The seconde part of the Secretes of Master Alexis of Piemont by hym collected out of diuers excellent authours, and newly translated out of Frenche into Englishe, with a generall table, of all the matters conteined in the saied boke. By William Warde.

Balles of Sope for Barbers of diuers sortes and sauours.

FIrste you muste note that the Sope is purged and purified two maner of waies. The first is the venitian Sope beyng3 cut small muste be put in a pot that is not fatty, nor hauing any euill sauour, and put into it some rose water or other sweete waters, or els in this maner folowing: Take well water and put into it cheuers of cipers, and seeth it a good while, than straine it, & it wil be very odori∣ferous and sweete: or els putte in the floures of mirtle tree, of Orenge tree, Cedar tree, Spicke, Lauander, Agnus castus, Sticados, beyond sea Violettes, Sage, and suche other odoriferous floures or herbes, as Ced••••, Baie, our ladies glooues, Minte, Maioram, Time, and other sweete herbes, and make of all this a com∣position, & so make a sweete water of diuers sauours, and so seeth it a little: This done take of the sope that

swimmeth aboue with a Spoone, and laie it vpon a newe Tile, and it wil incontinent be drie and shal re∣maine neate and cleane, bicause the water hath taken awaie al the filth and vnctuosite of the sope, and ther∣fore will be faire and white without any euil sauour, hauing augmented the good smell of it. And this maie you keepe against you haue neede of it: And this is the very true purging and purifiyng of it, mary it dimi∣nisheth it of an vnce or a little more in the pounde. Al∣so another maner is, that you muste cut the sope very small or els grate it, and drie it in the sunne or in an ouen, and make thereof pouder passing it thorowe a fine sarce. This don weate it with Rose water or wa∣ter of Spicke, and lette it drie in the shadow or in the winde, or els for to make it soner, cutte your sope and stampe it, and nothing els, and put vnto it some pou∣der of Irios, Storax, and a little Camfire, and beate it all togither, and then make your Bals, and so you maie incontinent after distribute them. True it is that thei be not of any great value. But for to incorporate the odours in the sope for Barbers balles, you must take sixe vnces of the said sope, and stampe it wel in a mor∣ter, and put into it all these thinges folowing made into fine pouder, for in this lieth the honour and per∣fection of your worke. An vnce of Labdanum, foure vn∣ces of Macaleb, an vnce of Anise, three Nutmegges, Maioram, drie Roses, Cipres pouder, of eche of them halfe an vnce, three vnces of cloues, sixe vnces of Irios, eight vnces of the flower of Amylum, with asmuche of Storax liquida, as will lie vpon a peny, three graines of Muske, or foure at the moste, sixe scruples of Camfire, with a little of the finest Sugre that you can get. And lette all these thinges be well stamped, and incorpora∣ted with in the Sope, & you shall make a past or dowe some what fast or ferme, of the whiche you shal forme and make greate or small balles as you shall thinke best, and let them drie in the shadowe and they will be

parfite. For to make also of another sorte, take two pound of the foresaid sope, and stampe it wel, then put into it the iuice of Macaleb about two vnces, and for to knowe it, note that it is like a corne of whete, and of the same colour, but somewhat round & a little grea∣ter. And for to get out the iuice of it, stiepe it in Rose water, or other sweete water, & let it remaine in it vn∣till it swell. Then stampe it and put it in a linen cloth, and straine it hard, and the white iuice that commeth out of it, is the iuice of Macaleb, and of the sauour of Macaleb, and the rest that remaineth you shal drie and make of it pouder, the which you maie also occupie bi∣cause it hath the like vertue & the sauour of violettes: with that you shall take two vnces of Cloues, three vnces of Irios, an vnce and a halfe of Ladanum, an vnce of Storax, & all this beyng made into very fine pouder, let it be incorporated into the Sope, & you shal make a past or dowe ferme & fast, whereof you shall forme and facion your balles setting them to drie in the shadow. To make also balles of white sope, take fiue pound of the saide sope, and put into it foure vnces of Irios, two vnces of white Sandale, three vnces of the floure of Amylum, an vnce of Storax, & make al this into pouder; and stampe well altogither, & stiepe it a little in Rose water, or muskt water, and you shal make of it a good past, wherof you shal forme & make your balles euē as you will. Also for to make thē simple & good, take iiij. pound of the said white sope▪ with v. vnces of the pou∣der of Irios, two vnces of cloues, iij. vnces of the pouder of Macaleb, & incorporate them well togither in a mor∣ter with the water of Trefle or of spike, and you shall make a forme and fast dowe, whereof you maie make your balles, and they will be very soone drie.