BOOK XXXIII. I. 3—II. 5

...generous as she is in all things for our benefit! The things that she has concealed and hidden underground, those that do not quickly come to birth, are the things that destroy us and drive us to the depths below; so that suddenly the mind soars aloft into the void and ponders what finally will be the end of draining her dry in all the ages, what will be the point to which avarice will penetrate. How innocent, how blissful, nay even how luxurious life might be, if it coveted nothing from any source but the surface of the earth, and, to speak briefly, nothing but what lies ready to her hand!

Gold.

II. Gold is dug out of the earth and in proximity to it gold-solder, which still retains in Greek a name a derived from gold, so as to make it appear more precious. It was not enough to have discovered one bane to plague life, without setting value even on the corrupt humors of gold! Avarice was seeking for silver, but counted it a gain to have discovered cinnabar b by the way, and devised a use to make of red earth. Alas for the prodigality of our inventiveness! In how many ways have we raised the prices of objects! The art of painting has come in addition, and we have made gold and silver dearer by means of engraving! Man has learnt to challenge nature in competition! The enticements of the vices have augmented even art: it has pleased us to engrave scenes of license upon our goblets, and to drink through the midst of obscenities. Afterwards these were flung aside and began to be held of no account, when there was an excess of gold and silver. Out of the same earth we dug supplies of fluor-spar c and crystal, things which their mere fragility rendered costly. It came to be deemed the proof

a Chrysocolla, "gold-solder." This is malachite, basic copper carbonate.
b See §§ 111 ff.
c Or possibly finest agate.