them a leafe of gold, with a little white of an egge; put it into a
mussell shell, and let it purifie; then temper it with gumme-water, and
write with it, pollish it.
Or else grinde a leafe of silver, or gold, very small with gumme-water,
and wash it in a mussell shell as aforesaid.
_To temper Azure or Bise._
Take Azure or Bise, and grinde it on a stone with cleane water; then
put it in a broad glasse, or shell, and when it hath stood a while all
the dregs will sleet above, and the cleane colour will fall to the
bottome; then poure out the water with the dregs, and poure the azure
in cleane water againe; then stirre the colour and water together, and
let it stand, and fine, and after that poure out the water, and dregs
againe: do thus till it be well purged; then grinde it againe on a
stone with gumme-water, and put it into a horne, or shell; when you
paint or write, stirre it, and let the sticke drop into the pen, for it
will sinke to the bottome as lead.
_To temper Turnsole._
Take Turnsole, and wet it once or twice in cleare water, and let it lye
till it be well steeped; then wring it into a dish till the colour be
good, and sad; with this you may flourish red letters, or vestures, and
this colour shall be darked, sadded, or renewed with blacke inke.
_To make colouring, called Vernix: to varnish gold,
silver, or any other colour on vellem, paper,
timber, stone, &c._
Take Bengewine, and bray it well betwixt two papers, then put it into a
viol, and poure on it _Aqua vitæ_, that it may stand aboue the
bengewine three or foure fingers, and let it steepe so a day or two;
then put to it for halfe a violl of _Aqua vitæ_ fiue or sixe chieues of
Saffron slenderly stamped; this done, straine it, and with a Pensil
vernish therewith any thing gilded, which will become bright and
shining, drying it selfe immediately, and will continue the brightnesse
many yeares; But if you will varnish on siluer, then take the white
that is found in Bengewine and dresse it with _Aqua vitæ_ as afore,
leauing out the Saffron, and the said vernish made with these onely is
very good to varnish all things as well painted, as not painted: for it
maketh Tables of Walnut tree and Hebene to glister if it bee laid on
them; and all other things, as Iron, Copper, or Tin gilded, or not; it
maketh bright, preserveth and aideth the colour, and dryeth incontinent
without taking dust.
_To make a double size to lay gold or silver on an embossed
ground._
Take Venice Ceruse, white lead, plaister of an old Image, or chalke,
any of these made in fine powder, and ground with the white of an egge,
and a little water: this will make a good bottome to lay silver on. But
when you use any of these to lay under gold, put to it a little
Saffron, put not too much water; mingle it after discretion, and looke
the size be thicke standing: put the size thus tempered, in a horne or
shell in some Celler, or shadowed place, where it may stand moyst seven
dayes, till it be perfect clammy and rotten, and once a day stirre it;
the elder the size is, it is the better. If there stand any bubbles on
the size, put in eare waxe, for that is a remedy thereto, and before
you lay it on your worke, lay the size on a scrow, and dry it, and when
it is dry, bend it, and if it bend and breake not, then it is perfect,
and if it breake, put to it a little water to make it weaker, and proue
if it cleaueth fast to the booke, if not, put glayr thereto, and make
it more stedfast: the like size may you make of Gipsium,
Bolearmoniacke, red or yellow Oker, Orpment or Masticot, with browne of
Spaine, or red lead: if euery of them be ground seuerally, and tempered
as afore.
_Of painting in Oyle._
Here you must provide one thing more then you did before: that is, a
Pallet (so called by Artists) whereupon you must put a small quantitie
of euery such colour you are to use, the forme whereof followeth.
[Illustration: _The Pallet._]
The colours to be used, are altogether such dry substances as I
mentioned formerly: as Oker, Vermilion red lead, Vmber, Spanish browne,
Lam-blacke, Gambugice, Masticot, Orpment, Ceruse, or Spanish white,
blew and greene Bise, Verdigrease, and a multitude of such like, which
may be had at the Rose in _Cornehill, London_.
Your colours must be ground all very finely, and tempered with Linseed
oyle; and to preserve them, put them in little earthen pans, and put
water upon them, and cover them, that the dust come not at them: thus
they may be kept a great while, and from thence you may take them as
your use doth require.
There are divers colours which without the admixture of another colour,
will not be dry a great while; as Lake, Verdigrease, Lam-blacke: with
such you must temper a little Vmber or red lead.
Divers Painters there are, that having haste of worke, doe use to
temper their colour with one part of fatte oyle, and two of common
Linseed oyle, and by this meanes they make the colours dry the sooner:
this fat oyle is onely Linseed oyle exposed to the weather, and so it
becommeth thicker: yea sometimes you shall see it so thicke, that you
may cut it almost like Butter: it may bee made likewise by boyling of
it a little while, but the former is the best. As for the tempering of
your colours, I can prescribe no surer way then experience with
diligent observation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
Of Graving.
It is possible for one to be a good Painter, and yet not to be able to
draw well with the pen, because there is not required in a Painter such
a curious and exact carriage of the hand: but it is impossible for one
ever to Grave or Etch well, except he can draw well with the pen. First
therefore presupposing you can doe the first before you attempt the
second, you must provide divers graving tooles, both long and short:
some for hard worke, some for sweet worke, some for smaller worke, and
some for greater: also a peece of a Beaver hat, and a good oyle stone,
smoothed on one side, and free from pin holes, and plates of Copper or
Brasse exactly polished.
_Of Gravers._
There are two principall sorts of Gravers, the long and the short: the
long are straight, and for to engrave Plates withall, especially the
greater, and these are to be held as the figure following doth
expresse: where you may note that the pummell of the Graver resteth
against the ball of the thumb, and the point is guided with the
forefinger. And there ought to bee a little bagge of sand under your
Plate, to the end that you might turne your plate upon it as your worke
doth require.
[Illustration]
The second sort is a short Graver, and turneth up somewhat at the end,
and that is to engrave Letters and Scutchions in plate seales, and
smaller plates, being fastened in some convenient instrument: this must
be held likewise according unto the expression of the figure following:
where it is to be noted, that the pummell of the Graver is stayed
against the further part of the hand, and is guided by the inward side
of the thumbe. It were needfull that there were a piece of leather like
a Taylors thimble, about the end of the thumbe, waxed or glued, whereby
to guide the Graver more steadily, and stay it upon occasion.
[Illustration]
_How to make Gravers._
Provide some good crosse-bow steele, and cause it to be beaten out into
small rods, and softned: then with a good file you may shape them at
your pleasure: when you have done, heat them red hot, and dip them
straight downe into sope, and by so doing, they will bee hard indeed.
Note that if in the dipping of them into the sope, you turne your hand
never so little awry, the Graver will be crooked. These Gravers made
and hardened after this manner, doe farre exceed all the other Gravers.
If your gravers be too hard, heate them a little, and thrust them into
tallow, and they will be tougher.
The oyle stone is to whet your gravers on; drop one or two drops of
sallet oyle upon it, and whet your graver thereon, and it will have an
edge presently.
_How to smooth and pollish Copper Plates._
Because that in the printing with Copper Plates, the least scratch,
though it be scarce visible, receiveth its impression, and so many
times disgraceth the worke: I have set downe a way to smooth plates for
impression.
First, take a piece of Brasse, or Copper, of what bignesse you intend,
of an indifferent thicknesse, and see as neere as you can, that it bee
free from fire flawes. First beat it as smooth as you can with a
hammer, then rub it smooth with a pumice stone that is void of gravell,
(least it race it, & so cause you as much more labour to get them out)
burnish it after with a burnishing iron, having first dropped a drop or
two of sallet oyle on it: then rub it over with a cole, prepared as is
after taught, and lastly with a peece of beaver hat dipt in sallet
oyle, rub it very well for an houre: thus you may polish it exactly.
_How to prepare your Coales._
Take Beechen charcole, such as when they are broke, doe shine, such as
are void of clifts, and such as breake off even: burne them againe, and
as soone as they are all through on fire, quench them in chamber lye:
after take them out, and put them in faire water, and reserue them for
your use.
Having prepared all things in a readinesse, you must haue a draught of
that you intend to cut or engrave.
Take the plate then, and waxe it lightly ouer, and then either pounce
the picture upon it, or trace it, or by drawing ouer the lines of the
picture with ungummed inke, reprint it upon the Plate: then worke upon
it, obseruing the shadow, so that being printed, it may stand right,
for it will be backward upon your plate: when you haue cut one stroke,
drop a little sallet oyle upon your peece of Bever, and rub over the
said stroke, for by this meanes you shall better see the stroke, and
how to cut the next equall unto it, and so the rest proportionally
distant one from another; but to worke by a Candle, you must place a
glasse of faire water betweene the Candle, and a paper betweene that
and the Plate, (which casteth a true light) or you will never be able
to worke truely and aright.
_Of Etching._
Etching is an imitation of engrauing, but more speedily performed.
Things may be expressed to the life thereby, but not so sweetly as by
the Graver. It is thus performed: the Plate you are to etch upon, must
first exactly be pollished, afterwards ouerlaid but very lightly with a
ground made for the purpose, (of which anon) and thereupon must be
pounced, drawne, or traced, the thing that you are to etch: then the
said ground is to be pierced with diuers stiles of seuerall bignesse
according as the shadowes of the picture doe require: afterwards the
edges of the Plate are to be raised with soft waxe and strong water,
(for so they terme it:) (It is to be had at the signe of the Legge in
_Foster Lane_ a Distiller) is to be put upon it, which in those places
were the strokes, are required to be lightly performed, is to be abated
or alayed with faire water, which hauing dured a while upon the plate,
will eate into it, as it were engraven, then put it into cold water,
and wash it about, and it will leaue eating further, and then take off
the ground and it is done.
_A red ground for Etching._
Take red lead, grinde it very well, and temper it with varnish.
_A white ground._
Take one ounce of Waxe, and two ounces of Rosin, melt them together,
and adde thereto a quarter of an ounce of Venice Ceruse ground fine,
lay it on while it is hot.
_A blacke ground._
Take Asphaltum two parts, Bees waxe one part; melt them together, and
being warme, lay it on very thinly with a fine lawne ragge. If it seeme
somewhat red in any one part, hold it over the smoake of a Linke or
waxe candle, and it will be amended. Note that it is a principall thing
in this Art to lay the ground on aright.
_Another way how to engrave with water._
Take Verdigrease, Mercury sublimated, vitreoll, and allum, a like
quantity, beate all to powder, put them into a glasse, and let it stand
so halfe a day, and stirre it often, then lay on the plate, waxe,
mingled with Linseed oyle, or red lead with Linseed oyle, and write in
it that you meane to grave, then put the water on it, and let it so
remaine halfe a day, if you will have it very deepe, let it lye longer.
If you will engrave Images, &c. lay the waxe on the Iron or Steele,
thin, and draw what you will theron, that it may touch the mettall,
then put the water into the strokes, and it will be engraven.
_How to engrave on a flint stone._
Take a Flint, and write on it what you will, with the fat or tallow of
an Oxe, afterward lay the flint in vineger, foure dayes.
_FINIS._
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
Place this betweene folio 14. and 15.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BOOKE OF
EXTRAVAGANTS:
Wherein amongst others, is principally
contrived divers excellent and approved
Medicines for severall maladies.
By I. B.
[Illustration]
_LONDON._
Printed by _Thomas Harper_, for _Ralph Mab_. 1634.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
To the Reader.
_Courteous Reader, forasmuch as there were divers experiments that I
could not conveniently, or rather my occasions would not permit me to
dispose in such order as I would have done; I thought it would not bee
amisse to call them by the names of Extravagants, and so to set them
downe as I found them, eyther inserted amongst other my notes, as I put
them in practise, or as they came into remembrance._
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_How to make a light burne under the water, being
a very pretty conceypt to take fish._
[Illustration]
Let there be a glasse, as A, having a hole at the bottome, to put a
candle in with a screwed socket. The socket must have a loope at the
bottome, whereunto you must hang a weight of such heavinesse, that it
may draw the body of the glasse under water. The necke of this glasse
must bee open, and stand above the water; also about the necke must bee
fastened a good broad peece of wood; round about which (but on that
side of it that is next unto the water) must be placed divers peeces of
looking glasses; so the light of the candle in the glasse body will bee
multiplied according unto the number of them. All the fishes neere unto
it will resort about it, as amazed at so glorious a sight, and so you
may take them with a cast net or other.
_How to make an image hang in the
middle of a glasse._
Make the lower part of the image of hard wax, and the upper part of
wood, and overlay it with oyle colours; then put it into a globe glasse
filled with fayre water, and which way soever you turne the glasse, the
image will still hang in the middle, and stand as it were upright;
which, to my knowledge, hath been a thing causing no small admiration
among divers that have not understood the cause of it.
_How to make five or six dice of the ordinary bignesse
of dice, such as you may game withall, and
such as would be taken by their lookes to bee
ordinary dice, and yet all of them to
weigh not above one grain._
Take a peece of Elder, and pith it, lay the pith to dry, and then make
thereof with a sharp knife five or six dice, and you shall finde it
true that I haue sayd.
_To lay gold on any thing._
Take red Lead ground first very fine, temper it with linseed oyle:
write with it, and lay leafe gold on it, let it dry, and pollish it.
_To lay gold on glasse._
Grinde Chalk, and red Lead, of each a like quantity, together, temper
them with linseed oyle, lay it on; when it is almost dry, lay your
leafe gold on it, when it is quite dry polish it.
_To make yron as soft as lead._
Take black flints, powder them very finely; then put the powder in an
iron pan, and make it red-hot, then cast it on a marble stone, till it
be almost cold, then make it red-hot againe, and let it coole, and
grinde it so long till it cleave to the stone, and grinde as it were
clay; then put that in a glasse, and set it under the eaves of a house,
where the Sunne commeth not nigh in the day, then the night after take
out the water that you shall finde in the glasse above the powder, then
take that powder and grinde it with the water, and put it in a
stillatory, and let it still out the halfe; afterward poure the water
againe on the sayd powder, and still it againe with a soft fire; then
take and seethe that water till the halfe bee wasted, then take some
iron blade that is new broke, and put it together, and hold it so a
little while; then take of the water which was sod to the half, and
with a feather lay it first to the one side of the blade, and when the
water is cold, lay it on the other side, and it will soder fast with
this water; and with this water you may make steele as soft as lead. It
is likewise a soveralgne water to help the gout, being anoynted where
the griefe is, for it giveth ease very speedily.
_To colour tin, or copper, &c. of a
golden colour._
Take linseed oyle, set it on the fire, scum it cleane, then put therein
of amber, and aloe hepaticum, a like quantity, then beat and stir all
well together with the oyle till it wax thick; then take it off, and
cover it close, and set it in the earth three dayes: when you would use
it, strike your metall all ouer therewith, and so let it dry, and it
will be of a golden colour.
_To gild iron with a water._
Take running water 3 pound, rochallum 3 pound, and Roman vitreoll one
ounce, of vardigrease one penny waight, saltgem three ounces, orpment
one ounce, boyle all these together, and when it begins to boyle, put
in lees of tartar and bay salt, of each halfe an ounce; make it seethe,
and being sod a pretty while, take it from the fire, and strike the
iron over therewith, then let it dry against the fire, and then burnish
it.
_To soder on iron._
Set your joynt of iron as close as you can, then lay them so in a
glowing fire; then take of Venice glasse in fine powder, and the iron
being red-hot, cast the powder thereon, and it shall soder of it selfe.
If you clap it in clay, it will be the surer way.
_To gild on iron or steele._
Take one ounce of argall, three drammes of vermileon, and two drams of
bol armeniack, with as much aqua vitæ, then work and grinde them all
together on a stone, with linseed oyle; having so done, put thereto
lapis calaminaris as big as a hazell nut, and grinde therewith in the
end three or foure drops of varnish; take it off the stone, and strain
it through a linnen cloth into a stone pot, (for it must bee as thick
as hony) then strike over your iron therewith, and let it dry, and then
lay your gold or silver on, as you would do upon the varnish.
_A varnish like gold, for tin, silver,
or copper._
Take small pots well leaded, then put therein six ounces of linseed
oyle, one ounce of mastick, one ounce of aloes epaticum; make them
altogether in fine powder, and then put it into your sayd pot, and
cover it with such another; yet in the bottom of the uppermost pot make
a small hole, wherein put a small stick with a broad end beneath to
stir the other pot withall, and when the pots are set just together,
close them all about with good clay, and couer them all over also,
leaving the hole open above to stir the other pot with the stick; set
it over the fire, and stir it as often as it seetheth, and when you
will gild, pollish your metall over first, and then strike this over
the metall, and let it dry in the Sunne.
_To lay Gold on Iron, or other mettall._
Take liquid Varnish l.1. Turpentine, & oyle of Lynseed, of each an
ounce: mixe them all together: with this ground you may gild on any
mettall, first striking it upon the mettall, and afterward lay on the
gold or silver. When it is dry, polish it.
_To make Ice that will melt in fire, but not dissolve
in Water._
Take strong water made with saltpeter, allum, and oyle of tartar, of
each, one pound. Infuse them together, then put into them a little
_aqua ardens_, and it will presently coagulate them, and turne them
into ice.
_A cement as hard as stone._
Take powder of Loadstone, and of flints, a like quantity of either, and
with whites of egges, and gumme dragant, make paste, and in a few dayes
it will grow as hard as a stone.
_To make Paper waved like unto marble._
Take divers oyled colours, put them severally in drops upon water, and
stirre the water lightly, and then wet the paper (being of some
thicknesse) with it, and it will be waved like a marble: dry them in
the Sun.
_To make Copper or Brasse have the colour of silver._
Take _Sal Armoniacke_, allum, and salt, of each a like quantity, and
with a little filings of silver, let all be mixt together, then put
them into the fire, that they may be hot, and when they shall cease to
smoke, then with the same powder moystned with spittle, rub your Copper
or Brasse.
_How to make glew to hold things together as fast
as stone._
Take of the powder of tile sheard, two pound, unflakt lyme, foure
pound, oyle of Lynseed, a sufficient quantity to temper the whole
mixure; this is marvellous strong.
_To make a thinne glew._
Take _gluten piscis_, beate the same strongly on an Anvill, till it be
thin; after lay it to soke in water, untill it be come very soft and
tender: then worke it like paste, to make small rowles thereof, which
draw out very thinne, and when you will worke with it, put some of it
into an earthen pot, with a little water, over the embers, and skim the
same very cleane, and let it seeth a little while, then worke with the
same: keeping it still over the fire. With this glew you may fasten
peeces of glasse together.
_To make Iron have the colour of Brasse._
First, polish it well, rub it after with _aqua fortis_, wherein the
filings of brasse are dissolved: the like may bee done with Roman
vitrioll dissolved in vineger and faire water, of each a like quantity.
_To make wood or bone red for ever._
Take the powder of Brazill, mingle it well with milke, but so, that it
be very red, and put therein, either wood or bone, letting it lye in
eight dayes, and it will looke red for ever.
_How with one Candle to make as great a light, as otherwise
of two or three of the same bignesse._
Cause a round and double glasse to be made, of a large size, and in
fashion like a globe, but with a great round hole in the top, and in
the concave part of the uppermost glasse, place a candle in a loose
socket, and at the same hole or pipe which must be made at the side
thereof, fill the same with spirit of wine, or some other cleere
distilled water that will not putrifie, and this one candle will give a
great and wonderfull light, somewhat resembling the sunne beames.
_A Cement for broken Glasses._
Beate the whitest Fish glew with a hammer, till it begin to waxe
cleere, then cut the same into very small pieces, suffering the same to
dissolve on a gentle fire, in a leaded pan, with a few drops of _aqua
vitæ_, then let some other that standeth by, hold both the pieces that
are to bee cemented, over a chafingdish of coles, till they be warme:
and during their heat, lay on the dissolved glew with a fine pensill;
then binde the glasse with wyre or threed, and let it rest till it be
cold.
_An admirable secret of representing the very forme
of Plants, by their ashes, philosophically prepared, spoken
of by _Quertitanus_ and _Angelus salæ_._
Take saith hee, the salt both the fixed and the volatill also. Take the
very spirit, and the phlegme of any herbs, but let them all be rightly
prepared; dissolve them, and coagulate them, upon which if you put the
water stilled from May dew, or else the proper water of the herbe you
would have appear, close them all very well in a glasse for the
purpose, and by the heat of embers, or the naturall heat of ones body,
at the bottome of the glasse, the very forme and Idæa thereof will be
represented: which will suddenly vanish away, the heat being withdrawne
from the bottome of the glasse. As I will not argue the impossibility
of this experiment, so I would be loth to employ mine endeavours,
untill I were expert therein.
_A device to bend glasse Canes, or make any
small worke in Glasse._
[Illustration]