thereby those tinctures, though they tinge perhaps but a small part of the
substance, yet being so highly impregnated with the colour, as to be almost
black with it, may leave an impression strong enough to exhibite the
desir'd colour. A pretty kinde of artificial Stuff I have seen, looking
almost like transparent Parchment, Horn, or Ising-glass, and perhaps some
such thing it may be made of, which being transparent, and of a glutinous
nature, and easily mollified by keeping in water, as I found upon trial,
had imbib'd, and did remain ting'd with a great variety of very vivid
colours, and to the naked eye, it look'd very like the substance of the
Silk. And I have often thought, that probably there might be a way found
out, to make an artificial glutinous composition, much resembling, if not
full as good, nay better, then that Excrement, or whatever other substance
it be out of which, the Silk-worm wire-draws his clew. If such a
composition were found, it were certainly an easie matter to find very
quick ways of drawing it out into small wires for use. I need not mention
the use of such an Invention, nor the benefit that is likely to accrue to
the finder, they being sufficiently obvious. This hint therefore, may, I
hope, give some Ingenious inquisitive Person an occasion of making some
trials, which if successfull, I have my aim, and I suppose he will have no
occasion to be displeas'd.

* * * * *


Observ. V. _Of watered Silks, or Stuffs._

There are but few _Artificial_ things that are worth observing with a
_Microscope_, and therefore I shall speak but briefly concerning them. For
the Productions of art are such rude mis-shapen things, that when view'd
with a _Microscope_, is little else observable, but their deformity. The