Agricola, Georgius, De re metallica, 1912/1950

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    <archimedes>
      <text>
        <body>
          <chap>
            <p type="main">
              <s>
                <pb pagenum="28"/>
              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. </s>
              <s>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. </s>
              <s>“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. </s>
              <s>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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              </s>
              <s>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.</s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
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