among the /indents, 591 



penecillo utendiy qua pilium in navibus necjole ne<:Jale 

 vehtijque corrumptur* 



From thefe extrads ic appears evidently that 

 the antient encauftic painting was of three kinds: 



Firft, Where a picture painted in the common 

 way, was covered with a varnilh, of wax melted, 

 diluted with a little oil, and laid on warm with a 

 brulh.f 



Secondly, Where the colours rhemfelves were 

 mixed up with melted wax, and the mixture ufed 

 while warm : and 



Thirdly, Where a painting was executed on 

 ivory by means of the cejlrum or viriculum. 



This laft method, in my opinion, is the only one 

 of the three which involves any difficulty in it. 



The ceftrum or viriculum was in all probabi- 

 lity fome (harp inftrument ufed to trace the defign 

 on the ivory ; for the penecillum was our painting- 

 brufh or pencil: but how are the words />w^^^, 

 and encaujlo pingere, applicable to this? 



Suppofing Pliny himfelf not to be miftaken in 

 the application of the terms he ufes, the. only 



• XXXV. 41. 



t Some of the paintings at Herculaneum are covered 

 with a varniflx which makes tiie paint fcale ofF. In a room 

 there, a table of white wax has been found, together with 

 different colours. 



By the indifcreet application of warmth to fome of thefe 

 paintings where the colours have been mixed with or been 

 vamifhed over with wax, the defign itfelf has difappeared: 

 this happened to fome at Refiha near Herculaneum. 



pofTiblc 



