The gentlemans exercise Or an exquisite practise, as well for drawing all manner of beasts in their true portraitures: as also the making of all kinds of colours, to be vsed in lymming, painting, tricking, and blason of coates, and armes, with diuers others most delightfull and pleasurable obseruations, for all yong gentlemen and others. As also seruing for the necessarie vse and generall benefite of diuers trades-men and artificers, as namly painters, ioyners, free-masons, cutters and caruers, &c. for the farther gracing, beautifying, and garnishing of all their absolute and worthie peeces, either for borders, architecks, or columnes, &c. By Henrie Peacham Master of Artes.

CHAP. XXIII. The Etymologie and true mixture of colours. Of Blacke.

BLacke is so called from the Saxon word black, in French No••r, in Italian Nero, in Spanish Negro, from the La∣tine Niger, and from the Greeke, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which signifieth Dead because all dead and corrupted things are properly of this colour, the reasō why they are so, Aristotle plainly sheweth where he saith: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is, blacknesse doth accompany the elements, confounded or commixed one with ano∣ther, as for example of aire & water mixed together, and consumed with fire is made a black colour, as we may see in charcoales, oyle, pitch, linkes, and such like fattie substances, the smoke whereof is most blacke, as also in stones and timber, that haue laine long vnder water, which when the water is dried vp, they lie o∣pen to the sunne and aire, & become presently of the same colour: these be the blacks which you most commonly vse in painting, this colour is simple of it selfe.

• Harts horne burned.
• Ordinarie lampe blacke••
• Date stones burned.
• Iuory burned.
• Manchet or white bread burned.
• The blacke of walnut shels.

The making of ordinary lamp blacke.

Take a torch or linke, and hold it vnder the bot∣tome of a latten basen, and as it groweth to be furd and blacke within, strike it with a feather into some shell or other, and grind it with gumme water.

Of White.

This word white in English commeth from the low Dutch word wit, in high Dutch Weif, which is deriued from W••sser, that is, water which by nature is white, yea thickned or condensate, most white, as it appeareth by haile and snow which are compoun∣ded of water hardned by the coldnesse of the ayre in Italian it is called Bianco, in French Blanc, if we may beleeue Scaliger, from the Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which as he takes it, signifies faint or weake: wherein happily he agreeth with Theophrastus who affirmeth omnia can∣dida esse imbecilliora, that all white things are faint and weake, hence I beleeue it is called in Latine Can∣didus, from the Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i. confundo, because whitenesse confoundeth or dazeleth the sight as we find when we ride forth in a snow in winter. It is cal∣led also albus of that old Greeke word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the same, hence had the Alpes their Etymon, because of their continual whitenesse with snow. The Grecians call this colour 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, video, that is, to see, be∣cause, whitenesse is the most proper obiect of our sight according to Aristotle saying, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, whitenesse, or the obiect or

sight, whitenesse proceedeth from the water, aire, and earth, which by nature is also white, as we proue by ashes of all ea••th••y matter burnt, though to our sight it seemeth blacke, brownish, and of other co∣lours, by reason of the intincture and commix••ure of other elements with the same: the principal whites in painting and limming are these. viz.

• ...Ceruse.
• ...White l••••d.
• ...Spanish white.

Of whites and their temp••ring Venice Ceruse.

Your principall white is Ceruse, called in Latine Cerussa, by the Italian B••acea. Vitr••ui••s teacheth the making of it, which is in this manner. The Rhodians (saith he) vse to take the paring of vines, or any other chips, and lay them in the bottoms of pipes or hogs∣heads, vpō which they powre great store of vinegar, and then lay aboue many sheets of lead, and so still one aboue another by rankes till the hogsheads are full, then stop they vp againe the hogsheads close, that no aire may enter: which againe after a certaine time being opened, they finde betweene the lead and chips great store of Ceruse: it hath beene much vsed (as it is al••o now adaies•• by women in painting their faces, whom Martial in his merry vaine skoffeth, say∣ing, Cerussata timet Sabella sol••m. AEtius saith it being throughly burnt, it turneth into a faire red, which he calleth Syricum, grinde it with the glaire of egs, that hath lien rotting a month or two vnder the ground, and it will make a most perfect white.

White Lead.

White Lead is in a manner the same that Ceruse is, saue that the Ceruce is refined and made more pure, you shall grinde it with a weake water of gumme Lake, and let it stand three or foure daies, Roset and Vermelion maketh it a faire Carnation.

Spanish white.

There is another white called Spanish white, which you may make your selfe in this manner, take fine chalke and grind it, with the third part of Alome in faire water, till it be thicke like pap, then roule it vp into balles, letting it lie till it be drie, when it is drie, put it into the fire, and let it remaine till it bee red hote like a bu••ning coale, and then take it out, and let it coole: it is the best white of all others to lace or garnish, being ground with a weake gumme water.

Of Yealow.

Yealow is so called from the Italian word Giallo, which signifieth the same Giallo, hath his Ety∣mologie from Geel the high Dutch, which signifieth lucere, to shine, and also hence commeth Gelt, and our English word Gold, in French Iaulne, in Spani••h Ialde, or Am ••illo, in Latine Fla••us luteus, of•• lutum, in Greeke, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is Homers Epithite for Mena∣laus, where he cals him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and Silius imi∣tating him, attributes the same to the Hollander

whom he calles Flauicomus Batau••s, by reason of his yealow lockes, it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ab 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a flower as if he should say 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a beautifull head of haire, which in times past was accounted the bright yea∣low, which H••rod••an so commendeth in the Empe∣rour Commo••u••, & the Romans supposed in the same aliquid numinis ••esse: And it seemes AEneas his haire in Virgil, which his mother Venus bestowed vpon him for a more maiestical beauty to haue beene of the same colour, or it may be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, haire worthing the kembing, but I dare not be too busie in Etymologies, least catching at the shadow I leaue the substāce, yelow hath his primary beginning from the Element of fire, or Sun-beames, Aristotles reason is, because all liquid things conco∣cted by heate become yealow as lie, wort vrine, ripe fruit, brimstone, &c. so that blacke, white, and yea∣low according to Aristotle are the foure primary or principall colours as immediately proceeding from the elements, and from those all other colours haue their beginning. Your principall yealowe be these.

• ...Orpiment.
• ...Masticot.
• ...Saffron.
• ...Pinke yealow.
• ...Oker de Luce.
• ...Vmber.

Orpiment.

Orpiment called in Latine Arsenicum, or Auripig∣mentum, (because being broken, it resembleth God for shining and colour) is best ground with a stiffe water of Gumme Lake, and with nothing else: be∣cause it is the best colour of it selfe, it will lie vpon

no greene: for all greenes, white lead, red lead, and Ceruse staine it: wherefore you must deepen your colours so, that the Orpiment may be the highest, in which manner it may agree with all colours: it is said that Caius a certaine couetous Prince caused great store of it to be burned, and tried for gold, of which he found some, and that very good; but so small a quantitie, that it would not quite the cost in refining.

Mas••icot or Generall.

Grinde your Masticot with a small quantitie of Saffron in Gumme water, and neuer make it lighter then it is; it will endure and lie vpon all colours and mettals.

Pinke yealow.

You must grinde your Pinke, if you will haue it sad coloured, with ••affron; if light, with Ceruse: temper it with weake gumme water, and so vse it.

Oker de Luke.

The fine Oker de Luke, or Luce, and grind it with a pure brasil water: it maketh a passing haire-colour, and is a naturall shadow for gold.

Vmber.

Vmber is a more sad colour, you may grinde it with Gumme water or Gumme lake: and lighten it at your pleasure with a little Ceruse, and a shiue of saffron.

Of Greene.

Our English word greene is fetched from the high Dutch ••••un, in the Belgick Groen, in French it is cal∣led Coleur verde, in Italian and Spanish Verde, from the Latine Vi••••ais, and that from vires, quia viribus maxime pollent in virente aetate vigentia, in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, grasse or the greene herbe, which is of this colour, why the earth hath this colour a∣boue others Aristotle sheweth which is by reason of the much and often falling of raine, and setting vpon the same, for saith hee, all water or moisture that standeth long, and receiueth the beames of the Sun at the fi••st groweth greenish, afterward more blacke, after that receiuing as it were another g••••ene, they become of a grasse colour, for all moisture dried vp of it selfe becommeth blacke, as we see in old wels and cesternes, and if any thing hath lien long vnder water, and afterwards lying drie, may receiue the heate of the Sunne (the moisture being exhaled and drawne away) it becommeth greene, because that yealow proceeding from the Sunne beames mixed with black doe turne into a greene, for where the moisture doth not participate with the beames of the Sunne, there remaines whitenesse, as wee see in most rootes and stalkes of herbes, which grow neere or within the earth, now when t•••• moisture hath spent it selfe farre in the stalke, leafe, and flower, that it cannot ouercome the heat of the ayre and Sunne, it changeth and giueth place to yealow, which heat afterward being well concocted

turned into seuerall colours as we see in flowers, mel∣low apples, peares, plummes, and the like, the greene we commonly vse, are these.

• ...Greene bice.
• ...Vert greece.
• ...Verditure.
• ...Sapgreene.

Of the blew and yealow proceedeth the greene.

Greene Bice.

Take greene Bice, and order it as you doe your blew bice, and in the self same manner: when it is moist and not through drie, you may diaper vpon it with the water of deepe greene.

Vert-greece.

Vertgreece is nothing else but the rust of brass•••• which in time being consumed and eaten with Tal••low, turneth into green, as you may see many times vpon foule candlestickes that haue not beene often made cleane, wherefore it hath the name in Latine AErugo, in French Vert de gris, or the hoary gr••ene: to temper it as you ought, you must grinde it with the iuice of Rue, & a little weake gumme water, and you shall haue the purest greene that is; if you will diaper with it, grinde it with the lie of Rue, (that is, the water wherein you haue sod your rue or herbgrace) and you shall haue an hoary greene: you shall diaper or damaske vpon your vert-greece greene, with the water of sapgreene.

Verditure

Take yo••r verditure, and grinde it with a weake

Gumme Arabick water, it is the faintest and palest greene that is, but it is good to veluet vpon blacke in any manner of drapery.

Sappe greene.

Take Sappe greene, and lay it in sharpe vineger all night, put into it a little Alome to raise his colour, and you shall haue a good greene to diaper vpon all other greenes.

Of Blew.

Blew hath his Etymon from the high Dutch, Blaw, from whence he calleth Himmel-blaw, that which we call skie colour or heauens-blew, in Spanish it is called Blao or Azul, in Italian Azurro, in French A∣zur of Lazur an Arabian word, which is the name of a stone, whereof it is made, called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from whence it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and in Latine Cyaneus a stone, as Dioscorides saith, or sandie matter found in minerals in the earth, of a most pure and perfect blew, whether it be our bice or no, I know not for a certaine, but I remember Homer calleth a table, whose seete were painted with bice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but howsoeuer I will not striue, since I am perswa∣ded many of those colours, which were in vse with those excellent Grecian painters in old time are vt∣terly vnknowne to vs.

The principall blewes with vs in vse are.

• ...Blew bice.
• ...Smalt.
• ...Litmose blew.
• ...Inde baudias.
• ...Florey blew.
• ...Korck or Orchall.

Blew Bice.

Take fine Bice and grinde it vpon a cleane stone, first with cleane water as small as you can, then put it into an horne and wash it on this manner: put vnto it as much faire water as wil fill vp your horne, and stirre it well, then let it stand the space of an houre, and all the bice shall fall to the bottome, and the corruptiō will fleet aboue the water, then powre away the corrupt water, and put in more cleane water, and so vse it foure or fiue times, at the last powre away all the water, and put in cleane water of Gumme Arabick not too stiffe, but somewhat weak, that the bice may fall to the bottome, then powre a∣way the Gumme water cleane from the bice; and put to another cleane water, and so wash it vp, and if you would haue it rise of the same colour it is of, when it is drie, temper it with a weake gum water, which also wil cause it to rise and swell in the drying, if a most perfect blew, and of the same colour it is being wet, temper it with a stiffe water of gumme lake, if you would haue it light, grinde it with a little Cer••se, or the muting of an hawke that is white, if you will haue it a most deepe blew, put thereto the water of litmose.

Litmose blew.

Take fine litmose, and grinde it with Ceruse, and if you put to ouermuch Litmos, it maketh a deepe blew: if ouermuch Ceruse and lesse litmos, it ma∣keth

a light blew: you must grinde it with weake water of gumme Arabeck.

Indebaudias.

Take Indebaudias and grinde it with the water of Litmose, if you will haue it deepe, but if light, grind it with fine Ceruse, and with a weake water of gum Arabe••k, you shall also grinde your Engli••h Inde∣ba••d•••••••• after the same manner, which is not fully so good a colour as your Indebaud•••••• is: you must Diaper light and deepe vpon it, wi•••• a good litmose water.

••l••rey Blew.

Take Florey blew, and grinde it with a little fine Rose••, and it will make a deepe violet, and by putting in a quantitie of Ceruse it will make a light violet: with two partes of Ceru••e, and one of red lead, it maketh a perfect Crane colour.

Korke or Orchall.

Take fine Orchall and grinde it with vnslekt lime and vrine, it maketh a pure violet: by putting to more or lesse lime, you may make your violet light or deep as you will.

To make a blew water to diaper vpon all other blewes••

Take fine litmos and cut it in peeces, when you haue done, lay it in weake water of Gumme Lake, and let it lie 24. houres therein, and you shall haue a

water of a most perfect azure, with which water you may diaper and dammaske vpon all other blewes, and sanguines to make them shew more fai••e and beautifull: if it beginne to dr••e in your shell, moy∣sten it with a little more water, and it will be as good as at the first.

Of Red.

Red, from the old Saxon Rud, as the towne of Hert∣ford, as my worshipfull friend Master Camden in his Britannia noteth, first was called by the Saxons He∣rudford, as much as to say, the Rud ford, or the red ford•• or water, the like of many other places in Eng∣land, in high Dutch it is called Rot, in low Dutch Root, without doub•• from the Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is the same, in French Rouge, in Italian Rubro, from the Latine Ruber, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 à corticibus vel grauis mali punici, from the rindes or seedes (as Scaliger ••aith) of a Pomegranate, which are of this colour. In Spa∣nish it is called Vermeio, of Minium which is Ver∣milion.

The sorts of Red are these.

• ...Vermilion.
• ...Synaper lake.
• ...Synaper tops.
• ...Red lead.
• ...Roset.
• ...Turnsoile.
• ...Browne of Spaine.
• ...Bole Armoniack.

Of Vermilion.

Your fairest and most principall Red is Vermilion, called in Latine Minium, it is a poyson, and found where great store of quicksiluer is: you must grinde

it with the glaire of an egge, and in the grinding put to a little clarified hony, and make his colour bright and perfect.

Sinaper lake.

Sinaper in Latine is called Cinnabaris, it hath the name Lake of Lacca, a red berry, whereof it is made growing in China and those places in the East In∣dies, as Master Gerrard shewed me out of his herbal, it maketh a deepe & beautifull red, or rather purple, almost like vnto a red Rose: the best was wont to be made, as Dioscorides saith, in L••bia of brimstone and quicksiluer burnt a long time to a smal quantity: and not of the bloud of the Elephant and Dragon, as Pl••nie supposed: you shall grinde i•• with gumme Lake, and Turnsoile water, if you will haue it light, put to a little Ceruse, and it will make a bright crim∣son, if to diaper, put to onely Turnsoile water.

Sinaper Tops.

Grinde your Tops after the same manner you do your lake, they are both of one nature.

Red Lead.

Red Lead, in Latine is called Syricum, it was wont to be made of Ceruse burnt; which grinde with a quantitie of Saffron, and stiffe gumme lake: ••or your Saffron will make it orient, and of a Mari∣gold colour.

Turneso••le.

Turnesoile is made of old linnen ragges died, you shall v••e it after this manner: lay it in a ••aucer of vi∣neger, and set it ouer a chasing dish of coales, and let it boyle, then take it off, and wring it into a shell, a••d put vnto it a little gumme Arabeck, letting it st••nd three or foure houres, till it be dissolued: it is good to shadow carnations, and all yealowes.

Ros••t.

You shall grind your Roset with Brasill water, and it wi••l make you a deepe and a faire purple, if you p••t Ce••use to it, it maketh a lighter, if you grinde it with Litmose, it maketh a ••aire violet.

Browne of Spayne.

Grind your Browne of Spayne with Brasill water, and if you mingle it with Ceruse, it maketh an horse flesh colour.

••ole Armoniack.

Bole Armoni••ck is but a faint colour, the chiefest vse of it, is, as I haue said, in making a size for burnisht gold.

Notes

• Discorides lib. 5. cap. 106.
• Hom. Ili. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.