Agricola, Georgius
,
De re metallica
,
1912/1950
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one yields an abundance of metals, it not only gives back to the owner the
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money he has spent, but also gives a profit besides; certainly there will
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be for him rich and profitable mining, if of the whole number, three, or four,
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or more veins should yield metal. </
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<
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>Very similar to this is the advice which
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Xenophon gave to the Athenians when they wished to prospect for new
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veins of silver without suffering loss. </
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>“There are,” he said, “ten tribes
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of Athenians; if, therefore, the State assigned an equal number of
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slaves to each tribe, and the tribes participated equally in all the new veins,
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undoubtedly by this method, if a rich vein of silver were found by one tribe,
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whatever profit were made from it would assuredly be shared by the whole
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number. </
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<
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>And if two, three, or four tribes, or even half the whole number
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find veins, their works would then become more profitable; and it is not
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“probable that the work of all the tribes will be disappointing”
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7
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Although
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this advice of Xenophon is full of prudence, there is no opportunity for it
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except in free and wealthy States; for those people who are under the
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authority of kings and princes, or are kept in subjection by tyranny, do not
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dare, without permission, to incur such expenditure; those who are endowed
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with little wealth and resources cannot do so on account of insufficient funds.
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<
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>Moreover, amongst our race it is not customary for Republics to have slaves
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whom they can hire out for the benefit of the people
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8
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; but, instead, now
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adays those who are in authority administer the funds for mining in the name
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of the State, not unlike private individuals.</
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