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Steel; yet of this fo purged, the beft Steel" doubt Ids = 
may be made. 
And this is the moft favourable Coodrudion that I 
can make of this Paffage of Ariftotle. 
In the next place, we fhall give you. the beft account 
how true Steel is made at this Day, waving all fraudu- 
lent procefles. The manner is this, faithfully deferred 
by Agricola (Je re Metallka, lik 9.) And to confirm 
to you the Antiquity of it ; this way of making Steel ■ 
is by Kircher {aid to be now in ufe in the Ifland of IIva 9 
a place famous from all Ages, even from the times of 
the Romans, for that Metal alone, down to our Days. 
* Make choice of Iron which is apt to melt, and yet 
' hardj and yet which may eafily be wrought with the 
4 Hammer.* For although Iron, which is made of Vitri- 
olick Ore, may melt, yet it is foft, or fragil, or eager. 
} Let a Parcel of fuch Iron be heated red hot, and let 
* it be cut into fmall Pieces, and then be mixt with that 
4 fort of Stone which eafily melts ; then fet in the Smiths 
4 Forge or Harth, a Crucible,or Difti of Crucible Metal, 
< a Foot and a half broad,and a Foot deep,- fill the Difti 
4 • with good CharcoaUnd compafs the Difh about with 
4 loofe Stones,which may keep in the Mixture of Stone, 
* and Pieces of Iron put thereon. 
4 As (oon as the Coal is throughly kindled, and the 
« Difli is red hot, give the Blaft, and let the Workman 
* put on, by little and -little, all the Mixture of Iron and 
■ < Stone he purpofes. 
" 4 When it is melted, let him thruft into the middle of 
4 it 3 or 4, or more Pieces of Iron, and boil them there- 
4 in 5- or fix Hours, with a {harp Fire; and putting in 
4 his Rod, ftir often the melted Iron, that the Pieces of 
4 Iron may imbibe the fmallerParticlesof the melted Iron 3 
. 4 which Particles- confume and thin the more grofs Parti- 
4 cles of the Iron Pieces ; and are, as it were, a Ferment 
4 - to- them> and make them- tender,- 
* Let: 
