OF FOREST-TREES. 139

pass it over four or five times, as above; and if it be not yet smoothCiiAP.lV.enough, press it again with the Reeds , but now very tenderly: Thenrub it sufficiently with Tripoly , and a little Oil-ohve or JFater : Last-ly, cover it once or twice again with your V?rnist), and two Days after,polish it as before with Tripoly and a Piece of Hatter s Felt.

The Colours.

To make it of a fair Red, take Spanijh-vermilion , with a quarterPart of Venice-lack.

For Black , Ivory calcined (as Chymists speak) betwixt two well lu-ted Crucibles ; which being ground in Water , with the belt and green-est Copperas, and so let dry, reserve. t .

For Blue , take Ultra-marine, and only twice as much V?rnijh as ofColour. The reft are to be applied like the Red, except it be the Green ,which is hard to make fair and vivid, and therefore seldom used.

Note , The right Japan is done with three or four Layers of V?rnijhwith the Colours ; then two of pure Vernijh uncoloured (which ismade by the former Trocess , without the Sandrac , which is only ming-led and used for Reds) which must be done with a swift and even Stroak,that it may not dry before the Aventurin be sifted on it ; and then youare to cover it with so many Layers of pure Vernijh, as will render itlike polished Glass. Last of all, furbish it with Tripoly , Oil , and theFelt, as before directed. Note,

By Vwit urine is meant the most delicate and slender Golden-wire,such as Embroiderers use, reduced to a kind of Towder, as small asyou can file or clip it: This strewed upon the first Layer of pure Ver-nijh, when dry , superinduces what Colour you please; and this is pret-tily imitated with several Talkes.

This being the sirjt Time that so rare a Secret has been imparted(and which since the first Publication of it, has been so successfully im-proved amongst our Cabinet-makers here in London) the Reader willbelieve that I envy him nothing which may be of Use to the Tublick :

And though many Tears since we were Majlers of this Curiostty, At ha-il as us Kircher has set down a Trocess in his late China Illujlrata pret-ty faithfully ; yet, besides, that it only speaks Latin (such as’tis) itis nothing so perfect as ours : Howbeit, there we learn, that the mostopulent Trovince of Chekiang is for nothing more celebrated, thanthe excellent Taper which it produces, and the Gum called Cie (ex-tilling from certain Trees) with which they compose their famous Ver-nifh, so universally valued over the World , because it is found aboveall other Inventions of that Nature, to preserve and beautifie Woodabove any Thing which has hitherto been detected: And it has accord-ingly so generally obtained with them, that they have whole Rooms andample Chambers wainscoted therewith, and divers of their most preci-ous Furniture ; as Cabinets , Tables, Stools , Beds, Uijhes, Skreens ,

Staves , Frames, Tots, and other Utensils: But long it was e’er wecould, for all this, approach it in Europe to any Purpose, till F. Eujia-chius Imart, an Augustine Monk , obtained the Secret , and obliged uswith jt.

And now, after all, this Vernijh is said to be improved by a later Re- 'ceipt sent from the China Missionaries to the Great Duke of Tuscany,and communicated by Dr .Sherards, and described in the ‘Philosophical

P P P Transactions ,