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Cl. Obfervations on the Abbe Mazeas’s 
Letter on the Count de CaylusV Method of 
imitating the antieiit Painting in burnt 
Wax : By James Par fons, M. D. F. R. S. 
Read July i, r | \JJE fubjecft of the Abbe Mazeas’s 
I/:>6 JL letter, concerning what he thinks 
the encauftic painting in burnt wax, is very difficult 
to underhand ; for although the count de Caylus has 
made an effiay to find out the method of the antients 
in that kind of painting, his fuccefs, in the head of 
Minerva, mentioned in the Abbe’s letter, does not 
feem to explain Pliny’s meaning. This author is lb 
very ffiort and obfcure in moll: things, that a bare li- 
teral tranflation of fome parts of his work would 
hardly be reconcileable to fenfe ; and this is no where 
more evident than in this very fubjedt. 
I confefs I do not pretend to underhand what he 
means by painting in burnt wax, though I have con- 
fidered it over and over, fince my having tranflated 
the above letter. However, it may not be unenter- 
taining to the Society, to hear a few paffages of Pliny 
taken notice of upon the matter, bv which, perhaps, 
fome of the worthy members of this learned body 
may enter farther into it. 
The two principal methods tried at Paris were 
thefe; the Count’s was waxing over the cloth or board, 
mixing up the colours with water, and rubbing the 
waxed ground over with Spanifh chalk, in order to 
make the colours adhere to the waxed ground. The 
other was by mixing other ingredients with the wax 
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