Take the plate then, and waxe it lightly ouer, and then either pounce the picture upon it, or trace it, or by drawing ouer the lines of the picture with ungummed inke, reprint it upon the Plate: then worke upon it, obseruing the shadow, so that being printed, it may stand right, for it will be backward upon your plate: when you haue cut one stroke, drop a little sallet oyle upon your peece of Bever, and rub over the said stroke, for by this meanes you shall better see the stroke, and how to cut the next equall unto it, and so the rest proportionally distant one from another; but to worke by a Candle, you must place a glasse of faire water betweene the Candle, and a paper betweene that and the Plate, (which casteth a true light) or you will never be able to worke truely and aright.
Of Etching.
Etching is an imitation of engrauing, but more speedily performed. Things may be expressed to the life thereby, but not so sweetly as by the Graver. It is thus performed: the Plate you are to etch upon, must first exactly be pollished, afterwards ouerlaid but very lightly with a ground made for the purpose, (of which anon) and thereupon must be pounced, drawne, or traced, the thing that you are to etch: then the said ground is to be pierced with diuers stiles of seuerall bignesse according as the shadowes of the picture doe require: afterwards the edges of the Plate are to be raised with soft waxe and strong water, (for so they terme it:) (It is to be had at the signe of the Legge in Foster Lane a Distiller) is to be put upon it, which in those places were the strokes, are required to be lightly performed, is to be abated or alayed with faire water, which hauing dured a while upon the plate, will eate into it, as it were engraven, then put it into cold water, and wash it about, and it will leaue eating further, and then take off the ground and it is done.
A red ground for Etching.
Take red lead, grinde it very well, and temper it with varnish.
A white ground.
Take one ounce of Waxe, and two ounces of Rosin, melt them together, and adde thereto a quarter of an ounce of Venice Ceruse ground fine, lay it on while it is hot.
A blacke ground.
Take Asphaltum two parts, Bees waxe one part; melt them together, and being warme, lay it on very thinly with a fine lawne ragge. If it seeme somewhat red in any one part, hold it over the smoake of a Linke or waxe candle, and it will be amended. Note that it is a principall thing in this Art to lay the ground on aright.
Another way how to engrave with water.