}

CHAP. X.

*

Iron ore has poles, and acquires them, and settles
_itself toward the poles of the universe_.

Deplorable is man's ignorance in natural science, and modern philosophers,
like those who dream in darkness, need to be aroused, and taught the uses
of things and how to deal with them, and to be induced to leave the
learning sought at leisure from books alone, and that is supported only by
unrealities of arguments and by conjectures. For the knowledge of iron
(than which nothing is in more common use), and that of many more
substances around us, remains unlearned; iron, a rich ore of which, placed
in a vessel upon water, by an innate property of its own directs itself,
just like the loadstone, North and South, at which points it rests, and to
which, if it be turned aside, it reverts by its own inherent vigour. But
many ores, less perfect in their nature, which yet contain amid stone or
earthy substances plenty of iron, have no such motion; but when prepared by
skilful treatment in the fires, as shown in the foregoing chapter, they
acquire a polar vigour (which we call verticity[84]); and not only the iron
ores in request by miners, but even earth merely charged with ferruginous
matter, and many rocks, do in like manner tend and lean toward those
portions of the heavens, or more truly of the earth, if they be skilfully
placed, until they reach the desired location, in which they eagerly
repose.

* * * * *

{29} CHAP. XI.

*

Wrought Iron, not excited by a loadstone,
_draws iron_.

From the ore, which is converted, or separated, partly into metal, partly
into slag, by the intense heat of fires, iron is smelted in the first
furnaces in a space of eight, ten, or twelve hours, and the metal flows
away from the dross and useless matter, forming a large and long mass,
which being subjected to a sharp hammering is cut into parts, out of which
when reheated in the second hearth of the forge, and again placed on the
anvil, the smiths fashion quadrangular lumps, or more specially bars which
are bought by merchants and blacksmiths, from which in smithies usually it
is the custom to fashion the various implements. This iron we term
_wrought_, and its attraction by the loadstone is manifest to all. But we,
by more carefully trying everything[85], have found out that iron merely,
by itself alone, not excited by any loadstone, not charged by any alien
forces, attracts other iron;