In the P y r i te s. 11$ 



Copper, next to iron, amalgamates with mercury 

 with the greateft diffiulty ; whereas gold and filver 

 amalgamate with eafe -, alfolead, tin, and zink moll 

 readily. (14J The magnet chiefly and in greateft 

 quantity bears copper in iron. 



Whence, a priori, 'tis eafy to fee, what pro- 

 bability there is for copper to lodge along with iron 

 in pyrites : and, a pofteriori, or from examining 

 the pyrites itfelf, what juft foundation there is for 

 that probability. But, as copper is not common 

 to all the forts of the pyrites, ibme containing pure 

 iron only ; and confequently, as the pyrites may 

 fubfift without copper, fo copper muft not be confi- 

 tiered in the fame light as iron : namely, as an ef- 

 fential part of the pyrites. But in regard the inci- 

 dental exiftence of copper therein extends fo very 

 widely, that ( i.) very few pyrites are without it j, 

 (2.) many copper -pyrites have a large copper-yield \ 

 nay, fome of them, almoft to a half; fo, next to 

 iron, this metal deferves our greateft attention. 

 Though I would not difpute the excluding fuch 

 copper ores, as come very high in yield, from the 

 clafs of pyrites in general, and the putting them in 

 a peculiar clafs by themfelves •, and then confider- 

 ing the copper therein, not as fomething incidental, 

 but as a necefTary part of that ore. Only we muft 

 not, with the Ancients, run to the other extream i 

 namely, that of neither regarding, nor looking for 

 any other thing in the pyrites but copper, as if they 

 never contained any iron. 



Hence it has happened, thar vitriols have noone 

 nameafligrjed them, denoting their iron •, being indi- 

 scriminately called chahanthum, cbalcitis, cuperofa,ov 

 Otprirofa, tec. And this has fo far prevailed, that not 

 ) ii Greece and Italy, but even in Germany it* 

 I 2 fdf, 



