Emblems of metalworking: furnace, touchstone, casting
Assaying and casting turned into moral devices
The final page of this sequence gathers emblems drawn from metalworking. A furnace and bellows teach that fine gold is proved in the assay, a touchstone gives the terse motto 'at the touchstone', and instruments for pouring molten metal warn that 'the cast will be such as the mould is.' All are drawn in faint red chalk, inverted relative to the notebook.
On this page
Furnace and bellows: the assay of gold
A furnace with bellows illustrates the motto 'In the assay the fine gold is known.'
The touchstone
A touchstone carries the terse motto 'At the touchstone.'
Instruments for pouring molten metal
Implements for pouring molten metal accompany the motto 'The cast will be such as the mould is.'