Concerning The Ore Of Gold And Its Qualities In Detail.

BECAUSE gold is a compound mineral praised by philosophers and all wise men as being of the highest perfection among all mixed minerals, and because of its great beauty, it is the universal opinion that it possesses extraordinary powers which are beneficial to man. For this reason it is the thing esteemed most highly in this world, after living creatures. Hence, I, too, in order to honor it, wish to begin by speaking of it now rather than of any of the other metals, and I wish in particular to tell you of its generation and of its most obvious qualities, for, although it is a metal very widely known and one that is desired and sought after by all kinds of persons, I know of few who take the trouble to find out what its substance or natural form may be. But, in order that you too may not be one of those who know it only by name or by the appearance that it shows outwardly to us, I tell you that its original and peculiar materials are none other than elemental sub¬stances, with the quantity and quality of each proportioned equally one to the other and very finely purified. From this union of elements which are of equal force there is born a pleasing and perfect elemental mixture,* and then after fermentation and decoction the elements finally become