ith the
oil heated. It may not be amiss here, as sandarach is now so strongly
recommended, and shown at least to have formed a part of one of the
precious vehicles, to state the result of its use some twenty years ago. A
picture we then painted with it, is still without a crack, extremely hard,
and though by no means well painted, is good in texture, and resembles in
the quality of the pigments very much that of the old schools. Though for
some years shut up in a portfolio, the colours do not appear to have
undergone any change.

Although it will not probably be found that borax was used in the good
recipes by name, it may have been in the Venetian glass--at all events,
though we are now rather in search of what _was_ in use, than what may be
useful and good in itself, as it were _de novo_, it may be worth while to
remember the double facility it offers of use with oil or water, both or
either; and it may be added that the experience of some years shows
nothing against it and much in its favour. We have thought it to be a
preservative of colours. In our review of M. Merimee, we threw out a
conjecture that it might have been the Gummi Fornis in the recipe of
Theophilus--and which M. Merimee believed to be copal. But we are quite
convinced of our error by the arguments--we might say proofs--adduced by
Mrs Merrifield, contained in a note, in her admirable and most useful
volume, "Cennino Cennini." That it was sandarach there can be no doubt;
and we were in consequence induced to try the making the vehicle according
to the recipe of Theophilus, and perfectly succeeded. It has a pleasant
lustre, not that somewhat disagreeable shine which is often visible in
pictures painted with copal. For the quality of sandarach Mrs Merrifield
quotes Raffael Borghini, from his "Reposo"--"If you would have your
varnish very brilliant, use much sandarach."

Mr Eastlake has shown that Mrs Merrifield was not quite so fortunate in
her remark against M. Merimee's conjecture that the "Gummi Fornis" was
copal. "As that is brought from America, it could not possibly have been
known to Theophilus, who lived between three and four hundred years
previous to the discovery of that country." The name copal, as that of
Brazil, is not indigenous to America. Both that gum and dye were African,
and transferred to the similar productions of the New World. It is curious
that a distinction made between "vernice," and "vernice liquida" should be
the means of as