22.1. 1. How to make true spirit of wine.

TAke the finest Paper you can get, or else some Virgine parchment, strayne it verie right and stiffe over the glasse bodie, wherein you put your sacke, malmsie or muskadine, oyle the paper or virgin parchment with a pensil moistned in the oile of Ben, and distill it in the Balneo with a gentle fire, and by this means you shall purchase only the true spirit of wine. You shall not have above two or three ounces at the moste out of a gallon of wine, which ascendeth in the forme of a cloude, without any dewe or veins in the [Page]helme, lute all the joyntes well in this distillation. This spirit will vanish in the ayre, if the glasse stand open.

22.2. 2.How to make the ordinarie spirit of wine that is solde for 5. shillings, & a noble, a pinte.

PUt sacke, malmesie, or muskadine into a glasse bodie, leaving one thirde or more of your glasse empty, set it in balneo, or in a pan of ashes, keeping a softe and gentle fire, drawe no longer then till all or most part wil burne away, which you may prove nowe and then, by setting a spoonefull thereof on fire with a paper as it droppeth from the nose or pipe of the helme, and if your spirit thus drawn have any phlegme therin, the rectify or redistil ye spirit again in a lesser body, or in a bolt receiver in sted of an other body, luting a small head on the top of the steel [Page]thereof, and so you shall have a verie strong spirit, or else for more expedition, distill five or sixe gallons of wine by a Limbecke, and that spirit which ascendeth afterward, redistil in glasse as before.

22.3. 3.Spirits of Spices.

DIstill with a gentle heat either in balneo, or ashes, the strong and sweete water, wherewith you have drawen oile of cloves, mace, nutmegs, Juniper, Rosemarie, &c. after it hath stoode one moneth close stopt, and so you shall purchase a most delicate Spirite of each of the saide aromaticall bodies.

22.4. 4. Spirit of wine tasting of what vegetable you please.

MAcerate Rosemarie, Sage, sweet fennell seedes, Marierom, Lemon or Orenge pils, &c. [Page]in spirit of wine a day or two, and then distill it over againe, unlesse you had rather have it in his proper colour: for so you shall have it upon the first infusion without any farther distillation, and some young Alchimists doe holde these for the true spirits of vegetables.

22.5. 5.How to make the water which is usually called Balmewater.

TO every gallon of claret wine put one pound of green balm Keep that which commeth first &. is clearest, by it selfe: and the second & whiter sort which is weakest, and commeth last, by it selfe, distill in a pewter limbeeke luted with paste to a brasse pot. Drawe this in May or June whe the herb is in his prime.

22.6. 6. Rosasolis.

TAke of the hearbe Rosasolis, gathered in July one gallon, pick [Page]out all the black moats from the leaves, dates halfe a pounde, Cinamon, Ginger, cloves, of each one ounce, graines half an ounce, fine sugar a pound and a halfe, red rose leaves, greene or dryed foure handfuls, steepe all these in a gallon of good Aqua Composita in a glasse close stopped with waxe, during twentie daies, shake it wel together once everie two daies. Your sugar must be powdred, your spices brused onely, or grosselie beaten, your dates cut in long slices the stones taken awaie. If you adde two or three graines of Amber greece, and as much muske in your glasse amongst the rest of the ingredientes, it will have a pleasant smel. Some adde the gum amber with coral and pearl finely poudred, and fine leafe golde. Some use to boyle Ferdinando bucke in Rosewater, till they have purchased a faire deepe crimson colour, and when the same is cold, [Page]they colour their Rosasolis and Aqua Rube a therewith.

22.7. 7.Aqua Rubea.

Take of muske sixe graines, of Cinamon and ginger of each one ounce, white sugar candy one pounde, pouder the sugar, and bruse the spices grossely, binde them up in a cleane linnen cloth, and put them to infuse in a gallon of Aqua coposita in glasse close stopped twentie foure houres, shaking them togither divers times, then put thereto of turnesole one dram, suffer it to stand one houre, and then shake al together, then if the colour like you after it is setled, poure the cleerest forth into an other glasse: but if you wil have it deeper coloured, suffer it to worke longer uppon the turnesole.

22.8. 8. Steevens Aqua composita.

TAke a gallo of Gascoign wine, of ginger, galingale, cinamo, nutmegs & graines, Annis seeds, fennel seeds, and carroway seeds, of each a dram, of Sage, mints, red Roses, Time, Pellitorie, Rosemary, wild thime, camomil, lavender, of each a handfull, braie the spices small, and bruise the herbs, letting them macerate 12. houres, stirring it now and then, then distill by a limbecke of pewter, keeping the first cleare water that cometh by it self, & so likewise the second. You shal draw much about a pinte of the better sort from every gallon of wine.

22.9. 9.Usquebath, or Irish aqua vitae.

TO every gallon of good Aqua composita, put two ounces of chosen liquerice bruised, and cut into small peeces, but first clensed from all his filth, and two ounces of Annis seeds that are cleane & bruised, let them macerate five or sixe daies in a wodden Vessel, stopping the same close, and then draw off as much as will runne cleere, dissolving in that cleare Aqua vitae five or six spoonfuls of the best Malassoes you can get, Spanish cute if you can get it, is thought better then Malassoes, then put this into another vessell; and after three or foure daies (the more the better) when the liquor hath fined it self, you may use the same: some adde Dates & Raisons of the sun to this receipt; those groundes which remaine you may redistill and make more Aqua composita of them, & of that Aqua coposita you may make more Usque bath.

22.10. 10. Cinamon water.

HAving a Copper bodie or brasse pot that will holde 12. gallons, you may well make 2. or 3. gallons of Cinamon water at once. Put into your body overnight 6. gallons of conduit water, and two gallons of spirit of wine, or to save charge two gallons of spirit drawne from wine lees, Ale, or lowe wine, or sixe pound of the best and largest Cinamon you can get, or else eight pound of the second sort wel brused, but not beaten into pouder: lute your Lymbeck, & begin with a good fire of wood & coals, till the vessel begin to distil, then moderate your fire, so as your pipe may drop apace, and run trickling into the receiver, but not blow at anie time: it helpeth much heerein to keep the water in the bucket, not too hot. by often change thereof, it must [Page]never be so hot but that you may well indure your finger therein. Then divide into quart Glasses the spirit which first ascendeth, and wherein you finde either no taste or a very small taste of the Cynamon, then may you boldely after the spirit once beginneth to come strong of the cinamo, draw untill you have gotten at the least a Gallon in the receiver, and then divide often by halfe pintes and quarters of pintes, least you drawe too long: which you shall knowe by the faynte taste and milky coulour which distilleth in the ende: this you must nowe and then taste in a spoone. Now, when you have drawen so much as you finde good, you may adde thereunto so much of your spirit that came before your Cinamon water, as the same will well beare: which you must find by your taste. But if your spirit and your Cinamo be both good, you may of the [Page]afore said proportion wil make up two gallons, or two gallons and a quarte of good Cinamon water. Heere note that it is not amisse to observe which glasse was first filled with the Spirit that ascended, and so of the second, thirde, and fourth: and when you mix, begin with the last glasse first, & so with the next, because those have more taste of the Cinamon then that which came first, and there fore more fit to bee mixed with your Cinamon water. And if you meane to make but 8. or 9 pintes at once, then begin but with the halfe of this proportion. Also that spirit which remaineth unmixed doth serve to make Cinamon water the second time. This way I have often proved & found most excellent: take heede that your Limbecke be cleane and have no maner of sent in it, but of wine or Cinamon, and so likewise of the glasses, sunnelles and pots which[Page]you shall use about this worke.

22.11. 11.How to distill Isop, thime, lavender, Rosemary, &c. after a new and excellent manner.

HAving a large Pot containing 12. or 14 gallons, with a Limbecke to it, or else a copper body with a serpentine of 20 or 24. gallons, and a copper heade, beeing such a vessell as is commonly used in the drawing of Aqua vitae, fill two partes thereof with faire watet, and one other thirde part with such hearbes as you woulde distill, the hearbes being eyther moist or drie it skilleth not greatly whether, let the hearbes macerate all night, and in the morning begin your fire, then distil as before in Cinamon water, beeing carefull to give change of waters to your colour alwaies as it needeth: drawe no longer then you feele a strong and sensible taste of[Page]ye hearb which you distill, alwayes dividing the stronger from the weaker, and by this meanes you shall purchase a water farre excelling any that is drawen by a common pewter still: you may also gather the oyle of each hearb which you shall finde fleeting on the top or summity of your water. This course agreeth best with such herbs as are not in taste, and will yeeld their oile by distillation.

22.12. 12How to make the salt of hearbs.

BUrne whole bundles of dryed Rosemary, Sage, Isop, &c; in a cleane oven, and when you have gathered good store of the ashes of the hearb, infuse warme water upon them, making a strong and sharpe Lee of those ashes, then evaporate that Lee, & the residece or setling which you finde in the botto therof, is the salt which you seek for. Some use to filter this lee[Page]divers times before evaporation, that their salt may be the clearer and more transparet. This salt according to the nature of the hearb hath great effects in physicke.

22.13. 13.Spirit of hony.

PUt one part of honey to 5. parts of water, when the water boileth, dissolve your honey therein, skimme it, and having sodden an houre or two, put it into a wodden vessell, and when it is but bloud warme, set it on worke with yeaste after the usuall manner of Beere and Ale, tun it, and when it hath lyen some time, it will yeelde his spirit by distillation; as wine, beer and ale will do.

22.14. 14. To distil Rosewater at Michaelmas and to have a go [...]d yeeld as at any other time of the yeare.

IN the pulling of your Roses, first divide all the blasted leaves, the take the other fresh leaves, and lay them abroad upon your table or windowes with some cleane linnen under them, let them ly 3. or foure houres, or if they bee dewy until the dewe be fully vanished, put these rose leaves in great stone pottes, having narrowe mouthes, and well leaded within, (such as the Goldfiners call their hookers, & serve to receive their Aqua fortis, bee the best of all others that I know) and when they are well filled, stop their mouthes with good corkes, eyther covered all over with waxe or molten brimstone, and then set your pot in some coole place, and they wil keepe a long time good, and you may distill them at your best leasure. This waie you may distill Rosewater good cheape, if you buy store of Roses, when you find a glutte of them in the market,[Page]wherby, they are solde for 7. pence or 8. pence the bushell, you then engrosse the flower. And some hold opinion, that if in the midst of these leaves you put some broken leaven, and after fill up the pot with Rose leaves to the top, that so in your distillatio of them you shal have a perfect Rose vinegar without the addition of anie common vinegar. I have knowen Refeleaves kept well in Rondlets, that have been first well seasoned with some hote liquor and Roseleaves boiled togither, and the same pitched over on the out side, so as no aire might penetrate or pearce the vessell.

22.15. 15. A speedy distillation of Rosewater.

STampe the leaves, and first distill the juice being expressed, and after distil the leaves, and so you shall dispatch more with one Stil, then others do with three or[Page]foure stils. And this water is everie way as medicinable as the other, serving in all sirrups, decoctions, &c. sufficiently, but not altogether so pleasing in smell.

22.16. 16.How to distill wine vinegar or good Aligar, that it may bee both clear & sharpe.

IKnowe it is an usuall manner among the Novices of our time to put a quart or two of good vinegar into an ordinary leade still, and so to distill it as they do all other waters. But this way I do utterly dislike, both for that heere is no seperation made at all, and also because I feare that the Vinegar doth cary an ill touch with it, either fro the leaden botto or pewter head or both. And therefore I coulde wish rather that the same were distilled in a large bodie of glasse with a head or receiver, the same being placed in sande or ashes.[Page]Note that the best part of the vinegar is the middle part that ariseth, for the first is fainte and phlegmatick, and the last wil taste of adustion, because it groweth heavie toward the latter end, and must be urged up with a great fire, and therefore you must nowe and then taste of that which commeth both in the beginning & towards the latter end, that you may receive the best by it selfe.

22.18. 15. How to barrell up Oysters, so as they shall last for sixe moneths sweete and good, and in their naturall taste.

OPe your oisters, take the licor of the, and mixe a reasonable proportion of the best white wine vineger you can get, a little salt & some pepper, barrell the fish up in small caske, covering all the Oysters in this pickle, and they will last a long time; this is an excellent meanes to convey Oysters unto drie townes, or to carie them in long voyages.

22.19. 16. How to keepe fresh Salmon a whole moneth in his perfect taste and delicacie.

FIrst seeth your Salmon according to the usuall manner, the sinke it in apt and close vessels in wine vinegar with a braunch of Rosemarie therein. By this means Vintners and Cookes may make profit thereof when it is scarce n the markets, & Salmon thus prepared may be profitably brought out of Ireland and sold in London or else where.

22.20. 17. Fish kept long, and yet to eate shorte and delicately.

FRie your fish in oyle, some commend Rape Oyle, and some the sweetest Sivill Oyle that you canne get, for the fish will not taste at all of the Oyle[Page]because it hath a watrish bodie, & oyle and water make no true unity, then put your fish in white wine vinegar, and so you may keepe it for the use of your Table any reasonabletime.

22.21. 18. How to keepe roasted Beefe a long time sweete and wholesome.

THis is also done in wine vinegar, your peeces being not over great, & well and close barrelled up: this secret was fully proved in that honourable voyage unto Cales.

22.22. 19.How to keepe powdered beefe five or six weekes after it is sodden, without any charge.

WHen your beefe hath beene well & thorowly powdred by tenne or twelve dayes space, then seeth it throughly, dry it with a[Page]cloth, and wrap it in dry clothes placing the same in close vessels and Cupbords, and it will keepe sweete & sound two or three moneths, as I am credibly informed from the experience of a kinde & loving friend.

22.23. 20.A conceipt of the Authors, how beefe may be carried at the sea, with out that strong and violent impression of salt which is usually purchased by long and extreme powdring.

HEere with the good leave & favour of those curteous gentlewomen, for whome I did principally if not only intend this litle treatise; I will make bold to lanch a little from the shoare, and trye what may bee done in the vaste and wide Ocean, and in long and dangerous voyages; for the better preservation of such usuall victuals, as for want of this skill doe[Page]oftentimes meerely perish, or else by the extreame pearcing of the salte, doe lose even their nutritive strength and vertue: & if any future experience doe happen to controll my present conceipt, let this excuse a scholler,quòd in magnis est voluisse satis. But now to our purpose, let all the bloud bee first well gotten out of the beefe, by leaving the same some nine or tenne dayes in our usuall brine, then barrell up all the peeces in vessels full of holes, fastening them with ropes at the sterne of the ship; and so dragging them through the salte sea water (which by his infinite change and succession of water will suffer no putrifaction, as I suppose) you may happily find your beefe both sweete and favourie enough when you come to spend the same. And if this happe to fall out true upon some triall thereof had, then either at my next impression, or[Page]when I shall bee urged thereunto upon any necessitie of service, I hope to discover the meanes also whereby everie Shippe may carry sufficient store of victuall for her selfe in more close and convenient cariages then those loose vessels are able to performe. But if I may be allowed to carie either roasted or sodden flesh to the sea, then I dare adventure my poore credit therein to preserve for six whole moneths together, either Beefe, Mutton, Capons, Rabbets, &c. both in a cheape manner, and also as fresh as wee doe now usually eate them at our Tables. And this I hold to be a most singular & necessarie secret for all our English Navie; which at all times uppon reasonable termes I will bee ready to disclose for the good of my country.

22.26. 25. Mustard meale.

IT is usuall in Venice to sell the meale of Mustarde in their markets [Page]as we do flower and meale in England: this meale by the addition of vinegar in two or three dayes be cometh exceeding good mustard, but it would bee much stronger and finer, if the husks or huls were first divided by searce or boulter, which may easily bee don, if you drie your seeds against the fire before you grind the. The Dutch iron handmils, or an ordinarie pepper mill may serve for this purpose. I thought it verie necessarie to publish this manner of making of your sauce, because our mustard which wee buy from the Chandlers at this daye is manie times made up with vile and filthy vinegar, such as our stomak would abhorre if we should see it before the mixing therof with the seedes.

22.27. 30. How to keepe flies from oyle peeces.

ALine limed over and strained about the crest of oyle peeces or pictures, will catch they Flyes, that woulde otherwise deface the Pictures. But this Italian conceipt both for the rarenesse and [Page]use thereof doth please me above all other: viz, Pricke a Cowcumber full o barley cornes with the small spiring ends outward, make little holes in the Cowcumber first with a wodden or bone bodkin, and after put in the graine, these being thicke placed will in time cover all the Cowcumber, so as no man can discerne what strange plant the same should bee. Such Cowcumbers are to bee hung up in the middest of Summer r omes to drawe all the flies unto the, which otherwise would flie upon the Pictures or hangings

22.28. 31. To keepe Lobsters, Crafishes, &c. sweet and good for some fewe dayes.

THese kinds of fish are noted to be of no durabilitie or lasting in warme weather, yet to prolong their dayes a little, though I feare I shall raise the price of [Page]them by this discoverie amongst the fishmongers (who onely in respect of their speedie decay doe now and then afford a peniworth in them) if you wrappe them in sweete and course rags first moistened in brine, and then burie these cloathes in Callis sand, that is also kept in some coole and moist place, I know by mine owne experience that you shall finde your labour well bestowed, and the rather if you lay the in severall clothes, so as one doe not touch the other.

22.29. 32. Divers excellent kinds of bottle Ale.

ICannot remember that ever I did drinke the like sage ale at any time, as that which is made by mingling two or three droppes of the extracted oyle of sage with a quart of Ale, the same beeing well brued out of one pot into another: and this way a whole Stand of sage ale is very speedily made.The like is to bee done with the oyle of Mace or Nutmegs. But if you will make a right gossips cup that shall farre exceed all the Ale that ever motherBunch made in her life time, then in the bottling up of your best Ale, tunne halfe a pinte of white Ipocras that is newly made, and after the best receipt, with a pottle of Ale, stoppe your bottle close, and drinke it when it is stale: Some commend the hanging of roasted Orenges prickt full of Cloves in the vessell of Ale till you find the taste therof sufficietly graced to your own liking.

22.30. 33.How to make wormewood wine verie speedily and in great quantity.

TAke small Rochell or Coniake wine, put a few droopes of the [Page] extracted oile of wormwood therin, brewe it togither (as before is set down in bottle ale) out of one pot into an other, and you shall have a more neate and wholesom wine for your body, the that which is solde at the Stillyard for right wormwood wine.

22.31. 34.Rosewa [...] er and Rosevinegar of the colour of the Rose, and of the Cowslep, and violet vinegar.

IF you woulde make your Rosewater and Rose vinegar of a Rubie color, then make choise of the crimson velvet coloured leaves, clipping away the whites with a paire of sheeres, & being through dryed, put a good large handful of them into a pinte of Damaske or red rosewater, stop your glasse wel & set it in the sun, til you see that the leaves have lost their colour. Or for more expedition you may pecforme this worke in balneo in [Page]a few houres, and when you take out the olde leaves, you may put in fresh till you finde the color to please you. Keep this Rosewater in glasses very well stopt, the fuller the better. What I have said of Rosewater, the same may also be intended of Rose vinegar, violet, marigolde, and cowslep vinegar, but the whiter vinegar you chuse for this purpose, the colour therof will be the brighter, and therefore distilled Vinegar is best for this purpose, so as the same bee warily distilled with a true division of parts, according to the maner expressed in this booke in the distillation of vinegar.

22.32. 35.To keepe the juice of Oranges and Lemmons al the yeare for sauce, Juleps and other purposes.

EXpresse their juyce, and passe it through an Ipocrasse bagge to clarifie it from his impurities, [Page]then fill your glasse almost to the top, cover it closely, and let it stand so till it have done boyling; then fill up your glasse with good sallet oyle, and set it in a coole closet or butterie where no Sun commeth; the aptest glasses for this purpose are straight upright ones, like to our long beere glasses, which would bee made with little round holes within two inches of the bottome to receive apt fawcets, & so the grounds or lees would settle to the bottome, and the oyle would sinke downe with the juice so closely that all putrefaction would be avoyded: or in steede of holes if there were glasse pipes it were the better & readyer way, because you shall hardly fasten a fawcet well in the hole. You may also in this manner preserve many juyces of hearbes and flowers.

And because that profite and skill united do grace each other, [Page]if (curteous Ladies) you will lend eares and followe my direction; I will heere furnish a great number of you (I woulde I coulde furnish you all) with the juice of the best civill Orenges at an easie price, About Alhallontide or soone after you may buy the inward pulpe of civill Oreges wherin the juice resteth, of the comfetmakers for a small matter, who doe onely or principally respect their rindes to preserve and make Orengeadoes with all, this juice you may prepaire and reserve as before.

22.33. 36.Howe to purifie and give an excellent smell and taste unto sallet oyle.

PUt sallet Oyle in a Vessell of wood or earth, having a hole in the bottom, to every 4 quartes of water adde one quarte of oyle, and with a woodden spoone or [Page]spattle beate them well togither for a quarter of an houre, then let out the water, preventing the oyle from issuing by stopping of the hole, repeate this worke two or three times, and at the last you shall finde your oile wel clensed or clarified. In this maner you may also clarifie capons grease, being first melted, and workinge with warm water. All this is borrowed of M. Bartholomaeus Scapius the Maister Cook of Pope Pius Quintus his privie kitchen. I thinke if the last agitation were made in Rosewater, wherin also cloves or Nutmegs had been macerated, that so the oyle woulde bee yet more pleasing.

Or if you set a Jar glasse in balneo full of sweete oyle with some store of bruised cloves, and rinds of civil Oranges or Lemmons also therein, and so continue your fire for two or three houres, and then letting the Clovès & rindes [Page]remain in the oile til both the sent & taste do please you: I think many men which at this day do loath oile (as I my selfe did not long since) woulde be easily drawen to a sufficient liking thereof.

22.34. 37. How to clarifie without any distilla ion both white and & claret wine vinegar for gellies or sauces.

TO everie sixe pintes of good wine vinegar, put the whites of two new laid Egges wel beate, then put all into a newe leaden pipkin, & cause the same to boyle a little over a gentle fire, then let it run through a course gelly bag twise or thrise, and it will be very clear, and keep good one whole yeare.