+ 
of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 4.75 
A. drieit for thefpace of fortie daies together in the hoteft feafon of the Summer. Therebe againe 
who thinke itbeft ro feeth it in water within a {wines bellie,and when they have taken it forth rub 
it well with falnitre,& pun it in morters as before, with falt, Ye (hall have them that never beflow 
feething of it,but onely beat it with falt,and then put water thereto and wath it. Well,thus pres , 
pared as is beforefaid, itferveth for collyries and cye-talves : in aliniment alfo,to take away the 
foule cicatrices or fcars,the pimples and {peckes likewife tha: marre the beautie of women, yea; 
and our dames wath the haire of their head withallto make it cleane and pure.Andin very truth 
litharge is of power to drie,mollifie,coole, and attemper; tocleanfe alfo, to incarnatulcers, and 
to affuage or mitigat any tumors.Beeing reduced into the unguents and plaftres abovefaid, and 
namely,with an addition of rue, myrtles,and vinegre, it is fingular for S,Anzhonies fire, Sembla- 
B_ bly, being incorporat with oile of Myrtles and wax into acerot,it healeth kibedheeles. 
- Cuap, vir 
2& Of Vermillion : and of what eftiation it was among the old Romanes : the fir it in- 
vention thereof. Of Cinnabarts the fe thereof in pictures ana in 
Phyficke. The fundrie forts of Minium or Ver- 
million and bow tt is to be ordered 
to ferve Painters. 
Cc Here is found alfo in filver mines a minerall called Minium,.Vermillion,which isa colotit 
ae at this day of great price and eftimation, likeas it was in old ume: for the ancient Romans 
_made exceeding great account of it,not only for pictures, buralfo for divers facred and ho- 
ly ufes. And verely Verrivs alleadgeth and rehearfeth many authors, whofe credit ought not to 
be difprooved, who affirme, That the manner was in times paft to paint the very face of /upiters 
image upon high and feaftivall dayes,with Vermillion: as alfo, that the valiant captaines, who | 
_ rode triumphant into Rome, had in former times their bodies * coloured all over therewith : af- ne few ene 
ter which manner,noble Carmillus (they fay)entered the citiein triumph. Andeven at this day, juts they bad 
accotding to that auncient and religious cuttome,ordinarie it is,to colour all the unguents that fought, what 
are ufed im the feaftivall fappers at a folemne triumph,with Vermillion, And no one thing do the rae 
D Cenfors givecharge & order forto be done, at their entrance into office before the painting Of theyhad made: 
Jupiters vilage with Minium. The caufe and motive that fhould induce onrauncefters to this ce- fer oe 
reimonie I marvaile much at,and cannot imagine what it fhouldbe. True it is and well knowne, wiiddeae Be 
Thatin thefe dates the Athyopians in generall fer much ftore by this colour,and have itin great their bload, — 
requeft, infomuch,as not onely the princes and great lords of thofe countries have their bodies ae 
{tained throughout therwith,buc alfo the images of their gods are painted with no other colour: Se 
in which regard L am moved to difcourfe morecurioufly and at large of all particulars that may 
concetne it, . 
Theophraftas faith, That 90 yeares before that Praxibulvs was eftablithed cheefe ruler of the 
Athenians, (which falleth out juft upon tne 249 yeare after the foundation.ofourcity of Rome) 
E Callas the Athenian was the firft that devifedthe.ufeof Vermillion, and brought the lively co- 
Jour thereof into name : For, finding akind of red earth or fandie grit inthe mines of filver, and 
hoping that by circulation there mightbe gold extracted out of it, ‘ftied what he could doeby 
fire, and fobythat meanes broughtit untothat frefh and pleafant bue that it hath :which was 
the firft original! of Vermillion.He faith moreover, [hateven in thofe daiesthere was found Mi- 
nivm in Spaine,but the fame washard and full of grittie fand : likewifeamong the Colchi, ina 
certaine rocke inacceffible ; byreafon whereof,the peopleof the countrey were conftrained by 
fhooting atit,to {hake and drive it downe : howbeit the fame was bur a baftard Minium, Butthe 
beft fimply(faith he) was gotten in the tertitorieof the Cilbians,fomewhat higher in the coun- 
crey,than Ephefus: in fumme, That the faid Minium or Vermillion, is acertainefandieearth,of a : 
F deepe skarletcolour, which was prepared in this order: Firft they pun and beat it into pouder, 
and then wafhed it being thus pulverized, Afterwards,that which ferledin the bottome,they wa- 
theda fecond time. In which artifictall handling of Minium,this difference thereis, that fome 
make perfect Vermillion of it with the firft wathing : others thinke, the Vermillion of that ma- 
king+o be too pale and weake in colour,and therfore held tharof the fecond wathing to be per 
| nd 
