the act of refining gold or silver by means of a cupel. For this purpose another vessel, called a muffle, is made use of, within which one or more cupels are placed. The muffle is placed upon a grate in a proper furnace, with its mouth facing the door, and as close to it as may be. The furnace being filled up with fuel, some lighted charcoal is thrown on the top, and what fuel is afterwards necessary is supplied through a door above. The cupels are set in the muffle; and being gradually heated by the successive kindling of the fuel, they are kept red hot for some time, that the moisture which they strongly retain may be completely dissipated: for if any vapours should issue from them after the metal is put in, they would occasion it to sputter, and a part of it to be thrown off in little drops. In the sides of the muffle are some perpendicular slits, with a knob over the top of each, to prevent any small pieces of coals or ashes from falling in. The door, or some apertures made in it, being kept open, for the inspection of the cupels, fresh air enters into the muffle, and passes off through these slits: by laying some burning charcoal on an iron plate before the door, the air is heated before its admission; and by removing the charcoal or supplying more, the heat in the cavity of the muffle may be somewhat diminished or increased more speedily than can be effected by suppressing or exciting the fire in the furnace on the outside of the muffle. The renewal of the air is also necessary for promoting the scorification of the lead.

The cupel being of a full red heat, the lead cast into a smooth bullet, that it may not scratch or injure the surface, is laid lightly in the cavity; it immediately melts; and then the gold or silver to be cupelled is cautiously introduced either by means of a small iron ladle, or by wrapping them in paper, and dropping them on the lead with a pair of tongs. The quantity of lead should be at least three or four times that of the fine metal; but when gold is very impure, it requires 10 or 12 times its quantity of lead for cupellation. It is reckoned that copper requires for its scorification about 10 times its weight of lead: that when copper and gold are mixed in equal quantities, the copper is so much defended by the gold, as not to be separable with less than 20 times its weight of lead; and that when copper is in very small proportion, as a 20th or 30th part of the gold or silver, upwards of 60 parts of lead are necessary for one of the copper. The cupel must always weigh at least half as much as the lead and copper; for otherwise it would not be sufficient for receiving half the scoria; there is little danger, however, of cupels being made too small for the quantity of a gold alloy.

The mixture being brought into thin fusion, the heat is to be regulated according to the appearances; and in this consists the principal nicety in the operation. If a various coloured skin rises to the top, which liquefying, runs off to the sides, and is there absorbed by the cupel, visibly staining the parts it enters; if a fresh scoria continually succeeds, and is absorbed nearly as fast as it is formed, only a fine circle of it remaining round the edge of the metal; if the lead appears in gentle motion, and throws up a fume a little way from the surface; the fire is of the proper degree, and the process goes on successfully.

Such a fiery brightness of the cupel as prevents its colour from being distinguished, and the fumes of the lead rising up almost to the arch of the muffle, are marks of too strong a heat; though it must be observed, that the elevation of the fumes is not always in proportion to the degree of heat; for if the heat greatly exceeds the due limits, both the fumes and ebullition will entirely cease. In these circumstances the fire must necessarily be diminished: for while the lead boils and smokes vehemently, its fumes are apt to carry off some part of the gold; the cupel is liable to crack from the hasty absorption of the scoria, and part of the gold and silver is divided into globules, which lying discontinued on the cupel after the process is finished, cannot easily be collected; if there is no ebullition or fumes, the scorification does not appear to go on. Too weak a heat is known by the dull redness of the cupel; by the fume not rising from the surface of the lead; and the scoria like bright drops in languid motion, or accumulated, or growing confluent all over the metal. The form of the surface affords also an useful mark of the degree of heat; the stronger the fire, the more convex is the surface; and the weaker, the more flat: in this point, however, regard must be had to the quantity of metal; a large quantity being always flatter than a small one in an equal fire. CUP

Towards the end of the process, the fire must be increased; for the greatest part of the fusible metal lead being now worked off, the gold and silver will not continue melted in the heat that was sufficient before. As the last remains of the lead are separating, the rainbow colours on the surface become more vivid, and variously interfect one another with quick motions. Soon after, disappearing all at once, a sudden luminous brightness of the button of gold and silver shows the process to be finished. The cupel is then drawn forwards towards the mouth of the muffle; and the button, as soon as grown fully solid, taken out.