Agricola, Georgius, De re metallica, 1912/1950

Table of figures

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              undoubtedly the first work on mining geology, and in consequence we have spent some effort
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              in endeavour to find the date of its first appearance. </s>
              <s>Through the courtesy of M. Polain,
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              who has carefully examined for us the
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              Nützlich Bergbüchlein
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              described in Marie Pellechet's
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              Catalogue Général des Incunables des Bibliothèques Publiques de France,
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              5
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              we have ascertained
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              that it is similar as regards text and woodcuts to the Erfurt edition, 1527. This copy in the
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              Bibliothèque Nationale is without typographical indications, and M. </s>
              <s>Polain considers it
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              very possible that it is the original edition printed at the end of the fifteenth or begininng of
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              the sixteenth centuries. </s>
              <s>Mr. </s>
              <s>Bennett Brough,
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              6
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              quoting Hans von Dechen,
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              7
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              states that the
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              first edition was printed at Augsburg in 1505, no copy of which seems to be extant. </s>
              <s>The
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              Librarian at the School of Mines at Freiberg has kindly furnished us with the following notes
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              as to the titles of the copies in that Institution:—(1)
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              Eyn Wolgeordent und Nützlich Bergbüch­
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              lein,
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              etc., Worms, 1512
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              8
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              and 1518
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              9
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              (the place and date are written in); (2) the same as ours
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              (1527); (3) the same, Heinrich Steyner, Augsburg, 1534; (4) the same, 1539. On comparing
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              these various editions (to which may be added one probably published in Nürnberg by Fried­
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              rich Peypus in 1532
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              10
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              ) we find that they fall into two very distinct groups, characterised by
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              their contents and by two entirely different sets of woodcuts.</s>
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              <s>GROUP I.</s>
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              <s>
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              (a) Eyn Nützlich Bergbüchlein
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              (in
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              Bibl. </s>
              <s>Nat.,
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              Paris) before 1500 (?).</s>
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              <s>(
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              b
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              ) Ditto, Erfurt, 1527.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>GROUP II.</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>
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              (c) Wolgeordent Nützlich Bergbüchlein,
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              Worms, Peter Schöfern, 1512.</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>
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              (d) Wolgeordent Nützlich Bergbüchlein,
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              Worms, Peter Schöfern, 1518.</s>
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              <s>
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              (e) Bergbüchlin von Erkantnus der Berckwerck,
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              Nürnberg, undated, 1532 (?).</s>
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              <s>
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              (f) Bergwerckbuch & Probirbuch,
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              Christian Egenolph, Frankfurt-am-Meyn, 1533.</s>
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              <s>
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              (g) Wolgeordent Nützlich Bergbüchlein,
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              Augsburg, Heinrich Steyner, 1534.</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>
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              (h) Wolgeordent Nützlich Bergbüchlein,
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              Augsburg, Heinrich Steyner, 1539.</s>
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              <s>There are also others of later date toward the end of the sixteenth century.</s>
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            <p type="main">
              <s>The
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              Büchlein
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              of Group I. terminate after the short dialogue between Daniel and Knappius
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              with the words:
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              Mitt welchen das kleinspeissig ertz geschmeltzt soll werden;
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              whereas in those of
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              Group II. these words are followed by a short explanation of the signs used in the woodcuts,
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              and by directions for colouring the woodcuts, and in some cases by several pages containing
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              definitions of some 92 mining terms. </s>
              <s>In the editions of Group I. the woodcut on the title page
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              represents a miner hewing ore in a vein and two others working a windlass. </s>
              <s>In those of
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              Group II. the woodcut on the title page represents one miner hewing on the surface, another to
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              the right carting away ore in a handcart, and two others carrying between them a heavy
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              timber. </s>
              <s>In our opinion Group I. represents the older and original work of Calbus; but as we
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              have not seen the copy in the
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              Bibliothèque Nationale,
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              and the Augsburg edition of 1505 has only
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              so far been traced to Veith's catalogue,
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              11
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              the question of the first edition cannot be considered
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              settled at present. </s>
              <s>In any event, it appears that the material grafted on in the second group
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              was later, and by various authors.</s>
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              <s>The earliest books comprise ten chapters, in which Daniel delivers about 6,000 words
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              of instruction. </s>
              <s>The first four chapters are devoted to the description of veins and the origin
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              of the metals, of the remaining six chapters one each to silver, gold, tin, copper, iron,
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              lead, and quicksilver. </s>
              <s>Among the mining terms are explained the meaning of country rock
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              (
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              zechstein
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              ), hanging and footwalls (
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              hangends
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              and
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              liegends
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              ), the strike (
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              streichen
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              ), dip (
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              fallen
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              ),
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              and outcrop (
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              ausgehen
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              ). Of the latter two varieties are given, one of the “whole vein,”
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              the other of the
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              gesteins,
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              which may be the ore-shoot. </s>
              <s>Various veins are illustrated, and also
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              for the first time a mining compass. </s>
              <s>The account of the origin of the metals is a muddle
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              of the Peripatetics, the alchemists, and the astrologers, for which acknowledgment to Albertus
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              Magnus is given. </s>
              <s>They are represented to originate from quicksilver and sulphur through
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              heat, cold, dampness, and dryness, and are drawn out as exhalations through the veins, each
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              metal owing its origin to the special influence of some planet; the Moon for silver, Saturn for
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              lead, etc. </s>
              <s>Two types of veins are mentioned, “standing” (
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              stehendergang
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              ) and flat (
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              flach­
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              gang
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              ). Stringers are given the same characteristics as veins, but divided into hanging, foot­
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              wall, and other varieties. </s>
              <s>Prominence is also given to the
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              geschick
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              (selvage seams or joints?).
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              </s>
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