f 35 )

she Aft of Smelting has undergone frontTime to Time, and to tell you how it hasteen transmitted front one Nation to ano-ther ; but this as an undoubted Fact, mustbe allowed by all, that the Germans, formore than three Centuries past, with anunwearied Study, and with the utmost Dili-gence, have applied themselves to this Art;and what Improvements have been madetherein, especially in the Space of theselast Hundred Years, evidently appearfrom their Writings, which shews they havefar exceeded every Thing, that has beetsperform’d by those of all other Nations puttogether. In other Places, Smelting hasbeen Only periodical ; and Van Helmont,was not mistaken, when he said, GrœciiantumAlj>habetarii,respeSiuqueGermanorunt1 ghari, quiequid c uetere$ de re Metailicdedidere. *

It is a received Opinion in History, thatthe Romans smelted Ores in this Kingdom*particularly in North Wales, which is found-ed upon the Slags, which are sometimesdigged out of the Hillocks here ; but theftthese Slags are Demonstrations of theirtlnskilfullness in the Art of Smelting.

But, let us return to later Times, andexamine the' Tliftoria Metallurgies t 0 r theTraditions concerning Smelting; these giveus to understand, that, putting aside theG 2 Age

* Trass (it. 'de Lithia/t, Chap.viii,