306 History of the Art of Dyeing, 



Ventura Rosetti, however, finding these precepts too imper- 

 fect, made a tour, at considerable expense, through Italy and 

 other countries to procure information respecting the art of 

 dyeing, and on his return wrote, under the assumed name of 

 Plictho, a book on it ; the first, perhaps, that ever appeared 

 on this subject, and which und()ul)tedly laid the first founda- 

 tion for the improvement in this art which afterwards took 

 place *. 



The title of this work, exceedingly scarce even in Italy, an 

 original edition of which is preserved in the royal library at 

 Gottingen, is as follows : — Plictho's Art of Dyeing ; which 

 teaches how to give to Cloth, Linen, Cotton, and Silk, real 

 and beautiful as well as false and common Dyes. Venice 1548. 

 4to.t The whole work is divided into three sections; the 

 first of which treats on the dyeing of wool, linen, cotton, 

 chintz, &;c. the second on the dyeing of silk, and the third 

 on the dyeing of skins. 



However difficult it may have been at that time to write 

 upon this art, Plictho, in the preface to his book, where he 

 speaks of the period in which he lived with a candour pecu- 

 liar to himself, says : " I will therefore, dear reader, no 

 longer keep back these three works. I have exerted myself 

 with all my powers by day and by night for months and years, 

 with danger and loss, at the expense of much hard labour, 

 and as far as my poor circumstances would permit, to im- 

 prove this important art, for sixteen years past, and with God's 

 help to bring it to a proper state." — This author was not ac- 

 quainted either with indigo or cochineal ; but he speaks of 

 brasil wood, v.'hich he calls verz'mo, a name still given to it 



* Beckmann s Technology, p. 60. 



f The Italian title is Plictho de larthe de Tentori, che insegna Tenger 

 Panni, Telle, Banbasi et Sede, si per larthe magiore come per la com- 

 mune, rinegia 1543. 4to. The real name of the author, as I have al- 

 ready observed, was John Ventura Rosetti ; he was overseer of the ar- 

 senal of Venice, as he gives us to understand himself in the end of his 

 book. This work has been translated into French under the following 

 title : Suite duTeinturier parfait, ou I'Art de Teindre les Laines, Soyes, 

 Fils, Pcaux, Polls, Plumes, &c. comme il se pratique h. Venize, Genes, 

 Florence, et dans tout le Levant ; et la Maniere de passer en Chamois 

 toute Sortc de Peaux, traduite de I'ltalien. Paris 1716. 



in 



