Modern curiosities of art & nature extracted out of the cabinets of the most eminent personages of the French court : together with the choicest secrets in mechanicks, communicated by the most approved artists of France / composed and experimented by the Sieur Lemery, apothecary to the French king ; made English from the original French.

CHAP. XI.

To counterfeit Porphir or Red Marble.

TAke English Brown, if it seem too red∣ish, put some Umber or Soot, then take a very smooth Board, a well polisht Marble, or a large piece of Glass a little oyl'd, then take some English Brown with some Roset or Lake, and grind them with Gum Traga∣ganth, then with a large brush, flurt or sprinkle the Glass according to the Marks and Veins of that Stone, when 'tis enough spotted, let it dry, then temper your En∣glish-Brown and Umber with Gum Traga∣ganth Water into a Paste, which being lai'd on the spotted Glass or Marble, let it dry, and pollish it.

To counterfeit the Serpentine.

Take Orpiment, grind it in water with a little Indico, when dry, reduce it to fine Pouder, and temper it with Gum Traga∣ganth water into a Paste, then by adding more Orpiment to the Indico, you'l have a brighter Green; according to the Colour of the Spots of Serpentine, take this Colour with a Pencil, and lay the Marks upon the

Marble or Glass, then lay on the Paste which you have made of a deeper Green; many other sorts may be made after the same manner.

Another way to counterfeit Marble.

Take several sorts of Colours, and with a Pencil sprinkle them on a Glass or Marble very thick, or in what order you please, then lay on the Paste, of what colour you will; if White, take white Lead and Chalk, and a little yellow Ocre, when dry, varnish it with clear drying Varnish, having first well glew'd it with clear white Glew.

To mould small Figures of a Jasper Colour.

Having oyl'd your Moulds with a Pencil, diversify them with what Colours you think fit, tempered with Gum Tragaganth; if the Colours will run or spread, put in a little Ox Gall, but the thicker it is, the harder they will be, then make your Paste of what Colour you will, fill the Mould, tye it, and leave it to dry, then Burnish or Var∣nish; the Iron Wier to tye it must be very small.

To mould carved Figures in Fashion of an Agat.

If it be of a Medal or other Figure, cover the Field of it with Lamp-black tempered with Gum-Water, cover it pretty thick, tem∣per White-lead with Gum-water into a Paste Mould; your Medal being dry, pollish it af∣ter this manner; you may have various sorts, very beautiful and easie to make, as with yellow Ocre, which you may guild with Shell Gold.

To imitate Coral.

Grind Vermilion very fine, make it into Paste (as above) take bits about the bigness of a Penny made very thin, press these very smooth and closely into the Mould, then make yellow Ocre and Chalk into a Paste, fill the Mould, dry and pollish.

For Lapis Lazuli.

Take fine Azure, or blew Amel, ground very fine, made into Paste, mould it, and Vein it with shell Gold, and burnish.

To counterfeit Marble with Brimstone.

Take a well pollished Marble, oyl it, make a Circle of Clay of the bigness you

design your Piece, having ready all sorts of Colours in fine Pouder, as Ceruse, Vermili∣on, Lake, yellow Orpiment, wash't Masti∣cot, Indico and red Orpiment mix'd for a Green, then melt your Sulphur in several Crucibles over a slow Fire, putting into each a several Colour, then nimbly strew drops of each upon the Marble, turning them up and down by turning the Marble to make them run; this done, if you would have the Body of the Marble Grey, take Ashes well sifted, mix them with Sulphur till it looks Grey; if of a Reddish Brown, take English Brown with a little Black; if White, take White Lead, and so of the rest; being mix∣ed with the Sulphur in a good heat, cast it on the Marble, but pour it very gently that it run not into the Eyes or Blisters; if you will, you may lay upon it a well seasoned Oak Board well warmed, and before the Sul∣phur be cold, that it may stick fast and not break the Brimstone which is brittle; then trim the Edges with a Knife, pollish it with a Cloth, and it will have the Brightness of Marble.

To make Marble of the Colour of Coral.

Mix Vermilion with Sulphur, and cast in∣to Moulds of Plaister well oyled, or into Moulds made of Paste before they be dry; if you'd have the Figures diversified, pour

in a little of every Colour one after the other, and though at first they seem to mix, yet they will separate before they be cold; try and judge.