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. XI. How Touch-Needles are to be made and used for Crown-Gold.

[Section. 1] CROWN-Gold is not to be order'd like the former Additions: for the Italian Crowns have more Red than the French Crowns: so that it will be necessary to make to every sort of Gold particular Needles: for the French Crowns have almost the half part white, (or Silver addition) on the contrary, the Italian Crowns have their addition of one part white and two parts red (though they are not all alike, for some part have addi∣tion almost the half part white, and some parts more red then white:) therefore I will here set down the Division upon two parts red, and one part white; for, if the one sort of Gold should be whiter than the Nee∣dles (hereafter mentioned) then the half white and half red are to be used.

Weigh then to the first Needle, 24 carats of fine gold, which maketh the first Needle: to the Second, 23 carats and an half of gold, and two grains of white, or fine silver, and four grains of red, that is, pure boiled copper: to the Third, 23 carats of gold, and four grains of white; and eight grains of red: to the Fourth, 22 carats and an half of gold, and six grains of white, and one carat of red: to the Fifth, 22 carats of gold, and eight grains of white, and one carat, and four grains of red: to the Sixth, 21 carats and a half of gold, and ten grains of white, and one carat and eight grains of red: to the Seventh 21 carats of gold, and one carat of white,

and two carats of red: to the Eighth, 20 carats and a half of gold, and one carat and two grains of white, and two carats and four grains of red: to the Ninth, 20 carats of gold, and one carat and four grains of white, and two carats and eight grains of red: to the Tenth 19 carats and a half of gold, and one carat and six grains of white, and three carats of red.

[Section. 2] After this Method and Instruction one may divide the Needles more or less, so as they may decrease or increase from carat to carat as one pleases: These Needles are used not only upon the Crown or Coin'd gold, but also upon all other Gold, which is of such Allay, or have in them the Addition, after the above-mentioned Instructions.