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TO the first Instrick (by which you must understand the first Schicht, work or operation which a Master with his Ser∣vant can smelt in 8 or 9 hours) they do take 30 centners of rich or good Copper and fresh lead, which comes from Crac∣caw,
of which a centner contains near one loth of Sil∣ver) 110 centners: in all 140 centners of Copper and lead: out of which work will come 40 pieces, this being put out of the former Crucible into a copper pan, there will come upon one piece of rich and good Cop∣per, three quarters of a centner▪ of fresh lead, two and three quarters of a centner: And every Smelter must ob∣serve, That the Addition of every piece come only to one piece, and that the piece may be cast equal, that to the whole work may not come more or less pieces than were weighed to it before (as above is signified) the slacks are afterwards to be drawn clean off, out of the foremost Crucible, and smelted again in the Oven, and out of this will come slack-lead, and the centner will con∣tain one loth.
[Section. 2] But the above-said 40 pieces are to be assay'd so that alwayes five pieces be set upon the Assay-Oven, and the lead which flows out of it (being in a hole) is af∣terwards to be cast into little copper pans, and the Centner of the same lead (according as the copper is rich) will com∣monly contain 2, to 2 loths and a half of Silver; and that which remains upon the Assay-Oven is called Keinstocks (which are pieces yet undry'd or unroasted, and what falleth down from the Assay-Oven, and between the roast-Oven are called Thornels, of which Thornels they do weigh 80 or near 100 pounds.
[Section. 3] These Thornels are thus to be made to profit; Take 20 Centners of them from the Assay-Oven, and 20 centners from the roast-Oven, and 40 centners of hard lead, and Litarge, of each sort half; (in the whole 8 Cent∣ners) out of this there will come from the Work 20 pieces: and there will come upon one piece 2 Centners of Thornels, and 2 centners of hard lead and Litarge, for it must be thus distributed upon the pieces, and the slacks upon the foremost Crucible must be drawn off
clear, these are to be smelted apart, and out thereof will come the slacks of lead.
[Section. 4] Afterwards 5 pieces of these 20 pieces of Thornels are alwayes to be set upon an Assay-Oven, and assay the lead of it, of which a centner will contain near 2 loths of Silver, and the Keinstocks will remain above, and what falleth down betwixt the Oven is (called, as is said, Thornels) and they do weigh near 8 pounds, as above is mentioned.
[Section. 5] To the second Inlay, by which you must understand the second Work) the Additions are to be made thus, they do take rich or good broken Copper, 20 centners and 20 centners of Thornels from the separating and roast Oven, one with another, and 20 centners of Litarge, (in the whole 60 centners) out of this comes 40 pieces, so there is to each piece half a centner of good Copper, and half a centner of Thornels, and half a centner of Litarge, and these are to be set (as before) always 5 pieces upon a separating Oven, and assay'd, and the Lead of it is to be cast into little copper pans, and the centner will contain 3 and a quarter, to 3 loths and a half of Silver, and the Keinstocks will remain in the separating Oven, and the Thornels fall down: Now, this is not used in the com∣mon work, but only when rich Copper is to be taken to [Section. 6] the work, or the store doth increase.
To the third Work you must understand the third measure, which is called Rich putting in: the Additions are to be made thus, Take 30 Centners of rich and good Copper, and of the Thornels of Lead, 120 centners (in the whole 150. centners) then smelt all through the Oven, and draw the slacks clean off, and of these will come 40 pieces, and of one piece will come three quar∣ters of a Centner of Copper, and three Centners of Lead, and these 40 pieces are to be assayed, and every time set 5 pieces on a separating Oven, and the Centner of this
lead will contain near 3, and three and a half loths, and of this there will also come Keinstocks and Thornels like as of the second Work.
[Section. 7] But to this third Work or Inlay, To one piece is to be taken a quarter of a Centner more of lead than to the first; the reason is, because to the first there hath been added Crackaw lead, which hath contained Silver: se∣condly, because it is Copper: and thirdly, That so the rich works in the lead (which in the working are become Coppery) may also be included.
Keinstocks.
Thornells.
The first In∣lay.
The second Inlay.
The Third Inlay upon rich Copper.