TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS
AND MOST MIGHTY DUKES OF
Saxony, Landgraves of Thuringia, Margraves of Meissen,
Imperial Overlords of Saxony, Burgraves of Altenberg
and Magdeburg, Counts of Brena, Lords of
Pleissnerland, To MAURICE Grand Marshall
and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire
and to his brother AUGUSTUS,1
AND MOST MIGHTY DUKES OF
Saxony, Landgraves of Thuringia, Margraves of Meissen,
Imperial Overlords of Saxony, Burgraves of Altenberg
and Magdeburg, Counts of Brena, Lords of
Pleissnerland, To MAURICE Grand Marshall
and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire
and to his brother AUGUSTUS,1
GEORGE AGRICOLA S. D.
Most illustrious Princes, often have I considered
the metallic arts as a whole, as Moderatus Columella2
considered the agricultural arts, just as if I
had been considering the whole of the human
body; and when I had perceived the various parts
of the subject, like so many members of the body,
I became afraid that I might die before I should
understand its full extent, much less before I
could immortalise it in writing. This book
itself indicates the length and breadth of the subject, and the number
and importance of the sciences of which at least some little knowledge
is necessary to miners. Indeed, the subject of mining is a very extenÂ
sive one, and one very difficult to explain; no part of it is fully dealt
with by the Greek and Latin authors whose works survive; and since
the art is one of the most ancient, the most necessary and the most profitable
to mankind, I considered that I ought not to neglect it. Without doubt,
none of the arts is older than agriculture, but that of the metals is not
less ancient; in fact they are at least equal and coeval, for no mortal man ever
tilled a field without implements. In truth, in all the works of agriculÂ
ture, as in the other arts, implements are used which are made from metals,
or which could not be made without the use of metals; for this reason
the metals are of the greatest necessity to man. When an art is so poor that
it lacks metals, it is not of much importance, for nothing is made without
tools. Besides, of all ways whereby great wealth is acquired by good and
honest means, none is more advantageous than mining; for although from
fields which are well tilled (not to mention other things) we derive rich yields,
yet we obtain richer products from mines; in fact, one mine is often much
more beneficial to us than many fields. For this reason we learn from the
history of nearly all ages that very many men have been made rich by the
the metallic arts as a whole, as Moderatus Columella2
considered the agricultural arts, just as if I
had been considering the whole of the human
body; and when I had perceived the various parts
of the subject, like so many members of the body,
I became afraid that I might die before I should
understand its full extent, much less before I
could immortalise it in writing. This book
itself indicates the length and breadth of the subject, and the number
and importance of the sciences of which at least some little knowledge
is necessary to miners. Indeed, the subject of mining is a very extenÂ
sive one, and one very difficult to explain; no part of it is fully dealt
with by the Greek and Latin authors whose works survive; and since
the art is one of the most ancient, the most necessary and the most profitable
to mankind, I considered that I ought not to neglect it. Without doubt,
none of the arts is older than agriculture, but that of the metals is not
less ancient; in fact they are at least equal and coeval, for no mortal man ever
tilled a field without implements. In truth, in all the works of agriculÂ
ture, as in the other arts, implements are used which are made from metals,
or which could not be made without the use of metals; for this reason
the metals are of the greatest necessity to man. When an art is so poor that
it lacks metals, it is not of much importance, for nothing is made without
tools. Besides, of all ways whereby great wealth is acquired by good and
honest means, none is more advantageous than mining; for although from
fields which are well tilled (not to mention other things) we derive rich yields,
yet we obtain richer products from mines; in fact, one mine is often much
more beneficial to us than many fields. For this reason we learn from the
history of nearly all ages that very many men have been made rich by the
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