius ferrum." And what is said of this is 

 true in the rest ; for iron incorporated with none of them. 



Silver mixes with tin. 



Lead incorporates with copper. Such a mixture was the 

 pot-metal whereof Pliny speaks, lib. xxxiv. 9. " Ternis aut 

 quaternis libris plumbi argentarii in centenas aBris additis." 



Lead incorporates with tin. The mixture of these two 

 in equal proportions, is that which was anciently called 

 " plumbum argentarium," Plin. lib. xxxiv. 17. 



Copper incorporates with tin. Of such a mixture were 

 the mirrors of the Romans. Plin. " Atque ut omnia de 

 speculis peragantur hoc loco, optima apud majores eraut 

 Brundusina, stanno et aere mistis." Lib. Ixxxiii. 9. 



Compounded metals now in use. 



1. Fine tin. The mixture is thus : pure tin a thousand 

 pounds, temper fifty pounds, glass of tin three pounds. 



2. Coarse pewter is made of fine tin and lead. Temper 

 is thus made : the dross of pure tin, four pounds and a 

 half; copper, half a pound. 



3. Brass is made of copper and calaminaris. 



