The gentlemans recreation in two parts : the first being an encyclopedy of the arts and sciences ... the second part treats of horsmanship, hawking, hunting, fowling, fishing, and agriculture : with a short treatise of cock-fighting ... : all which are collected from the most authentick authors, and the many gross errors therein corrected, with great enlargements ... : and for the better explanation thereof, great variety of useful sculptures, as nets, traps, engines, &c. are added for the taking of beasts, fowl and fish : not hitherto published by any : the whole illustrated with about an hundred ornamental and useful sculptures engraven in copper, relating to the several subjects.

Of Wines made of the Juice of Fruits. [ 60]

CHerries make a fine, cool and pleasant Drink for the Summer Season, but being of no strong Body, will not keep long; yet the Morello Cherry will keep, and for Brandy this doth far ex∣ceed the Black Cherry, being of a curious Tast and a great Cordial; for the making this Wine gather such Cherries that are ripe, and not rotten or bruis∣ed, and press them in a Hair Cloth as your Apples, or Pears, after their grinding or Beating. Let the Liquor stand in the Vat to settle, and then draw it off into Bottles, which must be ordered as for Cyder and Perry, and well stopt with good Corks.

PLVMS make a good Wine, but not so brisk and fine as the Cherries; the Black Pear-Plum is the best.

MVLBERRIES make a rich, and high co∣loured Wine, and of a strong Body; It is very good to put to small or pale Wines to add a Tincture.

RARSBERRIES is an excellent pleasant Wine; and if mixt with other Liquors, adds an excellent high Flavour and Gust unto them. The usual way to make this Wine, is to boyl up the Juice with Sugar, and put it up in Bottles. Of this Juice two or three Spoonfuls are sufficient, to put into a Bottle of Claret, which will give it the Gust of Rarsberry Wine.

GOOSBERRIES extracted in their due time, being neither too ripe nor too green, and mixt with Water and Sugar, make a palatable Wine; it is usually made without boyling, be∣cause that contracts a brown Colour, and Water is added to it, to mitigate the strength. After prepare it thus; Let the Goosberries be bruised, but not too much, which force from the Pulp through a Hair-cloth: The Juice that comes out put into an Earthen Pot, the which let stand for four or five days to settle, then draw it clear off into Bottles, putting to each Bottle two Ounces of fine Sugar, and so Bottle it up.

CVRRANS are also a strong Wine; It is to be mixt with some Water and Sugar, and is best to be boyled; when it is well setled, let it be put up into Bottles, and well Corked.

QVINCES make a strong and excellent Wine, which is thus made; Slice them, then press them in a Hair-cloth; the Juice must stand in a Vat, or Vessel, to settle as the other Li∣quors, before it is Botled up. If Sugar, and some Aromatick Spices were put in, it would much add to the pleasantness of the Tast.

MEAD or METHEGLIN being right∣ly ordered, is an excellent Liquor, the pureness and whiteness of the Honey is the chief cause of its clearness. It is made several ways.

I shall give you Instructions for the making it two or three ways, which are adjudged the best.

Take one part of Clarified Honey, and eight parts of pure clear running or Spring Water (but for weak Mead a far less quantity of Honey,) boyl them well together in a Copper or other Vessel, untill good part be consumed; then take it off the Fire, and when it is almost cold Tun it up, and it will work of it self; Then so soon as it has done working, stop up the Vessel very close, and if you have conveniency, bury it under Ground for about two Months; if not, keep it in a low place, and this will take away the tast and smell of the Honey and Wax, and give it a Flavour like Wine.

If you would have it of an Aromatick Tast, to about 12 Gallons you may add these Ingre∣dients, viz. Flowers of Rosemary, and Margerom, of each a small Handful; a Handful of Mother

of Thime, one Ounce of Nutmegs and Cloves, ½ an Ounce of Cinamon, and of Ginger, and Car∣dimum of each two Drams; slice the Nutmegs, and Ginger, and bruise the Cloves.

Another way is, To twelve Gallons of scum'd Must or Liquor, as aforesaid, take one Ounce of Ginger, ½ Ounce of Cinamon, of Cloves, and Pepper of each two Drams; let all these be gross beaten, the one half sowed in a Bag, and the o∣ther loose; and let them boyl in the Liquor a∣bout [ 10] half an Hour.

Some mix their Honey and Water until it will bear an Egg, by which rule you may make it stronger or weaker at your pleasure.

Another way is, To sixteen Gallons of Must take one Ounce of Thime, one Ounce of Eglantine, ½ an Ounce of Margerom, and as much of Rose∣mary; 2 Ounces of Ginger, one Ounce of Ci∣namon, and of Cloves and Pepper of each ½ an Ounce, all gross beaten; of these Ingredients let [ 20] the one half be boyled in a Bag, and the other loose, as aforesaid.

Another way, To about eight Gallons of Wa∣ter, and one Gallon of Honey, as aforesaid, add three or four li. of Reasons of the Sun, stoned, without any other Ingredients or Spices.

Note that all Green Herbs are apt to make the Metheglin or Mead flat or dead, and the Cloves make it high coloured. The scumming it in the boyling is injurious, for that being of [ 30] the nature of Yest, helps it to Ferment and pu∣rify; but tis customary with most to take off the Scum in the boyling, and for setting it to work, to use Yest, which is not so good.