MicrROGRAPHIA, a 
regular pieces,a b,c d,and ef’; The Warp,or the thread that ran croffing the 
Riband,appeard like a fingle Rope of an Inch Diameter 5 but the Woof; 
or the thread that ran the length of the Riband, appear'd not half fo 
big. Each Inch of fix-peny-broad Riband appearing noJef then a piece 
of Matting Inch and halt thick, and twelve foot fquare 5 a few yardsof | 
this, would be enough to floor the long Gallery of the Leure at Paris: |. 4, 
But to return to our piece of Riband : It affords us a not unpleafant eb- ya 
ject, appearing like a bundle, or wreath, of very clear and tranfparent 
Cylinders if the Silk be white, and curioufly ting’d 5 if it be colour’d,each 
of thofe {mall horney Cylinders affording in fome place or other of them, 
as vivid a reflection, as if it had been fent from a Cylxder of Glafs or Horns » 
In-fo-much, that the reflections of Red, appear’d as if coming from fo 
many Granates, or Rubies. The lovelinefs of the colours of Silks above. 
thofe of hairy Stuffs,or Linnen,confilting as I elfe-where intimate,chiefly in 
' the tranfparency, and vivid reflections from the Coxcave,or inner furface | 
of the tranfparent Cylinder, as are alfo the colours of Precious Stones 
for moft of the reflections from each of thefe Cylinders, come from the 
Concave furface of the air, whichis as *twere the foil that incompafles the 
Cylinder, The colours with which each of thefe Cylsnders are ting'd, feem 
partly to be fuperficial, and fticking to the out-fides of them 5 and partly, 
to be imbib’d, or funck into the fub{tance of them ; for Silk, feeming to 
be little elfe then a dried thread of Glew, may be fuppos'd to’be very 
eafily relaxt,and foftened, by being fteeped in. warm, nay in cold, if pene- 
trant, juyces or liquors. And thereby thofe tin¢tures, though they tinge 
perhaps but a {mall part of the fubftance, yet being fo highly impregnated 
with the colour, asto be almoft black with it, may leave an impreflion 
{trong enough to exhibite the defir'd colour. A pretty kinde of artifi- 
cial Stuff I have feen, looking almoft like tranfparent Parchment, Horn, 
or Ifing-glafs, and perhaps fome fuch thing it may be made of, which be- 
ing tran{parent, and of a glutinous nature, arid eafily mollified by keep. 
ing in water, as I found upon trial, had imbib'd, and did remain ting'd 
with a great variety of very vivid colours, and to the naked eye, it look’d 
very like the fubftance of the Silk. And Ihave oftenthought, that pro- 
bably there might be away found out, to make an artificial glutinous / 
compofition, much refembling, if not full as good, nay better, then that 
&xcrement,or whatever other fubftance it be out of which, the Silk-worm 
wire-draws his clew. If fuch a compofition were found, it were certaiti- 
ly an eafie matter to find very quick ways of drawing it out into {mall | 
wires for ufe. I need not mention the ufe of fuch an Invention,not the be- | 
nefit that is likely to accrue to the finder,they being fufficiently obvious, 
This hint therefore, ap Ses hope, give fome Ingenious inquifitive Perfon | 
anoccafion of making fome trials, which if fuccefsfull, [have my aim, and 
I fuppofe he will have no occafion to be difpleas'd.. aes 
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