74 BOOK III. 



best are those which, on the contrary, extend from the VI or VII direction 

 of the west to the VI or VII direction of the east, through the slope of a 

 mountain which similarly inclines to the north, whose hangingwalls 

 are also in the south, whose footwalls are in the north, and whose 

 heads rise toward the north ; and lastly, whose rock seams raise 

 their heads toward the west. In the third place, they recommend those 

 veins which extend from XII north to XII south, through the slope 

 of a mountain which faces east ; whose hangingwalls are in the 

 west, whose footwalls are in the east ; whose heads rise toward 

 the east ; and whose rock seams raise their heads toward the north. 

 Therefore they devote all their energies to those veins, and give very httle 

 or nothing to those whose heads, or the heads of whose rock seams rise 

 toward the south or west. For although they say these veins some- 

 times show bright specks of pure metal adhering to the stones, or they come 

 upon lumps of metal, yet these are so few and far between that despite them 

 it is not worth the trouble to excavate such veins ; and miners who persevere 

 in digging in the hope of coming upon a quantity of metal, always lose their 

 time and trouble. And they say that from veins of this kind, since the sun's 

 rays draw out the metallic material, very little metal is gained. But in 

 this matter the actual experience of the miners who thus judge of the veins 

 does not always agree with their opinions, nor is their reasoning sound ; 

 since indeed the veins which run from east to west through the slope of a 

 mountain which inclines to the south, whose heads rise likewise to the 

 south, are not less charged with metals, than those to which miners are 

 wont to accord the first place in productiveness ; as in recent years has been 

 proved by the St. Lorentz vein at Abertham, which our countrymen call 

 Gottsgaab, for they have dug out of it a large quantity of pure silver ; and 

 lately a vein in Annaberg, called by the name of Himmelsch hoz^, has made it 



'The names in the Latin are given as Donum Divinum — " God's Gift," and 

 Coelestis Exerciius — " Heavenly Host." The names given in the text are from the German 

 Translation. The former of these mines was located in the valley of Joachim, where Agricola 

 spent many years as the town physician at Joachimsthal. It is of further interest, as Agricola 

 obtained an income from it as a shareholder. He gives the history of the mine {De Veteribus 

 ei Novis Meiallis, Book I.), as follows : — " The mines at Abertham were discovered, partly 

 " by chance, partly by science. In the eleventh year of Charles V. (1530), on the i8th of 

 " February, a poor miner, but one skilled in the art of mining, dwelt in the middle of the 

 " forest in a solitary hut, and there tended the cattle of his employer. While digging a little 

 " trench in which to store milk, he opened a vein. At once he washed some in a bowl and saw 

 " particles of the purest silver settled at the bottom. Overcome with joy he informed his 

 ' ' employer, and went to the Bergmeister and petitioned that official to give him a head 

 " mining lease, which in the language of our people he called Gottsgaab. Then he proceeded 

 " to dig the vein, and found more fragments of silver, and the miners were inspired with 

 " great hopes as to the richness of the vein. Although such hopes were not frustrated, 

 " still a whole year was spent before they received any profits from the mine ; whereby 

 " many became discouraged and did not persevere in paying expenses, but sold their shares 

 " in the mine ; and for this reason, when at last an abundance of silver was being drawn 

 " out, a great change had taken place in the ownership of the mine ; nay, even the first 

 " finder of the vein was not in possession of any share in it, and had spent nearly all the 

 " money which he had obtained from the selling of his shares. Then this mine yielded such 

 " a quantity of pure silver as no other mine that has existed within our own or our 

 " fathers' memories, with the exception of the St. George at Schneeberg. We, as a share- 

 " holder, through the goodness of God, have enjoyed the proceeds of this ' God's Gift ' 

 " since the very time when the mine began first to bestow such riches." Later on in the 



