The 1625 reprinting of the 1584 laws and ordinances for mines published here was written under the direction of Juan de Onate, one of the earliest writers on metallurgy and mining in the New World. He was the first person, who lived in what today is the United States, to write on these subjects. It is hoped that this book will help promote recognition of Juan de Onate's contributions to mining history, and stimulate further research to locate additional works by Onate in the archives of Mexico and Spain. In English and Spanish."