Candle, a light made of tallow, wax, or spermaceti, the wick of which is usually composed of several threads of cotton.

There are two species of tallow candles, the one dipped, and the other moulded; the first are those in common use; the invention of the second is attributed to Le Brege, of Paris. Good tallow-candles ought to be made with equal parts of sheep and ox-tallow; care being taken to avoid any mixture of hog's lard, which occasions a thick black smoke, attended with a disagreeable smell, and also causes the candles to run.

When the tallow has been weighed and mixed in due proportions, it is cut very small, that it may be more speedily dissolved ; for otherwise it would be liable to burn, or become black, if left too long over the fire. As soon as it is completely melted and skimmed, a certain quantity of water, proportionate to that of the tallow, is poured in, for precipitating the impure particles to the bottom of the vessel. This, however, should not be done till after the three first dips ; as the water, by penetrating the wicks, would make the candles crackle in burning, and thereby render them useless. To purify the tallow still more, it is strained through a coarse horse-hair sieve into a tub : where, after having remained three hours, it becomes fit for use.

Wax Candid are of various kinds and forms ; they are made of cotton or flaxen wicks, slightly twisted, and covered with white or coloured wax. This operation is performed either by the hand or with a ladle. In order to soften the wax, it is first worked repeatedly in a deep narrow cauldron of hot water; then taken out in small pieces, and gradually dis-poned round the wick, which is fixed on a hook in the wall, be-ginning with the larger end, and diminishing in proportion as the neck approaches; to prevent the wax from adhering to the hands, they are rubbed with oil of olives, lard, or other uncluous substance. When it is intended to make wax candles with a ladle, the wicks bring prepared as above-mentioned, a dozen of them are fixed at equal distances round an iron circle, which is suspended over a tinned copper vessel containing melted wax ; a large ladleful of which is poured gently and repeatedly on the tops of file wicks, till the candles have acquired a proper size, when they are taken down, kept warm, and smoothed upon a walnut-tree table with a long square instrument of box. which is continually moistened with hot water, to prevent the adhesion of the wax. In other respects, this mode of making wax-candles corresponds with that of manufacturing them by the hand.

From the increasing demand and price of wax, various experiments have been tried, in order to discover proper substitutes, which might possess similar solidity. We are informed by a foreign journal, that this desirable object has been satis* factorily attained, by melting down an equal quantity of tallow and resin. In order to ascertain the truth of this assertion, we were induced to repeat the experiment, but without success : for, though the two substances incorporated, they had not a sufficient degree of cohesion; and, when moulded into a proper form, the tallow burned, but the resin dissolved, and separated from it.

In September, 1799, Mr. William bolts, of London, obtained a patent for new modes of improving the form, quality, and use of candles, and other lights, made of tallow, wax, spermaceti, etc. This invention the patentee founds on four principles : 1. On the fabrication of the body of such lights, prior to, and independently of, the wicks which may be subsequently applied to them. 2. On the application of moveable wicks, which maybe applied to, or extracted from the candles, or lights, any time after they have been made. 3. On the using of fixed, or ordinary wicks, for those lights or candles, at any period subsequent to the making of either; and 4. On placing the inflammable substance, while in fusion, in a close vessel, and submitting it there to the action of a vacuum, and of a pressure superior to that of the atmosphere. This was effected with a view to extract, by the vacuum, whatever elastic fluid may remain in it, under the ordinary pressure ; and also to increase the solidity and whiteness of the substance, by the superior weight applied to it, when cooling.

From the very great utility of candles, they early became the object of adulteration: hence it is provided by various acts of parliament, that all adulterated candles shall be forfeited; and if any tallow-chandlers, or melters, make use of melting-houses without giving due' notice to the excise-officers, they shall be subject to a penalty of 1001.; or, if they fail in informing those persons of their making candles, and thus prevent them from ascertaining the duties, 50l.; and if any person is convicted of making candles privately, they are forfeited, together with the uten-sils, and 1001. by the 5 Geo. III. c. 43. Those candles, however, for which the duty has been paid, may be exported, and the duty allowed ; but, by the statutes of 8 ANN, c. 9, and 23 Geo. II. c. 21, no drawback is allowed on the exportation of foreign candles.

Although candles are preferable to lamps, as their light is less injurious both to the eyes and lungs, and as they do not produce so great a volume of .smoke, yet a clean chamber-lamp, which emits as little smoke and smell as possible, is far superior even to wax-candles; for, 1. As all candles burn down-wards, the eye necessarily becomes more fatigued, and strained during the later hours of candle-light; 2. Because they yield an irregular light, which occasions the additional trouble of snuffing them; and lastly, because, if the air be agitated ever so little, or if the candles are. made of bad materials, they injure the eye by their flaring light.

Candle. - A method of making this useful article with wooden wicks, is practised at Munich, in Bavaria; and, as it promises to be of great utility, we lay the following account before our economical readers.

The wood generally used for this purpose, is that of the fir-tree, when one year old; though pine, willow, or other kinds are frequently employed: the young shoots must first be deprived of their bark, by scraping; which operation ought to be repeated after they become dry, till they be reduced to the size of a small straw. These rods are next to be rubbed over with tallow, or wax, so as to be covered with a thin coating of either of these substances; after which they should be rolled on a smooth table, in fine carded cotton, of the same length as the rod or candle-mould ; care being taken that the cotton be of an uniform thickness around the wick, excepting at the upper extremity, where it may be made somewhat thicker. By this preparation, the wicks will acquire the size of a small quill, when they must be placed in moulds, in the usual manner; and good, fresh tallow, that has previously been melted with a little water, be poured around them.

The candles, thus manufactured, emit nearly the same volume of light as those made of wax : they burn considerably longer than the common tallow-candles ; never crackle or run; and, as they do not flare, are less prejudicial to the eyes of those persons who are accustomed to long-continued lucubrations. It ought, however, to be observed, that a pair of sharp scissars must be employed for snuffing such candles ; because, in performing that operation, great precaution is required, that the wick be neither broken nor deranged.