1the continuous flow of
sustained thought which others display, but the fact
that the writing of the work extended over a period of twenty years, suffic
iently explains the considerable variation in style. The technical descriptions
in the later books often take the form of House-that-Jack-built sentences
which have had to be at least partially broken up and the subject
occasionally re-introduced. Ambiguities were also sometimes found which it
was necessary to carry on into the translation. Despite these criticisms we
must, however, emphasize that Agricola was infinitely clearer in his style
than his contemporaries upon such subjects, or for that matter than his
successors in almost any language for a couple of centuries. All of the
illustrations and display letters of the original have been reproduced and
the type as closely approximates to the original as the printers have been
able to find in a modern font.
that the writing of the work extended over a period of twenty years, suffic
iently explains the considerable variation in style. The technical descriptions
in the later books often take the form of House-that-Jack-built sentences
which have had to be at least partially broken up and the subject
occasionally re-introduced. Ambiguities were also sometimes found which it
was necessary to carry on into the translation. Despite these criticisms we
must, however, emphasize that Agricola was infinitely clearer in his style
than his contemporaries upon such subjects, or for that matter than his
successors in almost any language for a couple of centuries. All of the
illustrations and display letters of the original have been reproduced and
the type as closely approximates to the original as the printers have been
able to find in a modern font.
There are no footnotes in the original text, and Mr.
Hoover is responsible
for them all. He has attempted in them to give not only such comment
as would tend to clarify the text, but also such information as we have
been able to discover with regard to the previous history of the subjects
mentioned. We have confined the historical notes to the time prior to
Agricola, because to have carried them down to date in the briefest manner
would have demanded very much more space than could be allowed. In the
examination of such technical and historical material one is appalled at the
flood of mis-information with regard to ancient arts and sciences which has
been let loose upon the world by the hands of non-technical translators and
commentators. At an early stage we considered that we must justify any
divergence of view from such authorities, but to limit the already alarming
volume of this work, we later felt compelled to eliminate most of such dis
cussion. When the half-dozen most important of the ancient works bearing
upon science have been translated by those of some scientific experience,
such questions will, no doubt, be properly settled.
for them all. He has attempted in them to give not only such comment
as would tend to clarify the text, but also such information as we have
been able to discover with regard to the previous history of the subjects
mentioned. We have confined the historical notes to the time prior to
Agricola, because to have carried them down to date in the briefest manner
would have demanded very much more space than could be allowed. In the
examination of such technical and historical material one is appalled at the
flood of mis-information with regard to ancient arts and sciences which has
been let loose upon the world by the hands of non-technical translators and
commentators. At an early stage we considered that we must justify any
divergence of view from such authorities, but to limit the already alarming
volume of this work, we later felt compelled to eliminate most of such dis
cussion. When the half-dozen most important of the ancient works bearing
upon science have been translated by those of some scientific experience,
such questions will, no doubt, be properly settled.
We need make no apologies for De Re
Metallíca.
During 180 years
it was not superseded as the text-book and guide to miners and metallurgists,
for until Schlüter's great work on metallurgy in 1738 it had no equal. That
it passed through some ten editions in three languages at a period when the
printing of such a volume was no ordinary undertaking, is in itself sufficient
evidence of the importance in which it was held, and is a record that no other
volume upon the same subjects has equalled since. A large proportion of the
technical data given by Agricola was either entirely new, or had not been
given previously with sufficient detail and explanation to have enabled a
worker in these arts himself to perform the operations without further guid
ance. Practically the whole of it must have been given from personal ex
perience and observation, for the scant library at his service can be appreci
ated from his own Preface. Considering the part which the metallic arts
have played in human history, the paucity of their literature down to
Agricola's time is amazing. No doubt the arts were jealously guarded by
their practitioners as a sort of stock-in-trade, and it is also probable that
those who had knowledge were not usually of a literary turn of mind; and,
it was not superseded as the text-book and guide to miners and metallurgists,
for until Schlüter's great work on metallurgy in 1738 it had no equal. That
it passed through some ten editions in three languages at a period when the
printing of such a volume was no ordinary undertaking, is in itself sufficient
evidence of the importance in which it was held, and is a record that no other
volume upon the same subjects has equalled since. A large proportion of the
technical data given by Agricola was either entirely new, or had not been
given previously with sufficient detail and explanation to have enabled a
worker in these arts himself to perform the operations without further guid
ance. Practically the whole of it must have been given from personal ex
perience and observation, for the scant library at his service can be appreci
ated from his own Preface. Considering the part which the metallic arts
have played in human history, the paucity of their literature down to
Agricola's time is amazing. No doubt the arts were jealously guarded by
their practitioners as a sort of stock-in-trade, and it is also probable that
those who had knowledge were not usually of a literary turn of mind; and,
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