254 



BOOK VII. 



are now called after the Greek name ceratia ; and each double sextula is 

 divided into four semi-sextulae, which are called granas ; and each semi-sextula 

 is divided into three units of four siliquae each, of which each unit is called 

 a grenlin. If we made the needles to be each four siliquae, there would be 

 two hundred and eighty-eight in a bes, but if each were made to be a semi-sextula 

 or a double scripula, then there would be ninety-six in a bes. By these two 

 methods too many needles would be made, and the majority of them, by reason 

 of the small difference in the proportion of the gold, would indicate nothing, 

 therefore it is advisable to make them each of a double sextula ; in this waj 

 twenty-four needles are made, of which the first is made of twenty-three 

 duellae of silver and one of gold. Fannius is our authority that the Ancients 

 called the double sextula a duella. When a bar of silver is rubbed on the 

 touchstone and colours it just as this needle does, it contains one duella of gold. 

 In this manner we determine by the other needles what proportion of gold 

 there is, or when the gold exceeds the silver in weight, what proportion of 

 silver. 



The needles are made*" : — 



The 1st needle of 23 duellae of silver and i duella of gold. 

 2nd ,, 22 ,, ,, 2 duellae of gold. 



3 



4 



5 



6 



7 



we have left Agricola's adaptation in one scale to avoid confusion. The Latin terms adopted 

 by Agricola are given below, together with the German 



While the proportions in a bes or mark are the same in both scales, the actual weight 

 values are vastly different — for instance, the mark contained about 3609.6, and the bes 

 3297 Troy Grains. Agricola also uses : 



Selibra Halb-pfundt 



Libra Pfundt 



Centumpondium Centner. 

 As the Roman libra contains 12 unciae and the German pfundt 16 untzen, the actual weights of 

 these latter quantities are still further apart — the former 4946 and the latter 7219 Troy 

 grains. 



* "There are no tables in the Latin text, the whole having been written out in extenso, 

 but they have now been arranged as above, as being in a much more convenient and expressive 

 form. 



