The Compleat ^Angler 



And for dyeing of your hairs, do it thus : 



Take a pint of strong ale, half a pound of soot, and a little 

 quantity of the juice of walnut-tree leaves, and an equal quantity of 

 alum ; put these together into a pot, pan, or pipkin, and boil them 

 half an hour ; and having so done, let it cool ; and being cold, put 

 your hair into it, and there let it lie ; it will turn your hair to be a 

 kind of water or glass-colour, or greenish ; and the longer you let it 

 lie the deeper it will be. You might be taught to make many other 

 colours, but it is to little purpose ; for doubtless the water-colour or 

 glass-coloured hair is the most choice and the most useful for an 

 angler, but let it not be too green. 



But if you desire to colour hair greener, then do it thus : take a 

 quart of small ale, half a pound of alum ; then put these into a pan 

 or pipkin, and your hair into it with them ; then put it upon a fire, 

 and let it boil softly for half-an-hour ; and then take out your hair, 

 and let it dry ; and having so done, then take a pottle of water, and 

 put into it two handfuls of marigolds, and cover it with a tile (or 

 what you think fit), and set it again on the fire, where it is to boil 

 again softly for half an hour, about which time the scum will turn 

 yellow ; then put into it half a pound of copperas, beaten small, and 

 with it the hair that you intend to colour ; then let the hair be boiled 

 softly till half the liquor be wasted, and then let it cool three or four 

 hours with your hair in it ; and you are to observe that the more 

 copperas you put into it, the greener it will be ; but, doubtless, the 

 pale green is best ; but if you desire yellow hair (which is only good 

 when the weeds rot), then put in the more marigolds, and abate most 

 of the copperas, or leave it quite out, and take a little verdigrease 

 instead of it. 



This for colouring your hair. And as for painting your rod, 

 which must be in oil, you must first make a size with glue and water, 

 boiled together until the glue be dissolved, and the size of a lye- 

 colour ; then strike your size upon the wood with a bristle, or 

 a brush, or pencil, whilst it is hot ; that being quite dry, take white- 

 lead, and a little red-lead, and a little coal-black, so much as 

 altogether will make an ash-colour ; grind these all together with 

 linseed oil ; let it be thick, and lay it thin upon the wood with 



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