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To the illustrious duke of saxony and thuringia and misena prince of Maurice

To the illustrious duke of saxony and thuringia and misena prince of Maurice Page of 251 To the illustrious duke of saxony and thuringia and misena prince of Maurice Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
DEDICATION
3
Although our veins and mines do not produce all varieties of minerals I have attempted to discuss those minerals not found in Germany but in other parts of Europe and certain parts of Asia and Africa. In the discus­sion of these minerals learned men, traders and miners have been of great assistance to me. As a rule, in connection with each mineral, I shall men­tion the places where it has been found or is found today. It is well known that certain regions produce famous earths, others congealed juices, stones, gems, marbles and metals. Some of these substances lack names as pre­vious writers have not mentioned them and it will be necessary that I give them new names. As a rule I will give them Greek names as they cannot be named so aptly in Latin.
Most Illustrious Prince. I dedicate these books to you, in part because of the many favors you have bestowed upon me and for which I shall always be grateful, in part because the greatness of your name and repu­tation will give them added value. Actually your name adds greater honor to these books than any which might come to you through this association. If we consider birth, we see you having been born to that noble family which is one of the oldest and greatest of all Germany, second only in rank of nobility. If we consider favors of fortune, we see you abounding in riches and great and lasting power. You are known to be brave, strong of body, and with a stature becoming to the dignity of a Prince. Your strength of character is shown by the deep understanding with which you treat all people; by your manly courage and your burning zeal. You have become famous and renowned because of these attributes, praised by King Ferdinand and approved of, above all others, by The Most Invincible Emperor Charles. Your kingdom abounds in metals and, since we treat of metals in different sections of these books, it is most appropriate that they be dedicated to you.
In Misena silver, tin, copper, and iron are found; in Thuringia, near Sangerhausen, copper. Moreover Misena is so rich in silver that I need not mention any other metal to illustrate my point. Three hundred years ago the veins of Freiberg alone yielded enough silver annually to Prince Henry, who first annexed Thuringia to Misena, to purchase the kingdom of Bo­hemia. It was during his reign that a great tree was made from silver and set up near Northausen, Thuringia, not that anyone might sit beneath it as Xerxes once sat beneath a golden tree, but that its leaves, some of which were of gold and some of silver, could be given to nobles of all ranks who might come there to compete in tournaments. Golden leaves were given to those who unseated their opponents, silver leaves to those whose matches were a tie. There were no leaves for the unfortunate one who was unseated.
Garium, Misena, has been an esteemed producer of silver for one hun­dred and fifty years, Schneeberg for eighty-four years, Annaberg for forty-three years, and Marienberg for sixteen years. In recent years mines in the Joachimstal and Albertham valleys at the base of the Sudetes Mountains
To the illustrious duke of saxony and thuringia and misena prince of Maurice Page of 251 To the illustrious duke of saxony and thuringia and misena prince of Maurice
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