The art of goldbeating is of great antiquity, being referred to by Homer; and Pliny states that one ounce of gold was extended to 750 leaves, each leaf being four fingers square, which is three times the thickness of the ordinary leaf gold of the present time.
Embrace me, / My sweet embraceable you. / Embrace me, / You irreplaceable you. / Just one look at you - my heart grew tipsy in me. / You and you alone bring out the gypsy in me.
No Wit to flatter, left of all his ſtore! / No Fool to laugh at, which he valued more. / There, victor of his health, of fortune, friends, / And fame, this lord of uſeleſs, thouſands ends.
(a) all irredundant bases have the same size;
(b) the irredundant bases are invariant under re-ordering;
(c) the irredundant bases are the bases of a matroid.
