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[Section. 1] GRAINING of Silver is done for the most part when bad, broken or other forbid∣den Money (coyned in Hand) that the same may be all melted together and af∣terwards to Assay it, and to fit it for bet∣ter coining, that also the bad Money may be rooted out of it: this is to be done thus; When there is much of it to be granulated, then must there first be a furnishing of necessary Instruments, viz. Crucibles
and Wind-Ovens, that one may easily granulate a great quantity of Silver in Plate or coin, and when you have all Necessaries, then set the crucible empty into the wind-oven, a good hand-breadth higher than the grate, and cover it with an Iron▪ cover, cover the crucible all over with coals and ashes, and upon them live coals, let the fire kindle from above downwards, then you need not fear, that it will be crack'd (as it happens sometimes [Section. 2] when it is set in a suddain heat) and when the crucible hath been set thus in the fire, and that the fire hath vvell kindled downwards, so that the crucible is red hot all over, then uncover it, and see if it is yet vvhole, and hath no crack, vvhich is soon seen in the glovving heat, then put in the Silver that hath been first vveighed in the cru∣cible, and cover it, put coals over it, and give it a strong heat, that the Silver may sink, then may you put more Silver, if you have it into the crucible, and give it fire again, that it may sink, and also follovv it vvith the Sil∣ver, until the crucible be full, vvhen that is done, then give it fire enough, so long till the Silver in the cruci∣ble begins to drive, and when thou seest it drive then throw upon the Silver (in the Crucible) coal-dust, or Ashes that the Silver may be covered with it all over; stirr it well about with a glowing hot iron hook, and af∣terwards with a small warm Crucible take the Silver out of the greater Crucible, and pour it in cold vvater.
[Section. 3] If you vvill have round Grains, then pour the Silver through a vvet Broom, but if you vvill have your Sil∣ver hollow and thin for separation then stir the vvater vvith a stick vvell about and pour the silver into the boyling vvater, so vvill it become hollovv and thin, or granulate it over a Role, (vvhich being half in and half out, the water vvill run about, so will it be hollow, after it is granulated; then pour the water off from the Grains, and dry them in a Copper bason over the fire.
[Section. 4] But if there be many to be melted and granulated; the Crucible is to be set likewise into the wind Oven, and first kindle the fire by degrees, that it grow warm, that you may see if the Crucible doth remain whole, because if the same in the first kindling doth remain whole, it will hold well in melting, provided the first be well tended, so that the Crucible may not stand naked, but that it may have a like heat, because the place that is left naked the cold doth work upon it, and in that part doth easily break, therefore it is necessary to put the coals sometimes down about the Crucible with an iron Instrument, that the Crucible may by preserv'd, and when the Crucible is glowing warm and whole, then put with an iron Instru∣ment (which is made purposely for it) the old Silver therein, that the Crucible may be heap'd full, and put the cover upon it, and afterwards coals, and give it convenient heat, and the Silver will easily sink down, and still go on in putting in Money so long till the Cru∣cible be full with the melted stuff, and then give it a strong fire or two, that it may be fully hot in the Cru∣cible, and when you see that it doth cast a black Scum upon the Crucible (which scum you must take off with a Scummer full of holes, and let it be cold) then sift it through a fine hair seeve, that the grains of Silver which have been taken (with the scummer) out of the Cruci∣ble may be put to the other Grains; keeping the black dust that falls through the hair Seeve, because there is yet silver in it, which afterwards you may make to pro∣fit; when you have taken all the scum from the Cruci∣ble, then cast again some clean coal-dust upon it, give it fire once more, that it may be very warm, and drive it, if it be not so, then the contents of the grains comes not alike, and it happens sometimes, that that which is not alike must be granulated again, which can not be done without loss, therefore be carefull at the first, and
do not hasten too much with it, so when it is full hot in the Crucible, then may it in the same manner (as hath been taught above) be taken out of the Crucible, and be cast through a wet Broom (which hath not many small twigs) into the water, or, if there be much to be cast, then have two Brooms to cast through, that the one after the other may be dipt into the water, this is the common way of granulating, and it is the best vvay to do it, by vvhich the grains have an equal content, and near finely round.
For what the Graining of Silver is profitable.
Why the Crucible so easily breaks
To granu∣late the Sil∣ver round.
Waltzen.
How to go∣vern the fire.