1usual method of
delimiting a vein: as soon as the miner found metal, he
gave information to the Bergmeister and the tithe-gatherer, who either
proceeded personally from the town to the mountains, or sent thither men
of good repute, at least two in number, to inspect the metal-bearing vein.
Thereupon, if they thought it of sufficient importance to survey, the Bergmeister
again having gone forth on an appointed day, thus questioned him who first
found the vein, concerning the vein and the diggings: “Which is your
vein?” “Which digging carried metal?” Then the discoverer, pointing
his finger to his vein and diggings, indicated them, and next the Bergmeister
ordered him to approach the windlass and place two fingers of his right hand
upon his head, and swear this oath in a clear voice: “I swear by God and
all the Saints, and I call them all to witness, that this is my vein; and more
over if it is not mine, may neither this my head nor these my hands henceforth
perform their functions.” Then the Bergmeister, having started from the
centre of the windlass, proceeded to measure the vein with a cord, and to
give the measured portion to the discoverer,—in the first instance a half and
then three full measures; afterward one to the King or Prince, another to
his Consort, a third to the Master of the Horse, a fourth to the Cup-bearer,
a fifth to the Groom of the Chamber, a sixth to himself. Then, starting
from the other side of the windlass, he proceeded to measure the vein in a
similar manner. Thus the discoverer of the vein obtained the head-meer,
that is, seven single measures; but the King or Ruler, his Consort, the leading
dignitaries, and lastly, the Bergmeister, obtained two measures each, or two
ancient meers. This is the reason there are to be found at Freiberg in Meissen
so many shafts with so many intercommunications on a single vein—which are
to a great extent destroyed by age. If, however, the Bergmeíster had already
fixed the boundaries of the meers on one side of the shaft for the benefit of
some other discoverer, then for those dignitaries I have just mentioned,
as many meers as he was unable to award on that side he duplicated
on the other. But if on both sides of the shaft he had already defined the
boundaries of meers, he proceeded to measure out only that part of the
vein which remained free, and thus it sometimes happened that some of
those persons I have mentioned obtained no meer at all. To-day, though
that old-established custom is observed, the method of allotting the vein
and granting title has been changed. As I have explained above, the head
meer consists of three double measures, and each other meer of two
measures, and the Bergmeíster grants one each of the meers to him who
makes the first application. The King or Prince, since all metal is taxed, is
himself content with that, which is usually one-tenth.
gave information to the Bergmeister and the tithe-gatherer, who either
proceeded personally from the town to the mountains, or sent thither men
of good repute, at least two in number, to inspect the metal-bearing vein.
Thereupon, if they thought it of sufficient importance to survey, the Bergmeister
again having gone forth on an appointed day, thus questioned him who first
found the vein, concerning the vein and the diggings: “Which is your
vein?” “Which digging carried metal?” Then the discoverer, pointing
his finger to his vein and diggings, indicated them, and next the Bergmeister
ordered him to approach the windlass and place two fingers of his right hand
upon his head, and swear this oath in a clear voice: “I swear by God and
all the Saints, and I call them all to witness, that this is my vein; and more
over if it is not mine, may neither this my head nor these my hands henceforth
perform their functions.” Then the Bergmeister, having started from the
centre of the windlass, proceeded to measure the vein with a cord, and to
give the measured portion to the discoverer,—in the first instance a half and
then three full measures; afterward one to the King or Prince, another to
his Consort, a third to the Master of the Horse, a fourth to the Cup-bearer,
a fifth to the Groom of the Chamber, a sixth to himself. Then, starting
from the other side of the windlass, he proceeded to measure the vein in a
similar manner. Thus the discoverer of the vein obtained the head-meer,
that is, seven single measures; but the King or Ruler, his Consort, the leading
dignitaries, and lastly, the Bergmeister, obtained two measures each, or two
ancient meers. This is the reason there are to be found at Freiberg in Meissen
so many shafts with so many intercommunications on a single vein—which are
to a great extent destroyed by age. If, however, the Bergmeíster had already
fixed the boundaries of the meers on one side of the shaft for the benefit of
some other discoverer, then for those dignitaries I have just mentioned,
as many meers as he was unable to award on that side he duplicated
on the other. But if on both sides of the shaft he had already defined the
boundaries of meers, he proceeded to measure out only that part of the
vein which remained free, and thus it sometimes happened that some of
those persons I have mentioned obtained no meer at all. To-day, though
that old-established custom is observed, the method of allotting the vein
and granting title has been changed. As I have explained above, the head
meer consists of three double measures, and each other meer of two
measures, and the Bergmeíster grants one each of the meers to him who
makes the first application. The King or Prince, since all metal is taxed, is
himself content with that, which is usually one-tenth.