ON THE NATURAL

PRINCIPLES

OF THIS ART. CHAPTER

First.

There is no doubt that this art has true principles, since nature itself forms metallic bodies from minerals. Whence Aristotle, in the fourth book of the Metheororum Meteorology, where he distinguishes mineral bodies into stones, sulfurs, and salts. And some of these are rare, some superb, and some of them are ductile, and some are not. And what are their reasons, and the causes of their generation, is evident in the same place. Therefore, it is not necessary to say more about them here.

How many are the parts of minerals.

Chapter II.

Mineral bodies are distinguished especially into two parts, namely into the metallic part and the mineral part. Into the metallic part, that is, into metals which derive their origin from Mercury. And into the mineral part, which does not derive its origin from Mercury. Examples of metals are gold, Moon silver, Mercury, Jupiter tin, Mars iron, Saturn lead, and electrum. Examples of minerals are