he rendered literally. It is a sad commentary on his countrymen that no correct German translation exists. The Italian translation is by Michelangelo Florio, and is by him dedicated to Elizabeth, Queen of England. The title page of the first edition is reproduced later on, and the full titles of other editions are given in the Appendix, together with the author's other works. The following are the short titles of the various editions of De Re Metallica, together with the name and place of the publisher:
Latin Editions.
| De | Re | Metallica, | Froben | .. | .. | Basel | Folio | 1556. |
| ” | ” | ” | ” | .. | .. | ” | ” | 1561. |
| ” | ” | ” | Ludwig | Konig | ” | ” | 1621. | |
| ” | ” | ” | Emanuel | Konig | ” | ” | 1657. |
In addition to these, Leupold,[1] Schmid,[2] and others mention an octavo edition, without illustrations, Schweinfurt, 1607. We have not been able to find a copy of this edition, and are not certain of its existence. The same catalogues also mention an octavo edition of De Re MetalUca, Wittenberg, 1612 or 1614, with notes by Joanne Sigfrido; but we believe this to be a confusion with Agricola's subsidiary works, which were published at this time and place, with such notes.
German Editions.
- Vom Bergkwerck, Froben, Folio, 1557.
- Bergwerck Buck, Sigmundi Feyrabendt, Frankfort-on-Main, folio, 1580.
- "" Ludwig Konig, Basel, folio, 1621.
There are other editions than these, mentioned by bibliographers, but we have been unable to confirm them in any library. The most reliable of such bibliographies, that of John Ferguson,[3] gives in addition to the above; Bergwerkbuch, Basel, 1657, folio, and Schweinfurt, 1687, octavo.
Italian Edition.
L'Arte de Metalli, Froben, Basel, folio, 1563.
Other Languages.
So far as we know, De Re Metallica was never actually published in other than Latin, German, and Italian. However, a portion of the accounts of the firm of Froben were published in 1881[4] , and therein is an entry under March, 1560, of a sum to one Leodigaris Grymaldo for some other work, and also for “correction of Agricola's De Re Metallica in French.” This may of course, be an error for the Italian edition, which appeared a little later. There is also mention[5] that a manuscript of De Re Metallica in Spanish was
- ↑ Jacob Leupold, Prodromus Bibliothecae Metallicae, 1732, p. n.
- ↑ F. A. Schmid, Georg Agrikola's Bermannus, Freiberg, 1806, p. 34.
- ↑ Bibliotheca Chemica, Glasgow, 1906, p. 10.
- ↑ Rechnungsbuch der Froben und Episcopius Buchdrucker und Buchhandler zu Basel, 1557-1564, published by R. Wackernagle, Basel, 1881, p. 20.
- ↑ Colecion del Sr Monoz t. 93, fol. 255 En la Acad. de la Hist. Madrid.
