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Cross of the commanders of Malta

This beautiful rouge clair which makes the field of
the white enamel cross is blood of fine tear of
dragon's blood tempered with eau de vie
or else Indian laque plate, which in my opinion is made
in Flanders, tempered with clear turpentine & tear
of mastic & laid down on a silver leaf, not the kind
which the painters use, but a thicker kind, which is
burnished by those who make foil backings for gemstonesAv or by goldsmiths, & that gives it
this beautiful brilliance.


Latten and calamine

Founders do not melt latten in a
airbellow furnace but in
crucibles, for in a bellow furnace &
amid the charcoals, the calamine would disappear.
A


Metal

Tin should be pure for if there is any lead, it will
go up in smoke while melting. Mixed tin holds in the fire for a
long time but the cendrée separates
it.


Aquafortis

If your retort is well luted one ought not to surround it
with ashes, which would only get in the way of chasing
the spirits properly. But when, at the end, you give it violent
fire, surround it with coals which should be lit elsewhere beforehand,
as those in the furnace should be, in order that they do not
crackle & do not make smoke. Put the said lit coals around the body
of the retort, & not close to the neck, which does not need
to be heated as vigorously. The top grate, where you place your
retort, is sufficiently far, one dour or
half a foot, from the bottom grate where the
charcoal is placed, for by doing this not as much of it is
wasted.

