Brief Introduction to the

Following Five Books.

Where the art of assaying comes from, and what it is useful for.

Assaying is a truly wonderful, old, and useful art, invented long ago through alchemy, as were all other works involving fire. Through this [art], one can learn and experience not only the nature of every ore and mining product and what metals it contains, [and] their true quality—that is, how much a hundredweight of the same holds in greater or lesser weight—but this art also teaches how to investigate every metal in itself, whether an additive is present, what and how much that might be, and then how the metals [can be] separated and cleaned from such mixture or additive, or from other incorporated metals in many ways, and finally how they are to be judged as fine, pure, and free of all additives. Therefore, this art is very useful for miners who seek mines and wish to obtain profit from them, and they should endeavor, above all things, to learn it and practice it, so that they can create benefit for themselves and others and prevent loss.

Then, through the aforementioned art of assaying and the resulting benefit, many fine, powerful mines have been opened that otherwise would have remained hidden, many cities and towns built, land and people increased, brought to prosperity and maintained, and great important trades and businesses with gold, silver, copper, and other metals driven here and there in the lands, and commerce has increased. Just as, in the same way, in minting operations where money is made out of gold and silver, assaying is, alongside the sharp-witted calculations belonging thereto, by no means to be dispensed with, but is of the highest necessity.

What an assayer can expect from it.

Thus, all those who have applied themselves to assaying and have pursued it thoroughly and diligently have earned not only great thanks from princes and lords, but also from notable communities.