A Book of Fruits and Flowers Part 7

_The Oyntment for the French Pox._

Take _Barrowes_ grease well tryed from the filmes, beat it in a Morter till it be small and fine, put thereto of _Lethargy_ one ounce, of _Mastick_ in fine powder, two ounces, of _Olibanum_ in powder, one ounce, of Oyle of _Spike_ one ounce, Oyle of _Paliolum_ one ounce, of _Terpentine_ one quarter of a pound, beat all these together into a perfect Oyntment, and therewith annoynt these places.

_What place to annoynt for the French Pox._

The princ.i.p.all bone in the Nape of the Neck, without the shoulder places, taking heed it come not neer the channell bone, for then it will make the throat swell, else not, the elbowes on both sides, the hip bones, the share, the knees, the hammes, and the ankles; if the Patient have no Ache, annoynt not these places, but only the sores till they be whole; if there be any k.n.o.bs lying in the flesh, as many have, annoynt them often, and lay lint upon them, and brown paper upon the lint, and keep the Patient close out of the aire, and this used will make him whole in ten dayes by the grace of G.o.d.

_For a paine in the ears, or deafnesse._

Take a hot loafe, of the bignesse of a Bakers penny loaf, and pull or cut it in two in the middest, and lay the middle of the crummy side to the middest, or to the hole of the ear, or ears pained, as hot as they may be endured, and so bind them fast together on all night, and then if you find any pain in either or both ears, or any noyse, put into the pained ear or ears, a drop of _Aqua vitae_, in each, and then againe binding more hot bread to them, walk a little while, and after goe to bed; this done three or four dayes together, hath taken away the paine, hearing noyse in the ears, and much eased the deafnesse, and dullnesse of and in many.

_Of Marigolds._

_A very good Plaister to heale and dry up a Sore or Cut Suddenly._

Take of _Marigold_ leaves, _Porret_ blades or leaves, and _Housleke_, of all two handfulls, beat them all very small in a Morter, and put to them the whites of two new layd Eggs, and beat them very well till they be throughly incorporated with the Eggs, and apply this till you be well, renew it every day.

_The use of Conserve of Marigolds._

Conserve of _Marigolds_ taken fasting in the morning, is good for Melancholy, cureth the trembling and shaking of the heart, is good to be used against the Plague, and Corruption of the Aire.

_Of Cherries_.

_A way to dry Cherries_.

Take three quarters of a pound of _Sugar_, and a pound of _Cherries_, their stalks and stones taken from them, then put a spoonfull of clean water in the Skillet, and so lay a lay of _Cherries_ and another of _Sugar_, till your quant.i.ty be out, then set them on the fire, and boyle them as fast as conveniently you can, now and then shaking them about the Skillet, for fear of burning, and when you think they are enough, and clear, then take them off the fire, and let them stand till they be halfe cold, then take them out as clear from the Syrupe as you can, and lay them one by one upon sheets of gla.s.se, setting them either abroad in the sunne, or in a window where the sunne may continually be upon them. If they dry not so fast as you would have them, then in the turning sc.r.a.pe some loafe _Sugar_ finely upon them, but add no greater heat then the sunne will afford, which will be sufficient if they be well tended, and let no dew fall on them by any means, but in the evening set them in some warm Cupboard.

_How to Preserve Cherries_.

Take the _Cherries_ when they be new gathered off the Tree, being full ripe, put them to the bottome of your Preserving pan, weighing to every pound of _Cherries_, one pound of _sugar_, then throw some of the _sugar_ upon the _Cherries_, and set them on a very quick fire, and as they boyle throw on the rest of the _sugar_, till the Syrupe be thick enough, then take them out, and put them in a gally pot while they are warm; you may if you will, put two or three spoonfulls of _Rose-water_ to them:

_To make all manner of Fruit Tarts_.

You must boyle your Fruit, whether it be _Apple, Cherry, Peach, Damson, Peare, Mulberry_, or _Codling_, in faire water, and when they be boyled enough, put them into a bowle, and bruise them with a ladle, and when they be cold straine them, and put in red wine, or _Clarret_ wine, and so season it with _sugar, cinamon,_ and _ginger_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cherries]

_To make a close Tart of Cherries_.

Take out the stones, and lay them as whole as you can in a Charger, and put _Mustard, Cinamon_, and _Sugar_, into them, and lay them into a Tart whole, and close them, then let them stand three quarters of an hour in the Oven, and then make a Syrupe of _Muskadine_, and _Damask water_ and _sugar_, and so serve it.

_To make fine Pippin Tarts_.

Quarter, pare, core, and stew your _Pippins_ in a Pipkin, upon very hot embers, close covered, a whole day, for they must stew softly, then put to them some whole _Cinamon_, six _Cloves_, and _sugar_ enough to make them sweet, and some _Rose-water_, and when they are stewed enough, take them off the fire, and take all the Spice from them, and break them small like _Marmalade_, having your Coffins ready made, not above an inch deep, fill them with it, and lay on a very thin cover of puffe paste, close and fit, so bake them, serve them in cold, but you must take heed you doe not over-bake them.

_To make a Tart of b.u.t.ter and Eggs_.

Take the yolks of sixteene _Eggs_ well parted from the whites, three quarters of a pound of _b.u.t.ter_ well Clarified, and straine it twice or thrice in a faire strainer, seasoned with _sugar_ and a little _Rose water_, wherein _Spinage_ first a little boyled, hath been strained, to make it green; be sure your paste be well made, and whole, and so bake it up, and serve it.

_Of Goose-Berries_.

_To keep Goose-Berries_.

Take a handfull or two of the worser of your _Goose-Berries_, cut off their stalks and heads, and boyle them all to pieces, in a pottell of water, putting into the boyling thereof, halfe a quarter of _sugar_, then take the liquor, straine it through a haire strainer, and while it cooleth cut off the stalks and heads of the fairest _Goose-Berries_, being very carefull you cut not the skin of them above or below; put them into a gally pot, and pour the liquor in after them.

_Purslaine_ must be used as you doe the _Goose-Berries_.

_The best way to Preserve Goose-Berries_.

Gather them with their stalks on, cut off their heads, and stone them, then put them in scalding water, and let them stand therein covered a quarter of an hour, then take their weight in _sugar_ finely beaten, and laying first a lay of _sugar_, then one of your _Goose-Berries_, in your Preserving Skillet or pan, till all be in, putting in for every pound of _Goose-Berries_, six spoonfulls of water, set them on the embers till the _sugar_ be melted, then boyle them up as fast as you can, till the Syrupe be thick enough, and cold, and then put them up. This way serves also for _Respa.s.ses_ and _Mulberries_.

_Of Plums._

_The best way to dry Plums._