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. LXVI.

Of the manner of distilling liquors.

WE haue heretofore declared that the singular and rare efficacie and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of things distilled, haue in such sort rauished and carried away the spirits and studies of men, as that there is scarce any thing to be found vvhich hath any good propertie and speciall qualitie in it, but it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beene brought vnder the yoke of distillation. But in this place I call liquor all th•••• which hath a liquid consistence, vvhether it be juice, humour, excrement, or any such like floting thing, as vvine, vinegar, honie, vrine, juice of hearbes of fruit••••▪

and you cannot but thinke that the juice of hearbes or fruits being distilled doth af∣ford a farre better water, than that which is distilled of hearbes, yea or of fruits either. We will begin therefore with distilled vvine.

Aqua-vitae is thus distilled: (notwithstanding that all manner of Wine is fit to make Aqua-vitae of, so that it be not sowre, spent, or otherwise tainted, yet indeede the strongest and noblest Claret vvine is the best, vvhether pallet and inclining to vvhite, or high coloured and inclining to red:) Take then of claret vvine a certayne quantitie, according to the bignes••e of the vessell wherein you distill it (which is cal∣led the bladder, as we haue declared before, namely, in that it is fashioned like vnto a streight gourd) euen so much as may fill it within one third part of the top, that so the vapours may haue space to rise, then set the head vpon it, hauing a long 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and this must be well closed with the mortar of wisdome (being the same which we haue before described) to the end that no vapour may passe out there by: and thus cause it to distill with the heat of hot, but not boyling water: or else at a reasonable heate in ashes, or in small sand, increasing the fire continually by little and little, and yet ta∣king heed that the wine doe not boyle: and to the end that you may haue excellent good Aqua-vitae, you may distill it ouer foure or fiue times: for by how much the o••ter it is distilled, by ••o much the better will it be, as we haue said alreadie. For the first distillation, it shall be ynough to draw the tenth part, that is to say, of ten pintes of vvine one pint of Aqua-vitae, more or lesse: for the second halfe of that which you shall haue put in, that is to say, halfe a pinte: for the third likewise, the halfe or a little lesse, vvhich should be a quarter of a pinte: in such sort as that the ofter it is distilled ••ou must haue lesse in quantitie, but more in value and worth; and therefore in the beginning you must either take a great quantitie of Wine, or else haue many ves∣sels. It is true, that if the distillation be well made, the fourth will yeeld the like quantitie of water to that it receiued, and there will be no losse in it: and herewith likewise it is to be wished, that euerie man would be contented without going ouer it any more: because so many repetitions and redistillations is a matter of great la∣bour and cost. In the meanetime this must be remembred, namely, to lessen the fire at euerie distillation halfe a degree, and afterward a whole degree, that so in fine you may come to the first degree called bl••••d vvarme. And truely by mine aduise, the first distillation should be in the fire of ashes, and the other in Maries-bath. This repeating and going ouer with it by distillation after distillation shall be to take from it his flegme, that is to say, his grossest and most waterie humour, which resteth in the bottome, and is accustomed to come forth last, after that it is well digested by being oft distilled. Finally, it may be gathered that the Aqua-vitae is sufficiently di∣stilled by these signes; If there come backe the like quantitie of water; if being set on fire, it consume and vvaste all away, not leauing any signe of moisture behind it in the bottome of the vessell: if a linnen cloth that hath beene dipt in the Aqua-vitae being set on fire doe not burne any jote at all; if a drop of oyle being put into it, go to the bottome; if a drop of Aqua-vitae being powred in the ball of your hand, doe wast away and vanish verie speedily; if yellow amber being set on fire doe burne in the Aqua-vitae; and likewise if ca••••phire being put into Aqua-vitae be dissolued of it. You must also note, that Aqua-vitae is sometimes distilled of lees of verie good Wine, being neither sower, nor spent, nor otherwise tainted; and such Aqua-vitae sometime is not inferiour but superiour in goodnesse vnto that which was distilled of the Wine it selfe: Againe, if it be often distilled ouer, it becommeth more hot and drie▪ then that which is made of the verie Wine: but yet indeed that which is made of Wine is more pleasant vnto the taste, and of a more delightsome smell: Aqua-vi∣tae is also sometimes distilled of beere, but that is not so good as the other of Wine. The vessells for the distilling of Aqua-vitae are diuers, that is to say a good still, sit∣ting in ashes or sand, or a resort in Maries-bath, or the bladder: Aqua-vitae may also be distilled in a caldron or pot of Copper or Brasse, made in manner of a Beefe-pot, co∣uered with a couer, and hauing a straight nose comming out of it, and rising vp on high, and turned downeward againe with a direct angle, and so passing through a

bucket full of cold water. After that the Aqua-vitae is distilled, you must set it out into the Sunne a certaine time to make it yet more and more subtle. After this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 you may distill all iuices and liquors, as mans bloud, vrine, vineger, the deaw, milke, whites and yolkes of egges, mans dung, or beasts dung. The vertues of Aqua-vitae are infinite: It keepeth off the fits of the Apoplexie and Falling sicknesse, in such sort, as that they which are subiect vnto that disease in the time of Winter, must euery morning take a spoonefull of Aqua-vitae sugred, and eat a little bit of white bread: it driueth away venime: keepeth Wines from spending themselues, from putrifying, and from growing thicke and troubled: it cureth speedily all the cold diseases of the sinewes, muscles, and starued members, if they be fomented therewithall: it killeth wormes, and assuageth the paine of the teeth, &c. See more in our Booke of secret remedies.

For the distilling of Vineger, you must vnderstand, that there is some difference betwixt the distilling of Aqua vitae and Vineger: for seeing that Wine is of a vapo∣rous and fierie substance, the chiefest and principallest parts in it doe runne at the first distillation, that is to say, with the water that first commeth forth: insomuch, as that that which remaineth and stayeth behind in the vessell, tasteth no better than common water, hauing in it no force or vertue. On the contrarie, the first that distil∣leth of Vineger tasteth nothing at all, saue onely that it sheweth it selfe somewhat more in his earthie parts by the alteration of his qualitie (for Vineger is no other thing but a corrupted Wine, made eager by putrifaction:) for indeed his true, na••••∣rall, and proper qualitie of eagernesse and sowrenesse, as also the force and strength thereof, stayeth behind with that in the vessell, till after the first water be past. And by this it appeareth, that that which remaineth in the Wine after the first distillation of it, should be called flegme, as that should also which commeth out first in the di∣stillation of Vinegar, be called flegme of Vineger. Wherefore, to haue good distilled Vineger, after you haue put it in like quantitie (as we haue said of Wine for to make Aqua-vitae) into the Stillitorie, you must let the flegme (that is to say, the watrie hu∣mour) distill, and set it aside in some vessell by it selfe: afterward, when the Vineger shall be consumed vnto the third or fourth part, and that it shall rellish in tasting of the distilling drops, that the eager parts of the Vineger begin to come, it will be good to set that aside to serue for infusions: and then afterward to encrease the heat of your fire a little, and so continue your distillation, vntill such time as the water begin to looke red, and to haue the consistence of Honey or of Pitch, and then you may be bold to set it aside for your speciall vse, not in medicine, but otherwise in all things concerning mettals and corrosiues: for this water making the third alteration in di∣stillation, tasteth of ad••stion, and is called the sanguine part of Vineger. Vineger would be distilled in the same vessell that Rose-water is distilled in, especially in ashes or hot sand, rather than in Maries bath. In like manner, and after the same sort, you shall distill Vineger of Roses, of Elders, of Cloues, and other things. Di∣stilled Vineger is good to dissolue hard and mettallous things, as Pearles, Corall, Egge-shells, Crystall, and Emeralds: notwithstanding, Gold and Siluer cannot be dissolued by it. This is the cause, that when Alchymists would distill any mettall or stones, to draw out their oyle, they vse first to dissolue their matter in Vineger or Vrine distilled.

Salted water or sea water is made sweet by this meanes. Fill a pot of salt water, let it boyle by the fire-side, and afterward distill with a stillitorie, as you doe ros••-water, and the salt will stay in the bottome. And this is also the way to trie what mettalls are mixt with minerall vvaters.

The manner of distilling of honie is such. When the honie is once well purified, put it in small quantitie into a stillitorie (for in a great quantitie it vvould swell o∣uer, after that it should once feele the heat) distill it in Maries-bath with a gentle and warme heat: the water that commeth first forth, is the flegme, which must be kept by it selfe for to colour and make long the beard and haire. Afterward increasing the heat a little, there will come forth a water of a yellow, and as it were a golden colour,

which you may keepe in another vessell, seeing it is good to cleanse vvounds both shallow and deepe ones: your distillation continuing, there will come another vva∣ter high coloured and more red than the former, and then if you doe vvell, you shall change the heat of the vvater into the heat of the ashes or sand, that is to say, that you should remoue your Still, and set in ashes or sand euen almost vp to the verie mouth, and that there be not aboue three inches in bredth betwixt the fire and your Still, continuing to increase your fire, and to make it bigger than it was before, and by this meanes there will come forth a water more clam••ie than the former, and may be cal∣led the oyle of honie. After this manner you may distill turpentine, and such other thicke and clammie liquors. Indeed to distill such thicke liquors, vvere better to be done by a re••ort, rather than in Maries-bath, as we will manifest when we come to speake of the distillation of oyles.

For to distill the bloud of a male Goat: Take the bloud of a young male goat be∣ing vvell fed, but not that bloud vvhich shall come forth first, nor that which shall be last, but that which shall come forth in the middest: let it stand and settle for some time, and then cast out the vvater that shall swim aboue: after vvith a tenth or twelfth part of salt, stir it vvell a long time, and worke them together very throughly; this done, put it vp into a vessell well stopt and luted, and bury it in a dunghill of horse-dung for the space of fortie daies: afterward distill it oftentimes ouer, powring it still againe and againe vpon the dros••e or bottome of the distillation staying be∣hind. After you haue thus distilled it foure or fiue times, you shall haue a maruailous water, and yet it will be better if it be set in horse-dung fortie daies moe after that it is distilled. This water is singular for the breaking of the stone.

The bloud of a young man is distilled in the same sort, but the man must be of a good complexion, and sound bodie, of the age of twentie yeares or thereabouts, of a well fed and fleshie bodie: and it serueth in steed of restoratiues vnto those vvhich are in a consumption: it is good likewise against rheumes and distillations falling vpon the joynts, if the diseased places be fomented therewithall. Howbeit I do not greatly approue the distilling of mans bloud for any such end, seeing it is an vnwor∣thie and heynous thing, and not beseeming Christians, and a thing likewise which in the middest of so many other helpes may easily be spared. See more amongst our secret medicines.

The bloud of a Drake is in like maner distilled against poyson: and after the same sort may the bloud of a Calfe, Badger, or Hare be distilled.

You may distill milke also alter the same manner that Aqua-vitae is distilled. It is reported, that in Tartarie the water of distilled milke maketh men drunke: such milk therefore must be good and fat, such as is the milke of a heyfer. Some physitians hold that distilled milke is good against the jaundise, as also against a quartaine ague, if it be distilled with the like quantitie of Wine.

The milke of the she goats is oft distilled, to serue for the cleansing of the vlcers of thereines and bladder, whereunto the milke it selfe would serue a great deale better, if they be fed for the most part with burnet.

Mans dung is distilled in a glasse stillitorie in such manner as Aqua-vitae is distil∣led: the vvater that it distilleth (especially if it be of the dung of a red or freckeled man) is soueraigne good to heale and cicatrize deepe, hollow, old, and rebellious vl∣cers, and to take away the spots of the eyes. Taken also in manner of a drinke, it deli∣uereth from the Falling-sicknesse: and in like sort if the head be rubbed therewithall, it deliuereth also from the stone of the reines and bladder, and from the dropsie, and doth them verie much good that are bitten of a mad dogge, or of other venimous beasts. Notwithstanding whereas such water simplie and without any manner of mixture distilled, doth retaine the smell of the said excrement, it will be good, to the end to giue it some good taste, to clap to the end of the nose of the Still some nodule or little knot of linnen cloth contayning muske in it; or else to annoint the head vvithin vvith the said muske or some other such like thing that is of a good sauour.

And thus may the dung of kine or pigeons be distilled; the distilled water whereof is good to breake the stone.

Notes

• What is meant by liquor in th•••• place.
• Aqua-vitae.
• The bladder still to distill Aqua vitae in.
• Aqua vitae o••∣ten distilled.
• Signes sh••wing that the Aqua-vitae is suffici∣ently distilled.
• Aqua-vitae is distilled either of wine, or wine 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or beere.
• Vessells for the distilling of Aqua-vitae.
• Vertues of Aqua-vitae.
• Distilled vine∣ger.
• The difference betwixt Aqua-vitae and Vine∣ger in their ma∣ner of distilling.
• What vessels Vineger would be distilled in.
• The vertues of distilled Vine∣ger.
• Salted water, or Sea water.
• Honey distilled.
• To colour the haire.
• Turpentine di∣stilled.
• The bloud of a male Goat di∣stilled.
• The stone.
• Mans bloud di∣stilled.
• The bloud of a Drake distilled.
• Distilled milke.
• The vertues of distilled milke.
• The milke of a she Goat distil∣led.
• The distilling of mans dung.
• Deepe vlcers.
• The biting of •• mad dogge.
• To giue a good smell to the di∣stilled water.