Grew family. Papers of the Grew, Andrews, Norton, and Wigglesworth families, 1738-1884. Norton, Samuel, 1743-1832. A. booklet of household recipes; [Hingham] 14 Sept. 1799. MS Am 1136 (303). Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

2 Boom To give gold a high & fine colour Red [catimed?] vitrol 3 oz, salarmoniac 2 oz, & verdegrease 1 oz: grind them together, & keep them dry. When you would colour your gold, moisten it, & strew this powder over it, weat it often, & quench it in pump. water.

Another

verdegrease, sal-armoniac, saltpetre & vitrol, an equal quantity, grind them well together; pour vinegar upon them, grind them again, as painters do colours, & let them dry; then moisten, grind & dry them again; repeat this for several times: & when you would colour gold, wet it with urine, rub it with a brush then fling the powder upon it, lay it on red hot coles, & it will turn black.

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then quench it in urine, & rub it with a wire brush; in this manner you may proceed with the other colours.

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To bring pale gold to a high colour

Take verdegrease, pour vinegar upon it, stir it will, anoint your gold therewith, heat it in the fire, & quench it in urine. --

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To colour gold

Take a lock of human hair; of about a finger thick, lay it on live coles, & hold the gold with a pair of tongs over it, to recieve the fumes.

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To give gilded work a fine colour

Take clean salt & brimstone, boil them together with water in an eggshell; after taking away the inside film; with this liquid wipe over your gilding, & it will make it of a bright colour.

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[recto:] Or Take powder of sulpher & bruised garlick, boil these in urine, [?] your gold, quench it therein.

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To brighten spots in gilding

Boil allum in clear water, put your work into it. this will restore the colour again, & remove the spots.

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To give onto silver lace & trimmings their beauty & colour, as if they were hnew.

Take powder of alabaster, put it dry into a pipkin, & let it boil as long as it can, then take it off the fire, & when cold, lay your lace upon a cloth, & with a comb-brush, take up some of that powder, & rub therewith both sides, till it is as bright as you would have it, afterwards polish it with a smooth stone.

Or take ox-gall, & ye gall of a large jack, & some water, mix it together, & with it rub your gold or silver. --- Of Helling gold This is ye finishing stroke of either gold or gilded work after it has undergone ye operations with ye gilding wax & gold colours. To hell gold, or gilded work 2 oz tarter, 2 oz sulpher, & 4 oz salt boil this in half water, & half wine, dip your gold or gilded work into it, - --- or, 8 oz salt, 2 oz tartar 2 oz sulphur 2 oz cap. mort. 1/2 oz allum, boil this in water & wine, & draw your work through. --- or 8 oz sulphur, 8 oz allum, 8 oz yellow arsenick, 16 oz tarter, 16 oz salt boil them in water & wine. ---- Borax Take ye best venice soap, scrape it as thin as possible, let it dry between 2 papers in ye air; then rub it to a powder, put it into an unglased pipkin set it on a gentle coal fire, & let it by degrees fugemate until it has no moisture at all, then it is right, this is better than venice borax. -- A powder to silver copper or brass, by rubbing it with ones finger. Dissolve a little silver in aqua fortis, add to it as much tarter & sal-armo-niac as to make it like a paste, whereof make little balls; dry & pulverise them; if you take some of this powder, on your wetted thumb & rub it upon ye mettle, it will give it ye colour of silver. --

To silver brass in fire. Take calix of fine silver 1.2 oz, 1 oz sal-armoniac, 3 oz salt; mix, & grind them well together. When you use it, grind & temper it together with water, & rub your brass therewith; neal it brown; then quench it in water wherein tarter has been dissolved; scratch it, & finish your work by polish -ing it as you see requisite --- To Silver copper, brass, steel, or Iron, as not to come off, except made red hot._ Take urine, which is made in ye morning, cover it & let it stand a whole month, & it will ferment; put it into a kettle or earthen pot, & let it boil; skim it, & when ye 3d part is evaporated, take 2 parts of urine, 1 oz tarter, & 1 oz of [galiz?]-stone; put it in, & let it boil once up, This liquid keep clean, & if you would silver aney metal, take brick-dust on a wet woolen rag, & rub therewith your iron, or other metal, until it is clear & fine, & put it 24 hours in ye prepaired wine; afterwards dry it, & where you design to silver, rub it over with quicksilver; you must lay it on thin with an Iron spatulae that has also lain 2 hours in wine; then rub it on with a soft woolen rag; it is a bright silvering. --- Silvering on copper Dissolve fine silver in aqua fortis pour it upon pulverised tarter; & then draw your aqua fortis clear off & there remains a black matter,

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