Of hony.

This chapter on honey dated to 1539 includes two recipes for mead, one plain mead and one for a mead/vinegar mixture called oxymell.

Of Honey. Cap. xxii.
Honey as well in meat [raw] as in drink, is of incomparable efficacy, for it not only cleanses, alters, and nourishes, but also it long time preserves that uncorrupted, which is put into it. In so much as Pliny said, such is the nature of honey, that it suffers not the bodies to putrefy. And he affirmed, that he did see a Hippo centaur [Note: Plin. li. 22. ] (which is a beast half man, half horse)brought in honey to Claudius the emperor out of Egypt, to Rome. And he told also of one Pollio Romulus, who was about one hundred years old, of whom Augustus the emperor demanded, by what means he lived so long, and retained still the vigor and liveliness of body & mind, Pollio answered, yay he did it inward with mead (which is a drink made with honey & water) and outward with oil. Which saying agreed with the sentence of Democritus, the great philosopher: who being demanded, how a man may live long in health, he answered, if he wet him within with honey, and without with oil. The same philosopher, when he was a hundred hears old and nine, prolonged his live certain days with the evaporation of honey, as Aristoxenus wrote.
Of this excellent matter, most wonderfully wrought and gathered by the little bee, as well of the pure dew of heaven, as of the most subtle humor of sweet & virtuous herbs & flowers, be made liquors commodious to mankind, as mead, metheglyn, and oxymell. Mead, which is made with one part honey and four times as much of pure water, and boiled until no scum does remain, is much commended of Galene, drunk in [Note: Galen. de tuend. sanita. li. 4. ] summer, for preservation of health. The same author always commended the use of honey, either raw eaten with fine bread, somewhat leavened, or sodden [cooked], and received as drink. Also mead perfectly made, cleanses the breast and lungs, causes a man to spit easily, and to piss abundantly, and purges the belly moderately. Metheglyn, which is most used in Wales, by reason of hot herbs boiled with honey, is hotter than mead, and more comfortable to a cold stomach, if it be perfectly made, and not new or very stale. Oximell is, where to one part of vinegar is put double so much of honey, four times as much of water, and that being boiled unto the third part, and clean skimmed with a feather, is used to be taken, where in the stomach is most fleume [phlegm, one of the four body fluids or 'humors'] or matter undigested, so that it be nat redde choler [not sure what this could mean]. Look the use thereof in Alexandro Tralliano. Many other good qualities of honey, I omit to write of, until some other occasion shall happen, to remember them particularly, where they shall seem profitable.


¶ Of hony. Cap. xxii.
HOnye as well in meate as in drynke, is of incomparable efficacy, for it not onely clenseth, altereth, and norisheth, but also it long time preserueth that vncorrupted, which is put in into it. In so moche as Pliny sayth, Suche is the na|ture of hony, that it suffreth not the bodies to pu|trifie. And he affirmeth, that he dyd se an Hippo|centaure [Note: Plin. li. 22. ] (which is a beaste halfe man, half horse) brought in honye to Claudius the emperour out of Egypte, to Rome. And he telleth also of oone Pollio Romulus, who was aboue a hundred ye|res olde, of whome Augustus the emperour de|manded, by what meanes he lyued so longe, and retayned styll the vygour or lyuelynes of body & mynd, Pollio answered, y^[...] he did it inwarde with meade (which is drinke made with hony & water) outward with oyle. Whiche sayeng agreeth with the sentence of Democritus, the greate philoso|pher: who being demanded, how a man mought lyue longe in helthe, he aunswered, If he wette hym within with honye, without with oyle. The same philosopher, whan he was a hundred yeres olde and nyne, prolonged his lyfe certayn dayes with the euaporation of honye, as Aristoxenus writeth.
Of this excellent matter, moste wonder|fully wrought and gathered by the lyttell bee, as wel of the pure dewe of heuen, as of the most sub|tyl humor of swete & vertuous herbes & floures, be made lykors co~modious to ma~kynd, as mead, metheglyn, and oxymell. Meade, whiche is made with one parte of hony, and foure tymes so moch of pure water, and boyled vntyll no skym do re|mayne, is moche comended of Galene, drunke in [Note: Galen. de tuend. sa|nita. li. 4. ] sommer, for preseruynge of helth. The same au|thor alway commendeth the vsynge of hony, ey|ther rawe eaten with fyne breadde, somewhat le|uened, or sodden, and receyued as drinke. Alsoo meade perfectly made, clenseth the brest and lun|ges, causeth a man to spytte easily, and to pysse a|bundantly, and purgeth the bely moderatly. Metheglyn, whiche is moste vsed in wales, by reason of hotte herbes boyled with hony, is hotter than meade, and more comforteth a colde stomake, if it be perfectly made, and not new or very stale. Oxi|mell is, where to one part of vineger is put dou|ble so moche of hony, foure tymes as moche of water, and that being boiled vnto the third part, and cleane skymmed with a fether, is vsed to be taken, where in the stomacke is moche fleume or matter vndigested, so that it be nat redde choler. Loke the vse therof in Alexandro Tralliano. Many other good qualities of honye, I omytte to write of, vntyll some other occasion shall hap|pen, to remember them partycularly, where they shall seme to be profitable.

Author: Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546. 5507
Title: The castel of helthe gathered, and made by Syr Thomas Elyot knight, out of the chief authors of
phisyke ; whereby euery man may knowe the state of his owne body, the preseruation of helthe, and
how to instruct well his phisition in sicknes, that he be not deceyued.
Date: 1539
Copy from: Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery
From EEBO at http://eebo.chadwyck.com/

Translation © by Susan Verberg