478 
The three and thirtieth Booke 
exceeding foure inches in length,and two in bredth. That pare or fide which lieth above toward — 
the Sunne when itis found, is thought better for touch, than the other which lieth ro the earth, 
By meanes of thefe touch{tones,our cunning and expert mine-mafters,if they. touch any orelof 
thefe meteals,which with a pickax or file they have gotten forth fhe veine inthe mine, wilh tell 
you by and by how much gold there isin it, howmuch filver or braffe, and they will not mifle a 
{cruple: a wonderfull experiment andthefameinfallible. 5 
As touching filver,two degrees there beg bit ifferent in ae beeknowne 
€ ori 
red hot,if iccontinue white ftill,it is very good, ifthe fame become reddith,goe it may for good 
and difcerned in this manner : For lay a peec ver ore upon a fclife,plate,or fire pan of yron 
too in a lower degree; butin cafe it looke blacke,there is no goodnefle at all in it. Howbeit,there 
is fome deceit alfo in this triall and experiment, which may croflea man in hisjudgement: for }y 
let the faid fclife or plate lic a time ina mans urine,be the ore never fobafe thatis laid thereupon 
when it is burning red hor, it will feeme to take a white colour forthe time,and deceive him that 
fhall fee it. To conclude, there 1s another pretie proofe of filver fine,if it be bright and burnifhed, 
and that is by breathing upon it: for ifthe breath befeene therupon prefently asa {weat,and the 
fame pafle away incontinently as acloud, itis a figne of perfec filver. : 
~~ 
\ 
W'S e. 
Cuap. 1% 
oy of wsirroirs or looking glaffess And of the Egyptian filver. 
As opinion it was fometime generally received andbeleeved, That no plates might be dri- 
ven by the hammer,nor mirroirs made, but of thebeft and pureft filver: And even this ex- 
perimentis falfified and corrupted by deceit.Butfurely a wonderfull thing in Nature this 
is of thefe mirroirs of filver,that they fhould reprefent fo perfectly the image of any thing that 
is before them,as they doe: which muft needs be(as all men confefle)by thereverberation of the 
aire from the {olid bodie of the mirroir, which beeing beaten backe againe from it, bringeth 
therewith the {aid image exprefled therin, The fame reverberation is the caufe that {uch looking 
glaffes as by much ufage are poliihed and made fubtile, doe in that fort gently drive backe the 
image reprefented within them, that ic feemeth infinitly big in proportion of the bodie it felfe: 
fuch difference there is inthem, and fo material iris,whether they repercufle andreje@ the aire, 
or receive and entertaine it. Moreover,there bee drinking cups fo framied and fafhioned with a 
number of mirroirs withio,that if there doe but one looke within them, he {hall imagine that he 
{aw a multitude of people,even as may images asthere bee mirroirs. There are deviled looking 
gaffes alfo,which will reprefent monftrous {hapes;and {uch be thofe mirroits that are dedicated 
in the temple at Smyrna:but this commeth by reafon thatthe matter wherof they be made,is in 
that fort fathioned, Forit skilleth much whether mirroirs be hollow, either in manner ofa drine 
king pot, or of a Threcidian buckier: whether the middle part lic low and inward,or rife & beare 
out with a bellie: whether.they bee fet crofleand overthwart, or and bias: whether they hang 
with their heads bending backward ,or bolt upright:For according as the matter which receiveth 
the image,is dilpofed tothis orthatfathion,or fet one way or other,fo it returneth the fhaddows 
backe againe: for verely the faid image reprefented in a mirroir, is nothing els butthe brightnes 
and cleareneffe of the matter which receiveth the fame,returned and beaten backeagaine, BM 
to goc through in this place with all things concerning fuch looking glafles, the beftknowne in 
old time unto our aunceftors,came from Brindis,and thofe confifted of tin and brafle tempered 
together. Bur when filver mirroirs came in place,thofe went downe, anc thefe were preferred be- 
fore them. The firft that made them of filver,was Praxzteles inthe dayes of Pompey the great. OF. 
Jare,men had this opinion of filver mirroirs That they wouldreprefentan image more lively and 
trulyin cafe their backe part were laid over with gold. sty; 
. Bat to returne again to filver,the Agyptians ufe a devife to paintit,tothe end that they would 
drinke more devoutly, feeing their god Anubis painted within their pots . Andin uth they reft 
contented with paintingtheir plate,and never grave or chafe any peeces. This devifed fafhionis M{ 
grown into fuch credit by the precedent received from thence,that the ftatues of filvercaried ina 
+ Chew at triumphs,be nonght fet by,unleffe they be alfo enamelled and painted blacke:& wonder- 
» 0) fullat is howmouch more precious they are thought to be when the native brightnes therof is hid- 
den,& the light therof quite put ont or blindfolded. The maner of making this black filver gis 
‘ ' . ‘ ey ‘ 
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