The Excellency of the pen and pencil exemplifying the uses of them in the most exquisite and mysterious arts of drawing, etching, engraving, limning, painting in oyl, washing of maps & pictures, also the way to cleanse any old painting, and preserve the colours : collected from the writings of the ablest masters both ancient and modern, as Albert Durer, P. Lomantius, and divers others ; furnished with divers cuts in copper, being copied from the best masters ...

SECT. I. To make Mr. Hollar's Ground, and how to Etch in Copper, and what Instruments ought to be used in the practice thereof.

TAke three parts of Virgins wax, one part of Asphaltum, one part of the best Mastick; if

you will, you may take away a third part of the Asphaltum, and put instead thereof as much refined Rosin that is transparent and clear, for this will be better to see through the Ground, to stop up what you have occasion for. Beat your Asphaltum and Rosin together to powder, and put your Wax into a clean Pipkin that hath never been used before, and set it over a gentle fire, and let it boyl; then pour in the Asphaltum and Rosin into it, and mingle them all together. Then take a Porenger or such like thing full of clean water, and pour that boyling stuff when all is melted into the water, but pour not out the dregs, then when it is cold work it up into a coal or ball; and when you are to use it, then take a clean rag and double it, that no dregs or knots may come through the rag, and tie it fast with a piece of thread; so is your Ground prepared.