k you, Benvenuto, you have undertaken a
work which our art can not compass, and which is not to be effected by
human power."

Hearing these words, I turned round in such a passion, and seemed so
bent on mischief that both he and all the rest unanimously cried out
to me, "Give your orders, and we will all second you in whatever you
command: we will assist you as long as we have breath in our bodies."
These kind and affectionate words they uttered, as I firmly believe,
in a persuasion that I was on the point of expiring. I went directly
to examine the furnace, and saw all the metal in it concreted. I
thereupon ordered two of the helpers to step over the way to Capretta,
a butcher, for a load of young oak, which had been above a year
drying, and been offered me by Maria Ginevra, wife to the said
Capretta.

Upon his bringing me the first bundles of it, I began to fill the
grate. This sort of oak makes a brisker fire than any other wood
whatever; but the wood of elder-trees and pine-trees is used in
casting artillery, because it makes a mild and gentle fire. As soon as
the concreted metal felt the power of this violent fire, it began to
brighten and glitter. In another quarter I made them hurry the tubes
with all possible expedition, and sent some of them to the roof of the
house, to take care of the fire, which through the great violence of
the wind had acquired new force; and toward the garden I had caused
some tables with pieces of tapestry and old clothes to be placed, in
order to shelter me from the rain. As soon as I had applied the proper
remedy to each evil, I with a loud voice cried out to my men to bestir
themselves and lend a helping hand; so that when they saw that the
concreted metal began to melt again, the whole body obeyed me with
such zeal and alacrity that every man did the work of three.

Then I caused a mass of pewter weighing about sixty pounds to be
thrown upon the metal in the furnace, which with the other helps, as
the brisk wood fire, and stirring it, sometimes with iron, and
sometimes with long poles, soon became completely dissolved. Finding
that, contrary to the opinion of my ignorant assistants, I had
effected what seemed as difficult as to raise the dead, I recovered my
vigor to such a degree that I no longer perceived whether I had any
fever, nor had I the least apprehension of death. Suddenly a loud
noise was heard, and a glittering of fire flashed before our eyes, as
if it had been the da