6 m ong the An t ien ts. J 6 1 



just and general; but when he contuuios to say that they 

 covered the ntcleus with wax, and made upon this wax 

 putty moulds, and then finished the work like ourselves, 

 we can slate in opposition to this, that wax never has been 

 employed in casting the horses of Venice, nor in any other 

 antique bronzes, where we see pieces hanmiered into them 

 in order to fill the holes which remained allter founding. 

 This defect proceeds from the total absence of wax, which is 

 now made to occupy the space vvhicli should be filled by 

 the bronze, and forms the thickness wished to be given to it 

 between the nucleus and the hollow mould, a space which 

 remains void when the wax is melted, and which is 

 filled by the casting, the continuity of which is not inter- 

 rupted by any obstacle. 



If the modern process of founding is more perfect, that 

 of the antients was more expeditious and much less expen- 

 sive *. After having fin'rshed their model, they formed 

 the hollow mould upon it ; and in making the mould the 

 different pieces were so joined, that each side of the figure 

 was covered with its proper parts, so as to make two half 

 moulds, adapted throughout their whole length, and the two 

 ed<»-es of which joined upon the horses' backs through their 

 whole length, and under the belly in the same manner. At 

 least this observation applies with respect to the horses of 

 Veiiicej and the moulds of their feet seem to have been 

 made separately. After having finished this part of the 

 process, they diminished the model until they brought it to 

 suit the thickness they wished to give to the riietal, and by 

 this operation they formed the nucleus. But this diminu- 

 tion could not be made throughout the whole surface; some 

 plugs must have been left interposed, to hinder the moulds 

 from falling upon the nusilcus, and in order to remove theiri 



*• All the French founders assembled to.'Tclhcr, says Wii)ckclnian,woaId riot 

 be alilc in ten years to fuiish the three hundred and sixty statues made at 

 Athens for Demetrius PItalcrcjs in :500 days. Hut, according to their man- 

 ner of operatjnf;, the Ather.ians bad no ocra-ion to break the mould In Order 

 to draw out the stati;e, and the same mouUU perhaps served several times. 

 How could I-ysippus have ever.itcd (JlO works, A^-cord'.ng to IMiay, if ! •: did 

 tiot know liow to abridge the labours of the foundry ? 



Vol; i?y. No. 114. K')v. 1SQ7. L to 



