To make black dyeing. (p. 97-98)
Measure a tub of water that is for the tanning of leather and a full basin of fresh grindings that have been under the grindstone and make boil for the space of one hour, continually mixing at the fire so that it does not stick. Then you put into the tub a full basin of strong vinegar, more or less, according to what you think. Then cover it very well and stir each day two or three times a day. Then when you wish to dye, you will take as much leaf as is the stuff that you wish to dye, by weight. If you should not have leaf, in place of leaf as much gall and do so that it be one third of the weight of the leaf, that is, the one third part of the weight of the workload that you wish to dye, as I told you in the red. Inside put in what you want to dye and handle it and turn it for the space of one quarter hour and then squeeze it out with two sticks strongly. Later take out some bath that is in the tub, or as you wish, cask, I mean some of the clear, and put it in a vessel or uncovered tank and handle it and rehandle it, swishing it and draining out for the space of one quarter hour. Then take it out and do thus three or four times from on to the other. Then wash in the running water of the canal as usual in our city, shaking it so that out will come the black water and it remains beautiful, and then put it to dry. When it is done, if it does not seem beautiful, do as you have understood above until it becomes beautiful. If it appears to you to be well done, set on the fire enough water that suffices for your load. If it be a piece of cloth of twenty arms put in one half “quartarolo” of bran and make it reach a boil. Then remove the clear and then take one half goblet of oil and put it in a ladle of strong lye and beat together. Then throw everything into said hot water and swish said cloth or other work load by hand very well for a space of one quarter hour. Then you remove it and set it to dry and send it to the mangle, but if skeins they need no mangle. And thus can be dyed linen, fustian, homespun, and also the cloth for caps without side dressing and also dressed skins of all kinds excepting that these need the bath to be tepid and not too hot because they would spoil. One gives the color three times for each shade and one dries, and the third time when they are almost dry one needs to straighten or smoothen. Note, that if they be dressed, they need to be given oil with a rag and turning over said skins in a wheel so that the oil seeps through all the skin, handling carefully and not squeezing in the oil. After this you will give the sponge to even it out and thus is is done.