A very interesting piece on the refermentation of wine, and the lack of knowledge why...
If any sweete Wines happen to reboile in the hot part of the Summer (as I have often seen, and as manie Vinteners to their great losse have oftentimes felt) then Placentius willeth a little peece or cantle of Cheese to be put into the vessell, and presently a strange effect will follow. Hoc ex anchora famis & sitis. I believe that the corporation of Vintners would give twentie pound yearely to have this secrete warranted to bee true. For the best remedy which they have, is to draw the wine of from the lee into'other cleane caske, thereby perswading themselves to coole the wine, and to stay the boyling thereof. But after a while the inward fire oftentimes beginneth a fresh workmanship, and emunstrateth all their labour, I would esteeme him for a learned Vintner, and worthie to have the next auoydance of Bacchus his chaire, that could give me the true reason of this reboiling of wines. But because I have allotted so great a place of honour to him that can but shewe the reason onely thereof, therefor I will not presume nor professe to knowe the cause efficient, but I durft undertake to perfourme the remedie, if I thought my rewarde would not be somewhat like unto his, that within this few yeares taught diverse of the companie to draw out of a Hogges-head of wine lees, 10 gallons of clear wine at the least, which beeing trickt, or compassed, or at the least mingled with other wine, hath ever since by diverse Vintners beene retailed for wine, whereas before it was wholie solde for lees to the Aqua vitae men. And this is the reason why there hath never since been the like store of lees to make Aqua vitae of, as before the discoverie if this conceit, and that the lees of many Cellors which before were Liquid, are now become stiffe like paste, and may verie well be wrought up into the forme of bals. And if I be not deceived, the first practize thereof began in Paternoster row, and within these few years, but I feare by this time, it is a parcell of manie mens Creede that wil never be left wil the worlds end. Wel, the poore fellow got hardly a good sute of apparell amongst diverse of them to whom hee disclosed the secrete, although some one of them could tell which way presently to raise 30 or 40 .li. per annu' unto themselves. And therefor I see it is no offring of skill in these days to Vintners.
But the better course were to take a Taverne and get a Hollibush if France were more open, and a little more freed of the excessive impost, and so to draw wines as artificially as the best of them. For I can assure you I have almost the whole art as it is this day in use amongest the Vintners, written in a prettie volume entituled, Secreta dei pampinei. And if I durft here so boldly as I could, both truly & largely write of those iumbling sleights, that are to too often practized in our naturall wines by some of the Coopers of London, to the great benefite of the Marchant and Vintner, although themselves, poore foules, get nothing thereby but the hooping of the vessels, and now and then a Can of wine for their labours, a man would wonder from whence such great varietie of iugling should growe or spring, and howe there plaine fellows that nevre read their Grammer, nay scarely know their A, B, C, should be able to run through Ouids Metamorphosis as they doe at midnight. And yet I cannot altogither blame either the Cooper, or the Vintners man for practicing of these alterations, transmutations, and sometimes even real transubstantiations, of white wine into Claret, & old lags of Sacks or Malmesies, with malassoes into Muskadels.
For we are growne so nice in taste, that almost no wines unless they be more pleasant than they can be of the Grape will content us, nay no colour unlesse it be perfect, fine and bright, will satisfie our wanton eyes, whereupon (as I have been creedibly enfourmed by some that have seene the practize in Spaine) they are forced even there to enterlace now and then a lay of Lime with the Sacke grape in the expression thereby to bring their Sackes to bee of a more white colour into England then is naturall unto them, or then the Spaniardes themselves will brooke or endure, who will drinke no other Sackes them such as be of an Amber colour. This makes the Vintners to tricke or compasse all their natural wines if they bee a little hard, with Bastarde to make them sweeter, if they pricke a little they have a decoction of honie with a few Cloves to deceive the taste, if they be clowdie or not perfect fine, they give them either the white or the yellow, parrell, according to the naturall colour of the Wines, wherein they must use Egges, milke, Baysalt, & Conduit water well beaten and laboured together with a stubbed rodde, and then wrought soundlie together with a parrelling staffe, which parrell for the most part in one night (unless the Wines happen to have a flickering Lee) will cause them to fine, whereby you may presently drawe at certaine. But this is daungerous unless it be in a house well customed, for that the Wine may not lie too long upon his parell. And some Wines will not endure long after you have racked them from their parell. Note the wholesomnesse of these Lees to make Aqua Vitae withall. But when the Wines doe rope or beginne to faile or faint in themselves, either in substaunce or in colour, either by age, by the fault of Caske, soyle, salt water, or other accident, then manie tymes the Vintener is driven to his hard shiftes, and then hee helpeth himselfe with Allome, with Turnsole [tournisol, or litmus], Starch, and with manie other Drugges, and aromaticall ware which he fetcheth from the Apothecarie, the particulars whereof I coulde set downe and applie even as they have beene a long time (till within these fewe yeeres) practized in one of the most authentique Tavernes of my time. But my purpose is onely to put some in minde of their grosse night-woorkes which discover themselves by Candlelight at their Celler Windowes, whishing them to leave all unwholesome practizes for mans bodie, least they should heereafter against my will force mee to publish them to the worlde, I shoulde drawe my Countrey men into such a liking of our Royston Grape, that in the ende they woulde for the most part content themselves with their English and naturall drinke, without raunging so farre for forreine Wines.
The Jewell House of Art and Nature, conteining diverse rare and profitable Inventions, together with sundry new experimentes in the Art of Husbandry, Distillation, and Moulding. By Hugh Platte. London: Peter Short, 1597. Access through Early English Books Online.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Of bread and drink.
The second Section, concerning foode. Chap. 1. Of bread and drink.
VVhat is the vse of bread?
BRead made of pure wheat floure, well boulted fro~ all bran, sufficiently leauened, and finely moulded & baked, comforteth and strengtheneth the hart, maketh a man fat, and preserueth health. It must not be aboue two or three dayes old, at most, for then it waxeth hard to be co~cocted. Howbeit neuerthelesse, the pith of new hot bread infused into wine, and smelt vnto, doth much good to the spirits, and greatly exhilarateth the heart.
What is the vse of beere?
Beere which is made of good malt, well brew|ed, not too new, nor too stale, nourisheth the body, auseth a good colour, and quickly pas|seth out of the body. In summer it auayleth a man much, and is no lesse wholesome to our constitutions then wine. Besides the nutritiue faculty, which it hath by the malt, it receiueth likewise a certaine propertie of medicine by the hop.
What is the vse of Ale?
Ale made of barley malt and good water doth make a man strong: but now a daies few brewers do brew it as they ought, for they add slimie and heauie baggage vnto it, thinking thereby to please tossepots, & to encrease the vigour of it.
How shall I discerne good ale from bad?
Good ale ought to be fresh and cleere of colour. It must not be tilted, for then the best qualitie is spent: It must neyther looke mud|die, nor yet carie a taile with it.
Which is the best drink?
The most pretious and wholesome ordina|rie drink as well for them that be in health, as for sicke and impotent persons is made after this maner: Take halfe a pound of barley, foure mea|sures of water, halfe an ounce of Licoras, and two drachmes of the seede of Violets, two drachmes of parsley seed, three ounces of red Roses, an ounce & a halfe of Hysop & Sage, three ounces of figges and raisins well pickt: Seeth them all together in an earthen vessell, so long till they decrease two fingers breadth by seething: then put the pot in cold water, and straine the ingredients through a cloth.
Shew mee a speedie drink for trauellers, when they want beere or ale at their Inne?
Let them take a quart of fayre water, and put thereto fiue or sixe spoonefulles of good Aqua composita, a small quantitie of sugar, and a branch of Rosemarie: Let them be bru|ed well out of one pot into another, and then their drink is ready.
What shall poore men drink, when malt is ex|treame deare?
They must gather the toppes of heath, whereof the vsuall brushes are made, and dry them, and keepe them from moulding. Then they may at all times brue a cheap drink for themselues therewith. Which kinde of drink is very wholesome as well for the liuer, as the spleene; but much the more pleasaunt, if they put a little licoras vnto it. There is ano|ther sort of drink, of water and vineger pro|portionably mingled together, which in sum|mer they may vse.
How shall I help beere or ale, which beginne to be sowre or dead?
Put a handfull or two of oatemeale, or else of ground malt, into the barrell of beere or ale, stirre the same well together, and so make it reuiue a-fresh. Or else, if you please, bury your drink vnder ground, in the earth, for the space of foure and twentie houres.
Teach mee a way to make beere or ale to be|come stale, within two or three daies?
This is performed, if you burie your beere or ale being filled into pots, in a shadie place somewhat deepe in the ground.
What is meath?
Meath is made of honey and water boyled both together. This kinde of drink is good for them, which enioy their health; but very hurt|full for them, who are afflicted with the stran|gurie or colick. Braggot doth farre surpasse it in wholesomenesse.
What is Meatheglin?
Meatheglin is made of honey, water, and hearbes. If it be stale, it is passing good.
Chap. 2. Of Wine.
What is the propertie of wine?
Wine moderatly drunk refresheth the heart and the spirits, tempereth the humours, in|gendreth good bloud, breaketh fleagme, con|serueth nature, and maketh it merie.
What is the vse of white wine?
White wine, drunk in the morning fasting, cleanseth the lunges. Being taken with red O|nions brused, it pearceth quickly into the blad der, and breaketh the stone. But if this kinde of wine be drunk with a ful stomack it doth more hurt then good, and causeth the meate to des|cend, before it be fully concocted.
What is the vse of Rhenish wine?
Rhenish wine of all other is the most excel|lent, for it scoureth the reines of the back, cla|rifieth the spirits, prouoketh vrine, and driueth away the headache, specially if it doth pro|ceede from the heate of the stomack.
What is the vse of Muscadell, Malmesie, and browne Bastard?
These kindes of wines are only for maried folkes, because they strengthen the back.
What is the vse of Sack?
Sack doth make men fat and foggie, and therefore not to be taken of young men. Be|ing drunk before meales it prouoketh ap|petite, and comforteth the spirits maruel|lously.
How shall I know whether hony or water be mingled with wine?
Vintners, I confesse, in these dayes are wont to iuggle and sophistically to abuse wines, namely, Alligant, Muscadell, and browne Bastard, but you shall perceiue theyr deceite by this meanes; take a few drops of the wine, and powre them vpon a hot plate of yron, and the wine being resol|ued, the honey will remaine and thicken. If you suspect your wine to be mingled with wa|ter, you shall discerne the same by putting a peare into it: for if the peare swimme vpon the face of the wine, and sinke not to the bot|tome, then it is perfect and vnmingled, but if it sinke to the bottome, water without doubt is added vnto it.
Shew mee a way to keepe Claret wine, or any other wine good, nine or ten yeeres.
At euery vintage, draw almost the fourth part, out of the hogshead, and then rowle it vpon his lee, & after fill it vp with the best new wine of the same kinde, that you can get. Your caske ought to be bound with yron hoopes, and kept alwaies full.
How might I help wine, that reboyleth?
Put a peece of cheese into the vessell, and presently a wonderfull effect will follow.
From Naturall and artificial directions for health deriued from the best philosophers, as well moderne, as auncient. By William Vaughan, Master of Artes, and student in the ciuill law. By William Vaughan, 1600. Copy from the British Library, via EEBO.
VVhat is the vse of bread?
BRead made of pure wheat floure, well boulted fro~ all bran, sufficiently leauened, and finely moulded & baked, comforteth and strengtheneth the hart, maketh a man fat, and preserueth health. It must not be aboue two or three dayes old, at most, for then it waxeth hard to be co~cocted. Howbeit neuerthelesse, the pith of new hot bread infused into wine, and smelt vnto, doth much good to the spirits, and greatly exhilarateth the heart.
What is the vse of beere?
Beere which is made of good malt, well brew|ed, not too new, nor too stale, nourisheth the body, auseth a good colour, and quickly pas|seth out of the body. In summer it auayleth a man much, and is no lesse wholesome to our constitutions then wine. Besides the nutritiue faculty, which it hath by the malt, it receiueth likewise a certaine propertie of medicine by the hop.
What is the vse of Ale?
Ale made of barley malt and good water doth make a man strong: but now a daies few brewers do brew it as they ought, for they add slimie and heauie baggage vnto it, thinking thereby to please tossepots, & to encrease the vigour of it.
How shall I discerne good ale from bad?
Good ale ought to be fresh and cleere of colour. It must not be tilted, for then the best qualitie is spent: It must neyther looke mud|die, nor yet carie a taile with it.
Which is the best drink?
The most pretious and wholesome ordina|rie drink as well for them that be in health, as for sicke and impotent persons is made after this maner: Take halfe a pound of barley, foure mea|sures of water, halfe an ounce of Licoras, and two drachmes of the seede of Violets, two drachmes of parsley seed, three ounces of red Roses, an ounce & a halfe of Hysop & Sage, three ounces of figges and raisins well pickt: Seeth them all together in an earthen vessell, so long till they decrease two fingers breadth by seething: then put the pot in cold water, and straine the ingredients through a cloth.
Shew mee a speedie drink for trauellers, when they want beere or ale at their Inne?
Let them take a quart of fayre water, and put thereto fiue or sixe spoonefulles of good Aqua composita, a small quantitie of sugar, and a branch of Rosemarie: Let them be bru|ed well out of one pot into another, and then their drink is ready.
What shall poore men drink, when malt is ex|treame deare?
They must gather the toppes of heath, whereof the vsuall brushes are made, and dry them, and keepe them from moulding. Then they may at all times brue a cheap drink for themselues therewith. Which kinde of drink is very wholesome as well for the liuer, as the spleene; but much the more pleasaunt, if they put a little licoras vnto it. There is ano|ther sort of drink, of water and vineger pro|portionably mingled together, which in sum|mer they may vse.
How shall I help beere or ale, which beginne to be sowre or dead?
Put a handfull or two of oatemeale, or else of ground malt, into the barrell of beere or ale, stirre the same well together, and so make it reuiue a-fresh. Or else, if you please, bury your drink vnder ground, in the earth, for the space of foure and twentie houres.
Teach mee a way to make beere or ale to be|come stale, within two or three daies?
This is performed, if you burie your beere or ale being filled into pots, in a shadie place somewhat deepe in the ground.
What is meath?
Meath is made of honey and water boyled both together. This kinde of drink is good for them, which enioy their health; but very hurt|full for them, who are afflicted with the stran|gurie or colick. Braggot doth farre surpasse it in wholesomenesse.
What is Meatheglin?
Meatheglin is made of honey, water, and hearbes. If it be stale, it is passing good.
Chap. 2. Of Wine.
What is the propertie of wine?
Wine moderatly drunk refresheth the heart and the spirits, tempereth the humours, in|gendreth good bloud, breaketh fleagme, con|serueth nature, and maketh it merie.
What is the vse of white wine?
White wine, drunk in the morning fasting, cleanseth the lunges. Being taken with red O|nions brused, it pearceth quickly into the blad der, and breaketh the stone. But if this kinde of wine be drunk with a ful stomack it doth more hurt then good, and causeth the meate to des|cend, before it be fully concocted.
What is the vse of Rhenish wine?
Rhenish wine of all other is the most excel|lent, for it scoureth the reines of the back, cla|rifieth the spirits, prouoketh vrine, and driueth away the headache, specially if it doth pro|ceede from the heate of the stomack.
What is the vse of Muscadell, Malmesie, and browne Bastard?
These kindes of wines are only for maried folkes, because they strengthen the back.
What is the vse of Sack?
Sack doth make men fat and foggie, and therefore not to be taken of young men. Be|ing drunk before meales it prouoketh ap|petite, and comforteth the spirits maruel|lously.
How shall I know whether hony or water be mingled with wine?
Vintners, I confesse, in these dayes are wont to iuggle and sophistically to abuse wines, namely, Alligant, Muscadell, and browne Bastard, but you shall perceiue theyr deceite by this meanes; take a few drops of the wine, and powre them vpon a hot plate of yron, and the wine being resol|ued, the honey will remaine and thicken. If you suspect your wine to be mingled with wa|ter, you shall discerne the same by putting a peare into it: for if the peare swimme vpon the face of the wine, and sinke not to the bot|tome, then it is perfect and vnmingled, but if it sinke to the bottome, water without doubt is added vnto it.
Shew mee a way to keepe Claret wine, or any other wine good, nine or ten yeeres.
At euery vintage, draw almost the fourth part, out of the hogshead, and then rowle it vpon his lee, & after fill it vp with the best new wine of the same kinde, that you can get. Your caske ought to be bound with yron hoopes, and kept alwaies full.
How might I help wine, that reboyleth?
Put a peece of cheese into the vessell, and presently a wonderfull effect will follow.
From Naturall and artificial directions for health deriued from the best philosophers, as well moderne, as auncient. By William Vaughan, Master of Artes, and student in the ciuill law. By William Vaughan, 1600. Copy from the British Library, via EEBO.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
How to dye wood, bone, and horn
20. How to dye wood, bone, and horn
Any wood, bone, or horn you wish to dye has to be immersed for one half day in alum-water and then be dried again; then dye as follows:
21. To dye a green color
Two parts verdigris, one third part sal ammoniac are well ground together; put this in strong vinegar; immerse the wood, bone, or horn in this vinegar; cover tightly and leave it in until it becomes sufficiently green.
Comment from Edelstein: "An acid solution of copper would give excellent dyeing and a good green color."
22. Another green
Place the wood, bone, or horn in a glass jar; pour thereon vinegar mixed with "Viride Grecum" [verdigris] SO that it is thick and not too thin from vinegar; cover well and place it for seven days under warm horse manure; if it should not be green enough let it stay therein some time longer.
23. Another one
Also you may make the same way as reported above verdigris and vinegar; immerse wood, bone, or horn; let it stay therein the same time, take it out, and put it under warm horse manure, which has to be quite moist.
Comment from Edelstein: "This is another slight modification of the use of an acetic acid solution of copper to dye or stain the alum-mordanted wood, bone, or horn. Actually, this solution could be used for staining without having the material previously treated with alum."
24. To dye red
If you wish to dye wood, bone, or horn red, take some unslaked lime, pour some rain water on the lime, let stand overnight; then strain the clear portion through a piece of cloth, take for one "mass" of the water one loth grated brasilwood; immerse the wood, bone, or horn therein and bring to the boil, but take care to have it first soaked in alum-water.
25. To dye yellow
Take the bark of an apple tree, scrape off the outer rough skin, keep the middle layer, and cut it into small pieces; pour water on these, immerse the wood, bone, or horn in it; add some alum and let all boil well together.
Comment from Edelstein: "The bark of apple trees has long been known by country people as a source of yellow or brown dye for many things. The solution would undoubtedly give
a dull yellow color."
26. To dye black
Boil ground gallnuts in strong vinegar; immerse the wood, bone, or horn and let it boil well; take it out and put it in the white of an egg; add also the juice of the outer shells of walnut and let boil again.
Comment from Edelstein: "Missing here are added iron salts, which would give the best blacks. The juice of walnut shells usually furnishes a blackish brown; but if the alum to mordant the material contained some iron as an impurity (and this was usual), then the formula would give a good black."
27. To make horn soft
Take the urine of a man which has stood covered for four weeks, and one pound of unslaked lime and half the amount of willow ashes or ashes of wine lees, eight loth tartar and the same amount of salt; mix well together and bring to the boil; pour it into a filter bag and let it run twice through; keep this lye well covered. When you want to make horn soft, immerse the horn material therein for eight days, then it will become soft; or take stems from poppies together with their top parts, burn to ashes and make a lye of this, and let the horn boil therein.
28. To soften horn so much that it can be worked into forms
Take one pound of the ashes used in making glass; one pound unslaked lime, one "mass" water, allow to boil together until two thirds are evaporated, then stick a feather in and squeeze it between two fingers; if the hairs come off, the boiling has been enough, otherwise let boil longer; let it clarify and pour off, put in small chips of horn and let soften for two days, smear oil on your hands and the horn to make a paste and press it into what you wish.
29. Another recipe of the same kind
Juice of the herb called in Latin marubium album, and juice of celery, also juice from milfoil, also radish juice, and celandine juice, also strong vinegar; and immerse the horn in this and put it covered well under warm horse manure for seven days, then work it as above.
30. To pour horn in molds like lead
Take willow ashes and unslaked lime, make a strong lye therefrom and immerse in this lye chips of horn; let it boil well together so it becomes a paste. Whatever color you want to have it, grind the color and mix in and cast it as desired.
Many of these recipes were from translated middle German to middle English in the Secretes of the Revered Master Alexis of Piemont (see previous post).
From the Allerley Matkel (1532) by Sidney Edelstein, Technology and Culture, Vol 5 no 3 (Summer 1964), pp. 297-321 - includes the original facsimile text with a translation and discussion.
Any wood, bone, or horn you wish to dye has to be immersed for one half day in alum-water and then be dried again; then dye as follows:
21. To dye a green color
Two parts verdigris, one third part sal ammoniac are well ground together; put this in strong vinegar; immerse the wood, bone, or horn in this vinegar; cover tightly and leave it in until it becomes sufficiently green.
Comment from Edelstein: "An acid solution of copper would give excellent dyeing and a good green color."
22. Another green
Place the wood, bone, or horn in a glass jar; pour thereon vinegar mixed with "Viride Grecum" [verdigris] SO that it is thick and not too thin from vinegar; cover well and place it for seven days under warm horse manure; if it should not be green enough let it stay therein some time longer.
23. Another one
Also you may make the same way as reported above verdigris and vinegar; immerse wood, bone, or horn; let it stay therein the same time, take it out, and put it under warm horse manure, which has to be quite moist.
Comment from Edelstein: "This is another slight modification of the use of an acetic acid solution of copper to dye or stain the alum-mordanted wood, bone, or horn. Actually, this solution could be used for staining without having the material previously treated with alum."
24. To dye red
If you wish to dye wood, bone, or horn red, take some unslaked lime, pour some rain water on the lime, let stand overnight; then strain the clear portion through a piece of cloth, take for one "mass" of the water one loth grated brasilwood; immerse the wood, bone, or horn therein and bring to the boil, but take care to have it first soaked in alum-water.
25. To dye yellow
Take the bark of an apple tree, scrape off the outer rough skin, keep the middle layer, and cut it into small pieces; pour water on these, immerse the wood, bone, or horn in it; add some alum and let all boil well together.
Comment from Edelstein: "The bark of apple trees has long been known by country people as a source of yellow or brown dye for many things. The solution would undoubtedly give
a dull yellow color."
26. To dye black
Boil ground gallnuts in strong vinegar; immerse the wood, bone, or horn and let it boil well; take it out and put it in the white of an egg; add also the juice of the outer shells of walnut and let boil again.
Comment from Edelstein: "Missing here are added iron salts, which would give the best blacks. The juice of walnut shells usually furnishes a blackish brown; but if the alum to mordant the material contained some iron as an impurity (and this was usual), then the formula would give a good black."
27. To make horn soft
Take the urine of a man which has stood covered for four weeks, and one pound of unslaked lime and half the amount of willow ashes or ashes of wine lees, eight loth tartar and the same amount of salt; mix well together and bring to the boil; pour it into a filter bag and let it run twice through; keep this lye well covered. When you want to make horn soft, immerse the horn material therein for eight days, then it will become soft; or take stems from poppies together with their top parts, burn to ashes and make a lye of this, and let the horn boil therein.
28. To soften horn so much that it can be worked into forms
Take one pound of the ashes used in making glass; one pound unslaked lime, one "mass" water, allow to boil together until two thirds are evaporated, then stick a feather in and squeeze it between two fingers; if the hairs come off, the boiling has been enough, otherwise let boil longer; let it clarify and pour off, put in small chips of horn and let soften for two days, smear oil on your hands and the horn to make a paste and press it into what you wish.
29. Another recipe of the same kind
Juice of the herb called in Latin marubium album, and juice of celery, also juice from milfoil, also radish juice, and celandine juice, also strong vinegar; and immerse the horn in this and put it covered well under warm horse manure for seven days, then work it as above.
30. To pour horn in molds like lead
Take willow ashes and unslaked lime, make a strong lye therefrom and immerse in this lye chips of horn; let it boil well together so it becomes a paste. Whatever color you want to have it, grind the color and mix in and cast it as desired.
Many of these recipes were from translated middle German to middle English in the Secretes of the Revered Master Alexis of Piemont (see previous post).
From the Allerley Matkel (1532) by Sidney Edelstein, Technology and Culture, Vol 5 no 3 (Summer 1964), pp. 297-321 - includes the original facsimile text with a translation and discussion.
Friday, December 16, 2016
Le Ménagier de Paris
299. Bochet.
To make 6 septiers of bochet, take 6 quarts of fine, mild honey and put it in a cauldron on the fire to boil. Keep stirring until it stops swelling and it has bubbles like small blisters that burst, giving off a little blackish steam. Then add 7 septiersof water and boil until it all reduces to six septiers, stirring constantly. Put it in a tub to cool to lukewarm, and strain through a cloth. Decant into a keg and add one pint of brewer's yeast, for that is what makes it piquant - although if you use bread leaven, the flavor is just as good, but the color will be paler. Cover well and warmly so that it ferments. And for an even better version, add an ounce of ginger, long pepper, grains of paradise, and cloves in equal amounts, except for the cloves of which there should be less; put them in a linen bag and toss into the keg. Two or three days later, when the bochet smells spicy and is tangy enough, remove the spice sachet, wring it out, and put it in another barrel you have underway. Thus you can reuse these spices up to 3 or 4 times.
Item, another bochet which keeps for 4 years, and you can make a whole queue [barrel or cask, also a unit of measure] or more or less at one time if you wish. Combine three parts water and a 4th part honey, boil and skim until reduced by a 10th, and then pour into a container. Refill the cauldron and do the same again, until you have the amount you want. Let it cool and then fill a queue. The bochet will then give off something like a must that will ferment. Keep the container full so that it keeps fermenting. After six weeks or seven months [?], you must draw out all the bochet, up to the lees, and put it in a vat or other vessel. Then break apart the first container and remove the lees. Scald it, wash it, reassemble it, and fill with the liquid you set aside, and store it. It does not matter if it is tapped. Crush four and a half ounces of clove and one grain of paradise, put in a linen bag, and hang inside the keg by a cord from the bung.
Nota For each pot of foam skimmed off, add twelve pots of water and boil together: this will make a nice bochet for the household staff. Item, using other honey rather than the skim, make it the same proportions.
317. Hippocras. To make hippocras powder, pound together a quartern of very fine cinnamon, selected by tasting it, half a quartern of choice cassia buds, an ounce of hand-picked, fine white Mecca ginger, and ounce of grains of paradise, and a sixth of an ounce of nutmeg and galingale together. When you want to make hippocras, take a generous half ounce of this powder and two quarterns of sugar, and mix them together with a quarte of wine as measured in Paris [circa one half gallon]. and nota that the powder and the sugar mixed together make "duke's powder".
To make a quarte or quartern of hippocras by measure used in Beziers, Carcassonne, or Montpelier, pulverize 5 drams of choice cinnamon, hand selected and cleaned; 3 drams of white ginger, culled and prepared; one half and a fourth drams all together of clove, grains of paradise, mace, galingale, nutmeg, and nard - more of the first, and of the other less and less of each as you go down the list. Add to this powder a pound and a half a quartern, by the heavier measure, of rock sugar, ground and mixed with the above spices. Put some wine and the sugar to melt on a dish on the fire, add the powder, mix, then put through a straining cloth and strain as many times as needed until it comes out clear and red. Nota that the tastes of sugar and cinnamon should dominate.
319. To make red white wine red at the table, in the summer gather red flowers that grow amidst grains, called perseau [red poppies] or neelle [corncockle] or passe rose [hollyhock], and let them dry enough so that they can be made into a powder. Toss it secretly into a glass of wine, and the wine will turn red.
337. To remove water from wine, put water and wine in a cupt, and plunge one end of a cotton thread into the bottom of the cup, the other end hanging out over the edge, below and outside of the cup, and you will see the water dripping, colorless, from this end. When the water has all dripped out, the red wine will begin to drip out. It seems that the same can be done with a barrel of wine.
338. To make fortified wine. Take from the vat or barrel the "mother drop" [completely clear without lees] or the flower of wine -red or white- as much as you want, and put it in an earthenware vessel, and boil it gently and moderately over a fire of very dry wood with a clear flame, without the smallest puff of smoke, and skim with a pierced wooden ladle, not an iron one. If the grapes are green that year, boil until the wine reduces to a third; and if the grapes are ripe, to a fourth. Next, set it to cool in a cask or other clean wooden vessel. When it is cooled, put it in a barrel; it will be better in the third or fourth year and in the first. Store it in a temperate place, neither hot nor cold. Set aside in a small vessel some of this boiled wine, to refill the cask in perpetuity, for you know that wine always likes to stay full.
359. To make vinegar to store, empty out the old cask of vinegar, then rinse it thoroughly with very good vinegar and not with water, hot or cold. Next, put that vinegar used for the rinsing and any lees into a wooden or clay vessel, not brass or iron. Let this vinegar and lees settle. Then pour off the clear liquid and strain, and put the solids back [the mother] in the barrel, and fill with more good vinegar. Let it sit in the sun and the heat, the top pierced in 6 places. At night and in fog, plug up all the holes, and when the sun returns, unplug as before.
From The Good Wife's Guide "Le Menagier de Paris", translated by Gina L. Greco & Christine M. Rose. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2009.
To make 6 septiers of bochet, take 6 quarts of fine, mild honey and put it in a cauldron on the fire to boil. Keep stirring until it stops swelling and it has bubbles like small blisters that burst, giving off a little blackish steam. Then add 7 septiersof water and boil until it all reduces to six septiers, stirring constantly. Put it in a tub to cool to lukewarm, and strain through a cloth. Decant into a keg and add one pint of brewer's yeast, for that is what makes it piquant - although if you use bread leaven, the flavor is just as good, but the color will be paler. Cover well and warmly so that it ferments. And for an even better version, add an ounce of ginger, long pepper, grains of paradise, and cloves in equal amounts, except for the cloves of which there should be less; put them in a linen bag and toss into the keg. Two or three days later, when the bochet smells spicy and is tangy enough, remove the spice sachet, wring it out, and put it in another barrel you have underway. Thus you can reuse these spices up to 3 or 4 times.
Item, another bochet which keeps for 4 years, and you can make a whole queue [barrel or cask, also a unit of measure] or more or less at one time if you wish. Combine three parts water and a 4th part honey, boil and skim until reduced by a 10th, and then pour into a container. Refill the cauldron and do the same again, until you have the amount you want. Let it cool and then fill a queue. The bochet will then give off something like a must that will ferment. Keep the container full so that it keeps fermenting. After six weeks or seven months [?], you must draw out all the bochet, up to the lees, and put it in a vat or other vessel. Then break apart the first container and remove the lees. Scald it, wash it, reassemble it, and fill with the liquid you set aside, and store it. It does not matter if it is tapped. Crush four and a half ounces of clove and one grain of paradise, put in a linen bag, and hang inside the keg by a cord from the bung.
Nota For each pot of foam skimmed off, add twelve pots of water and boil together: this will make a nice bochet for the household staff. Item, using other honey rather than the skim, make it the same proportions.
317. Hippocras. To make hippocras powder, pound together a quartern of very fine cinnamon, selected by tasting it, half a quartern of choice cassia buds, an ounce of hand-picked, fine white Mecca ginger, and ounce of grains of paradise, and a sixth of an ounce of nutmeg and galingale together. When you want to make hippocras, take a generous half ounce of this powder and two quarterns of sugar, and mix them together with a quarte of wine as measured in Paris [circa one half gallon]. and nota that the powder and the sugar mixed together make "duke's powder".
To make a quarte or quartern of hippocras by measure used in Beziers, Carcassonne, or Montpelier, pulverize 5 drams of choice cinnamon, hand selected and cleaned; 3 drams of white ginger, culled and prepared; one half and a fourth drams all together of clove, grains of paradise, mace, galingale, nutmeg, and nard - more of the first, and of the other less and less of each as you go down the list. Add to this powder a pound and a half a quartern, by the heavier measure, of rock sugar, ground and mixed with the above spices. Put some wine and the sugar to melt on a dish on the fire, add the powder, mix, then put through a straining cloth and strain as many times as needed until it comes out clear and red. Nota that the tastes of sugar and cinnamon should dominate.
319. To make red white wine red at the table, in the summer gather red flowers that grow amidst grains, called perseau [red poppies] or neelle [corncockle] or passe rose [hollyhock], and let them dry enough so that they can be made into a powder. Toss it secretly into a glass of wine, and the wine will turn red.
337. To remove water from wine, put water and wine in a cupt, and plunge one end of a cotton thread into the bottom of the cup, the other end hanging out over the edge, below and outside of the cup, and you will see the water dripping, colorless, from this end. When the water has all dripped out, the red wine will begin to drip out. It seems that the same can be done with a barrel of wine.
338. To make fortified wine. Take from the vat or barrel the "mother drop" [completely clear without lees] or the flower of wine -red or white- as much as you want, and put it in an earthenware vessel, and boil it gently and moderately over a fire of very dry wood with a clear flame, without the smallest puff of smoke, and skim with a pierced wooden ladle, not an iron one. If the grapes are green that year, boil until the wine reduces to a third; and if the grapes are ripe, to a fourth. Next, set it to cool in a cask or other clean wooden vessel. When it is cooled, put it in a barrel; it will be better in the third or fourth year and in the first. Store it in a temperate place, neither hot nor cold. Set aside in a small vessel some of this boiled wine, to refill the cask in perpetuity, for you know that wine always likes to stay full.
359. To make vinegar to store, empty out the old cask of vinegar, then rinse it thoroughly with very good vinegar and not with water, hot or cold. Next, put that vinegar used for the rinsing and any lees into a wooden or clay vessel, not brass or iron. Let this vinegar and lees settle. Then pour off the clear liquid and strain, and put the solids back [the mother] in the barrel, and fill with more good vinegar. Let it sit in the sun and the heat, the top pierced in 6 places. At night and in fog, plug up all the holes, and when the sun returns, unplug as before.
From The Good Wife's Guide "Le Menagier de Paris", translated by Gina L. Greco & Christine M. Rose. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2009.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
To make fyn meade & poynaunt.
Part V Goud Kokery Royal 17. A. iii
4 Potus clarreti pro domino.
Take of canel i lb. as it cometh out of the bale; of gyngyer, xii unce in the same maner; iii quarter of a lb. of pepir; ii unce of long peper; ii unce & a half of greynes; iii unce & a half of clowis; ii unce & a half of galyngale; ii unce of carewey; ii unce of macis; ii unce of notemugges; ii unce of coliaundir; a quarter of a pynte of aqua ardaunt; with iii galouns of hony: rescett for xx galouns of clarrey.
4 Strong claret for the house [?].
Take of cinnamon 1 lb. as it comes out of the bale; of ginger, 12 ounce in the same manner; 3 quarter of a pound of pepper; 2 ounce of long pepper; 2 ounce and a half of grains of paradise; 3 ounce and a half of cloves; 2 ounce and a half of galingale; 2 ounce of caraway; 2 ounce of mace; 2 ounce of nutmeg; 2 ounce of coriander; a quarter of a pint of aqua arduant; with 3 gallons of honey: recipe for 20 gallons of claret.
5 potus ypocras.
Take a half lb. of canel tried; of gyngyuer tried, a half lb.; of greynes, iii unce; of longe peper, iii unce; of clowis, ii unce; of notemugges, ii unce & a half; of carewey, ii unce; of spikenard, a half unce; of galyngale, ii unce; of sugir, ii lb. Si deficiat sugir, take a potel of hony.
5 Strong hippocras.
Take half a pound of cinnamon tested; of ginger tested, a half pound; of grains of paradise, 3 ounce; of long pepper, 3 ounce; of cloves, 2 ounce; of nutmeg, 2 ounce and a half; of caraway, 2 ounce; of spikenard, a half ounce; of galingale, 2 ounce; of sugar, 2 lb. If deficient in sugar, take a potel of honey.
6 For to dighte a pype of clarrey.
Take and drawe thi wiyn fiyn into a pype that is clene & lete it not be ful by vii or viii vnchis. & thanne take iii lb. of gyngyuer, iii lb. of canel, 1 quarter of greynes, a half unce of notemugges, & half a quarter of clowis, i unce of spikenard, i unce of longe peper. Do al these togider in at a bunge; thanne take a staf and leue it on foure with a kniif into the myddil, that the wiyn & the poudir may renne thoru the staf til the poudir be broken thoruout the vessel. If the vessel be stron inough, lete rolle him wel. & thanne lete take vi galouns of hony wel clarified, thanne do it into the pype a ghelk warm, & hete it therwith. Thanne take & fille up the pype & stoppe him faste, & on the fourthe day it is fiyn. For to colouren, take an unce of safren & rolle it therwith.
6 For to dye [?] a pipe of claret.
Take and decant the fine wine into a pipe [type of barrel?] that is clean & let it not be full by 7 or 8 ounces. & then take 3 lb. of ginger, 3 lb. of cinnamon, 1 quart of grains of paradise, a half ounce of nutmeg, & half a quart of cloves, 1 ounce of spikenard, 1 ounce of long pepper. Do all these together in at the bung: then take a stick and split it in four with a knife until the middle, that the wine & the powder may run through the stick until the powder is well mixed throughout the vessel. If the vessel be strong enough, let it roll [shake] well. & then let it take 6 gallons of honey well clarified, then do it into the pipe a little warm, & heat it therewith. Than take & fill up the pipe & close it well, & on the fourth day it is fine. For the coloring, take an ounce of saffron & roll [shake] it therewith.
7 Aqua vite: that is to seie, water of liif.
Fille the viol ful of lyes of strong wiyn, & putte therto these poudris: poudir of canel, of clowes, of gyngyuer, of notemugges, of galyngale, of quibibis, of greyn de parys, of longe peper, of blake peper: all these in powdir. Careawey, cirmunteyn, comyn, fenel, smallage, persile, sauge, myntis, ruwe, calamynte, origanum: and a half unce or moore or lasse, as thee likith. Pownd them a litil, for it will be the betir, & put hem to these poudris. Thanne sette thi glas on the fier, sett on the houel, & kepe it wel that the hete come not o it; & sette thervndir a viol, & kepe the watir.
7 Aqua vitae: that is to say, water of life.
Fill the viol full of liquid of strong wine, & add thereto these powders: powder of cinnamon, of cloves, of ginger, of nutmeg, of galingale, of quibibs [cubebs?], of grains of paradise, of long pepper, of black pepper: all these in powder. Caraway, cirmunteyn [?], cumin, fennel, smallage [?], persile [?], sage, mint, rue, calamynte [?], origanum [oregano?]: and a half ounce or more or less, as you like. Pound them a little, for it will be the better, & add these powders to it. Then set the glass [vial] on the fire, set on the hovel [distill hood?], & keep it well that the heat [steam] does not go out; & set there under a viol, & keep the water [distill].
8 Ad faciendum brakott.
Take xiiii galouns of good fyn ale that the grout therof be twies meischid, & put it into a stonen vessel. & lete it sonde iii daies or iiii, til it be stale. Afterward take a quart of fyne wort, half a quart of lyf hony; & sette it ouer the fier, & lete it sethe, & skyme it wel til it be cleer. & put therto a penyworth of poudir of peper & i penyworth of poudir of clowis, & sethe hem wel togidere til it boile. Take it doun & lete it kele, & poure out the clere thereof into the forseid vessel, & the groundis thereof put it into a bagge, into the porseid pot, & stoppe it wel with a lynnen clooth that noon eir come out; & put thereto newe berm, & stoppe it iii dayes or iiii eer thou drinke thereof. Put aqua ardente it among.
8 To make braggot.
Take 14 gallons of good fine ale that the wort thereof be twice used, & put it into a stone vessel. & let it stand 3 days or 4, until it is stale. Afterwards take a quart of fine wort, half a quart of live honey; & set it over the fire, & let it simmer, & skim well until it is clear. & put thereto a pennyworth of powder of pepper, & 1 pennyworth of powder of cloves, & simmer it well together until it boils. Take it down, & let it cool, & pour out the clear [liquid] thereof [decant] into the previously mentioned vessel [stone vessel], & the settlement thereof into a bag, into the mentioned pot [stone vessel], & close it well with a linen cloth that no air comes out; & put thereto new berm, & close it 3 days or 4 before you drink of it. Add aqua ardente to it.
9 To make mede. Take hony combis & put hem into a greet vessel & ley thereynne grete stickis, & ley the weight theron til it be runne out as myche as it wole; & this is called liif hony. & thanne take that forseid combis & sethe hem in clene water, & boile hem wel. After presse out thereof as myche as though may & caste it into another vessel into hoot water, & sethe it wel & scome it wel, & do therto a quarte of liif hony. & thanne lete it stone a fewe dayes wel stoppid, & tis is good drinke.
9 To make mead.
Take honey combs, and put them into a big vessel & lay in there big sticks, & lay the weight on it [of the combs] until it runs out as much as it would; & this is called life honey. & Then take those mentioned combs & simmer them in clean water [not hotter than your hands can take], & boil it well [the honey liquid, not the combs]. After press out of it [the combs] as much as you can & cast it [the liquid] into another vessel into hot water, & simmer it well, & scum it well, & do thereto a quart of life honey. & then let it stand a few days well closed up, & this is a good drink.
10 To make fyn meade & poynaunt.
Take xx galouns of the forseid pomys soden in iii galouns of fyn wort, & i galoun of liif hony & sethe hem wel & scome hem wel til thei be cleer enowgh; & put therto iii penyworth of poudir of peper & i penyworth of poudir of clowis & lete it boile wel togydere. & whanne it is coold put it into the vessel into the tunnynge up of the forseid mede; put it therto, & close it wel as it is aboue said.
10 To make fine mead & poignant.
Take 20 gallons of the previously mentioned pomys [honey liquid from combs of recipe 9] cooked in 3 gallons of fine wort, & take 1 gallon of life honey & simmer it well & scum it well until it is clear enough; & add to it 3 pennyworth powder of pepper & 1 pennyworth powder of cloves & let it boil well together. & when it is cold put it into the vessel of the barreled up previously mentioned mead [add it back into the barrel the 20 gallons came out off, depending on barrel size there could still be mead in there]; add it to it, & close it well as it is said before.
"b" changed for "th"
"3" changed for "gh"
Curye on Ingysch, English culinary manuscripts of the 14th century.
Constance B. Hieatt, Sharon Butler (ed). London: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Transcribed and translated by Susan Verberg, 2016.
4 Potus clarreti pro domino.
Take of canel i lb. as it cometh out of the bale; of gyngyer, xii unce in the same maner; iii quarter of a lb. of pepir; ii unce of long peper; ii unce & a half of greynes; iii unce & a half of clowis; ii unce & a half of galyngale; ii unce of carewey; ii unce of macis; ii unce of notemugges; ii unce of coliaundir; a quarter of a pynte of aqua ardaunt; with iii galouns of hony: rescett for xx galouns of clarrey.
4 Strong claret for the house [?].
Take of cinnamon 1 lb. as it comes out of the bale; of ginger, 12 ounce in the same manner; 3 quarter of a pound of pepper; 2 ounce of long pepper; 2 ounce and a half of grains of paradise; 3 ounce and a half of cloves; 2 ounce and a half of galingale; 2 ounce of caraway; 2 ounce of mace; 2 ounce of nutmeg; 2 ounce of coriander; a quarter of a pint of aqua arduant; with 3 gallons of honey: recipe for 20 gallons of claret.
5 potus ypocras.
Take a half lb. of canel tried; of gyngyuer tried, a half lb.; of greynes, iii unce; of longe peper, iii unce; of clowis, ii unce; of notemugges, ii unce & a half; of carewey, ii unce; of spikenard, a half unce; of galyngale, ii unce; of sugir, ii lb. Si deficiat sugir, take a potel of hony.
5 Strong hippocras.
Take half a pound of cinnamon tested; of ginger tested, a half pound; of grains of paradise, 3 ounce; of long pepper, 3 ounce; of cloves, 2 ounce; of nutmeg, 2 ounce and a half; of caraway, 2 ounce; of spikenard, a half ounce; of galingale, 2 ounce; of sugar, 2 lb. If deficient in sugar, take a potel of honey.
6 For to dighte a pype of clarrey.
Take and drawe thi wiyn fiyn into a pype that is clene & lete it not be ful by vii or viii vnchis. & thanne take iii lb. of gyngyuer, iii lb. of canel, 1 quarter of greynes, a half unce of notemugges, & half a quarter of clowis, i unce of spikenard, i unce of longe peper. Do al these togider in at a bunge; thanne take a staf and leue it on foure with a kniif into the myddil, that the wiyn & the poudir may renne thoru the staf til the poudir be broken thoruout the vessel. If the vessel be stron inough, lete rolle him wel. & thanne lete take vi galouns of hony wel clarified, thanne do it into the pype a ghelk warm, & hete it therwith. Thanne take & fille up the pype & stoppe him faste, & on the fourthe day it is fiyn. For to colouren, take an unce of safren & rolle it therwith.
6 For to dye [?] a pipe of claret.
Take and decant the fine wine into a pipe [type of barrel?] that is clean & let it not be full by 7 or 8 ounces. & then take 3 lb. of ginger, 3 lb. of cinnamon, 1 quart of grains of paradise, a half ounce of nutmeg, & half a quart of cloves, 1 ounce of spikenard, 1 ounce of long pepper. Do all these together in at the bung: then take a stick and split it in four with a knife until the middle, that the wine & the powder may run through the stick until the powder is well mixed throughout the vessel. If the vessel be strong enough, let it roll [shake] well. & then let it take 6 gallons of honey well clarified, then do it into the pipe a little warm, & heat it therewith. Than take & fill up the pipe & close it well, & on the fourth day it is fine. For the coloring, take an ounce of saffron & roll [shake] it therewith.
7 Aqua vite: that is to seie, water of liif.
Fille the viol ful of lyes of strong wiyn, & putte therto these poudris: poudir of canel, of clowes, of gyngyuer, of notemugges, of galyngale, of quibibis, of greyn de parys, of longe peper, of blake peper: all these in powdir. Careawey, cirmunteyn, comyn, fenel, smallage, persile, sauge, myntis, ruwe, calamynte, origanum: and a half unce or moore or lasse, as thee likith. Pownd them a litil, for it will be the betir, & put hem to these poudris. Thanne sette thi glas on the fier, sett on the houel, & kepe it wel that the hete come not o it; & sette thervndir a viol, & kepe the watir.
7 Aqua vitae: that is to say, water of life.
Fill the viol full of liquid of strong wine, & add thereto these powders: powder of cinnamon, of cloves, of ginger, of nutmeg, of galingale, of quibibs [cubebs?], of grains of paradise, of long pepper, of black pepper: all these in powder. Caraway, cirmunteyn [?], cumin, fennel, smallage [?], persile [?], sage, mint, rue, calamynte [?], origanum [oregano?]: and a half ounce or more or less, as you like. Pound them a little, for it will be the better, & add these powders to it. Then set the glass [vial] on the fire, set on the hovel [distill hood?], & keep it well that the heat [steam] does not go out; & set there under a viol, & keep the water [distill].
8 Ad faciendum brakott.
Take xiiii galouns of good fyn ale that the grout therof be twies meischid, & put it into a stonen vessel. & lete it sonde iii daies or iiii, til it be stale. Afterward take a quart of fyne wort, half a quart of lyf hony; & sette it ouer the fier, & lete it sethe, & skyme it wel til it be cleer. & put therto a penyworth of poudir of peper & i penyworth of poudir of clowis, & sethe hem wel togidere til it boile. Take it doun & lete it kele, & poure out the clere thereof into the forseid vessel, & the groundis thereof put it into a bagge, into the porseid pot, & stoppe it wel with a lynnen clooth that noon eir come out; & put thereto newe berm, & stoppe it iii dayes or iiii eer thou drinke thereof. Put aqua ardente it among.
8 To make braggot.
Take 14 gallons of good fine ale that the wort thereof be twice used, & put it into a stone vessel. & let it stand 3 days or 4, until it is stale. Afterwards take a quart of fine wort, half a quart of live honey; & set it over the fire, & let it simmer, & skim well until it is clear. & put thereto a pennyworth of powder of pepper, & 1 pennyworth of powder of cloves, & simmer it well together until it boils. Take it down, & let it cool, & pour out the clear [liquid] thereof [decant] into the previously mentioned vessel [stone vessel], & the settlement thereof into a bag, into the mentioned pot [stone vessel], & close it well with a linen cloth that no air comes out; & put thereto new berm, & close it 3 days or 4 before you drink of it. Add aqua ardente to it.
9 To make mede. Take hony combis & put hem into a greet vessel & ley thereynne grete stickis, & ley the weight theron til it be runne out as myche as it wole; & this is called liif hony. & thanne take that forseid combis & sethe hem in clene water, & boile hem wel. After presse out thereof as myche as though may & caste it into another vessel into hoot water, & sethe it wel & scome it wel, & do therto a quarte of liif hony. & thanne lete it stone a fewe dayes wel stoppid, & tis is good drinke.
9 To make mead.
Take honey combs, and put them into a big vessel & lay in there big sticks, & lay the weight on it [of the combs] until it runs out as much as it would; & this is called life honey. & Then take those mentioned combs & simmer them in clean water [not hotter than your hands can take], & boil it well [the honey liquid, not the combs]. After press out of it [the combs] as much as you can & cast it [the liquid] into another vessel into hot water, & simmer it well, & scum it well, & do thereto a quart of life honey. & then let it stand a few days well closed up, & this is a good drink.
10 To make fyn meade & poynaunt.
Take xx galouns of the forseid pomys soden in iii galouns of fyn wort, & i galoun of liif hony & sethe hem wel & scome hem wel til thei be cleer enowgh; & put therto iii penyworth of poudir of peper & i penyworth of poudir of clowis & lete it boile wel togydere. & whanne it is coold put it into the vessel into the tunnynge up of the forseid mede; put it therto, & close it wel as it is aboue said.
10 To make fine mead & poignant.
Take 20 gallons of the previously mentioned pomys [honey liquid from combs of recipe 9] cooked in 3 gallons of fine wort, & take 1 gallon of life honey & simmer it well & scum it well until it is clear enough; & add to it 3 pennyworth powder of pepper & 1 pennyworth powder of cloves & let it boil well together. & when it is cold put it into the vessel of the barreled up previously mentioned mead [add it back into the barrel the 20 gallons came out off, depending on barrel size there could still be mead in there]; add it to it, & close it well as it is said before.
"b" changed for "th"
"3" changed for "gh"
Curye on Ingysch, English culinary manuscripts of the 14th century.
Constance B. Hieatt, Sharon Butler (ed). London: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Transcribed and translated by Susan Verberg, 2016.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Meth e glen, or meth of the vallie
The second part of this Chapter sheweth the trying of hony and wax with the making of meth.
The combs being taken forth break the presentlie, while they are warme, into three parts: the first cleane hony & wax: the second hony and wax with stopping: the third wax without hony. But what they maie breake right where you would have them, first market them out with the edge of your knife.
The first part breake into a hair-sieve set over a pan, bowle, or other fast vessell that maie hold it (Cooper-ware wil leake though it bee wel iointed, and so let the live hony run of it owne accord, so long as it wil: when it ceaseth running, breake the pieces and let them run againe and lastly with a warme sharpe knife cut those pieces at hurt the cels, & so let them run the third time. If the weather bee not warme, set the hony by a fire to helpe the running.
This first shoot put up apart for fine hony. Which you shall finde to have these properties: cleere, odoriferous, yelow like gold (unlesse it be virgin honey, for that is more chrystalline) sharpe, sweet, & pleasant to the tast, of a meane co'sistence betweene thicke & thin, so clammy that beeing taken up upon your fingers ende, in falling it wil not part but hang downe togither like a long string, as that useth to do which is clarified. And such doth Iacobus Sylvius desribe the best hony to be. Meloptimu sit purum adeo vetotum perluceat, odorum, flavum, acerrimu, dulcissimumq, qustati & iucundissimum, consistentia nec crassa nee liquida, sed tamsibe coharens ut continuitatem suam, quasi lineo longissima, non intercisuservet, si digito at tollitur idem coquendo pauca spumam emitus. But alwaies the best part of this best hony is that which is lowest in the vessell. [As among liqours oile excelleth in lightnes & hony in heavines; so in both, that part is best which excelleth in his excelling qualitie: & wine being of a midling weight is best in the middle. The weight of these three one to another hath this proportion. Oile is not so heavy as wine by one thenth part: for if you fil a measure with wine and divide it into ten parts, the same measure of oil is no heavier the' nice of them, and Hony is heavier the' wine by the halfe: for if you fill a measure with wine, the same measure of hony will weight that & half so much more.] For as the best oile is in the top, and the best wine in the middle; so the best hony is in the bottome. Mellis exilior pars fluitat, que eximenda est: pura vero & valida subsidet.
This hony when it hath wrought & settled, specially that which is in the bottome, will in time grow like unto the corne hony in the uppermost parts of the combes, hard and white: which indeed is the very best, & if it could be got forth in his kinde: such as is the honie of Spaine and Narbona, in France, which is cou'red the chiesest, and compared with that of Hymettus & Hybla.
The rest of the first part pound with a pestle, or crush often with your hands al to pieces, & let it run as before. When it hath done, put this second shoot being but course hony, in a pot by itselfe, and that whith remaineth in the sieve unto the seconde part of your combs for methe.
If there be any store of stone-hony, and you be loth to wash it into the meth-liquour, set it in some vessel over a soft fire, and stil keep your hand in the vessel stirring about the honie and the wax, and opening the wax piece-meale until the hony and not the wax shal be molten: and then powre out all into a strainer, & wring out the hony. But thus this good hony wil become but course: and therefore put it to the second shoot, and that least in the strainer to the seco'd part. Otherwise you may clarfie it wel enough. v.part.3.n.8. [previous blog post]
But the most part, partly for that they are loath to stand long about it, and partly that the live-hony might be a meanes to get out some of the hard or stonehony, doe use al alike. For when they have pounded it altogether, they hand it up in a thin hearen bagge, and thence let it run into a vessel, & some (which is worse) doe violently presse it out. But by these means they shal have no fine & pure raw hony, howsoever afterward they handle it.
The hony being put up into pots, wil in two of three daies worke up a skum, of wax, hony, & drosse together which, being taken of with a spoone, put to the sceond part now dissolved in water. In cold weather the hony wil not worke wel without the heate of the fire. The best way is to put it into an oven after the batch is forth, but not before you can abide to hold your hand upon the bottome, for feare of overheating the hony.
The second part of the combes you must first rid of the stopping as neere as you can, cutting of that which is by it selfe, & picking out that which is among the hony: al which resuse, because of the wax that is with it, cast to the third part. The other, with the remainder of the first part, lay a soake al night in warme faire water (that which commeth from the clowdes is best) the next day al-to-wash it and crush it betweene your hands, and then let it runne through the clen-sieve: that which is leaft, whe' you have crusht out the liquor wash it once againe in fresh water: which water adde to the other liquor, and then put the residue unto the third part. And thus shall you loose none of your hony.
If the liquor be not strong enough to beare an egge the breath of a two-pe'ce above it, the' put so much of your course hony into it, as wil give it that strength: or rather, when it is so strong powre in more water (stirring it with the liquor) until the egge sinke. If any man thinke this to be too small, it may be amended in the boiling: which (as anon is shewed) wil give it what strength you wil, and cleerenesse withal. After this, stirre it wel together twice a day until the skum of the hony be ready to put to it, which when you have added, and have likwise stirred it about the vessel, as soone as it is setled, straine it againe thought the clensieve. If you mean to have your meth very strong, you may make it to bear an egge the breath of a groat. But the ordinarie meth is not so strong as the first.
If you would make a greater quantitie, then must you adde a proportionable measure of water and hony: namely fowr of that, for one of this.
The liquor being thus prepared let seeth an houre or better, even to the washing of one fourth part, or as long as it wil yeeld any skum: which you must continually take from it, as fast as it riseth. For if it once sink down againe, the liquor wil not be cleere without putting in some cold liquour to raise it. And therefore it is good to keepe backe some eight part of the liquour, and, when the rest hath boiled about half an howre and is wel skimmed, to powre in that cold liquour, & to skim it cleane againe. When it wil call no more skum, take it ho' the fire, and set it a cooling. When it is but milke-warme, straine it through a thicke linnen cloth into a tubbe to worke: & put into it a little bag of spice, viz: to 8. or 10 gawnes of meth, ginger and cloves of each halfe an ounce, cynamom and mace of each 2. drachmes al grosly beate': and when it is wel soaked, rub the bag in your hand and wring out the liquour, & then leave the bag in the tubbe, until the meth be tunned. At which time do the like.
If after the meth is well skimmed, you would yet have it stronger, boile it longer, to the wasting of a third part, or of the halfe: for the longer you boile it the stronger it wil be.
To set it a working you may put into it a little barme. And when it hath done working, put it up into a barrel: where the Meth in time wilbe covered with a mother, which it by logging the barrel, or by other means it be broken, the meth will sower; but so will it make excellent vertioice, and the sooner, if it be set in the sun with the bung open.
The learned Physitian Mathais de Lobel requireth this proportion: unto one measure of hony take sixe of water, and let them boile to fowre. His receipt of spice is this, cynamom, ginger, peper, graines, cloves, ana drachm 2.
Metheglen is meth compou'ded with herbs: so called quasi Meth e glen, meth of the vallie, because it is made in the vallies, where is abundance and variety of holsome herbes. He that lifteth to knowethe many and sundrie makings of this holsome drinke, must learne it of the ancient Britaines: who therein do passe all other people. One excellent receipte I will heere set downe: and it is of that, which our renowmed Queene of happie memory did so wel like, that shee would every yeere have a vessel of it.
First gather a bushell of sweete-bryar-leaves, and a bushel of tyme, half a bushell of rosemarie, and a pecke of bay-leaves. Seeth al these being well washed in a furnace of faire water: let them boile the space of halfe an howre, or better: and then powre out al the water and herbes into a vate, and let it stand til it be cold. Then straine the water sro' the herbs, & take to every [If you marvaile that so great a quantitie of water is required, it is partly because of the goodnesse of the hony, which is being pure and fine goeth further then ordinary: but chiefly that it may have the longer time to be clarified in boiling, before it comes to his strength. And therefore some wil have eight parts of water to one of hony: but then they boile it so much the longer] six gallons of water one gallon of the finest hony, and put it into the water cold, and labour it together halfe an houre, and let it stand two daies, stirring it well twise or trise each day. Then take the liquor and boile it anew, and when it doth seeth, skim it as long as there remaineth any drosse. When it is clear [the third part at least being wasted], put it into the vate as before, & there let it be cooled. You must then have in a readiness a kiue of new ale or beere: which as soone as you have emptied, soddainly whelme it upside downe, and set it up againe, and presently put in the metheglen, & let it stand three daies a working: and then tun it up in barrels, tying at every tap-hole, by a packthread, a little bag of cloves and mace, to the valew of an ounce. It must stand halfe a yeer before it be drunk of.
From The Feminine Monarchie, or a treatise concerning bees and the due ordering of them. by Char. Butler Maga, 1609, Oxford: Iohn Haviland. Transcribed by Susan Verberg, 2016.
Free download of the 1623 version at (newer versions also available):
https://books.google.com/books?id=f5tbAAAAMAAJ&dq=the+feminine+monarchie&source=gbs_navlinks_s
In transcription the 'vv' is typed as 'w', the 'u' is typed as 'v' and the 'f' is typed as 's' where applicable, all other middle English spelling is kept as original (as much as I was able to; any typo's are entirely my spell checkers fault.)
The combs being taken forth break the presentlie, while they are warme, into three parts: the first cleane hony & wax: the second hony and wax with stopping: the third wax without hony. But what they maie breake right where you would have them, first market them out with the edge of your knife.
The first part breake into a hair-sieve set over a pan, bowle, or other fast vessell that maie hold it (Cooper-ware wil leake though it bee wel iointed, and so let the live hony run of it owne accord, so long as it wil: when it ceaseth running, breake the pieces and let them run againe and lastly with a warme sharpe knife cut those pieces at hurt the cels, & so let them run the third time. If the weather bee not warme, set the hony by a fire to helpe the running.
This first shoot put up apart for fine hony. Which you shall finde to have these properties: cleere, odoriferous, yelow like gold (unlesse it be virgin honey, for that is more chrystalline) sharpe, sweet, & pleasant to the tast, of a meane co'sistence betweene thicke & thin, so clammy that beeing taken up upon your fingers ende, in falling it wil not part but hang downe togither like a long string, as that useth to do which is clarified. And such doth Iacobus Sylvius desribe the best hony to be. Meloptimu sit purum adeo vetotum perluceat, odorum, flavum, acerrimu, dulcissimumq, qustati & iucundissimum, consistentia nec crassa nee liquida, sed tamsibe coharens ut continuitatem suam, quasi lineo longissima, non intercisuservet, si digito at tollitur idem coquendo pauca spumam emitus. But alwaies the best part of this best hony is that which is lowest in the vessell. [As among liqours oile excelleth in lightnes & hony in heavines; so in both, that part is best which excelleth in his excelling qualitie: & wine being of a midling weight is best in the middle. The weight of these three one to another hath this proportion. Oile is not so heavy as wine by one thenth part: for if you fil a measure with wine and divide it into ten parts, the same measure of oil is no heavier the' nice of them, and Hony is heavier the' wine by the halfe: for if you fill a measure with wine, the same measure of hony will weight that & half so much more.] For as the best oile is in the top, and the best wine in the middle; so the best hony is in the bottome. Mellis exilior pars fluitat, que eximenda est: pura vero & valida subsidet.
This hony when it hath wrought & settled, specially that which is in the bottome, will in time grow like unto the corne hony in the uppermost parts of the combes, hard and white: which indeed is the very best, & if it could be got forth in his kinde: such as is the honie of Spaine and Narbona, in France, which is cou'red the chiesest, and compared with that of Hymettus & Hybla.
The rest of the first part pound with a pestle, or crush often with your hands al to pieces, & let it run as before. When it hath done, put this second shoot being but course hony, in a pot by itselfe, and that whith remaineth in the sieve unto the seconde part of your combs for methe.
If there be any store of stone-hony, and you be loth to wash it into the meth-liquour, set it in some vessel over a soft fire, and stil keep your hand in the vessel stirring about the honie and the wax, and opening the wax piece-meale until the hony and not the wax shal be molten: and then powre out all into a strainer, & wring out the hony. But thus this good hony wil become but course: and therefore put it to the second shoot, and that least in the strainer to the seco'd part. Otherwise you may clarfie it wel enough. v.part.3.n.8. [previous blog post]
But the most part, partly for that they are loath to stand long about it, and partly that the live-hony might be a meanes to get out some of the hard or stonehony, doe use al alike. For when they have pounded it altogether, they hand it up in a thin hearen bagge, and thence let it run into a vessel, & some (which is worse) doe violently presse it out. But by these means they shal have no fine & pure raw hony, howsoever afterward they handle it.
The hony being put up into pots, wil in two of three daies worke up a skum, of wax, hony, & drosse together which, being taken of with a spoone, put to the sceond part now dissolved in water. In cold weather the hony wil not worke wel without the heate of the fire. The best way is to put it into an oven after the batch is forth, but not before you can abide to hold your hand upon the bottome, for feare of overheating the hony.
The second part of the combes you must first rid of the stopping as neere as you can, cutting of that which is by it selfe, & picking out that which is among the hony: al which resuse, because of the wax that is with it, cast to the third part. The other, with the remainder of the first part, lay a soake al night in warme faire water (that which commeth from the clowdes is best) the next day al-to-wash it and crush it betweene your hands, and then let it runne through the clen-sieve: that which is leaft, whe' you have crusht out the liquor wash it once againe in fresh water: which water adde to the other liquor, and then put the residue unto the third part. And thus shall you loose none of your hony.
If the liquor be not strong enough to beare an egge the breath of a two-pe'ce above it, the' put so much of your course hony into it, as wil give it that strength: or rather, when it is so strong powre in more water (stirring it with the liquor) until the egge sinke. If any man thinke this to be too small, it may be amended in the boiling: which (as anon is shewed) wil give it what strength you wil, and cleerenesse withal. After this, stirre it wel together twice a day until the skum of the hony be ready to put to it, which when you have added, and have likwise stirred it about the vessel, as soone as it is setled, straine it againe thought the clensieve. If you mean to have your meth very strong, you may make it to bear an egge the breath of a groat. But the ordinarie meth is not so strong as the first.
If you would make a greater quantitie, then must you adde a proportionable measure of water and hony: namely fowr of that, for one of this.
The liquor being thus prepared let seeth an houre or better, even to the washing of one fourth part, or as long as it wil yeeld any skum: which you must continually take from it, as fast as it riseth. For if it once sink down againe, the liquor wil not be cleere without putting in some cold liquour to raise it. And therefore it is good to keepe backe some eight part of the liquour, and, when the rest hath boiled about half an howre and is wel skimmed, to powre in that cold liquour, & to skim it cleane againe. When it wil call no more skum, take it ho' the fire, and set it a cooling. When it is but milke-warme, straine it through a thicke linnen cloth into a tubbe to worke: & put into it a little bag of spice, viz: to 8. or 10 gawnes of meth, ginger and cloves of each halfe an ounce, cynamom and mace of each 2. drachmes al grosly beate': and when it is wel soaked, rub the bag in your hand and wring out the liquour, & then leave the bag in the tubbe, until the meth be tunned. At which time do the like.
If after the meth is well skimmed, you would yet have it stronger, boile it longer, to the wasting of a third part, or of the halfe: for the longer you boile it the stronger it wil be.
To set it a working you may put into it a little barme. And when it hath done working, put it up into a barrel: where the Meth in time wilbe covered with a mother, which it by logging the barrel, or by other means it be broken, the meth will sower; but so will it make excellent vertioice, and the sooner, if it be set in the sun with the bung open.
The learned Physitian Mathais de Lobel requireth this proportion: unto one measure of hony take sixe of water, and let them boile to fowre. His receipt of spice is this, cynamom, ginger, peper, graines, cloves, ana drachm 2.
Metheglen is meth compou'ded with herbs: so called quasi Meth e glen, meth of the vallie, because it is made in the vallies, where is abundance and variety of holsome herbes. He that lifteth to knowethe many and sundrie makings of this holsome drinke, must learne it of the ancient Britaines: who therein do passe all other people. One excellent receipte I will heere set downe: and it is of that, which our renowmed Queene of happie memory did so wel like, that shee would every yeere have a vessel of it.
First gather a bushell of sweete-bryar-leaves, and a bushel of tyme, half a bushell of rosemarie, and a pecke of bay-leaves. Seeth al these being well washed in a furnace of faire water: let them boile the space of halfe an howre, or better: and then powre out al the water and herbes into a vate, and let it stand til it be cold. Then straine the water sro' the herbs, & take to every [If you marvaile that so great a quantitie of water is required, it is partly because of the goodnesse of the hony, which is being pure and fine goeth further then ordinary: but chiefly that it may have the longer time to be clarified in boiling, before it comes to his strength. And therefore some wil have eight parts of water to one of hony: but then they boile it so much the longer] six gallons of water one gallon of the finest hony, and put it into the water cold, and labour it together halfe an houre, and let it stand two daies, stirring it well twise or trise each day. Then take the liquor and boile it anew, and when it doth seeth, skim it as long as there remaineth any drosse. When it is clear [the third part at least being wasted], put it into the vate as before, & there let it be cooled. You must then have in a readiness a kiue of new ale or beere: which as soone as you have emptied, soddainly whelme it upside downe, and set it up againe, and presently put in the metheglen, & let it stand three daies a working: and then tun it up in barrels, tying at every tap-hole, by a packthread, a little bag of cloves and mace, to the valew of an ounce. It must stand halfe a yeer before it be drunk of.
From The Feminine Monarchie, or a treatise concerning bees and the due ordering of them. by Char. Butler Maga, 1609, Oxford: Iohn Haviland. Transcribed by Susan Verberg, 2016.
Free download of the 1623 version at (newer versions also available):
https://books.google.com/books?id=f5tbAAAAMAAJ&dq=the+feminine+monarchie&source=gbs_navlinks_s
In transcription the 'vv' is typed as 'w', the 'u' is typed as 'v' and the 'f' is typed as 's' where applicable, all other middle English spelling is kept as original (as much as I was able to; any typo's are entirely my spell checkers fault.)
ancient Brittaines have ever beene addicted to Meth...
Two waies to clarifie hony.
You may boile hony either by it selfe, or else with the like quantity of water, or other liquor. But alwaies in boiling skim it, that is my bee pure. Bu it selfe you must boile it until it will yeeld no more skum, [The right skum, which is drosse, is short and brittle: which when it is cleane takenawaie, the force of the fire wil cause the very hony to rile up like a skum, but that will then be tougher and more clammie then the drosse skum, and so wil al the rest be, when it is cold, as being over-boiled: the resore be sure to take it of in time.] (which wil be about halfe an houre) and that with a very soft fire, or in a double vessel, lest, by over-heating, it get a bitter tast, and lest it soddainely run over and flame.
With water it is to be boiled and houre at the least, eve' until the water be evaporated: which thing is knwne by the bubbles that ise from the bottom, & by the wasting of the one halfe: then, to make it more pure, put into every poud of hony the [less white may serve if hony be good.] white of one egge, and aftarward skim it againe in the boiling. The fire may be more fervent at the first, but toward the end it must be slack for it is then apt to be set on fire, as the meere hony, and to become bitter with violent heate.
If you will clarifie the stone hony remaining in the combs, thus doe. When you have pared away as much of the wax as you may, breake the hony combes into a vessel to boile: and then powre faire water into it, until the water rise an inch or twaine above the bottome. Whe you have set this over the fire, stirre it together ever now and then: as soone as it is al melted and beginneth to boile, take it of and straine it, and then set it over a soft fire againe, & skim it cleane. Unto the skum put faire warm water: she you have stirred it about, crush the wax together in your hand, and lay it askide: & the water (if you make no meth) either give it to your bees, or, having boiled and skimmed it, put it to your brewlock.
The course hony being boiled and clarified hath a most pleasant & delicate tast, & is comparable for most uses to the purest bottome hony being raw.
Which pure honey is you be disposed to boil, it, wil aske lesse time to be clarified, as yeelding little or no skum at all, and in tast & vertue it is more excellent.
When your hony is boiled enough, take it from the fire, and rather too soone, then too late: for if there be any drosse remaining, you shall find it in the top, when it is cold: but overmuch boiling consumeth the spirittuous parts of the honey, and turneth the sweet tast into bitter.
And such is hony in his owne kind, both raw and boiled, It is also altered by distillation into a water, which Raimundus Lullisis that excellent Chymist calleth the quintessence of hony. This quintessece dissolveth gold, & maketh it potable, & likewise any sort of pretious stone that is put therein. It is of such vertue that if any be dying, and drink 2 or 3 drams thereof, presently he wil revive. If you wash any woud [wound] therewith, or other sore; it will heal quickly. It is also good against the cough, catarre, & paines of the melt, and against many other diseases. Being given for the space of 46 dais together to one that hath the palsie, it helpeth him. Which thing Iohn Hefter a practical Chymist, in his key of Philosophie professeth himselfe to have proved. It helpeth also the falling sicknesse, and preserveth the body from putrifaction. Of so marvellous efficacie is this water.
The making of it is after this manner. Take two pound of perfect pure hony and put it into a great glasse, that foure parts of five may remaine emptie, [The lute may be made of clay, flocks, & salt-water, tepered together, or of meal and whites of egges.] lute it well with a head & receiver, and give it fire until there appear certaine white fumes, which, by laying wet clthes on the receiver and head and changing them when they are warme, wil turne into a water of a red colour like blood. When it is al distilled, keepe the receaver close shut, and let it stand til it be cleere, and of the colour of a rubie. The' distil it in Balneo Marie leaven times, and so it wil loose this redish colour, and become yelow as gold, having a great smel & exceeding pleasant.
What are the virtues & propertie of meth, may partly be knowne by that which hath bin said of hony. For seeing hony is the chiefe matter wereof Meth is made: the meth must needs, together with the substa'ce of honey, participate the naturall qualities thereof. The which, by the purifying in boiling, together with the accesse of sundry wholsome spices and herbes, are rather confirmed & increased, then any way extenuated or diminished. Therefore saith Lobel, Mulsum, ubi aqua plurimum, mellis non multum, diuturna intestinaq, mollis ebullitione in vinum longe vtilissimum abit. [?] And Pictorius Hydromellonga vetustate transit in vivum stomacho convenientissimum. Meth, when it is olde, is a wine most agreeable to the stomake: it recoverth 1 the appetite being lost, it 2 oppeneth the passage of the spirit or breath, is 3 softeneth the bellie, it 4 is good for them that have the cough. 5 If a man take meth, not as his ordinarie drink, but, as a physick, now and then: he shal receive much benefit by it, against quartan agues, against cacexies, and against the diseases of the braine, as analepsie, & epilepsie, or the falling evill: for which wine is pernicious: it 6 cureth the yellow jaundise: it 7 is also good against henbane with milke, and against the winter-cherie, it 8 nourisheth the body, 9. So that many have attained to long old age, only by the nourishment of meth. And therefore no marvaile that Pollio Romulus, who was a hundred yeeres old, imputed the greatest cause of his long continued health: to this soveraigne drinke. 10 For being asked of Augustus the Emperor, by what meanes especially hee had so long preserved that vigour both of mind and body, his answere was, Intus mulso, foris oleo.
The same thing is more manifested by the generall example of the ancient Brittaines who, above al other nations, have ever beene addicted to Meth and Metheglen. For under heaven there is no fairer people of complexio', nor of more sound and healthfull bodies. Of whole Metheglen Lobel writeth thus, Cambricus ille potus Methegla, non patrio, uti putant illi, sed Graconomini dictus, est altera liquida & limpida Septentrionistberiaca.
[From whence commeth our word Meth, which some corruptly call Mede, because it was wont to be written with a kind of d. For whereas wee have in English two sortes of th as you may perceive in these words, sheath, shiu, that, & heath, thisse, thanke, the ancient English did expresse the former by d aspirat, which for difference from d.tenue (as in mead, shed, &c,) they noted with a dash.]
From The Feminine Monarchie, or a treatise concerning bees and the due ordering of them. by Char. Butler Maga, 1609, Oxford: Iohn Haviland. Transcribed by Susan Verberg, 2016.
Free download of the 1623 version at (newer versions also available):
https://books.google.com/books?id=f5tbAAAAMAAJ&dq=the+feminine+monarchie&source=gbs_navlinks_s
In transcription the 'vv' is typed as 'w', the 'u' is typed as 'v' and the 'f' is typed as 's' where applicable, all other middle English spelling is kept as original (as much as I was able to; any typo's are entirely my spell checkers fault.)
You may boile hony either by it selfe, or else with the like quantity of water, or other liquor. But alwaies in boiling skim it, that is my bee pure. Bu it selfe you must boile it until it will yeeld no more skum, [The right skum, which is drosse, is short and brittle: which when it is cleane takenawaie, the force of the fire wil cause the very hony to rile up like a skum, but that will then be tougher and more clammie then the drosse skum, and so wil al the rest be, when it is cold, as being over-boiled: the resore be sure to take it of in time.] (which wil be about halfe an houre) and that with a very soft fire, or in a double vessel, lest, by over-heating, it get a bitter tast, and lest it soddainely run over and flame.
With water it is to be boiled and houre at the least, eve' until the water be evaporated: which thing is knwne by the bubbles that ise from the bottom, & by the wasting of the one halfe: then, to make it more pure, put into every poud of hony the [less white may serve if hony be good.] white of one egge, and aftarward skim it againe in the boiling. The fire may be more fervent at the first, but toward the end it must be slack for it is then apt to be set on fire, as the meere hony, and to become bitter with violent heate.
If you will clarifie the stone hony remaining in the combs, thus doe. When you have pared away as much of the wax as you may, breake the hony combes into a vessel to boile: and then powre faire water into it, until the water rise an inch or twaine above the bottome. Whe you have set this over the fire, stirre it together ever now and then: as soone as it is al melted and beginneth to boile, take it of and straine it, and then set it over a soft fire againe, & skim it cleane. Unto the skum put faire warm water: she you have stirred it about, crush the wax together in your hand, and lay it askide: & the water (if you make no meth) either give it to your bees, or, having boiled and skimmed it, put it to your brewlock.
The course hony being boiled and clarified hath a most pleasant & delicate tast, & is comparable for most uses to the purest bottome hony being raw.
Which pure honey is you be disposed to boil, it, wil aske lesse time to be clarified, as yeelding little or no skum at all, and in tast & vertue it is more excellent.
When your hony is boiled enough, take it from the fire, and rather too soone, then too late: for if there be any drosse remaining, you shall find it in the top, when it is cold: but overmuch boiling consumeth the spirittuous parts of the honey, and turneth the sweet tast into bitter.
And such is hony in his owne kind, both raw and boiled, It is also altered by distillation into a water, which Raimundus Lullisis that excellent Chymist calleth the quintessence of hony. This quintessece dissolveth gold, & maketh it potable, & likewise any sort of pretious stone that is put therein. It is of such vertue that if any be dying, and drink 2 or 3 drams thereof, presently he wil revive. If you wash any woud [wound] therewith, or other sore; it will heal quickly. It is also good against the cough, catarre, & paines of the melt, and against many other diseases. Being given for the space of 46 dais together to one that hath the palsie, it helpeth him. Which thing Iohn Hefter a practical Chymist, in his key of Philosophie professeth himselfe to have proved. It helpeth also the falling sicknesse, and preserveth the body from putrifaction. Of so marvellous efficacie is this water.
The making of it is after this manner. Take two pound of perfect pure hony and put it into a great glasse, that foure parts of five may remaine emptie, [The lute may be made of clay, flocks, & salt-water, tepered together, or of meal and whites of egges.] lute it well with a head & receiver, and give it fire until there appear certaine white fumes, which, by laying wet clthes on the receiver and head and changing them when they are warme, wil turne into a water of a red colour like blood. When it is al distilled, keepe the receaver close shut, and let it stand til it be cleere, and of the colour of a rubie. The' distil it in Balneo Marie leaven times, and so it wil loose this redish colour, and become yelow as gold, having a great smel & exceeding pleasant.
What are the virtues & propertie of meth, may partly be knowne by that which hath bin said of hony. For seeing hony is the chiefe matter wereof Meth is made: the meth must needs, together with the substa'ce of honey, participate the naturall qualities thereof. The which, by the purifying in boiling, together with the accesse of sundry wholsome spices and herbes, are rather confirmed & increased, then any way extenuated or diminished. Therefore saith Lobel, Mulsum, ubi aqua plurimum, mellis non multum, diuturna intestinaq, mollis ebullitione in vinum longe vtilissimum abit. [?] And Pictorius Hydromellonga vetustate transit in vivum stomacho convenientissimum. Meth, when it is olde, is a wine most agreeable to the stomake: it recoverth 1 the appetite being lost, it 2 oppeneth the passage of the spirit or breath, is 3 softeneth the bellie, it 4 is good for them that have the cough. 5 If a man take meth, not as his ordinarie drink, but, as a physick, now and then: he shal receive much benefit by it, against quartan agues, against cacexies, and against the diseases of the braine, as analepsie, & epilepsie, or the falling evill: for which wine is pernicious: it 6 cureth the yellow jaundise: it 7 is also good against henbane with milke, and against the winter-cherie, it 8 nourisheth the body, 9. So that many have attained to long old age, only by the nourishment of meth. And therefore no marvaile that Pollio Romulus, who was a hundred yeeres old, imputed the greatest cause of his long continued health: to this soveraigne drinke. 10 For being asked of Augustus the Emperor, by what meanes especially hee had so long preserved that vigour both of mind and body, his answere was, Intus mulso, foris oleo.
The same thing is more manifested by the generall example of the ancient Brittaines who, above al other nations, have ever beene addicted to Meth and Metheglen. For under heaven there is no fairer people of complexio', nor of more sound and healthfull bodies. Of whole Metheglen Lobel writeth thus, Cambricus ille potus Methegla, non patrio, uti putant illi, sed Graconomini dictus, est altera liquida & limpida Septentrionistberiaca.
[From whence commeth our word Meth, which some corruptly call Mede, because it was wont to be written with a kind of d. For whereas wee have in English two sortes of th as you may perceive in these words, sheath, shiu, that, & heath, thisse, thanke, the ancient English did expresse the former by d aspirat, which for difference from d.tenue (as in mead, shed, &c,) they noted with a dash.]
From The Feminine Monarchie, or a treatise concerning bees and the due ordering of them. by Char. Butler Maga, 1609, Oxford: Iohn Haviland. Transcribed by Susan Verberg, 2016.
Free download of the 1623 version at (newer versions also available):
https://books.google.com/books?id=f5tbAAAAMAAJ&dq=the+feminine+monarchie&source=gbs_navlinks_s
In transcription the 'vv' is typed as 'w', the 'u' is typed as 'v' and the 'f' is typed as 's' where applicable, all other middle English spelling is kept as original (as much as I was able to; any typo's are entirely my spell checkers fault.)
Monday, December 12, 2016
Van de byen: eenige manieren van Meeden...
To make several ways of Mead / Wine / Brandy / Hippocras /
Vinegar / and other things.
Om eenige manieren van
Meeden / Wijnen / Brandewijnen / Yppocrassen / Azijnen / en andere dingen te
maken.
Before we go forth to speak of Mead / Wine / and other
things / it is necessary that beforehand the paterfamilias has ready several
barrels / and pots / woolen cloth / or bags / similar to hippocras bags / for
the Drinks / Wine / and others to purify / also one should have some spices in
the house / to make the forementioned compositions and the ones following /
because if you want to make you have to have the tools / by which these
composite things can be finished / also one should plant some herbs in the garden / which a paterfamilias would have need of /
to use in an emergency by sickness / Make of this a register / of all that is
in this story.
Eer wy voorts gaen om te spreken van de Meeden / Wijnen / en
andere dingen / so is van noode date een Huysvader hem altoos voorste met
eenighe vaten / en potten / wolle lappen / of sacken / in maniere gelijck
Yppocras sacken / om de Drancken / Wijnen / ende andere te suyvere’/ ook mede
so salmen eenige specerien in huys hebben / om de voorseyde compositien ende
dese nae volgende te maeken / want alsmen yet wilt maecken so behoort men
gereetschap te hebbe’/ daermen die gecomponeerde dingen af kan make’/ ook so
salmen eenige kruyden in den Hof planten/ die een Huysvader van node syte hebben
/ om ter noot by siekten te gebruycke’ / Daer van wy een registerken sullen
stellen / vant gene datter in desen verhaelt staet.
To make mead.
One shall take the rest that stayed in the basket / from the
dripping of the raw honey or zeem / and wash it with hot water / so that all
the sweetness goes into the water / until you have a tub full or two / or as
much as you want: Then put this liquid
in the kettle / and let it cook / until an Egg can float in the liquid / then
set it off the fire / and pour it into the barrels and let it cool / add some yeast
of beer / and set it to rise and work / and althus filling the barrel / so the
filthiness may overflow / and when it does not bubble or work / so shall one close up the
barrel / and let it rest. This is the way to make mead / some put in a piece of
tied cloth some cinnamon / ginger / nutmeg / cloves and similar spices / to
give the mead a good taste and scent.
Om Meede te maken.
Men sal nemen de reste die in de Mande gebleven is / vant
deurlecken van de ongepijnden Honigh of Seem / en spoele’ dat af met heet water
/ so dat alle de soeticheyt int water gae / tot dat ghy een tobbe vol of twee
hebt / of so veel als ghy wilt: Dan doet dit nat in de Ketel / en latet in
sieden / tot datter een Eye int nat kan drijven / dan stellet vant vyer [vuur]
/ ende gietet in de vaten ende latet kout werden / daer by doende wat Gest van
Bier / ende stellet te rijsen of te werkcen / ende altoos het vat opvollende /
dat de vuylicheyt mach overkomen / ende alst niet meeren siet ofte werckt / so
salmen ‘t vat dicht toesluyten / en latent berusten. Dit is de maniere om Meede
te make’/ sommige doen in een doecxken gebonden wat Canneel / Gember / Muschaten
/ Nagelen en diergelijke specerie’/ om dat de Meede een goede smaeck en reuk
soude hebbe’
And another.
And another.
Take 90. parts or stoopen river or rain water / 10. parts or
stoopen white zeem or honey. Put this together in a kettle / and let it boil
and scum until 80. stopen are left / or something similar / one can test with
an Egg / if it floats then it is enough: After that let it cool and put it in
barrels / and set it work / adding to it yeast of beer / to let it overflow and
clear / one may also add some spices / as is told before.
En ander.
Neemt 90. deelen of stoopen school rivier oft regenwater /
10. deelen oft stoopen witten
Seem of Honich. Dit doet te same’ in een ketel / en latet ziedende afschuymen
tot datter 80. stopen blijven / of daer ontrent / men kant beproeven met een
Eye / so het drijft so ist genoech: Daer na latet kout worden ende doetet in de
vaten / en stellet te wercken / daer by doende Gest van Bier / om te doen
overgaen ende klaren / men mach hier oock eenige Speceryen in doen / gelijk wy
verhaelt hebben.
To make wine-like honey-water.
To make wine-like honey-water.
Take on part honey / six parts rainwater / cook as above /
and let it cool / add in the quince time the juice of quinces / for each pound
honey a quarter juice of quince / set with yeast to rise and to clear.
Om een wijnachtigh
Honich-water te maken.
Neemt een deel Honigs / ses deelen regenwaters / sietet als
bove’ / en latet kout worden / daer by doende in de Quee-appel-tijt ‘t Sap van
Queen [multiple quee] / tot elck pont Honigs een vierendeel saps van Queen /
stellet met Gest te rijsen ende te klaren.
To make red wine-like honey-water.
To make red wine-like honey-water.
Take of the mead of the two types mentioned above 64. stoopen
/ add 16. stoop juice of amarellen [sour, dark red cherries with long stems] /
another two stoop honey / mix this together and set it to rise as above. This
wine-like honey-water is very good against fever / and those anguished with
excess heat / against defects of the brain / and one can use it instead of wine
/ for those whom wine is forbidden. At such days one can also make wine-like
water with the juice of currants / red and black cherries / also of grapes / apples
/ and pears / always add in the proportions of the amarellen / as is previously
explained.
Om een root Wijnachtigh
Honich-water te maken.
Neemt van de Meede van de twee soorten hier bove’ verhaelt
64. stoopen / daer by doende 16. stoop saps van Amarellen / noch twee stoop
Honigs / Dit vermenght te samen ende stellet te rijsen als boven. Dit
Wijnachtig Honichwater is seer goet teghens de koortse / en tegens die met overvloedige
hitte zijn gequelt / teghens de gebreken der Herssenen / ende men mach die in
plaetse van Wijn ghebruyken / voor den genen die den Wijn verboden is. In
sulcker daegen mach men oock Wijnachtich water maken met ‘t sap van Aalbessen /
roode en swarte Kriecken / ook van Druyven / Appelen / en Peeren / altoos hem
regulerende na de proportie van de Amarelle’ / als voren verklaert is.
To make red hippocras.
To make red hippocras.
Take of red wine-like water 1. stoop / honey which is pure
and white 12. ounces: cinnamon 2. ounces: ginger 2. dragma: galingale / cloves
/ each a half dragma. The spices are broken small / mixed in the honey-water /
and steeped together for 24 hours long / 4. or 6. times stirred while the
spices are steeping. Afterwards mix the honey in and let it run through a
hippocras bag [filter] / until it is clear / would one like the hippocras
redder: one can add some tornisol [litmus] to it.
Om rooden Hypocras te
maecken.
Neemt vant root wijnachtich water 1. stoop / Honig die
suyver ende wit is 12. Oncen: Canneel 2. Oncen: Gengerbaer 2. Draghmen:
Galigaen / Nagelen / elcks een half dragma. Die speceryen kleyn gebrooken /
vermenght ander ‘t Honich-water / en latet te samen staen weycken 24. uren lang
/ 4. ofte 6. malen omroerende dewijle die speceryen weycken. Daer na so
menghter den Honig onder en latet te samen door een Yppocras-sak loopen / tot
dattet klear wort / wil men den Yppokras noch rooder hebben: soo mach men een
loot Turnesols daer by doen
To make white hippocras.
To make white hippocras.
Take of the white wine-like water which is made with sour
apples or grapes 1. stoop / honey which is pure and white 12. ounces: cinnamon
/ broken and peeled almonds each 2. ounces / ginger 3. dragmen: galingale / cloves
each a half dragma: the spices are broken up together / mixed in with the
honey-water / and let steep for 24 hour as is told above / after that mix the
honey in / and let it pour together through a hippocras bag [filter]/ until it becomes
clear. These two types of wine are lovely to use for banquets and other meals /
and are very good for those who are touched or anguished with the falling
sickness / and it digests all malign mucous humidities in the stomach / gives
strength / pick-me-up / and gives appetite to those who can not digest food.
Om witten
Hypocras te maecken.
Neemt vant wit Wijnachtigh water dat met suyre Appelen ofte Druyven
gemaektzy 1. stoop / Honich die suyver en wit is 12. Oncen: Canneel / gebroken
en gepelde Amandelen elcx 2. Onsen / Gengebaer 3. Dragmen: Galigaen / Nagelen
elcx een half Draghma: die speceryen t’samen kleyn gestooten / vermengt se
onder ‘t Honich-water / en latet staen weyken 24 uren als boven verhaelt is /
daer na mengter den Honig onder / en latet te same door een Yppokras-sak lecken
/ tot dattet klaer wort. Dese twee soorten sijn seer lieflick om in
Banckquetten en andere Maeltijden te gebruycken / en is seer goet den genen die
met Geraektheyt en vallende siekte zijn gequelt / en verteert alle quade
slijmachtighe vochticheden in de Mage / sy stercktse / boetse / en geeft
appetijt den genen die geen spijse en konnen verteeren.
To make brandy of mead.
To make brandy of mead.
Take of the first type of mead / or that of the other type /
put it in a distil-kettle (lambick) / and let it simmer moderately / and bring
over [distill] as long until the water does not taste of brandy anymore. After
that take what is brought over / and put it in another brandy-kettle / and
bring over and rectify [make better] as often as you think is right: because
the more often it is brought over / the stronger and more subtle it becomes /
and one should make it in the end so strong / that if a man would take it / he
immediately should die thereof.
Om brandewijn van Meede te
maecken.
Neemt van de eerste soorte van Meede / of van de ander soorte / doetse in den Disteleer-ketel / en latet matelick sieden/ en treckt daer af so langh dat het water niet meer en smaeckt na den Brandewijn. Daer nae neemt ‘t gene dat ghy over gehaelt hebt / en doetet in een ander Brandewijns-ketelken / en overhalet en rectificeertet so lang dattet u goet dunckt : want hoe ghy ‘t meerder overhaelt / hoe dattet stercker en subtijlder wort / en men sout int eynde wel so sterck macken / dattet een mensch innemende / terstont wel soude daer af sterven.
Neemt van de eerste soorte van Meede / of van de ander soorte / doetse in den Disteleer-ketel / en latet matelick sieden/ en treckt daer af so langh dat het water niet meer en smaeckt na den Brandewijn. Daer nae neemt ‘t gene dat ghy over gehaelt hebt / en doetet in een ander Brandewijns-ketelken / en overhalet en rectificeertet so lang dattet u goet dunckt : want hoe ghy ‘t meerder overhaelt / hoe dattet stercker en subtijlder wort / en men sout int eynde wel so sterck macken / dattet een mensch innemende / terstont wel soude daer af sterven.
Another way to make brandy from honey.
One shall take instead of mead raw pastry honey / and mix it
with water until an egg floats / set it with some yeast to rise / until it
smells wine-like / set it to distill as before.
Een ander om van Honich Brandewijn te maeken.
Men sal in plaetse van Meede mogen nemen rouwe Koecke-backers Honig / en vermenge’ die met water tot datter een Eye in drijft / stelt dat met wat Gest te rijsen / tot dattet wijnachtig riekt / stellet te disteleren als voren.
Men sal in plaetse van Meede mogen nemen rouwe Koecke-backers Honig / en vermenge’ die met water tot datter een Eye in drijft / stelt dat met wat Gest te rijsen / tot dattet wijnachtig riekt / stellet te disteleren als voren.
To make alsem [absinthe] wine.
Take mead of the second type 2. stoopen / add to it dried
broken alsum [Artemisia absinthium]
/ tied in a piece of cloth 3. ounces / let it steep 5. to 6. says / each day
press out the alsum / after that decant the wine of the fine lees / this wine
is very useful / women who don’t have their period / it warms the mother and
the stomach / digests the food / and takes away all corruption which grow in
the stomach. In this way one can also make wine of rosemary / lavendel / hyssop
/ French lavender [Lavendula stychas]
/ and other flowers and herbs.
Om Alsem Wijn te maecken.
Neemt Meede van de tweede soorte 2. stoopen / doet dar by drogen gebroken Alsem / in een doecxken gebonden 3. Onsen / stellet te weycken 5. of 6. dagen / alle dagen den Alsem uyt druckende / daer na klaert den Wijn van fijn grondicheyt / dese Wijn is seer dienstelijck / de vrouwen die haer stonde’ niet wel en konnen krijgen / sy verwarmt de Moeder en Mage / Doet de Spijse verteert / en neemt weg alle corruptien die in de Mage groeyen. In deser wijse mach men ook Wijn van Rosmarijn / Lavendel / Hysop / van Stychas kruyt / en andere Bloemen en kruyden maken.
Neemt Meede van de tweede soorte 2. stoopen / doet dar by drogen gebroken Alsem / in een doecxken gebonden 3. Onsen / stellet te weycken 5. of 6. dagen / alle dagen den Alsem uyt druckende / daer na klaert den Wijn van fijn grondicheyt / dese Wijn is seer dienstelijck / de vrouwen die haer stonde’ niet wel en konnen krijgen / sy verwarmt de Moeder en Mage / Doet de Spijse verteert / en neemt weg alle corruptien die in de Mage groeyen. In deser wijse mach men ook Wijn van Rosmarijn / Lavendel / Hysop / van Stychas kruyt / en andere Bloemen en kruyden maken.
To make vinegar of mead.
Take mead and let it sour in the sun / the same as one uses
wine or beer / and as soon as a skin forms one shall tap it / and put the mead
in another barrel / until it is sour enough.
Om Azijn van Meede te
maken.
Neemt Meede stelt se in de Sonnet te suyren / gelijk men van de Wijnen of Bieren doet / en so dikmaels als daer vlies op komt so salmen ‘t af tappen / en doen de Meede in een ander vat / tot dat hy u suyr genoegh is.
Another way.
Neemt Meede stelt se in de Sonnet te suyren / gelijk men van de Wijnen of Bieren doet / en so dikmaels als daer vlies op komt so salmen ‘t af tappen / en doen de Meede in een ander vat / tot dat hy u suyr genoegh is.
Another way.
Take a part honey / six parts waters / a quarter vinegar /
set it in a barrel in the sun until it is sour enough / as is said above / some
people take sourdough instead of vinegar / and let it stand thus / and tap it
clear off as long as it is sour enough.
Een ander manier.
Neemt een deel Honichs / ses deelen waters / een vierendeel Azijn / steltet in een vat ter Sonnen tot dat het suyr genoech is / als boven verhaelt is / sommige nemen Suyrdeessem in plaetse van Azijn / en latent so staen / ende tappen ‘t klaer af so lang tot dattet suyr genoeg is.
To make vinegar of roses, and other flowers.
Neemt een deel Honichs / ses deelen waters / een vierendeel Azijn / steltet in een vat ter Sonnen tot dat het suyr genoech is / als boven verhaelt is / sommige nemen Suyrdeessem in plaetse van Azijn / en latent so staen / ende tappen ‘t klaer af so lang tot dattet suyr genoeg is.
To make vinegar of roses, and other flowers.
Take red dried roses [?] / put in a vial / pour some of the
previously mentioned vinegar on it / set in the sun for 40. days long / then
one can clarify / or if you like leave the flowers in it. In such a way one can
also make vinegar of elderflowers / lavendel / rosemary / calendula / and other
herbs and flowers.
Om Azijn van Rosen, en van andere gebloemten te maken.
Neemt roode drooghe Roosen dry laet / doetse in een Fiole / giet daer op van de voorseyde Azijn / stelt se in de Sonne 40. dagen langh / darna moochdy se klaren / of so ghy wilt moochdy die bloemen daer op laten blijven. In sulcker voegen machmen ook Azijn van Vlierbloemen / Laveldel / Rosmarijn / Goutsbloemen / en andere kruyden ende gebloemten maken.
Neemt roode drooghe Roosen dry laet / doetse in een Fiole / giet daer op van de voorseyde Azijn / stelt se in de Sonne 40. dagen langh / darna moochdy se klaren / of so ghy wilt moochdy die bloemen daer op laten blijven. In sulcker voegen machmen ook Azijn van Vlierbloemen / Laveldel / Rosmarijn / Goutsbloemen / en andere kruyden ende gebloemten maken.
Van de byen by Theodorus Clutius, 1597.
Het Derde Boek, Het seste Capittel.
(The Third Book, The Sixth Chapter.)
Free download available at:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0NnAAAAcAAJ&dq=van+de+byen&source=gbs_navlinks_s
https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0NnAAAAcAAJ&dq=van+de+byen&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Friday, December 9, 2016
Wilt du guten met machen...
This might be one of the earliest mentions of yeast by name (hefen) in a brewing recipe. Or it might mean brewing residue like barm or lees... next time I see my German friend we'll have some brewing to talk about! This recipe is from the 13th century and comes out of Ein Buch von guter Spise.
14. Wilt du guten met machen (How you want to make good mead)
Der guten mete machen wil, der werme reinen brunnen, daz er die hant dor inne liden künne. und neme zwei maz wazzers und eine honiges. daz rüere man mit eime stecken, und laz ez ein wile hangen. und sihe ez denne durch ein rein tuch oder durch ein harsip in ein rein vaz. und siede denne die selben wirtz gein eime acker lane hin und wider und schume die wirtz mit einer vensterehten schüzzeln. da der schume inne blibe und niht die wirtz. dor noch giuz den mete in ein rein vaz und bedecke in, daz der bradem niht uz müge, als lange daz man die hant dor inne geliden müge. So nim denne ein halp mezzigen hafen und tu in halp vol hopphen und ein hant vol salbey und siede daz mit der wirtz gein einer halben mile. und giuz ez denne in die wirtz, und nim frischer hoven ein halp nözzeln und giuz ez dor in. und giuz ez under ein ander daz ez geschende werde. so decke zu, daz der bradem iht uz müge einen tae und eine naht. So seige denne den mete durch ein reyn tuch oder durch ein harsip. und vazze in in ein reyn vaz und lazze in iern drie tac und drie naht und fülle in alle abende, dar nach lazze man in aber abe und hüete daz iht hefen dor in kumme und laz in aht tage ligen daz er valle. und fülle in alle abende. dar nach loz in abe in ein gehertztez vas und laz in ligen aht tage vol und trinke in denne erst sechs wucher oder ehte. so ist er allerbeste.
He, who wants to make good mead, warms clean water, so that he can just stand to put the hand in. And take two maz water and one honey. One stirs that with a stick and lets it set a while and then strains it through a clean cloth or through a hairsieve into a clean barrel. And boil then the same wort against an acre long there and back (as long as it takes to walk this distance and back) and remove the foam from the wort with a bowl with holes. The foam stays in the bowl and the wort does not. Next pour the mead in a clean barrel and cover it, so that vapor can not get out, until one can bear the hand there in. So take then a half maz pot and add until half full hops and a hand of sage and boil that with the wort against a half mile (as long as it takes to walk this distance) and give it then in the wort and take a half nut of fresh yeast (the amount that could be held in a nutshell) and give it there in and mix it together so that it will ferment. So cover also, so that the vapor can get out, a day and a night. So strain then the mead through a clean cloth or through a hairsieve and pour (it) in a clean barrel and let it ferment three days and three nights and fill (it) in all evenings. There after one lets it go down and looks that yeast comes therein. And let it lay for eight days, so that it falls and fill in all evenings. There after let it down in a resined barrel and let it lay eight days full and drink in the first six weeks or eight. So is it the best.
Copyright © by Alia Atlas, 1993. This translation is available as part of Cariadoc's Cookbook Collection, Volume II. http://www.medievalcookery.com/etexts/buch.html
Ein Buch von guter Spise. 13th century. German transcription from 1844 at:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/BLV_009-2_Ein_Buch_von_guter_Speise.pdf
14. Wilt du guten met machen (How you want to make good mead)
Der guten mete machen wil, der werme reinen brunnen, daz er die hant dor inne liden künne. und neme zwei maz wazzers und eine honiges. daz rüere man mit eime stecken, und laz ez ein wile hangen. und sihe ez denne durch ein rein tuch oder durch ein harsip in ein rein vaz. und siede denne die selben wirtz gein eime acker lane hin und wider und schume die wirtz mit einer vensterehten schüzzeln. da der schume inne blibe und niht die wirtz. dor noch giuz den mete in ein rein vaz und bedecke in, daz der bradem niht uz müge, als lange daz man die hant dor inne geliden müge. So nim denne ein halp mezzigen hafen und tu in halp vol hopphen und ein hant vol salbey und siede daz mit der wirtz gein einer halben mile. und giuz ez denne in die wirtz, und nim frischer hoven ein halp nözzeln und giuz ez dor in. und giuz ez under ein ander daz ez geschende werde. so decke zu, daz der bradem iht uz müge einen tae und eine naht. So seige denne den mete durch ein reyn tuch oder durch ein harsip. und vazze in in ein reyn vaz und lazze in iern drie tac und drie naht und fülle in alle abende, dar nach lazze man in aber abe und hüete daz iht hefen dor in kumme und laz in aht tage ligen daz er valle. und fülle in alle abende. dar nach loz in abe in ein gehertztez vas und laz in ligen aht tage vol und trinke in denne erst sechs wucher oder ehte. so ist er allerbeste.
He, who wants to make good mead, warms clean water, so that he can just stand to put the hand in. And take two maz water and one honey. One stirs that with a stick and lets it set a while and then strains it through a clean cloth or through a hairsieve into a clean barrel. And boil then the same wort against an acre long there and back (as long as it takes to walk this distance and back) and remove the foam from the wort with a bowl with holes. The foam stays in the bowl and the wort does not. Next pour the mead in a clean barrel and cover it, so that vapor can not get out, until one can bear the hand there in. So take then a half maz pot and add until half full hops and a hand of sage and boil that with the wort against a half mile (as long as it takes to walk this distance) and give it then in the wort and take a half nut of fresh yeast (the amount that could be held in a nutshell) and give it there in and mix it together so that it will ferment. So cover also, so that the vapor can get out, a day and a night. So strain then the mead through a clean cloth or through a hairsieve and pour (it) in a clean barrel and let it ferment three days and three nights and fill (it) in all evenings. There after one lets it go down and looks that yeast comes therein. And let it lay for eight days, so that it falls and fill in all evenings. There after let it down in a resined barrel and let it lay eight days full and drink in the first six weeks or eight. So is it the best.
Copyright © by Alia Atlas, 1993. This translation is available as part of Cariadoc's Cookbook Collection, Volume II. http://www.medievalcookery.com/etexts/buch.html
Ein Buch von guter Spise. 13th century. German transcription from 1844 at:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/BLV_009-2_Ein_Buch_von_guter_Speise.pdf
Een notabel boecxken van cokeryen: clareyt & ypocras
165 Om goeden finen witten clareyt* [kruidenwijn] te maken.
Neemt twee vierendeel* ende een half pinte* witten wijn of Petau [wijn uit Poitou]. Dan neemt van dien wijn een lettel [beetje] ende maecten [maak hem] werm. In dien wijn doet bruyn suycker ende rueret so lange, totdat dit suicker al wel ghesmolten es in dien wermen wijn. Dan mingelt daerin een once* ende een half once van desen navolghende poeder wel ende seer [zeer goede gestampte specerijen]. Dan suldijt ghieten duer den sack [filterzak] acht oft neghe werven [keer] ende clarifyceret [maak het helder]. Dyts dat poedere: neempt uutghelesen [fijne] caneel, witten ghimber, greyne [kardemom], lanckpeper [lange peper], galigaen [galanga], calini aromatici* [kalmoes], coriander, ana* [van elk evenveel]. Maect hieraf [hiervan] poedere ende laet al met [alles samen] duerloopen.
165 To make good fine white claret.
Take two quarts and a half pint white wine of Poitou. Thentake of this wine a little and make it warm. In this wine add brown sugar and stir so long, that this sugar is all melted in the warm wine. Then mix therein an ounce and a half ounce of these later mentioned powder well ground. Then should you pour it through a bag eight or nine times to clarify. This is that powder: take fine cinnamon, white ginger, cardamom, long pepper, galingale, calamus, coriander, of each the same. Make thereof powder and let all infuse well.
166 Om te maken finen rooden clareyt*.
Neempt Vlemsschen zeem* [Vlaamse honing] een pinte, ende een half pinte* waters. Dit siedet overeen [kook dit samen] ende schuymet wel [schuim het goed af]. Alst wel gheschuymt es, soe doeghet van den viere. Dan neempt eenen stoop* rooden wijn, dyen minghelt metten voerseyden ghescuymden zeeme. Dan neempt onderhalf once* tornisol* [lakmoes], dat syedet in een luttel wijns met water tegader. Dit minghelt daerin. Hebdi gheenen rooden wijn, ghi sult nemen Petau [wijn uit Poitou] oft Rinsschen wijn [Rijnwijn] ende sieden daer so veel te meet tornysols inne, maer wijn bastaert* [zoete wijn] waer [ware] alderbest. Oock suldi weten: const men ghevinden eenighe tenture [vino tinto]; dat beter ware dan eenighen wijn die men vinden mach. Dit es dat poedere: neempt een onche* caneels, een once witten gimbere, groffelsnaghelen [kruidnagel], greyne [kardemom], elcx [van elk] twee dragina*, notenmuscaten, galigaen [galanga], elcx een dragina, lanckpeper [lange peper] een dragina. Hieraf [hiervan] maket pulver ende latet dan al lopen doer den sack [filterzak], acht oft neghen werven [keer], totdat claer [helder] es, maer dect den sac boven datter geen locht uut en gha [zodat er geen lucht uit ontsnapt].
166 To make a fine red claret.
Take Flemish honey one pint, and a half pint water. Cook this together and scum well. When it is well scummed, take it off the fire. Then take one stoop red wine, which is mixed with the previously mentioned honey. Then take one and a half ounce tornisol, cooked together with a little water and wine. Then mix this together. If you don't have red wine, use wine from Poitou or the Rhine and cook therein so much tornisol, but sweet wine [bastaert] is the best. You should als know: if you can find some vino tinto [spanish for red wine], that is the best of any wine you could find. This is the powder: take one ounce cinnamon, one ounce white ginger, cloves, cardamom, each two dragina, nutmeg, galingale, each one dragina, long pepper one dragina. Make thereof powder and let it run through a bag, eight or nine times, until it is clear, but keep the bag closed so no air escapes.
167 Om te maken finen gheluwen [gele] clareyt*.
Neempt een half pinte* Vleemsschen zeem* [Vlaamse honing] ende een vierendeel* waters. Dit sal men sieden overeen [samen koken]. Oock so sal ment wel schuymen [goed afschuimen]. Alst wel ghesoden es, so doeghet van den viere. Dan neemt caneel, wytten ghimbere, elcx [van elk] een halve onche*, groffelsnaghelen [kruidnagel], greyne [kardemom], elckx twee dragina*, notenmuscaten, ghaligaen [galanga], sofferaen, elckx een dragina, lanckpepere [lange peper] een schorpele* [scrupel]. Maeckt hieraf [hiervan] poedere ende doeghet in een quaerte* wit wijns ende mynghelt dyt al tesamen in den wijn ende in dat zeem voerseyt. Dit ghedaen sijnde, so gietet duer den sack [filterzak] acht oft negen werven [keer] totdat claer [helder] genoech es. Maer den sack moet boven wel ghedect sijn, dat dye locht niet uut en sla [zodat de lucht er niet uit ontsnapt] ende dat vat datter ondere staet moet oock wel ghedect sijn, dat die locht nyet uute en sla. Ghi sult oock weten dat wijn bastairt* [zoete wijn] oft Romenie [Griekse wijn] es beter daertoe dan anderen wijn. Item men sal weten dat rooden wijn van Spaengnien, die men seyt tentuere [vino tinto], es goet boven alle anderen winen. Item men sal weten dat alle clareyten sijn beter van eenen dage out jonghere.
167 To make fine yellow claret.
Take a half pint Flemish honey and a quart water. This shall one boil together. Also one shall scum well. When it has cooked well, take it off the fire. Then take cinnamon, white ginger, each a half ounce, cloves, cardamon, each two dragina, nutmet, galingale, saffron, each one dragina, long pepper one scruple [20 grains]. Make this into powder, pour through a bag eight or nine times until it is clear enough. But the bag should be covered so air does not escape and the barrel under it should also be covered, so air does not escape. You should also know that sweet wine or greek wine is better than other wine. Item one shall know that red wine from Spain, which one calls vino tinto, is the best of all wines. Item one should know that all clarets are better of one day old young.
168 Om te maken eenen stoop goeden finen ypocras*.
Soe neempt eenen stoop* witten wijn ende een halve pinte*. Dan neempt van desen wine eenen croes*. Dyen maect wel werm. Daerin suldi wel minghelen met eenen lepele vijf onchen bruyn suyckers. Neempt uutghelesenen [allerbeste] finen caneel viere onchen* ende een halve, witten ghimber een vierendeel*, greyne [kardemom], ghalygaen [galanga], coliander [coriander], calani aromatice* [kalmoes], elcx vier greynen*. Hyeraf [hiervan] maect poeder ende dat ghiet doer den sack [filterzak], ghelijck men den clareyt* doet.
168 To make one stoop good fine hypocras.
You take one stoop white wine and a half pint. Then take of this wine one croes. Make this well warm. Therein should you mix well with a spoon five ounce brown sugar. Take the very best fine cinnamon four ounce and a half, white ginger one quart, cardamom, galingale, coriander, calamus, each four grains. Of this make powder and pour that through the bag, the same as with claret.
169 Om te maken goeden finen ypocras*.
Neempt eenen stoop* ende een half pinte* rooden wijn. Hiertoe doet also veel fonteynen [bronwater]. Dit set opt vier ende latent sieden [koken] met eendere onchen* tornysol* [lakmoes], totdat dye tornisol haer verwe gheschoten heeft [haar kleur heeft afgegeven]. Dan settet van den viere ende duwet dye tornisol uute metten handen. Dan neempt viere onchen gheschuymden ende ghesuyverden zeem* [honing]. Dan minghelt daerinne caneele drye onchen ende eene halve, wytten ghymbere eene dragyna*, greyne [kardemom], groffelsnaghelen [kruidnagel], coryandere, elckx acht greynen*. Dan ghietet al tesamen doer den sack [filterzak] als boven.
169 To make good fine hypocras.
Take one stoop and a half pint red wine. Also add lots of spring water. Put this on the fire and let cook with a third ounce tornisol, until the tornisol leached all its color. Then take it off the fire and squeeze out the tornisol well with your hands. Then take four ounces scummed and cleaned honey. Mix into that cinnamon three ounces and a half, white ginger one dragina, cardamom, cloves, coriander, each eight grains. Then pour all together through the bag as above.
170 Noch om te maken anderen ypocras*.
Neemt eenen stoop* ende een halve pinte* rooden wijn. Dan neemt van dien wine een luttel ende een luttele fonteynen [bronwater]. Daermet siedet [kook] een onche* ende een halve onche tornisol*. Dan doeget van den viere ende die tornisol duwet wel uute metten handen. Dan suldi nemen gheschuymden zeem* [honing] seven onchen ende die myngelt in den wermen wijn met eenen lepel. Daerinne minget caneel - die seer goet si ende suiver - drie onchen, wytten suiveren ghimber een dragima*, groffelsnaghelen [kruidnagel], spicanardi* [kalmoes], corandri [koriander] preparate*, elcx [van elk] ses greynen*. Dit doet al tsamen in uwen wijn. Dan gietet doir den sac [filterzak] als vore.
170 Also to make another hypocras.
Take one stoop and a half pint red wine. Then take of this wine a little and a little spring water. With that cook one ounce and a half tornisol. Then take it off the fire and squeeze out the tornisol well with the hands. Then you should take scummed honey seven ounces and mix that in the warm wine with a spoon. Therein mix cinnamon - which is very good and pure - three ounces, white pure ginger one dragima, cloves, spicenard, coriander preparate, each six grains. Put this all together in your wine. Then pour it throught the bag as before.
171 Noch om te maken goeden finen ypocras*.
Neemt vijf pynten* rooden wijn ende daerin wasscet tornisol* drie onchen* ende een halve. Duwet dan wel uut met uwen handen. Dan neempt van dien wine ende maecten werm [maak hem warm] ende minget daerinne viere oncen bruyn suyckers wel ende seere [zeer goed] totdat dit suyckere al wel ghebraken [opgelost] es. Dan minghelet al tesamen in dit voerseyde suyckere, caneel - die fijn enden sterck si - vier oncen, witten finen ghimber een onche ende halve, calani aromantise* [kalmoes], grana paradisi* [kardemom], groffelsnaghelen [kruidnagel], elcx acht greynen*, coriander, rorismarim [rozemarijn], galange [galanga] thien greynen. Doet doer den sack [filterzak] loopen als vore.
171 Also to make another fine hypocras.
Take five pints red wine and put therein washed tornisol three ounces and a half. Squeeze it well out with your hands. Then take of the wine and make it warm and mix therein four ounces brown sugar very well until this sugar is all dissolved. Then mix all together with this aforesaid sugar, cinnamon - which is fine and strong - four ounces, white fine ginger one ounce and a half, calamus, grains of paradise, cloves, each eight grains, coriander, rosemary, galingale ten grains. Pour through the bag as before.
172 Aldus sal men suyveren dat zeem* [honing] ende schuymen.
Neempt een half pinte* finen witten zeem ende doeten in een panneken op dat vier ende latet sieden drie ofte vier wallen [laat het drie of vier keer opkoken]. Dan settet van den viere ende neempt eenen lepel, dairmede scuymet wel boven al den scuym af. Ende dien claren [heldere] ghesuiverden zeem doet in eenen pot. Aldus sal ment orboren [gebruiken] in den ipocras* ende in den clareyt* voerseyt.
172 Thus shall one purify the honey and scum.
Take a half pint fine white honey and add it to a pot on the fire and let it come to a boil three or four times. Then take it off the fire and take one spoon, and scum the scum well off the top. And the clear honey is put in a pot. Thus one shall use it as directed in the hypocras and in the claret.
tornisol is litmus, a purple red dye made from lichens (and pH sensitive).
dragima: dragma, medical measure of circa 3.9 gram.
greynen: grain, small medical measure of circa 0.06 gram.
once: ounce, measurement of 1/16 or 1/12 (medicinal) pond, thus almost 30 gram.
pinte: liquid measurement, circa 0.65 liter.
stoop: liquid measurement, circa 2.6 liter.
Een notabel boecxken van cokeryen (1513)
editie Ria Jansen Sieben & Marleen van der Molen-Willebrands
De Kan, Amsterdam 1994 © 2009 dbnl
http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_not001nota01_01/colofon.htm
Translation from middle Dutch to modern Dutch by editors of manuscript.
Translation into English © by Susan Verberg, 2016.
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
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
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Pin Down Your Dead!
Historic use of thunderstones.
In archaeology, thunderstones are most often found in grave finds and in house foundations. This is interpreted as a wish to protect the dead and help them into the afterlife, and to protect the house and family from lightning strikes and fire. As thunderstones were seen as the manifestation of lightning strike cores, and throughout history the myth (hope) of “lightning/disaster never strikes twice” prevailed (even today, as shown by the Norse disaster protection rune on our modern day ambulances), having a thunderstone in your house or on your person would, therefore, exempt you from being hit.
Thunderstone echinoids were even assimilated into Christian culture as a protection sign against evil. In some parts of England, openings like doors and windows on the north side of a church, which in medieval and earlier times was known as the Devil’s side of the church, would be rimmed with echinoids (called shepherd’s crowns), all with the five pointed side visible. Echinoids naturally display a five pointed star, the forbearer of the pentagram, which became symbolic of the power of good over evil!
To keep up with demand, objects that looked like magical
items became regarded as similar, and were believed to take on the same magic,
which is called the Theory of Similars (or Sympathetic Magic). This explains
the prevalence of manmade Thor’s hammer amulets in later period, from very
crude (as part of iron amulet rings which were believed to keep the spirits of
the dead confined to the grave) to elaborate jewelry pieces, all used as
protection amulets and talismans. And how the five pointed star of the echinoid
likely evolved into the powerful symbol the pentagram, which took with it
several of the thunderstones protections, including safeguarding brewing
(Scandinavian), protection against witches & general evil and especially protection
against the Devil.
As part of my Viking persona the need for some sort of magical
amulet devolved into another research project. I had heard about thunderstones,
and straightforward that I am, assumed those would have been made out of
fulgurites, which form of melted sand from lightning striking the beach. But
just to be on the safe side I looked into these fascinating talismans and found
that throughout history many, many objects had been perceived as thunderstones.
For a very long time thunderstones were believed to be the physical remains of
thunderbolts or lightning strikes endowed with the power to avert evil or bad
luck, and to protect the house, property and family against lightning and by
association, storms and fire. In the words of 17th century Adrianus
Tollius “Thunderstones are generated in the sky by a fulgureous exhalation
(whatever that may look like) conglobed in a cloud by a circumfixed humour, and
baked hard, as it were, by intense heat”…
As much as that almost seems plausible, what did they expect
those exhalations to look like? Most thunderstones seem to fall into one of
three categories: they look like weapons (the sky gods used lightning as a
weapon, like Thor’s hammer Mjöllnir), they are associated with thunderstorms (for
instance resemble hail) or have lightning like properties (spark fire).
Preferably they are found in conjunction with lightning storms and lightning
strikes: objects that were not there before the storm but were there after –
washed out of the ground by heavy rains but attributed to having fallen out of
the sky; like stone objects with a peculiar shape, with holes in them or sharp
ends, polished, chipped (proof they fell from the sky), perfectly round,
smooth, with a projectile shape, like pointed, arrow like etc…
Thunderstone amulets could be categorized in three classes:
the minerals, the fossils and the ceraunia. Examples of minerals would be those
unusually shaped stones; fire sparking stones like flint, iron pyrite and bog
iron; fulgurites (found by digging out the lightning strike site, looking for
the magical core) and meteorites, especially those with remaglypts which do
kinda look like fingerprints of the gods! Only a couple types of fossils are
considered thunderstones: sharks teeth and Belemnites (squid) resemble weapons,
and Echinoids are rather round with a, to us, familiar five pointed pattern. But
the most interesting are the ceraunia. These stone age tools were crafted by
early man, but as this knowledge had been forgotten, the sometimes abundantly
found stone weapons became part of thunderstone myths instead!
In archaeology, thunderstones are most often found in grave finds and in house foundations. This is interpreted as a wish to protect the dead and help them into the afterlife, and to protect the house and family from lightning strikes and fire. As thunderstones were seen as the manifestation of lightning strike cores, and throughout history the myth (hope) of “lightning/disaster never strikes twice” prevailed (even today, as shown by the Norse disaster protection rune on our modern day ambulances), having a thunderstone in your house or on your person would, therefore, exempt you from being hit.
The connection between thunderstones and burial could come
from their connection to faeries. The Fae were thought to be the inhabitants of
a mystical, enchanted world, with plenty of honey and wine, feasts, playing and
drinking, and where you’d never grow old (sound familiar?). The Celts believed
that this Otherworld could be accessed from the real world through Neolithic
and bronze age barrows - which would have stone tools - and thought that
Otherworld was the land of the dead. Placing echinoids (called faerie loaves) or
stone tools in burial sites would help guide the spirits of the dead on their
journey into Otherworld, or the afterlife.
In Norse mythology Thor’s hammer Mjöllnir was thought to
have the power to call up the dead to renewed life and placing the sign of
Mjöllnir, either as a fossil echinoid or a stone axe, in burials can therefore
be seen as an act of symbolizing rebirth after death. Thunderstones were believed
to fall from the sky during thunderstorms; missiles hurled by Thor to keep the
wandering trolls under control. If a thunderstone struck a troll careless enough
to be out in a thunderstorm, instant death followed. If it were not for Thor's
missiles, the Norse believed, the trolls would have spread across the earth
like a plague! Thor’s hammer Mjöllnir also represents the lightning as when
thrown it magically returns to Thor’s hand, just as natural lightning is seen
to strike the earth (leader) and then fly black to the skies (return stroke).
There is also a connection between thunderstones and the use
of iron. Revered for its transformative qualities by way of smelting and
smithing, the transformation of iron into a new state could be regarded as a
parallel for the path of the body and soul through burial rituals and might
seem as a good catalyst to assist the dead to do the same, similar to the
believe of stone tools and echinoids. According to Norse belief, placing
objects of iron in and around the grave site is a most reliable way of ensuring
the dead stayed bound to their proper place (the Norse draugr are zombies, apparently risen from the grave due to lack of
iron, or thunderstones!). Iron is also used to wire wrap thunderstones to wear
as amulets as iron would trap the magic and keep the thunderstone ‘loaded’. Popular
myth also mentions faeries can be deterred/trapped or hurt/killed with pure
iron, which concurs with thunderstone myths.
Apparently thunderstones were seen as pretty darn useful: tools
& echinoids would be included in graves to protect souls, guide travel into
the afterlife and keep evil spirits away. They would be placed inside walls,
under the floor or the threshold or kept under eaves or staircases of buildings
to protect the owner and his house from being struck by lightning, fire and
storms, and would be worn to avoid dying at sea, losing in battles, and to guarantee
good sleep at night.
Echinoids placed on shelves in the
pantry would keep the milk fresh and cause plenty of cream, and were hung around
the necks of cattle. They guaranteed good breeding luck and good hunting &
fishing luck. And thunderstone echinoids made the beer ferment.
Who finds a thunderstone should not
give it away, otherwise he loses his luck. In Norse mythology they were thought
to keep trolls and witches (or general evil) away, and bring good luck. They
were also thought to protect the unchristened child against being “changed”. And
thunderstones were considered to be good protection against elfish malice, the
evil eye and especially, the Devil.
Thunderstone echinoids were even assimilated into Christian culture as a protection sign against evil. In some parts of England, openings like doors and windows on the north side of a church, which in medieval and earlier times was known as the Devil’s side of the church, would be rimmed with echinoids (called shepherd’s crowns), all with the five pointed side visible. Echinoids naturally display a five pointed star, the forbearer of the pentagram, which became symbolic of the power of good over evil!
To keep up with demand, objects that looked like magical
items became regarded as similar, and were believed to take on the same magic,
which is called the Theory of Similars (or Sympathetic Magic). This explains
the prevalence of manmade Thor’s hammer amulets in later period, from very
crude (as part of iron amulet rings which were believed to keep the spirits of
the dead confined to the grave) to elaborate jewelry pieces, all used as
protection amulets and talismans. And how the five pointed star of the echinoid
likely evolved into the powerful symbol the pentagram, which took with it
several of the thunderstones protections, including safeguarding brewing
(Scandinavian), protection against witches & general evil and especially protection
against the Devil.
Interestingly, the word “urchin” for modern sea urchins likely
came by way of thunderstones: fossil echinoids, often called fairy loaves, were
associated with the Fae, and another word for these creatures was “urchin”. And
ironically, it took until contact with Native American Indians in the 16th
CE, who at that time still used stone tool technology, for the European
scientific community to realize ceraunia were actually stone tools made by an
earlier kind of people!
Over time, the powerful thunderstones devolved into no more
than talismans, or lucky stones. But remember, next time you find a stone with
a hole in, and you just have to put it in your pocket – you’re just following
in your ancestors footsteps and there is nothing superstitious about that! Or
is there…
The inspiration amulet, my amulet and part of my
Thunderstone Amulet display at the Yule Peace Tournament this December. In the
foreground is a striker (to demonstrate how well flint sparks fire) and a piece
of naturally found flint from England
(shaped like a tube as the flint formed in a prehistoric animal seafloor
tunnel). Thank you, Angelika for loaning
the striker and the replica stone tools, Edward Harbinger for the real stone arrow
point and Artemius of Delftwood for the belemnite. The rest of the
collection comes from my personal stash collected during years of wandering all
over the place picking up whatever looked unusual!
Bibliography
McGinnis M., Meghan P. Ring Out Your Dead. Stockholm: Stockholms Universitet, 2016
http://www.archaeology.su.se/polopoly_fs/1.288568.1467018819!/menu/standard/file/Mattsson_McGinnis_Meghan_Paalz-Ring_Out_Your_Dead.pdf
Fig a & b are attributed to this text.
Johanson, Kristiina. The Changing Meaning of ‘Thunderbolts’. Wood cut is attributed to this text.
McNamara, Kenneth J. Shepherds’ crowns, fairy loaves and
thunderstones: the mythology of fossil echinoids in England. Myth and Geology. London: Geological
Society, 2007. Fig 4 & 8 are attributed to this text.
Report of the U.S
National Museum,
Part I. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1899.
Ravilious, K. “Thor’s Hammer” Found in Viking Graves. National Geographic News, 2010.
Seigfried, Karl E. H. The
Norse Mythology Blog. 2010
Dian-stanes and “Thunderstones”. Orkneyjar, the heritage of the Orkney
Islands.
Sibley, Jane The Divine Thunderbolt USA: XLibris, 2009
Extant piece found at http://www.geolsba.dk/echinoids/dan/Galerites-vikingesmykke.html
Published January 11th, 2017 in the Aethelmearc Gazette.
https://aethelmearcgazette.com/2017/01/11/pin-down-the-dead-or-how-to-protect-against-zombies-and-the-evil-eye/
Published January 11th, 2017 in the Aethelmearc Gazette.
https://aethelmearcgazette.com/2017/01/11/pin-down-the-dead-or-how-to-protect-against-zombies-and-the-evil-eye/
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