BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.
For the following we have mainly to thank Miss Kathleen Schlesinger, who has been
employed many months in following up every clue, and although the results display
very considerable literary activity on the part of the author, they do not by any means
indicate Miss Schlesinger' s labours. Agricola' s works were many of them published at
various times in combination, and therefore to set out the title and the publication of each
work separately would involve much repetition of titles, and we consequently give the titles
of the various volumes arranged according to dates. For instance,
De Natura Fossilium, De
Ortu et Causis, De Veteribus et Novis Metallis, De Natura eorum quae Effluunt ex Terra,
and
Interpretatio
have always been published together, and the Latin and Italian editions of
these works always include
Bermannus
as well. Moreover, the Latin
De Re Metallica
of
1657 includes all of these works.
We mark with an asterisk the titles to editions which we have been able to authen−
ticate by various means from actual books. Those unmarked are editions which we are
satisfied do exist, but the titles of which are possibly incomplete, as they are taken from
library catalogues, etc. Other editions to which we find reference and of which we are not
certain are noted separately in the discussion later on. 3
*1530 (8vo).
Georgii Agricolae Medici, Bermannus sive de re Metallica.
(Froben' s mark).
Basileae in aedibus Frobenianis Anno.
MDXXX.
Bound with this edition is (p. 131−135), at least occasionally,
Rerum metallicarum
appellationes juxta vernaculam Germanorum linguam, autori Plateano.
Basileae in officina Frobeniana,
Anno. MDXXX.
*1533 (8vo):
Georgii Agricolae Medici libri quinque de Mensuris et Ponderibus: in quibus plaeraque
à Budaeo et Portio parum animadversa diligenter excutiuntur. Opus nunc primum in lucem
aeditum.
(Wechelus' s Mark).
1
816
Parisiis. Excudebat Christianus Wechelus, in vico Iacobaeo, sub scuto Basileiensi, Anno
MDXXXIII.
261 pages and index of 5 pages.
*1621 (folio):
Georgii Agricolae Kempuicensis Medici ac Philosophi Clariss. De Re Metallica Libri XII
Quibus Officia, Instrumenta, Machinae, ac omnia denique ad metallicam spectantia, non modo
Luculentissimè describuntur; sed et per effigies, suis locis insertas adjunctis Latinis. German−
icisque; appellationibus, ita ob oculos ponuntur, ut clarius tradi non possiut.
Ejusdem De Animantibus Subterrancis Liber, ab Autore recognitus cum Indicibus diversis
quicquid in Opere tractatum est, pulchrè demonstrantibus.
(Vignette of man at assay furnace).
Basileae Helvet. Sumptibus itemque typis chalcographicis Ludovici Regis Anno
MDCXXI.
502 pages and 58 pages glossary and mdices.
*1621 (folio):
Bergwerck Buch Darinnen nicht allein alle Empter Instrument Gezeug und alles so zu
disem Handel gehörig mit Figuren vorgchildet und klärlich beschrieben: . . . . Durch
den Hochgelehrten und weitberühmten Herrn Georgium Agricolam, der Artzney Doctorn und
Burgermeister der Churfürstlichen Statt Kemnitz Erstlich mit grossem fleiss mühe und arbeit in
Latein beschrieben und in zwölss Bücher abgetheilt: Nachmals aber durch den Achtbarn und
auch Hochgelehrten Philippum Bechium. Philosophen, Artzt, und in der loblichen Universitet zu
Basel Professorn mit sonderm fleiss Teutscher Nation zu gut verteutscht und an Tag geben und
nun zum andern mal getruckt.
Allen Bergherrn Gewercken Bergmeistern Geschwornen Schichtmeistern Steigern
Berghäwern Wäschern unnd Schmeltzern nicht allein nutzlich und dienstlich sondern auch zu
wissen hochnohtwendig.
(Vignette of man at assay furnace).
Getruckt zu Basel inverlegung Ludwig Königs Im Jahr,
MDCXXI.
491 pages 5 pages glossaryno index.
*1657 (folio):
Georgii Agricolae Kempnicensis Medici ac Philosophi Clariss. De Re Metallica Libri
1
824
XII. Quibus Officia, instrumenta, machinae, ac omnia denique ad metallicam spectantia, non
modo luculentissimè describuntur: sed et per effigies, suis locis insertas, adjunctis Latinis,
Germanicisque appellationibus, ita ob oculos ponuntur, ut clarius tradi non possint. Quibus
accesserunt hac ultima editione, Tractatus ejusdem argumenti, ab eodem conscripti, sequentes.
De Animantibus Subterraneis Lib. I., De Ortu et Causis Subterraneorum Lib. V., De
Natura eorum quae effluunt ex Terra Lib. IV., De Natura Fossilium Lib. X., De Veteribus et
Novis Metallis Lib. II., Bermannus sive de Re Metallica, Dialogus Lib. I.
Cum Indicibus diversis, quicquid in Opere tractatum est, pulchrè demonstrantibus.
(Vignette of assayer and furnace).
Basileae Sumptibus et Typis Emanuelis König. Anno
MDCLVII.
Folio, 708 pages and 90 pages of glossary and indices. This is a very serviceable
edition of all of Agricola' s important works, and so far as we have noticed there are but few
typographical errors.
*1778 (8vo):
Gespräch vom Bergwesen, wegen seiner Fürtrefflich keit aus dem Lateinischen in das
Deutsche übersetzet, mit nützl. Anmerkungen erläutert. u. mit einem ganz neuen Zusatze von
Zlüglicher Anstellung des Bergbaues u. von der Zugutemachung der Erze auf den Hüttenwerken
versehen von Johann Gottlieb Stör.
Rotenburg a. d. Fulda, Hermstädt
1778. 180 pages.
*1806 (8vo):
Georg Agricola' s Bermannus eine Einleitung in die metallurgischen Schriften desselben,
übersetzt und mit Exkursionen herausgegeben von Friedrich August Schmid. Haushalts−und
Befahrungs−Protokollist im Churf. vereinigten Bergamte zu St. Annaberg.
Freyberg 1806. Bey Craz und Gerlach.
*1807−12 (8vo):
Georg Agrikola' s Mineralogische Schriften übersetzt und mit erläuternden Anmerkungen.
Begleitet von Ernst Lehmann Bergamts−Assessor, Berg−Gegen−und Receszschreiber in Dem
1
825
Königl. Sächs. Bergamte Voigtsberg der jenaischen Societät für die gesammte Mineralogie
Ehrenmitgliede.
Freyberg, 1807−12. Bey Craz und Gerlach.
This German translation consists of four parts: the first being
De Ortu et Causis,
the second
De Natura eorum quae effluunt ex terra,
and the third in two volumes
De Natura
Fossilium,
the fourth
De Veteribus et Novis Metallis;
with glossary and index to the four
parts.
We give the following notes on other possible prints, as a great many references to the
above works occur in various quarters, of date other than the above. Unless otherwise
convinced it is our belief that most of these refer to the prints given above, and are due to
error in giving titles or dates. It is always possible that such prints do exist and have escaped
our search.
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826
De Re Metallica.
Leupold, Richter, Schmid, van der Linden, Mercklinus and Eloy
give an 8vo edition of
De Re Metallica
without illustrations, Schweinfurt, 1607. We have
found no trace of this print. Leupold, van der Linden, Richter, Schmid and Eloy mention
an 8vo edition, Wittenberg, 1614. It is our belief that this refers to the 1612 Wittenberg
edition of the selected works, which contains a somewhat similar title referring in reality
to
Bermannus,
which was and is still continually confused with
De Re Metallica.
Ferguson
mentions a German edition, Schweinfurt, 8vo, 1687. We can find no trace of this; it may
refer to the 1607 Schweinfurt edition mentioned above.
De Natura Fossilium.
Leupold and Gatter refer to a folio edition of 1550. This was
probably an error for either the 1546 or the 1558 editions. Watt refers to an edition of 1561
combined with
De Medicatis Fonlibus.
We find no trace of such edition, nor even that the
latter work was ever actually printed. He also refers to an edition of 1614 and one of 1621,
this probably being an error for the 1612 edition of the subsidiary works and the
De Re
Metallica
of 1621. Leupold also refers to an edition of 1622, this probably being an error for
1612.
De Ortu et Causis.
Albinus, Hofmann, Jacobi, Schmid, Richter, and Reuss mention
an edition of 1544. This we believe to be an error in giving the date of the dedication instead
of that of the publication (1546). Albinus and Ferguson give an edition of 1555, which date
is, we believe, an error for 1558. Ferguson gives an edition of the Italian translation as
1559; we believe this should be 1550. Draud gives an edition of 1621; probably this
should be 1612.
Bermannus.
Albinus, Schmid, Reuss, Richter, and Weinart give the first edition as
1528. We have been unable to learn of any actual copy of that date, and it is our belief that
the date is taken from the dedication instead of from the publication, and should be 1530.
Leupold, Schmid, and Reuss give an edition by Froben in 1549; we have been unable to
confirm this. Leupold also gives an edition of 1550 (folio), and Jöcher gives an edition of
Geneva 1561 (folio); we have also been unable to find this, and believe the latter to be a
confusion with the
De Re Metallica
of 1561, as it is unlikely that
Bermannus
would be pub−
lished by itself in folio. The catalogue of the library at Siena (Vol. III., p. 78) gives
Il
Bermanno, Vinegia,
1550, 8vo. We have found no trace of this edition elsewhere.
De Mensuris et Ponderibus.
Albinus and Schmid mention an edition of 1539, and one
of 1550. The Biographie Universelle, Paris, gives one of 1553, and Leupold one of 1714, all
of which we have been unable to find. An epitome of this work was published at various
times, sometimes in connection with editions of Vitruvius; so far as we are aware on the
following dates, 1552, 1585, 1586, 1829. There also appear extracts in relation to liquid
measures in works entitled
Vocabula rei numariae ponderum et mensurarum,
etc. Paul Eber
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827
and Caspar Peucer,
Lipsiae,
1549, and in same Wittenberg, 1552.
De Veteribus et Novis Metallis.
Watt gives an edition, Basel, 1530, and Paris, 1541;
we believe this is incorrect and refers to
Bermannus.
Reuss mentions a folio print of Basel,
1550. We consider this very unlikely.
De Natura eorum quae Effluunt ex Terra.
Albinus, Hofmann, Schmid, Jacobi,
Richter, Reuss, and Weinart give an edition of 1545. We believe this is again the dedication
instead of the publication date (1546).
De Animantibus Subterraneis.
Van der Linden gives an edition at Schweinfurt,
8vo, 1607. Although we have been unable to find a copy, this slightly confirms the
possibility of an octavo edition of
De Re Metallica
of this date, as they were usually published
together. Leupold gives assurance that he handled an octavo edition of Wittenberg, 1612,
cum notis Johann Sigfridi.
We think he confused this with
Bermannus sive de re metallica
of that date and place. Schmid, Richter, and Draud all refer to an edition similarly annotated,
Leipzig, 1613, 8vo. We have no trace of it otherwise.
UNPUBLISHED WORKS ON SUBJECTS RELATED TO MINING.
Agricola apparently projected a complete series of works covering the whole range of
subjects relating to minerals: geology, mineralogy, mining, metallurgy, history of metals,
their uses, laws, etc. In a letter 5 from Fabricius to Meurer (March, 1553), the former states
that Agricola intended writing about 30 books (chapters) in addition to those already pub−
lished, and to the twelve books
De Re Metallica
which he was about to publish. Apparently
a number of these works were either unfinished or unpublished at Agricola' s death, for his
friend George Fabricius seems to have made some effort to secure their publication, but did
not succeed, through lack of sympathy on the part of Agricola' s family. Hofmann 6 states on
this matter: "His intentions were frustrated mainly through the lack of support with which
he was met by the heirs of the Mineralogist. These, as he complains to a Councillor of the
Electorate, Christopher von Carlovitz, in 1556, and to Paul Eber in another letter, adopted
a grudging and ungracious tone with regard to his proposal to collect all Agricola' s works
left behind, and they only consented to communicate to him as much as they were obliged
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828
by express command of the Prince. At the Prince' s command they showed him a little,
but he supposed that there was much more that they had suppressed or not preserved.
The attempt to purchase some of the worksthe Elector had given Fabricius money for
the purpose (30 nummos unciales)proved unavailing, owing to the disagreeableness of
Agricola' s heirs. It is no doubt due to these regrettable circumstances that all the works
of the industrious scholar did not come down to us." The "disagreeableness" was pro−
bably due to the refusal of the Protestant townsfolk to allow the burial of Agricola in the
Cathedral at Chemnitz. So far as we know the following are the unpublished or lost works.
De Jure et Legibus Metallicis.
This work on mining law is mentioned at the end of
Book IV. of
De Re Metallica,
and it is referred to by others apparently from that source. We
have been unable to find any evidence that it was ever published.
De Varia temperie sive Constitutione Aeris.
In a letter 7 to Johann Naevius, Agricola
refers to having a work in hand of this title.
De Metallis et Machinis.
Hofmann 8 states that a work of this title by Agricola, dated
Basel 1543, was sold to someone in America by a Frankfort−on−Main bookseller in 1896.
This is apparently the only reference to it that we know of, and it is possibly a confusion of
titles or a "separate" of some chapters from
De Re Metallica.
De Ortu Metallorum Defensio ad Jacobum Scheckium.
Referred to by Fabricius in a
letter 9 to Meurer. If published was probably only a tract.
De Terrae Motu.
In a letter 10 from Agricola to Meurer (Jan. 1, 1544) is some reference
which might indicate that he was formulating a work on earthquakes under this title, or
perhaps may be only incidental to the portions of
De Ortu et Causis
dealing with this subject.
Commentariorum in quibus utriusque linguae scriptorum locos difficiles de rebus
subterraneis explicat, Libri VI.
Agricola apparently partially completed a work under some
such title as this, which was to embrace chapters entitled
De Methodis
and
De Demonstratione.
The main object seems to have been a commentary on the terms and passages in the classics
relating to mining, mineralogy, etc. It is mentioned in the Preface of
De Veteribus et Novis
Metallis,
and in a letter 11 from one of Froben' s firm to Agricola in 1548, where it is suggested
that Agricola should defer sending his new commentaries until the following spring. The
work is mentioned by Albinus 12 , and in a letter from Georg Fabricius to Meurer on the 2nd
Jan. 1548, 13 in another from G. Fabricius, to his brother Andreas on Oct. 28, 1555, 14 and in
a third from Fabricius to Melanchthon on December 8th, 1555 15 , in which regret is expressed
that the work was not completed by Agricola.