among the Ancients, 531 



alfo clear from the cxprefs affertions of Cicero,* 

 Vitruvius, t Pliny, J and Dionyfius Halicar- 

 nafleus, || that it became the fafhion in the latter 



Of the blue paints, they had preparations from the 

 lapis cyan us and lapis armenus ; perhaps alfo from the 

 lapis lazuli, which they poflefled, and which I incline to 

 think a different ftone from the former. Indigo they had, 

 and perhaps bice and fmalt, for they made blue glafs, 

 but whether from fome ore of cobalt or of wolfram mull be 

 uncertain, perhaps the former. They had not Pruffian 

 blue, verditer lior litmus, which we have. We do not «fe 

 the blue precipitate of the dyers' vats, nor mountain blue, 

 which they certainly employed. 



Of green colours, they had verdegrife, terra verte, and 

 malachite or mountain green. The latter is not in ufe 

 among us. Sap green, green verditer, and Scheele's green 

 appear to have been unknown to them. The modern 

 Brunfwick green is ftill kept fecret. Like us alfo they pro- 

 cured as many tints as they pleafed from blues, and 

 yellow vegetables. 



"We have no original purple in ufe : that from gold by 

 means of tin, though very good when well prepared, is 

 too dear perhaps, and unneceffary. Their purple was a 

 tinged earth. 



Their orange or fandarac (red orpiment) we alfo poffefs. 

 Hence there does not appear to have been any great want 

 of pigments, or any very material difference between the 

 colours they ufed and fuch as we generally employ. Per- 

 haps the full effeft of colouring may be obtained without 

 the ufe of the exceeding brilliant pigments, depending 

 chiefly on the proportion and oppofition of tints. 



• De Orat. 3. f Lib. VII. cap. 5. J XXXV. 32. 



II In Ifaso, p. 167, edit, Oxon. Greg. Nazienz. Carm. 10. 

 Webb. 



M m 2 period 



