By JOHN BECKMANN, PROFESSOR OF ŒCONOMY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GÖTTINGEN. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN, By WILLIAM JOHNSTON. Fourth Edition, CAREFULLY REVISED AND ENLARGED BY WILLIAM FRANCIS, Ph.D., F.L.S., EDITOR OF THE CHEMICAL GAZETTE; AND J. W. GRIFFITH, M.D., F.L.S., LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. VOL. I. LONDON: HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 1846. PRINTED BY RICHARD AND JOHN E. TAYLOR, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET....

In revising Beckmann’s celebrated Work, we have endeavoured to improve it principally by altering such names, characters, descriptions, and opinions as have become obsolete, or are now known to be erroneous; and by such additions as seemed necessary to bring the accounts of the subjects treated of to the present state of knowledge. In some cases, these additions may appear to diverge from the declared object of the work; but in this we have only followed the example of Beckmann himself, who freq

Those who are acquainted with the Italian method of book-keeping must allow that it is an ingenious invention, of great utility to men in business, and that it has contributed to extend commerce and to facilitate its operations. It requires no less attention, care, and accuracy, than many works which are styled learned: but it is undoubtedly true, that most mercantile people, without knowing the foundation of the rules on which they proceed, conduct their books in as mechanical a manner as many

Dry gilding, as it is called by some workmen, is a light method of gilding, by steeping linen rags in a solution of gold, then burning them; and with a piece of cloth dipped in salt water, rubbing the ashes over silver intended to be gilt. This method requires neither much labour nor much gold, and may be employed with advantage for carved work and ornaments. It is however not durable. I am of opinion that this manner of gilding is a German invention, and that foreigners, at least the English, w

It is a singular fact, that the art of glass-painting, practised with such success during the former ages from one end of Europe to the other, should gradually have fallen into such disuse, that in the beginning of the last century it came to be generally considered as a lost art. In the course of the eighteenth century, however, the art again began to attract attention, and many attempts were made to revive it. It was soon found by modern artists, that by employing the processes always in use a

You will remember that I formerly mentioned something to you in reference to the observations made by the Hon. Daines Barrington, on the earliest introduction of clocks, published in the Annual Register for 1779, under the article Antiquities, p. 133. According to your desire, I will communicate what circumstances come within my personal knowledge, about a watch that corresponds very much to one described by him as once the property of king Robert Bruce. I must be indulged, although in some part

Page 84 : “Recréations” was printed that way, with just one accented “é”. Page 84 : “de la Congr. de St. Maur,” was printed as “de la de Congr. St. Maur,” but changed here based on examination of an earlier edition. Page 99 : “of trying to what distance” was printed that way. Page 173 : “They consider the forming the strata” was printed that way. Page 177 : “Lottichii” was imperfectly printed, so the “ii” may be something else, such as “Lottichius”, which appears on page 324. Page 239 : “recals”

By JOHN BECKMANN, PROFESSOR OF ŒCONOMY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GÖTTINGEN. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN, By WILLIAM JOHNSTON. Fourth Edition, CAREFULLY REVISED AND ENLARGED BY WILLIAM FRANCIS, Ph.D., F.L.S., EDITOR OF THE CHEMICAL GAZETTE; AND J. W. GRIFFITH, M.D., F.L.S., LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. VOL. II. LONDON: HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 1846. PRINTED BY RICHARD AND JOHN E. TAYLOR, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET....

It appears singular to us at present that it should have been once considered unlawful to receive interest for lent money; but this circumstance will excite no wonder when the reason of it is fully explained. The different occupations by which one can maintain a family without robbery and without war, were at early periods neither so numerous nor so productive as in modern times; those who borrowed money required it only for immediate use, to relieve their necessities or to procure the convenien

Text uses both “Duhamel” and “Du Hamel”; both retained. Frontispiece : The artist’s initials actually were “J. J.” Page 19 : “give then in return” was printed that way. Footnote 67 , referenced on page 26 : contains an extra closing quotation mark or is missing an opening one. Page 35 : “ βοτρυίτις ” is a typographical error for “ βοτρυΐτις ”. Footnote 119 , referenced on page 50 : “Greek names” was misprinted as “games”; changed here. Page 57 : “interpretators” was printed that way. Page 196 :