Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. LXX.

The manner of preparing diuers sorts and diuers com∣positions of Honey.

THere is such excellent vertue in Honey, as that is preserueth and defen∣deth things from pu••••ifaction and corruption: which is the cause, that when anie are disposed to keepe Rootes, Fruits, Hearbes, and especially Iuices, it is ordinarily accustomed to conserue them is Honey: whereupon it commeth, that wee vse these names, Honey of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Roses, Rosemarie-slowers, Damaske-Rai••••••••, Myrtles, Anacard••••, Buglosse, and such like, which are made with iuice and Honey; of which onely we will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in this place.

The Honey of Violets,* 1.1 Roses, Buglosse, Mercurie, and Rosemari••••flowers, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all prepared after one sort: Take of the iuice of new Roses a pound, of pure 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Honey, first boyled and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, tenne pounds, boyle them all together in a Cal∣dron vpon a cleere fire: when these boyle, adde vnto them of new Roses, yet 〈◊〉〈◊〉, cut in sunder with Scizars of Sheares, foure pound; boyle them all vntill the iuice be wasted, stirring them often with a sticke: this being done, straine them and put 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in an earthen vessell for to be kept, for it is better and better after some time. Other∣wise, and better, and ofter vsed: Stampe in a Mortar new Roses, adde like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Honey, and set them in the Sunne the space of three moneths, afterward straine them, and boyle the liquor strained out to the thicknesse of Honey. Otherwise, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 equall parts of Honey, and of the manifold infusion of new Roses, boyle them all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the consistence of a Syrrup; looke how manie times the more double the in••usion of the Roses is, by so much the Honey of Roses will be the better: and this same is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 most fit to be taken at the mouth, as the first and second are for Clysters. Or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 take new raw Honey before it euer boyle, or hauing but lightly boyled, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thereto some quantiti•• of sweet water, red Roses that are new, and newly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the shadow, their white taken away, and a third part of Honey, put them all toge∣ther in a glasse-vessell, or earthen one, well glassed, which being close stopped, shall be set in the Sunne, and stirred euerie third day: and thus you may fitly prepare Honey of Roses and Rosemarie-flowers a great deale better than after anie of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 waies.

Honey of Myrtles is made with a pound of the iuice of Myrtle-tree,* 1.2 and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pound of Honey, all boyled together vpon a small fire.

The honie of damaskes raisons is thus made: Take damaske raisons cleansed from their stones,* 1.3 steepe them foure and twentie houres in warme water, and after boyle them to perfection: when they haue thus boyled, straine them through a strainer ve∣rie strongly, and after that, boyle them againe to the thicknesse of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

Mel Anacardinum is thus made; Stampe a certaine number of the fruit Anacar∣dia,* 1.4 and after let them lye to steepe for the space of seuen daies in vinegar, but on the eight boile them to the consumption of the one halfe; afterward straine them through a linnen cloth: the juice that is strained out, must be boyled with like quantitie of honie.

The manner of making honied water: Take one part of honie, and sixe parts of raine water,* 1.5 put all together in a little barrell, well pitcht and s••opt aboue, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no 〈◊〉〈◊〉 at all may enter in at it: afterward, set it out in the hottest weather that is, as in Iulie, but out of all raine, and leaue it so about 〈◊〉〈◊〉 daies, but with such prou••••o as that you turne the barrell euerie eight daies, to the end that the Sunne may worke on all sides of it. To make it more effectuall, and of greater vertue, it will be good in quincetime, to mixe therewith the juice of quinces, in such quantitie as that there may be for e••erie pound of honie, a quarter of a pound of juice of quinces. Some before they put the honie and water together into the barrell, boyle them together vpon a cleare fire, or vpon coales without smoake, they scum the hon••e, and boyle it to perfection, which they gather by casting an egge into it, which if it swim aboue, then the honie is sufficiently boyled, but and if it sinke, then it is not boyled ynough.

The Polonians, Musco••••es, and Englishmen,* 1.6 doe make a drinke hauing the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of a honied water, which is farre more pleasant, and more wholesome than ma∣ny mightie wines, and it is called Mede. They take one part of honie, and six parts of raine, riuer, or fountaine water, they boyle them together, and in boyling them, take off the seum very diligently, and continue the boyling till the halfe of the whole be consumed: being cooled, they put it vp in a wine vessell, and after adde vnto it ••ix ounces of the barme of ale or beere, to make it purge and boyle vp, and withall they hang in the vessell a nodule or knot full of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pepper, ginger, graines of para∣dise and cloues: also they cast into the vessell a handfull of Elder-tree-flowres: they set the vessell in the Sunne in Summer time, for the space of fortie daies, or in Win∣ter they set it in some caue vnder the ground. This kind of honied water is verie so∣••••••aigne against 〈◊〉〈◊〉 agues, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dispositions of the bodie, diseases of the braine, as the falling sicknesse, apoplexie, and palsie, in which cases wine is forbidden.

The countrie men of Prouence,* 1.7 and the Italians, do•• make marchpaines of honie and almonds after this manner: Take white honie three pound, and three whites of egges, beat all together with a woodden pestill in a bason, till it grow vnto the colour of milke: afterward see the bason vpon a fire of coales, stirring all together very care∣fully with the pestill, till such time as it become somewhat thicke: then put thereto sweet almonds stamped and fried, such quantitie as shall be needfull for the making of it of some good consistence: being yet hot, powre it our vpon some marble or po∣lished table: make vp your marchpaine thereof, and it will be singular good for them to eat which are in a consumption, as also to procure spitting.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.2

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.3

  Honie of 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.4

  Honie of the fruit Ana∣cardia.
• * 1.5

  Honied water.
• * 1.6

  A wine made of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and water.
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 of honie.