degrees of yellowness between: It is used with slacked Lime. The colours dyed with old Fustick hold extreamly, and are not to be discharged, will spend with Salts or without, and will work hot or cold.
'Soot of Wood. Soot containeth in it self both a Colour and Salt; wherefore there is nothing added to it to extract its Colour, nor to make it strike up on the Stuff to be Dyed; the natural Colour which it Dyeth of it itself, is the Colour of Honey; but is the foundation of many other Colours upon Wool and Cloth; for to other things it is not ufed. Woad is made of a Weed, sown upon strong new-broken Land, perfectly cleared from all stones and weeds, cut several times by the top leaves, then ground, or rather chopt with a peculiar Mill for that purpose; which being done several times, it is is made up in Balls and dryed in the Sun; the dryer the year is, the better the Woad.
'When it is made up in Balls, it is broken again and laid in heaps, where if it heat too fast, it is sprinkled with ordinary water; but if it heat too slowly, then they throw on it a quantity of Lime or Urine. But of the perfect cultivating and curing of Woad, we shall speak elsewhere.
'English Woad is counted the strongest, it is commonly tryed by staining of white Paper with it, or a white limed Wall, and if the Colour be a French-green it is good.
'Woad in use is used with Pot-ashes commonly called Ware, which if it double refin'd, is called hard Ware (which is much the same with Kelp) or Sea-weeds, calcin'd and burnt into the hardness of a stone, by reiterated Calcinations.
