of
metallurgy, which includes many different species, for there are various
sorts of things dug out of the earth.

These we have now mentioned in general, but to enter into particulars
concerning each of them, though it might be useful to the artist, would
be tiresome to dwell on. Now of all the works of art, those are the most
excellent wherein chance has the least to do, and those are the meanest
which deprave the body, those the most servile in which bodily strength
alone is chiefly wanted, those most illiberal which require least skill;
but as there are books written on these subjects by some persons, as
by Chares the Panian, and Apollodorus the Lemnian, upon husbandry and
planting; and by others on other matters, [1259b] let those who have
occasion consult them thereon; besides, every person should collect
together whatsoever he hears occasionally mentioned, by means of which
many of those who aimed at making a fortune have succeeded in their
intentions; for all these are useful to those who make a point of
getting money, as in the contrivance of Thales the Milesian (which was
certainly a gainful one, but as it was his it was attributed to
his wisdom, though the method he used was a general one, and would
universally succeed), when they reviled him for his poverty, as if the
study of philosophy was useless: for they say that he, perceiving by his
skill in astrology that there would be great plenty of olives that year,
while it was yet winter, having got a little money, he gave earnest for
all the oil works that were in Miletus and Chios, which he hired at a
low price, there being no one to bid against him; but when the season
came for making oil, many persons wanting them, he all at once let them
upon what terms he pleased; and raising a large sum of money by that
means, convinced them that it was easy for philosophers to be rich if
they chose it, but that that was not what they aimed at; in this manner
is Thales said to have shown his wisdom. It indeed is, as we have
said, generally gainful for a person to contrive to make a monopoly of
anything; for which reason some cities also take this method when they
want money, and monopolise their commodities. There was a certain person
in Sicily who laid out a sum of money which was deposited in his hand in
buying up all the iron from the iron merchants; so that when the dealers
came from the markets to purchase, there was no one had any to sell but
himself; and though h