Early modern recipe books

[Note] This is a diagram with notations. The handwriting is difficult to read.

135 To maske Gascoigne Powder. {Sir K Digby} {A [Han]} Take 4 Ounces of the blacke tipps of Crabbs clawes taken when the Sunne is in Cancer in June, or the beginning of July (for then they haue much more Vertue then at other times) and one Ounce of Magistere of Pearle, both made into fine Powder: then take Snake Skins cutt in pieces as long as ones finger, putt them in a Pipkin filld with fountaine Water, haue another Pipkin stand by with fountaine water upon the Embers, & as the water of Snakes consumes still supply it with the other, let it stand ouer the Embers 36 howers, & when it will jelley then take it of, straine it through a strainer, & when it is cold make up your powders with it, and haue by Saffron strained in Orange flower water, and as you make up the little Balls, dipp your Fingers in the Saffron water, so make them up and keepe them for Your use. M^r Mathias his Cordiall. {A Hon} Take sixe spoonfulls of Clarett wine, 6 spoonfulls of Red Rosewater, 2 Spoonfulls of Syrrup of Gilliflowers, a spoonfull of Cinnamon water, as much Alchermes as a hazell Nutt, mingle them together, & putt them in a Glasse, this is a good Cordiall to be taken for the weaknes or faintnes of the Spiritts two Spoonfulls at a time shaking the Glasse first. A Cordiall to be giuen at the beginning of a Sicknesse. {[A Han]} {My Mother} Dioscordium the Bignes of a hasell nutt, the Syrrup of juice of Lemmons one Spoonfull, Cardus Water a quarter of a Pinte, drinke it going to Bed and sweat upon it. A good Restoratiue after a long Sicknes or to preuent a Consumption. {[A Han]} Take

76 179

The ^Lady Allens Water for the Stomacke Small pox or Surfett.

{Allan} Take of Sage, Sallendine, Rosemary, Rue, Woormwood, mugwort, Pympernell, dragons, Scabious, Egremony, Balme, Scordium, Century, Cardus benedictus, Betony, Rosasolis, of each a good handfull, Angelica Rootes, henbane rootes, turmentyle, Zedourpe, Liquorish, of each halfe an ounce, slice the rootes and wash the hearbes, & shake them & dry them in a Cloth & shred them, put them alltogether in a gallon of white wine, & steepe them in it 2 dayes & 2 nights close couered, and then put it into an ordinary Still, & so still it, & when you take it let it be luke warme, & put some sugar in it 2 or 3 or 4 spoonefulls to a [childe] of the stronger, & 6 of the smaller, & to an elder more.

The Receipt for the precious Water of Wallnutt.

{Allan}

Gather green wallnuts a good quantitie from the Tree in the beginning of June, breake them in a mortar, and distill them in a Stillatory of Glasse, & keepe that water by it selfe, & a fortnight after distill the like quantitie, then distill these together in a glasse Limbeck, & keepe it safe & close in a glasse.

1 one drop in the eye will cure and heale all infirmities in the eyes.

100 2 It is good for unions that through weakness brave no children, taking one spoonfull in the morning - fasting 3 It changes the face if upwaft it therewith. 4 It helps the palsey being drunks with wine fasting 5 It procureth [?] wetting it [simply?] therewith. 6 It wonderfully hialsth botches and wounds. 7 It [?] all infirmities out the body living [?] moderately with wine. 8 It [prefereth?] life to ye [innermost?] nature. 9 It [reviveth?] wine being [diad?] if you pour it into ye vessel & stop it close.

Its calld the Brightness of all [?]

{102}

{A Han}

An especiall water preservative against the plague or any Ague or ferver or suddaine Sickness to keepe it from the heart

Take sage faladine, head of grave worm wood, Rosemary, Balme, pimpernell, Egre= mony, grabine, dragons, Linenwort, Harts tongue mugwort, cardmus, maydens Haire of [] of those a handfull & take a pestle ofthe head daffadolis, a quarter of an ounce of [harmonhill] roots, a quarter of gonihia, & a quarter of an ounce of Angolica roots. When straynd & bruise these roots a little & the aforesaid herbs must be washt & shaken bout from the water in a [] dry cloth, and then shod them grossly, then put into some straw or an thin vessel bring [] close and to let t stand 2 days & 2 nights, & then still them in an ordina ry still, you must keepe the last running by its self which will be smaller than the rest, tho strong you must mix all to gether ina great vessell, & when it is mixt put it in little glasses & cover it close, you must not wash the Dafadolis.

When you have use of it give 6 or 7 spoonsfull of it warmd to drink, for a child-halfe so much will fevre, & let them cover themselves warm to sweat, & if it be for any sudden giddyness put into a little treacle, if you use the

{smaller you make take 10 or 12 spoonfull at a time; & you must always [] it from the Ayrs in the warming of it, the best time to distill it is in the latter end of May, for then all the herbs is ours to be had.}

{page break}

103

To make Citterne Water

{Lady Wilmot} {A Man}

X Take your Citerns and wipe them very clean with a wett course Cloth, and dry stem againe very well another dry Cloth, then cutt your Cittrons in long pieces, but touch not the meate, you may keepe yt to make Syrrup which is a very cordiall thing. Pare of your yellowrind of your pieces of Cittron very thinne and putt them into a ell glased Galley pot and putt to them as much of the best Canary as will cover the Rindes. So stopp Your pott very well that nothing may gett into it. Them pare your pieces over againe as long as you can see any of the Strengthof your Rinde left, & putt y into another Galley putt by it Selfe and cover it with Sacke, and stopp it very close, & let it all stand 24 houres then sett your glasse into Limbeck into a pott well bodied with key, then putt in those parings and sacke which you did pare last into the Limbeck, and so putt the yellow rindes & sack that it may be uppermost in the Limbeck, then pourre in some more Sacke ac= cording to your discretion, and sett on the Head of the Limbeck past it up close, then fill your pott with warme water and make a soft Fire under it, and let it heat by degrees, then make the glasses ready to re= ceive your water in and putt some Amber Greece finely around, & an Ounce of white Sugar Candy to every pinte and so lett your water dropp upon it, and when your glasse is full change it & with your Bodkin stirr the Sugar from the bottome of the glasse, and cover it with single paper untill it be thorough Cold then stop it close.

In the like manner you may make Orange or Lemmon water. I use to take to 5 great Cittrons three gallons of Sack, to a hundred of Lemmons the like quantity, & to a hundred of Orange 4 gallons if you please you may putt halfe white wine in stead of sacke.

The Great Palse Water also for the Apoplexie.

Take of Lavender Flowers stripped from their stalker and with them

{Sr H Finsh: Lady} {A Han}

104

them a large gallon Glayse, and poure to them very good Spirit of Wine, of perfect Aqua Vitae. Then circulate them for 6 weeks together close stopped with a Bladder, & see no= thing breake out, & let them stand in a warme place, then distill them into a Lumbeck still with its cooler. Then putt into the Water of Sage flowers Rosemary flowers, Be= tons flowers of each a handfull, Borage flowers, Buglofs flowers, theflower of Lilium Convadium, of Cowslipp flowers of each a handfull, steepe these flowers ingood Malago or Aqua vitae. I doe steepe every flower and hearb in good Spirits of wine, every one in their Season till all may be had, then putt them being all sundryjested together, putt also to them Balme, Motherwort, Spike flosers, Bay Lea ves, the leaves of Oranges so they may be had, and their flowers, of each one ounce, Putt them all small and putt them into the aforesaid distilled wine, and putt them all to= gether and distill them as before, being steeped the space of 8 weeks, then putt into this distilled water, putt on pills dried the yellow pill, or else of Lemond pill and Peony seeds pulled of each 8 branches, Cinnamon 1/2 an Ounces, Nutmeggs [Mau lardomones, Cubeless?] yellow Saunders of each 1/2 an Once, Lynum Aloes one [brachme], make all these in powder and putt them in this distilled Water. Close your Vessell with a double Bladder, Let them digest 8 weekes, straine this hard with a presse, and fliterate the Liqour, and putt into this liquour prepared pearle 2 [bracknesss], prepare Semple, Amber Green, Musks, Saffron of each1/2 a Semple Red Roses dried, and sweete smelling red Saunders & yellow of each one ounce, hang thes in a Sarsenette Bagg in the water well closed that nothing break out.

The Vertues of the [] was no it as followeth.

This

{194 Lady Bedles A Han}

To perfume Damaske Roses.

Take Damaske Roses put them into a wide mouthed Glasse, & stopp them close with Parchment, sett them upon Leades in the Sunne, or some very hotte place where the sunne comes, shaking them twice or thrise day till they be dry, then make a powder thus. Take cleare and faire Beniot, florax, Galean, Lignum A= loes, Amber Gris, Mace of Quants, Lemmon peele, Cittern peel, Orange peel, Orange flowers, Sweet Marjoram, Lemmon Time, Myrtle leaves, bruise your hearbes, beat your powder & take what proportuns will sserve your Rates, & mix the Quantities as best please your sense; then putt all your powders in= to the Glasse, tye them with paper & parchment & waxe & a parchment over that, that no ayre possibly can get in, nor sent come out; set them in the heat of the Sunne as long as it last, & in the Evenings and nights keepe it in a Stone; This doe for a month or five weeks, then you may use it, put into little Sarenet Baggs, & layne amongst your Clothes, it will last longest with woollen, This a rare perfum putting a little of it into your perfuming pann with Orange Flower water or Rose water or Lemmon lime water.

{page break}

195

To make the best Pastiles to burn in the world, taught me by a servant of Franciso Morenas, who was his repsen & came, & made them m my Sanse before me, his present 17th of November. 1664 m house at the siete simeneas at Madrid

{A Stan}

Beat & searse a pound & a half of Benjamm as fine as can be done in the finest cover'd searse beat on on & quarter of storax in a Morter grinding it very well, put in to a deep preserving pan that is round bottm'd, the storax, & thereupon as much of the damask: rose water, as will wett it then sett it upona very soft fire, stirring it very well with a long spatila till it is almost ready to boyle, the straw in a little Benjamm stirring it continually, then poure in more rose water, & then the rest of your Benjamm, & then more rose-water, in all about 3 Wine Pints, let it then stand, thus upon the fire, till with heat thereof, & perpetuall stirring it become a very thin paste, in the water, against which time have ready this compound thus prepar'd. Sett a little brasse morter on the fire and with your pestle in it fill'd a quarter full with rose water, & when it is scalding hott, wash the Morter & pistle very well then dry it with a clean Soft Cloth, sett it on the fire again; & when it is very soft take it off, & putt in half an ounce of Amber Greece grinding

198 Surfett Water {A ffan} Take a Gallon of Brandy & a Pint of Damaske rose water, one pound of white suger candy, half a pint of Poppy water, 1 1/2 [squiggle] of [looks like season] of the sunne stoned, half a pound of Dates stoned, & sliced thinn, ? of mace & ? of Cloves & ? of sinamon, these must bee brused, one ounce of anniseedes rubbed cleane & the dust blown out, & brused a quarter of an pound of Licoris scraped & sliced; Then putt all these thinges into the Brandy, with a good handfull of red poppy Leaves, and 12 [squiggle] worth of ambar greece and 6[squiggle] worth of muske; The sweetes must bee tyed up in a little bitt of Lawn & so putt into the glasse; and when they have steeped nine dayes togeather, strayne it out: But bee sure you stirr it every day whilst it standes.

A Course Powder for great [linnin] {A ffan Lad^y Cleavland} Orris roots 2 pound, Callamus Arromaticus, Lignum, Rodrum, & yellow sanders, of y each one pound; [Cittern Rind], lemon Pill, drest Merioram, of each 10. ounces; Cipress roots 2 pound & a half; Benjamine 12 ounces, storax 6 ounces, Rosecakes not burnt or leavs 5 pound, Lavender flowers, Melhlot flowers, of each 8 ounces; Cloves, & Cinamond, of each 2 ounces & a half, Corriander seeds 5 ounces. A made into a gross powder.

199 Angilica Water {A ffan} Taki of the liavis of Angilica 8 ouncis, of Carduus benedictus 6 ouncis of Balmi & sagi of iach 4 ouncis, Angilica siids 6 ouncis, sweet finnel seeds 9 ouncis, lett the hearbs bii dried and cutt small & the seeds grossily bruisid. to which of the spices callid Aromaticum rosatum, & Diamoscha dulce, of each oni ounci and a half. Infusi them in 32 pints of sack, then distill them in a limbrick wi^th gentli firi and wi^th every pint mix 2 ouncis of sugar dissolvid in rosiwater. Lett thi 3 first pints be callid by thi nami of spirit, the rest by the name of water. This is an excellent cordiall to strengthen thi hiart and resist infiction, & therefori is veri wholsomi in pestilentiall times.

A fine Powder for [linnin] {A ffan Lad^y Cleavland} orris roots two pounds & a half: Lignum Rodrum 6 ounces scraped; lemon pill an ounce & a half. Cloves 4 ounces & a half: Cipress roots 3 ounces, Damask Roseleavs dryed a pound & a half, Benjamine 1/4 storax. 2 ounces 1/4: labdanum & ounce & Drachme sweet Marjoram 3 ounces, Calmus Aromaticus & Drachm, Musk Cod 6 Drachms. Make all these into a gross powder.

{200} To dresse [Fl]unsia {x} {A ston} Take a pound of old Lavander, 6 quarts of strong vinegar, a dram of muske, 2 Drams of mother of Clove, an Ounce of Franquisence, an Ounce of storax, an Ounce of sharpe sinanon, halfe an Ounce of P [...] halfe an Ounce of perfum'd Pastills 2 Nutmeggs, 1/2 a Dram of Civet, 1/2 a Dram of Amber. The Lavander & vinegar boyle together, & straine them, Saving the [ j]uncia all open in a bason prouided for the purpose, with the fore sayd things pounded & put in the bason then put in the vinegar, & Cover it very well for 24 houres, & afterwards leave the perfume open & stirr the [J]uncia in it once in 2 dayes

{page break}

To perfume 12 per of ordinary {201} seized gloves either for men or women with the same Compound of Amber that Fran^co Morena in his life did & his servant now doth Madrid the 3^rd of October 1665 {A ston} {x} Heat in a morter scalding hott Rose or Ambar water, & likewise put one end of the pestle into the fire to be hott alsoe, pour the water which must be about a pint into an new Earthen pott put into the Morter an Ounce of the best Amber Greece, grind it very well till it is melted, put thereunto a quarter of an ounce of Civett, 3 spoonfull of the best Essence of Jesemin, as much Gum Dragon that hath been steeped the night before in rosewater, as will make it as thick as the yolke of a new layd Egge grind this Compound very well together, pouring in the grinding 3 or 4 spoonfulls of the same water that was heated in the Morter then putt the fingers of the gloves upon a glove stick & anointe them first with the fingers, then the glove laying them smooth one Upon the other as you doe them when they are all done lay them upon a skin one by one in the heat of the sunne till they be thorough dry, which will be in halfe an houre the same skin Upon which lay them, you must make all sortes of perfumes Upon, because any other thing takes away the sent All perfumes are best made in July.

To make a compound for a pome by Fran Morrena Lo Madrid Oct. 4 1665

Take a pound of y best Benjamin beat if u searse it very fine. Thin put it into y pomo, beat a quarter of an ounce of ambar Greec into a fine powder; put y in likewise thin put in half a quarter of an ounce of sinett v about half an ounce of lemon pill shred small, stir all these well together with a spatila, thin powder m by little by little as much rose water as fills it up to y top stirring it continually, this is a proportion for a pomo y holds 2 quarts, when you would use of self upon y bossom of a perfuming pan or chaffmy dish of fire for half an hour then seft it by m a safe place till next time you have occasion for it y powders must never be ory, but as y water consumes fill it up againe. This sint will never be decay sed y powder be consumed with will be some yeares first.

Take three gallons of fair roater, put to it 6 pound of the best powder sugar, or if you please lofe sugar, boyl these together half an hour, or better, as the seam riseth take it off; power it forth and set it a cooling; when tis almost cold take a spoonfull of yeist beat well with six ounces of juice of estern Brewing it up and downe with a dish in the liquor, then take a gallon if Rockt conslips, brense them in in a stone morter, and put them to it; let them stand Two or three days, then strain it forth and put it into a cask that it may fill; and when it works, but not over, stop it up close: when it is three weeks or a month old bottle it up and put into every bottle a lump of sugar. For want of juice of citern, I put in a quart of white wine.

A drink for a cold. Take two quarts of spring water, and put into it coftsfoot scabious& maiden hair of each half a handfull an ounce of liquoris scrapt and sliced, a hanfull of Rasins of the sun stond and a spoonful of anice seeds brused then let all these Boyle softly till one pint be consumed then take it up and strain it the party May drink as much and as often of this as they please, a little warme.

The milk surfitt water. Take 6 handfulls of mint, and 6 cardus, 3 of wormwood shred these Together and steepe them all night in 6 quarts of milke, and in the morning drawe them in a common still, this will make 4 quarts of good water, the slower the still is the better.