The Dover edition is an unabridged republication of Mrs. Merrifield's Original Treatises first published in London in 1849, with the addition of a glossary for modern readers. The treatises include: those collected by Jehan le Begue in 1431 (Table of Synonyms, Petrus de St. Audemar's On making colours, Eraclius' On the colours and arts of the Romans, Archerius' A treatise on preparing many kinds of colours and On colaurs of different kinds, with some miscellaneous recipes contributed by Jehan le Begue); The Bologna Manuscript Secrets for making colours, 15th century; The Marciana Manuscript Divers secrets, 16th century; The Paduan Manuscript Recipes for making all kinds of colours, 17th century; The Volpato Manuscript Mode to be observed in Painting, 17th century; The Brussels Manuscript Collection of essays on the wonders of painting by P. Lebrun, 17th century; Extracts from a History of the Academy of Fine Arts at Venice; Extracts from a dissertation read in the Academy of Fine Arts at Venice by P. Edwards on the Propriety of Restoring the Pub lic Pictures in Venice. In these treatises, the greatest emphasis is on the preparation of pigments for use in the illumination of manuscripts (mss. of Jehan le Begue); for larger-scale painting on wood (Bologna Ms.); on canvas in oil, with significant recipes on the preparation of varnishes (e.g. Jehan le Begue, Marciana Ms., Volpato Ms); and for fresco painting (Brussels Ms., Jehan le Begue). But notable sections in all the treatises are devoted to gilding of all types, to the manufacture of inks, the preparation of adhesives of all kinds. Working with glass and glazes is dealt with in Eraclius, the Bologna Ms., the Marciana Ms. and the Brussels Ms; dyeing of skins and bones occurs in Eraclius, Jehan le Begue, the Bologna Ms.; and the manufacturing (falsification), polishing and engraving of precious stones are described in the Bologna Ms. and Eraclius. Throughout the texts are individual recipes on a wide variety of subjects such as: substitute materials for precious metals (Jehan le Begue); tempering and cleaning iron, rust prevention (Jehan le Begue); colouring metals (P. de St. Audemar); the cleaning and cementing of parchment and paper (Jehan le Begue); making tracing paper (Jehan le Begue); making windows from parchment (Bologna Ms); manufacture of leather (Bologna Ms); manufacture of gesso (Jehan le Begue, Bologna Ms); manufacture of stucco (Marci ana Ms); manufacture of amber beads (substitute) (Bologna Ms); cleaning wool, velvet, etc. (Jehan le Begue); dyeing silk and other materials (Bologna Ms); bending ivory (Eraclius); preparation of surfaces such as linen, wood, paper, parchment, stone for various purposes such as gilding, silver-point, and painting (Archerius, Eraclius); the painter's equipment (Brussels Ms); how to speak of beautiful paintings (Brussels Ms). Mrs. Merrifield gives the text of each treatise in its original language on one side of the page, with an English translation, where feasible, on the opposite page. She also traces the history of each significant material dealt with in the treatises, in an introduction of 312 pages.