Take a new hennes egge, make a hole at one end, and let the substance out, then take the yolke without the white, and foure times as much in quantitie of quicksilver; grinde them well together, and put them into the shell; stop the hole thereof with chalke, and the white of an egge, then lay it under an henne that sitteth with sixe more, let her sit on it three weeks, then breake it up, and write with it.
To write with gold out of a Pensil.
Take honey, and salt a like quantitie, grinde them well, and put to them a leafe of gold, with a little white of an egge; put it into a mussell shell, and let it purifie; then temper it with gumme-water, and write with it, pollish it.
Or else grinde a leafe of silver, or gold, very small with gumme-water, and wash it in a mussell shell as aforesaid.
To temper Azure or Bise.
Take Azure or Bise, and grinde it on a stone with cleane water; then put it in a broad glasse, or shell, and when it hath stood a while all the dregs will sleet above, and the cleane colour will fall to the bottome; then poure out the water with the dregs, and poure the azure in cleane water againe; then stirre the colour and water together, and let it stand, and fine, and after that poure out the water, and dregs againe: do thus till it be well purged; then grinde it againe on a stone with gumme-water, and put it into a horne, or shell; when you paint or write, stirre it, and let the sticke drop into the pen, for it will sinke to the bottome as lead.
To temper Turnsole.
Take Turnsole, and wet it once or twice in cleare water, and let it lye till it be well steeped; then wring it into a dish till the colour be good, and sad; with this you may flourish red letters, or vestures, and this colour shall be darked, sadded, or renewed with blacke inke.
To make colouring, called Vernix: to varnish gold, silver, or any other colour on vellem, paper, timber, stone, &c.
Take Bengewine, and bray it well betwixt two papers, then put it into a viol, and poure on it Aqua vitæ, that it may stand aboue the bengewine three or foure fingers, and let it steepe so a day or two; then put to it for halfe a violl of Aqua vitæ fiue or sixe chieues of Saffron slenderly stamped; this done, straine it, and with a Pensil vernish therewith any thing gilded, which will become bright and shining, drying it selfe immediately, and will continue the brightnesse many yeares; But if you will varnish on siluer, then take the white that is found in Bengewine and dresse it with Aqua vitæ as afore, leauing out the Saffron, and the said vernish made with these onely is very good to varnish all things as well painted, as not painted: for it maketh Tables of Walnut tree and Hebene to glister if it bee laid on them; and all other things, as Iron, Copper, or Tin gilded, or not; it maketh bright, preserveth and aideth the colour, and dryeth incontinent without taking dust.