PREFACE

to the difficulty of the subject matter. For it is very difficult to represent some stones through illustration original: "pingendo." Literally "by painting," but here referring to the woodcut illustrations in the book. in such a way that they may be easily recognized by their outlines outlines: original "lineamentis," referring to the specific physical contours and geometric features that distinguish one mineral from another. and their shape, especially without colors—since not even most birds and fish are easily recognized without them. For this reason, I have urged the Printer Printer: original "Typographus." In 1565, this likely refers to Christoph Froschauer the Younger of Zurich, who published the work. that, for the sake of those who might perhaps desire it, he should take care to have colors added to some copies.

There are some things which cannot be illustrated by themselves, but only with something added; for example, the Loadstone Loadstone: original "Magnes." A naturally magnetized piece of the mineral magnetite, famous in the Renaissance for its "occult" power to attract iron. shown as a shapeless mass with a needle painted next to it which it draws toward itself, or with iron filings which may be understood to have been applied with a file. Likewise, the Iris-stone original: "Iris." Most likely a reference to iridescent quartz or a similar gemstone that reflects a rainbow-like spectrum of light. could be shown if a heavenly rainbow were painted on a wall near it; or a pearl original: "vnio." A term used for a large, unique, and high-quality pearl. shown in its own shell.

But I have provided no such "accidental" pictures In the philosophical language of the time, "accidental" refers to depicting an object through its effects or its environment, rather than its own primary physical form., so to speak, except for the Loadstone, which I included as a specimen. There are also those things which can be illustrated and represented by their own color, which they themselves provide; we have appended a table of these at the end of the book, divided into several spaces, in each of which a different fossil object fossil: original "rei fossilis." As noted previously, this refers to anything "dug up," including ores and minerals. is painted—or can be painted—in its own color.