Barba, Albaro Alonso; Gabriel Plattes and Thomas Houghton. A Collection of Scarce and Valuable Treatises, upon Metals, Mines and Minerals. In Four Parts. Published by and Printed for C. Jephson, in West-Smithfield, for Olive Payne at Horace's Head in Round-Court in the Strand, London, 1738. Octavo, 4 parts in o/ne volume, pp. (xii), 170, (ix), 171-215, (1) blank, title page, (1) blank, 2, 66, 2 of advertisements, 1 engraved plate at pp. 169, 1 full-page illustration in the last part at pp. 57, woodcut headpieces and initials.
The work is complete and in contemporary calf with gilt ruled borders and spine titles with raised spine bands. The binding is worn but was restored, spine tiles bright with some edge wear. The inner hinges have been strengthen, early armorial book plates on paste down and first end sheet with a later neatly penned inscription on the next end sheet. An illegible notation is on rear paste down. Light toning to end sheets and title page with text being very clean. Over all in good condition.
This work contains a collection of three separate treatises concerned with mineralogy, mining, and metallurgy, each of which had been previously been published as separate works. The work consists of the following: by Barba: A Treatise of Metals and Mines (pp [1]-104); by Barba: The Second Book of the Art of Metals. Refining Silver. (pp [105]-170); by Plattes: A Discovery of Subterranean Treasure. Gold to Coal. (pp [171]-215); by Houghton: Rara Avis In Terris: or the Compleat Miner in Two Books. Lead-Mines. Art of Dialling and Levelling Grooves. The works were collected and published together due to the rarity of the original editions and what was considered a lack of more recent good and competent works on the various subject.
Barba’s book was first published in Spanish in 1640 and in English in 1670 and was a celebrated treatise on mining and metallurgy, the first significant work on the subject in Spanish, and the first work on mining in the Americas. Gabriel Plattes work, Discovery of Subterranean Treasure was first published in 1639 and was the first useful text in English dealing with metallurgy. It also includes the earliest description in English of the separation of gold and silver by the use of nitric acid. Houghton’s work, first published in 1681, was the first English work on lead mining. It contains the laws and customs of the Derbyshire lead mines and explains the terms used by miners.
