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The art of painting with burnt wax, (as it is called) 
hath long been loft to the world; the ufe of it to 
painters, in the infancy of the art of painting, was 
of the utmoft confequence, drying oil being un- 
known, they had nothing to prefer ve their colours 
entire from the injury of damps, and the heat of the 
fun ; a varnifh of fome fort was therefore neceftary ; 
but they being unacquainted with diftilled fpirits, 
could not, as we now do, diffolve gums to make a 
tranfparent coat for their pidtures; this invention 
therefore of burnt wax fupplied that defedt to them, 
and with this manner of painting, the chambers and 
other rooms in their houfes were furnifhed; this Pliny 
calls encauftum , and we cncauftick painting. 
The following experiments which I have the ho- 
nour to lay before your Lordfhip and the Society, 
were occaiioned by the extradt of a letter from the 
Abbe Mazeas, tranflated by Dr. Parfons, and pub- 
lithed in the fecond part of the 4.9th volume of the 
Pbilofophical Tranfatiions , N° 100, concerning the 
antient method of painting with burnt wax, revived 
by Count Caylus. 
The Count’s method was, 
Fir ft. To rub the cloth or board defigned for the 
pidture limply over with bees-wax. 
Secondly , To lay on the colours mixed with com- 
mon water; but as the colours will not adhere to 
the wax, the whole pidture was firft rubbed over 
with * Spanilh chalk, and then the colours are tiled. 
Vol.LI. G Thirdly , 
* Spanilh chalk is called by Dr. Parfons, in a note, Spanilh white ; 
this is a better kind of whitening than the common, and was the 
only 
