Agricola, Georgius
,
De re metallica
,
1912/1950
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31 - 60
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91 - 120
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151 - 180
181 - 210
211 - 240
241 - 270
271 - 300
301 - 330
331 - 360
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421 - 450
451 - 480
481 - 510
511 - 540
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571 - 600
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>Agricola seems to have been engaged in the preparation of
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De Re
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Metallica
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for a period of over twenty years, for we first hear of the book in a
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letter from Petrus Plateanus, a schoolmaster at Joachimsthal, to the great
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humanist, Erasmus,
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16
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in September, 1529. He says: “The scientific world
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will be still more indebted to Agricola when he brings to light the books
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De Re Metallica
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and other matters which he has on hand.” In the dedication
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of
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De Mensuris et Ponderibus
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(in 1533) Agricola states that he means to
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publish twelve books
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De Re Metallica,
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if he lives. </
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<
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>That the appearance of this
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work was eagerly anticipated is evidenced by a letter from George Fabricius
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to Valentine Hertel:
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17
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“With great excitement the books
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De Re Metallíca
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are being awaited. </
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>If he treats the material at hand with his usual zeal,
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he will win for himself glory such as no one in any of the fields of literature
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has attained for the last thousand years.” According to the dedication of
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De Veteríbus et Novis Metallís,
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Agricola in 1546 already looked forward to
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its early publication. </
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>The work was apparently finished in 1550, for the
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dedication to the Dukes Maurice and August of Saxony is dated in December of
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that year. </
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<
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>The eulogistic poem by his friend, George Fabricius, is dated in
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1551.</
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>The publication was apparently long delayed by the preparation of the
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woodcuts; and, according to Mathesius,
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18
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many sketches for them were
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prepared by Basilius Wefring. </
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<
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De Re Metallíca,
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Agricola
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does not mention who prepared the sketches, but does say: “I have hired
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illustrators to delineate their forms, lest descriptions which are conveyed
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by words should either not be understood by men of our own times, or
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should cause difficulty to posterity.” In 1553 the completed book was
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sent to Froben for publication, for a letter
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19
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from Fabricius to Meurer in
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March, 1553, announces its dispatch to the printer. </
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>An interesting letter
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20
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from the Elector Augustus to Agricola, dated January 18, 1555, reads:
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“Most learned, dear and faithful subject, whereas you have sent to the Press
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a Latin book of which the title is said to be
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De Rebus Metallícis,
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which has
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been praised to us and we should like to know the contents, it is our gracious
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command that you should get the book translated when you have the
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opportunity into German, and not let it be copied more than once or be
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printed, but keep it by you and send us a copy. </
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<
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>If you should need a
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writer for this purpose, we will provide one. </
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<
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>Thus you will fulfil our
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gracious behest.” The German translation was prepared by Philip Bechius,
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a Basel University Professor of Medicine and Philosophy. </
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<
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>It is a wretched
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work, by one who knew nothing of the science, and who more especially had no
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appreciation of the peculiar Latin terms coined by Agricola, most of which
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