finifliL'd, otiiervvife ii will afT. redly crack in every one of
ihofe places where y u relumed youx work. Therefore
go on without interruption, till the whole wall is entirely
covered with it, and totally poiifhed — And when dry^
lay the abovementioned coat of ficcative- colours, acd
proceed according to the other directions.
CXIV. Dire^ions for painting in oil on njuood.
Lay firfl one coat of fize on the wood ; then another
of whitening dilated wih fize ; then another again of
boiling oil, as nier-tioiied in the ab've Art. cxi. When
this laft is thoroughly dry, yoa draw your defign, and
peint as ufuah
CXV". Direcli'^ns for painting in oil on canvaf,,
1. Chufe a fine and fmootl) tick or cloth, which nail
on a frame. Pafs over it h.rt a coat of fize, aiid when
dry,^rubit over w;ch a pounce ftone to eat off all the
knobs and knots. The ii-se which you put firll on the
clotii is intended t) lay down all the threads, and fill
up all the fmali holes, thac the colour may not paf*
through.
2. When the cloth is dry, lay on a coat of fimple
colo:ir, which may not dtftroy the othe. s ; for example,
brown-red, which is a natural ca th, full of fubft-.nce,
and lalling. You jnay tuix ir, if you like, with a little
white lead, it will dry the fooner. — To grind this co-
lour,
SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 141
loar, they ufe nut, or lintfeed oil j and in order to lay it
as thin as it is poilible, they ufe a large knife made on
purpof'.
3. When this colour is dry, you are to rub it again
with the pounce l^one, to render it fmoocher. Then lay
another coat of white lead and charcoal black, to render
the ground gre;ifh. In this as wdl as in the preceding
coats, you mull iake care to put as little colour as you
poffibly can, to prevent the cloth from cracking, and far
the better prefervation of the colours which are tn be laid
afterwards in painting. For it is proper t > obferve, that
could there be no ground at all laid on the canvafs of a
piflaire, previous to the paintii.g of it^ and ihould one
paint directly on th= bare clo h, with )ut any other pre-
paration at all, the colours would appear much more to
their advantage, and preferve their brighcnefs much longer.
A proof of this afleition may be f»»und in the pradice of
Paul Veronefe^ and Titian, who ufed to impregnate their
canvafs with water colours only, and paint afterwards in
oil over that ground. This cuftom of theirs has not a
liule contributed to render their pieces more lively and
bright, becaufc the ground in water colour draws and
foaks the oil off the colours, which muft render th.-m much
finer, fince the greateft caufe of their dulnefs arifes from
nothing but the o;I with which they are diluted.
4. T hey therefore, who wilh to fee their works keep
bright and lively, u e as licile oil as pofTible, and keep
their colours more ft.ff, mixing a little oil of fpike
amongft them, which indeed vaporifes very foon, but
aflifts in rendering them more fluid and trac^abls in
working.
5. Another caufe of the colours not i^eeping a long
while their beauty, is when ihey are too much tormented
on the pal'ef, as it cfcen happens that pointers confufc
them in working. Wherievcr this is the cafe, they muft
reeds be hurt, hs there are many which adulterate, and
otherwife coirupt the others, ard fpoil the vivacity of
their teint. Therefore, vve cannot rec-mmend too much
to be cautious and clean in employing them, taking caie
to
14* "SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES.
to lay them as diftinft and feparatc as poffible, each by
thcmfelvcs, on the pallet, without mixing them too
much with the brufh or pencil. Never mingle together
thofe colours which are enemies to each other, as all the
blacks are, particularly the lamp-black ; but as much as
pofTible, try to ufe them feparately by themfclvcs. Nay,
when there is an occafion of giving more flrength to fome
parts of a picture, ftay till it is dry before you touch it up
again, if thofe colours are obnoxious to the others with
which you are to do it. There he fliows his judgment in
painting, who is not precipitate in laying his colours on
his pictures, but lays them thick enough, and covers at
feveral times the carnations, which in terms of art is
called empater.
6. As to what concerns the firft laying of grounds on
canvafs, in water colours, it is a method not commonly
praOifed, becaufe they may fcale, and cannot be rolled
without fome difficulty. For this reafon, the cuftom pre-
vails of grounding the canvafs with oil colours. But
when the canvafs is good and very fine, the lefs colour
you can lay on for thai purpofe, the better. Take care
only thofe colours and oils are good. — The lead which
fome painters ufe to help their colours to dry the fooner,
foon deHroys their brightnefs and beauty.
CXVI. Which colours are u/edfor the ahcve purpofe,
1. Though all the different forts of colours which are
ufed in painting in oil are not fit for that called frefcot
yet it is true, however, that (except lime and marble
duft, which indeed cannot ftriftly be called colours) every
one of thofe ufed in frefco are good in oil.
2, While lead; is made with lead which you bury.
Several years after, this leid turns in:o fome forts of
flakes, which are of a very fine white. — Tnough this
white exifts in painting, and is in pofitive ufe, it has
always, however, a vtry b^d quality, which the oil cor-
rects a little, when you grird it on the ftone.
3. Cerufe, or flakt white ; is a fort of riift gathered
from Uad, but of a coarfer nature than the othei .
4. Maflicot }
SECRETS IN ARTS AN» TRADES. J45
4. Maflicot ; there are two forts of this colour. The
one is yellow, and the other is white. It is made with
calcined lead.
5. Orpine, otherwife auripigment. Is ufed calcined
and non- calcined. — To calcine it, they put it in an iron
box, or in a pot well flopped. But few either calcine it,
or even ufe it at all, as the fumes are mortal, and it is
very dangerous to ufe it.
6. Black lead comes from lead mines. They make
very little ufe of it, becaufe it is a bad colour of itfelf,
befides that, it is a great enemy to the others.
7. Cinnabar, or vermilion, is drawn from the mines
where they gather quickfilvcr. As it is a mineral, it is
the reafon why it does not refill the imprcllion of the air,
nor the injuries of the weather.
8. Lake. This colour, which is an artificial made
one, is compofed with cochineal, or with fcarlet flocks;
or again, Br^fil wood, and feme other forts of woods.
There are feveral forts of lake made. It does not Hand
the weather.
9. Blue verditure and green verditure is very feldom
ufed in any other works but lardfcapes.
10. Indigo. This colour is generally ufed for making
fkies, or draperies ; when properly ufed, it keeps its
beauty a great while. You niuft not mix it with too
great a quantity of oil, but lay it a little thick and dark,
becaufe it difchargcs very much. They ule it with great
fuccefs, diluted with gum water. It is a good colour for
the compofition of greens.
11. Brown-pink, otherwife called Jiil-de-grain. This
colour is*drawn from what is called French berries, which
they foak and boil, then mix the refult wi'h vine-wood
afhes, or calcined white chalk, to give it a proper con-
fiftence. When this is done, it muft be ftrained through
a \^xy fine cloth.
12. Lamp-black. This is a bad colour, but handy to
paint black draperies.
13. Ivory black. This black is made indifferently
with common bones, as well as ivory burnt, Jppejles
difcovered
144- SECI^ETS IN ARTS AND TRADES.
^ifeovered this f rt of black, if we believe Pliny, Book
sxxv. Chap. V.
14. Vtrdtgreafe is the mofl: perniciou? of all the co-
lours, and capable to ruin a whole pifture, if there
were never fo Irtle in the colour with which the canvafs
is firft impregnated. It is however of a very agreeable
look. They fomttimes calcine it to prevent its malig-
nant effdft; but it is as dangerous to ufe it that way as
orpine; and it is an undoubted truth that, hnvever well
prepared ;t may be, it muft be employed by itfelf, for it
would fpoil all the colours with which it may be mixed.
It dries, very much, and for ihat purpofe they mix a little
of it with the blacks, which can never dry without fome
afiifiance.
N. B, You muft be very careful never to ufe, for other
colours, the pencils with which you fhall have laid any
verdigreafe.
15. There are again fome other forts of compound co-
Jours, which are never ufed but in oil.
CXVII. Which oils are nfed in painting,
1. The beft oils which are ufed in painting fre the fe of
rut and lintfeed. To render the Ci lours rncre fluid, and
fpread more er^fily onder the pencil, they ufe alfo oil of
fpike. This oil ?bforbs itfelf in the canvafs, and leaves
the colours without any glofs. It is made with the
flow ers of 2 plant called fpikenard or lavender fpike.
2. There is another oil drawn from Meiezian-rofln,
firf, l^c. wherefore it is called oil of turpentiiji^. This
oil is very good for touching up piflures ; but it is chiefly
good for mixing with ultramarine, and the different forts
of fmalts, becaufe it ferves to m^ke them fpread with
more facility, and evaporates almcft immediately. When
you make ufe of this oil, the lefs ilere is of any other
oil in the colour the better, as they all ftrve only to make
it turn yellow.
3. There are ether oils again which are denrminated
ficcative oils, becaufe they ferve to dry up the ethers
the fconer. Thefe are many in number and fpecies.
One fort is noihing but the oil of nut, toiled with gold
litliarge
SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. I45
litharge and a whole onion peeled, which is taken off
afcer boilmg ; tliis oni^n ferving only to exficcate the
greafy parts of the oil, and to clarify it. Another foi'-t is
made with azure in powder, or fmalt, bi»i:ed in oil of
nut. When the whole lias boiled, you muft let it fettle,
ad then fkim off the top. It is fittell for diluting the
white, and luch of the oiher colours as you want to pre*
ierve purefl and neateft.
CXVIII. 71? takepj'itiftantly a copy from a prints or apiiliire^
Make a water of foap and alom, with which wet a
cloth or a paper ; lay either on a print or pidure, and
pafs it once under the rolling-prefs ; then going round
the other fide to take it up, you will have a "^^'^ fine copy
Qi whatever you fliall have laid it upon.
CXIX. DireSliom for making the Spanljh carnation*
Take baftard fafFron ; waih, dry, and grind it well.
While you grind it, put in four ou^^ces of pearl afhes
to every one pound of fafFron. Incorporate them well,
both together, and throw it into a double cloth jelly-bag.
Then fet half a pint of Spanilh lemon juice on the firc^
and when juft lukewarm, p-^ur it on the faffron in the
big, and lay under it what y< u want to dye — The flifF
which is to be dyed ought previoufly lo have been boiled
in alum-wa;er, then linfed and wiped between two
cloths, as a preparatory procefs to make it take the dye
better.
CXX. To make the Spanijh ladies rouge.
Vermilion, carefully laid on a iheet cf paper, from
which, by means of wetting the tip of your finger wiih
your fpittle, then take it off, at will, and rub your
cheeks, lips, &c. The method of making it is as follows.
1. Take good fcarlet flocks and fpirit of wine, or in
their Head, lenon juice. Boil the whole in an earthen
pet, well glazed and well flopped, till the Ipirit of wine,
or lemon juice, has charged itielf with all the colour of
the fcarlet flocks. Strain this dye through a cloth, and
H wring
146 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES.
Wiing it hard to exprefs well all the colour out. Boil it
afterwards with a little arabic water, till the colour
â– becomes very deep.
2. On half a pound of fcarlet flocks you muft put four
ounces of fpi; it of wine, and a fufEcient quantity of water,
to foak well the flocks. Then in the colour you extradt
from it, put the bt.ik of a filbert of gum arabic, and bf il
the whole in a filver poringer. When this is ready, as
we faid before; proceed as follows.
3. Steep fome cotton in the colour, and wet fomc
iheetsof paper witk it; then let tntm dry in the fhade.
Repeat this wet'ii g, drying of the fame ftieets over again,
many times, till you find they are charged with rouge to
your fatisfadion.
CXXI. J file lake, make lu'ith JhelUac,
T. Boil and ficini well, fixteen pounds of chamber lye;
then put in one pound of line fhell-lac, with five ounces
of roch alum, in powder. Eoil alrogether, till you fte
the chamber- lye is well charged with the colour, which
you may ealily kno\v by fieeping a bit of white rag in it;
then take it out again to fee whether or not the colour
pleafe you ; and it u do not, let it boil longer, repeating
the fame trial, till you are perfedlly iacisfied.
2. Throw now the liquor in a flannel bag ; and with-
-out fufFering what runs into the pan wnder t^fettle, repour
it into the bag lb many ti-r-es, all the liquor runs at laft
quite c'ear, and not tinged. Then with a wooden fpa-
tuh, take ofi" the lake, which is in form of curd; form
it inio fmal! cakes, or balls, and dry them in a Ihads on
jiCW tiles ; then keep th'jm for ufe.
CXXII. DireBions to make cinnabar y or ^vermilion:
1, Put mercury (or quickfilver) in a glazed difh. Set
it on a iand-bath, and let it be well furrounded with the
fand every way. Poar fon^e melted brimllone over it;
and with an iron fpatula, keep conftantly ftirring, till the
whole is converted in^o a black powder.
2. With this powder, fill the quarter part of a retort
with a Ihort and wide neck. Place it firft on a fire of
cinders.
SECRETS IN AR.TS ANi3 TRADES. I47
cinders. Incresfe the fire bv degrees, and cmJinue it for
ten liours ; afier which nuke a blalli'^g one for tvvel-c
hours.
3. Obfervatii^ns. — By the fi:fl fire, there will arife a
black fume. — By the fecond, a yellow. — And by the laft
a red ; which {tgnifie? ths perfect accomplirhment of the
cinnabar. — As fcon as this is the caD, le: the veflel coo!,
and you will find in the receiver, and in the neck of the
retort, a very fine cinnabar.
N. B. Many, inftead of a g!afs retort, ufo earthen, or
flune, which all equally bear the fire. Make a flow fire,
fv)r about half an hour, then increafe it till the red fumes
arife. Both methods anfwer the fame purpofe.
CXXIII. Anoiher method of making cinnabar,
1. Melt brimflone in a pipkin over a fl.;w fire, then
take it out, and with one hand fqueeze a knot of mercury ,
between your fingers* through a cloth into the melted ful-
phur ; and with i he other, flir well till the lamp is become
ouite cold and black.
2. Put this into a fubtile powder, with which having
filled the fourth pare of a very long retorr, lute it well,
and very exadly, with a good lute. Place it next with-
out a receiver, for two or three hours, on a very mild fire ;
then introduce into the retort a long funnel which will
reach to the bottom ofihe retort, through that funnel pafs
a long fpatula, which touching alio the bottom of the re-
tort, fhould come out of the funnel five or fix inches. In
the middle of the fpntula let there be a bung of luce round
it, well d ied, which will flop fo well th3 reiort as to pre-
â– vent it from breathing any air. When all this is done, pufli
on the fire to a pretty fmart degree, and keep it for five
hours.
3. At the end cf this term, draw out the fpatula, and
introduce, through the fame way that it came out, two
fpoonfuis, or thereabout?, of your prepared powder of
brimllone and quickfilver, wiih which you intend to
make cinnabar, which for that purpofe, have kept warm
in a vefTel by the corner of the hie, that it may not cool
the retort in going in, and thereby retard the operation.
Hz 4. Continue
148 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES.
4. Continue fo to do, adding every hour new matter,
by meansof the drawing out the fpatuia to introduce the
new powder, and replacing it quickly, till you have in-
crearedy<'ur lump of cinnabar to the quantity of one hun-
dred weight. — The fpatula's ufe in the neck of the retort
is to prevent its filling iifelt up by the fublimation of the
matter, which would occafion two evils, that of breaking
of the retort, and of preventing the intioduciion of new
powder to increafe the lump of cinnabar= So that at the
fame time it keeps a free pafl'age into the retort, it never-
thelefs ftops it too, by means of the ball of lute which is
round it — But in the laft place, in <.rder there fhould re-
main no vacancy in the middle of the cinnabar-lump, take
off the fpatuia for the laft time, and injed: frefli powder;
then, without j-eintroducing, -the fpatuia. Hop the retort
with a lump of lute only — Thus the longer you keep the
fii e up, the harder arid redder the lamp of cinnabar be-
comes.
5. Obfervations.— This cinnabar is the very fame
which empyrics ufe in fumigation, along with aloes
wood, myrrh and other aromatics, to excite the mouth,
or belly, flux, vviich they reiterate two or three times,
or t.ll tiiat flux is abundant enough to procure the cure of
iJie vef'Cieal diforder — It is the fame a!fo which painters
make ufe of; and which enters into the compolition cf
fealing wax.
Some alchymifts maintain, tliey can with tiie natural
orfiditious cinnabar we havejift raei;tioried,rcfolve irre-
diidllbiy either gold or fi'ver ; ! ecaufe they are of opinion,
that rhefe metals have fprung ffom it in the entrails of the
earth. But it is proper lo tell hem here, that they would
ro perhaps commit fo grcf^s an error, if they attenipted
this p'ocefs with the cinnabar, which the philolopher
endeavours to draw from quick gold and filver, and
which are known to him aloLe. To which refleftion I
ihali aJf!, that h« to whom quick gold and fil er are
known csn do with them alfo every thing as with t'e
metals; but^as the olci facing is, Non iieet omnibus adire
Choriniam,
CXXIV. Jm
SECRETS IN ARTS AN© TRADE'S. 14:9
GXXIV. An azurt as fine as, and whicb looks femllar to»
uUramarine*
Grind well together in'o powder three ounces of am"
moniac fait, and fix of verdigreafe. Then wet it in con*
tinuing to gfind it witii oil of tartar, till you have made
it pretty fluid. Puc this into a glafs matrafs, and bury it
iive days in hot dung. Ar the end of th it term you will
find your compofition turned into a fine azure.
CXXV. Thefame^ as praElifed in Germany,
1. DIftil in an ale iibic, one pound of vitriol, half a
pound Oi nitre, and three ounces of cinnabar. In this
Witer put tiiifel or copper ; they will diflblve. When the
diflblution fhall be perfected, add a I'ufficient q laotity of
calcined pewter to render your liquiJ quite m;lk wUire.
Let the whole reft for three days, and then you will have
a midd ing azure.
2. The liquor which (IMIs from the vitriol, cinnabai
and nitre, has the power to difTolve any f->rt of nnttal
whatever, — It has a^iain this additional virtue, that if y 'u
rub the 'orchead of a horfe with it, the hair will inllantiy
turn, and remain white at that place.
CXXV I. Another
Diflblve in one pownd of the ftrongeft double difiilled
wine \inegar, two ounces of ammoniac i'^k in powder, one
of copper filings, andone pound of the whjteit egg fhell
calx. Put this compofition imo a copper veffe! well ftop-
ped. ihat nothing can p.fiibly exhale fr.'m i; Place
this for one month in hot lioife dung, and at ihe end of
that term you will find a very fins azure.
CXXVII. Another.
Take vitriol calcined to fednels, one ^^n fuii^bur n;i-
vum, 'W); and qnickfilver, thre. Mix well ail into
on«i p wder, which put into a glais retort, and bury it
o- er u! hot horfe dung or forty days; fter wh ch term
the c n^pjfitiori will be turned into a very fine azure.
H3 § IX.
150 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES.
§ IX. Preparation of the lapis lazuli to mah
ultr'amarine,
CXXVIII. ly?. The general matiipulaivm of the njohole pro'
4efi : each Jingle part of^which JJjall be treated of in pay
l2.ular aftsfwards.
^.Take one pound, or whatever quantity yen pleafe,
C){ lapis lazuli. Let your ftones be well ch' f^n, and of
that fort which are iti eaky wich gold. Try their quality
whether good or bad, which h done thus. Br ak one bit
cf it, Ui it on red-hnt coals, and blow as hard as you can.
for an hour, then take it cfFand let it cool. If in touch-
ing it, it drop like ir.old or duil, it is a fjgn it is not
worth any thing ; biU if it remnins hard and preferves its
colour, it is good. Wiicn you have thus made yourftlf
fure cf the quality of the ftonc, break it all in fmall knob?,
put them in a crucible ou a melting fire, which by
ilrength of bellcAS you pulh on for an hour and a quar-
ter. Then throw the m into the flrongeft double dilHUed
wine vinegar. When tney are thus extinguifhed, take
ihera out to dry, and prepare the following water.
2. Boil a little raw white honey "wih two pints of wa-
ter in a glazed pipkin. Skinr> it To long as there comes
2ny fcum on it; then take it olF to cool; and, when
cold, diffolve in it the bignefs of a nut of the bed dra-
gon's blood reduced into a fubtiie powder. Run this
diilblution through a white cloth into a glazed eaithen
pot. Obferve to make your water (with that dragon'a
blood) neither too red, nor too clear, but to keep a jull
iTiediurr. between both, that the azure may take a finer
hue. — With this Iquor grind, for the fpace of an hour
and a half, the abovementioned lapis lazuli, then gather
it into a large glazed vefftl, let it d;y in the fliade, but
guard off the fun, ocherwife it will undoubtedly lofe its
colour. When it is perfefliy dry, grind it a-new into a
very fine powder, then pack and, keep it tied very clcfcly
5n fine white linen. Then proceed to the following paf^e.
3. Tf.ke two ounces of the bell: white rofin, an equal
quantity of Greek pitch, and the fame quantity again of
mallich.
SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. I5r
jnaftich, lintfeed oil, turpentine, and virgin wax. Pow-
der what is po.wderable, and c :t Imall what is not. Put
all into a new glazed pipkin, and boil it to perfe£\ion ;
which you know by le t ng a drop fall into cold water
and taking it out with your fingers. For it" it do noc
ftick to your fingers, it is done to perfe
it is nor.— When, therefore, it is done to perfedion, run
it quite hot through a (heer cloth into a pan of cold water,
wherein leave it till perfectly hard : then take it out and
let h dry. When you want to incorporate it with the
powder, proceed as follows.
4. Cut this parte into final! bits, and put it to m6U
over the fire in' a well tinned faucepan. W^hen the con-
tents come to jT.ake a noife, throw in two ounces of oil
of bitter aloionds, and let it boil for about ten minutes.
In the mean while have your /apis lazuli powder ready in
a velFel, then pour over it L^ently, and little at a time,
what is boiling in the pipkin, obferving to ftir carefully
while you pour, in order to incorporate well this liqjid
\^'Uii the powder, wmch onng core le: tne whole cool."
Then, having rirbbed your hands with oil of olive, take
this compofiLiort and work it well in order to incorpcraie
all perfedly I and, afer having given it the form of a
loaf, put It in a glazed velTel to keep it for ufe.
5. When yon want to draw the azure from it (which
muil not be jefs than twelve days after this lall e;peration,
and it has laid in this glazed vefTel) begin fitft by making
a ftrong lye v/uh vine wood athe^, which you fliairi
through a flannel bag, to get it very clear. Then, put-
ting ic in a copp-r boiler, on the lire, till ir is fo hot dS
not to be able to keep the hand in without fcalding, you
pour fome of it on what quantity of tlie abov'e palte you
pleafe, to extrai^l the aznre from, and ftir it gt ntly till it
begins to come out. When, by thus ftirring your palie
in th:s lye this laft is become well charged with the colour,
decant it out with another gh;zed veiTel, vf which forts
of vtflels, you mull have a go kI provi!i;>n ready. Thea
pour again fome more warm lye on your pafte, and work
it the fime as before, till this new lye fe-ms fufiiciently
chatg d with taint and decant it out again into another
well glaz.d velfel. Pour new warm lye a^ain on your
H 4 pafte.
152 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES.
paHe, and proceed as before, continuing fo to do tilt the
^^^^pafte gives no more taint to the ]ye,
6. ObCei ve, that when the lapis is good, you lofe but
four ounces of it cut of one pniind^ aud that you extraft
twelve ounces of azure ir; t! e folowi-g proporr on. Five
ounces of very fine ultramarine, by the fii it walhes ; four
middling, cut of the fecond wafhes ; and three bafe ones,