General Observations upon
DYING.
'FIRST, that all the materials (which of themselves do give Colour) are either Red, Yellow, or Blue, so that out of them, and the primitive fundamental Colour White, all that great variety which we see in dyed Stuffs doth arise.
'2. That few of the Colouring materials (as Cochineil, Soot, Wood-wax, Woad) are in their outward and first appearance of the same Colour, which by the slightest distempers and solutions in the weakest Menstrua, the Dye upon Cloth, Silk, &c.
'3. That many of the Colouring materials will not yield their Colours without much grinding, steeping, boyling, fermenting, or corrosion by powerful Menstrua; as Red-wood, Weld, Woad, Arnotto, &c.
'4. That many of the said Colouring materials will of themselves give no Colouring at all, as Copperas, or Galls, or with much disadvantage, unless the Cloth or other Stuff to be dyed, be as it were first covered or incrustated with some other matter, though Colour-less aforehand, as Mather, Weld, Brasil, with Allum.
'5. That some of the said Colouring materials by the help of other colour-less ingredients, do strike different Colours from what they would alone, and of themselves; as Cochineil, Brasil, &c.
