A DISCOVERY OF SUBTERRANEALL TREASURE, VIZ. OF ALL MANNER OF MINES AND MINERALLS, FROM THE GOLD TO THE COALE. AND ALSO THE ART OF MELTING, REFINING, AND ASSAYING OF THEM IS PLAINLY DECLARED, ALSO A PERFECT WAY TO TRY WHAT COLOUR ANY BERRY, LEAFE, FLOWER, STALKE, ROOT, FRUIT, SEED, BARKE, OR WOOD WILL GIVE WITH A PERFECT WAY TO MAKE COLOURS THAT THEY SHALL NOT STAYNE NOR FADE LIKE ORDINARY COLOURS

London, England: I (John) Okes, for Jasper Emory, 1639. First Edition. Pamphlet. Good. First book on Metallurgy in English. LACKS TITLE. Quarto. (6 3/4" x 5 1/2"). Disbound with leather remnants of spine. Woodcut initials and decorations. Our copy missing first unsigned signature : 4to: B-I , K² [$3 signed]; 34 leaves, pp. [8] 1-60 (ESTC Citation S100866. STC Citation 20000). Light browning to pages and trimming. One or two words underlined, and several corresponding manuscript marginalia - very scholarly citations, arguably, in 17th century hand. Some ancillary alternate hand numbering of higher (page?) numbers to top right corners, perhaps cross referencing information on the few hand-marked pages to another work. Doodles and ciphers in several hands to verso of last blank, but the dominant mark is a large elegant signature and note: "Jane Reynolds, her Hand & Pen; and [possibly], She will be Good." with "Jane", "Platt" and "Jane" below. Upside down, are ciphering perhaps in the same 17th century hand: "Rec'd. of George" followed by a column of (six rows of) figures.

Included are chapters on the creation of mountains and minerals; how to find them; melting and refining of metals; Tinns & Lead; Iron; Copper; Silver; Gold; The Art of Creating Gold; Inferiour Metals; Finding Pit-Coales; Determining what plants will yield which colours. "Contains some interesting notices of the gold and silver mines in Peru, New England, Virginia, the Bermudas, and other parts of America. The author gives a receipt by which he claims to have produced pure gold, but at a cost greater than its value."

This is the first practical guide in English on identifying economic minerals and metallurgy. It is an interesting treatise, containing a wealth of factual information, illustrated by the author's own experiments. Mention is made of the gold and silver mines in New England, Virginia and the Bermudas, as well as other parts of America (Sabin 63360); (USTC 3020588). Missing Title Page. Rare first edition of what has been called the first book on metallurgy in English. Gabriel Plattes (1600-1644) wrote several works, one on matters of agriculture and husbandry ("Treatise of Husbandry", 1638) and this one on minerals and mining, which went through several successive editions. It is said that he "possessed a knowledge of contemporary agricultural and mining practices [and] is possible that he had been employed with his friend William Englebert, a military and drainage engineer" (ODNB), to whom Platte's first two books are dedicated ("TO HIS WORTHY FRIENDMASTER William Englebert Esquire. Health, and Happinesse Temporall and Eternall, is heartily wished" (Leaf B).

In distinguishing this book from a previous work, Platt writes (B3): "...wishing all those that desire to be skilfull in these affairs; to take a little paines to read that Booke, which differeth from this no other wayes, but as the Art of Surgery differeth from the Art of Physicke: for as surgeons deale chiefly with the externall parts of mans body, yet stand in need of the knowledge of all the parts, and as Physitians chiefly deale with the internall parts, yet cannot be without the knowledge of the externall parts: So though that Bookie treate wholly upon the discovering of the Treasures hidden in the Superficies and exurball parts of the Terrestrial Globe, yet the knowledge of many things therein contained are very conducible to make a skilfull Mineralist..."

Platte's work was largely ignored during his lifetime, but gained in stature, alas, after he had literally collapsed and died of starvation on the streets of London. It is said he refused economic help when profferred. His papers found their way into the hands of Samuel Hartlib who published one particular work, of fantasy, "Description of the Famous Kingdom of Macaria" under his own name. It was later discovered that the work was by Platte, and was rightfully attributed.

(Notes, in part, from The Mineralogical Record, out of Tucson, Arizona).