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Something there is certainly loft in this Age, as to 
the manner of Steeling of Tools: I fliould be glad, if 
by any Conjs&ure of mine, I could help to extricate and 
retrieve it. 
To this Purpofe, let us firft fee what Steel if felf is; 
and how made : and then we {hall befi gucfs at the ap- 
plying of it, in the making of Tools. 
As for the moderns, there is great abufe in this Ma- 
nufacture, and the ProcefTes now ufed by moft Nations, 
are fraudulent, and a poifoning of Iron, by certain Mi- 
neral Salts, rather than a true making of Steel. 
The moft Ancient Account, is that which is given us 
by Ariftotle, Meteor ologicor. /. 4. c. 6. which yet is 
very obfcure and imperfect. The Paflage is this- 
W nought Iron it felf may he caft fo, as to he made Liquid \ 
and to harden again. And they are wont to make Sieel 
thus : For the Scoria of Iron fubfides, and is purged off 
by the lot torn. And when it hath been often defecated 
and made clean, this is Steel. But this they do not of 
ten, becaufe of the much waft, and for that it loofes 
much Weight in fining. Rut Iron is fo much the more 
excellent, the left Excrement it hath. Thus far Ari- 
ftotle. ' 
This Account is a little confufed, and not well under- 
ftood ! It is indeed true, That Iron is ftill better, the more 
it is purged. So in our Furnaces in England ; thofe Bars 
which are wrought out of a Loop, taken up out of the 
Finnery Harth, or fecond Forage, are much better Iron 
than thofe which are made in the Bioomary or firft 
Harth, becailfe thofe are more purged of the Drofi, and 
accordingly give double Price. 
Alio, it is as true, that even wrought Iron may be 
melted as oft as you pleafe. - 
Again, Iron, as oft as it is melted and purged, Icofeth 
much of its Weight. But after alljron of it felr, how oft 
foever it is purged and refined, it will never become 
Steel; 1 
