All mettals receiue their beginning of quicksiluer and sulphur, which
are as mother and father to them. And such is the purpose of nature in
their generations: that she tendeth alwaies to the procreation of
gold, neuerthelesse she sildome reacheth vnto that hir end, bicause of
the vnequall mixture and proportion of these two in the substance
ingendered, whereby impediment and corruption is induced, which as it
is more or lesse, dooth shew it selfe in the mettall that is
producted. First of all therefore the substance of sulphur and
quicksiluer being mixed in due proportion, after long and temperate
decoction in the bowels of the earth, orderlie ingrossed and fixed,
becommeth gold, which Encelius dooth call the sunne and right heire of
nature: but if it swarue but a little (saith he) in the commixtion and
other circumstances, then dooth it product siluer the daughter, not so
noble a child as gold hir brother, which among mettall is worthilie
called the cheefe. Contrariwise, the substances of the aforesaid
parents mixed without proportion, and lesse digested and fixed in the
entrailes of the earth, whereby the radicall moisture becommeth
combustible and not of force to indure heat and hammer, dooth either
turne into tin, lead, copper, or iron, which were the first mettals
knowne in time past vnto antiquitie, although that in these daies
there are diuerse other, whereof neither they nor our alchumists had
euer anie knowledge. Of these therfore which are reputed among the
third sort, we here in England haue our parts, and as I call them to
mind, so will I intreat of them, and with such breuitie as may serue
[Sidenote: Gold.]
[Sidenote: Siluer.]
the turne, and yet not altogither omit to saie somewhat of gold and
siluer also, bicause I find by good experience how it was not said of
old time without great reason, that all countries haue need of
Britaine, and Britaine it selfe of none. For truelie if a man regard
such necessities as nature onelie requireth, there is no nation vnder
the sunne, that can saie so much as ours: sith we doo want none that
are conuenient for vs. Wherefore if it be a benefit to haue anie gold
at all, we are not void of some, neither likewise of siluer:
whatsoeuer Cicero affirmeth to the contrarie, Lib. 4. ad Atticum epi.
16. in whose time they were not found, "Britannici belli exitus (saith
he) expectatur, constat enim aditus insulæ esse munitos mirificis
molibus: etiam illud iam cognitum est, neque argenti scrupulum esse
vllum in illa insula, neque vllam spem prædæ nisi ex mancipijs, ex
quibus nullos puto te litteris aut musicis eruditos expectare." And
albeit that we haue no such abundance of these (as some other
countries doo yéeld) yet haue my rich countrimen store inough of both
in their pursses, where in time past they were woont to haue least,
bicause the garnishing of our churches, tabernacles, images, shrines
and apparell of the préests consumed the greatest part, as experience
hath confirmed.
Of late my countriemen haue found out I wot not what voiage into the
west Indies, from whence they haue brought some gold, whereby our
countrie is inriched: but of all that euer aduentured into those
parts, none haue sped better than sir Francis Drake whose successe
1582 hath far passed euen his owne expectation. One Iohn Frobisher in
like maner attempting to séeke out a shorter cut by the northerlie
regions into the peaceable sea and kingdome of Cathaie, happened 1577
vpon certeine Ilands by the waie, wherein great plentie of much gold
appeared, and so much that some letted not to giue out for certeintie,
that Salomon had his gold from thence, wherewith he builded the
temple. This golden shew made him so desirous also of like successe,
that he left off his former voiage, & returned home to bring news of
such things as he had seene. But when after another voiage it was
found to be but drosse, he gaue ouer both the enterprises, and now
keepeth home without anie desire at all to séeke into farre countries.
In truth, such was the plentie of ore there séene and to be had, that
if it had holden perfect, might haue furnished all the world with
abundance of that mettall; the iorneie also was short and performed in
foure or fiue moneths, which was a notable incouragement. But to
proceed.
[Sidenote: Tin.]
[Sidenote: Lead.]
Tin and lead, mettals which Strabo noteth in his time to be carried
vnto Marsilis from hence, as Diodorus also confirmeth, are verie
plentifull with vs, the one in Cornewall, Deuonshire (& else-where in
the north) the other in Darbishire, Weredale, and sundrie places of
this Iland; whereby my countriemen doo reape no small commoditie, but
especiallie our pewterers, who in time past imploied the vse of pewter
onelie vpon dishes, pots, and a few other trifles for seruice here at
home, whereas now they are growne vnto such exquisit cunning, that
they can in maner imitate by infusion anie forme or fashion of cup,
dish, salt, bowle, or goblet, which is made by goldsmiths craft,
though they be neuer so curious, exquisite, and artificiallie forged.
Such furniture of houshold of this mettall, as we commonlie call by
the name of vessell, is sold vsuallie by the garnish, which dooth
conteine twelue platters, twelue dishes, twelue saucers, and those are
either of siluer fashion, or else with brode or narrow brims, and
bought by the pound, which is now valued at six or seuen pence, or
peraduenture at eight pence. Of porringers, pots, and other like I
speake not, albeit that in the making of all these things there is
such exquisite diligence vsed, I meane for the mixture of the mettall
and true making of this commoditie (by reason of sharpe laws prouided
in that behalfe) as the like is not to be found in any other trade. I
haue béene also informed that it consisteth of a composition, which
hath thirtie pounds of kettle brasse to a thousand pounds of tin,
whervnto they ad thrée or foure pounds of tinglasse: but as too much
of this dooth make the stuffe brickle, so the more the brasse be, the
better is the pewter, and more profitable vnto him that dooth buie and
purchase the same. But to proceed.
In some places beyond the sea a garnish of good flat English pewter of
an ordinarie making (I saie flat, bicause dishes and platters in my
time begin to be made déepe like basons, and are indéed more
conuenient both for sawce, broth, and kéeping the meat warme) is
estéemed almost so pretious, as the like number of vessels that are
made of fine siluer, and in maner no lesse desired amongst the great
estates, whose workmen are nothing so skilfull in that trade as ours,
neither their mettall so good, nor plentie so great, as we haue here
in England. The Romans made excellent looking glasses of our English
tin, howbeit our workemen were not then so exquisite in that feat as
the Brundusiens: wherefore the wrought mettall was carried ouer vnto
them by waie of merchandize, and verie highlie were those glasses
estéemed of till siluer came generallie in place, which in the end
brought the tin into such contempt, that in manner euerie dishwasher
refused to looke in other than siluer glasses for the attiring of hir
head. Howbeit the making of siluer glasses had béene in vse before
Britaine was knowne vnto the Romans, for I read that one Praxiteles
deuised them in the yoong time of Pompeie, which was before the
comming of Cæsar into this Iland.
There were mines of lead sometimes also in Wales, which indured so
long till the people had consumed all their wood by melting of the
same (as they did also at Comeristwith six miles from Stradfleur) and
I suppose that in Plinies time the abundance of lead (whereof he
speaketh) was to be found in those parts, in the seauentéenth of his
thirtie fourth booke: also he affirmeth that it laie in the verie
swart of the earth, and dailie gotten in such plentie, that the Romans
made a restraint of the cariage thereof to Rome, limiting how much
should yearelie be wrought and transported ouer the sea. And here by
the waie it is worthie to be noted, of a crow which a miner of tin,
dwelling néere Comeristwith (as Leland saith) had made so tame, that
it would dailie flie and follow him to his worke and other places
where soeuer he happened to trauell. This labourer working on a time
in the bottome or vallie, where the first mine was knowne to be, did
laie his pursse and girdle by him, as men commonlie doo that addresse
themselues to applie their businesse earnestlie, and he himselfe also
had vsed from time to time before. The crow likewise was verie busie
flittering about him, and so much molested him, that he waxed angrie
with the bird, & in his furie threatened to wring off his necke, if he
might once get him into his hands; to be short, in the end the crow,
hastilie caught vp his girdle and pursse, and made awaie withall so
fast as hir wings could carrie hir. Héerevpon the poore man falling
into great agonie (for he feared to lose peraduenture all his monie)
threw downe his mattocke at aduenture and ran after the bird, curssing
and menacing that he should lose his life if euer he got him againe:
but as it fell out, the crow was the means whereby his life was saued,
for he had not béene long out of the mine, yer it fell downe and
killed all his fellowes. If I should take vpon me to discourse and
search out the cause of the thus dealing of this bird at large, I
should peraduenture set my selfe further into the briers than well
find which waie to come out againe: yet am I persuaded, that the crow
was Gods instrument herein, wherby the life of this poore labourer was
preserued. It was doone also in an other order than that which I read
of another tame crow, kept vp by a shoomaker of Dutch land in his shop
or stoue: who séeing the same to sit vpon the pearch among his shoone,
verie heauilie and drousie, said vnto the bird: What aileth my iacke,
whie art thou sad and pensiue? The crow hearing his maister speake
after this sort vnto him, answered (or else the diuell within him) out
of the psalter: "Cogitaui dies antiquos & æternos in mente habui." But
whither am I digressed, from lead vnto crowes, & from crowes vnto
diuels? Certes it is now high time to returne vnto our mettals, and
resume the tractation of such things as I had earst in hand.
[Sidenote: Iron.]
Iron is found in manie places, as in Sussex, Kent, Weredale, Mendip,
Walshall, as also in Shropshire, but chéeflie in the woods betwixt
Beluos and Willocke or Wicberie néere Manchester, and elsewhere in
Wales. Of which mines diuerse doo bring foorth so fine and good
stuffe, as anie that commeth from beyond the sea, beside the infinit
gaines to the owners, if we would so accept it, or bestow a little
more cost in the refining of it. It is also of such toughnesse, that
it yéeldeth to the making of claricord wire in some places of the
realme. Neuerthelesse, it was better cheape with vs when strangers
onelie brought it hither: for it is our qualitie when we get anie
commoditie, to vse it with extremitie towards our owne nation, after
we haue once found the meanes to shut out forreners from the bringing
in of the like. It breedeth in like manner great expense and waste of
wood, as dooth the making of our pots and table vessell of glasse,
wherein is much losse sith it is so quicklie broken; and yet (as I
thinke) easie to be made tougher, if our alchumists could once find
the true birth or production of the red man, whose mixture would
induce a metallicall toughnesse vnto it, whereby it should abide the
hammer.
[Sidenote: Copper.]
Copper is latelie not found, but rather restored againe to light. For
I haue read of copper to haue béene heretofore gotten in our Iland;
howbeit as strangers haue most commonly the gouernance of our mines,
so they hitherto make small gains of this in hand in the north parts:
for (as I am informed) the profit dooth verie hardlie counteruaile the
charges; whereat wise men doo not a litle maruell, considering the
abundance which that mine dooth séeme to offer, and as it were at
hand. Leland our countrieman noteth sundrie great likelihoods of
naturall copper mines to be eastwards, as betwéene Dudman and
Trewardth in the sea cliffes, beside other places, whereof diuerse are
noted here and there in sundrie places of this booke alreadie, and
therefore it shall be but in vaine to repeat them here againe: as for
that which is gotten out of the marchasite, I speake not of it, sith
it is not incident to my purpose. In Dorsetshire also a copper mine
latelie found is brought to good perfection.
[Sidenote: Stéele.]
As for our stéele, it is not so good for edge-tooles as that of
Colaine, and yet the one is often sold for the other, and like tale
vsed in both, that is to saie, thirtie gads to the sheffe, and twelue
sheffes to the burden. Our alchumie is artificiall, and thereof our
spoones and some salts are commonlie made, and preferred before our
pewter with some, albeit in truth it be much subiect to corruption,
putrifaction, more heauie and foule to handle than our pewter; yet
some ignorant persons affirme it to be a mettall more naturall, and
the verie same which Encelius calleth _Plumbum cinereum_, the Germans,
wisemute, mithan, & counterfeie, adding, that where it groweth, siluer
can not be farre off. Neuerthelesse it is knowne to be a mixture of
brasse, lead, and tin (of which this latter occupieth the one halfe)
but after another proportion than is vsed in pewter. But alas I am
persuaded that neither the old Arabians, nor new alchumists of our
time did euer heare of it, albeit that the name thereof doo séeme to
come out of their forge. For the common sort indeed doo call it
alchumie, an vnwholsome mettall (God wot) and woorthie to be banished
and driuen out of the land. And thus I conclude with this discourse,
as hauing no more to saie of the mettals of my countrie, except I
should talke of brasse, bell mettall, and such as are brought ouer for
merchandize from other countries: and yet I can not but saie that
there is some brasse found also in England, but so small is the
quantitie, that it is not greatlie to be estéemed or accounted of.