UC-NRLF 
 


THE 
 
 DISCOVERIE AND HISTORIE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 in 
 
 BY STEPHEN ATKINSON: 
 
 & 
 
 WRITTEN IN THE YEAK M.DC.XIX. 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 
 PRINTED BY JAMES BALLANTYNE AND CO. 
 M.DCCC.XXV. 
 
53V 
 
PRESENTED 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PRESIDENT, VICE-PRESIDENT, 
 AND MEMBERS OF 
 
 Cfce ^annatgne Club, 
 
 BY 
 
 GILBERT LAING MEASON. 
 
 F28S73 
 
THE BANNATYNE CLUB, 
 
 MDCCCXXV. 
 
 SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. 
 
 THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM ADAM, LORD CHIEF 
 
 COMMISSIONER OF THE JURY COURT. 
 SIR WILLIAM ARBUTHNOT, BART. 
 JAMES BALLANTYNE, ESQ. 
 SIR WILLIAM MACLEOD BANNATYNE. 
 ROBERT BELL, ESQ. 
 WILLIAM BLAIR, ESQ. 
 GEORGE CHALMERS, ESQ. 
 HONOURABLE JOHN CLERK, LORD ELDIN. 
 HENRY COCKBURN, ESQ. 
 ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE, ESQ. 
 DAVID CONSTABLE, ESQ. 
 J. T. GIBSON CRAIG. ESQ. 
 ROBERT DUNDAS, ESQ. 
 ROBERT GRAHAM, ESQ. 
 HENRY JARDINE, ESQ. 
 THOMAS KINNEAR, ESQ. 
 DAVID LAING, ESQ. 
 REVEREND DR JOHN LEE. 
 JAMES MAIDMENT, ESQ. 
 THOMAS MAITLAND, ESQ. 
 GILBERT LAING MEASON, ESQ. 
 
 THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF MINTO. 
 JOHN ARCHIBALD MURRAY, ESQ. 
 ROBERT PITCAIRN, ESQ. 
 
2 
 
 THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR SAMUEL SHEPHERD, LORD 
 
 CHIEF BARON OF SCOTLAND. 
 ANDREW SKENE, ESQ. 
 JAMES SKENE, ESQ. 
 GEORGE SMYTHE, ESQ. 
 
 THOMAS THOMSON, ESQ. VICE-PRESIDENT. 
 PATRICK FRASER TYTLER, ESQ. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ANY notices of Stephen Atkinson, the author of this 
 treatise, are derived from the work itself. He was a 
 native of London, 1 bred up by his uncle, and served 
 an apprenticeship to Mr Francis Tiver, a refiner of 
 gold and silver. He was admitted a " Finer" in the 
 Tower of London about the year 1586, and afterwards 
 engaged in refining silver in Devonshire from lead 
 brought from Ireland. He tells us he was taught his 
 mining skill " by Mr B. B. an ingenious gent. ;" spent 
 his " golden time" in different shires in England and 
 
 1 Bishop Nicolson calls him " Thomas Atkinson, an Englishman, who was 
 assay master of the Mint at Edinburgh in the beginning of King James the 
 Sixth's reign." Mr Gough and Mr George Chalmers have fallen into a similar 
 error, in calling him " John Atcheson," who was probably the father of Tho- 
 mas Atcheson, and his predecessor as " Master Cunzeor." While our Atkinson 
 was refining ore from a silver mine in Scotland at the Tower of London, Thomas 
 Arhieson, " Maister of the Cunzie-house,"was officially employed in Edinburgh. 
 
11 
 
 Wales ; and was two years in Ireland with Sir Bevis 
 Bulmer, who died in his debt ^340, having left him 
 there " much in debt for him." Sir Bevis, the ancient 
 hero of the contiguous mining villages of Lead- Hills 
 and Wanlock-Head, was probably the cause of leading 
 poor Atkinson astray from his refining business to 
 explore gold mines in Scotland and Ireland. 
 
 Atkinson gives us the date of his work, 1619 ; but it 
 appears by a grant of the Privy Council, anno 1616,' 
 confirmed by King James the First, that he obtained 
 leave to search for gold and silver in Crawford Moor 
 on paying to the King one-tenth of the metals found. 
 It is probable that he either wanted money, or was 
 unsuccessful in his mining operations. Hence he 
 wrote this treatise, evidently in the view of its being 
 read by the King, whose character he had well scan- 
 ned. " The sayings of two Philosophers in King Jo- 
 sina's reign, one of his Majesty's progenitors ; prophe- 
 cies fulfilling in his Royal person;" the Book of Genesis; 
 the authority of Job in metallurgy ; Charles the Fifth, 
 and King David, are all brought forward to encourage 
 his Majesty, " in respect of the wonderful resemblances 
 
 1 See Appendix, No. VI. 
 
HI 
 
 which many of his Majesty's gracious deeds have with 
 the doings of the prophet David and Solomon the 
 wisest." The resemblances of " his sacred Majesty or 
 Prince Charles" to King David (five in number) are, 
 with one exception, on religious " deeds." That ex- 
 ception is, " the opening of the secrets of the earth, 
 the gold Mines of Scotland, to make his Majesty the 
 richest Monarch in Europe, yea, in all the world." 
 This measure was to be accomplished only by " his 
 Majesty's Plott," communicated in an audience to Sir 
 Bevis, " to move twenty-four gentlemen of England, 
 of sufficient land, to disburst 3300 each," by creating 
 them "for ever Knights of the Golden My nes, or Golden 
 Knights;" a truly notable device, worthy of King 
 James. But his Majesty had expended ^3000 on the 
 gold Mines of Crawford Moor, and had obtained not 
 quite 3 oz. of gold. 1 Atkinson made no impression on 
 the Monarch, for in the year 1621, a lease was granted 
 to John Hendlie, physician, for twenty -one years, of 
 the gold mines in the mining districts of Lead-Hills 
 and Wanlock-Head, which " hes bene thir divers zeiris 
 
 1 Laing's Hist, of Scotland, Vol. III. p. 56, from State Business MS. 
 
IV 
 
 bygane neglectit." 1 Yet unproductive as the gold 
 works had been to the crown, the extent to which 
 they had been carried on, over a great district of that 
 country, is truly surprising. 
 
 As early as 1526 a company of Germans obtained a 
 grant from James V. for 43 years, of the gold and silver 
 mines in Scotland, with very extensive privileges. 1 By 
 a grant of James VI. in 1593, the gold, silver, lead, &c. 
 mines in Crawford, or Friar Moor, and Glengonnar, 
 are given to Thomas Foullis, goldsmith in Edinburgh, 
 for 21 years, in consideration of the great sums due to 
 him by his Majesty and " his dearest spouse." 3 The 
 King, it appears, 3 was due to Foullis =^?1 4,594, and his 
 Majesty pledged in security " twa drinking peceis of 
 gold, weyand in the haill fyftene pundis and fyue 
 uncis." Foullis worked the lead mines to some extent 
 
 1 See Appendix, No. VII. 
 
 ' Acta Dominorum Concilii, Jul. 19, 1526 Amongst the notices of the 
 gold mines during the early part of the 16th century the following occurs : 
 
 " CRAWFUBD MURE. 
 
 " Item, deliverit to my Lord Postulat of the Ylis for to pas to Craufurd 
 Mure, and thare to set werkmen and mak ordinance for the gold myne to gud 
 compt, in ane hundredth crownes of wecht, .... xxxx li." 
 In the account of James Bishop of Murray, Treasurer, about 1515. 
 3 Acta Seer. Cone. 21st Jan. 1593. 4 Ibid. 10th Sept. 1594. 
 
in 1597, as there are acts of Council in that year for 
 the protection of his lead carriers against " broken 
 men of the bordouris." 1 
 
 About the year 1607, when the silver mine of Hilder- 
 ston, near Linlithgow, was discovered, "the most flatter- 
 ing expectations were excited." 2 The King's advocate, 
 Sir Thomas Hamilton of Bynnie, or Byres, was pro- 
 prietor of the land, but his Majesty took formal pos- 
 session of the mine, and appointed commissioners to 
 raise and send ore to the Mint in London to have its 
 value assayed. By an Act of Council in that year, Sir 
 Bevis Bulmer and five " otheris were empowered to go 
 to that silver myne laitlie discoverit by our advocat," 
 accompanied by Sir John Arnot, Deputy- Treasurer, 
 and Thomas Achieson, Master of the Mint, there to 
 raise ten tons of the various ores and metals, which 
 were to be sent to England to be assayed. These very 
 ten tons of " red mettle" were refined by Atkinson 
 himself in the Tower of London. 3 
 
 1 Atkinson makes no mention of the Lead-veins in the vicinity of Lead- Hills, 
 which had been discovered and worked long before his time. Some original 
 Leases of the Lead-mines, dated in the year 1565, are preserved in the General 
 Register House. See Appendix, No. IV. 
 
 " Laing's Hist, of Scotland. J See page 50. 
 
VI 
 
 In 1608 Sir Bevis Buhner was appointed, by patent, 
 " maister and surveyair of the earth werkis of the lait 
 discoverit silver rayne ;" ! and the mine was worked by 
 the Crown for three years under his direction. But 
 in 1613, Sir William Alexander, Thomas Foullis, and 
 Paulo Pinto, a Portuguese, got a grant of the mine of 
 Hilderston on paying a tenth of the refined ore. 2 
 
 What quantity of silver was raised by the Crown 
 from this mine cannot now be discovered ; the expenses 
 are detailed in the Appendix, No. V. 3 
 
 The manuscript from which this work is printed, 
 consisting of fifty leaves in folio, written in a contem- 
 porary hand, had belonged to Colonel Borthwick, by 
 whom, in the year 1683, it was given to Sir Eobert 
 Sibbald, at the time he was collecting materials for his 
 projected " Atlas of Scotland." After Sir Robert's 
 death it was purchased along with his other MSS. for 
 the Advocates' Library. Another copy, in a more 
 
 1 Regist. Mag. Sig. 25th April 1608, and Acta Seer. Cone. 5th May 1608. 
 
 1 Acta Seer. Cone. 17th March 1613. 
 
 3 We find in the records of the Priry Council, that in 1591 " fourecoir stane 
 weight of gold," and again, in the same year, two hundred weight of gold, were 
 ordered to be coined, hut it does not appear where the gold was got. Of silver, 
 21 1 stones were ordered to be recoined by the Act of 7th James VI., anno 1581. 
 
Vll 
 
 modern hand, is in the British Museum (Harl. MSS. 
 No. 4621). Of various other transcripts and excerpts of 
 this work, one or two copies were lately met with in 
 the village of Lead-Hills. But the most accurate of 
 all these abstracts is one which is contained in a quarto 
 volume of " papers and informations in order to the 
 description of Scotland," collected by Sir Robert Sib- 
 bald, and afterwards transcribed into the more volumi- 
 nous collections of Macfarlane of Macfarlane. 
 
 G. L. M. 
 
 EDINBURGH, 
 DECEMBER M.DCCC.XXV. 
 
THE DISCOVERIE AND HISTOBIE 
 
 OF THE MYNES IN SCOTLAND.. 
 
 IT is the manner of such as desire to seeke for natural 1 gold or silver Prepara- 
 out of God's treasury-house, to witt the Earth, wherein all sorts of 
 earth, meneralls, or menerall stones are hy God placed, before profitt 8^- 
 can bee raised thereof, First, to use the arte of delving with the sodd i. 
 spade, next the wheele barrowe, or hand barrowe, to carry away the 
 same earth so gotten, into serviceable places : Then to digg the next g. 
 ground under that sodd so gotten with a mattocke, picke, or towbill ; 
 next a shovill to throw that earth so gotten into a serviceable and con- 
 venient place, neere unto the buddle where the same earth must be 
 rendled or washed : And then the iron raake or scratch to cull and de- 3. 
 vide the great stones for that sorte or bedd of earth affacesed, with 
 which greate stones and sodds serviceable walls maye be made, like 
 unto forts or bulwarkes, for conveyance of your dead worke, &c. 
 And before any of these be putt in practice or perffected, there must 
 be provided a sufficient damme, or poole, made with turffes, soddes, 
 stones, and timbers, to keepe sufficient water in, for maintaininge the 
 buddies, or if neede be, the scowring places, with a sufficient flood- 
 gate ; with which all sorts of earth are to be washed or scowred, else 
 
 A 
 
2 
 
 buddled, and so stroughed : and thus much concerning seeking for 
 gold or silver, &c. by the arte of washing. But before a certaine or 
 perfect discovery thereof shalbe made, and thereby to obtaine or 
 raise up profitt, skilfull Artists and labourers must before be scene 
 for, that they may each have his instrument, implement, and neces- 
 sary tooles, sufficient to worke with. And all these worke men must 
 be able to understand what they have to doe, and to make the ill well 
 don, or at least ought to knowe the principall ground worke of theire 
 
 .grbeSeding, and to what end the same service may tend or apper- 
 taine ; i And then, lett the superiour or governour of such like worke be 
 
 ' HJ waies 'suer to have store of meate, drinke, and rayment, sufficient to 
 suffice them ; also coyne and money for such workemen, to provide for 
 themselves. It is written, let the labourer have his hier, and the in- 
 dustrious workeman his wages, and then God will blesse both the 
 worke and workeman, &c. It is written also, lett every servant doe 
 his dutifull service faithfully, without grudging, which will please both 
 God and man, especially respecting that busines which the governour, 
 superiour, or ruler of such worke do appoint or set him unto. And yet 
 I knowe that artsmen or workemen are of variable mindcs and opi- 
 nions, and to be compared unto diverse schollers of divers opinions, 
 &c : And workemen, to please theire superiours, governours, or rulers 
 of the workes, too much frequent the old phraise, (viz 1 .) to say well, or 
 boast and bragg of theire owne doings, foretelling the great successe 
 may happen of their worke, forgetting to speake of the greate expence 
 and hassard of life and goods, before the same worke will defray the 
 charge thereof. It is true that " say well and doe well ends both 
 with one letter ; and say well is good, but doe well is better." And I 
 have knowen oftentimes that such boasters are not to seeke for an ex- 
 cuse when as after say well doth faile them, alledging some one thing 
 or other to be wanting, when the worke is altogeather destitute of 
 arte, and this is called theire ultimum refugium, and is to be compared 
 
3 
 
 unto the lawyers delaying answer, which he giveth to his client, (say- 
 ing,) " Oh, good sir, you should have told me that before," when he 
 had heard it [at] least twenty tymes before. 
 
 The next ground which is to be observed, is, that there are (within 
 England, Scotland, and Ireland) many which tearmes themselves As- 
 saymers, (viz 1 .) to make a triall of any sorts of meneralls or menerall 
 stones, when indeede they prove no proficients. My sclfe have found 
 out some, such as are in great favour with theire superiours, and there- 
 fore beleeved ; but the materiall case being sett open concerning the 
 cheife pointe of mynes, meneralls, or menerall stones, either for the 
 finding out thereof, or for the washing or separating, melting and 
 fyning of them, then they altogeather depend uppon theire servants, 
 which prove the doe-masters, and the ruler of the say-master, but not 
 the assaymer. But the most rediculous thing is, (viz'.) it is to be noted 
 amongst many artists who professe the making of the philosopher's 
 stone, (saying,) that they can turne any kind of metall, menerall, or 
 menerall stone, into perfect and fine gold or silver, so as first they must 
 condition with the superiour or governour to be at a certaine chardge, 
 and soe to disburse a certaine great sum of money before hand ; which 
 gold or silver shall begett other gold or silver by multiplication, or 
 in great abundance ; and theire other reason is, that gold engendreth 
 with gold, and silver with silver, and so one begetteth an other, even 
 like unto it selfe. 
 
 I confesse the same argument induceth many men into the like 
 trialls ; the end whereof proves to be but meere phopperie and collu- 
 sion. I confesse, neverthelesse, that sondry sorts of base metalls, 
 with some quantity of gold, may be turned into base gold ; and so like- 
 wise such other mettles converted into base silver, even from an ounce 
 fine unto xj. ounce ij d . fine, to witt, from an five pence ob q; an 
 ounce unto five shillings two pence halfe penny an ounce in silver ; and 
 likewise gold computated by the karratts, from iij s . the ounce, unto 
 
Ixxiij". per ounce. Thus the gredines of lucre forceth sometimes artists 
 and pregnant witts to attempt unlawfull actions, not respecting what 
 may ensue ; but soe longe as they doe only turne the said base gold or 
 silver into triffling things, requisite to be worne or used, and sell it 
 accordingly to his worth, all is tollerated, and hee or they often be- 
 cometh rich thereby. But if not therewith content he or they will 
 presume to counterfeit the King's Majestie's coyne, although he make 
 it never so exactly and cunningly, yett therein is he farr over scene, 
 untill att last he be caught in the unlawfull action; and therefore 
 often it falleth out that such doe stretch the soveraigne tree of Ti- 
 burina. Some againe reade much the old authors, observing thereby 
 be don [by] sufferance, but not what ought to be don lawfully without 
 reproofe. Some study Philosophy, and thereby attaine to great know- 
 ledge and wisdome ; and some practice alcumists with tolleration, 
 
 5. and thereby becometh rich, &c. Fiftly, There be sondry men which 
 would faine be rich by a small adventure, or with a light purse, who 
 doth not confesse that the best gotten goods of earthly riches are 
 counted to be had out of mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones, in 
 the earth. He that hath much, desires more ; he cannot rest till he 
 becometh greater then his equalls ; but then he deviseth how that 
 might so come to passe without disburstments of money, &c. Such a 
 one will never thrive by any sorts of mynes, meneralls, or menerall 
 stones, but may rather be compared unto a brute beast, called the catt, 
 by whome it is written, that the catt loves the ffish, but shee loves not 
 to wett hir foote for it. And so I rest, and with leave purpose to re- 
 joyne with that place where I left in my third preparation, (viz 1 .) How 
 men ought to doe if they desire to hunt, trace, or chase after mynes, 
 meneralls, or menerall stones. 
 
 4. Hee that would be a menerall man, (as I said before,) must provide 
 for artists and workemen ; yea, such as are stayed men, and judiciall. 
 And then forecasting to have for them severally implements, instru- 
 
ments, and tooles necessary ; and he must knowe how to imploy them 
 severally within severall grounds, placeing every man according to his 
 quality, &c. as before is said. All which heing don, yett all is not don; for 
 when meneralls and menerall stones are found out of the earth, gotten 
 into thy possession, culled, washed, and dressed, from all his imper- 
 fections, then must it be made into malliable mettle by a forceable fier, 
 in which it is to be tryed seven times, and, if neede require, seven times 
 seven tymes ; out of which menerall or menerall stones shall be reduced 
 either gold, silver, copper, tynn, leade, or iron, according to his qua- 
 lity : alsoe steele and quicksilver is extracted out of meneralls and me- 
 nerall stones ; for more sorts of substantiall or malliable mettalls be 
 not then these, either able to abide the force of the hamber, or to be 
 made into a solidd matter, these mettalls following excepted, (viz 1 .) 
 bell mettle, which belfounders use ; brasse, which the tinckers use ; 
 and lattyn, which founders and such like use ; for these, and the like 
 to these, are called by some composed or mingled mettalls, and will 
 incorporate themselves with sondry of the other materiall mettalls 
 aforesaid, as gold and silver, copper, and tynn, &c. 
 
 Concerning quicksilver, which is called a fugitive mettall, yett a 
 matter substantiall, which, by compounds of drosse and druggs, once 
 killed, dyeth in his sowle unto death, yet liveth in his materiall body, 
 and will incorporate with lattyn, brasse, or bell mettle, and with cop- 
 per, being first turned white. And then they call this mettall the phi- 
 losopher's stone ; but a famous writer and practitioner in that art 
 calleth it the arte of collusion or deceite ; and one other calleth it the 
 devill's crafty witt, which is taught to his servants, that thereby 
 worldlings may be deceived ; yea, artists and wisemen are often de- 
 ceived by this fallacy. And the goldsmiths themselves, which often 
 trust to theire touchstone, cutting it, and nealing it, and forging it, 
 till it be thinn plate, &c. is deceived by this fallacy. And in conclu- 
 sion, the mistery, arte, facultie, or science, of searching out, hunting 
 
after, or chaseing and tracing, to find out mynes, meneralls, or me- 
 nerall stones, out of God's treasure house, my selfe have often prac- 
 tized, and brought the same to effect within these 36 yeares paste. My 
 first teaching and erudition came from Mr B. B. an ingenious gent, 
 but never used such tricks ; and I spent the other parte of my golden 
 tyme within sondry shiers of England, and the principalities of Wales ; 
 and some short time, for ij yeares space, in Ireland ; but a long time 
 in Scotland, and therefore bold to speak thereof. In all which Realmes 
 I have found sondry sorts of mynes and malliable mettalls, perfitt 
 within the earth, but not in great abundance ; and that they were 
 created there in the beginning, by the mighty power of God, and not 
 made by any arte of man in the earth ; yea, that these meneralls, or 
 menerall stones, were (as it might be said) hoorded up by God him- 
 selfe, and by his heavenly providence, within certaine corners in the 
 centure of the earth ; (to witt,) in holes, cliffts, with some cave, groves, 
 shafts, or pitts. But thereof I will speak more at large hereafter ; 
 wherein alsoe I shall dilate of other industrious gentlemen's opinions, 
 and curious workemen's works, of artists' attempts, and of skilfull 
 men's accedents, besides my owne trialls and judgments concerning 
 my resolution in meneralls and menerall stones. And for the better 
 confirmation thereof, I humbly crave your patience and sufferance that 
 I may, without offence, speake freely, and commune, or reason a little 
 uppon this point, concerning masters, governours, superiours, or rulers 
 of works, (to witt,) for hunting after, traceing, or chaseing, to find out 
 meneralls or menerall stones, of works and workemen, of artists and 
 artists' men ; and consequently myne owne, and best knowne and tryed 
 opinion, or what with mine eyes I have seene, or eares have heard, and 
 noted by my practize, or observed by my diligence, and noted by my 
 often reading of the Bible, and other godly bookes. And I shall make 
 you partaker with me, shewing unto you each man's duty to be don, 
 and each man's care that ought to be don, and had ; next, how the mis- 
 
ticall secrett of God, (viz 1 .) meneralls, or menerall stones, may be 
 brought to perfection ; whereby they shall undoubtedly tend, first, to 
 the glory of Almighty God ; next, to the profitt of Kinges or Princes ; 
 thirdly, the inriching the Country in which wee are borne. 
 
 Therefore, read on and understand, this is written [in] the 82 psalme, 
 concerning superiours, governours, rulers, &c. (to witt,) " I have said David. 
 ye are gods," &c. In these few words I understand that King Da- 
 vid seemeth to sett forth many notable examples and secrett thinges, 
 amongst which he sheweth inferiours persons how to conceive of theire 
 superiours ; also that artists, workemen, and other laborious persons 
 should follow the opinion and command of theire superiours ; And next 
 howgovernours should behave themselves in theire settled places, given 
 them by God to use, &c. ; lastly, God would have every one (in some 
 sorte,) to give an accompt; else answeare somewhat aptely, accord- 
 ing to God's divine nature; but not like a Spiritt, as he is God, 
 nor as he is Eternall, nor Almighty as he is, nor as he is Incompre- 
 hensible : But he commands every one to his duty uprightly, accord- 
 ing to God's word ; and to beare in his minde these godly lessons, (viz'.) 
 (1.) First, remember that a gift being given by God, must needs be ac- 
 knowledged from God, and soe is given him as a blessing ; for which 
 every man ought above all other things to serve God ; (2.) next, to 
 endeavour, by all good meanes, to benefitt himselfe and posterity ; 
 (3.) next, his owne native countrey ; (4.) next, his soveraigne lord, the 
 King's Majesty ; (5.) lastly, to profitt God's holy Catholique church 
 so neere as he can, &c. And thus much I thought fitt to speake of 
 superiours or governours, &c. allowing of that sentence written in the 
 holy booke of God, " All authority what soever is from God alone ;" Proffe. 
 and, therefore, superiours, &c. ought to remember how they come unto 
 such excellency above other inferiours persons, seeing all men are made 
 of one mould, (the earth,) &c. (1.) And again, for example, Kings and 
 Princes write, By the grace of God, &c. (2.) And againe, it is said in 
 
8 
 
 the Scripture, (viz'.) " By me (saith God) Kings raigne and Princes 
 decree justice." (3.) And in the other place God saith, " By me 
 Kings and Princes rule." (4.) " By me the Nobles of the Land, and all 
 judges of the earth, doe command," &c. 
 
 But I say not this as informing you ; of such like don by you, 
 farr bee any such meaninge from me ; for I am certaine it is better 
 knowne to your selfe then to me or any of my quality. Once more, 
 (with leave,) give me leave to proove, that authority is given unto go- 
 vernours why to rule and governe, First, That the inferiour person 
 may live a quiett and peaceable life : (1.) Quiett, as from our forraiue 
 enemies, the Turkes, the heathens or pagans, &c. ; (2.) Peaceable, as 
 from any civill discord by the superiour constrained : Next, that both 
 superiour and inferiour persons may lead a godly and honest life, (3.) 
 Godly, as from idolatry, religiously in religion, and so compelled to 
 doe by his superiours ; (4.) Honest, as he, which from impurity in Con- 
 versation, is enacted by his ruler, &c. 
 
 Thus all our whole consultations must of force for ever tend to one 
 or all the four preceedings ; But, in the end, both masters and ser- 
 vants, all generall must one day (how soone no man knowes,) ren- 
 der up an accompt, unto the King of all Kings, unto the Governour 
 of all Kings, yea, and of our lives, either to everlasting comfort or end- 
 les torment. 
 
 Applica- Neither desire I to instruct you in any of these proceeding points, 
 who knowes them all farr better then my selfe ; and therefore lett 
 such presumption be farr alsoe from me : And therefore consider, 
 first, of the circumstances thereof charitably, and I shall relinquish 
 any longer to distinguish of governours and superiours, and proceede 
 in my object and purpose, (viz 1 .) To shew you the easiest way how 
 mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones, may be and have bin disco- 
 
 in Scot- vered. Sondrymen have bin at chardges, (Iknowe by my owne lately 
 made in Scotland, at the gold mynes,) &c. supposing that the same 
 
might easily be effected ; but not without disbursements of monies or 
 victualls and rayment, I dare presume it. And therefore, (with leave,) 
 I purpose to discourse of prudent men's opinions therein, who, after 
 some probable proofe made, compared those Scotts gold mynes unto 
 God's treasur-house, placed by God himselfe within the centur of 
 the earth ; and others resembles them unto Opheir gold, or Tyber 
 gold, and the gold gotten in the river of Tyber, for the goodnes 
 thereof. But others, which would faine catch their owne shaddowes, 
 may not nor will not be perswaded that any goodnes can be produced 
 out of Scotts ground, and are doubtfull whether the sonne and moone 
 and starres shine there or not ; for, say they, gold and silver engenders 
 with the heate of the sonne and moone, and alsoe, where such riches be, 
 the people of that countrey cannot be poore nor beggarly, as the Scots 
 be. And others dare presume to sweare, that there never was yet found 
 within Christendome any solid bedds, or vaynes and scares of gold or 
 silver, but that all gold and silver is reduced out of lead ewer, copper, 
 tynn, iron, or steel oare, for they have travelled over and over the most 
 parte of Christendome, and neither saw the like to Scotts naturall gold 
 gotten in the ground by mee, nor have heard thereof otherwise then is 
 before related, &c. But for the judiciall opinion of H. M. one of the 
 King's Majesties servants in ordinary, I recommend it above all others 
 before mentioned of all such professors of theire loyalty to the King's 
 Majesty, (not one kept their promise according to their vowes, H. M. 
 excepted,) for some of whom I much alsoe depended, sithence gave 
 up theire vitall breath, and changed this life for an everlasting life, I 
 hope, even before his Majesties returne in his progresse from Scot- 
 land, els a great triall thereof had bin don before this day. Now, it 
 is to be noted, that most men, especially marchants, &c. will not care 
 to traffique into the East Indies or West Indies, into Virginia, Guy- 
 ana, Rushia, Cataya, and many other nations or provinces, both ex- 
 treeme hott and extreeme cold, for gold and silver, and to find the 
 
10 
 
 gaine thereof, yea, unto the Golden Ileland, to find out gold and silver 
 in reedes, which is contrary to all humane art and incredulous, that 
 the wisdome of man should comprehend such inventions ; but there 
 is nothing impossible with God, &c. for gold and silver is within the 
 bowells of the earth, in solidd places, and not in reedes by supposi- 
 tion ; and, to that purpose, they have hired oftentimes artists, worke- 
 men, myners, and pyoners, yett never attained to halfe that assurance 
 as by my selfe hath bin already made to appeare unto the King's most 
 excellent Majesty, out of his kingdom of Scotland, Guiana excepted, 
 from whence I have seene perfitte gold. Several trialls thereof, in like 
 manner, in sondry places, out of meneralls and menerall stones, have 
 bin made, which are called the dry meneralls in Scotland, and the 
 like gold to it hath not often bin seene or heard of to he gotten within 
 Christendome as this of Scotland, tried and reported to be worth iij 
 score xvj thousand pounds sterling per ton weight thereof ; and a 
 platt shall be laid for performance thereof, as hereafter, &c. 
 
 Now, my desier is only for the better strengthning of this busines, 
 that these certaine points following be imitated or considered of, for I 
 knowe them both trew and verity itselfe. 
 
 First, It is set down in the Scripture, and therefore not to be 
 denied, that God, in his wisdome, created naturall gold and silver in 
 the first beginning of the world (of nothing) ; and he placed it within 
 the earth, as in his habitation ; and he hath inviroiied it amongst the 
 the strongest forts of the worlde, (viz 1 .) amongst the rockes and 
 craggs, in holes, and creveeses, and in desolate places, and there to be 
 nowrished by the vertue or strength of the earth, even as a child is of 
 his mother, which sucketh, &c. 
 
 Secondly, Lett my judiciall man understand, that xx fathoms 
 under ground, within the entrailes of the earth, it is as hott, even in 
 the coldest countrey or nation under the whole scope of heaven, as in 
 the hotest ; so that it is no argument that in Scotland there can be 
 
11 
 
 no natural! gold or silver, for assuredly it hath bin found there uppon 
 Crayford moore, and other moores adjoyning thereto, before any man 
 now alive was borne, some thereof in solidd places, uppon mountaines 
 and mosses, and some in shallow places, within vallies and dales, 
 neere to the river or brooke-side, yea, even as if the omnipotent Crea- 
 tor of heaven and earth should have invited the King's Majesty there- 
 unto for a great blessing. 
 
 Thirdly, To confound the opinions of fond conceits, that desire 
 rather to detract the blessings of God from theire owne native coun- 
 try ; and without just cause attribute that to other provinces, which 
 no man hath ever redd of or seene the like, or better naturall gold and 
 silver then hath bin showed unto the King's most excellent Majesty 
 and his honourable Councill, by my selfe and others. And I saw the 
 getting thereof in sondry places ; and the King's Majesty, in his owne 
 knowledge, can wittnes the same in Scotland to be gotten : only I 
 was emboldened, out of my zeale and duty, to put his Majesty in mind 
 of so honourable a busines amongst other his Majesty's great affaires ; 
 this to be none of the smallest, neither one of the least pleasing unto 
 God. In respect whereof, my selfe being one of the meanest of many 
 thousands to expresse the same unto his Majesty, my most humble 
 suite was then to his Highnes to be a labourer in the vineyard, and to 
 enjoy my deserts, desiring no other hier then he that cometh at the last 
 houer of the day, but only to be a workman in such a busines for his 
 Majesty. 
 
 Fourthly, It is specially to be noted, that in all good works which 
 tend to the glory of God, the profitt of princes, and the general 
 good of the commonwealth, there doth often grow questions, because 
 of the wisdome of many councellors ; neverthelesse, all men knowe 
 that gold and silver is not to be had out of the earth without chardge, 
 neither can other menerall or menerall stones be arraysed out of the 
 bowells of the earth ; but first there must be some adventure before 
 
12 
 
 any gold, silver, copper, tynn, or lead, iron, and steele, can be had, or 
 any coales, &c. by which some have gotten infinite riches, and others 
 undon thereby ; and therefore, in my opinion, not for one man's purse 
 to maintaine the finding out of the premisses, especially for naturall 
 gold and silver, being the purest of all mettalls; nor to maintaine 
 multitude of workemen, as myners, pioners, to discover the premisses, 
 neither to enjoy them, being found but only for a King, &c., and 
 therefore most necessary for kings and princes to undertake such 
 royall works, as that of Scotland, (viz'.) the gold myne, which (if it 
 hit) must needes tend to the glory of Almighty God to the honour of 
 bis Majesty a great enhablement of the Kinge's kingdomes and a 
 rich benefitt to the whole commonwealth ; and so, consequently, must 
 of necessity redownd (if God's pleasure be to prosper it) to the great 
 terrifiing of all God's enemies, which, God graunt that it may be an 
 everlasting happines to his Majesty and posterity, and then to all 
 others, the successive ages, a perpetuall felicity. And thus I enter- 
 prised to glorify God in undertaking so good a worke, being one of 
 the meanest amongst many thousands in so worthy and honourable 
 an action, for my Soveraigne Lord the King. 
 
 Fiftly, It is not to be esteemed of the smaller validity, because of 
 the meaness or poverty of the party that propounds it, (who) hath with 
 his.travaile and purse don his utmost to searche, seeke for, find out, 
 or discover it, att his owne proper chardges already, seing that in the 
 whole scope of the Scripture, Jesus Christ made choise of the simplest 
 and poorest, to sett forth his glory in publishing his most sacred word, 
 and not the greatest schollers. 
 
 There needes no more examples but to referr this, and all other my 
 former labour, unto your wisdome ; and as it shall please God to gard 
 your harts in this and in all things else, God's will be don, and not 
 mine, for whom I shall for evermore pray. But therein doe I thinke 
 my selfe thrice happy, that through my late service and diligence all 
 
13 
 
 those gold and silver mynes of Scotland, some of God's works, from 
 the beginning of the world, were then sett open. Christ's name is 
 thereby also glorified, even in the discovery of so worthy and noble a 
 busines as that is of Scotland, (viz 1 .) the purest of all mettalls, being 
 naturall gold, not arteficiall gold, made fine, or purified, by man ; but 
 by that sacred Philosopher of heaven, for the only good of mankind. 
 If he will eeeke for it by the sweat of the face, as it is written in the 
 holy booke of God ; to whome be all honour, praise, glory, and thanks- 
 giving, for evermore, Amen. 
 
 It followeth that I most humbly crave your favourable acceptance 
 that I may a little decide of my former presumption and attempt con- 
 cerning that busines of Scotland, wherein I made promisse to doe my 
 best endeavour for the discovery of a rare and most secrett mistery ; 
 and it to be done by the arte of extraction, out of meneralls and mene- 
 rall stones, (viz 1 .) the sappare, the callamineere, the saxeere, and the 
 sallineere stones. These are called dry menerall stones ; and the arte of 
 extraction hath not bin frequented, or usually used, within any of his 
 Majesties domminons, till now lately in London, &c. And then it 
 was my intent to discover the knowledge of the arte thereof, whereby 
 it might from henceforth tend to the perpetuall good of the whole 
 commonwealth, especially the inabling or inriching of his Highnes 
 crowne and dignity ; and lastly, to the exaltation of God's omnipotent 
 power and glory, which now I have referred untill my second exercise. 
 Thereby alsoe, it cannot be denied but an infinite number of artists, 
 workemen, myners, and pioners, must be maintained and releeved by 
 that only imployment, (viz'.) to seeke out for God's treasur house within 
 the wombe of the earth, or to lay open that bedd of gold, &c. or dis- 
 cover that vaine of gold, &c. which God hath placed in desert places, as 
 in crevises and holes, for the only use of mankinde in the earth, &c. 
 within the kingdome of Scotland, is to be found out uppon these moores 
 or wast places following, (viz'.) (1.) on Crayford moore, and Fryer 
 
14 
 
 moore, within Cliddale; (2.) on Robburt moore, and Mannocke 
 moore, in Nydesdale ; (3.) vppon Glangaber water, in Inderland, with- 
 in the fforrest of Atricke ; for these are tryed all by mee, &c. And 
 in all these places, naturall gold is to be found out ; and you shall al- 
 wayes find skilfull seekers and discoverers thereof, dwelling neere 
 unto these foresaid places, for to use the trough or skewer, but not 
 very perfitt in the buddle, nor any at all in the art of extracting. 
 
 Some of these laborious Scottsmen knowe the naturall gold perfectly, 
 and too well I meane that gold gotten in vallies, not uppon solidd 
 places, (viz 1 .) uppon high mountaines and mosses. But they knowe 
 only the gold in remote places, which the Scripture speaketh of in 
 Job, the 28 Chapt. wherein the vulter's eye hath not yett scene it. 
 They knowe also the gold gotten uppon the superficies of the earth, 
 uppon the skirts of the high mountaines, and on both sides of the 
 Cloughes; and thus alsoe it is gotten att the West Indies, &c. as here- 
 after shall be proved, and by whome; &c. Even these presidents (if 
 there were no more) were able to encourage either governours, supe- 
 riours, artists, or industrious workemen, of what degree so ever he be, 
 to presume as farr, nay, to attempt as much, as I have before enterpriscd 
 in Scotland, hopeing then to have received some acknowledgment from 
 his Majesty, which I confesse was promissed, but not performed ; for 
 God tooke away my freinds, unto his mercy, before they could doe me 
 the good which was promissed, and thus [was I] forced to remaine in 
 distresse till the Honourable Lord Willoughby, my Master, did pitty 
 me, and had some compassion on me, &c. And now I purpose to 
 dilate unto you how, or after what manner in times past, neere unto 
 river sides, within combes and vallies, naturall gold hath bin gotten in 
 the kingdome of Scotland, uppon the aforesaid moores, &c. 
 
 The vulgar sort of Scottsmen usually sought for it uppon these 
 moores, after a great raine, and after the splitts of raine had run his 
 course ; and this raine, or force of water, brought downe no other gold 
 
15 
 
 then gold which before had bin removed by the force of waves flood, 
 and that gold was, and is, called superficiall gold to this day. For 
 from the creation of the worlde, unto this present yeare, are con- 
 tained of yeares five thousand five hundred, fower score, and odd 
 yeares ; and from the creation untill the generall deluge, are contained 
 sixteene hundred and threescore yeares, &c. ; and from Noah's flood 
 untill this present yeare of our Lord God, called 1619, are contained 
 3926 yeares. So as in the hegining of the worlde gold and silver was 
 placed in the bowells of the earth, it was created by God the Father in 
 his strong treasur house, (viz'.) the earth. But when God said unto the 
 Trinity, (viz 1 .) " Lett there be dry land," which was long after the 
 worlde's creation, and immediately it was so, at which time the generall 
 deluge was ; and then, even att that time, naturall gold and silver 
 (which now is found to be in combes and vallies) was forced and toorne 
 from his bedd or vazen, from his dwelling place, viz. God's treasur 
 house in the earth, &c. And thyther, even our Scotts gold, which is now 
 found in sternes or in graines and peices, did discend, or was washed 
 downc. In which vallies, combes, skirts of hills, or cloughes, even untill 
 this present day, it hath laid still and not removed, except after a great 
 splitt of raine, the force whereof doth breake and weare the super- 
 ficies of the earth, but not the solidd earth ; after which, the Scotts 
 men, and women, and children, run to seeke for it, and doe find it still, 
 even untill this day : and thereby they find with it alsoe the saxere 
 stones in great abundance, and alsoe much of the calamineere stones ; 
 but the salineere stones is as small as the musterd seede, and some like 
 meale ; and the sappar stone in lumps, and like unto the fowles eyes 
 or birds eggs. And the most strangest of all is this ; there is found na- 
 turall gold, linked fast unto the sapper stone, even as vaines of lead ewer 
 and white sparrs doe growe togeather, &c. But theire usuall manner is, 
 when they seeke for gold in combes and vallies, to frame or make a 
 long sowgh, or scowring place, into which they bringe the streame 
 
16 
 
 water, to scower away the light earth from the heavy sandy earth, 
 and to cull away the great stones from the heavy sand, which 
 sand or heavy earth they scrape into theire troughe or tray, and 
 by stirring it, and washing the same often, there is found both raine 
 gold, flatt gold, pale gold, and blacke gold : yett all these be naturall 
 gold, &c. And alsoe all these are called perfect compacted gold, made 
 in the beginning of the worlde, and engendreth with these stones afore- 
 said amongst rocks and craighs, without the helpe of sonn, moone, or 
 starrs, &c. 
 
 Many men are of sondry opinions. Some say that gold and silver 
 cannot engender with any other stones or meneralls, without the helpe 
 of the sonn by day, and the moone and starres by night. Neither is 
 it to be found in any place under the influence of the heavens, but in 
 hot countries, as is the East and West Indies, &c. which I cannot al- 
 lowe of, neither will I beleeve that to be trew ; for that of Scotland is 
 probabilety sufficient, and the works of Keswicke in Cumberland, 
 within the kingdome of England, is a manifest proofe to the contrary, 
 which is alsoe a cold countrcy ; nay, in High Germany, where it is 
 cold, is found both silver, copper, and tynn. And the Brunswicks 
 confessed, (when they were in Scotland,) that under the Duke of 
 Bronswicke there was both gold, silver, copper, and tynn ; but it lay 
 very deepe in the ground, some of it threescore fathoms deepe ; and 
 that they seldom found any lead ewer there, but all such lead ewer 
 came from England and other nations unto them, to reduce it, &c. 
 
 And in Ireland, from Cloomyne, neere to Washford, was a silver 
 mine, which from thence came by the sea in shipping unto Comburtyn 
 in Devonsheire, amongst much lead ewer, which was rich in silver. 
 I knowe it to be trew, for I had the doing of it all, &c. From Cataia 
 I have scene naturall gold and silver brought unto London ; but when 
 the late Queene Elizabeth (of famous memory) sent forth a shipp thi- 
 ther to be laden there withall, and from thence to be brought to the 
 Tower of London, then one Captaine Furbisher, a famous gent, was 
 
17 
 
 chosen for that voyage ; he spared for no costs ; he had men of all arts 
 and sciences with him ; yet when he came into that cold countrey of 
 Cataia, he went himselfe, and sent sondry times sondry artsmen unto 
 the mountaine, but they found not the like gold as before was brought 
 into England by others ; but they light of a vaine or bedd of menerall 
 stones, like unto the blacke saxxer stone which is found in Scotland, 
 with another bright blacke stone, as hard as the blacke flinte stone, 
 tarnisht, or, as the blacke saxxere stone, reddish, which is in Scot- 
 land, and engendreth with gold, and it had no gold in it then. And 
 Captainc Furbisher caused trialls to be made thereof, and both gold 
 and silver was reduced out of the said black stones, being thereby the 
 assaymer. And then he caused the workemen to digg deeper into the 
 earth ; and att twelve fathom deepe, the said stones were turned to be 
 glittering stones, like unto gold or copper. At which time a discord 
 fell out betweene the artists and workemen, and on both sides there 
 was blood shed ; three of either side were slaine. In the end, Captaine 
 Furbisher ended the quarrell, and made a peace amongst the rest ; and 
 from that time, untill they had fraighted theire shipps, that ewer, 
 which was bright, and speckled with redd freckles, &c. like unto gold 
 and silver, or unto copper, keese, &c. from it God tooke his bless- 
 ing ; so, as they never after could finde either gold, silver, copper, tynn, 
 lead, or iron, or any othe,r quallity in the same stones, in which before 
 was found gold and silver togeather. And so the good Captaine ad- 
 judged it to the'simplenes of the assaymer, and that his skill failed 
 him, or that things requisite was wanting to try the same stones there 
 exactly ; and therefore they all, with one consent, agreed and laded 
 the shipps with those bright stones, and brought them away to Lon- 
 don. The report whereof blazed abroad such a fame, that great riches 
 was brought by Captaine Furbisher from Cataia, worth a million of 
 monies. But all that voyage was quickly dasht, and made like to 
 fier that's quencht with water ; for neither the assaymer of the Tower, 
 
18 
 
 nor of Goldsmithe's Hall ; neither any goldsmith nor refiner within 
 all London, could find any thinge afterwards in the same stones ; and 
 many hundred assayes were made thereof; and it was credibly re- 
 ported that voyage cost Queene Elizabeth twenty-two thousand pounds 
 sterling. 
 
 Bell-mettle. And the like unto this of Cataia, became of the redd mettle, which 
 was called bell-mettle in Scotland, which was both plentifull and rich a 
 long time togeather ; and uppon a soddaine God tooke away his bless- 
 ing away from it, and then neither Englishman, Scottishman, Ger- 
 maine, nor Gentile, could reduce any silver out of it, countervalliable 
 to the charge thereof; of which mishapp I shall write more at large 
 in his place, when I come unto it hereafter. 
 
 Now to returne againe unto my Scots voyage againe. I happened 
 on a booke of records, at Craiford John in Scotland, wherein was 
 registred that by the labour of many poore inhabitants there, who 
 lately were imployed there at worke by Mr Cornelius, a lapidary in 
 
 Cornelius, London. This Cornelius was sent thither to discover the golden bedd 
 or vaine, at the charge of certaine marchants in London, who pro- 
 cured unto him Queen Elizabeth's signett unto the King's Majesty, 
 that now is King of England, &c. then only of Scotland. At sight 
 whereof it seemed that he was forthwithall admitted to proceed with 
 his Majesties favour, and consent of the honourable counsell of Scot- 
 land, &c. And then Cornelius went to viewe the said mouutaines 
 in Clidesdale and Nydesdale ; uppon which mountaines he gott a small 
 taste of small gold. This was a whett stone to sharpen his knife uppon ; 
 and this naturall gold tasted so sweete as the honny, or honny combe, 
 in his mouth. And then he consulted with his freinds at Edenborough ; 
 and by his perswasions provoked them to adventure with him, shewing 
 them first the naturallgold, which he called the temptable gold, or allur- 
 ing gold. It was in sternes, and some like unto birds' eyes and eggs : 
 he compared it unto a woman's eye, which intiseth hir joyes into hir bo- 
 
19 
 
 some. And Cornelius so earnestly perswaded his late frequented 
 freinds in Scotland, that he possessed them to adventure also with 
 him ; and I remember in one place of that booke, he saith, (viz'.) If 
 there were such an evident token, or such an apparent shew of naturall 
 gold as this which then he shewed them, within any parte of the 
 country where he was borne, (being a Germaine borne,) then the 
 whole country would confederate, and not rest till young and old, 
 (that were able,) be sett to worke thereatt, and to discover this trea- 
 sur house from whence this gold discended ; and the people, from ten 
 yeares old, unto ten times ten yeares old, should worke thereat ; no 
 charges whatsoever should be spared, till mountaines and mosses were 
 turned into vallies and dales, but this treasur house should be disco- 
 vered. 
 
 And whereas now the country of Scotland and England both are 
 oppressed with poore people, which begg from dore to dore, for want 
 of imployment, and no man looketh into it ; and idle men and soul- 
 diers, &c. for want of imployment, are some forced to robb, some to 
 steale, and so come to an untimely end, whereas by labour others gett 
 bread, rayment, &c. And that some should digg or delve, some picke 
 or hack, some wash and scower, untill hills and mountaines were 
 turned into dales ; and some to turne brookes, rivers, and cloughes, 
 from theire courses, and so to run over mountaines, &c. ; but that they 
 would knowe from whence such a president as this is, being naturall 
 gold, doth come from, (parte whereof is gotten by me,) SEC. 
 
 Uppon whose instigation his Scotts freinds hearkned unto him, Cornelius. 
 and yeilded unto Cornelius, &c. ; where uppon five other partners 
 besides himselfe agreed togeather. A new graunt was procured and 
 graunted unto these six copartners, of all the gold and silver mines 
 throughout the kingdome of Scotland ; and the said gold mines were 
 devided amongst them six partners as followeth, (viz 1 .) 
 
 The Earle of Moorton had ten partes. 
 
20 
 
 Mr Robert Ballentine, (then secretary,) had ten partes. 
 
 Abraham Peterson, a Dutchman, of Edenborough, had ten partes. 
 
 James Reade, a burgeous of Edenborough, had five partes. 
 
 And Cornelius reserved to himselfe and his London freinds which 
 adventured with him, alsoe ten partes. And they all consulted togeather, 
 perswading sondry of theire other freinds and kinsfolke, and theire 
 families, to adventure each of them a proportion of monies, againe to 
 sett uppon and discover the gold mines in Crayford moore, and other 
 moores there about. And so each man, according to his disbursments, 
 5000 Scots, to have his parte. And being all willing, consented togeather; some 
 brought corne, some victuals, and some malt or meale, besides monies ; 
 and amongst them all, 5000 Scotts. 
 
 And then Cornelius was chosen to governe and direct both artists 
 and workemen about that busines. But he nor they never sought for 
 it in solidd places, but in combes and vallies, where a long time before 
 it had laid, being washed downe since the generall deluge. And 
 Cornelius had.the broad scale of Scotland, for it, and was called the 
 Superiour of his Majesties gold mines ; he had authority to punish of- 
 fenders. He had a commision to take up workemen in England by the 
 honourable counsellours of England's consent to goe with him into 
 Scotland. And the noble Earle [of] Morray (then Regent of Scotland) 
 did alsoe animate him, and seconded him ; so that Cornelius grew 
 strong in men and victuall, and good store of gold, &c. And Corne- 
 lius was obleiged, by force and virtue of his Scotts commission, to 
 bring in all such gold or silver as by any of them should be gotten, 
 into his Majesties Mint-house at Edenborough, and there to be coyned, 
 uppon perrill of his Majesties displeasure. At which time, within 
 the space of thirty dayes, they caused to be conveyed unto the King's 
 Mint-house, half a steane weight of naturall gold, (viz 1 .) viij pound 
 weight, worth 450 starling; and it is called troane weight; and a 
 Scotts steane weight is still xvi pound weight there. 
 
21 
 
 And the workemen gott gold sometimes als"oe by themselves at theire Cornelius. 
 owne charge, with the tolleration of the superiour ; and they sold the 
 same gold for a marke starling per ounce, called in Scotland viij pound 
 Scotts ; and when they sold it at dearest, they had but xx s . star- 
 ling per ounce weight thereof. Cornelius had six score men at worke 
 in vallies and dales ; he imployed both ladds and lasses, idle men and 
 women, which before went a begging. He proffited by theire worke, 
 and they lived well and contented ; and he bought theire gold, which 
 they washed and scowred, for a little money, even for a marke star- 
 ling, which now is worth five marke starling per ounce. And about that 
 time, the Earle [of] Morray being Regent disceased ; and then Corne- 
 lius was forced to renew his commission, and had his graunt from 
 the Earle [of] Moorton, next Regent, who alsoe obleiged Cornelius to 
 bring all such naturall gold as he thereafter should gett into the Mint- 
 house at Edenborough, where it was afterwards coyned into iij pound 
 starling peeces, of an ounce weight each peece. Much gold was then 
 bought from the poore workemen for twenty shillings the ounce 
 weight. 
 
 John Gibson of Crayford towne yett liveth ; he was a workeman A Scottsman. 
 then, and long before a washer or streamer for gold in sondry places. 
 He gott much gold in sternes, and feeling gold ; he had both great 
 gold, like unto birds eyes, and birds eggs, which he sould then for 
 xx s . starling the ounce weight; and he is now, (if he be alive,) iiij 
 score and xij yeares of age ; and he sweare for a truth that the great- 
 est gold that ever he gott was uppon Glangaber Water, within the 
 Forest of Atricke ; and he sold it then [for] vi B . viij d . starling the ounce 
 weight, unto the Earle [of] Morton. 
 
 And in the same booke, I read of one Abraham Grey, who was a Abraham 
 Dutchman, before that time dwelling in London. He was alsoe regis- Grey - 
 tred therein, and his workes, that he digged at the gold mines. He 
 brought with him certaine artsmen from England, and others of his 
 owne countrymen, into Scotland, which were at London. Uppon a 
 
22 
 
 certaine intellegence, hearing so good a report of the gold of Scot- 
 land, he sold much of his owne goods, and therwith made a cer- 
 taine sum of money, and procured others his countrymen to adventure 
 with him ; and he went with authority to supply the said gold mines 
 in Scotland, &c. And Abraham Grey hired many poore inhabitants 
 there, (as it is registred in that booke of record ;) and he gave the poore 
 men iiij d . starling the day, and to find themselves therwith, which 
 contented them as well as xij d . doth content the English workemcn in 
 these dayes. He had plenty of victualls in his storehouse at Win- 
 locke-Head, which now is in decay. He was supplied with all sorts 
 of necessary tooles. The workemen washed and scowred in vallies 
 and combes. He never sought the mountaines or mosses upon high 
 hills for a solidd place, nor for a bedd or vaine thereof. And in these 
 vallies at Winlocke-Head he gott a good quantity of naturall gold. 
 He paid all his workemen weekly ; and he lent to diverse men, before- 
 hand, money, as it is written in that parchment booke, saying, 
 With this naturall gold gotten in the Grey-beard's time (for so was 
 he called, because of his great long beard, which he could have bound 
 about his midle,) was made a very faire deepe bason, of the same na- 
 turall gold, without any addition of any other gold, att Edenborough, 
 in Cannegate Streete ; it was made by a Scottsman ; it conteyned by 
 estimation within the brymes thereof, an English gallon of liquor. 
 
 The same bason was of cleene, neetc, naturall gold ; it selfe was then 
 filled upp to the bryme with coyned peeces of gold, called unicornes, 
 which bason and peeces both were presented unto the French Kinge 
 by the said Regent, the Earle of Moreton, who signified (upon his ho- 
 nour) unto the King, (saying,) " My Lord, behold this bason and all 
 that therein is : it is natural gold, gotten within this kingdom of Scot- 
 land, by a Dutchman, named Abraham Grey." And Abraham Grey 
 was standing by, and affirmed it uppon a sollcmne oath. But he said 
 unto the said Kinge, that he thought it didengender and increase within 
 
23 
 
 the earth, and that he observed it so to doe by the influence of the 
 heavens. And he said that it encreased, and grew more and more, but 
 neither by the power of the sonn, moone, nor starres, but by the omni- 
 potent power of God, as he thought. And then the Earle [of] Moreton 
 stood up, saying, " I alsoc beleeve that it engenders within the earth, 
 but only of these ij elements, (viz 1 .) the water and the earth; and 
 that it is and was made perfitt malliable gold from the beginning by 
 God, the creatour thereof. But it was not, nor is not, pure fine gold, 
 without any allay, as was Opheire gold ; but," said he, " I am cer- 
 taine, that all this gold, (viz 1 .) the cup and all the peeces therein, are 
 of naturall Scotts gold, without any other compound or addition." 
 
 And my opinion is, and shall so still coutinew, (viz'.) I say the instance Atkinson, 
 whereof lam perswaded neither kinge, prince, superiour, norgovernour, 
 within Christendome, can produce either better natural gold, nor the like 
 to this I my selfe brought of late unto his Majesty out of Scotland. And 
 albeit many of my owne countrey men in England cannot thereby 
 be perswaded, neither this to be trew which before I have related, nor 
 it to be trew that any such gold hath bin brought by me, gotten within 
 the kingdome of Scotland. But such men are altogeather carried away 
 with the argument of theire owne opinions or conceits, saying, alsoe, 
 it is not possibly gold to engender in so cold a clymate, &c. for it is 
 against all humane reason that it should doe soe, without the heate of 
 the sonne, or moone, and starrs, &c. 
 
 And some others are not ashamed to say that this Atkinson can make Philosophers 
 gold and silver, &c. calling him sometimes a philosopher, and to have 
 the philosopher's stone, and some an alcumister, saying, he can turne any 
 sorts of mettle into gold and silver. Thus, with the scoffes and sundry 
 rediculous meanes, they feede theire owne humors, but if it were so, 
 then needed I not to live so poorly as I doe ; and such speches were able 
 to move a patient Job, and I still rest contented, &c. Whereas, if they 
 weare not as Didimus, then would they judge charitably, least they 
 
24 
 
 themselves be judged ; and they would beleeve that to be trew, which 
 experience finds to be most trew, I meane the gold which is already 
 brought from Scotland to be trewly gotten there, and not att the 
 West Indies, as some have said it to be. And I confesse my promise 
 was to retourne into Scotland when his Majesty was upon his pro- 
 gresse thither ; but it was not kept, for want of money and provis- 
 sion, which other adventurers promissed to performe, and did not, but 
 fell quite away from me, alleadging I was a poore man of small vali- 
 dity, and said, that if I should wynn any great matter, or discover 
 any riches in that country, then I should never long enjoy it, nor any 
 of them ever be the better for it, but only the King's Majesty, for such 
 a busines alwayes belongs to kings, or princes, or superiours, being 
 owners of the lands, &c. and, sayes the Scottsmen, foresees all, &c. 
 .Tosina, the A president the like unto it I seldom have redd. And I read in 
 Kinge ' another old printed booke, a most strange president, which I observed 
 and quoted it in my notary, (viz 1 .) if philosophers can divine and pro- 
 phesie, as often it so falls out to be trew, then this may be trew, (viz'.) 
 Mr Monypenny, a learned Scottsman, in his Abridgement of the 
 Scotts Chronicle, (to witt,) in English breifly, in Lattin lardgely, he 
 saith, &c. One of the King's Majestie's progenitors, Kings of Scotland, 
 being King Josina, he raigned one hundred and threescore yeares before 
 Christ Jesus our Saviour was borne, which is now by computation of 
 years 1619, for from the creation of the worlde untill Christ, is 3970 
 yeares. This Kinge Josina was told by two philosophers, that landed 
 att Rosse, within the kingdome of Scotland, by shipvvracke, travailing 
 from Portugall to Athens, by most extreme weather, and in great dis- 
 tresse, (expecting every minute of the bower for present death, hav- 
 ing lost theire shipp, and others the passengers, and all the mariners,) 
 they were driven into Scotland the cleere contrary way, and were 
 preserved by the mighty hand of God theire Creator, and were saved 1 . 
 by meanes of one long board, whereon one satt att the one end, and the 
 
25 
 
 other att the other end thereof. These two Philosophers were brought 
 unto Josina, and he demanded What they thought of the climate of 
 Scotland. They answeared, It is more inclined to meneralls and me- 
 nerall stones, as gold and silver, and other stones of wonderful pro- 
 perties, under the earth, and within the waters under the rockes and 
 craggs, then it is above the earth. And superiours, governours, and 
 other rulers, standing by, next unto King Josina, replied againe, say- 
 ing, How knowe ye that ? And they two said, Our reason is, that we 
 find it so to be by the influence of the heavens ; and therefore, wee 
 both advise and counsell thee, most mighty Prince, and all thy people, 
 to worshipp the Lord God, the first former of the whole worlde, and 
 not the god of Egiptians, Isis and Apis. And afterwards, Josina called 
 another convocation, commanding all superiours, governours, and ru- 
 'ers within that kingdome to make theire appearance the 16th of the 
 next moneth, which was in Aprill as it is sett downe, at which time 
 they met altogeather and consulted. And the two Philosophers were 
 alsoe called to repeate theire former sayings, which were observed and 
 followed, and embraced still. And from thenceforth, as it is written, 
 God ever blessed the countrey of Scotland, and the people thereof; for 
 the whole people then presently praised God the Father, with sighing, 
 and penetent soulcs, in the kirke, &c. fasted, &c. 
 
 Next, the Philosophers were so sore oppressed with a multitude of 
 people, that they both said unto the multitude of people, which stood 
 by gazing on them, and provoked them still, asking the two Philo- 
 sophers (viz'.) How shall we beleeve this to be trew, which is before 
 said unto the Kinge Josina ? and when shall it be knowne, that the 
 kingdome of Scotland is richer under the ground then above ground? 
 
 And then againe the two Philosophersansweared, saying, Behold time 
 is, and time hath bin, but time shall be, that a King must be borne, ha- 
 ving a privy signe, marke, or token, upon his body, the like unto none 
 shall have; and he shall raigne, rule and governe in much peace, and 
 
 D 
 
26 
 
 be supreame head of the kirke, and a prince of nice kingdomes then 
 is Scotland. In his flourishing time he shall travel for his delight to 
 sec his kingdomes in much peace and tranquillity ; he shall be highly 
 esteemed amongst all the princes inChristendome;he shall be exceeding 
 rich above all other princes; and, in time of his progresse, strange signes 
 and tokens shall befalle within all Christendome ; for ever after that 
 to be remembered: And untill this time approche, there shall be no great 
 light of the Discovery of the gold Mines or wonderous workes which 
 God hath created, even in the beginning of the worlde, within the king- 
 dom of Scotland. 
 
 And then the two Philosophers ended, saying unto the people, This 
 is, this hath bin, this will be most hard and harsh for you to understand, 
 which your posterity shall find to be most trew hereafter, &c. ; and 
 therefore praise the Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth, who will 
 bring these things to passe at his pleasure. 
 
 Thus much I have presumed to write hereof, and to signifie what I 
 saw, what I redd, and observed, in that booke : I take God to witnes 
 not that I wish any offence to be taken, as in instructing my superiours, 
 governours, and rulers, &c. Bee such presumption therefore farr from 
 me : But if any man demand and say, What moves thee then to use the 
 office of superiours or governours, and to end with subjects and ser- 
 vants, concerning their diligence and labor therein? I suppose the gene- 
 rail time is neere, (which ever since King Josina his raigne was or hath 
 bin expected,) and the same annoynted King doth shine, and shew the 
 markes that were predestinated of his Majesty by the two Philoso- 
 phers. 
 
 And what else or other argument hath thou, sayeth another to me, 
 to feede thy imagination withall, and so be counted a flatterer or di- 
 sembler of others? I answeare, Reade the booke of God (viz 1 .) the 
 Bible, which teacheth Israeli, saying, Whosoever doth bend his minde 
 to these two principalls things ; to prayer and imitation, he shall at- 
 
27 
 
 taine unto felicity ; yea, even to that unspeakeable riches which God 
 hath hidden in the bowells of the earth, called God's tresur house ; 
 which I suppose was foreshewen by the two Philosophers unto King 
 Josina, and these are the meneralls and menerall stons which is 
 expected to be discovered within the kingdome of Scotland, (I an- 
 sweare.) And furthermore, a man in his prayer unto God, may begg 
 for that which is most requisite for a kinge, &c. (viz 1 .) faithfull and 
 obedient subjects, plenty of all requisite riches, for him and them, and 
 that the gold and silver Mines may be sett open to the terrifiing of all 
 God's enemies, &c. 
 
 And they answeare, Tush, all this is nothing; then shewed them ex- 
 samples, &c. (via 4 .) 
 
 I read that Kinge Solloman was beloved of all his subjects, the first Solloman. 
 chapter of Chronicles. He was renowned throughout all the worlde, ^ 
 (viz'.) by prayer. And he always endeavored to be such an one as an- 3- 
 other was before him, I meane a religious prince as Kinge David, who 
 was God's deare darling, in his wel-doinge. Out of these godly workes 
 many notable exsamples are to be followed ; and may be compared unto 
 pearles, and diamonds, or to rich meneralls or menerall stones, as the 
 sapper, the callamineere, the saxeere, and the sallineere stones, amongst 
 which the naturall gold in Scotland doth dwell, and ingender as I cre- 
 dibly believe. And then they said, I was madd. And therefore the full 
 somme or contents of this Booke shall be that any other may hereby 
 see or behold, both what duty each man owes to God, in searching for 
 the same gold or silver, and what the subject owes to man, of what 
 calling or condition soever, in seeking it out of the earth, &c. And the 
 causes of the dedication of this Booke shall be three, all which of them- 
 selves are both varie and singular, and to be compared unto rich 
 Jewells; and therefore, must require the patronage of some specialls per- 
 sons ; I meane the King's Majesty, or the Prince himselfe, or some spe- 
 ciall superiour and governour within this dominioun of England. 
 
28 
 
 David. And First therefore, forasmuch as both godly and learned have suf- 
 
 ficiently spoke of the famous works of these two Kings David the pro- 
 phett, and Solloman the wise, although it was not on the manner as 
 
 2. this is, (viz 1 .) Secondly, of theire deeds and doings ; and this because 
 it cannot be well countenanced, but either by a king, or prince, or some 
 supreame governour ; and therefore, I may add thereunto some of the 
 workes of these two godly Kings, and make application thereunto, &c. 
 
 3. Thirdly, in respect of the wonderfull resemblance [which] many of his 
 Majesties gracious deeds have with the doings of the prophet David, 
 and Solloman the wisest, (viz 1 .) it is said that 
 
 (1.) David encountered with Goliah, that blasphemer of God, and 
 beat downe his pride. Sam. 17 chapt. 
 
 (2.) David, destroyed God's enemies, on every side. Eccl. 47 chapt. 
 
 (3.) David, rooted out the Philistines his adversaries. Sam. 18 chapt. 
 
 (4.) David suffered much injuries of Saul, and offered none againe. 
 
 (5.) David praised the most high God in all his workes, and with 
 nlost honourable words ; with his heart he sang psalmes, loving him for 
 ever that made him, (viz 1 .) God. Eccl. 47 chapt. 
 
 An apt application might be made and compared unto his sacred 
 Majesty, or unto Prince Charles, (viz'.) 
 
 (1.) As the foyling of Goliah, to his Majesties overthrowing the 
 great Pope, or Popery. 
 
 (2.) The rooting out of the Philistines, to the suppressing idolatry. 
 
 (3.) The singing of godly psalmes, to the godly bookes used in all his 
 Majesties kingdomes, at morning and evening prayer. 
 
 (4.) David's love, words, and works to his God, even unto his Ma- 
 jesties promoting God's glory many wayes, especially in openinge the 
 secretts of the earth, for God's treasure house, (to witt) the gold Mines 
 of Scotland, as I thinke. 
 
 (5.) And lastly, for defending pure religion: And so much for ap^ 
 plication. 
 
 
 
29 
 
 Now, somewhat concerning King Soloman, whom I read to be a kingSolloman. 
 of great riches, and wealth, and in possessions mighty ; and for power 
 lie was invincible. And, before he fell, for his wisdome, he was peereles ; 
 for justice, righteous ; for vertue, famous ; for zeale, glorious ; and at 
 home, welbeloved of his subjects ; abroad, honoured of all nations, yea, 
 all kings and princes sought his welfare and health. 
 
 And other fit application, Who doth not see that the King's Majesty, 
 the Prince, and his subjects, doe reape as great benefitts, from Almighty 
 God, as did the Israelites by the meanes of King Solloman, or may 
 doe in riches by Scotland, &c. ? Who perceives not but they enjoy 
 every way as great blessings from the Kinge of Kings, as did Solo- 
 man ? Surely I hold him senceles, if he confesse not this to be trew ; 
 nay he is an ungrateful person, not worthy to receive any blessing 
 from God, that doth not acknowledge it to be trew; and God grant 
 it to continue in him and us to our everlasting comforts. 
 
 And thus I will now proceede unto the causes for the dedication of 
 this Booke, (viz 1 .) the singuler profitt which maybe raised out of the 
 bowells of the earth, for mines, meneralls, and menerall stones, such 
 stones may be compared to Jewells of infinite riches. For I read alsoe 
 in Eccle. 10th chapter, That which the kinge favoreth, the people com- 
 monly followeth it, be it vertue which leadeth unto everlasting life, or 
 wickednes to eternall damnation. In an other place I reade, Such as the 
 kinge, superiour or governour, be, such are the people, subjects, or ser- 
 vants. And now herein I pray unto God to be my guide in this bu- 
 sines intended, for religion was a special! point and cause in this en- 
 terprize, to discover the secrett works of God ; arte, skill, and fame, 
 was the greatest object ; and hope of everlasting life for my reward, I 
 expect. And those ledd me into these worthy attempts (viz 1 .) to dis- 
 cover the meneralls and menerall stones within the earth ; and was 
 often recalled backe againe with respect of my due service in this en- 
 terprize, first to God, and the King's Majesty next, and to others my 
 
30 
 
 superiours, and governours lastly : And I am still perswaded that it 
 must extend (if it hitt) to be a renowne of all Christendom, besides the 
 registering the undertakers names in the calender of never dying me- 
 mory. 
 
 Accept, therefore, this Present, presented from an industrious man, 
 who wisheth as many faithfull hearts unto the King's most excellent 
 Majesty, howerly about his Majesty as there be starrs in the skye, (if 
 it may be,) amongst whome my selfe to be a labourer in the vineyard, 
 to receive that reward as he that came att the last houre of the day. 
 
 Force compels me now to retorne unto my former matter, (viz 1 .) of 
 King Josinah and the two Philosophers ; and that once more without 
 offence [I may] signifie my opinion therein. 
 
 Then I cannott but acknowledge that I alwayes thought that this 
 blessed time of Discovery for the gold Mines in Scotland is even now 
 come in his Majesties reigne, or else never will happen in my time, 
 who have presumed three several times, was not seconded ; And 
 therefore, I will proceed to shew you what more hath byn don within 
 the kingdome of Scotland, at the gold Mines, since his Majesties 
 minority, by Englishmen, (viz 1 .) 
 
 Mr Bowes. Mr George Bowes, an English gent., procured a commission into 
 Scotland unto the gold Mines ; and I happened also on a booke of his 
 making in England. I carried it with me in Scotland, and compared 
 the same with the report of the countrey ; and the countrymen at 
 Winlocke-head said, It is so, and most trew, that Mr Bowes discovered 
 a small vaine of gold, which had much small gold in it, uppon Win- 
 locke-head. But he swore all his workemen to keepe it secrett, and 
 never to disclose the same unto the King of Scotland, nor his Coun- 
 sell : for so he had promissed to do, at his departure from the Queene 
 of England, if he found it. 
 
 And Mr Bowes, by force and vertue of the Queen's letters unto the 
 Counsell of Scotland, had a new warrant granted from the Lords of 
 
31 
 
 Scotland, by vertue whereof lie was suffered quietly to digg and delve, 
 where he would ; so it were after an other fashion, then did Mr Bul- 
 mer and his men before digg and delve. 
 
 And Mr Bowes digged sondry shafts in solidd places uppon the 
 mountaines, on Robbart moore at Winlocke-head, and he oftentimes 
 found good feeling gold, and much small gold. And he gave a great 
 parte thereof away ; ten or twelve ounce to make friends unto lords and 
 owners of the ground ; and he gave unto marchants and gentlemen in 
 England as much more as before he had don in Scotland. And he 
 kept many workemen, both English and Scotts, and paid them with 
 the same gold. He builded dwelling-houses there for himselfe and 
 his people, but none for his Scotts workemen ; others sought theire 
 victualls and lodgings farr of from the said worke, which was an hin- 
 derance ; and the workmen had every one store of gold. But Mr Bul- 
 mer's men found little or none but what they bought from Mr Bowes 
 men, saying, They sought to discover places fitt for a prince, not a 
 subject. 
 
 And when they had filled theire purses, then he caused the said Mr Bowes, 
 shaft to be filled up againe, and swore his agents and workemen all 
 for secrecie, and not to disclose the same uppon theire lives ; where- 
 unto they were forced, and did so, and most especially to keepe it 
 close from the King's Majesty and Counsell of Scotland ; and this 
 was confessed by some of Mr Bowes chiefest servants since Mr Bowes 
 died. And so shortly he did retourne unto the Queenes Majesty in 
 England, unto whome in all secrett manner, he said, That the trust 
 committed unto him by hir Majesty was performed, and concealed, 
 saying, that he had found out a small vaine thereof; and, Behold, 
 [said he] and see of it, for this, even all this, is out of the same vaine. 
 And [he] shewed a long purse full thereof; and it was admired at 
 then of such as saw it, and it was vallewed to be worth vij score 
 pounds starling, without melting; but he had before given much 
 
32 
 
 thereof away privily, &c. And this purse had much of the salineeres 
 stone in it. 
 
 And he said unto the Queen's Majesty, (viz 1 .) " How long it will 
 continue, Maddam, I knowe not ; but I have made it very suer, and 
 hidd it up till my next going thither," &c. 
 
 And hir Majesty liked well thereof, and kept it sccrett from all 
 others, as he said, giving thanks to Mr Bowes for his trew service 
 therein ; and for that gift shee received it of him, but promissed tre- 
 bly to reward it ; and said, that the next spring he should goe againc 
 thither, at hir Majesties only charge, and to seeke for a greater vaine 
 thereof, and commanding him to prepare himselfe so to doe, that 
 store thereof might be had. 
 
 Mr Bowes. And he went home richly into the North countrey, where he dwelt, 
 [but] unfortunately, in riding to see the Copper works and mines in 
 Cumberland, at Keswicke, as he was going downe into the deepe 
 pitts, the ladder broke, and the earth fell in uppon him, and so was 
 bruised to death ; and thus he lost his life, and the vaine of Gold, not 
 since discovered in Scotland. Mr Daniell Hecsister, one of the Mas- 
 ters of the said copper mines, was then going downe after him into 
 the ground, and fell but a little way, and hurt himselfe, but not unto 
 death, [yet was] he sore bruised with the fall of the same ladder, [but 
 he escaped] praised be God therefore. I wrought with him since, and 
 he tould it me for a truth, &c. 
 
 Gold vaiue And then I travailing further into the north partes, had certaine in- 
 telligence thereof; hopeing to have discovered that small vaine againe, 
 it moved me, at my own adventure, to goe [and] see if I could find out 
 the same, which before Mr Bowes had hiddupp. And I sought it dili- 
 gently, but I could not gett any of Mr Bowes men that there wrought 
 before. And want of meanes to harrow that ground, which Mr Bowes 
 had turned up, made me departe from that place unto Short-dough 
 
 ' 
 
S3 
 
 brayes, into the same place where George Parkehed was slaine with 
 the fall of the bray after a great weete ; and he was found three dayes 
 after that, and had good store of gold about him. And he was before 
 accounted alvvayes a poore man ; but he was hurried better then any of 
 his kindred had bin of long time before. 
 
 And all the last Gold which I brought of Scotland, and presented 
 unto the King's Majesties owne hands in certaine sundry places, 
 mingled with the sappar, callamineere, saxere, and the sallinere stones, 
 was gotten at Short-clough brayes. And the other gold which I had 
 in sondry places, where I made sundry trialls, I sent it by my cozen, 
 John Atkinson, of Westminster, to London. And Mr John Morray 
 of the King's bed chamber had most of my Scotts naturall gold, to 
 keepe by his Majesties commandement. I never could gett the same 
 Gold againe, nor see it, nor yett any resonable content for the same. 
 I offered to put in security that it should be restored againe to Mr 
 Morray, so that he would be pleased to lett it be but scene unto Mer- 
 chants of London that had promissed me to adventure ; for want 
 whereof (as I thiiike,) they fell quite from me, excusing the cause 
 thereof, and alledging, that it is more fitting for princes then subjects. 
 And, therefore, said some of them to me, If thou wilt adventure in any 
 other nation of a hotter clymate, we will take better advise thereof, 
 and we will both respect your selfe and your knowledge, for we love 
 to adventure, where our fore fathers have don before us ; and, to tell 
 you the naked truth of it, we have no mind at all in Scotland to ad- 
 venture. And thus much for the conference amongst the Merchants 
 and my selfe, and other my freinds at London. 
 
 The late Queene Elizabeth, of famous memory, was possessed often Nicholas 
 with a good opinion of the gold Mines in Scotland, (viz'.) about some 
 forty yeares by past. Long before Mr Bulmer had intelligence, one 
 Cornelius Devosse, a most cuninge pictur maker, and excellent in 
 
34 
 
 arte for trial! of meneralls and menerall stones, sometimes dwell- 
 ing in London, a young man, well acquainted with Mr Nicholas Hil- 
 liard, a goldsmith, then principall drawer of small pictures to the late 
 Queene Elizabeth, procured the same Billiard to adventure with him 
 into Scotland, and to send his servant and freind as an agent thither, 
 by name Arthur Van-Brounckhurst ; for at that time there was a great 
 report and fame that went of the naturall gold gotten within the king- 
 dom of Scotland. And Brounckhurst being knowne to be a good 
 artist, skilfull and well scene in all sorts of stones, especially in me- 
 neralls and menerall stones, then Mr Hilliard ceased not, untill he 
 had procured pattent, which was graunted unto Cornelius Devosse, 
 and without molestation to seeke, as others before had don, for na- 
 turall gold in Scotland. And then Mr Hilliard and Cornelius De- 
 vosse made uppon resonable conditions an assignment unto Arthur 
 Van-Brounckhurst, who, after that powerfull, sett sondry workemen 
 to worke without any trouble or molestation. And Arthur Van- 
 Brounckhurst had a further priviledge then others that were before 
 him. He was admitted to bring with him into England a good quan- 
 tity of gold unrefined, and without any other dressing then was used 
 by water, and to put the same stones, meneralls or menerall stones, 
 and the gold that there withall dwelled, saffely into a barrell or ves- 
 sell, fitt for that purpose. For Cornelius and Mr Hilliard had the 
 like from thence before sondry times ; and Van-Brounckhurst and 
 they two had often out of other nations the like sort of gold. And 
 they were informed by men of good experience travelling through 
 forraine nations, affirming, that as sand and gravell have theire 
 severall beds within the superficies of the earth, in sondry places 
 within England; even so is there bedds of gold and silver in for- 
 raine countries where they have travailled. And so craiggs and 
 rocks have theire severall vaines or bedds of ewer, iron, copper, and 
 
35 
 
 tynn mines, within the bowells of the earth in the kingdomes of 
 England, Scotland, and Ireland, or in the principallities of Wales. 
 Even so hath gold and silver theire vaines in rocks, amongst the 
 waters in the earth, and under the waters in the ground ; and they 
 hoped in that mariner to find out the bedd or vaine of Gold in Scot- 
 land. And this opinion I hold to be good, for I ever will be of the 
 same mind, that there is both a bedd and vaine of Gold in Scotland. 
 And now upon the event, what is written of Arthur Van-Brounck- 
 hurst, (viz 1 .) he searched sondry Moores, and found gold in sondry 
 places ; but he was forced to leave it all att the Mint-house in Scot- 
 land, by speciall command from his Majesty, being then in minority. 
 Whereas before, it was conditioned betwixt Mr Halliard and Cor- 
 nelius of the one parte, and Van-Brounckhurst of the other parte, that 
 the said Brounckhurst should pay the full valliation for all such na- 
 turall gold as should be gotten by him in Scotland, unto the King in 
 minority, or unto the Regent, for the use of his Majesty. And to that 
 purpose he had both gold and silver store out of England, to performe 
 it, as by his pattent he was obliged so to doe. 
 
 And it is written, that the Earle of Moreton being then Regent, Moreton, 
 would not give way unto Van-Brounckhurst [his] pattent, although the e 8 ent- 
 said Brounckhurst became a suitor, at least for the space of 4 moneths, 
 and did not prevaile unto this day. And so at last [he] was forced to be- 
 come one of his Majesties sworne servants at ordinary in Scotland, to 
 draw all the small and great pictures for his Majesty. And by this 
 meanes, Mr Milliard and Cornelius Devosse lost all their chardges, and 
 never since got any recompence, to Mr Hilliard's great hinderance, as he 
 saith, who yet liveth, and confirmeth the same. 
 And now I will write concerning Mr Bulmer. 
 
 In the late Queen Elizabeth's raigne, Mr Bulmer was well possessed Bulmer. 
 by letters of warranty, with a pattent graunted by her Majesty in 
 
36 
 
 England, and from the King's Majesty of Scotland, there to make an 
 adventure, and seeke for the gold and silver Mines in any place within 
 that kingdom, especially within these five Moores, or Forrests, &c. 
 following. 
 Nidsclalc. Upon Mannocke moore he had workemen and laborers to search 
 
 1. Maii- out *his naturall gold in Nidsdale, and gott there some small quantity 
 
 nocke thereof; but he builded no house to dwell in there, which was an hin- 
 
 Moore. 
 
 derance, &c. 
 
 2. Kobart Uppon Winlocke water, on Robbart moore, likewise in Nydsdale, 
 
 he caused search diligently for naturall gold, and gott sometimes a 
 pretty quantity togeather. He brought home a water-course there to 
 wasli and scower the naturall gold from the earth, that had before bin 
 descended from the mountaines, ever since Noah's flood. Neither build- 
 ed he houses there to dwell in, but they all went to the Lead-hill unto 
 Thomas Floods his house to diett ; whereas Mr Bowes had theire 
 built a dwelling house that might have sufficed him ; yet he repaired 
 it not. But some say that he alsoe found out the suspected vaine of 
 Gold, which Mr Bowes had discovered ; a good parte or quantity there- 
 of he brought unto the Queene of England, but had not the same 
 in abundance, which I hardly beleeve. Thus much for these two 
 Moores. 
 Clydsdale. Uppon Fryer moore, or Glangonner water, within Clydsdale, Mr 
 
 3. l-ryer B u } mer hunted for gold and gott there reasonable good store; and 
 
 upon Glangoner water he builded a very fayre countrey house to 
 dwell in ; he furnished it fitting for himselfe and his family ; he kept 
 therein great hospitallity ; he purchased lands and grounds round 
 about it ; he kept thereupon many cattle, as horses, kine, sheep, &c. 
 And he brought home there a water-course for the washing and clen- 
 sing of gold ; by helpe thereof he gott much stragling gold, on the 
 skirts of the hills, and in the vallyes, but none in solidd places : which 
 maintained himselfe then in great pompe ; and thereby he kept open 
 
37 
 
 house for all comers and goers, as is reported, he feasted all sorts of 
 people that thither came. 
 
 Upon Short-clough water, or Crayford moore, he brought home an 4. Cray- 
 other goodly water-course, and intended to make there sondry dammes, Moore. 
 to contayne water for the buddies, and for scowrers, c., for the wash- 
 ing of gold. And he often found store thereof, and purposed to have 
 built there an other dwelling house and storehouse, but it is said that 
 his hospitallity and [want of] frugality were the theeves that burst in, 
 and so robbed his house, and cutt his purse bottom cleane away ; and 
 thus he consumed him selfe and wasted what he did gett in gold, 
 which was much, both of great gold and small gold, &c. And he 
 gott as much gold there as would maintaine iij times so many men as 
 he did keepe, royally. 
 
 From Short-clough water he removed unto Long-clough-brayes, or 5. Lang- 
 head, up the great hill, to seeke gold in solidd places : where he disco- elough- 
 vered a small stringe thereof : but there he wanted a water-course to 
 help him. This vaine kid the sapper stone plentifull in it, which some- 
 times held naturall gold, a little, not much. But the sallineere stones, A vaine. 
 that were contained in that vaine at Long-clough-head held much sil- 
 ver, and may prove a rich mine, if it be followed with such as know 
 the nature thereof, (viz 1 .) the meneralls, &c. It is said, that vaine was 
 somewhat powldered with small gold, and therefore called powldered 
 gold. It was a vaine discovered by Mr Bulmer, and is not to be called 
 a bedd of gold, as is in some places to be found, for the bedd is of an 
 other fashion. 
 
 The cause why they removed from Short-clough-brayes to Long- Long- 
 clough-head [was], for that the workemen had bin shedding, hunting, dough ' 
 and chasing after a piece or ij of great gold, which they found there 
 within two foote of the mosses. It was weighed to be vj ounce weight, 
 as they report, that found the one peece, the other was five ounce and 
 better, which was supposed to descend from the bedd of gold ; but no 
 
38 
 
 bedd as yett thereof was found thereat, for it was cleene gold of.itselfe. 
 No king, prince, superiour, or any other governour, ever saw naturall 
 gold more perfitter then it was, neither ever shall see, and especially 
 
 Philoso- of God's owne handy worke. It was never made by the arte of any 
 
 i)licr*s 
 
 Stone. man, but, as I said before, by that great Philosopher of Heaven : And 
 
 this is that God which maketh the true Philosophers stones of nothing, 
 and are to be discovered within the bowells of the earth, amongst rocks 
 and craggs ; (viz'.) called God's treasur house. 
 
 (1.) It is manifest that cunninge artists can turne malliable mettle, 
 into coarse gold or silver, which shall abide, First the touch-stone, 
 and so touch like gold or silver. (2.) Next it shall looke well, and like 
 unto gold, but not stand with his collourish ; thus much the artificiall 
 workman doth, and is admired at. (3.) Then he will make the same gold 
 cut well, and abide the hamber, and to flecke it as thynn as paper, or 
 parchment. (4>.) Againe forge it, neale it, and melt it, no man but would 
 thinke it perfitt gold or silver, &c., and so thinke that then they may 
 boast to have the Philosopher's stone, &c. But when that fallable gold, 
 made by the arte and skill of man, shall be brought unto the assaymer, 
 who is compared unto Jeremy the prophet ; of him I will speak more 
 at lardge, in his place hereafter, and so to be tried by his strong waters 
 or semetery furnaces ; then the true and perfitt gold, or silver, which is 
 compared unto God's worde, is made knowne from the base gold with 
 his druggs and compounds, as the false gold is that confines the common 
 vulgar sort, &c. And, as the righteous, through the meritts of Christ, 
 shall inheritt the Kingdome of Heaven ; and the infidell and imper- 
 fitt man that torment that is prepared for him, &c., even so the good 
 gold or silver is prepared to abide all the forceable sorts of fier and 
 water, and the druggs and drosse, which are compounds, mixt with 
 the best gold or silver, shall be turned into smoake or vaper, else by 
 the refiner's arte, made into his owne solidd body againe, whatsoever 
 it was before, &c. 
 
39 
 
 At Lang-clough-head, I heard it credibly reported, and I saw a Browne 
 peece of the same, that there was found a peece of browne sparr, P ar 
 some like unto suger candy, which, after it was broke, had in it an 
 ounce of gold, of God's owne naturall handy worke ; which sparr 
 stone, as I suppose, is called the sapper stone in forraine nations 
 and provinces ; and the same browne sparr stone weighed ij pound 
 weight troy, &c. These, and the like to these, is able to induce even 
 kings, princes, superiours, or governours whatsoever, to hunt out, 
 trace, or chase for the like till it were discovered, being it was found 
 so high in that mountaine, at Long-clough-head. 
 
 And I say, if the time be approached, which the two Philosophers TwoPhilo- 
 prophecied of unto King Josina, then that flower is sprong up in our s P" ers - 
 peacable age ; otherwise in my age, if I had lived Nestor's yeares, I 
 must live never to see it discovered in Scotland ; albeit, I have seene 
 most strange meneialls and menerall stones in Scotland found, and 
 have wrought the same to perfection, which I will speake of here- 
 after. 
 
 And at Lang-clough-head Mr Bulmer made a stamping mill, called A stamp- 
 in forraine countries Tanacanagno. Many such as it are used at the m &~ m 
 West Indies ; and in Cornewall, within the kingdome of England, it is 
 called sometimes a plash-mill, where there be many of them made to A plash- 
 dresse tynn out of such stones, being gotten in the earth, amongst 
 rocks and bedds, in which by the eye of man little or nothing can 
 be discerned; and, by the same meanes, Mr Bulmer used to gett 
 small mealy gold. At Long-clough-head, in Scotland he gott much 
 thereof, and gave some away, sondry times, to unthankfull persons. 
 He sold much thereof for halfe payment, and such as he was most li- 
 berall unto, they were rediest to cut his throate. And he continued 
 still liberall in hospitallity, none like him in that time ; so it is report- 
 ed throughout all Crayford Moare, &c. 
 
 Upon Glangabere Water, in Inderland, within the forrest of Atrick, Glangaber. 
 
40 
 
 Mr Bulmer gott the greatest gold, the like to it in no other place be- 
 fore of Scotland ; but he was at no cost to bring home water-courses 
 there, nor built no houses to dwell in, neither stayed he long. And 
 he had there sometimes great gold, like Indian wheate, or pearle, and 
 black eyed like to beanes. And he did not meane to settle his worke- 
 men there, untill an other fitter time should serve, for he was driven 
 away by force of weather, and called away by other great occasions, 
 (as is said,) &c. And he had alwayes many irons in the fier, besides 
 these which he presently himselfe looked on ; and often times intri- 
 cate matters in hand to decyde ; and too many prodigall wasters, 
 hanging on every shoulder of him. And he wasted much himselfe, and 
 gave liberally to many, for to be honoured, praised, and magnified, 
 else he might have bin a rich subject ; for the least of these frugali- 
 ties [profusions] were able to robb an abbott. 
 
 Buhner's By such synister meanes he was impoverished, and followed other 
 idle veniall vices to his dying day, that were not allowable of God nor 
 man : and so, Once downe aye downe, and at last he died at Awstin- 
 moore, in my debt 340 Starling, to my great hinderance, and left 
 me in Ireland much in debt for him, &c. : God forgive us all our 
 sinnes ! But if he had lived to this day, undoubtedly, he might have 
 paid all men. 
 
 Mr Bui- Now a little concerning some cheife points that I observed from 
 Mr Bulmer, within these thirty yeares, &c. And he said, (1.) Whosoever 
 is a menerall man must of force be a hasserd adventurer, not greatly 
 esteeming whether it hit, or miss soddainly, as if he were a gamester 
 playing at dice, or such unlawful gaines, &c. : (viz 1 .) Thine or mine at all, 
 said he. ( 2. ) If once a little be adventured in seeking of meneralls or me- 
 nerall stones, and thereby he happen to wyn, he must esteeme it as 
 nothing, said he. (3.) But if he hope to wynn, and throwe att all, so 
 loose all and gett nothing, yett must he thinke he hath gott something. 
 (4.) And if a man find a rich vaine of mettle, by arte or accedent, lett 
 
41 
 
 him not esteeme thereof, for it is like a man stonge with a nettle ; 
 sayth he. And if he do seeke in hope to find, albeit thereby noe 
 profitt nor principall doth come, yet must he tbinke him selfe a rich 
 man, and beleeve that he hath, or shall have, that he hath not ; and if 
 he cannot embrace the lessons he cannott be a right menerall man ; 
 sayth he. 
 
 But I say, and beleeve it too, That when mynes, menerall or mene- Atkinson. 
 rail stones, doe hitt in, it is the best gotten goods in the whole worlde. 
 It is profitable to all parties, and doth prejudice none, being hitt uppon ; 
 and when they hitt not in, though it be to some little losse of goods, 
 for a season, yet God's name is thereby honoured and glorified ; in 
 searching the hidden secretts of God, out of the depth of the earth, 
 where God created them, for the sole use of man, calling it God's 
 treasur house. I reade of an Historiographer's opinion for the first in- invention 
 venting of mines, meneralls, and menerall stones, complaining, he 
 sayth, &c. 
 
 Alas ! what meant that man, which digged the golden Mine, 
 Making the ponderous weight of Gold most bright to shine ? 
 Or what meanes he that seekes the Orient pearles 
 Amongst sea sands, which dwell in muskell's shells ? 
 And then conclude with diamonds stones, sett in rings, 
 (All precious are, yett perilous things ?) 
 
 I read of an other godly man's opinion for the first inventing, and 
 digging the earth, for gold and silver, (viz*.) 
 
 Woe to the man that first digged the mould, 
 To find out the Myne of silver and gold ; 
 For when it lay hidd, and to us unknowne, 
 Of striffe and debate the seed was unsowne. 
 Then lived men well, and held them content 
 With meate, drinke, and cloth, but paying no rent. 
 F 
 
42 
 
 Bulmer. Amongst all the Gold, which Mr Bulraer had gotten in Scotland, 
 besides that which lie had given amongst his freinds, this is to be no- 
 ted, that he presented unto the late Queene Elizabeth so much natu- 
 rall gold as made a porringer of cleene gold. And hir Majesty liked so 
 well of the gift, that she was pleased to say unto him, (viz'.) " Bul- 
 mer, thou art a true faithfull servant ; I have too few such as thou art : 
 but I will not forgett thee, and this thy gift shall remember me, when 
 I see it and not thee. And I will devise how to requite this service don. 
 
 A gi ft In the meanc time, Bulmer, seeke out forsome resonable suite that is 
 
 given 
 
 Bulmer. not already graunted, nor prejudicial! to us, or our crowne, within 
 
 the kingdome of England or principallity of Wales, and it not brought 
 before unto us, nor in charge, and therehy thought commodious to our 
 selfe, and I will remember thee, Mr Bulmer, and give it thee freely, 
 in some recompence of thy services." And, within a short space fol- 
 lowing, Mr Bulmer w?s made one of hir Majesties sworne servants : 
 and this was his first stepp at court, and from thence he learned to 
 begg, as other courtiers doe. He had witt at will, and frequented the 
 best company still ; thereby his old freinds multiplied and sought after 
 him to remember them, and then much creditt was given unto him on 
 every side. 
 
 Impost for But, within a short space following, a good matter was foreseene for 
 him to make a suite unto hir Majesty, to witt the Impost for sea 
 coales ; and v s ' for each chalder thereof, to be paied, that is carried out 
 of the realme of England and Wales, into forraine countries ; and 
 xij d- for every chaldron that is carried by water from any haven towne 
 within England and Wales, unto any other citty or markett towne 
 
 Buhner's and haven, and this all to be paid unto him, &c. And this suite 
 Queene Elizabeth graunted unto him, and he became a farmer 
 therof, and paid to the Queene Elizabeth and hir Successors for the 
 same office or suite six thousand two hundred pounds each yeare ; 
 and he was bound to pay thirty one hundred pounds every halfe 
 
43 
 
 year, or within thirty dayes following ; for want whereof he was 
 content to lose his suite, and surrender it unto the Crowne againe. 
 And he gott, thereby, all charges defrayed, which was much within all 
 England and Wales, the full sum of 1000, per annum to himselfe. 
 And this did not suffice him but [he] forgott himselfe, and trusted 
 overmuch to those which deceived both him and themselves ; and so, 
 for want of payment of his rent, the suite was loste and surrendered, 
 &c. 
 
 And, againe to retourne tmto my former discourse for the Gold in Bulmer's 
 Scotland, I meane the porringer which was made of cleene Scotts C ' 
 gold, without any other addition ; Mr Bulmer caused these verses to 
 be engraven on it, as written unto the Queene of England. 
 
 I dare not give, nor yet present, Verses. 
 
 But render parte of that's thy owne ; 
 My mind, and hart, shall still invent 
 To seeke out Treasure, yet unknowne. 
 
 And so having lost his former suite, which was his living, then he 
 recalled himselfe, and penned a booke of all his acts, workes and de- 
 vises. He named it Bulmer's Skill ; it was written, not printed. 
 Amongst many others his memorable deeds, bis mind still did run 
 upon the gold Mynes in Scotland. Another great parte of his booke 
 was, how the silver mines, the meneralls and menerall stones might 
 be effected ; and how his tynn mines were followed, and how the coale 
 mynes and salt workes in Wales were prosecuted ; and how his lead 
 mynes at Mendipp were the most commodious of all others to him : 
 And thus he set downe the charge of each of them severally ; the 
 profitt that did arrise by some other worke, and the losse that he sus- 
 teined by others ; the great charge of engines, sondry of his owne in- 
 ventions, besides the severall practizes he used in sondry shires, &c. 
 
 But the greatest object that I observe in my Mr Bulmer's booke 
 
44 
 
 The King's called Bulmer's Skill, is this, First he sayth, That he had been with 
 the King's Majesty, in the first [year] of his Majesties raigne over Eng- 
 land ; and that his Highnes was well pleased to see him so well, and to 
 beare his age and travailes so comely. " And especially (said the King) 
 because I desire to heare more of my gold Mynes in Scotland : What 
 thinke you thereof? Are they to be discovered ? May they become 
 profitable to us and our crowne ? If it may be without too much adven- 
 ture and losse, speake the truth, and no more then the truth uppon 
 thy alleagance." 
 
 Bulmer's And Mr Bulmer answered, " All Mynes are uncertaine within the 
 speech. 
 
 earth ; for God hath hidden his manifold blessings within the corners 
 
 of the earth, amongst creveeses and holes, even in secrett places ; and 
 it is not to be doubted but that your Majesties golden Mines may be 
 discovered if it might please your Grace to enure them." 
 
 And shortly after Bulmer said, That his Majesty conceived so good 
 an opinion of them, that he had them much in remembrance, amongst 
 other his great and weighty busynesses, esteeming them to be none of 
 the smallest, pleasing unto God, nor the least that God had ordeyned 
 for man within the earth. Therefore the King had devised a Plott, 
 how the said Gold works might be set aworke anew ; and thereby be- 
 come commodious unto his crowne and dignity ; and so a great terrour 
 to all the enemies of God, if it hitt, which I will declare hereafter, &c. 
 His Majes. " I doubt the silver Mines of England decayes, (quoth the King,) 
 else are not to be found so plentifull, as in times past." " It is true," 
 said Mr Bulmer. " And therefore (quoth the King) as I desire to have 
 a new onsett to find out from whence this naturall gold doth discend, 
 so I have meditated thereuppon ; and have devised a Plott how the 
 gold Mines may be sett open, and thereby become profitabler then 
 heretofore ; And to that purpose I have devised this Plott, whereby 
 they may contynually be supplied, and continued in working, without 
 ceasing ; and thus, with labour of man, may hills and mountaines be 
 
45 
 
 turned into dayles and vallies, and the waters run over the hills, and 
 so after courses into other places." 
 
 And Mr Bulmer liked well of the Plott, and said, " That it is the 
 most readiest way to discover it ; but it was a chargeable way ; for it 
 is as easy to find the true Philosopher's stone." " I have alsoe fore- 
 seene and prevented that, (quoth the Kinge). It is thought fitting 
 that Bulmer shall be a superiour or cheife thereof, because of his trust 
 and skill, which was liked of by the Lords of the councell in Scot- 
 land. Therefore, lett Bulmer procure or move 24> gentlemen within 
 England, of sufficient lands and livings, or any other his freinds of 
 Scotland, that shall be willing to be Undertakers thereof, and to be 
 adventurers towards the discovery thereof; and see that all these gen- 
 tlemen, be of such sufficencie in lands, goods, or chattelis, as the 
 worst be worth ten thousand pounds starling, else 500, per annum 
 starling. And all such gentlemen to be moved to disburst ,300, 
 starling each man in monies, or victuals, for maintainnance of the 
 gold mynes in Scotland ; for which disbursement each man to have 
 the honour of Knighthood bestowed uppon him, and so for ever to 
 be called the Knight of the Golden Mynes, or the Golden Knight." 
 And none then presently spake against it, so as Mr Bulmer thought it 
 should be don that the Kinge had said. 
 
 " Besides, all the money or victualls so collected to be carried to a King's 
 storehouse, and to be committed into two Treasurers custody, to see 
 the imployment thereof, the one of England, the other of Scotland." 
 
 But it still was intended alsoe that Mr Bulmer should be cheife 
 governour or guider of all such workemen, and to direct the whole 
 works whatsoever during his life, if it endured so long : And that 
 workemen might weekly be paid from Mr Bulmer ; and that houses 
 and mills might be fore-seene to be build att the best hand ; and to 
 provide for all necessaries, as victualls, tooles, instruments, and imple- 
 ments whatsoever by Mr Bulmer ; and that clowses, dammes, and 
 
46 
 
 King's 
 command 
 
 Buhner's 
 oath. 
 
 water-courses, be made fitting to the furnishing of the said gold 
 workes, and washing of gold, &c. ; and that all sorts of water-mills, 
 stamping-mills, and plash-mills, as are requisite be made ready, as 
 are thought good to be don by Mr Bulmer, or his agents, &c. 
 
 " Lastly, to erect a church or chappell for all the workemen, where 
 they may make theire prayers to God, for theire soules health. And 
 then the workes of theire hands will be blessed, and come to a good 
 end, to God's glory, the King's profitt, and a benefitt to the common- 
 vveale, as in other countries and nations." 
 
 And Mr Bulmer tooke his oath diverse times in my hearing, all this 
 to be trew, and [that it] was intended by the Kinge. And all these 
 sayings Mr Bulmer had tould amongst his frequented freinds, who 
 liked so well of it, that they said, It is too good news to be trew, &c. 
 
 And the next time that Mr Bulmer came from court, he came home 
 very pensive, and grew sicke ; and then he confessed that the Earle of 
 Salisbury. Salisbury had crossed all his expected fortunes in his future busines ; 
 for, said he, " All is quite dashed that his Majesty intended." And then 
 againe he called himselfe to remembrance, his charge, his children, 
 and family. " Well, (said hee,) God giveth, and God taketh away ; 
 blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth for evermore," &c. 
 
 Againe he said, "But me thinketh it strange, that the Kinge of Great 
 Brittaine should make a graunt, and that a Nobleman of England 
 should cutt it of, and say, It is not fitting that such a suite should 
 be graunted to so meant; a man :" for it was too great for any subject 
 in England. And thus the dubbing of those 24 Knights was ended, 
 and the golden Mynes was not spoken of for that time any more. 
 Only one Knight was made, and he was called Sir John Cleypoole ; 
 for he had ventured with Mr Bulmer before 500, starling at the 
 gold Mynes in Scotland. He is yet living, and sayth, It is very trew, 
 &c. And so the gold Mynes charge was cutt of at that time, till I 
 myself did undertake them at my own chardge, &c. 
 
 Dubbing of 
 Knights. 
 
 Sir John 
 Cleypoole. 
 
47 
 
 Sir Bevis Bulmer hath sett downe in his booke, the manner how the Bulmer's sil- 
 rich silver Mynes at Hilderstone in Scotland were found ; and how j n Scotland, 
 they were lost, &c. After the full discovery thereof he rested not un- 
 till he named them, calling one pitt or shafte there, God's Blessing, 
 because of the wonderfull works of God, that he had seene, which ne- 
 ver before, the like thereunto, within any of his Majesties kingdoms 
 [were] knowne to be. And I have good cause to be well acquainted God's Bless- 
 with that silver Myne, being there imployed from the begininge till mg ' 
 the going out thereof, as a refiner of the same, and a longer time then 
 any others of England, Scotland, or Germany. 
 
 Now concerning the first finding thereof, Sir Bevis saith in his 
 booke, that it was found out by meere fortune or chance of a collier, 
 by name Sandy Maund a Scotsman, as he sought about the skirts of 
 those hills neere to the bourne or water of Hilderstone. And this 
 Scotsman, by meanes of digging the ground, hitt upon the heavy Sandy 
 peece of redd-mettle ; no man thereabouts ever saw the like. It was 
 raced with many small stringes, like unto haiers, or thredds. It had 
 descended from a vaine therof, where it had engendered with the 
 sparr-stone, which sparr-stone in forraine provinces is called by other 
 travellers Cacilla. And he sought further into the ground, and found Cacilla. 
 a peece of brownish sparr-stone, and it was mossie. He broke it with 
 his mattocke, and it was white, and glittered within like unto small 
 white copper-keese, which is to be found in many common free-stones. 
 And he never dreamed of any silver to be in that stone, and he shewed 
 it to some of hisfreinds; and they said, " Where hadst thou it ?" Quoth 
 he, "At the Silver bourne, under thehill called Kerne-Popple." Where- 
 upon a gent, of Lythcoo, wished Sandy Mund to travaile unto the Sandy 
 Lead-hill, and about Glangonner water he should hear of one Sir Be- J 
 vis Bulmer, and said, " If it prove good he will be thankefull, if other- 
 wise he will reward thee; and I will send to him my letter ; [and] if he 
 doenot,! will." Whereupon, he tooke his journey towards the Lead-hill, 
 
48 
 
 and came to Mr Bulmer's house, and shewed these few meneralls, or 
 menerall stones, that he had gotten at the Silver bourne neere to Lyth- 
 coo ; and gave him a letter from Mr Robert Steward which was 
 lovingly accepted of; and then one of his servants made fier in the as- 
 say-fornace to make triall thereof. Mr Bulmer did not trust to the first 
 Atkinson, triall, because it proved rich ; but went to it againe, and againe, and 
 still it proved rich, and wonderous rich. But thereof will I write at 
 large hereafter ; and till then proceed [with] what I have [read], or 
 found after my coming to God's Blessing in Scotland. 
 
 Shortly after I was brought thither, the silver Myne being sett 
 open, I was stricken downe into the shaft called God's Blessing ; and 
 I brought up with me a most admirable peece of the Cacilla stone, 
 a menerall stone, which me thought came from one of God's trea- 
 sure houses ; parte whereof I kept still, and a parte thereof I sent for 
 a token unto London to my uncle Atkinson of Foster Lane, and it 
 was much accepted of. It was much more admired [at] by many Gold- 
 smiths of London, who saw it, proved it, tryed and commended [it] 
 above all others that ever they saw before. 
 
 A token And then my uncle Atkinson, who now is dead, he made an oc- 
 trom me. IITI . .1 
 
 casion, and went to the court at Whitehall, desirous to speake with 
 
 the Earle of Salisbury, his honourable good lord and freind, unto 
 whom he shewed it. And the Earle of Salisbury admired at [it], saying, 
 " Mr Atkinson, You have don me as great a pleasure herein, and 
 more then I expected, or could devise ; if so be that it be gotten with- 
 
 Salisbury. in the kingdom of Scotland, without collusion ; for I must tell you, 
 there be many prodigious workemen in the worlde ; and too many in 
 the Kingdom of England." Whereupon Mr Atkinson replied, saying, 
 " My Lord, I will hasserd my life that this token sent to me by my kins- 
 man, was gotten by him in the ground. I dare presume thereof ; for 
 hitherto, I thanke God, I have brought him up from his cradle, and I 
 
 Salisbury, am sure he doth not collude." And then the Earle replied, saying, 
 
49 
 
 " Shall I then beleeve you? and may I shew it unto the King's Majesty? 
 I tell you trewly it is the best token that ever I received out of that 
 kingdom, or any other kingdom of that quality, by anyother gent, what- 
 soever ; and I will be thankfull unto you, use me, when you please." 
 And the Earle said, " A more curious peece of worke in a stone, (viz'.) 
 in a menerall or menerall stone, no man hath ever scene ; which I es- 
 teeme above all others, because of Scotland, from whence I have had 
 sondry times gold, but never any thinge in this sorte, as perfitt sil- 
 ver." Further promissing Mr Atkinson, that he would shew it unto the 
 Kinge, and deliver it againe, if he be not countermanded. But it was 
 never more scene to Mr Atkinson, neither had he ever content for it. 
 
 The manner how it grew, was like unto the haire of a man's head, 
 and the grasse in the feilde. And the vaine thereof, out of which I had The vaine 
 it, was once two inches thicke, by measure and rule : the mettle thereo 2 
 was both malliable and toughe. It was course silver, worth 4 s . vj d . 
 the ounce weight ; not fine silver, as is made by the art of man. 
 
 The greatest quantity of Silver that ever was gotten at God's Bless- Red met- 
 ing, was raised and fined out of the red-mettle ; and the purest sort * 
 thereof then conteyned in it 24 ounce of fine silver upon every hundred 
 weight ; vallewed at vj score pounds starling the ton. And much of the 
 same redd-mettle, by the assay, held twelve score pounds starling per 
 ton weight. But when the same Mines befell unto the King's Majesty God's Be- 
 to be superiour or governour thereof, then indeede it was not so rich in 
 silver altogeather. But two Scotts shipps, at the second retourne, were 
 fraighted therewith, (viz'.) the white sparrand the redd-mettle togea- 
 ther ; which at depth proved not so rich as the other before brought 
 in one shipp, in the last long great frost, &c. unto the Tower of Lon- 
 don, whereof I will hereafter speake at large, for I was in the shipp. 
 
 And when I wrought on the first sorte of redd-mettle for Mr Bulmer 
 and my Lord Advocate of Scotland, sundry times I refined it; and com- 
 monly for the space of three dayes weekly I made an hundred [pounds] 
 
50 
 
 Red-met- starling each day, &c. Some parte of the same redd-mettle was brought 
 to London to be tryed, and small profit arose thereof; and scantly it 
 paid charges thereof: for the Blessing of God was extracted by God's 
 providence before. I tryed of the like redd-mettle at the Tower of 
 London, being a parcel of the first ten tons ; and coales and other 
 charges were so dere, as wages, &c., so as it scantly countervaled the 
 expences thereof. But in Scotland it was don by me with peates and 
 stone coles at reasonable price, &c.; and I did more in Scotland in one 
 A mistery. day then in three at London, &c. Thereby came profitt. But this 
 was the strangest of all others, and as it were almost incredible for 
 Red met- man to beleeve, (viz'.) Untill the same redd-mettle came unto 12 fad- 
 domes deepe, it remained still good; from thence unto 30 fathome 
 deepe it proved nought : the property thereof was quite changed mi- 
 raculously in goodnes, it was worth little or nothing ; and more, 
 uppon an instant, after the Bronswicks entered, it was quite altered 
 in quality, but not in colour, fashion, and heavines. 
 
 Atkinson. And thus much more I dare presume to promise, with the help of 
 God's assistance, and his Majesties lawdable authority, to discover 
 the like silver Myne neere unto Hilderstone, as was before at Hilder- 
 stone, having the helpe of an Englishman named before in my com- 
 mission for the gold Mynes, which hardly will be effected, but only 
 for his gracious Majesty. And how long then the same will continew, 
 being discovered, that is best knowne unto God, not to any man, &c. : 
 for Mynes be as uncertaine for continuance, as life is to man, which is 
 like a bubble of water upon the waters ; to-day a man, to-morrow none ! 
 Mr Bui- In the first yeare of King Henry the vij th , King of England, &c. 
 booke. through certaine allegations propounded by his subjects as myners, 
 pioners, after the manner of petition, Mr Buhner sayth in his booke, 
 That artists and workemen made humble suite that the mynes, me- 
 neralls, and menerall stones, already by them discovered, within the 
 Martyn. county of Devonsheire in England, might be supplied : For the tynners 
 
51 
 
 of Cornewall and Devonsheire, had found a parte thereof which was 
 rich, holding good store of silver, as they sought only for tynn ; the 
 shodds whereof was very bright, and of colour like unto lead ewer 
 found in the superficies of the earth, and contained in it, hy assay, much 
 silver. And the said shodds have bin found in combs and vallies neere 
 to the river side, and not in solidd places ; the one place called Comb- 
 Martyn, the other Beereferris, both in Devonsheire ; for so it was re- 
 corded in an ould parchment booke, at Mr Somerster's house at Beere- 
 ferris in Devonsheire ; he was Archdeacon of Cornewall, and parson of 
 Beere, &c. And in one place of that booke is noted, That, if it pleased 
 his Majesty, they would undertake to worke those silver Mynes, and 
 discover them, so as they should be very profitable to his Highnes, 
 without charge to his Majesty. And it was required how ? &c. They 
 answered, By vertue of a graunt or priviledge from your Majesty, to Priviledge. 
 be graunted unto certaine governours or rulers thereof, to make a 
 collection in every church within the Counties of Somersett, Devon, 
 and Cornewell, from sufficient and able men, and such as may well 
 spare the same, (viz 1 .) That at every fayre holdeu within these iij coun- 
 ties certaine collectors should be appointed for the King's Majesty, to 
 receive one penny starling money for every bull, bullocke, or cowe, 
 horse, garrand, or mare, that's sould at the fayre, or comes to be sould, 
 to pay a penny toule towards the discovery of his Majestie's silver Silver 
 Mynes, &c. And the monies so collected to be delivered into the M y nes- 
 Vicar's hands of the parishe, or Parson of the parishe, or unto the 
 cheife Lord of the soile, be it within towne or citty, corporation or 
 village. And that such monies or victualls may be forth coming to 
 content artists and workemen, &c. and the Treasurer of the Mynes Treasurer. 
 to fetch it at convenient times and see it disbursed. 
 
 At Comb-Martyn there was a fayre storehouse builded for that pur- 
 pose, &c. ; 1000 men were imployed there and at Beereferris. Imple- 
 ments and tooles, with other necessaries and extraordinaries, were as 
 
52 
 
 chargeable as wages, as is recorded in that ould ancient booke, &c. 
 And these two silver Mines yeilded yearly unto his Majesties treasury 
 
 44,ooo. 44,000 starling in bullion and in leade ; which leade was sold for 4. 
 starling the ton weight thereof. And both these workes continued five 
 yeares without ceasing, and by computation they yeilded above all 
 charges thereof 20,000 starling, and being then both deepe, and al- 
 most worne out, ceased. 
 
 And this is sett downe in Mr Bulmer's booke which followeth, &c. 
 
 sayetlT Bulmer sayeth, In anno the xj th of Elizabeth, a commission was graunt- 
 ed, unto a society or company, and thereby made a corporation, who 
 should governe and rule all hir Majesties meneralls, or any rich mene- 
 rall stones within the Kingdome of England and Ireland, and the prin- 
 cipallities of Wales. And the said society to have power, in hir Majes- 
 ties behalfe, to sett or lett the said silver Mynes, or copper Mynes, 
 for certaine yeares, to any that would take them, and paying there- 
 fore such rent as is agreed upon by them ; and this graunt is said to 
 be still in force, &c. 
 
 About the same time, (viz'.) in the yeare of our Lord God 1587, at 
 Comb-Martyn, in Devonsheire, was discovered a new silver Myne, by 
 
 and POP- one Adrian Gilbert, gent, and John Poppler, of London, a lapidary. 
 
 pier. The which, when they found it to be stobborne to melt, and could not 
 then master it, and wyn that in the great, which, the small assay prof- 
 fered, there went a great fame thereof throughout England. Artists 
 from sundry nations came to viewe it, but did no good at it ; amongst 
 whome Mr Bulmer, being then a great lead-man uppon Mendipp, in 
 Somersettsheire, having intelligence thereof, had by fortune a small 
 quantity thereof, (viz'.) two pounds weight brought unto him, and the 
 gentleman which brought it, said, " Sir, if you please you may have a 
 sufficient parte therein," &c. The which he tryed, and found it to be 
 rich in silver, and he tryed it twenty severall times. 
 
 And Mr Bulmer, with some men of his, ridd to Comb-Martyn to see 
 
53 
 
 it, &c. and he found great store of that ewer, and in short time bar- 
 gained with Mr Gilbert and Popler for the one halfe of the whole 
 Myne, and for theire commission graunted unto them. And so the Moyety. 
 moyety of all the ewer above ground, and all that hereafter should be 
 gotten out of the earth, should be freely restored to Mr Gilbert, &c. 
 the other moyety to Mr Bulmer ; but Mr Bulmer to beare all charges, 
 &c. in melting and digginge, &c. And the ewer being once made into 
 leade, was presently to be devided equally, and Mr Gilbert's partes Ashburton. 
 were carried to Ashburton, in Devon, to be fined. And for space of 
 two yeares togeather, those silver Mynes yeilded to each of those 
 parteners ten thousand pounds starling : and they all well profited 
 thereby. And the said Mynes continued reasonable good iiij yeares 
 togeather, the last ij yeares not yeilding so much by farr as the first 
 two yeares ; but at the last yeare, when they were at the deepe, the 
 said Mynes yeilded 1000 per annum. And it was called Fayes Mine, TO Mr B. 
 and it was wrought full 32 faddomes deepe and 32 faddomes in length. B- 1 
 In the hinder end of Comb-Martyn's worke, Mr Bulmer gave away L or ^ 
 
 the last cake of silver which was made out of that Myne. I did both Maior of 
 
 London. 
 
 melt the leade thereof, and refined the same cake of silver, which forth- 
 with was sent up to London, and there made into a cupp and cover ; 
 and Mr Bulmer gave it gratis unto the Citty of London, and to re- 
 maine from yeare to yeare, yearly for ever, unto the right honourable 
 the Lord Maior of London ; and one Mr Medly, a goldsmith in Fos- 
 ter-lane, made the same with Mr Bulmer's picture thereuppon engra- 
 ven, and with these verses following annexed, &c. 
 
 When water works at Brokenwharffe C U p verses. 
 
 At first erected were, 
 And Bevis Bulmer by his arte 
 
 The water gan to rear, 
 Dispersed I, in earth did lye, 
 
 From all begining ould, 
 
54 
 
 In place called Combe where Martyn longe 
 
 Had hidd me in his moulde ; 
 I did no service on the earth, 
 
 Nor no man sett me free, 
 Till B aimer by his arte and skill 
 
 Did frame me thus to be. 
 
 Atkinson Now, for confirmation of these proceedings, my intent is to prove 
 all before is said by me ; and, as I have observed it in the Scripture, 
 (viz'.) how all sorts of mynes, meneralls, or menerall stones, were first 
 created, by whome, and when, &c. In the first booke of Moses called 
 
 Genesis. Genesis, it is written, When they were created, (viz 1 .) in the beginning. 
 Further, God placed them inthe earth by his most holy worde, before 
 any light was made, even when he made the heaven and earth of 
 nothing, and all that therein is, even as well beneath within the 
 bowells of the earth, as in the waters under the earth. Yea, he 
 made all sorts of meneralls, and menerall stones, and craggs, and 
 rockes of sundry sorts in the earth and precious stones of inestimable 
 
 Earth. valew. Next, he said unto the Trinity, (viz 1 .) The earth is without 
 forme, it is waste and voide ; and he created it of nothing, otherwise 
 
 Darkenes. called Chaos. And he said, Darkenes covereth the face of the earth, 
 and deepe waters be upon the earth ; for till that time light was not 
 created. So all these were finished before his first dayes worke, 
 (viz 4 .) all such mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones, as then he 
 placed in the earth, as his first habitation, and may be compared 
 God's treasur-house, by all sorts of menerall men which have obser- 
 ved God's secrett works with the intrales of the earth. 
 
 Light. (1.) And then in his first dayes worke it is written, he said unto 
 
 the Trinity, Lett there be light ; and it was so. 
 
 (2.) Next, he created the firmament, and all above. 
 (3.) Thirdly, he said, Lett the waters departe into one place, (viz'.) 
 the sea ; and Lett there be dry land, (viz'.) the earth : in it is all sorte 
 of meneralls, and menerall stones, by God created. Then he blessed 
 
55 
 
 the earth, saying, Lett the earth budd forth the hearbe that seedeth 
 seede, and the tree that beareth fruite ; and it was so. And from this 
 third day all sorts of meneralls, and menerall stones, engendered with 
 the earth ; even within the wombe of the earth much encrease and 
 plenty of all God's blessings have proceeded and ensued to us since 
 this third [day]. So God blessed the earth, he himselfe, and all that 
 therein is : then, all the meneralls and menerall stones are blessed. 
 
 (4.) Upon this day God made the sun, and moone, and starrs, to 
 shine upon the earth. Thus againe he blessed the earth and all that 
 therein is : then, the meneralls and menerall stones are blessed. And 
 the scholemen hold opinion, that ever from this fourth dayes worke 
 all the meneralls and menerall stones from henceforth increase by 
 vertue of the sonne, moone, and starrs. So doe not I. 
 
 (5.) The fift day God made every creeping [thing] that hath life, as 
 fish, fowle, wormes, &c., saying unto them, Bring forth and multiplie. 
 Then all men must confesse that nature it selfe gives place to God's 
 will, and that nothing is don but by the will of God ; yea, alsoe, all 
 that is within the earth, as mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones, &c. 
 And for this cause partely, sayeth one learned divine, who observed 
 much in the intrailes of the earth, &c., (viz 1 .) mynes, meneralls, and 
 meneralls stones, &c., there is given unto them, by vertue of God's 
 worde, power to engender in the earth, or couple togeather with other 
 stones, which are theire feeders, &c. 
 
 (6.) On the sixth day God said unto the Trinity, Lett us make man, God made 
 in our image or lilcenes, and lett him governe and rule over ffishes, n 
 fowles, and beasts, and over all the earth, and [all that] therein is. So 
 man is made governour and superiour over all the earth, and all that 
 therein is, as well of mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones, as of all 
 other earthly things. Then doth the scholemen conclude that meneralls 
 and menerall stones were created only for the use of man, and that 
 none doth live without the helpe of some meneralls ; for they are not 
 
56 
 
 to be used, neither serve for any other use, but by the Industrie and 
 arte of man, or by his invention and wisdome is found out to be. 
 
 Thus were the generations of heaven and earth, and all that therein 
 is, &c. And thus God sheweth, when they were created, (viz'.) in the 
 beginning. Secondly, of what, (viz 1 .) of nothing. Thirdly, by whome, 
 (viz*.) by God the Father. Fouerthly, where they were made and 
 placed, (viz'.) in the wombe of the earth, amongst rockes and craggs, 
 in desert places, as in creveeses, and corners, or holes uppon hills, and 
 mountaines, and mosses, called barren ground, &c. 
 
 Menerall For example proved by myselfe in the gold Mynes of Scotland, &c., 
 as sundry other sorts of meneralls and menerall stones are produced 
 from many nations, of great valluation : I reade of the precious onyx 
 stone, the diamond, and the carbuncle, the saphir, the cristall, the cor- 
 rall, and gabish, the pearle, the topas, and many other stones gotten 
 both within the earth, and within beasts, fishes, and wormes, in 
 which they engender. 
 
 Malliable (1.) And for the earth, I have seene in Scotland natural! gold en- 
 gender with sundry stones. (2.) Naturall silver, and malliable, to 
 abide the hammer. (3.) Naturall quicke-silver amongst the sea sands. 
 (4.) And perfitt redd copper and malliable in stones. (5.) Tynn of 
 severall colours, blacke, browne, and gray. (6.) Leade malliable 
 growing in his ewer, and a white heavy sparr to hold store of mal- 
 liable leade. (7.) Iron to be in sundry colloured stones, perfitt, harde, 
 and abiding the hammer, &c. And I beleeve all sorts of meneralls, 
 and menerall stones, as well in cold countries as in hott, within the 
 earth, [arc] occasioned by that in Scotland. 
 
 And Mr Bulmer writeth of the varieties of stones and mettalls 
 
 In Scot- found out by him in Scotland, &c., to witt: (1.) Naturall gold, 
 
 sorts "of"* ^ reat and sma11 - ( 2 Naturall silver, the like before he never saw. 
 
 mettalls. (3.) Copper stone, of the richest sorte. (4.) Lead ewer, great store 
 at Lead-hill. (5.) Iron stones abundance thereof. (6.) Of stone coales, 
 
57 
 
 or sea coales, great plenty. (7.) And beds of the allabaster stones. 
 (8.) Of marble stones, good store, and much desired. (9.) Of ame- 
 thiste stones, marvellous amiable; for he had a man that wrought 
 the same stones, and one of them the King's Majesty did weare. 
 (10.) Natural! pearle is found in Galloway amongst the common 
 people, within the Scots sea sands. (11.) Infinyte of other riches 
 are there alsoe ; yet some are not ashamed to aske, Whether the 
 sunn, moone, or starrs, doe shine in that countrie or not ? 
 
 I have redd of the great wonders don in Scotland, and are sett 
 forth as Prophecies ; they are printed, and they may be true, if pro- 
 phecies [are] to be beleeved. 
 
 (1.) First, Marlyn of Scotland, he prophecied. Prophe- 
 
 (2.) And Marlyn of Brittaine, the like. cies - 
 
 (3.) And Beede, borne at Berwicke, prophecied. 
 
 (4.) And Bannister, a Scottsman, tould many wonderfull things 
 to [come], which happened. 
 
 (5.) One Birlington, a Scottsman, was much resorted unto. 
 
 (6.) One Waldhave, an other Scottsman, prophecied. 
 
 (7.) It is written, Sabilla was Queene of Saba, alias of the South, 
 and prophecied strangly. 
 
 (8.) And Leeremonth, alias Rymer, a Scottsman. 
 
 (9.) And sundry other Scotts prophecies written in Lattin, which 
 fell out oftentimes true ; and therefore are called Philosophers. 
 
 (10.) And others say, The day shall be that Scotland will flourish 
 far better in the latter end then in the beginning, and become the 
 richest kingdome within Europe ; (viz*.) two Philosophers. And the 
 same men long since prophecied that England and Scotland should be 
 both one, and one Kinge to rule over both kingdomes, and be called 
 Kinge of Great Brittaine. And I belceve that day is already come, &c. 
 
 In the ij d chapter of Moses called Genesis, I read, (viz'.) (1.) That 
 God planted a garden in Eden, eastward, wherein he put man. (2.) 
 
 H 
 
58 
 
 Out of the earth God made every pleasant tree to grow therein, and 
 good for meate. (3.) In the midest of the garden, the tree of life, in 
 which was a signe of man's life received from God. (4.) And God 
 made the tree of knowledge of good and evill, in the same garden, 
 in which was a signe of miserable experience that came to man by 
 
 Four his disobedience. And God made four Rivers in the same garden of 
 Eden to water it, which rivers he devided into foure heads. 
 
 Pishon. (1.) The name of one [is] called Pishon ; it compasseth the whole 
 land of Havalah, in Ethiopia, where is found naturall gold ; and he 
 calleth the gold of that land good. And there is alsoe Bdelin, and 
 the onix stone, and other sorts of meneralls and menerall stones. 
 
 Gihon. (2.) The second river is called Gihon ; it compasseth the whole land 
 
 of Cush, in Tigris, where is naturall gold. And from Tigris, gold 
 hath bin brought and sold at London ; and the gold of that countrie is 
 good. 
 
 Hedekell. (3.) The third river is called Hedekell ; it runneth to the east side 
 of Ashur, in Assiria, where is both naturall gold and silver. And 
 the gold of that land is alsoe good ; and England sundry times hath 
 tasted thereof. Many sorts of dry meneralls and menerall stones is 
 there alsoe. 
 
 Perah. (4.) The fourth river is called Perah, in Euphrates, where is gold 
 
 and stones of great vertue ; and the gold of that land is good. The 
 Jewes, Turcks, and Saracens, have travilled thither and found much 
 thereof. And many sorts of those stones have bin brought to London ; 
 and I have seen some of them. 
 
 Tybris And some old ancient Goldsmithes of London compare this naturall 
 gold. 
 
 gold of Scotland unto Tyber gold, who say, that the like gold was 
 
 Tygris usually gotten in vallies and dales by the river side of Tibris. And 
 some say, it is like to the gold of Tigris. And some say, it is like to 
 
 Guiana Guiana gold, which was brought to London, by Sir Walter Raighley, 
 almost forty years since. And so it is ; for when I saw of it, and 
 
59 
 
 brought the Scotts gold to be laid by it in a paper, no man could dis- 
 cerne the one from the other. 
 
 In Clydsdale and Nydsdale, within the Kingdom of Scotland, Applica- 
 [is a place] which may be compared unto it [the Garden of Eden], 
 or called a second garden, though not so pleasant and fruitfull, yet 
 richer under ground then above for gold. And there be foure Waters 
 or Rivers, the heads whereof discend out of mountaines and mosses, 
 or hard rocks and craggs. These rivers are also devided, by God's 
 omnipotent power, into foure heads. 
 
 The name of one called Glangonner water, within Clydsdale, upon Clydsdale. 
 Fryar moore, of which the Lord Marques Hambleton is superiour 
 under his Majesty, where is much natural 1 gold; and the gold of that 
 land is good. It is commonly found neere the river side, in vallies, Glangon- 
 and dales. It hath bin washed downe into those combes, from the 
 mountaines and mosses on each side of the river, (viz'.) from the vaine 
 or bedd thereof. It commonly looketh pale and wanne, not redd and 
 high coloured, like other gold, &c. And Glangonner water discendeth 
 unto the river Glide, from thence to Glascoe, and so unto the sea. 
 
 The name of the second is called Short-clough water, upon Alwayne Clydsdale. 
 within Clydsdale, upon Crayford moore, of which the Earl of Low- 
 dian, alias Lord Newbottle, is superiour under his Majesty, where is 
 gold, and the gold of this land is alsoe good. And this gold is redd 
 gold. And the water discendeth to the river of Glide, from thence to 
 Glascoe, and so to the sea. Upon Short-clough water gold was gotten 
 by me, and brought unto the King's Majesty, tried to be worth three- 
 score sixteene thousand pounds the ton weight, by the Lord Knevett. 
 These brayes are very like to prove rich brayes, if they be dilligently 
 sought for, and the vaine or bedd thereof is not farr of from that gold, 
 in vallies and combes before gotten. The water courses at Short-clough 
 [are] in great decay for want of reparation. 
 
 The name of the third river is Winlocke-head, or Wynlocke water, Nydsdale. 
 
60 
 
 upon Robbart moore, within Nydsdale, of which the Lord Sanquer is 
 superiour under his Majesty, and the Lord of Closborne is fewer there* 
 of, wherein is gold; and the gold of this land is good. And it is said, 
 that Mr Beves [Bowes] discovered a vaine thereof, and hidd it up 
 againe, in the late Queene Elizabeth's raigne, as before is mentioned. 
 And this water discends to Craige, [Craick,] from thence to the river 
 of Neeth, alias Neede, and so to Dumfresse ; from thence to Carlile, 
 and so unto the sea. 
 
 Nydsdale. The name of the fourth river is called Mannocke water, upon Man- 
 nocke moore, within Nydsdale, and the Lord Dumlanyricke is supe- 
 riour thereof under his Majesty. In this land gold is found, and the 
 gold of that land is good. But it is like unto jagged gold and roughe ; 
 not smooth gold, as upon the rest of the moores. And Mannocke water 
 discendeth unto the river of Neede, or Neeth, and so unto Dum- 
 fresse ; and then to Carlile, and so unto the sea. 
 
 If these Moores may be wrought to effect, then God's treasur-house 
 in Scotland may be discovered ; which may be a great comfort unto 
 bis Majesty, exaltation to his realmes, enriching to his subjects, with 
 out adventuring to Guiana, Rushia, Virginia, or other golden Hands. 
 And because merchants are not willing to adventure to Scotland, I am 
 therefore resolved to adventure my life and skill to Guiana. 
 
 For performance whereof, I will shew you an example out of the 
 Scripture which is memorable, and to be observed ; and it is a stronge 
 president written in the 29th of the Chronicles, even able to incyte 
 his Highnes to countenance the gold Mynes in Scotland to proceed in 
 his raigne. It is written, in the same chapter, that King David 
 
 Prepare caused to prepare all sorts of mettalls, meneralls, and menerall stones, 
 which were sought by his servants to furnish the house of God. (1.) 
 Silver, for vessells of silver. (2.) And he prepared gold, for vessells 
 of gold. (3.) Brasse, for vessells of brasse. (4.) Iron, for things of 
 iron : And this was his first preparation. 
 
61 
 
 Secondly, he prepared the onix stones, wherewith, if man were within, Prepara- 
 he cannott be pursued. (1.) And the carbuncle stone of diverse co- 
 lours, which is of vertue, saying, he that weareth it cannott be pos- 
 sessed. (2.) Secondly, he prepared the Carbuncle stones of divers 
 collours, which are of vertue, that whosoever weares them cannott 
 by any meanes be poysoned ; but shall see as well by night as by day, 
 or as if he had a torch to light him. 
 
 And David had great store [thereof] of. He prepared the marble David's 
 stones in abundance for images, and pictures of men. And David had s 
 great store of gold and silver in coyne of his owne, which was made 
 of naturall gold out of the earth, as God had created it from the be- 
 ginning for the house of the Sanctuary. 
 
 David gave thereof to the furnishing of the house of God ; and to David's 
 the maintenance of his gold and silver Mynes, and for finding out ^ 
 of mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones. (1.) First, he gave 
 three hundred thousand talents of the gold of Opheire, which was 
 naturall gold of God's creation. (2.) Secondly, he gave three 
 thousand tallents of silver refined, gotten out of the vaine or bedd 
 thereof. 
 
 And he was not only liberall himselfe, but alsoe moved, procured, jjj s jjj, e _ 
 and provoked his subjects unto liberallity ; and thereby his gold and ra l' tv - 
 silver Mynes were hunted out from theire habitations, (viz 1 .) God's 
 treasur-house. By which meanes all princes of families, or princes 
 of Israeli, and superiours, governours, and rulers of hundred thou- David's 
 sands, (viz 1 .) of his gold and silver mynes, meneralls, and menerall ^ ers - 
 stones, they all offered willingly, that the same treasur-house of God 
 might be hunted out, and discovered in the bowells of the earth. And 
 they gave amongst them all, willingly, five thousand tallents of gold, Howmuch 
 ten thousand tallents of silver, eighteen thousand tallents of brasse, 
 and one hundred thousand tallents of iron, for the service of God, 
 and to discover the hidden secretts of God, by him hidden and placed 
 
62 
 
 in the center of the earth, which was don by men, and by the sweate 
 of theire faces according to scripture. 
 
 Now if these things were considered of, which I altogeather reffer 
 to your wisdome, then the prince of that country is as rich as Solo- 
 mon, his subjects much enabled, and his kingdome established as any 
 nation in Europe. And now is the present time, as I suppose, which 
 the two Philosophers made mention of in King Josina his raigne : if 
 it be not, God graunt it may be ! Amen. 
 
 And one president of Job I am to remember you of, (viz 1 .) what 
 his opinion is, how gold, silver, copper, tynn, leade, and iron, doe 
 engender within the earth ; and of theire beginnings, and of theire 
 framings, and why they were made, &c. (1.) In the 18th chapter of 
 Job, it is said, that naturall gold hath his settled place, in the bowells 
 of the earth, out of which it is to be taken, as out of his vaine or bedd, 
 &c. ; and it is commonly found in remote places, where it doth not 
 rust. (2.) And he saith, that silver hath his certaine beginning as it 
 were out of a roote ; or like unto a tree, which hath a body or roote 
 placed by God's blessinge within the superficies of the earth ; which 
 earth is nourishment to the said tree, by which it's groweth engender- 
 eth and encreaseth. After the same manner, the historiographer sayth, 
 that gold and silver engender within the earth, even from his first 
 creation, and thereof I make no doubt. (3.) And Job sayth, that iron 
 is made by the arte and skill of man, but not without charge, even 
 with a stronge heate and fier, and it is made out of the stone thereof. 
 (4.) And Job sayth, that brasse is compared unto copper, and is a 
 compounded mettle, of sondry other malliable mettalls, which he 
 calleth allusions, whose meaninge is (viz'.) made of other meneralls 
 and menerall stones, &c. (5.) And Job sayth, with many heates 
 copper is made out of the stone thereof, and with great charge. 
 These are the opinions of Job. 
 And he sayth, in the said 18th chapter, out of the earth cometh 
 
63 
 
 corne, and under the same earth is found brimstone and coales ; which 
 coalessoonebecometh fier; without which element no man liveth longe, 
 and therefore is necessary for the use of man. But for brimstone, it 
 is found alsoe under the same earth where corne groweth. And Job 
 alludeth it, unto mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones, or unto the 
 secretts of nature, created by God in the beginning, in remote places, 
 (viz'.) where neither fowles, fishes, nor beasts can enter, even in God's 
 treasur-house, amongst rocks, and craggs, &c. 
 
 Another president I have to propound, with your favour, how 
 mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones, are discovered in forraine 
 Nations, as is written by a great traviller, and I doe beleeve it as 
 truth, &c. (1.) A Christian Kinge, Charles by name, the fift Empe- 
 rour of Spaine, devised a plott, to sett forward his gold and silver 
 Mynes within his territories. (2.) Secondly, how they might be mayn- 
 tained without ceasing. (3.) Thirdly, how theire valluation might be 
 made knowne and discovered. 
 
 And I find it recorded in a Spanish history, lately translated into 
 English, That when the Emperour Charles held the empyre and 
 kingdom of Spaine, with the Signiory of the West Indies, many 
 inquas, or lords, superiours, governours, and rulers, captaines, mer- 
 chants, and bourgesses, of his silver citties, within his said kingdom, 
 devised a plott, and as it were a lottery, to receive from the supe- 
 riours, governours, and rulers, from masters of families, command- 
 ers of hundreds, and captaines of thousands, (viz 4 .) of artesmen, worke- 
 men,and laborers, for that purpose, from citties, privileges, and townes, 
 within the whole Empire of Spaine, that a graunt might be graunt- 
 ed, that each man, according to his ability, should pay xij d . [xij s .] if 
 he might dispend 5 per annum in lands or goods ; and according to 
 that rate every subject of an hundred pounds per annum should dis- 
 burse ten pounds starling; and for a thousand pounds per annum 
 should pay 100, and every man to receive in his profitt according 
 
64 
 
 to his disbursement att the end of the yeare, towards the discovery of 
 the gold and silver Mynes att the West Indies. Collectors and trea- 
 surers were appointed for the same, and such as were tied to yeild a 
 just accompt thereof. And that all victualls and mony be in readines 
 and forthcoming towards the finding out, and establishing his Majes- 
 ties mynes, meneralls, and menerall stones, within any of his king- 
 domes, provinces, or territories. 
 
 And the Emperour Charles, by this meanes, tryed all theire wil- 
 lingnes, and they shewed theire loyalty unto theire Soveraigne Lord 
 the Kinge. (1.) First, by theire free offerings, which was don with 
 a good will, even voluntary. (2.) Next, by theire gifts, which came 
 freely, without compulsion. And every man's bounty and liberality was 
 extended above his charge, because he hoped to profitt thereby, and 
 to receive it accordingly, without any farther impressing ; and great 
 profitt came thereby, as may appear of, &c. as followeth. 
 
 viceroy of (1.) It is recorded that the Viceroy of Spaine, in Anno Domini 
 1574, theire came a fleete from the West Indies, even from the gold 
 and silver Mynes of Pottosi, unto Civill in Spaine, vallewed at 76 mil- 
 lions of peeces of assay ; and this appeared to be true by the register 
 booke, and the coppy thereof came to my hands the same yeare, which 
 coppy I have to produce if neede requier. It appeares alsoe, that all 
 that gold and silver was gotten by the superiours and governours 
 thereof, with the helpe of slaves, Indians, and pioners, in three yeares 
 space, to the great contentment of all adventurers, &c. 
 
 (2.) I likewise remember of another fleete which came from Pe- 
 rew, neere to the West Indies, within the territories of Spaine; and 
 the Viceroy did send to Civill, in Anno Domini 1581, as appeares by 
 the register booke, the declaration whereof was thus: 12 cassons or 
 chests of gold and silver, naturally as it came out of the earth, was 
 brought, by shipping, to Chill, in Spaine. And it appeares by the 
 same booke, that it was gotten by tabling or budling, by washing and 
 
65 
 
 scowring, even of the same earth oftentimes which was before strein- 
 ed by force of water ; and it was gotten in .vallies and dales, be- 
 twixt ij or iij great mountaines, neere to the brooks sides and rivers. 
 The like unto this gold and silver is gotten in Scotland after the same 
 manner ; and furthermore, it is to be had in solidd places there. And 
 so, it is said, that the Indians have it att the West Indies. For I read 
 and find in the same history, that all theire gold and silver is trans- 
 formed immedeately after it is gotten either by fier in a furnace, and so 
 made into cakes or wedges, and so packed up into caskes, as firkins, 
 and such like vessels, which are called by them cassons : For I read, 
 that every casson weighs 4 arrobes (viz 1 .) 100 pound weight, five 
 score to the hundred, there called 156 marres; and these names lam 
 not well acquainted withall, but the King's parte is allowed to be a 
 fift parte, besides his adventure, which fift parte is free from all other 
 charges. And thus many merchants, and burgesses of Civill, and 
 other places, are yearly adventurers unto the West Indies ; and to this 
 day, every man receives his partes thereof proportionably, att the re- 
 torne of every fleete. 
 
 But sometimes the English pirates meetes therewithall, knowing 
 the time when they are to be laden, and stripps them quite of all such 
 gold and silver, &c. I have sometimes scene of the same brought into 
 Devon and Cornewell, so as Londiners have ridden thither and pur- 
 chased much thereof, but not all by much. For about the yeare of our 
 Lord God 1585, there came a fleete from the West Indies unto Civill 
 in Spaine, with eleven millions of peeces of assay, for so ech peece is 
 by them called, the which was parted and put into two shipps from 
 Mexico, the other from Peru ; much of the same silver was conveyed 
 unto London before it came to Civill in Spaine ; good fellowes mett 
 with them, and forced them to share, for which they gave the Spa- 
 niards store of victualls, and therewith must of force be content. 
 
 I was then an apprentice at the Appletree, in Red-crosse streete, 
 
66 
 
 without Criplegate, and was admitted to be finer at the Tower of 
 London, insteed of my Master, Francis Tiver, a gold fyner ; where I 
 refined three dayes in the weeke, round Indian cakes of silver for Sir 
 Richard Martyn, Knight, and Master of the Mynt ; and one William 
 Clarke was a cheife agent therein, and saw it all don. Besides this, 
 many times there came of such like cakes to be don into Red-crosse 
 streete ; and Anthony Martyn was agent for Sir Richard Martyn. 
 And I did refine thereof some dayes lOOOlb. weight, and on some 
 dayes SOOlb. weight, or 600lb. weight, &c. 
 
 And in Anno Domini 1586, a perticular coppy of the just accompt 
 of the counting-house att Civill in Spaine, was brought unto Sir Ri- 
 chard Martyn's, from thence unto the Tower of London, and exami- 
 ned by many. I then had a coppy thereof, (viz 1 .) it appeared there- 
 by that it amounted unto one hundred thousand millions of assay, 
 gotten all that present yeare, &c. Every peece was vallewed to be 
 13 rialls and a quarter, (viz 1 .) vi s . viij d . Starling. And sometimes I 
 have had round cakes of silver brought to be refined, in great batches, 
 which wee before sent out for plumbers, sweepers, by cart loads, be- 
 cause the common sort of people should not perceive it from tynn or 
 lead, &c. And it was commonly refined by night, and afterwards 
 melted and cast into ingotts of fine silver, of 40lb. weight each ingott ; 
 and so retorned by night alwayes to Sir Richard Martyn's house in 
 Cheapside, by laborers and porters, which blew the bellowes to me ; 
 and so from thence to be conveyed unto the Tower of London, to be 
 coyned by his owne servants ; and thus it was weekely retourned into 
 money, &c. 
 
 And now something touching the Diversities of meneralls and me- 
 nerall stones. First, it is to be understood, that out of meneralls and 
 menerall stones all sorts of artificiall gold and silver is reduced, and 
 all nat until gold and silver engenders in the same stones, or with the 
 same stones. And other inferiour mettalls, as copper, tynn, quicke- 
 
67 
 
 silver, lead, and iron, are likewise extracted out of meneralls and me- 
 nerall stones, and all these wilbe made to abide the hammer ; but it 
 hath great opperations in it, and by arte of man is to be made solidd, 
 but it is by a difficult and chargeable way which induceth men to the 
 attaining the Philosopher's stone. And these vij meneralls or me- 
 nerall stones are all guided by the vij Planetts, as scholemen write, 
 (viz'.) Sol, Luna, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturne. But 
 I find by perusing of authors, and comparing them togeather, that all 
 gold and silver, or other mettalls, which are made by man, is called 
 artificiall mettall, and all that's created by God is naturall. I find 
 that the Grecians called silver and gold mettalls, which I hould to 
 be naturall gold ; my reason is for that, I learned it from a Jew and 
 liis fellowes who were participates with him, whereof I will speake 
 hereafter. And ever sithence I have observed, both by my practize 
 and accidence, that gold and silver is to be found out of certaine dry 
 meneralls or menerall stones in forraine nations. Silver hath bin 
 extracted out of lead ewer, copper ewer, and iron stone, in England, 
 &c. As for the tyn myne, it is so chargeable, and besides it is a 
 rancke poyson unto gold and silver, and it is not to be medled with- 
 all for silver; but if you please to desire for gold and silver, then 
 seeke it, as in other nations, out of these dry meneralls or menerall 
 stones, (viz 1 .) the sapparr, the calamineere, the saxere, and the sali- 
 nere stones, for gould. 
 
 And I find by my practize and observation, that silver only, and 
 no other mettall, is to be extracted out of these dry meneralls and 
 menerall stones, (viz 1 .) the cacilla, the tacano, the centeno, and 
 the mendieta stones. (1.) For testimony whereof I have found the 
 Centeno at Combe-Martyn in Devon, which the tynners of Corne- 
 well called Blend, and some men called it a Sulpher, as is in 
 coales. (2.) I find at Bereferris in Devon, the Tacano heavy, which 
 the tynners doe call chalke, but in Lincolne-sheire I find the 
 
68 
 
 same dry stones light, which is called tawlke; and in Corneweli 
 and Devon, it is called white merquesite. But nothing but perfitt 
 silver is to be extracted out of the perfitt tacano, which is a perfitt 
 dry menerall or menerall stone. (3.) Now for the Cacilla, I find it in 
 Scotland, which Scottsmen call bell-mettle or red-mettle, and it is 
 a brittle mettle, which in a pott driveth like unto silver in the fier, 
 and is no silver nor any other malliable mettle. But this I can say 
 thereof, that the oftener it is melten of itselfe in a pott, and driven well 
 therein by the fier, still you shall find silver in the principall, till it be 
 consumed, but no other malliable mettle ; and I have written hereof 
 before in this booke. (4.) Fouerthly, for the Mendieta, I have found it to 
 be within the kingdom of Ireland, neere unto the place or castle call- 
 ed Artully, in Desmond ; and the Irish men called it silver-myne, the 
 English calles it a blacke mettle, most like unto tynn ewer in Come- 
 well and Devon ; the Dutchman or Germaine calles it a menerall 
 stone, much like unto tynn, and is no tynn in, it consuming the other 
 thing, (viz 1 .) silver. And I can say thus much of it, that blacke 
 stone, melt it with the lead ewer which engenders with it, and it will 
 make the same body called lead to be hard ; and when that hard is 
 broken, it shall looke in graine and collour like the richest lead ewer 
 that ever I have fined in England, or any of his Majesties dominions. 
 I have tryed lead ewer at Combe-Martyn, and Bereferris in Devon ; at 
 Langassacke in Corneweli ; at Slatebourne in Lancasheire ; at Kes- 
 wicke in Cumberland ; at Glannomonirooke in Wales, and at [a blank 
 in the MS.] in Cardygorshier; in Scotland, att Hilderstone in Lowdian; 
 but never found I the like unto this. But I find that this blacke Men- 
 dieta consumes away much of the silver in it, except it be cleene 
 purged away from the ewer, and then the ewer holdeth only 3 ounce 
 upon the lead that comes thereof. And I have scene the same lead 
 of Artully, before the silver was extracted, to make good taverne- 
 potts, bowl-potts, member-potts, and sawcers, much like unto pewter, 
 
69 
 
 but was none. Now againe some men demand how I first knew these 
 tilings, and of whome, saying, I knew his master with whome he was 
 an apprentice, and himselfe, and his master never knew any such 
 art. I answer, Neither knowe you the names of those which first 
 discovered the art of extraction in England, nor who taught the same, 
 to whome, nor why. To discover the art thereof cost my Mr Tyver, 
 50 starling, besides other charges, meate and drinke. They alsoe 
 taught the art of the true seyringe furnaces, and for drying fur- 
 naces, and semeteering furnaces, and sundry other furnaces to melt 
 by flame, &c. And lastly, how gold and silver might, by the easiest 
 meanes, be drawne out of dry meneralls and menerall stones, and how 
 verditer might be made without the use of strong water, which 
 painters doe use to painte with. 
 
 About this time one Captaine Drake, a great navigator, afterwards 
 called Sir Francis Drake, brought into England great store of gold and 
 silver, and copper in abundance, especially [of the] copper mynes from 
 Sancte Domingoo. He so prevailed, that he overcame the people and 
 country ; he ransacked the towne of Domingoo ; he spoiled them of 
 theire monies, plate, and Jewells, &c. ; he brought away with him all 
 sorts of mettalls, malliable ; ffirst, theire gold and silver ; all sorts 
 of copper, brasse, or bell-mettle ; he left not any iron thinge, but 
 he burned and spoiled it ; yea, most rich commodities, of greater va- 
 lew then those he brought to England. Most of theire monies were 
 copper monies, in England called blacke monies, yet as currant theire 
 as our white monies, called starling monies. A great quantity there- 
 of he brought unto London, and much thereof was sould for redd 
 copper in price, whereof was made both kettles and panns, and great 
 caldrons to boyle in, ordinances, and other cast peeces, before the 
 worth thereof was knowne. 
 
 At last these forraine travillers, which had taught the art of ex- 
 traction, out of dry meneralls and raenerall stones, having travilled 
 
70 
 
 throughout farr countries, and behaving themselves like artists and 
 vvorkemen, were much accounted of in London for their experience. 
 First shewing how the silver may be extracted out of the copper 
 Mynes, and most of the copper saved, for which they were well paid 
 by Mr Tiver. And at that time they taught him to make aqua regis, 
 to eate up gold into it, and leave the silver, as aqua fortis did silver, 
 and leave the gold like sand. And lastly, how to make blew verditer, 
 and greene verditer, without the helpe of strong waters, or greene 
 waters ; and Mr Tiver paid them well for it. The name of one, and 
 the principall, was 
 
 Jacob Yaughall, a Jew. 
 
 Henricke Guarro, a Portingall. 
 
 Don Francisco, and ) 
 
 > two travillers come from the West Indies. 
 Don Jt 1 erdmando, J 
 
 Now somewhat concerning theire acts, and what they have scene in 
 fforraine provinces. 
 
 Jacob Yaughall saith he saw naturall gold and silver extracted out 
 of dry mem-rails or menerall stones, and they were called as followeth, 
 the sappar, the callamineere, the saxere, and the salaneer stones, 
 the cacilla, the ticano, the centeno, and the mendieta stones. Besides 
 he hath scene both copper, tynn, lead, and iron, to conteine in each of 
 it silver ; and severall other meneralls and menerall stones to hould 
 both gold and silver. And he hath scene quicke silver issue out of 
 the rocke or cragg, and out of a flint stone, which, if any wise man 
 can beleeve it, then will I beleeve it alsoe, but I am like Didimus, be- 
 fore I see it, I cannott beleeve it. And they said that they have seene 
 copper bold perfitt gold, and tynn perfitt gold, and lead to hold per- 
 fitt silver, in forraine countries, and iron to hould both gold and sil- 
 ver, and many of these to hold neither gold nor silver, but perfitt of 
 themselves. 
 
 Now somewhat concerning my owne opinion, for the operations of 
 
71 
 
 mettalls, and of meneralls and menerall stones, &c. I must conf'esse Atkinson 
 I learned the same of Jacob Yaughall, and his forenamed associates, t o ns . 
 (viz 1 .) Henry eke, Francisco, and Ferdinando, and not of Mr Tiver 
 nor of Mr Bulmer. (1.) And First, for operations of mettalls or mene- 
 ralls, &c. as from theire prime original, and proved before in Genesis, 
 &c. (2.) Secondly, for theire natures, or quallities, of what kind 
 so ever they be, in Genesis. (3.) Thirdly, for theire comparisons, 
 (viz'.) for what uses they are most fittest for, in Genesis. (4.) 
 Fouerthly, for theire vertues, as what else they be necessary good 
 for, even for the use of man. 
 
 I alsoe observed from them outlandish men : (1.) First, that all 
 kind of rich meneralls and menerall stones engender within the earth, 
 in fforraine nations. (2.) Secondly, in hott countries, neere unto the 
 day, and in cold countries, even deepe, in the waters under the 
 earth. (3.) Thirdly, of theire encreasing and growing greater. (4.) 
 Fouerthly, of theire genealogies and generations, even in the first 
 beginning, &c. 
 
 And then of other four to be observed, (viz 1 .) (1.) What hopefull 
 and profitable things meneralls and menerall stones be, being disco- 
 vered. (2.) What infinite riches issues thereby, if rightly they happen 
 in, for few men within Europe doe live without the use of meneralls 
 and mettalls. (3.) Thirdly, on the contrary, what losse and hinder- 
 ance, what greife of minde and toyle of body, doe men sustaine in 
 searching and digging the ground, adventuring theire goods, if they 
 happen ill, and prove like the deafe nut. (4.) Fouerthly, what good 
 service is had thereby, especially to God, in hunting out for that trea- 
 sure-house which God prepared for man : Next what profitable service 
 it doth to the Kinge and his people, happ they well or ill ; for many 
 thousands thereby, who scorne to begg, but rather forct to steale, or 
 take a purse on the highway side, would desire to seek for gold and 
 silver out of God's treasure-house ; and all such might be well im- 
 
72 
 
 ployed, in meneralls and menerall stones, &c. [and] thus kept from 
 idlenes, beggery, and theevery. 
 
 And therefore seeing it appeares hereby that hunting for mene- 
 ralls, &c. (1.) First, tends to the glory of God, being called a kind 
 of his hidden secrett blessings. (2.) Secondly, they are counted a 
 forceable meanes for the enobleing his Majesties crowne and dignity. 
 (3.) Thirdly, an advancement to the whole He of Great Brittaine, 
 France, and Ireland, &c. if theyhitt. (4.) Fouerthly, to the adventu- 
 rers therein, a better satisfaction and contentment then the hart of man 
 doth deserve. For thereby God remunerates, the asker to have, the 
 seeker to find, the hunter to follow, till that great blessing of God be 
 In Scot- laid open, (viz*.) God's treasure-house; even that bedd, or vaine, of 
 gold and silver Myne, vallewed at ten thousand thousand times the 
 charge of the adventurers and labor : My desire, for this only cause, 
 humbly prayeth, That a pattent might be graunted, of a suite both 
 lawfull, honest, and reasonable, such a one as hath not bin used in the 
 kingdom of Scotland, &c. 
 
 Travelers. Now to returne to the 4 travillers, (viz'.) Jacob Yaughall the Jew, 
 
 Henrycke, the Portingall, Don Francisco, and Don Ferdinando, two 
 
 Indians, how they tryed themselves severally to be experte artists, and 
 
 great travillers, and to have travilled over the greatest parte of West 
 
 1572. Indies. They came to London, in Anno Domini 1572, where they 
 
 taught the art of extraction, at Mr Tiver's house, unto him, in the 
 
 1585. yeare of our Lord God ] 585, and was paid therefore ; for att that time 
 
 few men understood the art thereof, and the profitt that ensued thereby. 
 
 (1.) First, what a charge of fier in wood and coales is to be saved in 
 
 trying of dry meneralls and menerall stones. (2.) Secondly, they 
 
 shewed the proffe thereof by some meneralls and dry stones, wherein 
 
 nothing could be discerned; which they brought with them from 
 
 Pottozi Mynes, at the West Indies ; and they said, they were there 
 
 when one bedd or vaine of silver was newly discovered, which was 
 
73 
 
 very small, and therefore small accounted of, and that it was a long 
 time in discovering. (3.) And that the superiours and governours 
 thereof had bin 12 yeares and upwards, before they found the deepth 
 thereof, not countervaling the tenth parte of the charge which there- 
 unto belonged. And [this was] in Anno Domini 1545 ; for in that 
 yeare they washed and scowred much earth, which before had byn 
 tourned, digged, and gathered togeather neere unto the river sides, 
 within vallies 'and combes, where often times they found out perfitt 
 hopps of gold, and peeces of silver, blacke eyed like unto Indian pease, 
 which they called stragling gold and silver, and some like unto pom- 
 pean seeds, or to pippin seeds. 
 
 And there was a booke written of theire travaills, called the Jews 
 Travills, in which it is sett downe, that in the yeare of our Lord 1545, 
 one Yacoma, a poore man, one skillfull in digging, his habitation in a 
 village call[ed]Cascoo, and was the first that ever found out the menerall 
 stone called the sapparr ; and he found it dwelling in a solidd place, 
 (viz t .) which afterwards proved a bedd or vaine; it ascended up the 
 hill Potozi, farr distant from the river side ; and many workemen be- 
 fore had oft sought upon that hill and found nothing. And the said sap- 
 parr stone was interlaced with perfitt redd gold, in the middest thereof, 
 on the outside nothing to be seene. And Jacob Yaughall had a dry 
 menerall stone which came from thence, and he broke it in the sight 
 of us all, at Mr Tiver's house in London, and it proved so. Sundry 
 other peeces of dry white stones they had, which was shewed amongst 
 the goldsmithes of London, and unto other refyners, and sundry artes- 
 men, &c. It was greatly admired at, and some of them said, I could 
 wish the like were in England, since which time oftentimes the like 
 and better then that was, hath bin found in Scotland ; but now no man 
 desires to seeke it there, for it is farr more hopefull to be had at Gui- 
 ana, in Rushia or Cataia, where before, they say, it has bin proved to 
 be more plentiful!. 
 
 K 
 
74 
 
 Hogero & f{, e booke of the Jewes travills also dilatetli, saying, one Rogero, 
 A neere neighbour to Jacoma, who was well scene to try out mener- 
 alls and menerall stones, by the art of extraction. Rogero sued out 
 a pattent or priviledge from the King of Spaine, that he at his owne 
 charge might be licensed to seeke out and digg for the myne of gold 
 and silver, in a new place neere unto Jacoma. The suite being rea- 
 sonable was graunted, by vertue whereof he entered, and within 30 
 dayes following he discovered the callamineere stone, which was mixt 
 and enterlaced with pale gold, not so redd as the sapparr stone had 
 in it ; and the callamineere stone was sometimes powldered with 
 flaikes, or round spangles of gold. And Jacoma and Rogero consult- 
 ed togeather, and made many meetings ; in the end joyned parteners 
 togeather, and so devided that parte of the hill of Potozi betweene them 
 two ; and so became free men thereof, which was thought to be, by 
 reason of the great wealth which was found to be in the sapparr and 
 callamineere stones. And before this happened they were but worke- 
 men or pioners, workeing amongst others, as yet slaves or Indians 
 doe. Thirdly, it is written in the booke called the Jews travills, that 
 Jacoma and Rogero became brothers by manage, and Jacoma's son 
 was married to Rogero's daughter, and after the solemnization was 
 ended then they three consorted togeather, and hired a new company 
 of pioners and myners, and sett them to worke on a new parte of the 
 hill Potozi ; and they then did joyne their purses togeather. At the 
 west end of the same hill they were most bountifull, and upon a sud- 
 daine happened uppon two small strings or vaines intermixed, the one 
 with the blacke saxere stone, the other with the sallinere stones ; and 
 by the art of extraction, they knew the vertue or quality that was in 
 those two dry stones, or meneralls and menerall stones. And they said 
 that these foure sorts of meneralls or menerall stones (viz'.) the sap- 
 parr, the callamineere, the saxxere, and the sallineere stones, hold no 
 other mettle then gold alone. And they say, that the manner of such 
 
75 
 
 as seeke for gold and silver in forraine provinces, First, the pionier 
 or myner must seeke unto the superiour or governour thereof under 
 the King's Majesty, and so procure a freedome of the place, according 
 to the custome of the hill, otherwise to be fined and punished accord- 
 ing to the law of the hill. By which freedome each man is made an 
 undertaker, and to enjoy theire whole parts, be it more or lesse, 
 which they adventure for, as for gold, silver, or menerall stones, &c. 
 alwayes provided the fift parte be truely reduced for the Kinge, and 
 no more, except the King's Majestic adventurs as others doe. And 
 by these meanes poore men oftentimes become superiours and gover- 
 nours thereof, and by degrees, if the vayne of gold and silver hitt in 
 to be rich, then they are called by Indians, Inquas, Lords of the gold 
 and silver Mynes. And these two vaines of the saxere and sallineere 
 stones were discovered in Anno Domini 1545 ; the like to them was 
 not in memory of man found out ; and uppon the fift day of Septem- 
 ber, all they then dwelling in that province. 
 
 And further, Jacob Yaughall, the Jew, doth sett downe in his 
 booke all the places where naturall gold and silver hath byn found to 
 his knowledge ; and in what sorte of stones, in fforraine nations ; as in 
 Curana, which is within the governement of the Salynes ; and there Curana. 
 is abundance of the sallineere stones, and very rich ; and there hath 
 bin found small laced gold, like unto the haires of a man's head. And 
 he sayeth, he hath scene malliable gold intermixed with flint stones ; 
 and he brought one great peece of a stone with him, a jett blacke flint, 
 or somewhat like to an heavy iron stone, which was carried unto Sir 
 Thomas Hennydge, then secretary to the Queene of England, who 
 much admired at the perfitt gold to be scene therein, after it was bro- 
 ken, and shewed it unto hir Majesty. Mr Thomas Talbote carried 
 the same stone, and had many thancks for the sight thereof; and he 
 saith, that he hath often found by rivers sides small gold, called 
 powlder gold, which is called by the Indians palcas, or ramenta 
 
76 
 
 auri. And he saith, that great gold was found neere to the river 
 side, within the Signiory of Spaine, called Tagus. And both Fran- 
 cisco and Ferdiuando say they found perfitt gold, round as an apple, 
 in a valley surrounded with mighty hill, neere to the river Pacto- 
 lus. And they joyne all in one that the river Tagus and Pactolus 
 are called celebrated rivers. 
 
 Henrycke Guarro sayth, that he had riaturall gold in certaine 
 ilands, (viz 1 .) in Barlovant, in Hispaniola, [and] in the Hand of Cuba. 
 Furthermore, Jacob Yaughall had travilled before this in three king- 
 domes, and found loose gold alone without addition of stones, rough 
 jagged gold in the kingdom of Chille ; and in Quitto the like ; and 
 in Grenado both small and great gold, and it was upon skirts of 
 hills, not in vallies, &c. And he sayth, that in the kingdom of 
 Chille, on a high mountaine, not farr from the topp thereof, there 
 never was scene dry weather vj houres togeather, but either rayne, 
 hayle, or sleete, and that hill full of mosses or boggs, and moyste and 
 foggy weather ; and yet upon this high mountaine was loose gold, not 
 deepe in the earth. 
 
 And lastly, the most admirable thing that is written in the Jews 
 travills, which I most noted, was this, (viz 1 .) what theire ancestors or 
 predecessors say they have scene, in fforraine nations, where they 
 have travilled, (viz 1 .) at Carthage was the most richest Mync that 
 over was heard of; for they travilled, and saw it graven in letters 
 upon a great stone of marble, lying neere unto the mouth of one of 
 the Carthaginian pytts : it was written in the Hebrew or Chaldean 
 language, (vizt.) it's Englished, " Att Carthage is the richest Myne in 
 the worldc." And in the hinder [part] thereof was in Lattin, " Aut 
 nunc aut nunquam : respice Jinem, quam restet : hoc' miner ale munus, 
 nullius esse potest." It is said alsoe, that certaine pitts were digged there 
 in Hanniball's time : and some parte thereof arc still to be seene, and 
 will be for ever. And these pitts beares the names of theire gover- 
 
77 
 
 nours. And one dccpc pitt there [is] called Bebelbo ; tor so it is written 
 uppon a great stone that covereth it. It was first found out by a 
 Romane, and yeelded unto Hanniball SOOlb. weight of silver each 
 weeke ; it was measured in depth to be 1300 paces, and so sett downe 
 in letters upon the marble stone. 
 
 And Jacob Yaughall, in his booke called the Jews travills, sayth, Perenean 
 That there is alsoe a place called the Perenean Hills, at which many 
 pitts and shafts are digged, by the Romanes, as was before for Hanni- 
 ball at Carthage; and that the Romanes enjoyed the same 300 yeares 
 togeather, as was to be seene in letters upon a marble stone : and the 
 depth thereof was 300 pases ; and that there was a memorable presi- 
 dent, worthy the observation of all that should see it, which sheweth, 
 that in those dayes, out of the house of contraction, when the licen- 
 ciat Apollo did governe that province, even then weekly was made out 
 of [the] Perenean Hills 52,000 peeces of refined silver, they were 
 marked with contrary stamps, which wee call coyned peeces, reputed 
 to be at this day vj 5 . viijX the peece. And the King's parte was then 
 a fift parte, besides his adventure, which fift parte was of great esti- 
 mation. Seven thousand moyners and pioners, of which one thou- 
 sand were labouring young women and children, from ix yeares to xvj 
 yeares old, and were all imployed in those silver Mynes at [the] Pe- 
 renean hills. 
 
 My opinion is, that as good and rich Mynes as any before spoken Atkinson, 
 of be within the kingdom of Scotland, but some other men cannott 
 be perswaded hereunto ; neither that God hath placed any such trea- 
 .sur within the bowells of the earth, especially in Scotland. But 
 God who knoweth the secretts of all harts, hath shewed the like 
 examples to moyners, and pioners, which seeke for the secretts of the 
 earth, out of meneralls and menerall stones, amongst rocks and craggs. 
 And even then it will be finished, when it shall please the Almighty 
 God to stirr up men's harts thereunto, and till then it cannott be. 
 
78 
 
 Neither is it to be don by wishers and wouldei-s, but only by the 
 King's Majesties Plott already devised ; and cost him nothing but only 
 a stroke with his sword upon the shoulder of man ; for which, the one 
 halfe of the profitt doth befall unto his Majesty, the other halfe to lay 
 open the gold and silver Moynes in Scotland. This Plott or none can 
 make his Majesty the richest Monarch in Europe, yea in the Worlde, I 
 thinke. 
 
 His Majesty hath byn most forward in this action ; but others too 
 ready to diswade him, especially, for that it hapneth in his owne na- 
 tive country, the which being once more countenanced by his Grace, 
 then I hope to see the two Philosopher's opinions prove, and become 
 trew, which was in King Josina his raigne, one hundred and three 
 score yeares before our Saviour Jesus Christ, to the glory and comfort 
 of all Christian Kings and Princes, [and] to all superiours, gover- 
 nours, and rulers thereof; and that the same Gold and Silver Mynes 
 will become to be an everlasting happines to all successive ages, 
 which God graunt for his Majesties sake. Amen. Amen. 
 
THE APPENDIX. 
 
81 
 
 No. I. 
 
 ANE MEMORANDUM LEFT BY ROBERT SETON, 
 COMMONLY DESIGNED OF MEXICO, ANENT THE 
 METALS IN SCOTLAND, ESPECIALLY GOLD. 1 
 
 GOLD is to be found in the following places in Scotland : 
 
 IN the Boggs of New-Lesly, upon the burn side ; and at Drumga- 
 van, where George Lesly did dwell, two miles from Drumdeer. 
 
 And in Northfideil hill, in one John Keith's land, beside Reivens- 
 hevin. 
 
 And in the Over hill, beneath the kyln, in the In-town, in the pa- 
 rish of Belhelvies. 
 
 And at Menzies, in the Golden-bank there, in the parish of Fove- 
 ran, and at the hill of South Fardin. 
 
 And in ane fould, called the Peltones. 
 
 And in Dinrey hill in Carrick, not far from Mayboll. 
 
 And in Caylies moor, within the burn, that is betwixt the Some 
 and Machlin place. 
 
 And in Henderland, Glengaber burn there. 
 
 1 Copied from Sir Robert Sibbald's Supplement to his Prodromus Historic Na- 
 turalis Scotia, MS. Advocates' Library. He says it was communicated to him by 
 Lord Pitmedden, one of the Senators of the College of Justice, and adds, " I had a 
 copie much the same with this from Collonell Borthwick." This other copy is very 
 inaccurately transcribed in Sibbald's 4to MS. volume of Collections, without any 
 mention being made of Seton, who had been in Mexico, and is said to have re- 
 turned to Scotland " about King James the Fifth's reign." 
 
 I, 
 
And in Monbengar braes and burn there. 
 
 And in Dowglass braes, and at Dowglass craig. 
 
 And at Windie-neil in Tweddale. It marches with the Black-house 
 in Yarrow. 
 
 And in Borthwick hill, betwixt Hawick and Branxome. 
 
 And in Louglie burn, in the north side of Selkirk. 
 
 And also at the New-town in Augen, Caitburn, in Annandale. 
 
 And in Over-Lochan burn. Alto y baxo, locus aureus. 
 
 And at Bonarte hill in Fife, at Sarus Arrius. 
 
 Solway-sands, near to the new town of Annand, not far from Dum- 
 friess. Micic chiltir. 
 
 Durreness in Stranaver ; it belongs to the Lord Ray. Allya y tma 
 pedra muy relucente de noche nam bien an ay Metall muy bueno. 
 
 In Glen-Yla, at Cassels, and there'at Calderhall, and Over-Glen, 
 above St Bride's Kirk. Plata de azur. 
 
 And in Normand hill, on the side of Camps water. 
 
 And in Annan water and Cherries-braes. Laucla, Hoksay, and 
 Long-Cleuch. 
 
 And at Bellyes baith and Jervies Mayr. 
 
 And in Glen-naip, betwixt Carrick and Galloway. 
 
 And in Ruberlaw hill, a mile from Bothwell. 
 
 And in Galloway, in the Barony of Tareagles, and in an hill, called 
 Colochen hill. 
 
 And in Largo law in Fife. Plata. 
 
 And in Hara in Caithness, in the Laird of Raters land. 
 
 Dumpender law. It belongs to Bothwell. 
 
 And in the Moir, or in Airlaw, beside Cricliton dean. Oro. 
 
 And in the Laird of Down's land in Caithness. 
 
 And in my Lord Brotherstown's land : lead two miles from the sea. 
 
 And in Courtoit-burn. 
 
83 
 
 In Galloway, in the hill of Skrill, in a strype of water. Mucho 
 oro y grandes pedafos. 
 
 And in the water above Threpland miln, and in sundry other parts 
 thereabout. 
 
 And in a burn that runs from the head of Moffet water, or An- 
 nand water in Annandale. Oro. 
 
 And in Glencloucht, where the miners did find much gold, long 
 since at the Kirkhill. 
 
 And in Long-Forglan moor, three miles from Dundee. 
 
 And at Stains hill. 
 
 And in James Crawford's, at Muckert. Mitten vnelto. Not far 
 from Culross, three or four miles above Torie burn. 
 
 No II. 
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE METALLSAND M1NERALLS 
 FOUND IN SCOTLAND, GIVEN TO SIR ROBERT 
 SIBBALD BY COLONELL BORTHWICK, WHO HAD 
 THE DIRECTION OF SOME OF THE MINES. 
 
 AT Castle Campbell there is great quantity of Sulphur, as likewise 
 within 6 miles of Dumbarton, upon Clyde side, where there is a 
 great deal of it lying upon the banks. 
 
 Alum is found in severall places in Scotland. 
 
 The Lapis Calaminaris is found in Scotland, which, mixed with 
 copper, makes brass. 
 
 Gold is found in severall places in Scotland; the most famous 
 place is Crawford-moor, where it was found by King James the 
 Fourth, and King James the Fifth, and is yet found by passing the 
 earth through searches, and the same brought down with speats of 
 
84 
 
 raine. I have seen pieces of it as big as a cherry. It is exceeding 
 fine Gold. The Ore, as it was tryed at the King's Mint at London, 
 j'ffoorded eleeven parts of Gold, and the refuse was Silver. 
 
 A place called Dumdeer is famous for Gold. 
 
 Some report, that at Clovo, at the Head of South Esk, some eight 
 miles from Killiemuir, there is found gold and silver. 
 
 At the Silver Mynes in West Lothian, there is found, first, a Sul- 
 phur, then Lead, and then Silver. 
 
 Near Linton, in Tweedale, is found Lead and Silver. 
 
 At the Silver Mynes in West Lothian, there is found a Sparr with 
 green veins, which affoorcls one of the highest and finest blew co- 
 lours. 
 
 The copper Mine at Airthree, which lyeth between Stirling and 
 Dumblane, affoords copper, 50 of ane 100 of the ore, besides that of 
 silver to the value of an 100 ster. and to the value of 200 ster. 
 it affoords of gold. 
 
 Three miles to the eastward of Airthree, amongst the Ochells 
 upon the water of Alqwharry, within two miles of the head of the 
 water, there are many great stones found full of blue and green veins 
 which contain copper. Upon the other side of the water in Perthshire 
 is found cinnabar, the matrix of quicksilver. Cinaber is also found 
 in other places in Scotland. 
 
 There was lately found within 4 miles of Edinburgh, copper upon 
 Curry water, in John Scott of Lamphoy's ground. I have seen good 
 copper got of it. 
 
 The Collonel showed me a piece of lead found within 4 miles of 
 Edinburgh. The Lapis Heematites is also found in Scotland, par- 
 ticularly in the King's Park at Edinburgh. 
 
 At Erick Stone, in the land of one Johnston of Newtoun, one Sea- 
 ton, which had been in Mexico, found some metals of great value, 
 after washing off the earth that was worn off a hill there, by some 
 water, he set upon the root of the hill. 
 
At Braid's Craigs there is a stone with many blue and green veins 
 that argues there is copper in it. Thus far Collonel Borthwick. 
 
 No. III. 
 
 ANOTHER MEMORANDUM OF 'THE MINERALS IN 
 SCOTLAND, COMMUNICATED TO SIR ROBERT 
 SIBBALD BY COLO NELL BORTHWICK. 
 
 1. THERE is a silver Mine on the north side of the hill of South 
 Fardin, beside the burn that runs from Tilry, in the Laird of Menzies 
 his land, in the parish of Foveran, ten miles north-east from Aberdeen. 
 
 2. There is gold to be found in several places about Dumdeer, be- 
 yond Aberdeen several miles. 
 
 3. There is a silver Mine in a bank called the Golden-bank, at 
 Menzies, in the parish of Foveran, ten miles north from Aberdeen. 
 
 4. There is also a silver Mine at the back of a park, where there is 
 a well that serves Disblair's household, within a pair of butts length 
 to the gates of Disblair, in the parish of Fintra. The Mine is about 
 the well, eight miles north by Aberdeen. 
 
 5. There is much gold in the Boggs of New-Leslie to be found, and 
 at Drumgavan, where George Leslie did live, two miles from Dum- 
 deer. 
 
 6. There is an iron Mine at the Well of Spa, at the west side of 
 the Woman-hill, near Gilkomstoun mill, a quarter of a mile west 
 from Aberdeen. 
 
 7. There is a gold Mine very rich in a husband toun, called Over- 
 hill, in the parish of Behelvie, that belongs to my Lord Glames, 
 three fathoms, beneath the kyln, that is at the head of the In-town. 
 
 8. There is a lead Mine at the head of Loug-lie burn, in the north 
 side of Selkirk. 
 
86 
 
 9. There is copper at a place called Elphen, in an hill beside Allen, 
 in the Laird of Hiltown's lands. 
 
 10. There is in Galloway, in the hill of Skrill, silver in a stripe of 
 water, ten fathomes of length from the spring that runs into the 
 stripe. 
 
 11. There is a silver Mine on Windy-neil, in Tweeddale, in seve- 
 ral parts thereabout. 
 
 12. There is gold in a pjace called Glenclought, which the miners 
 did find long since at the Kirkhill, toward the east side thereof. 
 
 13. In Largo law, in Fife, copper enough. 
 
 14. There is silver in the hill called the Colochen hill, on the south 
 side thereof. 
 
 15. There is a lead Mine in my Lord Brotherstoun's land, two 
 miles from the sea. Much lead there. 
 
 16. There are severall sorts of metal Is to be found near by Kirku- 
 bright, and specially in the Barony of Drumdrennan, which lands 
 belong to my Lord Kirkcudbright. 
 
 17. There is copper in the north-east side of Borthwick hill, be- 
 twixt Hawick and Branxome. 
 
 18. There is silver in the Cay lies moor, within the burn that is be- 
 twixt the Sorn and Machlin place. 
 
 There was an Essay of the Silver Mines in Sutherland carried to 
 London in the year 1620, by Sir Thomas Menzies, Provost of Aber_ 
 deen, and being tried, it was found very rich in silver. 
 
 A gold Mine was found, in King James the Fifth's time, in La- 
 mington burn. 
 
 Gold is found at Kersop, upon Yarrow water, in Philiphaugh's 
 ground. 
 
 Mr Ganiel (the German chymist, who resided here at Edinburgh) 
 
87 
 
 sayeth, he heth had ane hundred severall lead ores from the Orkney 
 Islands ; Also, that there is copper ore found in Cantyre, in a hill 
 there, of the colour of gold. 
 
 Elsewhere Sir Rohert Sibhald says, the Laird of Pitlowr gave me 
 two pieces of lead ore, found in a Mine which belongs to Brown of 
 Finmont, in a ground of his upon the water o Ore, within three 
 miles of Kirkcaldy. 
 
 No. IV. 
 
 NOTICES RESPECTING THE LEAD MINES OF GLEN- 
 GONNER AND WENLOCK-HEAD, IN THE REIGN OF 
 QUEEN MARY. 
 
 IN the Preface to this volume, it is stated that the Mines of Glen- 
 gonner and Wenlock-head were wrought to a considerable extent in 
 the course of the Sixteenth Century. The following notices on the 
 subject may gratify the curious reader. The first is an obligation on 
 the part of the Contractors for working these Mines, copied from the 
 Books of Privy Council. 
 
 Apud Edinbur' xxiij Januarii anno, <SfC. Ixij". 
 
 IN presence of the Quenis Majestie and Lordis of Secrete Coun- 
 sale, com pent Johne Achisone, maister cunyeor, and Johne Aslowane 
 burges of Edinburgh, and gaif in this thair band vnderwrittin, and de- 
 sirit the samin to be insert in the bukis of Secrete Counsale, with 
 lettres and executorialis of horning or poinding to be gevin ther- 
 upoun, for compelling of thame to fulfill the samin in forme as efferis. 
 Quhilk desire the Quenis Hienes and Lordis forsaidis thocht resson- 
 
88 
 
 able, and therfore ordanit the samin to be insert in the saidis bukis, 
 with lettres and executorialis to be gevin in manor theron foirsaid. Off 
 the quhilk the tennour followis. We, Joline Achisone, and Johne As- 
 lowane burges of Edinburgh, be the tennour heirof, bindis and oblissis 
 ws faithfullie to the Quenis Majestic, and hir Hienes thesaurar, in 
 hir name, Forsamekill as hir Grace hes grantit and gevin licence to 
 ws, oure partinaris and seruandis, in our name, to wirk and wyn in 
 the leid mynis of Glengoner and Wenlok, samekill leid vre as we may 
 gudlie : and to transport and carle furth of this realm to Flanderis, 
 or ony vtheris partis beyond sey, twenty thousand stane wecht of the 
 said leid vre, comptand sex scoir to the hundreth trone wecht, com- 
 prehendand therin five thousand stane wecht of the said vre, ellis send 
 be ws to Flanderis, as her Hienes licence grantit to ws thairupoun 
 beris. Heirfoir we bind and obliss ws faithfullie to the Quenis Ma- 
 jestic, and hir said thesaurar in hir name, to deliver to her Graces 
 cunyiehous, betuix this and the first day of August nixt to cum, four- 
 tie five vnce of vter fyne siluer for euery thousand stane wecht of 
 the saidis tuentie thousand stanis of leid vre, extending in the hale 
 to nyne hundreth vnces of vtir fyne siluer, without ony forther delay. 
 And heirto we bind and obliss ws faithfullie be thir presentis, and ar 
 content that this oure obligatioun be actit and registrat in the bukis 
 of Secrete Counsale, with lettres and executorialis of horning or poind- 
 ing, to be gevin therupon, for compelling of ws to fulfill the samin in 
 forme as efferis. Subscrivit with our handis, at Edinburgh, the xxiij 
 day of Jamiur, the zeir of God I M V c Ixij zeris. 
 
 There is preserved in the General Register House, A Contract, 
 dated at Edinburgh the 26 of August 1565, entered into betwixt Henry 
 and Marie, King and Queen of Scots, and John Earl of Atholl, by 
 which, " thair Majesties hes gevin and grantit, and be the tennour 
 
89 
 
 heirof, gevis and grantis licence to the said Erie, his assignais, factouris 
 and servandis, ane or ma, to wyn, or caus be wyn, fourtty thowsand 
 trone stane wecht, comptand sex scoir stanis for ilk hundreth off leid 
 ure, and mair gif the samin may gudlie be wyn within the nether leid 
 hoill of Glengonare and Wynlock ; now occupiit be Johne Achesoun 
 and Johne Aslowane, for the space of fyve yeris, nixt efter the dait 
 heirof," &c. " For the quhilkis causis the said Erie oblesis him and 
 his airis, to pay to thair Majesties, thair thesaurare now present or 
 being for the tyme, or to quhome thair Hienessis sail depute to that 
 effect, for every thowsand stane wecht, trone wecht as said is, of the 
 said leid ure, fiftie unces of fyne silver, in maner and at the termes 
 following," &c. 
 
 This contract is subscribed thus MARIE R. HENRY R. 
 
 JHONE ERLL OF ATHOLL. 
 
 There is also preserved in the same Repository, the original of an- 
 other lease, in which " It is appoyntit, contractit, and finallie endit 
 betuix the richt hicht and Dlustre Princessis Henrie and Marie, King 
 and Queen of Scottis, on that ane part, and James Carmichaell, Mais- 
 ter James Lyndsay, and Andro Stevinsone, burgessis of Edinburgh, 
 on the uther part, as followis, That is to say, thair Majesties hes gevin 
 and grantit licence, and be the tennour heirof gevis and grantis licence 
 to the saidis burgessis, thair partinaris, assignayis, factouris and ser- 
 vandis, ane or ma, to win, or caus be win, fourtie thousand stane 
 wecht, comptand sex scoir stanis for ilk hunder of leid ure, and mair 
 gif the samin may gudlie be win out of ony ground within this realme ; 
 Saifand the mynd and werk of Glengonar and Wenlok, presentlie 
 occupeit be Johne Achesone, and Johne Asloane, and that for the 
 space of ten yeiris, nixt efter the dait heirof, and to transport and 
 cary the samin furth of this realme, to the partis of Flanderis, or 
 ony uther partis quhair thai pleis during the said space," &c. Paying 
 
 M 
 
90 
 
 to their Majesties " for every thousand stane wecht, trone wecht 
 transporting as said is, of the said leid ure, fourtie fywe uncis fyne 
 silver," &c. 
 
 (Subscribed) MARIE R. HENRY R. 
 
 JAMES CARMICHAELL. 
 
 Mr JAMES LYNDESAY. 
 
 ANDRO STEVINSOUN. 
 
 To these Notices may be added, from the Records of Privy Coun- 
 cil, the following Privilege for working Mines between Tay and the 
 Sheriffdom of Orkney. 
 
 Mar. 22, 1564. 
 
 The Quenis Majestic, with the avise of her maist honorabill 
 Counsall, grantis to Johne Stewart of Tarlair, and to Wil- 
 liame Stewart his sone, and to the langar levar of thame 
 twa, the liberties and licenceis underwrittin : 
 
 Privilege AND first of all the Queriis Majestic gevis the foirsaidis Johne and 
 Stewart Williame fre licence to wyn and transport all and sindry kyndis of 
 
 meta %ke u " s > an ^ to laubour all and sindry the mynis of metall that 
 Stewart. a r betwix the water of Tay and the Sherirfdome of Orknay, samony 
 as the Quenis Majestic understandis thai find thame selffis, and may 
 laubour with thair pertinaris, quhilk salbe na strangearis, upon this 
 conditiqun, that thai pay unto hir Majestic the tent stane fre of 
 every ure and mettall that thai salhappin to win : and this licence to 
 indure the space of nyne yeris, quhairof the Quenis Majestic of hir 
 liberalitie, gevis thame twa yeris fre, all the uris and mettallis that 
 thai salhappin to win, and that in respect of thair inventioun and 
 greit chargeis maid, and to be maid, in the outseking of the same. 
 Item, the Quenis Majestic gevis fre licence to the saidis Johne and 
 
91 
 
 Williame for the space abone expressed, to seik, win and laubour all 
 the myndis of gold and silver that thai salhappin to find within ony 
 part of her realme, quhair nevir ony sic mynis hes bene fund befoir, 
 with this charge and conditioun, that thai transport nane of thir twa 
 mettallis without hir countrie, bot bring and sell the same to the gene- 
 rall of hir Cunzehous ; the unce of gold for ten pund, and the unce 
 of uttir fyne silver for xxiiij s. 
 
 [Then follows licence to fish in the salt and fresh waters of the 
 realm, and to win and transport earth out of the bounds that belongs 
 to her grace, &c. providing " the said earth contene na kynd of met- 
 tallyke ure."] 
 
 " And last of all, gif it sail fortoun the saidis John and William 
 to find in the outseking of mynis ony Coilheuchis, the Quenis Majes- 
 tic in that cais gevis thame fre licence to use and occupy the same, 
 providing thai be not within ten mylis to ony of hir hienes dwelling 
 places," &c. Subscrivit at Edinburgh, Mar. 22, 1564. 
 
 No. V. 
 SILVER MINES AT HILDERSTON. 
 
 IN the General Register House are preserved the Original Accounts 
 of the Silver Mines of Hilderston, in three folio volumes, entitled, 
 " The Acomptis of ane noble Lord Geprge Erll of Dunbar, Lord 
 Home of Berwick, Lord Heighe Thesaurair of Scotland, and Lord 
 Governour of his Majesties Mynis within the same kingdome," be- 
 ginning 8th May 1608, and ending the 10th December 1610. They 
 also contain the accounts of the Milnes at Leith, and upon the water 
 that runs from the loch of Linlithgow, for melting, fining, and 
 stamping of the mettall. 
 
92 
 
 " Vpoun Setterday the aucht day of May, the zeir of God I M . vj c . 
 and aucht zeiris, S r Beves Bulmer, knicht, governour of the werkis 
 of his Majesteis mynis vnder the ground, George Bruce of Carnok, 
 thesaurar of the samyn mynes, and Archibald Prymrois, clerk of the 
 samyn mynes, in his hienes name ressavit full possessioun of his 
 Majesteis siluer mynes of Hilderstoun, at the handis of S r Thomas 
 Hamiltoun of Bynne, knicht, his hienes advocat." 
 
 The principal officers of the Mines were Sir Bevis Bulmer, gover- 
 nor, George Bruce of Carnok, thesaurer, Archibald Prymrois, clerk, 
 James Craig, purveyor ; James Bla, depute to George Bruce, " John 
 Myr, attending for putting of the workmen to wark in the morne- 
 ing, attending on them all day, and seing theme keip their ordinarie 
 houris at lousing fra their work," and James Bla, depute to Archibald 
 Prymrois. 
 
 The numbers of workmen vary according to circumstances ; and the 
 following enumeration may serve to designate them : drauers vp of 
 mettell, drauers vp of water, and leaueris vp of water to the pompis 
 vnder the grund; wrichtis, cuttaris of wode, caryaris of wode, tymbera- 
 ris, and sauers of tymber ; schadderaris and wesharis, wascharis with 
 the seif, dressaris and wascharis with the buddill, and wascheris with 
 the canves ; quarriours, maissons, schoilmen, and barrowmen ; pick- 
 men, pickmen setting downe new schaftis, and pickmen searching for 
 new waynes ; buckeraris, or breakers of mettell ; smithis, and blaueris 
 of the smithis bellowis ; couppers ; windar men. 
 
 The following excerpts may serve to show the current expenses of 
 the Mining operations : 
 
 May 815, 1608. 
 
 To S r Beves Bilmer, knicht, for his wages fra the said aucht day 
 of Mail inclusiue, to the fyftene day of the samyn exclusiue at viij li. 
 in the day, Lvj li. 
 
93 
 
 May 2229, 1608. 
 
 Money debursit vpoun the dressing of the ore quhilk Sir Thomas 
 Hammiltoun of Bynne, knycht, left abone the grund qhuan he de- 
 lyuerit possessioun thairof to his Majesteis seruandis, . Lli. 
 
 July 31 Aug. 7, 1608. 
 
 For melting pottis, agoll, and saltpeter, to S r Beves Bulmer to mak 
 assayis \vith, xiij li. xj s. viij d. 
 
 Oct. 916, 1608. 
 
 For xxij fute of new glas for S r Beves chalmer windok, and for 
 the new windok in the chalmer abone the say house at iiijs. the 
 fute, . iiij li. viij s. 
 
 Jan. 815, 1609. 
 
 For twa pompes reddy bored, being xlv fute in Icnth, at xxiiij s. the 
 fute, . . . . . . . . . Liiijli. 
 
 May 1421, 1609. 
 
 For sax quair of paper to mak buikis and tickettis for sending of 
 mettell to the mylnis, and to mak pasportis for sick men as ar dis- 
 chargit at any tyme, ....... xxiiij s. 
 
 May 2128, 1609. 
 
 For ane horse hyre frome the myiiis to Killeith with bedding to four 
 Englishmen appointit to work in the mynis of Killeith, . xx s. 
 
 For ane horse hyred to Dauid the Germane myner to ryd frome 
 Linlithgow to visit the mynes at Caldermure, . . vj s. 8 d. 
 
 Jul. 30 Aug. 6, 1609. 
 
 For four loadis of coilis to mak ane bonefyre upoun the fyft day of 
 August, .......... xvjs. 
 
94 
 
 Oct. 1623, 1608. 
 
 To Martene Smeddell, ducheman, appointit be the Lordis Com- 
 missioneris to set downe ane new schaft vpoun the bray on the south 
 syd of the burn, for his wages this week, . . . viij li. 
 
 Sep. 1724, 1609. 
 
 To Johnne Pattoun in attending vpon S r Beves Bulmer, and car- 
 rying with him into the Hielands of certane warklomes for searching 
 of gold be the space of sex dayis, at vj s. in the day, . xxxvj s. 
 
 Sep. 24 Oct. 1, 1609. 
 
 To Thomas Jakharras for attending three dayis vpoun S r Beves 
 Bulmer, and carving of certane warklumes with him for measuring 
 of mynus, at x s. a"day, ....... xxx s. 
 
 Feb. 411, 1610. 
 
 For Jaylour fee at Linlithgow for Johne Robertis, Thomas Ro- 
 bertis, and Thomas Jackharris, being wardit for dissobedience, xx s. 
 
 Aug. 512, 1610. 
 
 To S r Beves Bulmer, knicht, master of the werkis vnder the 
 ground, for his wages for the space of seven dayes, at viij li. in the 
 day, Ivjli. 
 
 Summa of the haill money debursit in ordinary and extraordinary 
 expensis, and vpoun materiallis and all vther necessaris for the Kingis 
 most excellent Majestic his Silver Mynes of Hilderstoun : 
 
 Fra May8, 1608, to May 7, 1609, XX M . viij . xliiij li. viij s. ix d. obi. 
 
 Fra May 7, 1609, to Aug. 6, 1609, iij M . iij c - xxj li. xv s. iiij d. 
 
 Fra Aug. 6, 1609, to Aug. 5, 1610, xj M . j c . Ixxxxvij li. viij s. iiij d. obi. 
 
 Fra Aug. 5, 1610, to Dec. 2, 1610, iiij". v c . Ixxvij li. xiij s. vij d. 
 
95 
 
 KILLEITH MYNE. 
 
 Summa of the haill money debursit in searcheing of ane myne 
 within the landis of Killeith : 
 
 Fra July 3, 1608, to May 7, 1609, . vij c . iiij li. xvij s. ix d. 
 Fra May 7, 1609, to Aug. 6, 1609, . Ixxxxvij li. x s. viij d. 
 
 CALDERMOOR MYNES. 
 
 Summa of the haill money debursit in searcheing of ane myne at 
 Caldermoore : 
 
 Fra May 21, 1609, to June 25, 1609, . . xljli. xij s. iiij d. 
 
 WATER OF EVEN MYNE. 
 
 Summa of the haill money debursit in searcheing of ane myne at 
 the Water of Even : 
 
 Fra May 21 to 28, 1609, .... xiiij li. xviij. s. 
 
 FYNNING MILNES. 
 
 THE Compt of all sowmes of money debursit vpoun reparing of 
 of the siluer mylne at Leith, quhilk wes appointit to haue bene vsed 
 for melting and fynning of the mettell of his Majesteis siluer myues : 
 And vpoun the building of the fynning and melting mylne, and of 
 the stamp mylne and vther warehousis, vpoun the waiter that rynis 
 frome the Loche of Linlythgow. Quhilkis mylnis ar buildit for the 
 stamping, melting, and fynning of the mettell of his Majesteis foirsaidk 
 mynes. 
 
96 
 
 Summa of the haill money debursit in ordinarie and cxtraordinarie 
 expensis at his Majesteis melting, fynning, and stamping mylnis 
 Fra May 8, 1608, to May 7, 1609, XX M . j. xxxvli. x s. x d. obi. 
 Fra May 7, 1609, to Aug. 6, 1609, ij M . viij. Ixxiij li. x s. vijd. 
 Fra Aug 6, 1609, to Aug. 5, 1610, vij M . j c . Ivjli. xiiijs. vd. 
 
 Fra Aug. 6, 1610, to Dec. 2, 1610, . j M . iiij c . iiij^li. ij s. vj d. 
 
 No. VI. 
 
 ACT OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL OF SCOTLAND IN 
 FAVOR OF STEVIN ATKINSON. APUD EDINBURGH 
 XJ. JUNIJ, 1616. 
 
 SEDERUNT. 
 
 CHANCELLARE. L. GORDOUN. JUSTICE CLERK. 
 B. S T . ANDROS. BURLEY. ADUOCAT. 
 
 B. GLASGW. BINNING. KILSYTHE. 
 
 B. CAITHNES. PREUIE SEALE. MEDOP. 
 LYNLUTQW. THE R . DEPUTE. Mr PETER RoLLOKof Piltoun. 
 
 WHEREAS Stevin Aitkinsoun, Englishman, hes vndertane and 
 pnnneist to the Kingis most sacred Majestic, That vpoun his awne 
 propper chairges and expensses, he sail mak ane new searche, tryall, 
 and discouerie of the mynes, seames, and mincrallis in Crafurde mure, 
 with the Saxeere, the Calumeere, and the Salyneere stanes, and of all 
 mettall of gold and silver, quhilk by his menstrie, panes, and dili- 
 gence, and by his chairges and expensses, he is able to discouer and 
 find oute thair : quhilk forme of discouerie and tryall he intendis be 
 mak, and caus be done, by extractionis and wasaheingis, and with 
 suche instrumentis and tables as may best forder and advance the 
 
97 
 
 said worke. And seeing the saidis worlds doeth now ly idill, sua that 
 nouther doeth his Majestic nor the countrey ressaue ony commoditie 
 or benefite be the same. And his Majestic being willing to authorize 
 the said Stevin Aitkinsoun, with warrand, power, and commissioun, 
 to make ane proof of his knawledge, skill, and experience, in the saidis 
 workis, THAIRFORE, his Majestic, with aduise of the-Lordis of his 
 Secret Counsall, hes gevin and grantit, and be the tennour heirof, 
 gevis and grantis full power and commissioun by these presentis, to 
 the said Stevin and his seruandis, and suclie vtheris as he sal adjoyne 
 vnto him, alsweell countreymen as strangeris, during his lyfetyme, to 
 searche, seik, worke, dig, try, discouer, and find oute all suche seames 
 and mynes of gold and siluer, as by his skill, menstrie, and trauellis, 
 he is able to discouer in Craufoordemoore and vtheris pairtes thair- 
 about ; and to caus fyne and bring to perfectioun the haill met tall of 
 gold and siluer quhilk he sail discouer and find oute thair, with the 
 saxeere, the calumyneere, and the salyneere stones, alsweell by ex- 
 tractionis and washeing, and suche instrumentis and tablis as he sail 
 think meete, as by ony vther ingyne and deuise quhat someuir, and 
 generallie to do and exerce, and all and sindric thingis whilk may 
 forder and advance the said worke. Provyding alwayes, lyke as it 
 is heirby expreslie ordanit, commandit, and declairit, that the said Ste- 
 vin sail bring in to his Majesties coneziehouse, at Edinburgh, the whole 
 gold and siluer that salbe discouerit, wrocht, and fyned by him, or 
 quhatsomeuir persone or personis in his name, to the effect the same 
 may be coyned in his Majesties conziehous, quhair he sail leive the tent 
 pairt thairof as his Majesties dew, with his Majesties maister conzeour, 
 to be maid furthcummand be him to his Majesties thesaurair withoute 
 deductioune or ony allowance quhatsomeuir. And the rest extending 
 to nyne pairtis salbe delyuerit to the said Stevin himselif in his Majes- 
 ties coyne, as his awne propper geir, his Majesties coynage thairof 
 being alwayes deducit. IT is also prouydit and declarit, That yf the 
 
 N 
 
98 
 
 said Stevin salmak ony grite worke in ony pairt of the boundis 
 abouewrittin, to the dcterioratioun thairof and the awnaris harme, 
 That he sail gif satisfactioun to the awnaris according to the raite of 
 the losse. As alsua that he sail enter to the worke betuix and the last 
 day of Julij nixttocome, and dewlie prosequute the same, quhairin gif 
 he failyee, or efter the begining of his worke sail so desist, as he sail 
 forbeare the lauchfull prosequutioun thairof for the space of sex monethis 
 thairefter, it salbe lauchfull to his Majestic and the saidis lordis to 
 permit vtheris to enterpryse and prosequut the said worke. Com- 
 manding and chairgeing heirby all and sindrie his Majesties liegeis 
 and subjectis, That nane of thame presoome nor tak vpoun hand vn- 
 der quhatsomevir cullour or pretext to mak ony stope, trouble, hinder, 
 impediment, nor molestatioun to the said Stevin and his servandis in 
 the vseing and executing of his commissioun and warrand granted 
 vnto him, nor to enter vpoun his worke, nor to vse his forme of ex- 
 tractioun and washeing withoute contentment and satisfactioun first 
 to be maid and gevin to him for the same, and that his goodwill be 
 procured and hand thairvnto ; bot that they suffer and permit the said 
 Stevin and his saidis seruandis peaceable, freelie, and quietlie, to vse 
 the said commissioun and warrand vnder all heighest pane, chairge, 
 cry me, and offence, and that they may commit aganis his Majestic 
 for contravening of his royall chairge and commandement, and vnder 
 the pane to be punist thairfore in thair personis and goodis at the ar- 
 bitrament of his Majesties counsall. 
 
 Followis his Majesties missiue lettre concerning this mater. 
 
 (JAMES R.) 
 
 RIGHT trustie and right welbeloued cosen and counsellour, and 
 right trustie and welbeloued counsellouris, wee greet you well. 
 
99 
 
 Whereas the bearer heirof, Stevin Atkinsoun, being desirous at his 
 owne chairgis to seeke minerallis in Crauford moore, hath maid 
 humble suite vnto ws that he micht be permitted so to do. And for- 
 asmuche as the working in the said moore can be prejudiciall to none, 
 bot be the contrarie, gif ony vaine be found it may proue beneficiall 
 to vvs, Wee have thocht good by these presentis to require yow (gif yee 
 seie no reasouii to the contrarie) that ze give ordour that he may be 
 permitted to worke and seeke in suche places of the said moore with 
 suche number of people as he sail think fitting, freelie and quietlie 
 withoute ony stope or molestatioun. And this speciallie recommend- 
 ing to yow wee bid yow fairwell. At Newmarket, the 29 of Aprile 
 1616. 
 
 No. VII. 
 
 COPIE OF THE TAKE OF THE GOLD MINES SET 
 BE THE KINGIS MAJESTIE TO DOCTOR HEND- 
 LIE, 1621. 
 
 ANE lettre maid be oure Souerane Lord, with advyce and consent 
 of his ryght traist cowsingis and counsallouris Johnne Earle of Mar, 
 Lord Erskene and Garreoch, Lord Heich Thesaurer, Comptroller 
 and Thesaurer of the new augmentatiouns of this kingdome of Scot- 
 land, and of Thomas, Earle of Melrois, Lord Byning, Master of his 
 Majesteis mynes, mettallis, and minerallis. And als with consent of 
 the Lordis of his Majesteis Privie Counsall, Commissioneris of his 
 Majesteis rentis. That quhairas his Majesteis Mynes of gold within 
 the boundis of Crawfurdemwre, Friermwre, and Crawfurdejohne, 
 lyand in the ouerwaird of Cliddisdale, and within the bounds of Ro- 
 hertmwre, Glennun, Auchinsowll, Auchincrewch, andCastelgilmor, 
 lyand within the sherefdome of Drumfreis, hes thir divers zeris by- 
 
100 
 
 gane bene neglectit, and no cair nor ordour tane for wirking thairof 
 and discoverie of the mettallis being within the sarnie, sua that the 
 minerall gold or gold vre within the saids Mynes lyes vnproffitable 
 within the bowellis of the earth, without benefeit of his Majestic, or 
 credite of the countrey. And his Majestic being trewlie and suffi- 
 cientlie informed of the skill, knawledge, and experience of his trustie 
 and weilbeloved Johnne Hyndlie, phisicioun, anent the discoverie, 
 tryeing, and fineing of mineralHs. And how that he, out of his af- 
 fectioun to his Majesteis service, and to the commoun benefeit of this 
 kingdome, is verrie willing not only to bestow his paines and tra- 
 villis, bot sum part or portion of his estait in the tryeing, discoverie 
 and following of the gud warkis within the boundis abonespecifeit. 
 Thairfore his Majestic, with advyce foirsaid, hes set, and in take and 
 assedation lattin, and be the tennour heirof scttis, and in take and 
 assedatioun lattis to the said Johnne Hendlie, his airis and assignais, 
 for the quhole space zeiris and termes of twentie ane zeiris nixt, and 
 immediatlie following the day and dait of thir presentis, all and sin- 
 drie his Majesteis Mynes of minerall gold or gold ore, lyand in the 
 seames or vaynes, or vtherwyse dispersit in the earth, within the 
 boundis abonespecifeit, of Crawfurdmwre, Crawfurdjohnne, Robert- 
 mwre, Friermwre, Gleneunne, Auchinsowll, Awchincrewche, and 
 Castelgilmour, pairtis, pendicles, and pertinentis of the same, with 
 pouer to the said Johnne Hendlie, his airis and assignais, and to thair 
 servandis and vtheris in thair names, haiffing thair power and commis- 
 sioun dureing the termes and zeiris abonespecifeit, to searche, seik, 
 breke the ground, wirk, win, ressave, intromett with, vplift, vse, and 
 dispone, vpoun all and quhatsumeuer minerall gold or gold vre lyand 
 within the seames or vaynes, or dispersit in the earth, within the 
 boundis particularlie abonewrittin, or ony pairt of the same be quhat- 
 sumeuer meanes, Industrie, practicque, or ingyne they pleas ; and to 
 caus fyne the same accordinglie, and dispone thairvpoun as thair 
 
101 
 
 awin proper guids ; and to conduce, hyre, and inbring craftismen and 
 vtheris, skilled and experienced persouns in that trade, alsweill stran- 
 geris as native borne subjectis, and to set thame at warke, and to di- 
 rect thame in the saidis warkis, and in the prosequutioun thairof, as 
 they think meit. And to the intent the warkmen, alsweill strangeris 
 as vtheris, quha sail be imployed be the said Johnne in thir warkis, 
 may be incouraged to contenew in the saidis warkis, and to bestow 
 thair panes, travillis, skill, and knawledge thairin. His Majestic- hfiS, 
 with advyce foirsaid takin, and be the tennour heirof, takis the said 
 Johnne, and the whole persouns quhome he sail imploye in and about' 
 the warkis vnder his Majesteis speciall protectioun, defence, supplee, 
 mentinance, and saifgaird, to be vnharmed, vntrubled, vnmolestctl, or 
 distrest be quhatsumeuer maner of way, or be quhatsumeuer manner of 
 pcrsoun or persouns, vtherwyse nor be ordour of law dureing the zeiris 
 and termes abonewrittin. And generallie with power to the said 
 Johnne and his foirsaidis, to do, exerce, and vse all and sindrie vther 
 thingis quhilkis may further and advance this work, and quhilkis to 
 the winning of the said minerall gold and gold vre, and intromissioun 
 thair with ar knawin to pertene, fermeand stable haldand, and for to hald 
 all and quhatsumever thingis sail be lauchfullie done heircin. And 
 his Majestic, with advyce foirsaid, declaris that this present take and 
 asscdatioun is set and gewin to the said Johnne and his foirsaidis 
 upoun the speciall prouisioun and conditioun following allanerlie, 
 and no vtherwyse. To wit, the said Johnne and his foirsaids sail be 
 haldin, and bundin, and oblist, be vertew of thir presentis, to bring 
 the whole gold that sail happin to be win, gatherit, and fyned be 
 thame, dureing and within the space of the zeiris and termes abone- 
 writtin, to his Majesteis cunzehous, fra tyme to tyme, as the samyn 
 sail happin to be win, and sail delyuer the same to his Majesteis mas- 
 ter cunzeor as bulzcane, to be printed in his Majesteis cunzehous, to 
 nyne pairtis quhairof the master cunzeir sail delyver in cunzeit gold 
 
102 
 
 to the said Johnne and his foirsaidis ; and the tent part of the same 
 sail be retenit to the master cunzeir for his Majesteis use, for the 
 quhilk he sail be comptable in his Majesteis exchequar. And it is 
 lieirby speciallie provydit and declarit, that giff the said Johnne or his 
 foirsaids sail failzie in the prosequutioun and following aney of thir 
 warkis, and sail suffer the same to rest and lye the space of sex 
 monethis togidder after the dait heirof, without ane necessar and ap- 
 p.r.iv.eri caus to be fund and declared be his Majesteis Counsall ; or 
 giff he .or tkey sail not intertene at thir warkis dureing the zeiris and 
 ternies abonewrittin, twelff wark men at the leist, except in the caice 
 abonewrittin ; that than, and in that caice, this present tak sail ex- 
 pyre in the selff, and sail be fra thyne furth voyd and of nane avail!, 
 force, nor effect ; and it sail be lesume to his Majestic to dispone vpoun 
 the same at his plesoure. And it is lykwyse provydit and declarit be 
 vertew of thir presentis, that the said Johnne and his foirsaidis sail 
 satisfic the heretouris of the ground for the damnage and skaith sus- 
 tened be thame throw breking of thair ground, at the sight of the 
 Lordis of his Majesteis Privie Counsall, and such as sail be nominat 
 and appointed be thame to that effect, vpon the declaratioun of twa 
 newtrall men, of quhome ane to be choisin be the heretour of the 
 ground, and the other be the said Johnne Hendlie and his foirsaidis ; 
 with command in the samyn to his Majesteis leidges and subjectis. 
 That nane of thame presume nor tak upoun hand to vex, molest, 
 herme, or trouble the said Johnne or his foirsaidis, or thair servandis, 
 or warkmen, in the peciable practizeing and vseing of all and sindrie 
 thingis quhilkis may further and advance the said warke, as namelie, 
 in the searcheing, seking, winning, discoverie, and finding of the said 
 gold and gold vre, and fyneing of the same in manor foirsaid, bot 
 that they respect thame with all dewteis of love and kyndnes, vnder 
 all hiest payne, cryme, and offence, that they and everie ane of thame 
 may commit aganes his Majestic in that point, certefieing thame that 
 
103 
 
 sail failzie or do in the contrair, that they sail be persewit, censured, 
 and punisched as brekiris and violateris of his Majesteis protectioun 
 without favour. At Roystoun, the twelff day of October, the zeir of 
 God I M vj c tuentie ane zeiris. 
 
 Per signaturam, &c. 
 
 No. VIII. 
 
 NOTES TO ATKINSON'S WORK. 
 
 PAGE 1. The Discoverie and Historic of the Mynes in Scotland, 
 
 IN printing this work, the orthography of the MS. has been retained, 
 except in a few instances, where there was an evident inaccuracy, 
 (such as " wordle" for " world," " moare" for " moor," or " muir :") 
 but the orthography is so peculiar as might have justified greater 
 liberties in preparing it for the press. The title in the MS. is in the 
 hand-writing of Sir Robert Sibbald. 
 
 P. 1. " Neare unto the huddle." Buddie is a frame-work of wood, 
 in which the ore is washed. The term is still used at the Leadhills. 
 
 P. 6. " Mr B. B. an ingenious gent." Mr (afterwards Sir) Bevis 
 Bulmer, whose success in his mining operations is detailed in this 
 work at considerable length. 
 
 P. 9. " Lead ewer" means lead ore ; " ewer" throughout the work 
 being usually written instead of " ore." In like manner, " pioners" 
 for " pioneers," " moyners" for " miners," &c. After the words 
 " others before mentioned," insert a full point. 
 
 P. 10. " Reported to be worth," &c. The correct reading of the 
 passage should probably be, as in Sibbald's abstract, " reported to be 
 worth 76,000 Ib. sterling per tun, ten pound thereof." 
 
104 
 
 P. 11. " Natural gold found upon Crayford moore, before any man 
 now alive was borne." According to Lesley, Bishop of Ross, in his 
 " Descriptio Regionum et Insularum Scotia" the gold mines at Craw- 
 furd Muir were first discovered in the reign of James IV. He thus 
 describes the mode in which the gold was collected : 
 
 " Hanc Aurifluvium potius appellare libet : si quidem non tarn 
 arte, et lahore illic aurum effoditur, aut conflatur, quam sua sponte 
 per agros fluit : fluit, inquam, si quidem ex arenosis torrentium, aut 
 rivulorum vadis e superioribus colliculis in Craufurdise tesquis deflu- 
 entium, pauperes arenam colligunt, quam cribratum operum praetectis 
 accepta pecunia ponderi praestituta tradunt. Quod vero non multo 
 major auri vis illic quotidie confletur, in causa esse aiunt, quod vici- 
 nise materiam igni ad aurum confiandum struendo accomodatam, non 
 subministrent." 
 
 The same author, under the reign of James V., gives the following 
 account of the success of the German artists who were employed by 
 that Monarch to refine the gold discovered in the mines at Crawfurd 
 Muir. Their grant, dated 19th July 1526, is preserved in the Acta 
 Dam. Cone. 
 
 " In regione Cludisdaliiu, subterranae quaedam verae, auro copiosis- 
 simo oppletse, in Craufurdiae tesquis inveniebantur : Id quod cum Ger- 
 mani quidam, metalli efFodiendi, aurique a reliquis generibus, et ut 
 singula metalla a singulis internoscendi, partim usu, partim praecep- 
 tione gnari intellexissent, pecuniosissimi in Scotiam, hoc circiter tern- 
 pore, transmiserunt, ut exorata a Rege venia, terrse viscera diligent 
 indagatione explorarent : et quicquid esset purioris auri implicitum, 
 solertissima, ac laboriosissima sua opera eductum, ad humanos usus 
 traducerent. In quo labore, plurimis conductis operis, cum multos 
 menses desudassent, liuiic solum laboris fructum vidimus, quod ingen- 
 tem terram in globules quosdam artificiose coegerint. In his globu- 
 lis maximum purissimi auri vim inclusam fuisse explorate cognovimus : 
 quod illi grandi pecunia a Rege conduxerint, ut secum inde in Ger- 
 
105 
 
 maniam, bona cum Regis venia importarent. Causas cur auri puri- 
 tatem a terrse concretione in nostris oris non secreverint, duas in pri- 
 mis esse elicimus, vel quod multos ad tarn lautain praedam, si pura 
 esset, occupandam ac intercipiendam, illectu iri crediderint, vel quod 
 nostris suae tarn prseclarae scientise laudem malitiose inviderint : arbi- 
 trati, si nostrates auri a terrse impuritate secernendi cognitionem com- 
 prehenderint, sibi iff posterum omnem lucri spem in illis regionibus 
 oinnino prsecidendam esse." De Rebus Gestis Scotorum. Roma', 
 1578, 4to, p. 452. 
 
 In the preface to the translation of a French account of the Life of 
 James V. printed in a volume entitled " Miscellanea Scotica," Lon- 
 don, 1710, 8vo, we find the following additional particulars, derived 
 apparently from a paper " on the Gold Mines of Scotland," in the 
 Cotton Library, (Otho E. x. 12,) of which only a fragment is now 
 preserved, the volume containing it having suffered by the fire in the 
 year 1726 : " In this King's reign, gold mines were found in Craw- 
 furd Moor by the Germans, which afforded him great sums. They 
 would not refine it in Scotland, but after they had bargained with the 
 King, they carried over the ore with them to Germany." Besides 
 these mines in Crawford Moor, we have an account of others not far 
 from it. " In King James the Fourth's reign, the Scots did seperate 
 gold from sand by washing. In King James the Fifth's time, 300 men 
 were employed for several summers in washing of gold, of which they 
 got above 100,000 1. of English money. By the same way, the Laird 
 of Marchestone got gold in Pentland Hills. Great plenty has been 
 got in Langham Water, fourteen miles from Leadhill House, in Craw- 
 furd-Moor, and in Megget- Water, twelve miles, and over Phinland, 
 sixteen miles from that house, and in many other places, where pieces 
 of gold of 30 ounces weight have been found, which were flat, mixed 
 with the sparr, some keel, and some brimstone." 
 
 The following additional information on this subject is copied from 
 
 o 
 
106 
 
 Mr Chalmers' Cakdonia, Vol. III. p. 732 : " James IV., who was a 
 great dabbler in alchemy, appears to have wrought some mines in 
 Crawford-muire. In the treasurer's accounts of 1511, 1512, and 
 1513, there are a number of payments to Sir James Pettigrew, and 
 the men who were employed under him in working the mine of Craw- 
 ford-muire. There are also payments of wages to Sebald Northberge, 
 the master-finer, to Andrew Ireland, the finer, and to Gerard Esse- 
 mer, a Dutchman, the melter of the mine. At Wynlockhead, on the 
 Nithsdale side of the Leadhills, a lead-mine was wrought in 1512, by 
 some of the workmen, who were employed by James IV." 
 
 P. 14. Crawford Muir, and Payer Muir, both near Leadhills. 
 Robert Muir, and Mannock Muir, near Wanlockhead, as well as Glen- 
 gaber Water. " Inderland" is Henderland, in Tweedale. 
 
 P. 15. What is meant by the saxere stones, the calamineere, the 
 salineere, as small as mustard-seed, we do not pretend to point out. 
 As the natural gold was found " linked fast unto the sapper-stone," 
 this last may be common quartz. 
 
 P. 16. These distinctions of gold are quite unknown to our gold- 
 washers. 
 
 P. 16. " Washford" evidently an error in the MS. for Waterford: 
 as " Comburtyn " is (in the same page) for Comb-Martyn, a small 
 town in Devonshire, frequently mentioned in the course of this work. 
 It lies on the Bristol Channel, having a little inlet or bay, and a 
 fine cove for landing of boats. It had mines of tin, and lead rich in 
 silver, which were wrought so early as the reign of Edward I. to a con- 
 siderable extent ; but they are now exhausted or neglected. See the 
 Notes to page 51 of this work. 
 
 P. 17. In the accounts of Frobisher's voyages for the discovery of 
 a north-west passage by Cataia, (inserted in Hakluyt's collection,) we 
 find this statement confirmed. 
 
 In his First Voyage, 1576, we are told, that on their return, Some 
 
107 
 
 of Frobisher's company brought floures, some green grasse, and one 
 brought a piece of blacke stone, much like to a sea-cole in colour, 
 which by the waight seemed to be some kinde of mettall or mineral. 
 This was a thing of no account in the judgement of the eaptaine at 
 first sight ; and yet, for a novelty, it was kept, in respect of the place 
 from whence it came. 
 
 " After his arrival in London, being demanded of sundry his frendis 
 what thing he had brought them home out of that countrey, he had 
 nothing left to present them withall but a piece of this black stone. And 
 it fortuned, a gentlewoman, one of the adventurers wiues, to have a 
 piece thereof, which by chance she threw and burned in the fire, so 
 long, that at the length being taken forth, and quenched in a little 
 vinegar, it glistered with a bright marguesset of golde. Thereupon 
 the matter being called in some question, it was brought to certaine 
 gold-finers in London to make assay thereof, who gave out that it held 
 golde, and that very richly for the quantity. Afterwards, the same 
 gold-finers promised great matters thereof if there were any store to 
 be found, and offered themselves to adventure for the searching of 
 those parts from whence the same was brought. Some that had great 
 hope of the matter, sought secretly to have lease at her Majesties 
 hands of those places, whereby to enjoy the masse of so great a pub- 
 like profit vnto their owne private gaines." In his Second Voyage, 
 1577, it is said, " Finding that the matter of the golde Ore had ap- 
 pearance, and made show of great riches and profit, and the hope 
 of the passage to Cataya, by this last voyage greatly increased, her 
 Majestic appointed spcciall commissioners to examine the goodnesse of 
 the Ore." And a third expedition, the year after, was fitted out, and 
 great preparations made, " because, it was assuredly made accompt 
 of, that the commoditie of Mines, there already discovered, would at 
 the least countervaile in all respects the adventurers charge, and give 
 further hope and likelyhood of greater matters to follow." Their 
 
108 
 
 hopes of success, indeed, were so sanguine, that besides thirty miners 
 for gathering the gold ore, " certaine numbers of chosen souldiers 
 and discreet men," were carried out with the view of inhabiting this 
 Meta Incognita. After passing through innumerable dangers, they 
 came to a great black island, which they called, after their captain, 
 ' Bestes Blessing,' " where they found such plentie of black Ore of the 
 same sort which was brought into England this last yeere, that if the 
 goodnesse might answere the great plentie thereof, it was to be thought 
 that it might reasonably suffice all the golde-gluttons of the world." 
 Atkinson has detailed how all their hopes proved delusive. 
 
 P. 18. This " Parchment book of Records " was probably a re- 
 port of the Gold Workings, written by Cornelius the Lapidary. This 
 Cornelius is called Cornelius Hardskins, a German, in a short history 
 of the Wanlockhead Mines. By Mr Gough he is called, " Cornelius 
 Devossee, a German lapidary." He says, he was constituted supe- 
 rior of his Majesty's gold mines, on Queen Elizabeth's recommenda- 
 tion, and first discovered such mines on Crawfoord moor. But else- 
 where he adds, that he " cannot be supposed the first discoverer of 
 gold mines in Scotland, as they had gold coined in the time of King 
 Robert, which is allowed to be part of that metal found in this king- 
 dom." British Topography, vol. ii. p. 633 and 745. 
 
 P. 18. " Cornelius, a lapidary" From a subsequent passage, it 
 appears that Mr Cornelius (who, in all probability, is the same person 
 as Cornelius Devorse, afterwards mentioned) visited Scotland during 
 the Regency of the Earl of Murray [1567-1570]. In p. 21, it is 
 stated that Cornelius, after the Earl of Murray's death, was forced to 
 renew his commission, and had his grant from the Earl of Murray, 
 next Regent." But the Earl of Morton was not appointed Regent 
 until November 1572 ; the two short Regencies of the Earls of Len- 
 nox and Mar having intervened. 
 
 P. 22. Mr Pennant, who has given some extracts from Atkinson's 
 
109 
 
 work, has observed, that the " coyiied peeces of gold, called unicorns," 
 with which the gold bason presented by the Regent Morton to the 
 French King, was filled, appear to have been only coined in the reign 
 of James III. or his successor. Tour in Scotland, vol. iii. p. 416. In 
 the Parliament of King James I., held at Perth, May 26, 1424, it was 
 enacted, that " gif ony myne of gold or silver be fundyn in ony Lordis 
 landis of the realme, and it may be prowyt that there halfpennys of 
 silver may be fynit out of the punde of leide, The Lordis of Parlia- 
 ment consents that sik myne be the Kingis, as is usuale in uther 
 realmis." ACTA PAUL. vol. II. p. 5. 
 
 P. 24. Monypenny's Abridgement of the Scots Chronicles, was 
 originally published at London, in the year 1612, and passed through 
 many editions in the course of that century but it is not known ever 
 to have been translated. Where Atkinson says, " in English briefly, 
 in Lattin lardgely," he probably refers to some of our historians from 
 whom that work was compiled. The reader may turn to the English 
 version of Hector Boece's Chronicle, by Holinshed, for an account of 
 " these two ancient and fatherlie old men of right reverend aspect 
 and countenance," who were joyfully received by King Josina ; or to 
 that of Bellenden, who speaks of them as " two venerabyll clerkis of 
 plesant visage, hot thay war almaist nakit." fol. xvij. 
 
 P. 30. The story of Mr Bowes' vein of gold is a fiction. Gold is 
 found in the Alluvial soil only of the neighbourhood of Lead Hills and 
 Wanlockhead. 
 
 P. 32. The grant here alluded to is probably that in 1616, printed 
 at length in this Appendix, No. VI. 
 
 P. 33. Along the banks of the Short-cleugh Burn, near Lead 
 Hills, the ancient gold workings have been most extensive. 
 
 P. 33. " Mr John Murray." From a letter of Sir William Alexan- 
 der, afterwards Earl of Stirling, to Drummond of Hawthornden, we 
 learn that Mr John Murray died the llth April 1615. Drummond' s 
 Works, p. 150. 
 
110 
 
 P. 34. The partnership of the two painters, to seek for Gold Mines 
 in Scotland, is curious. Cornelius de Vos was a Dutch artist of great 
 merit ; and the name of Bronckhorst is also in the list of Dutch 
 painters. What were " the small and great pictures " that he was 
 employed to draw for his Majesty ? Could they have been the long 
 line of Scots kings, placed afterwards in the gallery of Holyrood 
 House, another set of which we have formerly seen in Newbattle 
 Abbey ? 
 
 P. 34. The exact time of Bronckhorst's arrival in Scotland has 
 not been ascertained ; but the statement in the text is confirmed by 
 an original precept, in the General Register House, of the date 9th 
 September 1580, signed by James VI., in which he is styled " our 
 lovit servitour, Arnold Bronckhorst, our painter," authorizing the 
 Treasurer to pay him " the sowme of three scoir four pundis restand 
 awand him," for two portraits of his Majesty, and one of Mr George 
 Buchanan ; with an additional sum of 100 merks, which his Majesty 
 says " we have grantit him as ane gratitude for his repairing to this 
 countrey." 
 
 P. 34. Mr Nicholas Hilliai'd, limner, jeweller, and goldsmith to 
 Queen Elizabeth, and afterwards to King James, was an artist of great 
 celebrity. He obtained from James a patent, in which he is styled 
 " our well-beloved servant, Nicholas Hilliard, gentleman, our princi- 
 pal drawer of small portraits, and embosser of our medals in gold," 
 granting him "our special licence for twelve years, to invent, make, 
 grave, and imprint any pictures of our image, or [of] our royal family, 
 &c." which proved to him a source of great emolument. He died 
 January 7, 1619, when about 72 years of age. See Walpole's Anec- 
 dotes of Painting. (Works, 4to, vol. iii. p. 127.) 
 
 P. 35. It is not very clear who the foreigner was, alluded to in 
 an Act of Parliament, 5th June 1592, as then enjoying a lease of the 
 Gold Mines, although it may probably have been Bronckhorst. This 
 Act contains some curious information, and a part of it may be here 
 
Ill 
 
 cited. By this, " For furthering of the Kingis commoditie be the mynes 
 and metallis," the King resumes the right, claimed as the royal pre- 
 rogative, to " the mynes and metals," quhilk in great abundance 
 micht be easilie found in this realme ; and quhilk it " wes in use 
 commonlie to sett to ane or tua strangearis, for ane small dewtie, 
 quha nather haid substance to caus labour and wirk the hundredth 
 part of any one of the saidis mynes, nor yit instructed utheris leigis 
 of this realme in the knawlege thairof, quhilk is mair nor notour be 
 the doingis of the present takisman of the mynes, quha nether wirkis 
 presentlie, nor lies wrocht thir many yeiris by past, nor evir hes 
 serchit, socht, nor discoverit ony new metall sen his entrie, nor hes 
 instructit ony of the leigis of the cuntrie in that knawledge ; and 
 quhilk is maist inconvenient of all, hes maid na sufficient payment of 
 the dewtie of his tak to our Souerane Lordis thesaurair ; sua that na 
 pairt of the said yeirlie dewtie is evir cum in the said thesaurairis 
 compt, to his Hienes use and commoditie, Quhairby oure souerane 
 Lord and the haill cuntrie will sustene great loss, gif ane strangear 
 sail bruik in this maner the haill metallis within his Majesties domi- 
 nions, but payment of ony dewtie ffor the space of xxj yeris altogid- 
 der." 
 
 The same Act grants certain exemptions to persons employed in the 
 mines, and directs that a " Master of Metallis " be appointed, naming 
 Mr " John Lindsay, Persoun of Menmure," to that office, in consi- 
 deration of his qualifications, and " of his travellis in seiking out and 
 discovering of dyuerse metallis of great valour within this realme, and 
 in sending to England, Germanic, and Denmark, to gett the perfite 
 essay and knawlege thairof." At the same time the Act bears, that 
 " forsamekle as Thomas Foullis, gouldsmyth, has found out the in- 
 gyne and moyane to caus melt and fyne the vris of metallis within 
 this cuntrie, and hes brocht in strangearis, and beiggit houses and 
 mylnis for this effect, to his grit cost and expenssis, and to the grit 
 and evident weilfair of the haill cuntrie, within the quhilk na vre in 
 
112 
 
 grit wes neuer meltit of befoir and fynit, bot the same wes euir trans- 
 portit out of the cuntrie vnmeltit and refynit, Thairfoir, our Sove- 
 rane Lord, with auise of the Estaitis foirsaidis, ratifyis the said Tho- 
 mas his gift of the said melting and refyning of all and quhatsumeuir 
 vris of metallis won and wrocht within this cuntrie, in the haill liber- 
 ties, priuilegies, and fies contenit thairuntill," &c. ACTA PARL. vol. 
 iii. p. 556-559. 
 
 P. 36. A remnant of Sir Bevis Bulmer's house was lately taken 
 down. Three solitary trees, planted, perhaps, by Sir Bevis himself, 
 still remain, within a small inclosure, to mark the situation. Cam- 
 den, in his " Description of Cluydesdale," says, " Near the source of 
 the Cluyd, in Crawford Moor, grains of gold found by the country 
 people after heavy rains, gave, for a long while, hope of great wealth, 
 but especially in our time, ever since Bevis Bulmer undertoook to find 
 a gold mine here. Certain it is, that lapis lazuli is dug here daily 
 with little trouble." 
 
 P. 39. " Stamping-mill and plash-mill " See Acosta's description 
 of the engines made use of at Potozi " to grinde the metall." 
 
 P. 41. " Alas ! what meant that man ?" These verses are evidently 
 a paraphrase of four lines in Boethius' treatise ' de Consolatione :' 
 
 " Heu, primus quis fuit ille, 
 Auri qui pondera tecti, 
 Gemmasque latere volentes, 
 Pretiosa pericula fodit ?" 
 
 which are thus quaintly rendered by old Dan Chaucer in his prose 
 translation of that work. " Alas ! what was he that fyrst dalfe up the 
 gobbetes, or the weightes of golde, covered under erthe, and the pre- 
 cious stones that wolden have be hydde ? He dalfe up precious peryls, 
 that is to sayn, that he that hem first up dalfe, he dalfe up a precious 
 peryl ; for why ? for the preciousnesse of suche thing hath many man 
 been in peryll." Works. (Edit. 1532, fol. 245.) 
 
113 
 
 It is probable that the verses in the text may have been inaccurately 
 copied from some contemporary translation, of which there was one, 
 in the year 1609. The following version occurs in the English copy 
 of Acoste's East and West Indies. 1604, p. 228 : 
 
 " Alas ! who was the first, 
 So curious and accurst, 
 Who digged out of the mine, 
 Alan's minde to undermind, 
 Heavie weights of golde ore, 
 Better concealde before : 
 And pearle crept into ground 
 Pale for feare to be found ; 
 Galing golde, wringing rings, 
 Precious, but perilous things." 
 
 " With reason," says that author, " he calleth them precious dan- 
 gers, for the great labour and perill wherewith they draw out these 
 tnettals, which men so much esteeme." See also the reflections on 
 this subject, by that indefatigable collector, the Rev. Samuel Pur- 
 chase, in his Pilgrimage. London, 1613, folio, p. 901. 
 
 P. 47. The rich silver mynes at Hilderstone, in Scotland." In the 
 Appendix, No. V. will be found extracts from the account-books, from 
 which it appears, that, during the years 1608, 1609, and 1610, Sir 
 Bevis Bulmer was employed, at the rate of eight pounds Scots per 
 day, under Sir Thomas Hamilton, the Lord Advocate. Previously 
 to this, Sir Bevis seems to have carried on the works at his own risk. 
 Sir James Balfour, in his Annals of Scotland, in the month of August 
 1607, says, " Sir Bevysse Bulmer, that had been employed by his 
 Majesty for the silver mines of Hilderstane-hill, not being able to 
 maintain the charge of these works, in respect of their small returns, 
 did, by his bond and disposition, quit the said works to Sir Thomas 
 Hamilton, his Majesties Advocate, their first owner." 
 
 Sir Thomas Hamilton obtained a charter under the Great Seal, 
 
114 
 
 the 4th April 1607, of all the mines, minerals, and metals, within the 
 lands and barony " of Ballinkrieff, Baithgat, Drumcrose, Tortrevin, 
 Torphichen, and Hilderstone, with the pertainents." MS. papers, 
 LeadhiUs. These silver mines were on the east side of Hilderston Hills, 
 in Linlithgowshire ; and, in Sir Robert Sibbald's time, there were 
 several adits, and the ruins of the melting-house still to be seen.- 
 Sibbald's Description of Scotland, MS. 
 
 P. 47. This vein of silver ore appears to have been worked to some 
 extent. Not having been at the ground, we cannot say what is meant 
 by the red metal. In another part, he calls red-metal, bell-metal ; the 
 red-metal, then, is a Copper Ore. 
 
 P. 50. The Brunswicks were, probably, German miners ; but being 
 strangers, their presence conjured away, of course, the richness of the 
 ore, " upon an instant." 
 
 P. 51. Silver mines in Devon. Beer Ferrers (or Beerferris, as it is 
 sometimes called), a manor in the south-west of Devonshire, of which 
 the borough of Beer Alston (which returns two members to Parlia- 
 ment) is held in burgage tenure. Risdon's Survey of Devon, new 
 edit. p. 210 and 408. " The mines at Beer Ferrers and Beer Alston 
 (says Lysons) are remarkable for the length of time for which at dif- 
 ferent periods they have been worked, and for the quantity of silver 
 which they contain ; the silver in each ton of lead being from 80 
 ounces to 120." Another account remarks, " That those mines, 
 which have been generally called the silver mines of Devonshire, 
 were no other than lead mines rich with this metal, is very evident. 
 This appears from the inscription on the silver cup presented by 
 Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Bath." Polwhele's Devonshire) vol. i. 
 p. 69, folio. 
 
 The most exact account of the mines of Devon will be found in the 
 6th volume of Lysons' Magna Britannia. " The lead mines of this 
 county and of Cornwall are more enriched with silver than those of 
 
115 
 
 of any other part of the kingdom. The produce of the mines at Comb 
 Martin and Beer Alston is said to have been unusually great in the 
 reigns of Edward I. and II. and to have much enriched the treasury 
 of those monarchs. The Comb Martin mines were re-opened in the 
 time of Queen Elizabeth, under the direction of Sir Bevis Buhner, a 
 skilful engineer, much esteemed by that queen and her ministers. 
 Mr Bushell, a celebrated mineralogist of that day, and a pupil of 
 Sir Francis Bacon, strongly recommended the re-working of the 
 Comb Martin mines to the Long Parliament, in 1659." vol. vi. 
 cclxxxv, &c. 
 
 Thomas Bushnell, Esq. the person referred to in the above extract, 
 was servitor to the Lord Chancellor Bacon, and seems to have devoted 
 his life to mining speculations, being buoyed up with the most san- 
 guine expectations of recovering " mineral riches out of the hardest 
 rocks." In the year 1658, he undertook to recover certain drowned 
 and deserted works, being " the forlorn hope of that great ingineer, 
 Sir Bevis Bulmer, at Rowpits, near Chewton-minery," upon which 
 it is said L. 1 0,000 had been expended out "of Queen Elizabeth's purse 
 to perfect the same, but could not ;" but at the moment when Bush- 
 nell's hopes were about to be realized, he was cruelly thwarted by 
 the malice of certain persons. From his various printed tracts and 
 statements, during the reign of Charles I. and the protectorate of 
 Cromwell, an interesting narrative of his expectations and disappoint- 
 ments might be formed. 
 
 P. 52. Adrian Gilbert, Esq. was brother to Sir Humphrey Gil- 
 bert, the celebrated navigator. Prince, in his Worthies of Devon, 
 says he became very eminent for his skill in mines, and " undertook 
 to carry on a new load of silver in the days of Queen Elizabeth, of 
 blessed memory, found in Comb-Martyn, in this county, in the lands 
 of Richard Roberts, gentleman ; but not caring to trouble himself 
 any longer therein, he left the prosecution thereof to Sir Bevis Bui- 
 
116 
 
 mer, knight, who raised and refined a great quantity of that valuable 
 metal, as was said elsewhere." p. 417. 
 
 P. 57. Atkinson here refers to the collection entitled, " The whole 
 Prophecies of Scotland, England, France, Ireland, and Denmark, 
 prophesied by Thomas Rymer, Marvellous Merling, Beid, Waldhave, 
 Eltraine, Banester, and Sybilla, all agreeing in one," &c. which had 
 been printed at Edinburgh, more than once, before the date of this 
 work. 
 
 P. 58. Sir John Pettus, in his " Essays on Words Metallick," has 
 a learned discourse on the situation of " the land of Havilah, which 
 Pison ciicoi.ipasscth, (mistaken for Ganges,) wherein there was gold, 
 and the gold was called good ;" and after having in vain " traced the 
 four great rivers of three parts of the world for it," he hopes he ' may 
 not give offence in rendring the great Hand or Continent of America, 
 surrounded with a Pisonick Ocean, to be the same, or some such like 
 place, as Havilah ; and well may we trade thither for gold, where 
 Religion shews us the way ; for divine Herbert, in his Church Mili- 
 tant, tells us, that 
 
 ' Religion stands on tip- toes (and from our land), 
 Ready to pass to the American strand.' 
 
 Now, by way of inference (he adds), if Religion goes thither, we 
 may safely follow it, so as it be in pursuit of Paradice or Havilah." 
 Fleta Minor, fyc. London, 1683, folio. 
 
 P. 59. The four rivers, or rivulets rather, described by our author, 
 comprise in their upper districts the mining ground of Lead Hills and 
 Wanlockhead. 
 
 P. 61. Gold ofOpheir. Peter Martyr, in his first Decade, men- 
 tions, that when the gold mynes in the Island of Hispaniola, were first 
 discovered in the year 1495, they " found certaine deepe pits, which 
 had been digged in old time. Out of these pittes, the Admiral [Cor 
 
117 
 
 lumbus] who affirmcth this Hand of Hispaniola to be Ophir, supposeth 
 that Solomon, the King of HSerusalem, had his great riches of gold, 
 whereof we read in the Olde Testament ; and that his ships sayled 
 to this Ophir by the goulfe of Persia, called Sinus Persicus." His- 
 toric of the West Indies, translated by M. Lok, 4to, p. 27. 
 
 P. 63. " A Spanish History lately translated into English." The 
 only work which seems to answer this description is, " The Naturall 
 and Morall Historic of the East and West Indies. Intreating of the 
 Remarkeable things of Heaven, of the Elements, Mettalls, Plants and 
 Beasts, which are proper to that Country : Together with the Man- 
 ners, Ceremonies, Lawes, Governments, and Wan-es of the Indians. 
 Written in Spanish by Joseph Acosta, and translated into English by 
 E. G. London, printed by Val. Sims, 1604." 4to, pp. 590. 
 
 P. 65. " / read that every casson." The passage here referred to 
 is probably the following : " In the fleete where I came," says Acosta, 
 " which was in the year 1585, the declaration of the firme land was 
 of twelve cassons, or chests of golde ; every casson, at the least, weied 
 four Arobes, that is, a hundred weight ; and a thousand, fifty, and sixe 
 Mares from New Spaine, which was for the King only, besides that 
 which came for merchants and private men being registred ; and much 
 that came unregistred." p. 215. See also Purchase's Pilgrimage, 
 edit. 1614, p. 900. 
 
 p. 65. " A fleete from the West Indies." Acosta refers this to the 
 year 1587. " In that fleete (he says) where I came, in the year 1587, 
 there were eleven millions (pieces of assay) transported in the two 
 fleetes of Peru and Mexico, whereof two-thirds were in that of Peru ; 
 and almost the one halfe for the King." p. 227. 
 
 p. 66. " Gotten all that present yeare." This appears to be an ex- 
 aggerated statement. Acosta mentions that it was not in one year, but 
 from their first discovery to the year 1585, that the silver brought 
 
118 
 
 from the Potozi Mines, had amounted to the sum reported in the 
 text Acosta, p. 226, 227, 
 
 P. 68. " A rich mine of copper was discovered at Newlands, in 
 Cumberland, which had been neglected many ages, says Camden. 
 [Brit. p. 631.] And at the same time, there was found in great 
 abundance, the stone called lapis calaminaris, or calamy stone, so ne- 
 cessary for turning copper into brass." Macpherson's Annals of Com- 
 merce, vol. ii. p. 136. 
 
 " A proclamation, by King Charles, grants a commission to many 
 lords and gentlemen, for certain regulations in searching for mines of 
 gold, silver, or copper, or of lead holding silver, as also for quicksil- 
 ver, in Cardiganshire ; for which mines the King had granted a lease 
 for 31 years, to Sir Hugh Middleton." Fcedera, vol. xviii. p. 66. 
 
 p. 69. By reason of the tyranny of the Spaniards, we are told, 
 " that the Indian people, which were the naturals of the island of 
 Hispaniola, were many yeares since cleane consumed, which was the 
 cause, that for lacke of people to worke in the Mines, the golde and 
 silver Mines of this Island are wholly given over, and thereby they are 
 faine in this Island to use copper money, whereof (at the time of Sir 
 Francis Drake's voyage, 1585) was found great plenty." Hakluyt, 
 vol. iii. p. 541. 
 
 P. 70. " Henric Guarro, a Portugall." This may be the same 
 person as " Henrique Guai^es, a Portugall borne," whom Acosta 
 speaks of as " a man of judgment." p. 239. 
 
 P. 74. The book of the Jews' Travels is not known, and certainly 
 no work under this title ever was printed in England. It may, how- 
 ever, be found out in some of the old collections of Voyages and Tra- 
 vels, under a different name. 
 
 P. 74. The discovery of the Mines of Potozi, is related by Acosta 
 in a different manner from this, professing to be taken from the Jews' 
 
119 
 
 Travills. The discoverers are said to have been Gualpa, an Indian of 
 the Province of Cusco, and Guanca, of the valley of Xaura ; and that 
 the discovery was revealed to Villaroel, a Spaniard, by Guanca, who 
 is called his ' Yanacona, or servant.' p. 221. 
 
 P. 75. " In Curana." Amongst the varieties of gold found in the 
 West Indies, Acosta mentions, " Gold in stone, (and says it) is a veine 
 of gold that groweth or ingendreth within the stone or flint ; as I have 
 scene, in the mines of Curama, within the government of Salines, very 
 great stones pierced and intermixed with gold ; others that were half 
 gold, and half stone." p. 213. 
 
 P. 75. " Dwelling in that province." It is evident that some words 
 in the MS. have been omitted at the end of this paragraph, the sense 
 being obviously imperfect. 
 
 P. 76. " Called powlder gold." " As the ancients, for his occa- 
 sion (says Acosta), did celebrate the river of Tagus in Spaine, Pacto- 
 lus in Asia, and Ganges in the East Indies, and called them ramenti 
 auri, the which we others call golde in powlder, and of this sort is 
 the greatest quantitie of golde they have at this day." p. 214. 
 
 P. 77. " Certane pitts digged in Hanniball's time." The silver 
 mines in Spain were discovered at an early period, and, according to 
 Pliny, whose account is confirmed by other authorities, in his time 
 they retained the names of the Carthaginians by whom they had been 
 discovered and first wrought ; and that the one named after Bebelo 
 yielded to Hannibal daily 300 pound weight of silver. Hist. Nat. 
 lib. xxxiii. cap. 6. 
 
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