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-days that all the impurities may settle to the bottom. Thatthe varnish may dry the easier and acquire the more firm-ness, it is to be ground with a little white lead, or ratherwith a mixture of white lead and minium. It is to beapplied very thin on the glass, and the gold leaf ratherblown upon the part, so as it may stick fast, than presseddown with cotton. The glasses may be laid in a warmplace, free from dust, till the varnish is fully hardened;after which the gold may be burnished, a piece of smoothpaper being laid between the tooth or steel burnisher- andthe gold. He observes that this gilding is durable and ofa fine lustre ; and that as the toughest varnishes naturallydeserve the preference, the amber varnish above described,promises, in virtue of that quality, to be the best.

Page 64. Gilding on the covers of books.

The bookbinders dilute the whites of eggs with water,,and moisten the part to be gilt three or four times withthis liquor:, when so far dried as that the gold may notstick without pressing, the partis slightly oiled over beforethe gold is laid on. Mr. Ziegler, after taking notice ofthese particulars in a note on the above passage, adds, thatfor gilding on taffeta or other stuffs, some fine powderedmastich, or white of eggs dried and powdered, is dustedthinly on the stuff; and the gold leaf, first cut to a propersize, is laid on a hot somewhat oiled, stamp, and presseddown; with care that none of the powder touch the stamp,which would occasion the gold to stick to it. Our book-binders, for gilding on rough leather, follow a practice ofthe same kind, using common resin instead of the mastich ■or dried whites of eggs: the resin melting only in thoseparts where the hot stamp is applied and the gold fixed on 1it, the other parts of the leather remain rough as at first,

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