ON THE MAGNET, BOOK I.

catchword: Others

is referred to by the name of the magnet, as Plato states. Recognized and commended by Plato in the Ion, by Nicander of Colophon, Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny, Solinus, Ptolemy, Galen, and other investigators of nature; yet they did not hand down any sufficient history of it, given the great variety and dissimilarity of magnets in hardness, softness, weight, lightness, density, firmness, or friable substance. In such a discrepancy of colors and multiplicity of qualities, this history was omitted or remained imperfect due to the injustice of time, because in olden days, various species of things and exotics not seen before were not brought by merchants and sailors as they are recently; now, throughout the entire world, all merchandise, stones, woods, aromatics, herbs, metals, and very many metallic things are eagerly sought. Nor was metallic matter so cultivated everywhere in the previous century. The difference comes from vigor, whether it is male or female: thus the ancients often distinguished many things within the same species. Pliny reports five kinds from Sotacus: from Ethiopia, Macedonia, Boeotia, the Troad, and Asia, which were primarily known to the ancients; but we establish as many kinds as there are regions of dissimilar lands in the whole of nature. For in all climates, in every province, in every soil, the magnet is either found, or it lies hidden and unknown due to deeper seats and obstructed recesses; or, because of weaker and obscure forces, it is not recognized by us while we see and handle it. The ancients made differences based on color: in Magnesia and Macedonia they are reddish and black; in Boeotia they are more reddish than black; in the Troad, black without power. In the Magnesia of Asia, they are white, do not attract iron, and are similar to pumice. A strong magnet, ennobled by experiments, frequently in this century bears the appearance of unrefined iron and is usually found in iron metals; sometimes it is also found continuous by itself. Such are sought from the East Indies, China, and Bengal—iron-colored, or dark blood-colored, or liver-colored; these are both most excellent and sometimes large, as if broken off from a great rock, and heavy; sometimes they are as if found by themselves and whole. Among them are those which, though weighing only one pound, can lift four ounces, or half a pound, or a whole pound of iron into the air. In Arabia are found reddish ones, broad in the manner of a tile, not of such weight as those brought from China, but strong and good. Slightly blacker ones are found in the island of Elba in the Tuscan sea, with which white ones are also born, such as some in Spain in the mines of Caravaca; but these are of less efficiency. There are also found black ones, which are also weaker, such as those in Norway in iron mines, and in maritime places near the Danish straits. In the black ones, those that are blue or dark blue are also powerful and commended.