Then the task of copying was straightforward. If the
book was to be embellished he left spaces for the illuminator
to fill in. When the illuminator took the book
over, he carefully sketched in his designs for the capitals
and miniatures, and then worked over them in colour,
applying one colour to a number of sketches at a time.
Anybody who is curious as to medieval methods of illuminating
should read a little fifteenth-century treatise which
describes "the crafte of lymnynge of bokys." "Who so
kane wyesly considere the nature of his colours, and
kyndely make his commixtions with naturalle proporcions,
and mentalle indagacions connectynge fro dyvers recepcions
by resone of theyre naturys, he schalle make curius
colourys." Thereafter follow recipes to "temper vermelone
to wryte therewith"; "to temper asure, roses, ceruse, rede
lede," and other pigments; "to make asure to schyne
bry3t{sic}," "to make letterys of gold," "blewe lethyre," and
"whyte lethyre"; with other curious information.[1]
[1] From the Porkington MS.; this treatise has been printed in
Early Engish Miscellanies, ed. J. O. Halliwell, for the Warton
Club (1855), p.
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