ST A 291

belly and fhoulders is feetbed as it ought to to be, the legs and
thighs, which are not fo big, will be burnt and confumed with
the fire before the trunk is hot through. And this caution is
neceffary in all the different pieces of work that can be nade,
if the workman would perform it with judgment, and prevent
fuch ill accidents as may happen upon the like occafions.

When the mould is finifhed after the manner before directed,
the artificer orders a hole to be dug four-fquare, large enough
to contain the figure ; but it muft have a wide fpace of at leaft
a foot or a foot and an half about it, and be deeper than the
mould is high ; for, at the bottom, it fhould have a fort of an
oven, whofe mouth muft be on the outfide for the putting in of
the fire, and above that a ftrong iron grate, ftrongly fupported
by the arch and walls of the oven ; which fhould be made of
freeftone or brick, as well as the four Tides of the hole from
bottom to top.

After the grate is placed on the oven at the bottom of the
hole, the mould is let down with engines, and the neceffary
provifion made for it; pans are fet under the pipes, that ferve
for cafts and vents to receive the wax that runs out of them;
then the hole is covered by planks, and, by lighting a moderate
fire under the figure, that, and all the place in which it is, is
heated with a moderate heat, till the wax melts and runs out of
the mould, none remaining behind ; for, if there was, it would
caufe a deformity in the figure, when the metal ran into it.

The mould muft not be fo hot as to make the wax boil, which
might hinder its running outintirely.

When it is thought all the wax is melted, which may be known
by the quantity which comes out, for it muft be weighed before
it is put in ; the pans are taken away, and the mouths of the
holei at which the wax ran out are covered with earth ; all the
void fpaces between the mould and the walls are filled with pieces
of bricks, which are thrown down foftly and without ranging in
order; and, when that is done to the top, a good wood fire is
made under the furnace. The flame, being intermixed with
thefe pieces of brick, cannot afcend with violence or damnify the
mould ; but communicates a heat only in pafling through thofe
pieces of brick, which it heats, fo that it grows red, as does alfo
the mould.

After the fire has burnt about twenty-four hours, and it is
perceived that the bricks and moulds are lighted from bottom to
top, that fire is let out, and the moulds grow cold again ; all the
bricks being taken away that were about it. When the heat is
quite gone, earth is thrown into the hole to fill up the vacancy
Jeft by the bricks, and, as the earth is thrown down, it is trod
upon and preffed againfl: the mould, which therefore fhould not

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