Fleta minor the laws of art and nature, in knowing, judging, assaying, fining, refining and inlarging the bodies of confin'd metals : in two parts : the first contains assays of Lazarus Erckern, chief prover, or assay-master general of the empire of Germany, in V. books, orinally written by him in the Teutonick language and now translated into English ; the second contains essays on metallick words, as a dictionary to many pleasing discourses, by Sir John Pettus ... ; illustrated with 44 sculptures.

CHAP. X. How the white Touch Needles are to be made.

[Section. 1] TO all Touch Needles for Gold you shall take pure and fine Gold, although such can be as little demonstrated as fine Sil∣ver, and I judge such Gold to be pure and fine, which is cast and diligently blowed off, and afterwards beaten thin, and by Cement and other ways cleansed (of which here∣after) now you are to weigh such Gold off: (for Nee∣dles) with a singular Carat-weight, which must be a lit∣tle more than a common Carat weight, and to every one must be allowed, as followeth.

[Section. 2] Weigh to the first Needle 24 Carats of fine Gold, which maketh the first Needle: to the Second, weigh 23 Carats and a half of fine Gold, and a half Carat, or six Grains of white fine Silver: to the Third, 23 Carats of fine Gold, and one Carat of white: to the Fourth, 22 Carats and a half of Gold, and one Carat and a half of White: to the Fifth, 22 Carats of Gold, and two Carats of White: to the Sixt, 21 Carats of Gold, and two Carats and a half of White: to the Seventh, 21 Carats of Gold, and three Carats of White: to the

Eigth, 20 Carats and a half of Gold, and three Carats and a half of White: to the Ninth, 20 Carats of Gold, and four Carats of White: to the Tenth, 19 Carats and a half of Gold, and four Carats and a half of White: to the Eleventh, 19 Carats of Gold, and five Carats of White: to the Twelfth, 18 Carats and a half of Gold, and five Carats and a half of White: to the Thirteenth, 18 Carats of Gold, and six Carats of White: to the Fourteenth, 17 Carats and an half of Gold, and six Carats and an half of White: to the Fifteenth, 17 Carats of Gold, and seven Carats of White: to the Sixteenth, 16 Carats and a half of Gold, and seven Carats and an half of White: to the Seven∣teenth, 16 Carats of Gold, and eight Carats of White: to the Eighteenth, 15 Carats and an half of Gold, and eight Carats and an half of White: to the Nineteenth, 15 Carats of Gold, and nine Carats of White: to the Twentieth, 14 Carats and an half of Gold, and nine Ca∣rats and an half of White: to the One and Twentieth, 14 Carats of Gold, and ten Carats of White: to the Two and twentieth, 13 Carats and a half of Gold, and ten Carats and a half of White: to the Three and Twen∣tieth, 13 carats of Gold, and 11 carats of White: to the Four and Twentieth Needle, 12 carats and an half of Gold, and eleven carats and an half of White.

[Section. 3] One must also according to this Method make the Needles: yet further, if one would do it well (but it is not useful) to touch the meaner Gold under twelve carats: or one might make the Needles from carat to carat, so that the half carats are not brought in, for they are very difficult to be discerned) but the Nee∣dles will be fewer in number: this now is left to every ones pleasure: and these white Needles are to be used upon the parted and washed Gold, as abovesaid.