[1017] See B. vi. cc. 27, 28, 32.
[1018] See B. iii. c. 3, Vol. I. p. 163. He alludes to the district of
Almaden, in Andalusia, still famous for its quicksilver mines.
[1019] When sold by the “publicani,” or farmers of the revenue.
[1020] Of the publicani.
[1021] Red oxide of lead, a much inferior pigment to cinnabar, or the
minium of Chapter 36.
[1022] In Chapter 32 of this Book.
[1023] Dana informs us that minium is usually associated with galena
and with calamine. Syst. Mineral, p. 495.
[1024] “Steriles.” Barren of silver, probably; though Hardouin thinks
that it means “barren of lead.” Holland renders it “barraine and void
of the right vermilion.”
[1025] In Chapter 37.
[1026] B. xxxv. c. 24.
[1027] When hired by the job for colouring walls or objects of art. See
B. xxxv. c. 12.
[1028] See B. xvi. c. 12, and B. xxiv. c. 4.
[1029] “Candelis.” The Abate Requeno thinks that these “candelæ” were
used as a delicate cauterium, simply to keep the wax soft, that it
might receive a polish from the friction of the linen.
[1030] Hence the use of it in the middle ages; a reminiscence of which
still exists in our word “rubric.”
[1031] Or artificial quicksilver. In reality, hydrargyrus is prepared
from the _genuine_ minium of Pliny, the cinnabar mentioned in Chapter
36] it being obtained by the sublimation of sulphuret of mercury.
[1032] In Chapters 20 and 32.
[1033] This, probably, is the meaning of “lubrico humore compluere.”
[1034] See the end of Chapter 38.
[1035] Artificial quicksilver is still used for this purpose. See Note
971 to Chapter 32 of this Book; also Beckmann’s Hist. Inv. Vol. II. p.