The Handmaid to the arts,
Teaching,
I. A perfeft knowledge of the materia pi&oria: or the nature, ufe, preparation, and compofition, of all the various fubdances employed in painting ; as well vehicles, dryers, &c. as colours: including thofe peculiar to enamel and painting on glafs.
II. The feveral devices employed for the more eafily and accurately making de- iigns from nature, or deputed reprcfentations; either by off-tracing, calking, reduction, or other.means : with the methods of taking calls, or impreffions, from figures, buds, medals, leaves,
III. The various manners of gilding, filvering, and bronzing, with the preparation of the genuine gold and filver powders, and imitations of them, as alfp of the fat oil, gold fizes, &nd other necef- fary compositionsthe art of japanning as applicable not only to the former pur- pofes, but to coaches, fnuff* boxes, &c. in the manner lately introduced and the method of daining different kinds of fubdances with all the feveral colours.
The whole being calculated, as well for conveying a more accurate and extenfive knowledge of the matters treated of to artifts ; as to initiate thofe, who are defirous to attempt thefe arts, into the method of preparing and ufing all the colours, and other fubdances employed in painting in oil, miniature, enamel, varnijb, and frefcc \ as alfo in gilding, bV.
LONDON,
Printed for J. N o u r s e at the Lamb oppofite
Katherine-Street in the Strand.
MDCCLVUI.
To the Noblemen and Gentlemen,
Members of the Society For the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
T H E correspondence betwixt the delign of this work' and the views, on which you have formed yourfeiyps into a fociety, na-turally points out to fiie, to whom it may be addreffei with the greateft propriety : and the fenSe of that gratitude 'due to you from myfelf and every other member of the community, for your zealous application to promote the na-tional intereft, in fome of the moft important though much negle<fted matters, gives me a pleafure in embracing this opportunity of ex-prefling my acknowledgments of it.
The furnifliing means of eflablifhing and improving ufeful arts, efpecially thofe which relate to confiderable manufa&ures, and the creating incitements and motives to the exer-cife of thofe means, (however minute and tri-vial fbme neceflary particulars of them may appear to thofe who have not duly weighed the nature and confequence of fuch affairs,) arc yet, to a country that owes its riches, power, and even domeftic fecurity to commerce, of the greateft concern and moment: and it is more peculiarly meritorious in thofe, who in a private capacity exert their utmoft endeavours on thefe accounts j as fuch perfuits feem to take up a very little lhare of the regard of the public here, at a time, when all the neighbouring governments (and efpecially that of our rival France) make them a principal object of their attention and care. To you, therefore, I dedicate this book: as it is not only in your power, but intirely within the fphere of your profeffed intentions, to inforce, in a more SXtenfive and publicly beneficial way, the practice of many particulars taught in it; and as it affords me an occafion of declaring that high.eftimation of the undertaking of your fociety, and confequential refpedt for the mem' hers of it, which is entertained by My Lords and Gentlemen,
Your moft obedient, and humble Servant,
The AUTHOR,