Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/83

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.
65

thu nout thin asure nevermore. Et 𝔷ef hit nis noht fin, tac i-tempret gleyr, ant cast therto, ant let hit stonden ant resten vorte al the asure beo i-vallen adoun to grounde. Et bote thu seo hit fin, cast out the gleyr softeleche, ant cast therto more gleyr, ant wash hit eft sonus ithe selve maner. Et whan hit is wel i-puret ant the gleyr i-hald out clene, thenne cast therto thi gummet-water, ant writ, as ic seyde er.

Vorte make grasgrene. Tac verdigres ant grynt hit, ant cast hit into thin staundys, ant cast therto the fineste wort that thu myht i-finden, ant sture togedere ant writ.

Vorte maken another maner grene. Tac jus of a rotet appel, ant tempre thi verdigris mid, ant wryt.

𝔷et for gaudegrene[1]. Tac peniwort other gladene, whether thu wolte of the two erbes, ant tempre thi verdigres, ant writ.

Vorte couche[2] selverfoyle. Tac gumme arabuk, ant cast hit into tempret gleyr vorte hit beo i-molten, ant seththe tac chalk ant grynt hit as smal as thu myht, ant tempre hit with thilke water that is i-cleopet gleyr as thikke as thu wolt leggen hit with a pinsel, other with what thu wolt. Et ther as hit is i-leyd let hit resten that hit beo druye, ant thenne tac thi selverfoyl ant ley theron, ant 𝔷ef hit is i-druyet to druye ethe theruppon with thi breth, ant hit wol moysten a𝔷eyn, ant thenne hit wol cachen the foyl fast ant stike wel the betere, ant wit an hare tayl thac[3] hit to, ant seththe tac an houndus tooh[4] ant vasne in a stikkes ende, ant robbe uppon thi lettre, other uppon whet other thing hit beo, ant that that hath the sise schal stunte stylle, ant that that nat nout the sise wol awey.

Ithe selve maner mac the sise to goldfoyl, save tac a lutel radel ant grynt to thin asise, vorte loosen is colour, bi resun of the goldfoyl, ant so vorth as I seyde er.

Vorte maken iren as hart as stel. Tac argul[5], a thing that deyares deyet with, ant grint hit smal, ant seththe tac a wollene clout, ant couche thi poudre theron as brod as hit wol, Cluppe the egge of thi lome[6], other of whet thu wolt, and seththe ley the egge ithe middel of the poudre, ant seththe wint thi clout faste abouten thi lome, ant pute hit into the fure that hit beo gled[7] red, ant thenne anon cast hit into water.

Vorte maken blankplum[8]. Tac a vessel of eorthe, other of treo, of a

  1. The Promptorium explains "Gawdy gren, subviridis."
  2. To couche, is to lay down, here used technically for to lay or fasten the silverfoil or goldfoil on the vellum.
  3. To thac, is to pat it.
  4. I believe the dog's tooth is still used among book-binders to burnish gold on paper.
  5. It appears, by the explanation the writer gives, that this was a word of only very restricted use—"a thing that dyers dye with." Chaucer (Cant. T. 16280) says the Alchemist used, among other things,—

    Cley made with hors and mannes here, and oile
    Of tartre, alum, glas, berme, wort, and argoile.

    I doubt if Tyrwhitt has rightly interpreted it Potter's clay.

  6. Lome, an instrument; egge of thi lome, edge of thy instrument or tool.
  7. Gled, a spark of fire; gled red, red hot.
  8. White-lead.